To Thomas Archer Hirst   28th Nov

Queenwood 28^th Nov [1847]¹

Dear Tom.

I rose at 6 oC this morning and have worked away ever since paying off my epistolary debts – your account being high in the list demands my attention now. I can well appreciate the treat which Dawson² afforded you, he had a splendid array of characters – We had some time since an admirable discourse in our lecture room on the history of one of Dawson’s group Pestalozzi³ the lecturer had the good man’s bones in his arms some short time ago. They were removed from an obscure resting place and placed beneath a monument characteristic of the labours of the dead. This method of lecturing has become very prevalent of late years – Carlyle was perhaps the first that introduced it into this country. instead of dealing with the influences which operate upon humanity in their metaphysical and abstract character, the great man is now chosen as the representative of a class, his thoughts, power, and influence form tangible illustrations of general principles and infuse an intense personal interest into discourses of this nature – Switzerland has long been the theatre of great events – at least the play has been often rehearsed there previous to being acted upon a wider stage.

I should be sorry to find you and M^r Carter differing and still more sorry to find you both closing with his present views – his opinions are the summation of all anarchy, the refuge of men who see no hope of human progress or are too apathetic to assist in it. There are men who prefer seeing a smooth orderly exterior, a meek submission to authority however abused, a quiet assent to the established order of things however absurd, to seeing a resolute protest against falsehood and injustice no matter how heavy they may be. M^r Carter thinks humanity has taken the stereotype form, that the same nest which contained man’s chickenhood and afforded shelter to his unfledged intellect must suit him for ever – but M^r Carter may draw his deductions from too limited a premises – whether he can understand them or not men will arise to shake asunder such respectable fallacies as he has propounded, men who will not stoop to falsehood for the sake of order, well knowing that this is semblance and not substance that in fact as I said before it is merely the sum total of disorder. – I should be sorry to see you an infidel in the bad sense of the term but the taunt is the refuge of weakness against strength, of error against truth and too often of envy against worth – you must be an infidel to many things that you see around you, you must shake away a precious lot of the tag rag and bobtail of opinion before you can expect to lay hold of anything better. there is danger in your position. You will go forward but you may go in the wrong direction. Shall I therefore stop you altogether? God forbid – if so where would be the hope for humanity? –

I read M^r Hutchinson’s letter⁴ with much satisfaction he has a strong dash of Germanism in him –

Now Tom after all this will you allow me a word of admonition – dont allow your discussions to interfere with your studies, all speculative things must give way before the practicalities of life – mind this & goodbye

Your sincere friend | John Tyndall

RI MS JT/1/HTYP/3

RI MS JT/1/T/941