Faraday to Julius Plücker   8 April 1856

<qr>Private | Royal Institution | 8 April 1856

My dear Plucker

I have been and am suffering from much weariness & giddiness in the head and have, in consequence, delayed writing several days in hopes I should feel better; but as that is not the case, I will not delay any longer replying to your last¹, since I think you will be wishing for my answer. I am very sorry for the sort of feeling which seems to have arisen between You and Tyndall, and would do all I could to remove it; but I know the great difficulty having had several of these cases before, and never found that much good could be done. I laboured hard in that between Du bois-Reymond² & Matteucci³, but I do not think with any good result. It is a pity;- for I cannot but believe that Science may be pursued, and the most opposite notions be entertained, by two parties, who yet can be on most open & friendly terms with each other. My memory is so imperfect now, that I am in a very bad condition when I want to recall the points about which differences arise, and I cannot recollect to what you may refer at that part of your letter “when you say any part that my theory does not hold you mean surely that theory “octroyée” to me by Mr. Tyndall.” I think I have seen the gradual development of your thoughts since the first forthcoming of your most beautiful results in Magnecrystallic action. You like all of us, have developed and as the facts came forth, your views & reasoning enlarged with them, but I do not recollect that Tyndall ever offered or that I ever drew from him my understanding of your views. Tyndall and I differ in toto on some points - but we do not differ in our friendly views because of that. He considers that his last paper in the Philosophical Transactions⁴ establishes a reverse polarity in bismuth; I believe it simply shews in an extensive & perfect manner the complete antithesis of Iron & bismuth which however was known before.

Of course all the points regarding discovery or the precedence of one philosophers views before another, in respect of date, can be settled perfectly by reference to dates of published communications; and when I have occasion to make historical statements, which I have had to do in regard to both Davy & Wollaston⁵, I thought it best to make them as direct & brief as possible, - to publish them in the journals, & then to leave them. I never thought it wise or effectual to mix philosophical development and controversial matter together; and therefore I agree heartily with your words when you write “instead of fruitless discussions I think it more proper to present to the Royal Society an elaborate paper⁶ containing the general theory of magneto-crystallic action founded on a new series of experiments”. I have not been able for several years to occupy myself with the Royal Society or its management, & therefore do not know what its guiding principles are now; but the rules were (formerly) to admit no matter that had already been published elsewhere, nor any controversial matter, - nor any merely hypothetical matter; and on the whole I think they are very good rules, & have always tried to conform to them[.]

And now my dear friend I hope this cloud will soon pass away. I always try to forget such points as these; and when I meet with a controversial passage in a paper, endeavour to prevent it from exerting the least influence on my mind; and the fact is, that I cannot, & do not want to, remember the passages in Tyndalls paper which seem to have annoyed you. If I saw them now I do not believe they would cause me to come to any conclusion that I should not arrive at without them; for I naturally doubt such passages in all cases.

Long may you labour as you have done for the good of science; & one thing I think I learn from your letter, - that you are in good health & excellent working condition. For my own part, I look with great thankfulness to my own personal share in the work, as to a thing that has been and is passing away; but it has left me cheerful, and happy in watching the pursuits of others - that band of brothers which has done so much in these last years of time for the advancement of science[.]

Ever My dear Plucker | Yours Most truly | M. Faraday