Benjamin Abbott to Faraday   20 and 22 November 1814

London, Sunday 20th Nov 1814.

My Dear Michael!

The knowledge that the receipt of my letters affords you any pleasure would I can assure you be sufficient to induce me to write them even was the doing it a task instead of what it is - a pleasure - Impressed with this Sentiment it is with a great degree of readiness & alacrity that I seize the present Opportunity of continuing a correspondence which affords us mutually so much Entertainment & which I trust distance will have no effect in impairing however much it may in impeding.

I have some fear at this time that the present text will find you already at Rome, which was not my intention it should but so many circumstances have lately intervened to prevent my perusing it sooner that I found it impossible & can therefore only say that should it arrive later than you have expected, its length must compensate for its delay. I say its length for I intend to fill this Sheet at all costs & with the utterance of this intention I shall without further preamble proceed.

First then I must acknowledge the receipt of yours of the 6th Sept. from Geneva¹ which reached me the 17th same & afforded me proof (if such had been wanted) of your friendship for me, and for the Interest you feel in my welfare & happiness: I thank you my Dear Michael sincerely do I thank thee for your [2 words illegible] & advice which latter I shall [2 words illegible] but I am at the same time [word illegible] I should even for a moment have led you to regard the [word illegible] Note of your [word illegible] by [word illegible] now that of my own I have [word illegible] in your mind any unpleasant [word illegible] but describing those I have myself felt & to have done this was neither my wish nor intention but if by doing it I have occasioned you the smallest inconvenience I trust your good judgement will have attributed it to the true cause. [word illegible] I [word illegible] farther in which wrote were particularly to [word illegible] I will see [word illegible] what I have to state concerning those who I trust I may truly call our friends. Between the inhabitants of this house and those of Weymouth St I am happy to say the same cordiality & perfect [word illegible] notwithstanding that [3 words illegible] yourself one of the circle. Your Mother Brother & Sisters I believe are well; they were so a fortnight since when I was there. Peggy you will be surprised to hear has with the assistance of my beloved Sister succeeded in prevailing on her mother to permit her to spend the day with us & if I can judge by her talk she would have no objection to repeat the visit. When this will be allowed I know not. I particularly notice what you say respecting her & can assure you I conceive her worthy of all the affection you can feel for her, that she feels the same for you I doubt not. She talks of you incessantly, you are her perpetual theme of admiration. “Michael” she says “taught me to read & to write, he encouraged me to learn, & yet I was afraid of him, but nobody takes any pains with me now, I wish Michl was home again.”- This is her constant idea. I much wish I could take upon myself the occupation you have left & could attend to her improvement, so far as I am able but circumstances forbid it, do you therefore accept the will for the deed & do me the justice to believe that was it in my power I should not fail to [do] all I could towards it. - Robert does not often visit us for which I can assign no reason except so far as report goes - Peggy tells me that he is seldom at home; that when he comes in he cleans himself & goes out again immediately. The report is that he is over head & ears in love!² I say the report for he has not told me so; I heard it from Mrs Gray³ & Betsey, therefore when you write to him do not mention it lest he feel vexed with me (you know his temper) for saying any such thing to you. - Mrs. G. & your Sister I have also called on as desired & I am truly happy to say found both well & their family the same. They desired that when I wrote to you I would say for them all that they could say if you were present or that I could say were I in their situation. More than either of these I need not say. I called on Mr Newman 2 Sundays ago (I had no opportunity before) but unfortunately was unable to see him. I however saw Mrs. N. who having seen me before politely asked me in & gave me all the information in her power, promising to desire Mr N. to tell Mr Fincher what you wished. Respecting the R.I. you need be under no apprehensions. The members this Summer submitted to a great sacrifice & all the debts are paid off⁴ so that altho’ eventually the Expences will eat up the Principal of their Funds yet a dissolution in consequence cannot take place within a period of time much longer than it is even probable you will be absent. You may therefore be at ease on this Head - but should any thing par possibilité occur, Ben will not lose sight of anything that concerns his Friend Michael. Mrs Greenwell I have still been unable to see. My enquiries however have ascertained she is well. A short time since I left her my address & a message stating if she had any thing to communicate to you or Sir H would she trust me with it. - [2 words illegible] it. Since then I have heard nothing of her. Women like she is never to be found but when either [2 words illegible] she will I suppose or more at some & I have [word illegible] I will [6 or 7 words illegible] Institution however [2 words illegible] her [2 words illegible] remembrances to you & wishes Sir H was there again - so much for my Execution of your commands <-> I had nearly forgotten to say (what is almost needless) that all friends in Weym Street desire [word illegible] remembered too. Mr & Mrs Newman [send] their kindest remembrances.

