Humphry Davy's Adversaries

Abstract

IN the early nineteenth century, public figures were frequently sub jected to fiery critical attacks. Hiding behind the anonymity conferred by high-sounding sobriquets, professional journalists castigated the behavior, the appearance, the motives, the policies, the philosophies, in short, everything about their chosen target. Since many of the writers depended for their livelihood on the sale of this kind of piece, and since sales were proportional to the eminence of the personality involved, notable persons found themselves repeatedly pilloried. Humphry Davy, easily one of the best-known scientists of his period, merited assiduous attention from the lampooners. His fame was of the large kind which insured that his name would be known by a goodly proportion of the population. While still a young man he had rocketed to the status of a popular idol.1 As he grew older his friends were drawn increasingly from those circles which represented the ruling classes, prime targets for any critic. His own wealth, prestige, and position made him an obvious butt in the review journals, in newspapers, broadsides, pamphlets, cartoons, and advertisements. It is the purpose of this paper to examine some representative speci mens of the assaults published during Davy's lifetime. In one sense, of course, little is to be gained from too close a study of irresponsible and cruel lampooning. Blasts produced by men who hoped to make a fast shilling from sensationalism can only pretend honesty. Such a study does, however, provide some insight into the stresses to which Davy was sub jected. It may well be that his reactions to these stresses were at times responsible for what has been regarded by some as his inexplicable, or even capricious, behavior. Secondly, even if the precise substance of these attacks has not endured, there still persists the notion that Davy is a suitable target for attack.2 The Davy legend was being created while he was still