court of the realm, or suffer the
penalty of dismissal. See Vale's Life of Paine, p. 19.

Honest and capable he has wounded the corrupt heart of the government.
Too proud to retract, too honest to confess, he is turned out of office
to brood over his offense. The government has also stabbed him to the
heart, and the stab reaches to the most tender chords, his personal
pride, his honor. This sets on fire his whole nature, yet darkly
secretive it becomes molten lava in his own breast. It will some day
burst forth a consuming fire. "Vengeance is mine," says the war-spirit
within him. "Bide thy time," says caution. "Keep thy own council," says
secretiveness. He has now an object in view, his resolution is made.

"I will strike the dagger to the heart of profligate lords and
courtiers. I will trample on the pride of kings, and fortified with that
proud integrity, that disdain to triumph or to yield, I will advocate
the rights of man." He now steps forth to begin his _life's work_.

He waits not long to brood over his miseries, but immediately sets off
for London to inform the mind. A little the rise of twenty-eight he
enters fully into the study of the natural sciences, and teaches in an
academy to defray expenses. He attends the philosophical lectures of Mr.
Martin and Ferguson, and becomes acquainted with Dr. Bevis, the
astronomer and member of the Royal Society. He made himself master of
the globes and orrery, and acquired a knowledge of _natural philosophy_,
a term which then took in a wide field of science. We find him well
acquainted with chemistry, and also the higher mathematics. Here he
doubtless studied French, for afterward we find when called from an
active life to visit France he could read but not speak the language.
Yet this, as well as rhetoric and law, and many other branches of
learning, he could acquire while in the employ of government.

It is evident that while at London this year he threw his whole soul
into study.

How easily he could have risen to preferment in any branch of natural
science must have been well known to himself when coming in contact with
these great minds of his age. But he has other work on hand.

There are many reasons for concluding he became acquainted with Franklin
this year, among them these five:

1. Because he was eager to cultivate the acquaintance of great men
of science, and Franklin, then in London, stood at the head of
all.

2. Franklin was easy of acc