The Life and Letters of Faraday, Volume 1Longmans, Green and Company, 1870 |
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Common terms and phrases
ammonia amongst answer apparatus appeared beautiful body carbon carbonic acid carriage chemical chemical affinity chemistry chlorine circumstances City Philosophical Society CLAPHAM WOOD colour compound continued Davy's dear Mother effect electricity endeavoured exertions expect experiments FARADAY TO ABBOTT Faraday's feel formed gases gave give glass happy heat honour hope horses hydrogen ideas inches inertia iodine iron kind knowledge laboratory lava leave lecture letter light magnet manner matter means ment metals Michael Faraday mind morning motion mountain muriatic acid nature never o'clock observed obtained opinion oxygen paper passed perceive perhaps person pleasure present Quarterly Journal reason respect Rome Royal Institution Royal Society Saturday scientific Sir H Sir Humphry Davy steel substance sulphur suppose things thoughts tion tube vapour whilst wire wish Wollaston wootz write wrote zinc
Popular passages
Page 225 - The philosopher should be a man willing to listen to every suggestion, but determined to judge for himself. He should not be biased by appearances ; have no favorite hypothesis ; be of no school ; and in doctrine have no master. He should not be a respecter of persons, but of things. Truth should be his primary object. If to these qualities be added industry, he may indeed hope to walk within the veil of the temple of nature.
Page 337 - High as man is placed above the creatures around him, there is a higher and far more exalted position within his view; and the ways are infinite in which he occupies his thoughts about the fears, or hopes, or expectations of a future life. I believe that the truth of that future cannot be brought to his knowledge by any exertion of his mental powers, however exalted 208 they may be; that it is made known to him by other teaching than his own, and is received through simple belief of the testimony...
Page 377 - IN desiring Mr. FARADAY to expose the hydrate of chlorine to heat in a closed glass tube, it occurred to me, that one of three things would happen ; that it would become fluid as a hydrate ; or that a decomposition of water would occur, and euchlorine and muriatic acid be formed ; or that the chlorine would separate in a condensed state.
Page 55 - I am obliged to go out of town, and shall not bo settled in town till the end of January ; I will then see you at any time you wish. It would gratify me to be of any service to you. I wish it may be in my power. I am, sir, your obedient, humble servant, H. DAVY.
Page 310 - All our theories are fixed upon uncertain data, and all of them want alteration and support. Ever since the world began opinion has changed with the progress of things ; and it is something more than absurd to suppose that we have a sure claim to perfection, or that we are in possession of the highest stretch of intellect which has or can result from human thought. Why our successors should not displace us in' our opinions, as well as in our persons, it is difficult to say; it ever has been so, and...
Page 82 - I should never have left London. In the second place enticing as travelling is and I appreciate fully its advantages and pleasures I have several times been more than half decided to return hastily home, but second thoughts have still induced me to try what the future may produce and now I am only retained by the wish of improvement.
Page 157 - I have seen of men and manners is just enough to make me desirous of seeing more ; added to which, the glorious opportunity I enjoy of improving in the knowledge of chemistry and the sciences continually determines me to finish this voyage with Sir Humphry Davy.
Page 79 - I was formerly a bookseller and binder, but am now turned philosopher,* which happened thus: — Whilst an apprentice, I, for amusement, learnt a little chemistry and other parts of philosophy, and felt an eager desire to proceed in that way further.
Page 144 - ... pressing it with a knife, so as to force the matter out of the skin, it again became luminous, and continued to shine for two hours brightly. One I found on the floor crushed unawares by the foot. I separated the luminous part of this insect, and left it on paper. It shone with undiminished luster the whole evening, and appeared not at all to have suffered in its power of emitting light by the mixture and confusion of its parts, so that it appears to depend more upon the chemical nature of the...
Page 9 - my education was of the most ordinary description, consisting of little more than the rudiments of reading, writing, and arithmetic at a common day school. My hours out of school were passed at home and in the streets.