felt as if he belonged to them; and indeed like an obstinate juryman, forbidding the he sometimes, in his joyous enthusiasm, ap- conclusion; and all the labour must begin peared like an inspired child. He was not again. To Faraday's ardent imagination at all a man for evening parties; he was such contradictions must have been trying. nothing of a ladies' man; but he was the The rapidity of his thought was at times like true man for the juveniles, and would go to a fever in his blood, and the moment which see a domestic charade when the boys acted overthrew his hope was followed by physiin it, and suddenly appear behind the scenes cal prostration. But he had his Egerian to offer a little help or suggest a new ar- grotto, where rest and comfort were to be rangement; and then, while he was in front, found, and solaced himself at his domestic he would laugh and applaud so loudly, that hearth. In one of his letters he speaks of his presence was the best encouragement his "rest-giving wife," and it was with her which the young performers could have. that he found tranquillity restored when his Or he would help the young people to won- soul was troubled. Free from the weak der at the feats of a conjuror, or he would strivings of feminine vanity or selfish ambijoin in a round game, and romp quite noisi- tion, she knew how to soothe him, how to ly. But all was done with a natural impulse. make the leisure hour pleasant to him, and There was no assumption of kindness, no air to offer him some new subject of interest of condescension. It was before the ap- when his work was too stimulating for him. pearance of the chameleon top in public that She would take a quiet stroll with him out he constructed with his own hands a pretty of doors, or she would accompany him to little top with a coloured disc, and present- an exhibition, and sometimes they would go ed it to the son of a friend as a philosophic to a play together. In his young days, toy. The top still exists, and is put away Faraday used to attend Kean's performanin a box with some other precious things, ces with intense interest, and later in his and among these there is a toy green frog, life he used to admire the splendid represenwhich he brought himself to the same little tations of the Shakspearian drama, produced boy, teaching him how to make it jump, under the superintendence of Mr. Macand laughing merrily at the strangeness of ready; and Jenny Lind's delicious voice its leaps. His quick sympathies put him so occasionally charmed him to forget his cares. closely in relation with the child, that he He loved music, had a fine ear, and could saw with the boy's new wonder, and looked, sing agreeably; indeed, there was hardly and most likely felt for the moment, as if any form of excellence in art or nature to he had never seen the thing before. Quick which his sensitive temperament was not feelings, quick movement, quick thought, keenly alive. He took great pleasure in a vividness of expression and of perception, good novel, and some notes exist of a conbelonged to him. He came across you like versation upon this subject which he held a flash of light, and he seemed to leave with a friend at the house of Mrs. M, some of his light with you. His presence in Clarges Street, one of the few houses was always stimulating. Occasionally a where he was wont to appear now and then depression and weariness came upon him, at an evening party. It was a winter evensuch as these ardent natures often undergo. ing, in the month of January, 1856. A It is perhaps the balance of rest which na- favourite cat was in the refreshment-room, ture sends to them; but when he had the decorated with ribbons, and sitting in an physical strength to resist these attacks, he arm-chair. Faraday, taking a glass of did resist them. His sense of duty and of punch, presented it abruptly to the nose of religion forbade the indulgence of anything the cat, and said, "Ah! you great silly cat, like despondency, and any mood that was with your bow of ribbon, how do you like otherwise than cheerful was soon banished. that?" The cat drew itself up offended. The investigations of the natural philos- "Puss is not fond of punch," said Faraday, opher are beset with difficulties, with anxie- "but perhaps you are!"-addressing a ties and misgivings. Nature is sometimes lady who was playing with the cat; and then so slow to answer his questions, that he is followed some talk which presently turned sorely tempted to answer them for her, and upon novels, and the entertainment to be to let theory shut the door against fact, or got out of them, and Faraday said, "I like to give fact admission with a tight squeeze. the stirring ones, with plenty of life, Hours, days, months may be spent upon the plenty of action, and very little philosophy, accumulation of discoveries which seem to Why, I can do the philosophy for myself; justify their explanation by a particular pro- but I want the novelist to supply me with cess of reasoning, and just as the interpre- incident and change of scene, and to give tation of causes appears to be reached, one me an interest which takes me out of my other stubborn fact may come in the way, own immediate pursuits. It does a man

