Faraday to Peter Mark Roget   4 July 1831

Royal Institution | July. 4th 1831

Sir

I send you herewith four large and two small volumes of Manuscript, relating to optical glass, and comprising the Journal book and the Sub-Committee-book since the period that experimental investigations commenced at the Royal Institution1.

With reference to the request which the Council of the Royal Society have done me the honor of making, namely, that I should continue the investigation, I should under circumstances of perfect freedom assent to it at once2. But, obliged as I have been to devote the whole of my spare time to the experiments already described and consequently, to resign the pursuit of such philosophical enquiries as suggested themselves to my own mind, I would wish, under present circumstances, to lay the glass aside for a while, that I may enjoy the pleasure of working out my own thoughts on other subjects.

If at a future time the investigation should be renewed, I must beg it to be clearly understood I cannot promise full success. Should I resume it, all that industry and my abilities can effect shall be done: but to perfect a manufacture not being a manufacturer is what I am not bold enough to promise[.]

I am | Sir | Your Obedient Servant | M. Faraday


Dr. Roget | Secretary to the Royal Society | &c &c &c

1
That is RS MS 364-5, CMB 69-71 and MM 14.1.
2
Following Faraday’s completion of the work the Council of the Royal Society appointed a committee to investigate the telescopic uses of Faraday’s glass. RS MS CM, 9 December 1830, 11: 139. This committee (whose papers are in RS MS DM 3.154-61) reported (RS MS CM, 5 May 1831, 11: 207-10 at which Faraday was not present) and one recommendation was that Faraday be requested to make the largest possible piece of optically perfect glass and to train someone in the method. Although Council is not minuted as having explicitly endorsed this proposal, clearly Faraday was responding to this. The minutes of the following Council (RS MS CM, 9 June 1831, 11: 221) record the thanks of the President and Council for Faraday’s glass work.

Please cite as “Faraday0501,” in Ɛpsilon: The Michael Faraday Collection accessed on 28 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/faraday/letters/Faraday0501