Chapter 311: It’s not the best of times, nor is it the worst

Chapter 309: It’s not the best of times, nor the worst of times
In the laboratory of the Royal Society, Faraday sat in front of the lab bench as usual, patiently winding the insulated copper wires to be used for future experiments on a wooden stick bit by bit with a pair of pliers.

He is now long gone from the time when Sir Humphry Davy side of the small apprentice to help carry bags, now as the Royal Society Laboratory Director of Faraday in fact completely do not have to engage in this basic trivial work, this simple work can be completely handed over to the apprentice to do.

But as long as the work is not busy, he will still be on the details of these experiments personally.

Counting the time, from the age of 20 when he became Sir David’s assistant, now another twenty years have passed, rigorous treatment of every aspect of the experiment has been incorporated into his blood and bones. This kind of behavior that surprised the people who met Faraday for the first time was just an ordinary habit in his life.

Faraday skillfully winding the copper wire, I do not know how long, he finally wound the last knot, he put down the pliers will be the copper wire to the translucent window to look.

It was still as flawless as ever, each insulated wire fit snugly next to the other.

A smile of satisfaction appeared on Faraday’s gentle face, as poised as ever, amiable, refined and modest, he was still the same Michael Faraday who could attract the respect and affection of London ladies from all walks of life.

Suddenly, Faraday’s vision changed focus, perhaps just too engrossed, he only then realized that behind the copper wire is standing a man. The young researcher of electromagnetism, Mr. Arthur Hastings, who was as modest as he was in his scientific attitude.

Faraday sat on a stool leaning on the lab bench with one hand and asked with a smile, “When did you get here?”

Arthur thought for a moment and vaguely returned, “Not long, I’ve only just arrived.”

“Arthur, you, you! Every time.”

Faraday took off his gloves and stood up, “I’ve told you many times. You can come to me at the Royal Society anytime, but you are just too polite, so polite that you are even a little formal. But maybe that’s why you were able to make friends with Mr. Wheatstone, you’re both introverts so you can understand each other? But it stands to reason that you shouldn’t be so introverted, you’re a Scotland Yard police officer, is it possible for an introvert to do a good job as a police officer?”

Arthur smiled cheerfully when he heard this, “I don’t think my personality can be summarized by a simple introvert vs. extrovert. Whether I am extrovert or introvert is uncertain. Mr. Faraday, police work is actually no different from your work. Are you an introvert?”

Faraday wondered, “How is that?”

Arthur spoke, “When you discover the truth that God has covered with a curtain, you can sleep and eat for weeks on end, not wanting to say anything in the middle of it, acting like the most introverted person. And when you really discovered the truth, you were willing to happily stand up on the podium to announce your new discovery to everyone, no matter whether they were men, women, old people or children, noblemen or commoners, as long as they wanted to figure out the problem, you would patiently explain it to them, once, twice, thrice, until they understood it, and then you behaved like the most extroverted person again. That’s why I said that the work you do and police work are actually essentially the same.”

Faraday laughed out loud at this and said, “Okay, now I know why you make a good cop. Whether you’re an extrovert or introvert, as long as you have that gift of gab, what job can’t you do well? That said, are you really not considering coming to the Royal Society to get a lecture? Even one would be fine, I’m sure there would be a lot of audience willing to come and hear you talk about your story.”

Arthur raised his hand and patted his arm that was hanging in a bandage, he smiled bitterly, “Mr. Faraday, do you think I’m in a fit state to give a lecture in my current state?”

It was only then that Faraday remembered that Arthur had just gone through a bitter battle last week, and he inevitably said with some reproach, “Although I shouldn’t be telling you what to do with your life. But Arthur, next time something like this happens, don’t go. You’re still young and have a bright future, you can discover many of God’s hidden mysteries for the world, and there’s still a lot of fun in your life.

You can die for a lot of things, but to die in the heat of the moment is just plain stupid behavior. Think of your work, you run around every day busy just so you can keep the citizens of London alive for a few more lives, and yet you’ve done this sort of thing yourself now. Arthur, I’m sorry, I may have spoken too harshly, and you may think I’m an old curmudgeon and an old codger, but I do wish you would value your life more.”

Arthur certainly agreed with Faraday’s words, and naturally he had not considered giving his life away on the dueling stage.

But given Faraday’s upright character, Arthur still decided to try not to mention the insider dealings behind the duel to him.

Arthur smiled and patted his arm as he nodded his head in agreement, ”Even if you don’t say anything, I won’t do such a thing in the future. I won’t lie, it was quite painful.”

