Faraday to Thomas Andrews   18 October 1842

Royal Institution | 18 Octr 1842

My dear Sir

I should have written before in reply to your pleasant letter but that I have been oppressed with one of my low nervous attacks (which I was in hopes I had pretty well thrown off) which though it is going must even now form my excuse for a brief letter[.] As to Canada I am both sorry & glad that they do not have you¹[.] Glad that you can remain & work with us & yet from what I have read in your papers I have full confidence that wherever you are you will still work for science[.]

Now as to your pursuits & your difficulties I shall always be glad to hear of them & I have full trust I shall hear of them in published papers when the first shall be enlarged & the last overcome. If you like I shall also be glad to hear of the latter in their course but I have little hope of being useful to you in the way of advice for with great loss of memory, great diffidence has come over me & I feel that I really am not able in a matter of discrimination & judgement to hold at once in my minds grasp the various items of thought as I used to do and in the way needful to a safe & steady conclusion - and if I attempt to do it by constraining the attention then I get headache & giddiness[.]

Now I say this only to warn you against expectation of help to any useful end and not to stop you writing. Let me hope the opportunity which has occurred will grow to the increase of communication & pleasant feeling between us but do not be too much disappointed when by my answers your notions of me may be brought down[.]

I am My dear Sir | Very Truly & Sincerely Yours | M. Faraday

Dr. T. Andrews | &c &c &c

Address: Dr. Thomas Andrews | &c &c &c | Donegall Square | Belfast | Ireland