Rome | Saturday. Novr. 26th, 1814
What have I done or what have I said that I am to hear no more from England day passes after day week after week but passes without bringing me the long-wished for letters. Did you but know the pleasure they give me did you but know the importance they are of to me certain I am that compassion would induce you to write[.] Alone in a foreign country amongst strangers without friends without acquaintances surrounded by those who have no congenial feelings with me whose distortions are opposite to mine & whose employment offend me where can I look for pleasure but to the remembrances of my friends? At home I have left those who are dear to me from a long acquaintance a congeniality of mind a reciprocal feeling of friendship affection & respect as well for their honor & their virtues here I find myself in the midst of a crowd of people who delight in deceiving are ignorant faithless frivolous and at second sight would be my friends their want of honor irritates me their servility disgusts me & their impertinence offends me and it is with a painful sensation I think of my friends when I remember I cannot do more[.] Why then do you delay so long that which is the greatest service you can do me and since I have lost your company let me at least have your thoughts since I can not see you let me see the work of your hand[.] Through my own imprudence I have lost for a time that source I did possess for I have left Geneva with books - those letters I have received from my brother & yours and which I ought never to have separated so far from me[.] It is possible I may never see them again and my fears tell me I may never receive any more and even that the possibility exists of my being for ever separated from England Alas! How foolish perhaps was I to leave home to leave those whom I loved & who loved me for a time uncertain in its length but certainly long and which perhaps may stretch out into eternity and what are the boasted advantages to be gained knowledge yes knowledge but what knowledge knowledge of the world of men of manners of books & of languages things in themselves valuable above all praise but which every day shews me prostituted to the basest purposes alas how degrading it is to be learned when it places us on a level with rogues and scoundrels how disgusting when it serves but to shew us the artifices & deceit of all around[.] How can it be compared with the virtue and integrity of those who taught by nature alone pass through life contented happy their honour unsullied their minds uncontaminated their thoughts virtuous ever striving to do good shunning evil and doing to others as they would be done by[.] Where I by this long probation to acquire some of this vaunted knowledge In what should I be wiser[.] Knowledge of the world opens the eyes to the deceit & corruption of mankind of men serves but to shew the human mind debased by the vilest passions of manners points out the exterior corruptions which naturally result from the interior of books the most innocent occasions disgust when it is considered that even that has been debased by the corruptions of many & of languages serves but to shew in a still wider view what the knowledge of men & of manners teaches us. What a result is obtained from knowledge and how much must the virtuous human mind be humiliated in considering its own powers when at the same time they give him such a despicable view of his fellow creatures[.] Ah Ben I am not sure that I have acted wisely in leaving a pure and certain enjoyment for such a pursuit but enough of it[.] I will turn to more pleasant recollections I am so confident in you and the few friends I have in England that I am quite sure it is not from any change of feeling but from unfavourable circumstances that I have not yet received any letters from you at Rome[.] The Post is from here to England much more difficult & uncertain than at Geneva and is at least 40 days in going & returning[.] One may frank from here to Calais or to Florence only and I am advised to do the last because if the Postage is paid before hand the letters seldom go[.] I am sorry for this expence which will thus fall upon you but I am willing to believe that you do not repine at the postage of a chance letter from me and I hope for an opportunity when the debt may be cleared[.] I would not do it but that if they are paid the chance of their going is reckoned as 4 to 1. Your health dear Ben is I hope fixed in a state of vigour but I feel some doubts least the season which is now winter with you may not incommode you[.] Mr. & Mrs. Abbott are I hope well & Miss Abbott & my friend Robert and all in the enjoyment of health my love to all and if you would be so good as to give the same to my mother brother sister &c you would add still more to the obligations I owe you[.] I wrote to my mother by favour a few (about 10) days ago1 and hope the letter will reach home[.] I shall write immediately to the two B’s2 but I hope also I shall soon read as well as write[.] I am in excellent health & have been continually[.] We have passed over much ground since we left Geneva & have seen many things & many places very curious & interesting in themselves and in the information they afforded[.] On leaving Geneva we immediately entered Switzerland a country very interesting not only from its history its boasted freedom & its situation but also from the peculiarity of its customs manners dresses & the character of the people and all these things we had many opportunities of observing the towns of Lausanne Vevay Berne Zurich Schaffhause Uberlangen & many smaller ones as well as on the roads[.] Switzerland claims and with a good deal of justice the preeminence in beauty of country consisting of mountains it abounds in all those forms of grandeur & majesty which strike the mind with awe and even fear and is washed by many torrents which rushing from the mountains change for a while their azure blue into the whitest foam[.] The dress of the various Cantons were very interesting & amusing they differed from each other considerably and form an excellent object for the designer series of costumes which include from thirty to forty varieties each peculiar to its town or canton & very well executed are sold in the Print shops of Berne Zurich &c. the observation of the dress of various countries shews in a very perfect mann<<er the>> variety & invention of the female mind[.] The dress of the men differ also in <<different>> countries but when compared with the changes in the habiliment <<of>> women it appears stationary[.] The general form is the same in England France Italy & Germany changed slightly by lesser alterations but the women appear in every form that one can conceive sometimes the head undergoes a thousand changes & sometimes the body and to the passing traveller the change of place is shewn first by the change of the womens dress. The people are generally free goodnatured & somewhat more hospitable than the French or Italians but they are great cheats and experience lessened extremely the opinion I had formed of them[.] They speak German generally but it is not the pure language but a corrupted Patois[.] We saw in Switzerland amongst other things the famous fall of the Rhin at Schaffhause it is the largest waterfall in Europe but it is not very high nevertheless the immense body of water which falls over makes it tremendous & magnificent[.] On leaving Switzerland we entered Germany by the dominions of Wurtemburg but remained in them only two days[.] What we saw of the country was flat & monotonous[.] The weather was here very cold & on the 2nd of Oct. we had a sharp frost[.] On leaving Wurtemburg we entered Baveria and stopped 3 days at Munich a very pretty busy looking place with streets well formed & well peopled[.] But intending to make no stay untill we got to Rome we soon left it and found ourselves amongst the mountains of the Tyrol[.] This beautiful country which rivals & perhaps even surpasses in many parts Switzerland furnished us with the sublimest scenery for many days we found the weather here much more moderate than at Munich[.] At an elevation of above 6000 feet I found wild strawberries growing[.] We were at Trente on the 10th of Oct. the day on which the Vintage commences a long walk gave me all the pleasures of this jovial day & I found the vineyards full of happy labourers[.] The year was not considered abundant but to me the quantities of fruit appeared enormous the roads were soon filled with men & women laden with grapes who carried them to the wine press the first process (which was going on every[where]) was to tread the fruit a vat raised upon a waggon served for this purpose the fruit was thrown in & two or three men trod it down the juice ran out by a small hole into vessels placed to receive it & was then taken away to be fermented[.] We passed from Trente by Bassano Vicenza &c to Padua & then turned off to the left hand to Venice a place I had long wished to see[.] My curiosity was perfectly satisfyed we stayed there but 2 days but that was sufficient to see the place in a general manner[.] You will know the peculiarities of Venice & its situation too well to render it necessary that I should endeavour to describe it[.]
