While many authors have rightly given prominence to Cavendish's researches they have invariably disregarded material whoch has deserved more recognition. This thesis seeks to overcome this deficiency.
In presenting this account of the Life of Henry Cavendish a chapter is devoted to his ancestry and early life, and another to his years of experiment.
The splendid collection of 10,000 volumes comprising his library is now brought under focus for separate treatment. In a chapter describing the disposition o f his private library, a detailed analysis
has been included, illustrated by Plates and Tables, of the eighteen subject classes of his catalogue. Especially noted are Cavendish's arrangement of his books, extracts from selected works, descriptions
of unusual titles , publications from different periods, and in different languages, autographed copies, and his own special reference marks, with a discussion of the growth of private libraries over the centuries.
Cavendish's Journeys were prompted by a personal interest in geology which he acquired while an undergraduate at Cambridge through his friendship with the Rev. John Michell, a lecturer there at the
time.
The complete texts of the journals o f these tours, an index of place names, a glossary of scientific terms, and a summary account of the geology of Britain, written by Cavendish, are recorded as
appendixes in Part II of this thesis. The Journeys are described in a separate chapter, and the probable routes indicated by a series of Plates.
Chapter V completes the story o f the man, his characteristics, his friends, his later years, with tributes to his memory. Inserted in this chapter is a short commentary on the solid geology of England
and Wales, as visualized by Cavendish, with maps to illustrate his ideas with the formations known today.