Faraday to James Latimer Clark   7 July 1857

[Royal Institution embossed letterhead] | 7 July 1857.

My dear Sir

I am on the point of leaving town but hasten to acknowledge your letter¹. As I said before when you can do any of these things I shall be willing to look a little closer at them. But how is it that the believers in these things make such a shouting out for the scientific men? Why do they not become scientific themselves and prove their own so called facts as scientific men prove their facts. If they are so much wiser than scientific men as to form a sure judgment when the latter are wrong why do they want to fall back upon them? To me this desire to include the men of science is a proof that they do secretly doubt what they wish to believe[.] If they be the locomotives of knowledge why should they wait for that which to them is only a slow donkey cart jogging along the common road?

Ever Truly Yours | M. Faraday

Latimer Clark Esqr | &c &c &c

Endorsement: This has reference to some Spiritual Seances I asked Prof Faraday to attend. JL