Royal Institution | May 4th 1833
My dear Sir
It gives me very great pleasure at all times to have the honor of a letter or even a verbal message from you but that pleasure was on the occasion of your last letter1 mixed with pain that I should inadvertently have grieved you. I am extremely indebted to you for your kindness in putting me right and as I had a paper in the press I instantly stopped the printer's progress and applied to the President His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex and obtained leave to attach a note to the paper amending my error2. I have also urged the printer forward that I might procure a copy of the note which I now send to you and I hope you will find it every thing that you wished for. I am exceedingly sorry for my mistake but when you have read the note I am sure you will not be surprised at it[.]
Occupation presses on me to such a degree that I have barely time now to write these few words and I think I may therefore assume that the note will answer the greater part of your letter[.]
I am delighted to find that you are experimenting on the subject and shall be quite anxious to read your paper on the action of heat[.] From what you state I should suppose the effects are altogether new but shall scrupulously refrain from making the experiments or even thinking on the matter until I see your results[.]
I am still at work and shall send you papers as they come out. I have just sent in one - (my fourth series of experimental researches) on a new law of Electric conduction3 to the Royal Society but it has not yet been read[.] I have another in hand but the experiments are incomplete4[.]
Wishing you full recovery of health & spirits that you may still vigorously & successfully pursue what I know gives you such delight and is to you a source of so much honor
I am | My Very dear Sir | Yours Most faithfully | M. Faraday
M. Ampere | &c &c &c
FARADAY, Michael (1832a): “Experimental Researches in Electricity. On the Induction of Electric Currents. On the Evolution of Electricity from Magnetism. On a new Electrical Condition of Matter. On Arago's Magnetic Phenomena”, Phil. Trans., 122: 125-62.
FARADAY, Michael (1833a): “Experimental Researches in Electricity. - Third Series. Identity of Electricities derived from different sources. Relation by measure of common and voltaic Electricity”, Phil. Trans., 123: 23-54.
FARADAY, Michael (1833b): “Experimental Researches in Electricity. - Fourth Series. On a new Law of Electric Conduction. On Conducting Power Generally”, Phil. Trans., 123: 507-22.
FARADAY, Michael (1833c): “Experimental Researches in Electricity. - Fifth Series. On Electro-chemical Decomposition”, Phil. Trans., 123: 675-710.
Please cite as “Faraday0660,” in Ɛpsilon: The Michael Faraday Collection accessed on