Faraday to Arthur-Auguste De La Rive   16 October 1852

Royal Institution | 16 Octr. 1852

My dear De la Rive

From day to day and week to week I put off writing to you, just because I do not feel spirit enough; not that I am dull or low in mind, but I am as it were becoming torpid:- a very natural consequence of that kind of mental fogginess which is the inevitable consequence of a gradually failing memory. I often wonder to think of the different courses (naturally) of different individuals, and how they are brought on their way to the end of this life. Some with minds that grow brighter & brighter but their physical powers fail; as in our friend Arago, of whom I have heard very lately by a nephew¹ who saw him on the same day in bed & at the Academy: such is his indomitable spirit. Others fail in mind first, whilst the body remains strong. Others again fail in both together; and others fail partially in some faculty or portion of the mental powers, of the importance of which they were hardly conscious until it failed them. One may, in one’s course through life, distinguish numerous cases of these and other natures; and it is very interesting to observe the influence of the respective circumstances upon the characters of the parties and in what way these circumstances bear upon their happiness. It may seem very trite to say that content appears to me to be the great compensation for these various cases of natural change; and yet it is forced upon me, as a piece of knowledge that I have ever to call afresh to mind, both by my own spontaneous & unconsidered desires and by what I see in others. No remaining gifts though of the highest kind; no grateful remembrance of those which we have had, suffice to make us willingly content under the sense of the removal of the least of those which we have been conscious of. I wonder why I write all this to you: Believe me it is only because some expressions of yours at different times make me esteem you as a thoughtful man & a true friend:- I often have to call such things to remembrance in the course of my own self examination and I think they make me happier. Do not for a moment suppose that I am unhappy. I am occasionally dull in spirits but not unhappy, there is a hope which is an abundantly sufficient remedy for that, and as that hope does not depend on ourselves, I am bold enough to rejoice in that I may have it.

I do not talk to you about philosophy for I forget it all too fast to make it easy to talk about. When I have a thought worth sending you it is in the shape of a paper before it is worth speaking of; and after that it is astonishing how fast I forget it again; so that I <<have>> to read up again & again my own recent communications and may well fear that as regards others I do not do them justice. However I try to avoid such subjects as other philosophers are working at; and for that reason have nothing important in hand just now. I have been working hard but nothing of value has come of it[.]

Let me rejoice with you in the Marriage of Your daughter². I trust it will be as I have no doubt it has been a source of great happiness to you. Your Son³ too whenever I see him makes me think of the joy he will be to you. May you long be blessed in your children and in all the things which make a man truly happy; even in this life. Ever My dear friend, Yours Affectionately, M. Faraday

Address: A Monsieur | Auguste De la Rive | &c &c &c &c | Presenge | Geneva | Switzerland.