John Tyndall to Faraday   18 April 1857

Saturday 18th. April 1857.

My dear Mr Faraday

For some time past the thought of writing to you on a subject of some importance to myself has occurred to me at intervals, and while in the country lately I was only prevented from doing so by the fact of having other matters to deal with which left me no time for writing.

When I concluded my last course of lectures I felt so weary that I looked with some dismay on the course to come after Easter, and did I not know that a change of arrangement at the time would be practically impossible, I should certainly have endeavoured to transfer the burden to stronger shoulders. I am now comparatively rested, but still I think I ought to endeavour to make some other arrangement for years to come1.

Far even as they fall below the standard which I should like them to reach, I find 19 lectures to one audience to be a work of such labour that I would willingly shorten it if possible. They consume half the year in delivery, and an additional portion of the year in thinking of them, thus leaving me a comparatively small amount of time, and no great stock of strength for original research. If I thought that the labour of lecturing would sufficiently diminish with practice, I should hardly write thus; but four years experience warns me that the respect which I feel to be due to our audience would prevent me from ever dealing lightly with the lectures, and would always urge me to seek after matter suited to their taste and comprehension.

Under these circumstances I am inclined to think that it would be better for me, and I hope also better for science, if I occupied a position as regards the number of lectures to be given, and the remuneration to be derived from them, similar to that occupied by Mr. Brande during his connexion with the Institution. And if you see nothing objectionable in a proposal to this effect, I should be very thankful to you if, at the proper season, you would have the kindness to lay it before the Managers2.

Believe me | dear Mr. Faraday | Yours most faithfully | John Tyndall


Endorsement: read to the Managers on (I think) the 27th May following MF | Managers’ attention drawn to it again 15th Feby 1858. MF3

1
Tyndall had delivered eleven lectures on sound from 22 January to 2 April 1857 (RI MS Le4/196) and would deliver a further eight on the same subject from 23 April to 11 June 1857 (RI MS Le4/201).
2
When Tyndall and Faraday discussed this letter, Tyndall understood that Faraday would bring about the change he had asked for. Tyndall, Diary,22 April 1857, 6a: 427.
3
There was no meeting of Managers on 27 May 1857 and RI MM, 15 February 1858, 11: 215-7 does not refer to the issue. But between 21 January and 29 April 1858 Tyndall delivered thirteen lectures on heat (RI MS Le4/207 and 220) while between 27 January and 14 April 1859 he delivered twelve lectures on gravity (RI MS Le4/217).

Please cite as “Faraday3272,” in Ɛpsilon: The Michael Faraday Collection accessed on 10 May 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/faraday/letters/Faraday3272