To return to that part of your letter which relates more particularly to our individual selves. I must again repeat my heartfelt [word illegible] for your good wishes & advice. I have so far followed the latter that I am still in the same situation as when I wrote last nor do I [word illegible] (I never did) intend a hasty change but should opportunity offer of bettering myself I shall of course embrace it. In your letter [word illegible] me if to lose things in [word illegible] &c this I can avise you I have not done for tho’ my situation is uncomfortable I am well aware as you justly remark that there are worse - & altho’ [word illegible] as I am I cannot help feeling uneasy when [word illegible] fixed, yet I heal. I know enough of the world not to throw myself [word illegible] upon it because I cannot have every thing to my wishes. The school of Adversity [word illegible] they are [word illegible] even [word illegible] than those of prosperity [3 words illegible] young as I am I have indeed my dear Friend received some [2 words illegible] altho’ apparently [word illegible] I can assure you I have ever since you knew me drank of the cup of Affliction. Thanks to the [word illegible] I trust those days will not soon return & I further trust I have profited by them in my [3 words illegible]. I ought to [2 words illegible] I wrote [4 words illegible] altho [word illegible] to the [3 words illegible] that [4 words illegible] him stated in ill health & one part of it [7 words illegible] by myself the remainder in the [word illegible] of [3 words illegible] from these causes you will do the picture justice if you will strike out its darkest Shades or at least [2 words illegible] that letter [2 words illegible] - I had not time to take a copy of. Since the date of that letter I have become a good deal less uncomfortable than before from more than one Circumstance. firstly I have learned to look with contempt on all the pure proud Speeches & behaviour which were at first so much annoyance to me & 2ndly he has taken into the Counting House a Gent who knew him Years ago & who is not only an intelligent Companion but also by his Presence prevents some of the hauteur so oppressive to me when alone - add to this Mr H finds that an undeserved sharp Speech to me always produces a twinging Reply whose justice sometimes (I believe) bites at the moment - all these things added to there not being quite such close work as formerly has rendered me much more at ease in the City - & I am happy to say others have done the same here at home (for which you know there was room).-

Notwithstanding all this I am still resolved to keep a watchful Eye to any thing likely to prove more advantageous to me & with this View I have all along made constant Enquiries among my Friends after any thing that might suit me but hitherto without Success. I mentioned in my last it was possible I might visit the Continent the fact was, I was in treaty with a Merchant here to go & reside at Bordeaux to take [the] place of Chief Clerk in a House he was endeavouring to establish there & I should have gone had the Posture of affairs rendered the design practicable - my father thought it would be of essential Service to me both for Health and information - this not succeeding the same person who I believe has taken a fancy to me - offered me a Situation on the River Plate in So. America of 1000 Dollars a Year & Board & Lodging but I declined it on account of the immense distance & the unwillingness of Father & Mother I should go so far - I am still in Hopes he will serve me if in his power.-

With respect to what you say concerning your own Situation I could say as much or more than I have said of my own were we confabulating together, but I do not think it prudent for obvious reasons (which you will well comprehend) to commit to Paper what I think on the Subject you must therefore my Dear Friend consider that I think of you as you think of me, with a warm Heart - & that I feel from your descriptions as much as you feel from mine - when we meet (which I trust we may do happily) we shall no doubt have many mutual communications to make not to be made now[.] <qr>Nov. 22 1814

Unfortunately this Sheet was last night left in the City by mistake where I had taken it for the purpose of submitting the part already written to the pressure of the Copying Machine, & I therefore fear in instead of its being forwarded to day as I intended I shall be forced to postpone it till tomorrow. I shall now proceed somewhat more philosophically than in the foregoing part.- In your last you congratulate me on the Progress I must have made & term my mind active & vigilant - now I do not think I am lazy but yet I am afraid my Dear Michl you are a flatterer & you well know that is not a character I am fond of & I should be particularly sorry to find your travels had caused any tendency in you towards it - with respect to my progress in Science I am sorry to say it has been much less than I could have wished since your departure, for though I have in the [Surrey] Institution⁵ an excellent Library & still more a decent Laboratory yet I have no scientific companion - it is true some indeed most of my acquaintances are philosophically inclined - that is - they like to hear a Lecture & to see a few dashing Experiments - but they are not so fond of Science as to stand at a furnace till their Eyes are scorched or risk a convulsion of their Muscles from the unexpected touch of a Voltaic Battery - such a one as this would be a treasure to me such a one as could catch my ideas & pursue them in conjunction with me & to whom half a word might suffice to convey more than a whole lecture does to some - but for such a one I must wait till you return & then I shall have all I wish in this way till that time I must content myself with making what progress I can alone, & I look forward to the time when you, with all the knowledge you will have gained shall once more be my companion my Friend I believe you still are & I trust will still continue however inferior I may be in attainments to you when you will have completed your Tour - Notwithstanding the drawback on the rapidity of my progress (to which I may also add another - viz, - Expence) I would not have you suppose I am idle - by no means, such opportunities as I have I endeavour to profit by as much as I can & the Laboratory in the Institution is principally valuable you know on account of the Furnaces for which the Institution supply fuel & as I am the only one who uses them I have no fear of interruption. They are certainly very good ones - a short time since I procured a specimen of Silver Ore from Potosi in So. America⁶ 100 grains of which I [word illegible] &c & submitting it to cupellation obtained two buttons weighing together 62 grains besides a small portion (about 3 grains) which were lost in consequence of the vat cracking when one changed with lead - the hour being late I am inclined to believe I did not push the firing so far as I ought to have done & therefore suspect it is still somewhat impure tho’ in a very small degree - a second cupellation will put it beyond doubt - The richness of the ore arises I should inform you from it being part of a specimen sent over as a rarity - some of their mines are far from cont[ainin]g such a proportion of the precious Metal. - I sometime since saw a specimen from Peru (I believe) of white Marble spangled with grains of Gold nearly pure. - It was really beautiful. -

