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           WhenIwasaboutfifteenyearsoldwehadretiredtoourhousenearBelrive,whenwewitnessedamostviolentandterriblethunderstorm.ItadvancedfrombehindthemountainsofJura,andthethunderburstatoncewithfrightfulloudnessfromvariousquartersoftheheavens.Iremained,whilethestormlasted,watchingitsprogresswithcuriosityanddelight.AsIstoodatthedoor,onasuddenIbeheldastreamoffireissuefromanoldandbeautifuloakwhichstoodabouttwentyyardsfromourhouse;andsosoonasthedazzlinglightvanished,theoakhaddisappeared,andnothingremainedbutablastedstump.Whenwevisiteditthenextmorning,wefoundthetreeshatteredinasingularmanner.Itwasnotsplinteredbytheshock,butentirelyreducedtothinribbonsofwood.Ineverbeheldanythingsoutterlydestroyed.

           BeforethisIwasnotunacquaintedwiththemoreobviouslawsofelectricity.Onthisoccasionamanofgreatresearchinnaturalphilosophywaswithus,andexcitedbythiscatastrophe,heenteredontheexplanationofatheorywhichhehadformedonthesubjectofelectricityandgalvanism,whichwasatoncenewandastonishingtome.AllthathesaidthrewgreatlyintotheshadeCorneliusAgrippa,AlbertusMagnus,andParacelsus,thelordsofmyimagination;butbysomefatalitytheoverthrowofthesemendisinclinedmetopursuemyaccustomedstudies.Itseemedtomeasifnothingwouldorcouldeverbeknown.Allthathadsolongengagedmyattentionsuddenlygrewdespicable.Byoneofthosecapricesofthemindwhichweareperhapsmostsubjecttoinearlyyouth,Iatoncegaveupmyformeroccupations,setdownnaturalhistoryandallitsprogenyasadeformedandabortivecreation,andentertainedthegreatestdisdainforawould-besciencewhichcouldneverevenstepwithinthethresholdofrealknowledge.InthismoodofmindIbetookmyselftothemathematicsandthebranchesofstudyappertainingtothatscienceasbeingbuiltuponsecurefoundations,andsoworthyofmyconsideration.