Faraday to Christian Friedrich Schoenbein   18 February 1843

Royal Institution | 18 Feby 1843

My dear friend

I was about to write to you the other day and was stopped by a reason, which you will perhaps think very odd & insufficient unless indeed you bring a little German subtlety of thought to bear upon it. I had put the book which to me is a sealed book into the hands of Grove and just as I was about writing he sent me two pages of writing a translation of part which his wife¹ has made: - it was the authors opinion of myself² and was a character so beautiful & of which I felt myself so utterly unworthy even if it had come from my loving wifes thought that I was quelled under it & constrained to be pen-dumb[.] I do not doubt your sincerity in the least, but knowing a little of my own heart I cannot help thinking of the hypocrisy which must have contributed to such an impression[.] You see I have my fancies as well as you; you will perhaps count amongst them this, that I think but poorly of human nature but certainly in my own heart I find nothing to raise my estimate of it at the same time I must allow that I find a great deal which does do so amongst my friends. The upshot is that though I cannot appropriate your good opinion I thank you most earnestly for it & will try to become in some degree what you describe. I wish your book was translated here. I heard very highly of it from Kohl³ the Russian traveller who spoke of its character also in Germany[.]

I have now your paper in the Archives⁴ and purpose taking it on Monday⁵ to Brighton to read but I must not delay my letter for that for I do not know what else may come over me to stop my writing - a small thing is to me a great obstacle at times & I fear to trust the future[.] I think I saw in some paper of Herschels lately a notion that the peculiar Iron was Iron in another state & yet iron⁶ - like the existence of two states of carbon or sulphur or other bodies that show at times & under certain circumstances these or such differences[.]

I am surprised at what you say of the British Association not acknowledging your paper: If I can remember I will take the first opportunity of asking the reason[.]

Moser's papers I am now reading in the translation in Taylors Scientific Memoirs⁷[.] So many persons were putting forth accounts of effects that I ventured in a short note in the Literary Gazette⁸ to suggest that all such experiments & statements should now be accompanied by some fundamental experiments made in Vacuo & also others made with rock salt. Many of the effects I have heard described I have no doubt are due to mere vapours. Such effects may be separated from those of radiation in a certain degree by making them in vacuo - and also again by interposing rock salt - for there seems no reason to doubt that Moser's experiments of true radiation would succeed though a thin plate of rock salt were interposed[.]

During the last 8 or 9 months I have worked a little on the Electricity of high pressure steam & sent a paper to the Royal Society⁹, perhaps they may print it & then I shall again have the pleasure of sending you a paper of mine[.] The electricity is not due to evaporation - nor to the steam itself - but solely (I believe) to the friction of the particles of water which the steam carries with it & I can make it Positive or Negative on either side at Pleasure. Water stan<ding> above catskin & all other bodies yet tried in becoming Positive when rubbed against other bodies[.]

Peltiers expts & views of the relation of the earth & space¹⁰ rather startle me. What do you think? I do not think I shall be able to assent to the properties which he gives to space[.]

You really hold out very tempting pictures of the Black forest &c &c &c but none more tempting than the hearty pleasure of seeing you & Mrs. Schoenbein & the children - to all remember us very kindly. But this year will not see us out of Britain & Scotland will be the furthest place we shall go to. There family friends have looked for years for us & I doubt whether even they will see us this year after all. Again with heartiest feelings of remembrances to you & Mrs. Schoenbein from us both.

I am My dear friend | Gratefully Yours M. Faraday

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