Faraday to Robert G. Abbott   6 August 1814

Geneva - Saturday August 6th, 1814

Dear Robert

I thank you and most sincerely for the first letter I have received since I left England, and which allayed in a great measure all the anxious desires I felt for me friends at home; I received it this day and from the Post Masters account suppose that you must have erred in dating it June; indeed my letter by Sir R. Wilson¹ was not wrote till July had commenced². I am left in uncertainty whether that was the first letter received from me in England. I had sent several off before: two departed from Paris³, one from Genoa, one from Florence, two from Rome⁴, one from Milan, all by private hands, and with Sir Humphry’s Letters; and I have lately sent one by post from here to your brother Ben⁵. Of the fate of these I am still uncertain though I entertain hopes that some of them have arrived and that all will ultimately gain their destination: by the rapidity and security with which your kind letter has reached me, I am in hope of a plentiful supply of information from my friends in England; and must beg of Ben not to delay longer the departure of the three sheets that are ready: I have heard nothing from my mother or brother, and wish you would be at the trouble to desire them to write again, and to direct me at Geneva Post restaunt. I feel grateful from my heart for your information respecting my mother and friends, and hope that at all times when you write you will feel so far interested in my pleasures & satisfaction, as to inform yourself and me of their health & state. I have heard from many quarters of the late rejoicings and feastings in London⁶; The French & Italian papers have been very eager and forward in proclaiming the deeds and doings of England, and Countrymen come into this quarter from London daily, and are glad to give me information. We have heard also of the Prince’s unpopularity, and are sorry that at this time England should have any thing in her to disturb her pleasures, or cause her shame⁷: things are now in such a state that if she but knew how to use her good fortune, as well as she has supported herself in harder times; she will arrive at the possible climax of happiness and prosperity and still shine as she ever has done in the front of the nations of the world. It must be gratifying to you Dear Robert to know how high a character she bears in the eyes of Europe and to what degree of estimation and reverence her firmness & her virtues have raised her. I valued my country highly before I left it, but I have been taught by strangers how to value it properly, and its worth has been pointed out to me in a foreign land. In foreign nations alone it is that by contrast the virtues of England, her strength, and her wisdom can be perceived, and for those virtues Englishmen are considered every where as a band of brothers, activated by one heart and one mind and treading steadily & undeviatingly in the path of honor, courage, & glory all nations reverence them; every individual speaks highly of them; the english are respected, received, & caressed every where for the character of their country: may she ever deserve that character; may her virtues still continue to shine & illuminate the world: may her path never deviate from the least point; but still proceeding in a straight line carry her still farther out into the view of the world, where her character meets with its just and honorable reward[.]

I am happy to find that you are situated as you wish to be and hope that the good prospect will continue: but I am uninformed how Ben stands in the world, though I hope soon to know from himself. I should be glad to hear of the state of the C.P.S., and of the members whom I best know, I wish that it may prosper and be a means of promoting philosophical knowledge, and I feel partly disappointed that you have not joined your force to theirs; for by your professions of unphilosphycality, I suppose that you have not done so. I have also commissioned Ben in my last to remember me kindly to Mrs Greenwall [sic] of the Royal Institution, & Mr. Newman of Lisle Street, Lincolns Inn fields, and if you or him would also give my respects and remembrances to my old master Mr. Riebau, I should be indebted much for the favour; I feel too grateful for the goodness of Mr. de la Roche⁸, of whom my mother will give you some account; if he should still be in King Street, or in London, I should like to have my name mentioned to him with thanks on my side; but he is <<per>>haps in France, and if I see Paris again I shal<<l>> search for <<hi>>m[.]

