Faraday to Benjamin Abbott   7 December 1812

Dear Abbott,

I thank you most heartily and sincerely for the pleasure I received on hearing your Lecture of last Wednesday and I have to transmit to you also the acknowledgements of both my Friends for the high gratification it afforded them[.] Of the Lecture, its Character, and Delivery, to you I shall say nothing but that all was excellent, you are so far able to judge as to be well satisfied in your own mind with your own efforts.

I expect that by this time you are considerably advanced in the arrangement of a second Lecture for I presume that you will not delay longer than is convenient and necessary [for] the continuation of your subject[.] The Society too will expect it and look forward to it with pleasure as you made a partial promise to them to continue it[.] It will I conceive shew your whole course to more advantage as the more connected a subject is the better it appears[.] By the by I was highly gratified with the order observed throughout the last Lecture when I perused it it was not so evident but it appeared in an eminent degree in the delivery and conferred on it a degree of clearness & simplicity even beyond what I expected[.]

My Port-folio in which is contained our correspondence makes a singular appearance the last six letters in it are from you not one of them having drawn back an answer[.] You know me well enough to be satisfied that it is not owing to want of inclination or even intention but solely to inability & the same cause even extends to this Letter and obliges me to shorten it long before I should wish it nevertheless you I hope will not relax or shorten your correspondence making my slackness a plea but will continue to gratify your friend by an epistle whenever agreeable to yourself or whenever subjects which are always plentiful occur[.]

I must now resign my occupation ‘till a future time but would first desire my respects to Mr. & Mrs. Abbott & your Sister[.] I have no doubt but that your Father & Sister were gratified on Wednesday evening at least as much as at any of Tatum’s Lectures but adieu dear A<_> for the present & believe me ever yours. | M. Faraday

Decr. 7th. | 1812.