attempts of the countess of Pembroke s, are hard and frigid ; his pastorals are far more pleasing ; and Hymen s Triumph is perhaps the best of all his dramatic writing. In elegiac verse he always excelled, but most of all in his touch ing address To the Angel Spirit of the Most Excellent Sir Th Hip Sidney. We must not neglect to quote Musophilus among the most characteristic writings of Daniel. It is a general defence of learning, and in particular of poetic learning, addressed to Fulk Greville, and written, with much sententious melody, in a sort of terza rima or, more properly, ottava rima with the couplet omitted. Daniel was a great reformer in verse, and the introducer of several valuable novelties. It may be broadly said of his style that it is full, easy, and stately, without being very animated or splendid. It attains a high average of general excellence, and is content with level flights. As a gnomic writer Daniel approaches Chapman, but is far more musical and coherent. He is wanting in fire and passion, but he is pre-eminent in scholarly grace and tender, mournful
reverie.(e. w. o.)
DANIELL, John Frederick (1790-1845), an eminent chemist and physicist, was born in London on the 12th March 1790. From his father, a barrister, he received an excellent classical education ; but having from his early years displayed a preference for natural science, he entered a sugar refinery, where he sr>on effected important improve ments in the process. He studied chemistry under Professor Brande, in conjunction with whom he started in 1816 the journal which, shortly after its commencement, became favourably known to scientific men as the Quarterly Journal of Science and Art. To this he contributed numerous articles on chemistry and meteorology, including, under the latter head, an interesting account of the ingenious and delicate dew-point hygrometer which is known by his name. In 1823 he collected and published his Meteorological Essays, which excited much interest as one of the first attempts to explain the phenomena of the weather on the broad and sure basis of physical science. In 1824 he published an Essay on Artificial Climate con sidered in its Applications to Horticulture, which was the means of effecting a radical change in the treatment of tropical plants in colder regions, by showing the necessity of a humid atmosphere in hothouses. As managing director ol the Continental Gas Company he interested himself in the manufacture of gas for illuminating purposes, and invented a method of extracting it from resin, which was in practical use for a time. He was one of the founders of the Society for Promoting Useful Knowledge", for which he wrote a treatise on chemistry. In 1831 he was appointed first professor of chemistry in the newly founded King s College, London. During the succeeding years he was engaged in a series of investigations on heat and electricity, which were of great value in their practical applications. For his register pyrometer, devised to measure high temperatures, he was awarded in 1832 the Rumford medal of the Royal Society. Soon afterwards he received the Copley medal for his invention of the sulphate of copper or constant battery, which, as a substitute for Wollaston s, effected an immense improvement in the apparatus of voltaic electricity. The Royal medal, the only other honour of the kind in the gift of the society, was bestowed upon him in 1842. In 1839 appeared his Intro duction to the Stucly of Chemical Philosophy, which dealt very ably with the theory of molecular forces. Four years later the honorary degree of D.C.L. was conferred upon him by the university of Oxford. He had received in 1839 another honour of a different kind in being chosen foreign secretary of the Royal Society. He died suddenly of apoplexy while attending a meeting of the council of the society on the 13th March 1845.
DANIELL, Thomas, William, and Samuel. This family of landscape painters forms a group which has left one record, so to speak, in our annals of art, not by their pictures exactly, but by the three having been all travellers in the East, and publishing, by means of engraving, works illustrating the scenery of the countries they visited.
Thomas Daniell (1749-1840), to whom the others were indebted for everything, was a man of versatile ability and enormous energy. He was the maker of his own fortune, having been born at the Chertsey inn, kept by his father, in 1749, and apprenticed to an heraldic painter, a trade then dying out, like that of stay-maker or perukier at a later time. However profitable it had been, probably Daniell would not have adhered to it, as he was animated, at a time when the representation of natural scenery under atmospheric conditions of effect was merely struggling into existence, with a love of the romantic and beautiful in architecture and nature. The sentimental affectation for landscape, so cleverly satirized by Lord Macaulay, did not indeed influence him; his bias was towards archaeology and botany, and led him at last to India. Up to 1784 he painted topographical subjects and flower pieces. By this time his two nephews had come under his influence, the youngest being apprenticed to Medland the landscape engraver, and the elder, William, was under his own care. In this year (1784) he embarked for India accompanied by the boy, and found at Calcutta ample encouragement. Here he remained ten years, and on returning to London he published his largest work, Oriental Scenery, in six large volumes, not completed till 1808. From 1795 till 1828 he continued to exhibit Eastern subjects, temples, jungle hunts, &c., and at the same time continued the publication of illustrated works. These are Views of Calcutta; Oriental Scenery, 144 plates; Vieivs in Egypt ; Excavations at Ellora ; Picturesque Voyage to China. These were for the most part executed by an engraving process now almost forgotten, called aquatint, and, although they do not show the accuracy of detail now understood, are valuable authorities. He was made Royal Academician in 1799, fellow of the Royal Society about the same time, and at different times member of several minor societies. His nephews both died before him; his Indian period had made him independent, and he lived a bachelor life in much respect at Kensington till the age of ninety-one, dying 19th March 1840.
William Daniell (1769-1837), nephew of Thomas, was born 1769, and was therefore fourteen when he accom panied his uncle to India. His own publications, engraved in aquatint, were Voyage to India ; Zoography ; Animated Nature ; Views of London ; Views of Bootan, a work prepared from his uncle s sketches ; and a Voyage Round Great Britain, which occupied him several years. The British Institution made him an honorary award of 100 for a Battle of Trafalgar, and he was elected R.A. in 1822. He turned to panorama painting before his death, beginning in 1832 with Madras, the picture being enlivened by the Hindu mode of taming wild elephants. He died 16th August 1837.
Samuel Daniell, William s younger brother, born 1775, was brought up as an engraver, and first appears as an exhibitor in 1792. A few years later he went to the Cape and travelled into the interior of Africa, with his sketching matei ials in his haversack. The drawings he made there were published, after his return, in his African Scenery. He did not rest long at home, but left for Ceylon in 1806, where he spent the remaining years of his life, publishing TJu Scenery, Animals, and Natives of Ceylon. Camping out and malaria from the swamps cut him off after a few days, illness in December 1811.
