Vll 



holding between my thumb and finger a small tube containing 7^ grains of 

 it. My face was within 12 inches of the tube, but I fortunately had on a 

 glass mask. It exploded by the slight heat of a small piece of cement that 

 touched the glass above half an inch from the substance, and on the out- 

 side. The explosion was so rapid as to blow my hand open, tear off a part 

 of one nail, and has made my fingers so sore that I cannot yet use them 

 easily. The pieces of tube were projected with such force as to cut the 

 glass face of the mask I had on." 



On the 1st of June he writes : — " The subject upon which I shall dwell 

 more particularly at present has been in my head for a considerable time, 

 and it now bursts forth in all its confusion. The opportunities that I have 

 lately had of attending and obtaining instruction from various lecturers in 

 their performance of the duty attached to that office, has enabled me to ob- 

 serve the various habits, peculiarities, excellencies, and defects of each of 

 them, as they were evident to me during the delivery. I did not wholly 

 let this part of the things occurrent escape my notice ; but, when I found 

 myself pleased, endeavoured to ascertain the particular circumstance that 

 had affected me ; also, when attending to Mr. Brande and Mr. Powell in 

 their lectures, I observed how the audience were affected, and by what 

 their pleasure and their censure was drawn forth. 



" It may perhaps appear singular and improper that one who is entirely 

 unfit for such an office himself, and who does not even pretend to any of 

 the requisites for it, should take upon him to censure and to commend 

 others, to express satisfaction at this, to be displeased with that, according 

 as he is led by his judgment, when he allows that his judgment is unfit for 

 it ; but I do not see, on consideration, that the impropriety is so great. 

 If I am unfit for it, it is evident that I have yet to learn ; and how 

 learn better than by the observation of others ? If we never judge at all 

 we shall never judge right ; and it is far better to learn to use our mental 

 powers (though it may take a whole life for the purpose) than to leave 

 them buried in idleness, a mere void." And then for three letters he goes 

 on with his ideas on lecture-rooms, lectures, apparatus, diagrams, experi- 

 ments, audiences; and when urged, two years later, to complete his re- 

 marks, he answers, Dec. 31, 1816 : — " With respect to my remarks on lec- 

 tures, I perceive I am but a mere tyro in the art, and therefore you must 

 be satisfied with what you have, or expect at some future time a recapitu- 

 lation, or rather revision of them." 



"During this spring Magrath and I established the mutual-improve- 

 ment plan, and met at my rooms up in the attics of the Royal Institution, 

 or at Wood Street at his warehouse. It consisted perhaps of half a dozen 

 persons, chiefly from the City Philosophical Society, who met of an even- 

 ing to read together, and to criticise, correct, and improve each other's 

 pronunciation and construction of language. The discipline was very 

 sturdy, the remarks very plain and open, and the results most valuable. 

 This continued for several years." Saturday night was the time of meeting 



