I thank the Royal Institution for permission to publish this new edition of Michael Faraday’s The Chemical History of a Candle and to reproduce in facsimile, for the first time, Faraday’s notes for these lectures. The other resources of the Collections of the Royal Institution as well as those of the British Library, London Library, and the Geological Society were invaluable in the writing of the Introduction. Once again I am deeply grateful to my colleague Ms Jane Harrison, who oversaw all the scanning that was needed in the preparation of this book. Finally, I thank Dr Sérgio Rodrigues and Professor W. H. Brock for much helpful information and advice.