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the agitation of active public stations, that his most valuable life will be long spared; and that energies of mind may still be displayed to this Society and to the civilised world, equal to those which have heretofore rendered immortal the name of Davy."

Sir Humphry Davy was, in every respect, an accomplished scholar, and was well acquainted with foreign languages. He always retained a strong taste for literary pleasures; and his philosophical works are written in a perspicuous and popular style, by which means he has contributed more to the diffusion of scientific knowledge than any other writer of his time. His three principal works are," Chemical and Philosophical Researches," "Elements of Chemical Philosophy," and "Elements of Agricultural Chemistry," and the two last are excellently adapted for elementary study. His numerous pamphlets and contributions to the Transactions of the Royal Society have the same rare merit of conveying experimental knowledge in the most attractive form, and thus reducing abstract theory to the practice and purposes of life and society. The results of his investigations and experiments were not, therefore, pent up in the laboratory or lecture-room where they were made, but by this valuable mode of communication, they have realised, what ought to be the highest aim of science, the improvement of the condition and comforts of every class of his fellow-creatures. Thus, beautiful theories were illustrated by inventions of immediate utility, as in the safety-lamp for mitigating the dangers to which miners are exposed in their labours, and the application of a newly-discovered principle in preserving the life of the adventurous mariner. Yet splendid as were Sir Humphry's talents, and important as have been their application, he received the honours and homage of the scientific world with that becoming modesty which universally characterises great genius.

Apart from the scientific value of Sir Humphry's labours and researches, they are pervaded by a tone and temper, and an enthusiastic love of nature, which are as admirably expressed as their influence is excellent. We trace no mixture

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of the habits of a considerable tribe of created beings — fishes, and the animals that they prey upon, and an acquaintance with the signs and tokens of the weather and its changes, the nature of waters, and of the atmosphere. As to its poetical relations, it carries us into the most wild and beautiful scenery of nature; amongst the mountain lakes, and the clear and lovely streams that gush from the higher ranges of elevated hills, or that make their way through the cavities of calcareous strata. How delightful in the early spring, after the dull and tedious time of winter, when the frosts disappear, and the sunshine warms the earth and waters, to wander forth by some clear stream, to see the leaf bursting from the purple bud, to scent the odours of the bank perfumed by the violet, and enamelled, as it were, with the primrose and the daisy; to wander upon the fresh turf below the shade of trees, whose bright blossoms are filled with the music of the bee; and on the surface of the waters to view the gaudy flies sparkling like animated gems in the sunbeams, whilst the bright and beautiful trout is watching them from below; to hear the twittering of the water-birds, who, alarmed at your approach, rapidly hide themselves beneath the flowers and leaves of the water-lily; and as the season advances, to find all these objects changed for others of the same kind, but better and brighter, till the swallow and the trout contend, as it were, for the gaudy Mayfly, and till in pursuing your amusement in the calm and balmy evening you are serenaded by the songs of the cheerful thrush and melodious nightingale, performing the offices of paternal love, in thickets ornamented with the rose and woodbine."

Sir Humphry spent nearly the whole of the summer of 1828 in fowling and fishing in the neighbourhood of Laybach; and it has been related by a gentleman who accompanied him on a shooting excursion, that the relative weight of the various parts of each bird, the quantity of digested and undigested food, &c. were carefully noted down by the observant naturalist. It is believed that he was preparing for a large work on natural history.

The great philosopher closed his mortal career at Geneva. He had arrived in that city only the day before, namely, Friday, the 29th of May, 1829; having performed his journey from Rome by easy stages, without feeling any particular inconvenience, and without any circumstances which denoted so near an approach to the payment of the last debt of nature. During the night, however, he was attacked with apoplexy; and he expired at three o'clock on the morning of the 30th. Sir Humphry had been for some months a resident at Rome, where he had had a serious and alarming attack of a paralytic nature, but from which he was apparently, though slowly, recovering; although his most sanguine friends hardly ventured to hope that his valuable life would be much longer preserved. Lady Davy had joined him in Rome, on hearing of his alarming state, as had also his brother, Dr. John Davy, physician to the forces in Malta.

