William Thomas Brande to Faraday   11 December 1839

Royal Mint | Wednesday 11 Dec 39

My dear Faraday,

Many thanks for your very satisfactory note which I assure you has given all of us sincere pleasure. I called yesterday morning on Dr Latham to tell him its contents and ask whether he had any further advice to give you - he says, none provided you will continue as you have begun, and remain thoroughly idle - pray act strictly upon this principle¹. You can have no difficulty in amusing and occupying yourself with what you call trifles - things which do not require thought or consideration - your brain will then regain its tone, and you will be able to make moderate & prudent use of its faculties[.] Dr Latham expressed his sincere conviction that under these conditions all would get quite right again. It grieves me that I cannot offer to be of any effective use to you as regards the friday Evenings², but you know how sad a figure I cut on those occasions - and as to the tact requisite for their general management & arrange‑ment, I candidly confess I have it not - However, I will do all and anything I can - and if you will suggest any thing which I can follow up, or point out any enquiries that I can make, or persons to whom I can apply, you have only to send me your hints and orders - Not but that I confidently hope that before their time comes on, you will feel quite up to all business of that kind - I get on tolerably well with with [sic] the Electricity Lectures³ - In Anderson I have an excellent prompter - he tells me that I do better than he could have expected - a plain compliment which I dearly appretiate [sic]. At first I began to fear the fate of Phaeton in the Chariot of Phoebus⁴ - but by now and then going a little astray from your notes, and following the excellent maxim of not attempt‑ing, as the metaphysicians do, to explain what I do not understand I hope I shall not commit myself - I admire your apprehension of having ridden your hobby in improper times and places - no one could say you were not his master. I am afraid they sometimes see that I am mounted upon an animal I am afraid of. You would have been amused the other day had you been present at the Athenaeum House Committee upon the subject of Illumination. The old gas apparatus for that purpose is worn out & it has become necessary to replace it - the question therefore naturally arose as to whether the arrangement and device might not be improved - and it was thought right to consult an artist or two - Accordingly those two excellent persons as well as artists Sir A Callcot⁵ and Sir F Chantrey were applied to - The former suggested placing Minerva⁶ in a niche of lights - and the latter adopted the notion as a good one, and gave a place for the purpose - it was thought original and highly appropriate - But, when we (the common plain members of the committee) came to examine the matter, we found that Minerva would probably have been red hot before the evening was over, or more likely blistered splintered or fused - for to add to the joke, we found on enquiring that to render her waterproof she had been imbued with wax - now although Minervas power was very great and her attributes superhuman, I do not remember among them that of being fireproof. I shall have some fun with Sir Francis upon this matter.

I made the other day a good modification of your beautiful ice-pail experi‑ment as regards induction⁷ - namely - fully charged a large Leyden jar - then removed the knob and wire and searched the inside of the jar with a carrier ball for Electricity and found none - nor of course on the outside - then replace the knob & you have plenty - it well shews the transfer of the Electricity to the place where induction can ensue to the surrounding bodies - After the whole experiment the jar on discharging is found in full force - though no symptom whatever of Electricity can be detected in it, if all sources of induction are cut off - I mean of extraneous induction. I have not said half that I had intended have filled my paper. Make my kind regards to Mrs Faraday - take care of yourself and when you feel inclined oblige me with a line or two and set me about anything that I can do for you to relieve you of trouble.

Yours dear Faraday - | Very sincerely | W.T.B.