Biographical memoir of Sir Humphry Davy / [Georges Cuvier].

  • Georges Cuvier
Date:
1833]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Biographical memoir of Sir Humphry Davy / [Georges Cuvier]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR v!» OF SIR HUMPHRY DAVY. BY BARON CUVIER*. From the Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal for July 1833. A CELEBRATED academician, who had risen from the humblest condition to the highest ecclesiastical and literary honours, said, on the day of his admission into the academy, ‘‘ Should there be found in this assembly a young man born with a love for la¬ bour, but wholly destitute of assistance or encouragement, and in whom the uncertainty of his destination weakens his suscep¬ tibility to the excitement of emulation, let the sight of my situa¬ tion at the present moment inspire him with hope.” Nothing indeed can be at once more affecting or encouraging, than to witness merit, by the power of perseverance, surmounting the obstacles which misfortune had opposed to it, and, gradually emerging from obscurity, become at last an object of general notice, and obtain, with the just approbation of all, the advan¬ tages which our societies can confer on those by whom they are merited. Conspicuous examples of this kind are afforded by the two celebrated chemists, with whom I propose to occupy your at¬ tention during the present meeting, both of whom were born in a state almost of entire privation, yet each supported with firm ness the difficulties of his condition. From the time when they » This interesting Eloge of Sir H. Davy, not yet published, was commu¬ nicated to us in proof-sheet, through the goodness of our friend Mr Pentland of Paris.—Edit.
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