Faraday was also amused by Arthur’s reaction as he waved his hand and said, “That’s just it, it’s good that you’re fine after all. I heard many ladies and gentlemen who came to listen to the lecture tell me that you were so powerful on the dueling stage that day, the theater was full of smoke and thunder and lightning were flashing everywhere. They were still shocked by the duel when you began to touch the keys with your bloodstained fingertips. They were sweating for you, but when the theater lights came on, it was a pianist from Poland who appeared on the stage. What can I say, Arthur, if you had devoted the energy you put into conceiving your stage performances to research, you could surely have accomplished much far beyond what I have.”

Arthur just smiled at that and denied, “On the contrary, Mr. Faraday, if you had decided to write stage plays instead of choosing science when you were young, then surely all the major theaters in London would be showing your new plays right now. But then it would be too bad for my friends Mr. Dumas, Mr. Dickens and Mr. Disraeli.

They have been writing for years, and one of them is wanted by the French government, and the other has to work two or three jobs a day to support himself. As for the last one, his debut novel drew the ire of the entire literary community of Britain, and he nearly went insane from the strain. If you had chosen to become a playwright, your play would have been the last straw. I am certain to say that the Royal Hospital in BETHLEHEM would have had three more mental illnesses as a result.”

Faraday waved his hand, “Arthur, don’t flatter me. I know Mr. Dumas, and his talents are far beyond my reach. On top of that, he’s a man as studious as you are. He often runs to Gresham College to ask his professors scientific questions in order to write his novels, and it would be an honor for me to help him. And compared to you guys, I was so ordinary when I was young. I’m not a genius like you guys, I’m not really smart. If there’s one thing I’m better at than others, it’s that I love science, so those encounters I’ve had have been turned around.”

Arthur took the cup of tea from the apprentice’s hand and said thank you, then he opened his mouth and asked, “I’ve rarely heard you mention your business before. But when you say that you are not smart, I think you are being overly modest. Lifetime achievements countless Sir David in the dying time, but personally said, his life’s biggest discovery is not potassium, sodium, calcium, strontium, barium, iodine and these elements, nor is it wrote the Principles of Chemical Philosophy and was elected as the president of the Royal Society, but is very fortunate to have discovered you.”

Faraday’s hand holding his teacup shook imperceptibly at the sound of his mentor’s name.

His feelings towards Davy were slightly more complex, so much so that there was no way to summarize them in simple respect or resentment.

On the one hand, David had been jealous of his outstanding disciple’s talent for a long period of time, and he chose to look on coldly when he knew that Faraday did not have academic plagiarism but was falsely accused of it, and even intentionally or unintentionally released some insinuating remarks that alluded to Faraday’s misbehavior. If not Faraday’s wife in that most difficult time has been in the back to support him, perhaps was sent to the madhouse is Faraday.

The feud between the master and the apprentice lasted for quite a long time, until Sir David was relieved in his later years and left that affirmation to Faraday on his deathbed, the complex story between the master and the apprentice which lasted for 28 years finally drew a seemingly perfect end.

Arthur saw Faraday has been silent, just softly probed: “Although prying this kind of thing is very rude, but you are willing to talk about Sir David? By the time I was officially engaged in scientific research, he had already died in Geneva after a long illness. But it’s really hard for me to imagine that he would do something like that to you, Sir David has always given people a positive impression in the social field.

During the Napoleonic wars, when there was a shortage of food in the country, he put aside his work to offer a course in agricultural chemistry in the hope of using his knowledge to help farmers increase the acreage of their grain. He spent another five years improving tanning techniques in order to be able to improve the filthy conditions in tanneries. Not to mention his Davy lamp, which saved the lives of countless miners. How could he ……”

Faraday held his teacup as the wind whipped through his side hair and a look of remembrance appeared on his face.

He smiled gently, “Arthur, it’s really nothing. We all know that people are imperfect. As Lord Byron famously said – to love for the sake of loving, is God. To love for the sake of being loved, is human. Sir David may have gone a little too far, but he has always been a great man to me. I could not have gotten to where I am today without his teaching and guidance.

Whether it was the Royal Society lectures or electrolytic chemistry, I was the shadow that followed Sir David’s lead. He …… taught me so much, both in scientific research and why we are born as human beings. I know that there are many people in Britain who feel on my behalf that Sir David was too harsh and too cold.

But what they don’t realize is that I don’t hate Sir David, I respect him, at all times, from twenty years ago, and still do today, twenty years later.

As you may have heard me mention, my family was not well off; my father was a blacksmith, and the store in which he worked was near Elephant and Castle, and is still there. If you have time you can take the time to go there and look around, it’s almost a century old. The frontage isn’t that big, the tool bench is never neat, and the bellows for the fireplace isn’t strong enough; my father complained about it many times with the owner, who said each time that they’d replace it next month, but it’s been thirty or forty years, and they’re still using that creaky old thing.”

