Gerard Moll to Faraday   1 June 1834

Utrecht 1 June 1834.

My dear Sir!

Although I have not had since an age the pleasure of any direct communica‑tion with you, still I have to thank you for your very valuable papers on electricity which you had the goodness to transmit to me. Mr Braaksma¹ wrote me what you said about the pseudo Dr Keil², and I was happy to find that my humble opinion about this individual coincided with that of more able judges. Nevertheless the impudent Scoundrel, by the assistance of some fools, succeeded in squeezing from the public purze [sic], about three hundred pounds, for pretended improvements on marine compasses, none of which, I am per‑suaded is worth a farthing. He is now in Amsterdam, where he is practising on the credulity of the public. If you would take the trouble to sit down for five minutes, and put in my hands some efficacious means of exposing the ignorance and cunning of this quack, you would render a service to humanity.

The Gentleman who is to deliver this letter to you, is a young man belonging to one of the first families of this country, he is a man of fortune, and if you should give him an opportunity of enjoying your conversation, I dare say, you will find an excellent and Gentlemanlike companion. However he does not belong to our class, he is not scientific, and therefore is not likely to become a bore, but there is one service, which you rendered me on my last visit, and which I hope, you will bestow on him, which is to get him introduced to the Athenaeum club. I was so much pleased, with an Institution of that sort, that I would always make it a particular point on any visit to England, to endeavour to get admission to this place. I almost forgot to mention my friends name, it is Mr de Jonge van Ellemeet³. I apprehend you will find it rather hard to pro‑nounce and still more difficult to remember.

I believe I shall have the pleasure of seeing you this summer. If nothing comes in the way to prevent me, it is my intention to start from hence in the beginning of July, and if once safely landed on British ground, you may depend that I shall not be slow in making my appearance in Albemarle Street⁴.

Believe me very sincerely | Sir! | Yours truly, | Moll.