The event was no sooner known than his afflicted widow received the condolences and affectionate offers of services of the most distinguished individuals of Geneva; amongst whom were M. A. de Condolle the eminent botanist, and M. Sismondi the historian; both equally beloved for their amiable character, and illustrious throughout Europe for their works. M. de Condolle took charge of all the details of the interment; and the government of the Canton, the Academy of Geneva, the Consistory of the Genevan church, and the Societies of Arts, and of Natural Philosophy and History, together with nearly all the English residents, accompanied the remains to the burying-ground, where the English service was performed by the Rev. John Magers, of Queen's College, and the Rev. Mr. Burgess. The members of the Academy took their place in the funeral procession; and the invitations to the Syndicate, and to the learned bodies who accompanied it, were made by that body. The whole was conducted with much appropriate order and decency; and whilst every attention and respect were paid to the memory of an individual, who had done his ample share of good to mankind during his life, and whose name will be handed down to posterity

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of the habits of a considerable tribe of created beings — fishes, and the animals that they prey upon, and an acquaintance with the signs and tokens of the weather and its changes, the nature of waters, and of the atmosphere. As to its poetical relations, it carries us into the most wild and beautiful scenery of nature; amongst the mountain lakes, and the clear and lovely streams that gush from the higher ranges of elevated hills, or that make their way through the cavities of calcareous strata. How delightful in the early spring, after the dull and tedious time of winter, when the frosts disappear, and the sunshine warms the earth and waters, to wander forth by some clear stream, to see the leaf bursting from the purple bud, to scent the odours of the bank perfumed by the violet, and enamelled, as it were, with the primrose and the daisy; to wander upon the fresh turf below the shade of trees, whose bright blossoms are filled with the music of the bee; and on the surface of the waters to view the gaudy flies sparkling like animated gems in the sunbeams, whilst the bright and beautiful trout is watching them from below; to hear the twittering of the water-birds, who, alarmed at your approach, rapidly hide themselves beneath the flowers and leaves of the water-lily; and as the season advances, to find all these objects changed for others of the same kind, but better and brighter, till the swallow and the trout contend, as it were, for the gaudy Mayfly, and till in pursuing your amusement in the calm and balmy evening you are serenaded by the songs of the cheerful thrush and melodious nightingale, performing the offices of paternal love, in thickets ornamented with the rose and woodbine."

Sir Humphry spent nearly the whole of the summer of 1828 in fowling and fishing in the neighbourhood of Laybach; and it has been related by a gentleman who accompanied him on a shooting excursion, that the relative weight of the various parts of each bird, the quantity of digested and undigested food, &c. were carefully noted down by the observant naturalist. It is believed that he was preparing for a large work on natural history.

The great philosopher closed his mortal career at Geneva. He had arrived in that city only the day before, namely, Friday, the 29th of May, 1829; having performed his journey from Rome by easy stages, without feeling any particular inconvenience, and without any circumstances which denoted so near an approach to the payment of the last debt of nature. During the night, however, he was attacked with apoplexy; and he expired at three o'clock on the morning of the 30th. Sir Humphry had been for some months a resident at Rome, where he had had a serious and alarming attack of a paralytic nature, but from which he was apparently, though slowly, recovering; although his most sanguine friends hardly ventured to hope that his valuable life would be much longer preserved. Lady Davy had joined him in Rome, on hearing of his alarming state, as had also his brother, Dr. John Davy, physician to the forces in Malta.

The event was no sooner known than his afflicted widow received the condolences and affectionate offers of services of the most distinguished individuals of Geneva; amongst whom were M. A. de Condolle the eminent botanist, and M. Sismondi the historian; both equally beloved for their amiable character, and illustrious throughout Europe for their works. M. de Condolle took charge of all the details of the interment; and the government of the Canton, the Academy of Geneva, the Consistory of the Genevan church, and the Societies of Arts, and of Natural Philosophy and History, together with nearly all the English residents, accompanied the remains to the burying-ground, where the English service was performed by the Rev. John Magers, of Queen's College, and the Rev. Mr. Burgess. The members of the Academy took their place in the funeral procession; and the invitations to the Syndicate, and to the learned bodies who accompanied it, were made by that body. The whole was conducted with much appropriate order and decency; and whilst every attention and respect were paid to the memory of an individual, who had done his ample share of good to mankind during his life, and whose name will be handed down to posterity

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