for this discovery;
but I am so neglected, and so conspired against, that I am determined it
and all my other discoveries shall die with me."
I now inquired, whether he had been alarmed by the ignorance of the
people in the country, so as to shut himself up in so unusual a manner.
"No," he replied, "not on their account wholly. They are ignorant and
insolent enough; but it was to protect myself against the governments of
Europe, who are determined to get possession of my secret by force. I
have been," he exclaimed, "twice fired at in one day through that window,
and three times attempted to be poisoned. They believed I had written a
book containing my secrets, and to get possession of this book has been
their object. To baffle them, I burnt all that I had ever written, and I
have so guarded the windows with spring-guns, and have such a collection
of combustibles in the range of bottles which stand at your elbow, that I
could destroy a whole regiment of soldiers if sent against me." He then
related, that as a further protection he lived entirely in that room, and
permitted no one to come into the house; while he had locked up every
room except that with patent padlocks, and sealed the key-holes.
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