From Venice we proceeded by Ferrara Bologna Florence Levane Arezzo Foligno Narni &c. to Rome & arrived here on 2nd of November & intend to stop here some time[.] Between Bologna & Florence at a little distance from the last city we stopped at Pietro Malo to see a phenomenon in natural history called il fuoco di Pietro Malo [sic]3[.] At a little distance from the small village of the same name there is a place in the side of a mountain where much gas continually issues out of the earth from between some loose stones and in another place in an opposite direction where a small puddle exists the same phenomena appears when a light is applied to this gas it inflames at the first place a large flame of 4 or 5 feet high & 3 or 4 in diameter arises & in the second it spurts to a little distance over the water[.] The carriage was stopped at Pietro Malo [sic] in the midst of a heavy shower Sir Humphry went to the first place & I went to the second accompanied by a peasant carrying some straw & fire on arriving at the spot I found the above mentioned puddle apparently formed by the present rains and the gas bubbling up in considerable quantities through it[.] I could find but a very slight smell somewhat resembling spirits of wine the peasant applied fire to the ground & disturbed the earth a flame immediately spread over the surface to the distance of 4 or 5 inches & burnt for several minutes untill the wind extinguished it on apply[ing] a light to the surface of the water the gas arising also inflamed & burnt some moments[.] The flame was very pale & in the day time scarcely perceptible but readily set fire to paper matches &c it was like the flame of spirits of wine[.] I filled a bottle with the gas it had a very faint smell & on pouring water into a bottle full of it & holding a light at the mouth a jet of flame was obtained[.] It did not explode with its volume of atmospheric air[.] I brought a bottle of the gas away & some of the water & at Florence Sir Humphry made experiments on it. (The ground was perfectly cold & also the water)[.] Thursday 27 Octr. was occupied at the Academy at Florence with the above gas[.] 2 3/4 of the gas were detonated with 5 1/4 of oxygen and the remainder equalled 3. but on agitating it with a solution of pure potassa it diminished to 1/2 volume[.] From this experiment considered the gas as being light hydro carburet pure[.] When detonated with 2 1/2 times its volume of chlorine which was done to separate & demonstrate the presence of the charcoal it diminished to 1 & charcoal lined the tube[.] The water was nothing more than rain water[.] The phenomena is extremely singular & I believe unique in its nature[.] The quantity of gas that issues out from the principal place is enormous and there is no proof that fire has anything to do with the formation of it the country is not at all volcanic & it is doubtfull whether the source of the gas is near at hand or at a great distance[.] Sir Humphry Davy observes that it may originate from a mine of fossil charcoal but everything is conjecture & it still remains a source of investigation.
In my last letters4 I gave you a rough account of various things that had occurred up to Rome & meant to continue it on but as we are now on the same ground & shall go over the same roads again I shall continue the subject on from this letter[.] My time is extremely occupied so that I can scarcely look in my Italian books & I have been three days in manufacturing this letter[.] I beg pardon for the inattention you will find in it & hope that you will <<not be guided>> by it in writing to me but will give me some of your usual interesting letters[.] I hope that long before you receive this I shall hear from you[.] I again desire you as a favour & a service to see my friends f<<or m>>e[.] Tell me in your answer how Margaret goes on in her learning[.] I feel much interested <<in the>> Institution & should like to know its probable issue[.] Remember me to Mr. <<Newma>>n and Mrs. Greenwell[sic][.] I hope that if any change should occur in Albemarle Street Mr. Newman would not forget my books[.] I prize them now more than ever. Give my Love again to your family & mine[.] Adieu dear Friend | M. Faraday
Wednesday, 30. Nov | 1814.
P.S. Thermometer 60° Fahrenheit!!! not much above the ordinary temperature - Barometer 29.7.
Endorsed: Recd 12 Mo 24 1814
Address: Mr. B Abbott | opposite 44 Long Lane | Bermondsey | London | Ingleterre
BENCE JONES, Henry (1870a): The Life and Letters of Faraday, 1st edition, 2 volumes, London.
DAVY, Humphry (1816): “On the fire-damp of coal mines, and on methods of lighting the mines so as to prevent its explosion”, Phil. Trans., 106: 1-22.
VOLTA, Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio (1784): “Memoria Sopra i Fuocho de'Terreni e delle Fontane ardenti in generale, e sopra quelli di Pietra-Mala in particolare”, Mem. Soc. Ital. Sci., 2: 662-76, 900-7.
Please cite as “Faraday0040,” in Ɛpsilon: The Michael Faraday Collection accessed on