Faraday to André-Marie Ampère   14 February 1824

Royal Institution | Feby. 14. 1824.

Dear Sir

Whenever I open my writing book I am ashamed to see your last kind letter of Septr last¹ remaining there unanswered but at the same time I have always the excuse at hand of having nothing important to write to you about and having no right to disturb you except about things of importance[.]

I have however at last passed over this argument and am determined to thank you without farther delay for your continual kindness and for the good offices which I am sure I am indebted to you for at the Royal Academy of Sciences[.] The honor conferred on me by that body is so far beyond what I had any right to expect that I cannot return my thanks to it and my friends in it as I ought to do and have little more to do than accept it with gratitude & in silence[.]

I am now to beg for information from you which perhaps you will do me the kindness to send at any convenient opportunity[.] I am sorry to say there is no hurry for it on my part because of my incapacity[.] I wish to ask you whether in the event of my writing any more papers of a respectable kind it would not be a matter of propriety and duty in me to send one to the Royal Academy of Sciences as a token of gratitude for the mark of distinction they have bestowed upon me - whether it would be acceptable - and what would become of it - I beg you to understand I do not promise to do this because I am not sure I shall ever do any thing more worth describing and because also the next paper I may produce is claimed by the Royal Society but if I should be fortunate enough to have two papers more then I should like to do as I have hinted above provided it be proper[.]

I was a little startled the other day by one of the numbers of the Annales de Chimie[.] In the account it gives of the proceedings of the Academy of Sciences for Septr 15th 1823. it mentioned that MM. Braconnot² & Hatchett were elected Corresponding Members in the Section of Chemistry³ and I was afraid I had been assuming those honors which belonged really to another and though M Braconnot deserved them more than I did I should have been sorry to have resigned such a prise. However the Official Letters sent to me by Baron Cuvier⁴ and also an announcement in the following Number of the Annales de Chimie of my letter of thanks to the Academy for the honor it had done me⁵ satisfied me that it had been a mistake of the press & that I had not done wrong in assuming the title[.]

I beg with this letter to introduce Dr. Symes⁶ to you[.] He is a friend’s friend and is very anxious to know what you have done in France with the new vegetable alkalies[.] I have encouraged my friend to hope that you will introduce Dr. Symes to M Baruel⁷ who I suppose has an immense store of practical information on the subject[.]

Whenever you honor me with another letter pray let me know how I may direct send or otherwise convey to you[.] I know not whether I shall ever have the pleasure of seeing you at Paris but I please myself with the expectation[.]

I have the Honor to be | Dear Sir | Your Very Obliged & faithful Servant | M. Faraday

M. Ampere | &c &c &c

Address: M. Ampere | &c &c &c