movements, entirely anticipated his rival in perfecting the construction of the instrument, and thus fully entitled himself to the first honor, yet the real merits of Stephenson should have been acknowledged and rewarded. His party, in the controversy that arose, perhaps claimed too much for him; but we must confess, we have never been able to contemplate the conduct of Davy's friends, in denying him all claim to merit in connection with the invention, but with regret, as being unjust and oppressive. We have often felt quite a disposition to inquire what would have been the result had the distinguished and titled man of science and the obscure mechanic exchanged places in relation to the affair!

It was expected by Davy's friends that the government would take some notice of him in consequence of his great discoveries, but nothing of the kind was ever done except to confer a baronetcy upon him nearly three years after the invention of his lamp.

The next subject which particularly engaged the attention of our philosopher was a plan for unrolling the ancient manuscripts found in Herculaneum, in which he enlisted with much enthusiasm. Having obtained the approbation and patronage of the prince regent, afterward George IV., and other high officers of government, he left England for Naples in May, 1818, in order to put his plan to the test. At Naples he for a time at least met with every encouragement; but, as the enterprise proved an entire failure, it is not necessary here to give a particular description of the various processes by which he expected to accomplish his purpose. The object proposed was one in which both science and literature were highly interested; and in proportion to its importance, and the expectations that had been raised, was the mortification of failure. It is believed, however, that his want of success is not to be attributed to any lack of zeal or of skill on his part, but to the decayed condition of the papyri.

Sir Humphry returned to his native country early in the year 1820; and in the autumn was elected president of the Royal Society, an office which he continued to fill till near the close of his life, when he resigned in consequence of his continued ill health. In the winter of the year 1819, Professor Oersted of Copenhagen made his celebrated discovery which laid the foundation of the whole science of ELECTRO-MAGNETISM; and it was no sooner announced, than Davy, with his characteristic ardor, was engaged in

a series of experiments connected with the subject. As was to be expected from a man of his genius, he very soon determined many new facts, which were communicated to the Royal Society in several successive papers, the first of which was read November 16th, 1820, and the others in succeeding years.

Though in the possession of wealth and fame, that might be supposed sufficient to gratify the highest ambition of the most aspiring, he continued to interest himself in every thing which concerned the progress of science and the useful arts; and did not hesitate even to engage in laborious experiments in connection with any new inquiry of importance that was started. Toward the latter part of the year 1823, the commissioners of the navy addressed to the president and council of the Royal Society an inquiry concerning the best method of preserving the copper sheathing of ships from corrosion in sea-water; and a committee was appointed for the purpose, for whom Davy undertook to make the necessary investigations. His experiments very soon suggested a remedy, which, upon trial many times, promised complete success; and in January, 1824, he communicated his views to government, informing them he was prepared to carry his plan into effect. The proposition was received with all the attention its importance demanded, and an order given that the plan proposed by Davy should be immediately tried under his own superintendence. As if to increase the mortification of ultimate defeat, the first trials seemed to indicate the most complete success; and various means were taken to give it the greatest possible publicity. But on sufficient trial it was found altogether impracticable; and Davy, and those who had fallen in with his views, found themselves in great error, in consequence of having drawn too hasty conclusions from the experiments made;—in making up a decision from the experience of a few weeks or months, when that of years only could, from the nature of the case, determine the question. Such was the public confidence in the success of the invention, that, without waiting for the issue, it was adopted at enormous expense by government and by private individuals, and continued for several years, until its "theoretical success" and "practical inefficiency" were fully established. In Sept., 1828, the plan, by order of government, was entirely abandoned.

We have not thought it necessary to enter into the details of this

enterprise of Davy's, nor could it be in justice entirely omitted. Besides, it affords an excellent illustration of the character of the man. Ardent, enterprising, ingenious, and industrious, even at a period in which many of the motives that ordinarily actuate the human breast may be supposed to have ceased in a great degree to operate, he is ready to engage with zeal in an undertaking that is to require a great expenditure of thought and labor. Relying entirely upon his own immense resources, he commences an entirely new course of experiments, settles in a short time many new facts and principles, draws his conclusions, with reference to the particular object of investigation, and with the utmost confidence is ready to proclaim them to the world, and if need be, to put them in practice on the most extensive scale! We need not refer the reader to other instances of a similar character; he will recollect several we have related, and may find numerous others in the "Life" we are reviewing. If with his great ingenuity and almost unparalleled keenness of perception, he established some most important new truths, it is not certainly to be wondered at, that he also made some magnificent failures!

