Faraday to Christian Friedrich Schoenbein   16 December 1851

Royal Institution | 16 Decr 1851

My dear Schoenbein

If I do not write at once (and even though I may seem to have but little to write about yet if I delay) all that I have to say passes from my remembrance and I involuntarily become remiss in my duty. Dr Bence Jones has just called on me to say that the Society having printed the paper you sent to me in their Transactions¹ have sent 25 copies of it to h<<is>> house for you. It occupies 16 pages. Can you help me in telling me how I shall send these to you? I will do whatever you may instruct me in. I have besides a formal letter of thanks to you from the British Museum for the Portrait of Euler which I will send at the same time.

I keep working away at Magnetism² whether well or not I will not say. It is at all events to my own satisfaction. Experiments are beautiful things & I quite revel in the making of them. Besides they give one such confidence and as I suspect that a good many think me somewhat heretical in magnetics or perhaps rather fantastical I am very glad to have them to fall back upon[.]

Remember me very kindly to Madam Schoenbein & believe me to be

Ever most truly yours M. Faraday

Address: Dr. Schoenbein | &c &c &c | University | Basle | Switzerland