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    A LECTUT1E BY FARAD AT, well worth in¦ ¦ London

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    Convocation settle points of ritual , conduct , discipline , and doctrine for the members of the Church , if it can . The less the Church insists upon what- she considers her abstract right the better ; tne more likely she is to T > e in sympathy with the nation generally , and to brinf ? some at least of the Trinitarian dissenters within her . pale . In matters of vital importance we do not thiuk she has much reason , on the whole , to complain of the civil legislature , though everything- may not have gone to her wish . She is most strongly , though indirectly , represented in the House of Commons , and is likely to be , at any rate , for many a long year to come , despite the new Reform Bill- Her bishops , though of legal appointment , have been of late thorough sons of the Church ,, ' strengthening her alike fcy their exertions and their general liberality . They are neither bishops of a falling Church , nor appointed ' by those who wish her to fall . Every effort has been made to extend the influence of the Church of Enirhind in the colonies , and we . think that on the whole

    she could not make out a long list of real grievances . The pamphlet before us closes with a passage from Baco ^ t , taken from his tractate on " The Pacification of the Church , " too long to quote . Where Elizabeth and James were concerned . Bacon ' s opinions are to be taken " ciim grano . " In his tractate on * ' Clinrch Controversies" it will be found that he speaks strongly against " synods gathered for the ordinary government of the Church ; " and even in the tractate first referred to he speaks very freely of " Convocation being restrained under certain political circumstances , clearly making their meetings not so much & matter of abstract , right , as of expedience under certain conditions . "

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    rpHERE are few things so doing . as going -L to the Royal Institution to hear a lecture by Faeaday ; and so thought no small number of persons on the -evening' of Friday the 9 th inst ., when the distinguished philosopher had announced his intention of discoursing on Light Houses and the ' introduction of the Electric Light to guide the sea wanderers on their way . _ Friday evenings during the season are famous for . a ' mixture of fashion and science in Albemarle Street , and scores of carriages and hun'dreds of pedestrians draw up in front of the imitation Greek facade , and pour a vvell-dressed throng , through the window-like aperture which the bad taste of a modern architect has compelled to perform the functions of a door . Up the branching- staircase g-oes the polished crowd , and , after taking- a turn round the library and looking : at a

    few curiosities on its tables , they thread a narrow passage , -filter theinselves through . opera-box-lookhig- doors , or corkscrew up fin iron staircase , and take refugee in the somewhat garret-like gallery by which the theatre of the Institution is made more ujrly and capacious than it would otherwise have been . It was evident on Friday week that an unusual interest was excited , for by halfpast eight every seat was crowded , and , new-comers were lucky if they could find space enough for the soles of their feet . A few diagrams . occupied the wall behind the lecture table , arid on the hitter were glass lanterns for light houses on the latest principle , lumps and reflectors old and new , together with some odds and ends the use of which the Uninitiated found it difficult to divine . In front of the lecture table stood the well-known electric lump , with a screen opposite to it on the wall and a large polyzonal lens occupied one corner of the gallery with a monster oil Ianvp behind it , ready to throw its light across the room to a screen Over the w ' av . Numbers of Indies in gay

    evening dresses contrasted pleasantly with the dingy mass of black coats , who in plenary beliefof their superior wisdom monopolized the best places . Shortly before nine o ' clock a ' pleasant , spare , benevolent looking man , wit , h strong though small features , grey hair parted down the middle , and an uncommonly brisk ,, lively aspect ilittod about , notv taking a seat for a moment , now darting- noiselessly tins way and that , surveying the queer apparatus before him , and giving quick , quiet directions to the aHHUstunts of the place . Tim was the great man of tjho evening—the accurate thinker , the ablo experimenter - , the brilliant discoverer , of whom England and all the world are proud , and who for many .. years has been connected with , the Royal Institution as the pupil , friend , . and successor of Sir Humpihiky Davy , who never did a greater service than whon ho helped the poor bookbinder ' s apprentice to leave a mechanical craft , and enter upon that toilsome but honourable career of science which' has carried him to the foremost rank of the

    intellectual leaders and benefactors of their race . As the clock strikes nine , the lecturer takes his place , greeted by applaVise as general and as loud as a " highly genteel " audience think it docorous to give . A slight nod accepts and puts aside the praise of the folk , nimble hands quickly place a pairof spectacles upon tho decided-looking uose , and a dear , singularly impressive , and rather musical voice , plumps , so to speak , at once into the heart of tho subject . Tho manner is conversational , not oratorical ; there ia not a particle of effort to attract attention , and y « t > every one is constrained to listen with all enrs . The solemn old gentleman , the young student , the pretty girl in tho rod opera-cloak , and the demure old dowager , each alike feels Hire the wedding guest nx the tale

    " Ancient Mariner , " and lms no . choice but to hear tl » o . Tho lecture was very elementary , perhaps out of compliment to the " Elder lirethren of the Trinity House , " who came to tho lecture in full strength , and , like tho old folks in tho old play , may have need to go to sohool again to loam their A 13 O . But Faraday cannot discuss tho commonest ovont without investing it with a new interest . Somebody apostrophised Tasbo us tho " prevailing poet , " who " believed the wonders that ho sang ; " imd Pajiaday is