and those who made that home so happy for nationality, and to claim the universe for him should be held in grateful remembrance. her dominion. Between Faraday and the Although they lived much to themselves, philosophers of other countries no difficulthe friends who visited them never failed to ties arose; he never understood the meanfind a cordial welcome; and a friendly chat ing of the word jealousy, and as he acted in in those quiet rooms was one of the greatest good faith, desiring nothing but truth, he pleasures which it was possible to enjoy. was replied to in the same spirit. Those The frugal simplicity of the furniture was who worked with him became like him. characteristic of Faraday. He would not Nor was his generosity kept, as in some put the institution to any expense which was cases it is, merely for exportation. He was not absolutely necessary, and the chairs and the same with his fellow-labourers at home, sofas maintained their rigid black horsehair - always courteous and always true. He surface to the very last. That Faraday's knew when and how to forbear, and he also religion helped to make him the self-deny- knew how to defend himself against injustice ing man he was cannot be doubted. His or misapprehension; but he was very rarely religion and his attachment to his wife were the subject of them. How independently, the main-springs of his moral life; they kept and with what dignity, he acted in the mathim pure and simple; they kept him also ter of his pension, when Lord Melbourne's out of the world, and, therefore, that large proceedings were such as to try his temper portion of the world which is ignorant of sorely; and how well he conducted himself everything beyond the pale of its own daily when unjustly charged with appropriating stir and strife, and its own ambitions, some of Wollaston's scientific work is wellwhether in political or fashionable life, known, and need not be further discussed knew nothing of this man and his work; here, the rather that he cared little himand, being told of his death, as of a national self to rake up the dust of the past. His loss, asked why, and what his life had memory garnered up only the good. On been? To such as these the invention of a one occasion, when some allusion to his new patent for cutting cloth or mending early life from a friend, brought on the menpens appears a sensible, useful thing, and tion of a painful passage between himself the author of it worthy of honour; of and Sir H. Davy, he rose abruptly from his knighthood, or of whatever distinction may seat, took a turn or two up and down the be available for him. Possibly they might room, and said, "Talk of something else, make a stir even to obtain a pension for the and never let me speak of this again. I inventor's widow, if he died and left a wish to remember nothing but Davy's kindwidow; but the discoverer of first causes, ness." While he spoke tears shone in his of eternal truths, of the forces of nature, of eyes. None ever rose from a purer source. the basis of all invention, of the great foundations of all practical good, is not understood, and is viewed as one that indulges in useless curiosity, and amuses himself with dreams and speculations; they look upon the philosopher's investigations much as the silly school-girl, Rosa Bud, looks upon the scientific enterprise of her lover, Edwin Drood, when she speaks to him of one who hates "boilers and things."

Religion was the moving force of this man's soul. His religious feeling was not confined to any narrow circle; it had a range as large as that of the world itself; but his religious practice, the rites which he observed, and the modes of worship which he followed, belonged to a particular community of Christians known as Sandemanians, of whose form of faith it is desirable to give some description, the more as it has been subFaraday, occupied with electric currents jected to many misrepresentations. That "and things," exhibits to them no definite very honest little volume, called "A Sketch purpose; and an important discovery, with- of the Denominations of the Christian out an immediate adaptation of it, is held to World," by John Evans, supplies a narrabe a mere vagary of the mind. This must tive of the history and the worship of the be the explanation of the apathy with which Sandemanians, from which the following acthe English nation heard of the decease of count is derived. The sect originated in that great man who was perhaps her truest Scotland in the year 1728, and Mr. John philosopher; while France, Germany, and Glass was the founder of it. He was a Italy, better educated in science, were eager minister of the Established Church in Scotto express their appreciation of his worth. land; but he was expelled from it on the Such a man is born, not for one small terri- ground that he was sapping the foundation tory, nor for one season, but for all coun-of all national establishments, by maintaintries and all times. Genius has no narrowing that the kingdom of Christ is not of this birth-place. It is her vocation to knock world. Upon his expulsion his adherents down the foolish barriers of prejudice and | formed themselves into churches, conforma

ble in their institution and discipline to what they supposed to be the plan of the first churches recorded in the New Testament. Robert Sandeman, from whom the sect takes its name, was an elder of one of these churches in Scotland, and is the author of a series of letters, addressed to Mr. Hervey, upon the true meaning of the word faith, in which he opposes the doctrine of the Calvinists. A controversy arose on this subject, and those who adopted Mr. Sandeman's view, that faith is neither more nor less than a simple assent to the divine testimony of Jesus Christ, that He was delivered for the offences of men, and raised again for their justification, called themselves Sandemanians, and formed themselves into churches, in fellowship with the churches of Scotland, but holding no kind of communion with any others.

in his later years he was himself an elder and teacher. But his zeal was not bigotry, and he neither condemned nor interfered with views which were opposed to his own. When he concluded a course of lectures with expressions of adoration for the Creator of all good, it was done with a feeling so wide in its scope as to reach the heart of all humanity.

