From J Holmes   [April] 1841

My very dear Sir1

Shall I congratulate you on your triumphant display of powerful talent and unrivaled ability in defence of Error?2 Or shall I not rather regret that you did not take up the opposite side. But Sir such has been the general interest created by your unexampled and learned disquisition that I am induced once more to intrude myself upon your kind attention by most earnestly requesting that you will take it the next night upon the INVOCATION OF SAINTS AND ANGELS,3 when you will be met by Mr LeBert,4 who has proposed to meet you on either side; thus leaving you to your choice.

Now I hope you will pardon me for being so troublesome.

Your sincerely | J. Holmes | Thursday morning.

RI MS JT/5/16b/25

LT Transcript Only

1

My very dear Sir: LT dates this letter ‘Youghal. April and May 1841’ and entitles it ‘Invitation to speak at public debating society’; see letter 0057.

2

defence of Error: In the public debate between Protestantism and Catholicism, Tyndall took the Catholic side. According to Tidmarsh, ‘Tyndall led off splendidly … and closed his twenty minutes in a rare flow of most telling language, and the room rung with applause. Ginty was on the other side. Poor Ginty! I shall never forget that scene; though a clever man and possessed of the finest abilities he had not the nerve of Tyndall. He had everything well prepared, studied, and noted. I think if he had led off his chances would have been much better for going through it, but Tyndall’s masterpiece was too much for him. He spoke for about five minutes, then suddenly sat down. Thus ended our public discussion.’ (J. Tidmarsh, ‘Reminiscences of John Tyndall’, Southern Australian Register, 24 January 1894, p. 6).

3

INVOCATION OF SAINTS AND ANGELS: This important Catholic doctrine that attributes divinity to the saints and angels had been defended in 1838 by Father Thomas Maguire in a public debate in Dublin with the Protestant clergyman Tresham Gregg (Authenticated Report of the Discussion which took place between the Rev. T. D. Gregg, and the Rev. Father Thomas Maguire (Dublin: R. Cloyne, 1839)).

4

Mr LeBert: Anthony Lebert, schoolmaster, Friar Street, Youghal (Slater’s).

Please cite as “Tyndall0058,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/tyndall/letters/Tyndall0058