Speaking of his impoverished family, one would normally only feel bitterness, but Faraday had more than a happy smile on his face.

“As you know, if one is born into a poor family in London, especially if it’s a naughty boy, then from the time he learns to walk, he’ll already have half a leg on the evil road. When I was a boy I did iron stealing and toy stealing and such like, and once I was caught stealing by my father.

He called me seriously and said to me, ‘Michael, although we are poor, we don’t want unclean things. We have hands, feet, and a decent, hard-working heart. You can’t go on like this; I don’t expect you to be a decent gentleman in a carriage, but I do expect you to be a decent and strong man. Michael, my dear son, you know what? Your mother and I are very worried about you. We dread the day we’ll see our son hanging from the gallows at Tyburn Penal Colony. Promise me you won’t keep doing that, okay? If you want a toy, Daddy can buy it for you.’

My father said this and wrapped his arms around my head and lost his voice. I cried and cried too. I told my father that I would never do those things again from now on, and I swore that I would be a decent person. From that day on, in everything I did, I had to ask myself first whether I could stand up to my own conscience and whether I could stand up to my father and mother.

Instead of asking my father for a toy, I asked him for a book. My father kept his promise, and the next day he returned with a book for me that cost him a full shilling and a half.

I remember the book was from an old bookstore, a science magazine with a peeled cover. But although the magazine was old, I was completely obsessed with it, and it was the book that showed me that there were so many amazing things in the world.

It wasn’t long before I volunteered for a job as a newspaper delivery boy at George Reber’s bookstore, unpaid and completely volunteer. Since Mr. Leiber was a regular customer of my father’s and took great care of his business, I wanted to be able to return the favor. Mr. Reber approved of my work, and not only did he allow me to read the store’s reading material for free, but he also promoted me to a tuition-free apprenticeship.

I worked at Leiber’s bookstore for seven years, and in seven years I went through almost every book in the store. Gnosis Elevated by Isaac Watts taught me how to redeem myself, and Chemistry Ramblings by Ms. Jane Massey was my essential daily bedtime reading.

After my apprenticeship was over, I was lost as to what to do. That’s when I met Sir David, and I sat in on so many of his lectures that I took three hundred pages of notes alone. When I asked him questions I didn’t understand, he was always kind enough to give me feedback.

At that time, I was just a penniless kid, but Sir David explained to me patiently as if I were his own student. So, when I heard that Sir David was unfortunately visually impaired and in desperate need of an assistant, I did not hesitate to apply for the job. Sir David did not reject me because I only had an elementary school education, but without fear directly recommended me to the Royal Society, and I officially became a chemistry assistant of the Royal Society.

Since then, I followed him to travel in Europe, like a sponge from his body to draw nutrients, his teaching to me is also unreserved. Although it is true that some unpleasant things happened in the middle of the journey, Sir David’s wife did not like me, treating me like a servant, not allowing me to ride in the carriage, not allowing me to eat at the same table, but so what? I’m lucky enough to be able to study at Sir David’s side.

It was through Sir David that I was able to enter the Royal Society, to meet many of Europe’s leading scientists, and to learn about the landscape at the forefront of world research. I am very grateful to him for giving me the opportunity to embrace my love of science at all times. From a teacher’s point of view, Sir David has done all he could. I don’t hate him, and I respect and love him as much as ever, no matter what he has done.

I did used to be very bitter when Sir David did that thing. I said to my lady, ‘My dear Sarah, I am so wretched that I am going mad.’

And my lady put her arms round me gently, and kissed me on the forehead, and she said to me: ‘I would rather you were like a child, who is hurt by his innocence, than like a villain, who is hurt by his injuries, and is on the defensive against people everywhere.’

It was these words that reminded me of the vow I made to my father many years ago to do things and just be true to my conscience. I am grateful to anyone who has helped me, and I am willing to spend my insignificant life repaying the help they have given me; I want to be true to my conscience.

Since then, I have gradually figured it out and got out of the strange circle in my mind. The sun was still so bright, and science was still so wonderful. Two months later, when I demonstrated the experiment of the rotation of an energized wire under the influence of the earth’s magnetic field, the one who gave me the biggest applause in the meeting was the one who was the subject of the rumor that I had plagiarized-Professor Oreston. The rumor was dispelled, and that, I believe, was the best reward God could give me for my act of conscience.”

Hearing this, Arthur couldn’t help but take a deep breath as well and nodded his head, “Mr. Faraday, now I can understand you. You really don’t have so many supporters for no reason. Your nobility is not because of any research results, or any honor, but your sincere heart. I’m ashamed to say I can’t even forgive Mr. Bertrand for shooting me. And you, if you can forgive Sir David for what he did, what else can’t you forgive?”

(End of chapter.)