The Lectures at the Surrey Institution have commenced. There are 4 courses 1st on Chemistry by Mr Wheeler⁷, 2nd on Extemporary Eloquence by Mr Rippingham⁸ 3d On the Passions & affections of the Mind & their Influence on Language & the Polite Arts by I.M. Good⁹ - 4th On Music by Dr Crotch¹⁰ - the two first are commenced but I have not yet heard Mr Rippingham he has delivered only one & from that I was unluckily detained by Business - my Sister however (who subscribes also) was there & she says he is an Orator I therefore expect some pleasure from hearing him. - Mr Wheeler has delivered 2 Lectures - he is a young man who has never before appeared in Public & therefore labours under a great disadvantage from diffidence[.] This however will be soon overcome & I think he then bids fair to be a decent Lecturer a first-rate one he cannot be from a slight defect in utterance - From Mr Good I anticipate a course deeply fraught with Enquiry & delivered in a very excellent Stile - When I have heard them I shall send you my ideas on them[.] Dr Crotch will as usual please the Ladies - Mr Spencer¹¹ still notices me & constantly stiles me - “my Scientific Friend-” The Librarian¹² calls me “a Philosophical Gossip. - I here commence a new Sheet; for from the appearance I fear the 2 last pages will be scarcely legible on this thin paper & I am unwilling to give you more trouble in deciphering them than is necessary.-

In a former Letter you promised me a full Sheet with a little of Vesuvius in it but I have not received it my last Epistle I supposed chased the Volcano out of your head. I hope by your next it will have returned - I have an extraordinary wish my Dear Mike to see one of these flaming Furnaces & I think tho’ you know I am not famous for Courage that my nerves would allow me to take a tolerable quiet look at it. - Pray have you seen many Cataracts? Mr K. my Companion in the County Ho has travelled in America & has seen the Falls of Niagara - he lent me his Manuscript Account & also gave me some verbal particulars - from his relation it appears to me the Scene can scarcely be less awful than a Volcano tho’ of course differing much in its nature. The noise he compared to all the Cannon in the World keeping up an incessant roar all around you: as to what some persons have said of its being possible to go between the stream & the rock over which it falls he denies it altogether & says the place looks more like the Mouth of the Infernal Regions than any thing else, & that any person attempting to go there would meet instant suffocation from the Spray & from the violent agitation of the air which he describes as so great 30 feet from the Stream as to oblige you every moment to turn round to recover the use of the Lungs.-

A native of the Country you are now in lately opened a Shop here for the Sale of Fulminating Objects particularly small Balls as large as large Peas¹³ - These being crushed under the Foot or thrown with violence against any Substance exploded with a very considerable Report. - The Streets, Theatres, & even Chapels were annoyed by them & many persons were taken into Custody & fined in the mean time others made them & they were sold at almost every Chemists Shop at last the Magistrates found out they were Fireworks & Fined many for selling them among others a young man who brought forward our Friend Ban[c]ks ¹⁴ Strand to prove they were not Fireworks to do which he was about to explode one in a [word illegible] of Gunpowder. This was not permitted but he stated Sir H. had performed the Expt & the Gunpr never was nor could be inflamed & insisted on trying with a smaller portion - he did so, tho’ the Gunpowder blew up but even he then declared he would have fixed one in a barrel of powder without fear - had he not become then convinced - his friend was fined ú5 - it is almost needless to say - they were fulminating Silver in a Glass Bubble.-

When you write next to me indeed whenever you do I shall feel a particular pleasure if you will give me all the intelligence you can concerning your Route & the probable time of your Return - agreeable to what I told you before your departure you will bear in mind that your Letters are shewn to no one if the contain any thing private - if they do not your Mother & Brother have the perusal of them.- I merely mention this now to freshen your memory & to let you know if you are ignorant of it that you may place confidence in me & my promises.-

I must here my Dear Michael think of drawing towards a conclusion of this tolerable long Letter - remember I shall be glad to see your writing if only three Lines - Therefore do not delay to answer it in any way as most convenient - should I not previously hear from you I intend to write again in about 3 or 4 Weeks - Boyer Castle Magrath &c desire their kind remembrances - my brother requests you will bear in mind his Commission & unites with my Father, Mother & Sister in every heartfelt wish for your Welfare it is almost needless for me to add how cordially I do the same. That you my Dear Michael may be ever Happy as you deserve & that our Friendship may only gain strength from its age is the constant Prayer of

Yours most truly & sincerely | Benj. Abbott.

Que croyez vous des Femmes Italiennes? sont-ils aussi belles que les Anglaises¹⁵

Endorsed: Origl sent via Paris 24th Novr. 1814 Recd by MF at Rome