Faraday to John Tyndall   6 October 1855

Sydenham | 6th Octr. 1855.

My dear Tyndall,

I was put into a very mixed mood by your last letter¹; glad to hear from you, that you were out of the turmoil, had enjoyed the beauties of the Lakes and was happily at home again: but sorry for some annoyances which I saw you had met with at Glasgow. These great meetings, of which I think very well altogether, advance Science chiefly by bringing scientific men together and making them to know and be friends with each other; and I am sorry when that is not the effect in every part of their course. I know nothing except from what you tell me, for I have not yet looked at the reports of the proceedings: but let me as an old man, who ought by this time to have profited by experience, say, that when I was younger I often misinterpreted the intentions of people, and found they did not mean what at the time I supposed they meant and further, that as a general rule it was better to be a little dull of apprehension when phrases seemed to imply pique and quick in perception when on the contrary they seemed to convey kindly feeling. The real truth never fails ultimately to appear, and the opposing parties are, if wrong, sooner convinced when replied to forbearingly than when overwhelmed. All I mean to say is that it is better to be blind to the results of partizanship, and quick to see good will. One has more happiness in oneself, in endeavouring to follow the things that make for peace. You can hardly imagine how often I have been heated in private when opposed, as I have thought, unjustly and superciliously, and yet have striven and succeeded I hope in keeping down reply of the like kind: & I have I know never lost by it. I would not say all this to you if I did not esteem you as a true philosopher and friend.

I have not been altogether idle but I am of necessity very slow now. I have not read the journals, because, when able I have been at work and writing a paper². The latter goes on slowly, but I think will be a useful contribution of facts; and may help to advance the logic of magnetism a little though not much. The secret of magnetic action is like a Sebastopol at least in this point that we have to attack it in every possible direction and make our approaches closer and closer on all the sides by which we can force access. My working is mainly with magnecrystals and the effects of heat on them.

You say it is still “here” but do not say where the “here” is; and my memory is so treacherous that now I have written this letter I shall not be able to send it until I go to London; but whenever you receive it believe me to be as ever

Yours Very Truly | M, Faraday

Profr. Tyndall | &c &c &c

My wifes best remembrances.