Faraday to George Biddell Airy   10 January 1831

Royal Institution | Jany 10 1831

My dear Sir

Your kindness is beyond what I could have expected and I have only delayed acknowledging it in the hopes that I could accompany my letter with a piece of glass. It is my intention to avail myself of your willingness to lend us your apparatus this season though not at the present moment and I shall take the liberty of writing to you again on the subject towards the period when we could take advantage of it to ascertain then whether you can spare it[.] I hope in a month or two to find the facilities of communication even for apparatus much increased[.]

And now as to the glass you must not imagine that I had forgotten your request. I felt too much honored by the request coming from such persons as yourself & Professor Amici to do that but I have been anxious to make the glass more & more perfect and yet from the extreme pressure of ordinary business have not been able to proceed with this subject as I desired. I am not a man at liberty to pursue any subject which may take my attention. Gratitude to the R Institution constrains me to use great exertions on its behalf and I cannot find any one who if I try to withdraw in part from my duties is willing to take my place. Then again time is my only estate & under these circumstances you will easily believe that with every desire I still may not have been able to find leisure & attention enough to pursue & perfect what is really a manufacture.

I have thought however that probably a piece of glass not quite perfect might perhaps still be sufficiently good for Professor Amici’s purposes as to make him rather desire to have it than none or than to wait much longer and if you think so & can tell me what size will suffice I will immediately look over my specimens and try to find one hoping still that you will not judge of what may be produced from the specimen I <<may h>>appen to send you¹[.]

I am Dear Sir | Your Obliged & faithful servant | M. Faraday

G.B. Airy Esq | &c &c &c