Gerard Moll to Faraday   25 April 1831

Utrecht 25 April 1831.

My Dear Sir!

It is a good while ago since I sent you a paper on the comparison of french english and other weights. I hope it came safely to hand. I am in no hurry whatever to see it published all I want to know is whether you received it, and whether you are inclined to publish it at all¹.

In a former letter² I stated to you my opinion on Mr. Babbage’s book³. This has given occasion to the inclosed tract⁴, in which I endeavour not to refute Mr Babbage for he offers no proofs nor arguments, but to point out some glaring errors in which he suffered himself to be induced. It is indeed a sorry sight how many of your Journals reecho Mr Babbage’s sentiments, and in general how prone Englishmen are nowadays to give exclusive admiration to whatever is French. You may depend upon their not returning the obligation, and John Bull may hold himself assured that his neighbours on the other side of the Channel bear him as violent a hate as ever. But there is nothing like experience and John must be left to find that out for himself, which I have no doubt will be done soon enough. You will see in my paper that I do not belong to the blind admirers of Napoleon and for this simple reason, that I hate a tyrant whatever may be his talents. It is an error that Napoleon did much for Science. What has he done? Given a Galvanic battery to the Polytechnic School; erected a Galvanic Society? What experiments of any importance were made with that battery? What was done by the society. Nothing!

I wonder that no mention whatever was made in Dr Paris’s book⁵ of the discussion between Sir Humphry Davy and Messrs Thenard and Gay Lussac which happened I believe in 1810 or 1811. Messrs Thenard & Co refused to insert Mr. Davy’s paper in the Annales de Chimie upon which it was sent by Sir Humphry to de Lamétherie⁶ editor of the Journal de Physique. Sir Humphry wrote to Lamétherie that the paper was trusted to his love of truth and justice. I have heard Lametherie, in his public lectures in the College de France, state, that Gay Lussac and Thenard threatened him to cause the Journal de Physique to be suppressed by the police if Sir Humphry’s paper was inserted. I believe it was a paper about the decomposition of the [al]kalis. I have not the volumes of the Journal de Physique at hand, but, for curiosities [sic] sake, I will enquire into the matter, and you must of needs recollect some of the circumstances⁷.

The paper which I send you with this, is at your disposal to print where and how you think best. I do not wish however to have my name prefixed to it, but it does not appear necessary to conceal it from any one who may happen to know me. At all events some body must read it over before it is printed, and correct at least part of the bad Grammar and bad English. If printed I shall receive with pleasure a few copies.

Believe me dear Sir! Very sincerely Yours | G. Moll