James Clark to Faraday   24 February 18491

My dear Dr. Faraday,

I may tell you that the Prince does not care how much time you take in your lecture2. If it is an hour and a half I know he will not think it too much. I mention this in case you should think it necessary on his account to limit yourself to the hour. He will most likely be at the Institution a little before the 3 o’clock lecture. If you think I can give you any further information on the matter pray let me know.

You will be glad to hear that the College of Chemistry is flourishing - we have the rent of the big house in Hanover Square & now confine members to the laboratories. The College will soon be a very valuable institution, and I can assure you that your countenance has done it good service.

Very truly yours | Ja Clark

Brook Street | Saturday evening

1
Dated on the basis of the reference to Faraday’s lecture.
2
Faraday gave a special Discourse “On Magnetic and Diamagnetic Bodies” in the presence of Prince Albert and 330 others on Monday 26 February 1849. See RI MM, 19 February 1849, 10: 162-4 for the administrative arrangements and for accounts of the Discourse see Bence Jones (1870a), 2: 243-4 and Curwen (1940), 233 . Faraday’s notes are in RI MS F4 G31. Albert’s attendance at the lecture was noted by Queen Victoria in her Diary (RAW MS).

Bibliography

BENCE JONES, Henry (1870a): The Life and Letters of Faraday, 1st edition, 2 volumes, London.

CURWEN, E. Cecil (1940): The Journal of Gideon Mantell Surgeon and Geologist, London.

Please cite as “Faraday2156,” in Ɛpsilon: The Michael Faraday Collection accessed on 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/faraday/letters/Faraday2156