Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

learned the truths taught by others, and then carried on his studies until he developed some of the most profound truths of that department of knowledge.

And here let us note well one very important feature in Faraday's mode of investigation, as in it we have much of the secret of his success. He says himself: "I could trust a fact, but always cross-examined an assertion.” What does he mean by this? Clearly, that natural phenomena, carefully observed, supply basis facts that can be relied on; while general statements have always to be carefully tested ;-first, to ascertain exactly what they mean; and, secondly, in order that we may be sure that they are facts, and not mere inferences from facts.

In these early studies, Faraday derived great help from Mrs. Marcet's "Conversations on Chemistry;" and for this aid he ever cherished a feeling of gratitude to the authoress. While our young philosopher was thus educating himself for the great future that was before him, Sir Humphrey Davy, who had raised himself to a position of great honour, was lecturing at the rooms of the Royal Society in London. Faraday heard of what Davy was doing, and desiring to do something, however humble, in the same path, he wrote a letter to the baronet, asking to be employed under him at the Institution. This letter was shown by Davy to a friend, with the inquiry, "What shall I do?" "Do?" replied the friend, "put him to wash bottles: if he is good for anything, he will do it directly; if he refuses, he is good for nothing." Davy acted on the advice. Faraday was taken as an assistant in the laboratory, and from washing bottles he soon began to render more valuable aid to the great chemist, and finally succeeded to his post and

honours.

[ocr errors]

We just now said that Faraday could "trust a fact; but even here he very soon learned that some things may appear facts to a hasty observer, which more careful observation may show are not such. Faraday had also learned that it was not enough to accept a few facts only, which more or less obviously came before him. He knew that before he drew general conclusions, facts must be accumulated, conditions must be varied, and seeming agreements must be tested again and again. And accordingly, in making his investigations, he was always most painstaking and methodical, each experiment being carefully described and entered with its number in order. How extensive these were, is shown by the fact that his last recorded experiment is numbered 16,041.

As an illustration of Faraday's skill in discovery, it may be mentioned that many years before the laying of any of our submarine cables, Faraday had been working upon electro-magnetic currents, and had carried his wire, first under the lake at Kensington Gardens, and then across the bed of the Thames at London Bridge. So too, in 1845, he wrote, "I have long held an opinion, amounting almost to conviction, that the various forms under which the forces of matter are made manifest have one common origin; in other words, are so related, that they are convertible, as it were, into one another, and possess equivalents of power in their action." With this grand truth dawning thus early upon him, we find him keeping it for years, as it were in suspense, until, by evidence, the principle was placed beyond doubt, and formed one of the grandest steps taken in science since the days of Newton. And then, when so established, with what simplicity he unfolded it even to youthful

students, the lectures at the Royal Institution bear witness. An example of this teaching is given in a later book of this series.

While thus knowing the laws by which electricity, light, heat, and other forces are regulated, Faraday, as a true and faithful knight of God, ever held clearly that these lower works proclaimed a Creator, a Law-Maker; and thus he became, in the words of Dr. Gladstone, "the most humble, the most earnest, the most prayerful Priest in the Temple of Science."

Faraday slowly and peacefully sank to his final rest, in August, 1867.

EXERCISES.-1. Define,-Pursued, observation, experiment, hypothesis, investigation, and accumulated. 2. Write a short life of Faraday. 3. Say what subjects formed Faraday's chief study, and how he pursued them.

[blocks in formation]

At the present time Queen Victoria is the sovereign

of the widespread British
"great powers of Europe."
in the year 1837, on the death of her uncle King
William the Fourth. This king had reigned only
seven years, having followed his brother George IV. in
1830, who, in his turn, succeeded his father in 1820.

Empire, which is one of the
She succeeded to the throne

Thus, from the death of George III. to the present time is little more than half a century.

During this period our country has been happily saved from all civil or internal war, as well as from any disputed or doubtful succession, and we may both hope and reasonably expect that this internal peace will be long continued. We must remember, however, that the liberty and prosperity we now enjoy are the result of the longcontinued struggles and hard-fought battles of our forefathers. We ought, therefore, to do our part towards securing to those who shall come after us, an inheritance as rich, as free, and as enduring as that which we have received.

And while we have had no very serious commotion at home, so, the foreign wars in which we have been engaged have been, almost without exception, with minor and distant governments; wars with states bordering upon the outlying parts of the empire. Such were the Indian and Chinese wars in Asia, and the Caffre and Abyssinian wars in Africa. An exception to this general statement is, however, found in the great war which we, in alliance with France and Turkey, carried on against Russia.

We now come to the longest reign in the annals of our country, that of George III., extending over a period of sixty years, namely, from 1760 to 1820. This reign is one of great importance, for it was then that we entered upon a struggle with our colonies in North America, which resulted in the establishment of the Independence of the United States. During this reign also, it was, that France was torn by that great internal struggle known as the French Revolution of 1789, and subsequently under Napoleon Buonaparte entered on a series of wars with

nearly all the great powers of Europe, which ended with the decisive battle of Waterloo in 1815, after which Buonaparte was banished to St. Helena. In 1814, the French monarchy was re-established under Louis XVIII. By the revolution of 1830 Louis Philippe was raised to the throne. Since that time, our neighbours restored for a brief period the republic; then re-established the empire under Napoleon III.; and are now (1875) once more under a republican régime, with a future that few would venture to predict.

But, to return to the review of our own history. A century ago brings us to the second decade of the reign of George III. This king, born and educated in England, was the first of the house of Hanover who was really recognised as one of us, and so unassuming were his habits and those of his family that he came to be looked upon as 66 the father of his people." He had some ways and habits not common to Royal personages; his speech was homely, and his dress and manners far from courtly. Still, his will was resolute and unbending, and his stern integrity and honesty of purpose in devoting himself to the well-being of his people, were such as gradually won the goodwill and even the affection of the people. None were so low that he could not stoop to understand their condition and wants. Even the humble quaker schoolmaster, Joseph Lancaster, trying to teach the hitherto neglected children about him, was invited to the king's presence at Weymouth, and encouraged by the right royal words, "It is my wish that every poor child in my kingdom should be taught to read his Bible." And from that day to this, both by word and deed, the sovereigns of our country have sought to make this wish a reality.

« AnteriorContinuar »