Faraday to André-Marie Ampère   3 September 1822

Royal Institution | Septr. 3. 1822.

Sir

I have been much flattered and gratified by the honor you have done me in your repeated communications and particularly by your last important letter¹ for which I have nothing I can offer as a return but my best acknowledgements[.] I have been tempted by favourable opportunities to trespass on your kindness by a correspondence which though it must occupy time to you of great value brings you nothing in return. Anxious as I am to hear from time to time of the progress you make in a branch of science that owes so much to you yet I cannot help but feel that I am the unworthy gainer and you the loser by a correspondence between us and that though I receive so much I contribute nothing to it. Nevertheless I am still encouraged to write and acknowledge your kindness[.]

I have but just returned from the country or I should before have returned my earnest thanks for the memoirs I have received through the hands of Mr Underwood and Mr Dockray²[.] I have as yet only read them hastily and have to reperuse them as well as your last excellent letter more carefully and steadily[.] I am unfortunate in a want of mathematical knowledge and the power of entering with facility into abstract reasoning[.] I am obliged to feel my way by facts closely placed together so that it often happens I am left behind in the progress of a branch of science not merely from the want of attention but from the incapability I lay under of following it notwithstanding all my exertions. It is just now so I am ashamed to say with your refined researches on electro-magnetism or electrodynamics[.] On reading your papers and letters I have no difficulty in following the reasoning but still at last I seem to want something more on which to steady the conclusions[.] I fancy the habit I got into of attending too closely to experiment has somewhat fettered my powers of reasoning and chains me down and I cannot help now and then comparing myself to a timid ignorant navigator who though he might boldly and safely steer across a bay or an ocean by the aid of a compass which in its action and principles is infallible is afraid to leave sight of the shore because he understands not the power of the instrument that is to guide him - With regard to electro-magnetism also feeling my insufficiency to reason as you do I am afraid to receive at once the conclusions you come to (though I am strongly tempted by their simplicity & beauty to adopt them) and the more so because I have seen the judgements of such men as Berzelius Prechtel³ &c &c stumble over this subject⁴. Both these philosophers I believe and others also have given theories of electro-magnetism which they stated would account not only for known facts but even serve to predict such as were not then known and yet when new facts came (rotation for instance) the theories fell to pieces before them[.] These instances are sufficient to warn such feeble spirits as myself and will serve as my apology to you for not at once adopting your conclusions[.] I delay not because I think them hasty or erroneous but because I want some facts to help me on.

I cannot help thinking there is an immense mine of experimental matter ready to be opened and such matter as would at once carry conviction of the truth with it. I do not think I shall have to wait long for it though I have no idea where it should come from except from you - I am not aware of the experiment of M de La Rive’s to which you refer but shall see it soon I dare say in the Bibliotheque Universelle[.]

Allow me to beg your acceptance of the inclosed paper as a very small mark of respect and esteem from one who is proud to sign himself your obliged and humble Correspondent and Servant | M. Faraday

M. Ampere | &c &c

Address: M. Ampere | &c &c