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    a prevailing lecturer , because he believes the wonders that he tells or shows ; In the course of his explanations he ' produced a common candle , and called attention to its light . We were too far off to see whether it was what , Ingoldsby calls a " r ascally dip" or a ••" sound , round ten-penny mould of four to the pound j ' but the audience immediately regarded it— -as , Indeed ,-it was—an exhibition of one of Nature ' s chief miracles , dealing in a marvellous way with the imponderable agencies of light and heat . They had all seen candles before with outward eyes , but . many felt for the first time what a candle meant . There was nothing particular in the words which the lecturer used , but a . wonderful facility of communicating-to others the clearness and freshness with which he looked at the commonest

    phenomena , and saw . in them the exposition of pervadinglaw . This simple-minded earnestness , which is « o true a characteristic of genius , has been one great secret of Fabada ^' s success . Davy warned him that science was an unprofitable trade , but the prospect of much labour and little pay did not discourage the young philosopher , and as his knowledge ' and fame grew , and a large income might have been easily obtained by applying las skill to the service of the manufacturers , F abaday , with the great mindedngss of a high priest of nature , showed himself able to despise wealth , and toiled on , living in a few rooms and upon an income not big-enough to purchase' dress and cigars for a young man about town . As she would have

    wealth could not make him her slave , gladly engaged him as a " lion" to exhibit at her receptions , and ¦ make ¦ her dull dinners more endurable ; but social vanities were as powerless as the ¦ . glitter of gold , and like the hero in tho u Bridal of Triermain , " the knight of knowledge cast aside all temptations , maintained his fidelity ., and won his prize . If aristocracy possessed a keener perception of the hollowness of shams and the solid grounds of human dignity , ' it would learn from such a career , and the presence of such a man , to be ashamed of the artificial homage which it exacts . VV'ho among the inheritors of lands and titles , bowedin and out of life by a swarm of obsequious menials in and out of plush , will be known to have existed a few veai's hence—who , in fact , knows or

    cares for their existence now , except the tradesmen wlioin they pay or keep waiting for their debts F But after British titles have become matters of ' . antiquarian . curiosity—like- those of Babylon or Nineveh—it will be remembered that Michael Faraday kindled up an electric light of science destined : to guide- all future students in their arduous way . . _ . . To go ' back-to the lecture . Fahaday began by ' expressing the delight lie experienced from his connexion with tho Trinity House , of all

    arising-from tho cosmopolitan and benevolent co-operation -nations and . iioveminents in the endeavour to promcHe the safety of the ocean wanderers in every cliinel The first idea of the lighthouse was the candle in . the cottage window , guiding the husband auross the water or the pathless moor , and it . remained in a rude arid imperfect condition up to a very recent period ,. On the table was a reflector , made and used within the memory of men still living , and which was a great' improvement upon the . contrivances which preceded it . The thing looked something like a pewter pi-moli-bowl , and produced a very feeble effect m . concentrating and directing the l . ijfht of a small lamp ; contrasted with this was the Trini

    the skilfully contrived parabolic reflector of ty House , which threw-a strong cone of light , so as to dazzle the spectators . Passing from reflectors , Dr . Faraday spoke of the apparatus for ' refraction ,- ! and exhibited , by a well-chosen experiment , the effect of spherical aberration , and the bad performance of large simple lenses , iii consequence of the foci of their central and porj-pUerul portions being sufficiently different to disturb and confuse the linage , To rtjinedv this , Fuesnel had devised tlie polyzonal lenses now in use , in . which a number of rings of glass , each having its appropriate curvature , were built up into one large lens , Tho action of this principle ; was exhibited by . the large Jena in the gallery and by lanterns on tho table . In constructing refracting or reflecting lanterns for to tho dimensions of

    lighthouses , it Was necessary to pay attention the cone of rays ) sent forthj and in practice it was found that one , huvin" * a . i angle of less than six decrees , did not produce a sufficient breadth of light to be easily visible at a distance , while one exceeding fifteen decrees scattered its rays over toowidts a space , and did not give the requisite intensity . But , in order to produce a cone of light of those dimensions , it was necessary that , the source of the illumination should be small ; hence the'limit wns soon reached , beyond wliich the si / , o of ordinary lamps could not bo increased with advantage ; and tho desideratum wua to obtain a maximum of intimity in tho space of a common caudle , lhis was accomplished by tjio electric light ; and , although Voltaic not

    batteries presented practical inconveniences winch nnu been got over , it was found that a largo inagnuto-olectric machine worked by a small steam ongino liud been ublo to maintain a steady illumination during the six mouths it had boon tried in tho South Foreland Light House , and its light had boon ropoatedly seen on the ophite coaafc of Franco . To allow tho necessity lor an intense l&W *> r . 1 ? auaday reminded his audience of the dark BhaUow thrown by tho stvum issuing from a railway looomotivo on a sunshiny day ; and having east u concentrated light from the electric lamp upon ascreon , ho showed how instantaneously it waBdarkouod by an artificial cloud inado with high pressure steam , and whicU might be taken as an illuBtration of tho effect of the sea logs and mists so common near tho count . Tho time did not permit any ekpliuiatiou of tho um-Liculur moiinu by which tho magneto-electric light was rendered reliable and convenient , but fclio auuionoo separated with n good notion of tho general philosophy of the 8 «*»» J ° J and u » Dr . lii'voinv , used to say that m ^ iioto-oleotnoity u « o » vod to bo culled " Famdayioal Electricity , " it » s pleasant to think that

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    Iabch 17 , 1860 . J The Leader and Saturday Analyst . 265

    A Lectut1e By Farad At, Well Worth In¦ ¦ London

    well worth in London A LECTUTIE BY FARADAY ,

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), March 17, 1860, page 255, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2338/page/11/