During the time I have passed from home, many sources of information have been opened to me, and many new views have arisen of men, manners, & things, both moral and philosophical. The constant presence of Sir Humphry Davy is a mine inexhaustible of knowledge & improvement; & the various & free conversation of the inhabitants of those countries through which I have passed, have continually afforded entertainment & instruction. On entering France the dissimilarity between the inhabitants and the people of my own country was strong, and impressive, and entered firmly in my mind. I have found the french people in general a communicative, brisk, intelligent, and attentive set of people; but their attentions were to gain money, and for their intelligence they expect to be paid. Politeness is the general character of the people, a character which they well deserve; but the upper classes have carried it beyond the bounds of reason, and in politeness they lose truth and sincerity: their manners are very insinuating and kind, their address at once easy & free, and their conversation vivid & uninterrupted: but though it dwells on the same subject, you can scarcely make out what the subject is: for it is certainly the most confined, most uninteresting, and unapplicable conversation I have met with. The French language in the Mouth of the people has a softness of such delicacy, as is not to be found in other languages: and in which it is I think very superior to the Italian: this last indeed appears to me to have an effeminate character of which you may in part judge from the morsel you have sent me; but the french language has a great degree of strength, and expression, and yet is delicate and tender. The Italian language is by far the easiest to learn, from the circumstance of every letter being pronounced in the words the same as when single; and also because there is a greater similarity between the words of the Italian & English languages, than between those of the French & English languages: but however I must not pretend to judge as yet of the character of these languages with precision, since I am but little acquainted with them; though at the same time I have endeavoured to avoid the imputation of idleness.

Civilization seems to have taken different paths in the nations of Europe, towards the end of or rather latter part of her progress. At Paris civilization has been employed mostly in the improvement & perfection of luxuries, and oftentimes, in the pursuit has neglected the means of adding to domestic and private comfort; and has even at times run counter to it. In ornaments indeed the Parisians excell, and also in their art of applying them; but in the elegance of appearance utility is often lost; and English articles which have been formed under the direction of a less refined, but more useful judgement are often eagerly preferred. At Paris every thing yields to appearance, the result of what is called fine taste: the tradesman neglects his business to gain time to make appearance; The poor gent starves his inside, to make his outside look well; the jeweller fashions his gold into trinkets for show & ornament; and so far does this love of appearance extend, that many starve in a garret all the week to go well dressed to the Opera on Sunday evening: I who am an Englishman, & have been bred up with english habits, of course prefer english civilization to the civilization of France: and think that my commonsense has made the best choice; but every day experience teaches me that others do not think so, yet though I have no right to suppose I excell all those who differ from me, I still am allowed the liberty of forming my own opinion. The civilization of Italy seems to have hastened with backward steps in latter years, and at present is found there only a degenerate idle people, making no efforts to support the glory that their ancestors left them; but allowing it, & their works to fall into obscurity. Cramped by ignorance, and buried in dirt, they seem to have been placed in a happy soil, only to shew forth their degeneracy & fallen state, and Rome is at this day not only a memento of decayed majesty, in the ruins of its ancient monuments & architecture: but also in the degeneracy of the people.

I find dear Sir that my paper is fast filling, and yet I have but little said, and I fear that I shall incur the imputation I have given to french conversation, but though even in danger of that, I would still write to you as my thoughts run; choosing rather to give you my ideas in an unrestrained though careless way, than to force them into a path assigned & chalked out, & which would but serve to cramp & distort these already crooked ilformed things. I have purposely omitted giving in this letter any detailed account of my past travels, since I supposed that you would see those of my Mothers & your brother’s; and I intend shortly to send another full sheet to Ben, with a little of Vesuvius &c in it. I had before taken the advice you so kindly <<gave>> me of forwarding a letter, as you will see by the one I have forwarded by Post and <<I>> am in hopes of escaping the stigma attached to a short letter by the present sheet. With respect to our future rout[e] I have but a very general knowledge of it, but I expect it will lay in Germany for a short time, for from hence we shall pass (in 5 or 6 weeks) on the North of the Alps to Venice, and from Venice we shall go to Rome & there spend the winter, so that any letters that are not sent within a month from the date of this, had better be directed to the Post Office at Rome; where I shall hope to find a parcel: but on this subject I shall give you at a future time more correct information - I apply daily at the Office for news from England, but Yours is the first I have received, and I hail it as the forerunner of many more. Remember me sincerely if you please to Mr. & Mrs. Abbott, to your sister & to Ben, & favour me by letting my Mother my brother & friends know I am well & wish to be named to them. I shall shortly write to Robert, but wait for his letter. Adieu dear Robert for the present & believe me truly & sincerely Yours with all wishes | M. Faraday

Endorsed: Recd Augt 18th 1814

Address: To Mr. R.G. Abbott | Long Lane | Bermondsey | London | England