Faraday to Fourth Duke of Northumberland   10 February 1858¹

To his Grace | The Duke of Northumberland K.G. | &c &c &c &c

Royal Institution | 10 February 1858

My Lord Duke

According to your Grace’s kind wish Mr. Barlow has shewn me the letter he received from you and therefore I take the liberty of expressing an opinion upon one point, being sure from the kindness Your Grace shewed me when on a former occasion the matter of the Presidentship was in consideration that I shall not by doing so give offence. I think it would be a very serious thing for the President & the Secretary to resign at the same time. It would be sure to give occasion to the thought that there was some reason touching the character of the Institution which united the two in the act; and the thought would be the more inconvenient because, as no open reason would appear, an unpleasant one according to the common course of human nature would be assigned. It grieves me to think that either President or Secretary should ever leave the Institution but as such events must occur in the course of nature I do hope most earnestly that the resignation of the one may overpass the other by a year or two, that the present policy which seems so good & prosperous may not be suddenly interrupted but transmitted through the gradual change.

Again begging for your Graces kind reception of my free thoughts on this occasion as on others I sign myself most truly Your Grace’s free, faithful, & humble servant

M. Faraday