X 



" It happened, a few days before we left England, that Sir H.'s valet 

 declined going with him, and in the short space of time allowed by circum- 

 stances, another could not be got. Sir H. told me he was very sorry, but 

 that if I would do such things as were absolutely necessary for him until 

 he got to Paris, he should there get another. I murmured, but agreed. 

 At Paris he could not get one ; at Lyons he could not get one ; at Mont- 

 pellier he could not get one ; nor at Genoa, nor at Florence, nor at 

 Rome, nor in all Italy ; and I believe at last he did not wish to get one ; 

 and we are just the same now as we were when we left England. This, of 

 course, throws things into my duty which it was not my agreement, and is 

 not my wish to perform, but which are, if I remain with Sir H., unavoid- 

 able. These, it is true, are very few ; for having been accustomed in early- 

 years to do for himself, he continues to do so at present, and he leaves very 

 little for a valet to perform ; and as he knows that it is not pleasing to me, 

 and that I do not consider myself as obliged to do it, he is always as care- 

 ful as possible to keep those things from me which he knows would be dis- 

 agreeable. But Lady Davy is of another humour. She likes to show her 

 authority, and at first I found her extremely earnest in mortifying me. 

 This occasioned quarrels between us, at each of which I gained ground and 

 she lost it ; for the frequency made me care nothing about them and 

 weakened her authority, and after each she behaved in a milder manner. 

 Sir H. has also taken care to get servants of the country, ycleped lacquais 

 de place, to do everything she can want, and now I am somewhat comfort- 

 able ; indeed at this moment I am perfectly at liberty, for Sir H. has gone 

 to Naples to search for a house or lodging to which we may follow him, 

 and I have nothing to do but see Rome, write my journal, and learn 

 Italian." 



About the same time he writes to his friend Huxtable : — 



" Since Sir H. has left England he has made a great addition to chemistry 

 in his researches on the nature of iodine. He first showed that it was a 

 simple body. He combined it with chlorine and hydrogen, and lately 

 with oxygen, and thus has added three acids of a new species to the 

 science. He combined it with the metals, and found a class of salts ana- 

 logous to the hyperoxymuriates. He still further combined these sub- 

 stances, and investigated their curious and singular properties. 



" The combination of iodine with oxygen is a late discovery, and the 

 paper has not yet perhaps reached the Royal Society. It confirms all Sir 

 H.'s former opinions and statements, and shows the inaccuracy of the 

 labours of the French chemists on the same subjects. 



" Sir Humphry also sent a long paper lately to the Royal Society, on 

 the ancient Greek and Roman colours, which will be worth your reading 

 when it is printed." 



A fortnight after his return to England he was engaged as assistant in 

 the laboratory at a salary of SOs. a week, and apartments were given to 

 him. 



