Faraday to Christian Friedrich Schoenbein   21 September 1837

Royal Institution | 21 September 1837

My dear Sir

Your very pleasant & acceptable letter of the 9th of July¹ with the accompanying books I received only last week, whilst at Liverpool, at the very meeting² you refer to and I heartily wish that you had been there yourself. It is now five years since I have been able to attend any of these meetings³ but I was very much pleased with the one to which I now refer. As to your book⁴ & its dedication I thank you for both[.] With respect to the latter all the value it has in my eyes is due to the kindly & hearty feeling which it proves you have towards me for in that I feel honour far beyond the public expression of it: and in that respect your letter is equally valuable with the dedication and even more so. As the Association forms no collection of books or apparatus I gave the spare copy of your work to Professor Henry of Philadelphia in the United States with a view of extending what you have done as far & as fast as possible & wherever the English language is found. He was exceedingly obliged to me for it & I only wish that you & he had met at Liverpool.

Respecting Berzelius opinion of the state of the Iron &c &c it enters into the general mass of uncertainty regarding this very strange yet beautiful subject and must wait until we see the true light before it can have its right place assigned it[.] My mind is I think as yours is; waiting until something appears before it with conviction & then let us hope that not merely the opinions but the facts themselves will all start into a perfect order not again to be disturbed[.]

With regard to Mr. Cross[e]'s insects⁵ &c I do not think any body believes in them here except perhaps himself & the mass of wonder-lovers. I was said in the English papers to have proved the truth of his statements, but I immediately contradicted the matter publikly⁶ & should have thought that nobody who could judge in the matter would have suspected me of giving credence to the thing for a moment. Contradict it in my name as fully as you please. It is but just of me to say that in conversation with Mr. Cross[e] I was very much pleased with him & with the readiness with which he received my critical remarks. As regards the cristallization supposed or real⁷ he was lugged into view and must not be charged with having pressed himself forward. He is in fact a very modest man but has been dragged into an awkward situation[.]

I am glad to find the Magneto electric machine pleases you now that it has been restored to a proper condition. What a nuisance it is that we cannot have philosophical things conveyed to and fro from one country to another without the risk of great injury or even destruction to them[.]

And now my dear Sir Goodbye for the present. You cannot think how much each letter of yours tantalizes me for they all make me wish I had known you a little sooner[.] It is now just about two years since I & my wife were at Bâle for a day or two on our return home from Switzerland to England⁸. Whether I shall ever see the continent again or no I cannot say[.]

Ever My dear Sir | Yours Most Sincerely | M. Faraday

Dr Schoenbein | &c &c &c

Address: Dr. C.F. Schoenbein | &c &c &c | Bâle | on the Rhine