The friendship which existed between Faraday and Professor Tyndall is known to all who know anything of scientific men, and is in itself sufficient to prove that Faraday's faith was not illiberal. It must be accepted also as an evidence of the generosity and candour of his temper; for he took delight in all the manifestations of Tyndall's genius, and offered every encouragement to its operations within the walls of the Royal Institution. After he had ceased to lecture himThe Sandemanians have a weekly admin- self, he used to listen to Mr. Tyndall's eloistration of the Lord's Supper, a "lovequence with constant interest, and regularfeast" of which every member is required ly attended his courses, until he was disto partake, and which consists of their din-abled from doing so by physical infirmity. ing together at each other's houses in the Professor Tyndall's beautiful "History interval between the morning and afternoon of Faraday as a Discoverer" contains some service. A kiss of charity is used on this traits of Faraday's personal character, which occasion at the admission of a new member, are valuable, and which, if they could be and at other times when it is deemed nec- added to Dr. Bence Jones's collection of letessary and proper. They have a weekly ters, might go a great way towards giving collection before the Lord's Supper, for the the reader a right conception of the man as support of the poor and for defraying other he was in his daily life. Only the humour expenses. They have mutual exhortations, is absent the peculiar, ironical humour and they hold by community of goods so far which made Faraday's conversation pungent, that every one is to consider all that he has though it never had the bitterness of satire. in his possession and power liable to the It was a light, genial humour, which came calls of the poor and the Church, and it is out of singularly vivid perceptions of all not lawful for them to lay up wealth for any things, of the characteristics of persons, distant or uncertain use. They allow of no less than of the characteristics of magpublic or private diversions, so far as they nets and gases. The slightest exaggeration are not connected with circumstances really or parade of enthusiasm towards himself sinful. They maintain a plurality of elders, excited his ridicule, and he would make fun pastors, or bishops in each church, and the of it, but with such a good-humoured gleam presence of two elders is held to be neces-in his eye, and with such a frank, pleasant sary in every act of discipline and at the administration of the Lord's Supper. Second marriages disqualify for the office of elders.

The Sandemanians consider themselves obliged to separate from the communion and worship of all such religious societies as appear to them not to profess the simple truth for their only ground of hope, and who do not walk in obedience to it; and in every transaction they esteem unanimity to be absolutely necessary.

laugh, that his jesting was never ill-thought of, and generally elicited merriment in return from the very person whom he bantered.

His spirit of independence, although it was very marked, kept clear of offence by its simplicity; for it was a part of his selfrespect that he on no occasion withheld the respect due to others. He gave to a prince or to a duchess the observance due to their position, as he gave to his servants and to all around him, whether his equals or his Such was the religion which Faraday in- subordinates, a fitting and consistent conherited from his parents, and which he ad-sideration. The late Prince Consort had hered to with unvarying attachment and perfect sincerity. The enthusiasm of his nature vivified his faith. He was an earnest disciple of the Church he belonged to, and

a just value for his genius and his character, and had it rested with him to do honour to his memory, it would have been honoured sufficiently; but, unhappily, he

was gone before. The Prince of Wales did | taneous utterance of welcome, loud and what was in his power towards the recogni- long. Faraday stood in acknowledgment tion of Faraday's claims; but he could only of this enthusiastic greeting, with his fine act as a private individual. That he did act head slightly bent; and then a certain rewith spontaneous energy and warmth of semblance to the pictures and busts of Lord feeling is a truth which ought to be remem- Nelson, which was always observable in his bered to his credit. When the news of countenance, was very apparent. His hair Faraday's death reached him, he recalled had grown white and long, his face had the charm that had felt in his lectures, and lengthened, and the agility of his movement the genius and eloquence and geniality and was gone. The eyes no longer flashed with animating vivacity which he had found in the fire of the soul, but still they radiated the teacher, and he forthwith wrote a letter kindly thought; and ineffable lines of intelof the kindest sympathy to the widow of the lectual force and energy were stamped upon philosopher, although he had never seen his face. her. The Prince's letter could not fail to gratify the wife who cherished every sincere tribute paid to her husband's excellence.