Faraday to André-Marie Ampère   17 November 1825

Royal Institution | Novr. 17. 1825.

My dear Sir

I have had great pleasure at different times lately by the receipt of your kind letters sent by our mutual friends M. De la Rive, Mr. South and Mr. Underwood¹ though it has so happened that by my absence from town &c. none but that by Mr. South reached me in due time. I beg at this opportunity to return you my sincere thanks for your kindness in sending me copies of your papers these I value highly not only for their intrinsic merit but also because they are so many marks of your kind estimation of myself. and I hope you will never fail to mark them as from yourself by writing on the title page. I only wish that I were competent more frequently to make proper acknowledgements for them by similar returns.

Every letter you write me states how busily you are engaged and I cannot wish it otherwise knowing how well your time is spent[.] Much of mine is unfortunately occupied in very common place employment and this I may offer as an excuse (for want of a better) for the little I do in original research[.]

I am sorry to find by one of your letters that you experience an unworthy opposition to the fair & high claim you have to the approbation and thanks of your fellow Philosophers. This however you can hardly wonder at[.] I do not know what it is or by whom exerted in your case but I never yet even in my short time knew a man to do anything eminent or become worthy of distinction without becoming at the same time obnoxious to the cavils and rude encounters of envious men. Little as I have done, I have experienced it and that too where I least expected it.

I think however and hope that you are somewhat mistaken in your opinion of the feeling here[.] It is true that some of your views were at first received here with great reserve but I think now that all your facts are admitted and are all properly attributed to you[.] With regard to your theory it so soon becomes mathematical that it quickly gets beyond my reach at the same time I know that it has received the consideration of eminent men here - I am not however competent to tell you exactly how it is accepted, for in fact being a very busy man and somewhat retired in habits I am all day long in my Laboratory do not go much among scientific men and am in some sort an anchorite in the Scientific world[.] Hence I have neither time nor opportunity for scientific conversation and am frequently surprized at information which is new to me when old to every one else[.]

Be assured however that whenever the opportunity occurs I do full justice to your important investigations for as far I can go with them I am convinced of their accuracy & great value.

Many thanks to you for M. De monferrand’s book[.] I had it only a day or two ago - and though I have not yet read it have looked over the table² & agree with you in its accuracy[.]

I am My dear Sir | Your Very Obliged & faithful friend | M. Faraday

M Ampere | &c &c