We now approach the termination of the brilliant career of this illustrious individual. Soon after it was ascertained that his plan for protecting the copper sheathing of ships would prove impracticable, it was observed that a degree of disappointment and chagrin was produced in his mind, wholly inconsistent, as Dr. P. remarks," with the merits of the question. His general health began also to decline, being in some degree very probably affected by the state of his mind. In the latter part of the year, while absent from home, he was suddenly seized with apoplexy, which, however, gradually yielded to remedies, but not without producing a partial paralysis of his system. He however continued his field sports, of which he was excessively fond, even after his strength had so far decayed that he was obliged to take a pony with him into the field, "from which he dismounted only on the certainty of immediate sport."

Soon after his partial recovery from his apoplectic attack above noticed, by the advice of his physicians, he left England for the south of Europe, where he spent several months, and returned in the autumn of 1827, his health but little improved by the journey.

In 1828 he again left England for the continent, never to return.

His last letter written by himself was dated at Rome, February 6, 1829, where he had been several months, and was addressed to an early friend with whom he had corresponded for many years, and informs him that in a precarious state of health he is gradually wearing away the winter ;-a ruin among ruins." He however continued to attend to scientific pursuits, and prepared some papers for the Royal Society, which were subsequently published in their Transactions.

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On the 20th of February he was suddenly attacked a second time with apoplexy, which finally proved fatal. As soon as the information reached Lady Davy, who was at London, she hastened to join him; and his brother, Dr. Davy, who was at Malta, arrived the 16th of March. As he was very desirous to visit Geneva, the party left Rome on the 30th of April, and arrived there on the 28th of the next month, where he breathed his last early on the morning of the following day. His remains were honored with a public funeral a few days afterward, and deposited in the public cemetery, where it is believed they yet lie interred, a small tablet only having been erected to his memory by his widow in Westminster Abbey.

Thus closed the career of one of the greatest philosopers of the present age! It may have been remarked by the reader, that as yet we have said nothing of his religious character; nor indeed have we much to say. At one time in early life he appears to have been skeptical with regard to religious matters; but there is abundant evidence that in after years he fully believed in the great truths of Christianity. His general conduct, it is believed, was in accordance with the great principles of morality, and yet it is greatly to be regretted he would not hesitate sometimes to start on a journey on the sabbath, or attend places of vain amusement. Some of his writings are not without considerable indication of pious feeling; and though there may be before the world little evidence that he ever felt the sanctifying influence of experimental religion upon his heart, it is pleasing to hope, that having by faith in Christ appropriated to himself the benefits of the atonement, he who did so much to render his name immortal among his fellows, may be now in the enjoyment of a blissful immortality above.

Besides his scientific memoirs, most of which were published in the Philosophical Transactions, he published his "Elements of

Chimical Philosophy," in 1812, and his "Elements of Agricultural Chimistry, "the following year. He also, during the few last years of his life, prepared two small works for the press of a more general character, the last of which was published after his death. They are entitled "Salmonia, or Days of Fly-fishing," and "Consolations in Travel, or the Last Days of a Philosopher."

His various communications to the Royal Society, all of which it is believed were published in their Transactions, amount to the number of forty-six; the first of which was read June 18, 1801, and the last November 20, 1828.

Wesleyan University, April, 1841.

V.-Patrick Henry.

PATRICK HENRY was a native of Virginia; and, although born of very respectable and well-educated parents, yet, on account of the loose discipline which prevailed in the family, as well as a natural indolence and aversion to study on the part of the child, his early tuition was very much neglected, and his youth was spent in the most listless and enervating idleness. We hear of him wandering, for days together, through the fields and woods; sometimes without any apparent object, and sometimes in the pursuit of game-or, perhaps, stretched on the green bank of some meandering stream, watching the ripples and eddies as they whirled along, or angling in its sparkling waters.

The same love of idleness followed him into the pursuits of business, where he exchanged the pleasures of hunting and angling for the melodies of the flute and violin, and tales of love and war. With such a disposition it is not surprising that there was a fatality in every thing he undertook. Before he was eighteen he was a broken merchant; and immediately after, without any visible means of subsistence, without even bestowing a thought on the future, he became a husband, and soon found himself with a growing family on his hands. By the joint assistance of his father and father-in-law, a small farm was now purchased, and the future Demosthenes of America, and his young bride, placed upon it, and fairly launched upon the wide world. Two years served to wind up his career as a farmer, and, selling his land at a sacrifice to disembarrass himself of debt, he vested the remainder in an adventure of goods, and once more