Faraday to Arthur-Auguste De La Rive   23 November 1830

Royal Institution Novr. 22 [sic] 1830.

My dear Sir,

It is long since I received your letter¹ but absence in the country and other causes have prevented me from answering it before this time. I am glad of any circumstance that keeps your recollection of me alive. Our Managers immediately ordered the exchange you requested to be made² & the first No of the New Journal was sent three weeks ago to Your Bookseller here as you requested. If Bossange³ will take the trouble of sending your Bibliotheque to the Royal Institution it will save us the necessity of making frequent enquiries after its arrival[.]

At present I write by post as a quick way of reaching you but shall I in future send all communications through the bookseller to you? Copies of papers notes &c? and may I send copies of papers &c to Marcet &c in the same way under cover to you? or will that embarras[s] your packets?

I take great interest in the New Journal & wish it earnestly to succeed but my time is so exceedingly occupied that I cannot pledge myself to [do] much for it. The same want of time prevents me from pursuing glass as I wish[,] the same want will prevent me from assisting you by communications of news &c for it prevents me from going out into the world & hearing much news. I hope soon however to be able to arrange for more leisure that I may be able to work at philosophy & send you a paper or two i.e copies as heretofore[.]

With respect to the New Royal Institution Journal the Managers wish to make it good and with that view are anxious to obtain communications from Men of Science from all parts of the world. The work is to be no source of profit to the Institution or the Managers but all it produces which the Bookseller⁴ does not claim is to expended in supporting & improving it. All papers are to be paid for at so much per printed sheet 4.5.6.7 8 or even 10 guineas according to its merits experimental character & character of its Author. Such payment helps to defray the expences of the experiments[.] Now we are in hopes that such men as yourself will be willing to communicate your papers to us. Not that you should not put them in the Bibliotheque but because of the distance between Geneva & London we consider that if you sent us a manuscript so that it might be published at the same time here as at Geneva it would be here and original paper and so so [sic] your discoveries & investigations would be more rapidly & widely diffused than at present. If you think well of this when you send a paper send it so that it may be published in the next No of the Journal in due time. You will be aware of the periods of publication of the time required for the transit and that for arrangement & printing. Such payment as may be necessary we will make according to your direction. If you come in contact with other good men and think the arrangement expedient perhaps you will mention it to them[.]

I am going to the Royal Society council this afternoon & will try to make the arrangement of transfer as you request - I have just left the Council I am told the RS does not exchange with any Society - they present Transactions to Royal & National Societies and I find that the Secretary of Your Society must apply formally to the Secy of the RS if the Transactions be desired⁵[.]

With earnest remembrances to your father & any friends I am Dear Sir faithfully yours | M. Faraday

Address: Monsieur A de la Rive | a Gènève