The fact is, Sir Humphrey Davy was about the last
man in the world to commit himself on scientific topics. Not only
had he a more than ordinary dislike to quackery, but he was morbidly
afraid of appearing empirical; so that, however fully he might have
been convinced that he was on the right track in the matter now in
question, he would never have spoken out, until he had every thing
ready for the most practical demonstration. I verily believe that
his last moments would have been rendered wretched, could he have
suspected that his wishes in regard to burning this 'Diary' (full of
crude speculations) would have been unattended to; as, it seems,
they were. I say 'his wishes,' for that he meant to include this
note-book among the miscellaneous papers directed 'to be burnt,' I
think there can be no manner of doubt. Whether it escaped the flames
by good fortune or by bad, yet remains to be seen. That the passages
quoted above, with the other similar ones referred to, gave Von
Kempelen the hint, I do not in the slightest degree question; but I
repeat, it yet remains to be seen whether this momentous discovery
itself (momentous under any circumstances) will be of service or
disservice to mankind at large.
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