About five years after Michael's birth, the family moved to Jacob's, Well Mews, Charles Street, Manchester Square. Here it ?was that Michael started his schooling, which consisted of little more than the rudiments of reading, writing, and arithmetic at a common day school. His hours out of school he spent at home or in the streets. When he had become famous, he often frequented this part of London and pointed out where he had looked after his, younger sister, or where he had played marbles in the street. But the young Michael was not allowed to run wild. His father had become a member of the Sandemanian Sect, and Faraday, as, his after life showed, became absorbed in deep religious convictions.

In 1804, when he was but thirteen, he had to, leave school to earn a living. He became an errand boy for a neighbouring book-seller by the name of Riebau. His work consisted mainly of carrying and delivering newspapers.

His trial year as an errand boy proved so successful that in 1805 be was apprenticed to Riebau, without premium, to learn the trade of bookbinder and stationer. The next few years he was much occupied not only in learning his trade, but, because he had access to books and his master allowed him considerable leisure time in which to attend shilling lectures, in natural philosophy. He made friends at these lectures and learned much from the books and papers.

He got very interested in science and chemistry. Soon he was inspired with the ambition to give up trade and adopt a scientific career.

Then came the great incident that was the turning point of his, whole life. While he was yet an apprentice he had the good fortune to attend four of Sir Humphry Davy's last lectures. Of these he made notes and then wrote them out in full, with such drawings as he could introduce. He was so eager for scientific occupation, even of the lowest type, that in his ignorance of the world and simplicity of mind he wrote to Sir Joseph Banks, then President of the Royal Society. Naturally "No, answer" was the reply left by the porter.

The notes he had made with interest and delight he sent to Sir Humphry himself, asking him if he could be allowed to drop trade, which be thought "vicious and selfish", and to take up a scientific career. Davy replied courteously.

One night when he was undressing to go to bed there was a loud knock at the door. Davy's carriage was below and his servant handed Faraday a note, as a result of which Faraday went to the Royal Institution the next morning and was employed as a laboratory assistant at twenty five shillings a week. At once he became of invaluable help to Davy and they both experimented with chloride. At this period they were both often injured by explosions of chloride of nitrogen a dangerous gas.

In the autumn of 1813 Sir Humphry Davy and his wife went abroad and Faraday accompanied them partly as secretary and assistant, and partly as valet. Davy, who was Faraday's lifelong friend, treated him with every consideration but Mrs. Davy treated him as a menial and almost drove him to return.

Michael Faraday kept an account of his tour through France, Switzerland, Italy and the Tyrol. The letters he wrote, during this time, to his mother and sister are typical of the man.

He returned in 1815 and was re-employed in the Royal Institution. From then on his life was a time of steady intellectual growth, devoted to chemical research, the explaining of chemical phenomena, and to the popularisation of science.

His first research experiments were along, the lines opened up, by Sir Humphry Davy. He experimented with chlorine. One day Dr. Paris walked into the laboratory and seeing an oily liquid in a tube censured the scientist for using dirty vessels. The next day Dr. Paris received a letter.

Faraday had succeeded in converting chlorine gas into a liquid by its own pressure. This led to many similar experiments with other gases and produced like results. Besides liquefying gases, he performed the first rough experiments on the diffusion of gases. He discovered two new chlorides of carbon, investigated alloys of steel, prepared several new types of optical glass, and announced his discovery of benzol. Besides this, he helped much in the general improvement of the laboratory.

In 1823 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and two years later he became Director of the lab?oratory of the Royal Institution. In 1833 he was made Fullerian Professor of Chemistry, without the obligation of giving lectures.

Now Michael Faraday began the experiments that were to, bring fame and renown to, his name. Basing his experiments on the work of Oversted and Wallaston in the realm of electromagnetism, Faraday explained the continual rotation of a magnet and the electrified wire round each other. This was in 1821. In 1831 he made his great discovery of electrical induction. Thus he reached the threshold of a career of discovery unparalleled in the history of pure experimental science.

In 1831 Faraday announced his epoch?making discovery to the Royal Society. He showed that an electro-motive force is set up, in a conducting wire when it is moved at right angles to, a magnet field. If the wire is part of a whole circuit its motion results in an "induced" current.

To give in detail all his experiments would take volumes, for so great and many were they, and they resulted in thousands of others. He found that the various kinds of electricity were all identical. Next, he turned to electro-chemistry and. Electro-chemical decomposition. This he called electrolysis. Here he introduced new names. Instead of "poles" for the terminals that bring and take electricity he called them "electrodes". The substance which is decomposed by the electric current he called an electrolyte, and the constituents of the decomposed electrolyte he called "ions".

Electricity has, ceased to be an intangible phenomenon - it has become a domestic and industrial slave. Michael Faraday made this possible. His great discovery of induced currents, which meant the production of electrical current from magnetic force was the dawn of a new epoch.

In 1841 Faraday had a break down in health. His nerves were shaken, and his mind disturbed Thus he went abroad with his wife a Miss Sarah Barnard whom he married in 1821 for three years. During this time he did nothing, not even "reading on science".

He lived at the Royal Institution for forty years, till in 1858 he was given a house on the green at Hampton Court by the Queen through the instigation of Prince Albert. Here he died in 1867, "just waiting".

By his discoveries he made the way clear for his, followers, to produce the dynamo - the generator of electricity, indirectly we owe to him electric light and power, the telephone, telegraphy, and a thousand other devices, found by tapping the vast sources of electricity he discovered. He was a humble, patient, brilliant scientist, whose achievements are among the highest, ever attained by humanity, for the fruits of them may never be, exhausted.

"The progress of future research will tend, not to dim nor to, diminish, but to enhance and glorify the labours of this mighty investigator".

PETER TENNENT,
Std. IX.