THE YOUTH’S CABINET.

 

 

Boyhood of Sir Humphrey Davy.

g@y ,umpuorey Davy was
=| born at Penzance, in
8 267% Cornwall, on the 17th
\» December, 1778. His
father, Robert Davy,
early in life, learned
the art of carving in
wood, but in after
years, occupied him-
in this manner only
His mo-

 

An
Nee
hN musement.
0; Ae for a

mm ther had been left an or-

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mt phan in childhood, and
\7 (Ae, owed her education to a benev-
iN olent gentleman, by whom she

was adopted on the death of

her own parents. This lady was remark-
able for her amiable disposition, and from
her, Humphrey may have derived that
evenness of temper so necessary to one
distinguished as a philosopher. He passed
his infancy partly with his parents, but
spent more of his early years under the
roof of Mr. John Jenkin, the disinterested
friend of his mother.
It is not known at what age this youth-
ful prodigy learned to read, but at five
years old he would turn over the leaves
of a book with such rapidity, that it was
impossible to believe that he had ac-
quainted himself with the contents, till,
on examination, it was found that such
was the case. This habit of reading rap-
idly he retained in later years, and seemed
at a glance to make himself master of
every work he perused. His earliest fa-
vorite was Pilgrim’s Progress, whose spir-
ited pictures did not interest him more
than its poetical language and fanciful
descriptions.
At eight years old, he was familiar with

> OES

 

history, and so fond of speaking, that he
would mount a carriage, at an inn: near
Mr. Jenkin’s house, and deliver discourses
to the assembled boys of the neighbor-
hood. He was also in the habit, at a
little later period, of writing verses and
ballads, and of making fireworks. The
most successful of these was an explosive
composition, which he named. “ Thunder

Powder,” and which he would explode on
a stone, to the great wonder aid delight
of his young play-fellows.

Another of his favorite amusements
consisted in scooping out the inside of a
turnip, placing a lighted candle in the
cavity, and then exhibiting it as a lamp;
by the aid of which he would melt frag-
ments of tin, and demand from his com-
panions a certain number of pins for the
privilege of witnessing the operation. -

The ingenuity of young Davy was also
manifested in a contrivance to facilitate
fishing for gray mullet, an amusement of
which he was very fond. This animal
has a mouth so small, that it is difficult
to hook it; but Davy observed that they
swam in shoals, and by attaching @ suc-
cession of pilchards to the string, reaching
from the surface to the bottom of the sea,
with a sudden movement he would cap-
ture a number who were swimming around
the bait.

Gunning was also a fevorite occupation
with this early lover of nature, and he
thus formed a collection of rare birds,
which he is said to have stuffed with more
than ordinary skill. When confined at
home by the weather, he would shut
himself up in a room and lecture to the
chairs for hours together, or play at tour-
nament, making shields and_ visors’ of