CHAPTER II. JOURNEYMAN BOOKBINDER AND CHEMICAL ASSISTANT AT THE ROYAL INSTITUTION. 1812. ON October 8, 1812, Faraday went as a journeyman Ar. 21. bookbinder to a Mr. De la Roche, then a French emigrant in London. He was a very passionate man, ‘and gave his assistant so much trouble that he felt he could not remain in his place,' although his master held out every inducement to him to stay, and even said to him, I have no child, and if you will stay with me you shall have all I have when I am gone.' The letters which Faraday wrote to his friends Abbott and Huxtable show 'how eager was the desire he felt to proceed further in the way of philosophy,' and how strongly he was drawn towards the service of science; they also show how far he had educated himself when he first went to the Royal Institution, and they give an insight into his character when he changed his course of life, and began his scientific career at the very lowest step, but under the greatest master of the time. Four days after his apprenticeship ended, he wrote to his friend Abbott. 'Dear A, I thank you heartily for your letter Er. 21. yesterday, the which gave me greater pleasure than any one I had before received from you. I know not whether you will be pleased by such commendation or not; it is the best I can bestow. I intend at this time to answer it, but would wish you, before you read the ensuing matter, to banish from your mind all frivolous passions. It is possible that what I may say would only tend to give rise (under their influence) to disdain, contempt, &c., for at present I am in as serious a mood as you can be, and would not scruple to speak a truth to any human being, whatever repugnance it might give rise to. Being in this state of mind, I should have refrained from writing to you, did I not conceive, from the general tenor of your letter, that your mind is, at proper times, occupied on serious subjects to the exclusion of those which comparatively are frivolous. 'I cannot fail to feel gratified, my dear friend, at the post I appear to occupy in your mind, and I will very openly affirm that I attach much greater importance to that interest since the perusal of your last. I would much rather engage the good opinion of one moral philosopher who acts up to his precepts, than the attentions and commonplace friendship of fifty natural philosophers. This being my mind, I cannot fail to think more honourably of my friend since the confirmation of my good opinion, and I now feel somewhat satisfied that I have judged him rightly. 'As for the change you suppose to have taken place with respect to my situation and affairs, I have to thank my late master that it is but little. Of liberty and time I have, if possible, less than before, though I hope my 1812. circumspection has not at the same time decreased; I ÆT. 21. am well aware of the irreparable evils that an abuse of those blessings will give rise to. These were pointed out to me by common sense, nor do I see how any one who considers his own station, and his own free occupations, pleasures, actions, &c., can unwittingly engage himself in them, I thank that Cause to whom thanks are due that I am not in general a profuse waster of those blessings which are bestowed on me as a human being-I mean health, sensation, time, and temporal resources. Understand me clearly here, for I wish much not to be mistaken. I am well aware of my own nature, it is evil, and I feel its influence strongly ; I know too that-but I find that I am passing insensibly to a point of divinity, and as those matters are not to be treated lightly, I will refrain from pursuing it. All I meant to say on that point was that I keep regular hours, enter not intentionally into pleasures productive of evil, reverence those who require reverence from me, and act up to what the world calls good. I appear moral and hope that I am so, though at the same time I consider morality only as a lamentably deficient state. 'I know not whether you are aware of it by any means, but my mind delights to occupy itself on serious subjects, and I am never better pleased than when I am in conversation with a companion of my own turn of mind. I have to regret that the expiration of my apprenticeship hath deprived me of the frequent company and conversation of a very serious and improving young companion, but I am now in hopes of a compensation by the acquisition of, at times, a letter from you. I am very considerably indebted to him for the sober turn or bent of my reason, and heartily thank him for it. In our various conversations we have fre quently touched on the different parts of your letter, 1812. and I have every reason to suppose that, by so doing, Er. 21. we have been reciprocally benefitted. 'I cannot help but be pleased with the earnest manner in which you enforce the necessity of precaution in respect of new acquaintances. I have long been conscious of it, and it is that consciousness which limits my friends to the very small number that comprises them. I feel no hesitation in saying that I scrutinised you long and closely before I satisfied the doubts in my breast, but I now trust they are all allayed. "It appears that in the article of experience you are my superior. You have been tried; if the result of the trial satisfies your own good sense and inward admonitions, I rest satisfied that you acted rightly. I am well aware that to act rightly is at times difficult; our judgment and good sense are oftentimes opposed, and that strongly too, by our passions and wishes. That we may never give up the first for the sake of the last is the earnest wish of your friend. 'I have made use of the term friend several times, and in one place I find the expression commonplace friendship. It will perhaps not be improper at this time to give you my ideas on true friendship and eligible companions. In every action of our lives I conceive that reference ought to be had to a Superior Being, and in nothing ought we to oppose or act contrary to His precepts. These ideas make me extremely displeased with the general and also the ancient idea of friendship. A few lines strike upon my mind at this moment; they begin thus : VOL. I. A generous friendship no cold medium knows, 1812. AT. 20. Postscript. 'Dear A―, I have received yours of to-day, the perusal of which has raised in my mind a tumult of petty passions, amongst which are predominant vexation, sorrow, and regret. I write under the influence of them, and shall inform you candidly of my feelings at this moment. You will see by the foregoing part of this letter that I have not acted in unison with your request by dropping the subject of chlorine, and for not having done so I feel very considerable sorrow. I had at various short intervals, as time would permit, drawn it up, and felt, I will own, gratified on reading it over; but the reception of yours has made me most heartily regret it. Pity me, dear A., in that I have not sufficiently the mastery of my feelings and passions. In the first part of this long epistle you will see the reasons I have given for continuing the subject, but I fancy that I can now see the pride and self-complacency that led me on; and I am fearful that I was influenced by thinking that I had a superior knowledge in this particular subject. Being now aware of this passion, I have made a candid confession of it to you, in hopes to lessen it by mortifying it and humiliating it. You will of course understand that I shall not now enter on euchlorine until it is convenient for both of us, when I hope to take up the subject uninfluenced by any of those humiliating, and to a philosopher disgraceful, feelings. I subscribe myself, with humility, yours sincerely, 'M. FARADAY.' |