fact. "What is its use?" Dr. Franklin says to such,
"What is the use of an infant?" The answer of the experimentalist is,
"Endeavour to make it useful." When Scheele discovered this substance,
it appeared to have no use; it was in its infancy and useless state, but
having grown up to maturity, witness its powers, and see what endeavours
to make it useful have done.'

Footnote to Chapter 3

[1] I am indebted to a friend for the following exquisite
morsel:--'A short time after the publication of Faraday's
first researches in magneto-electricity, he attended the
meeting of the British Association at Oxford, in 1832. On
this occasion he was requested by some of the authorities to
repeat the celebrated experiment of eliciting a spark from a
magnet, employing for this purpose the large magnet in the
Ashmolean Museum. To this he consented, and a large party
assembled to witness the experiments, which, I need not say,
were perfectly successful. Whilst he was repeating them a
dignitary of the University entered the room, and addressing
himself to Professor Daniell, who was standing near Faraday,
inquired what was going on. The Professor explained to him
as popularly as possible this striking result of Faraday's
great discovery. The Dean listened with attention and looked
earnestly at the brilliant spark, but a moment after he
assumed a serious countenance and shook his head; "I am
sorry for it," said he, as he walked away; in the middle of
the room he stopped for a moment and repeated, "I am sorry
for it:" then walking towards the door, when the handle was
in his hand he turned round and said, "Indeed I am sorry for
it; it is putting new arms into the hands of the
incendiary." This occurred a short time after the papers
had been filled with the doings of the hayrick burners. An
erroneous statement of what fell from the Dean's mouth was
printed at the time in one of the Oxford papers. He is there
wrongly stated to have said, "It is putting new arms into
the hands of the infidel."'

Chapter 4.

Points of Character.

A point highly illustrative of the character of Faraday now comes into
view. He gave an account of his discovery of Magneto-electricity in a
letter to his friend M. Hachette, of Paris, who communicated the letter
to the Academy of Sciences. The letter wa