Halifax, | 21st Aug. 1850.
My dear Tyndall,
I got your very interesting letter yesterday1 on ‘The Sphinx’ and have read it a good many times over, and the poem itself since. You have certainly opened up a good deal of it to me, though I shall yet have to ask you a question or two when I have more time. There is only one part of your letter which I cannot understand: your commentary on ‘Jealous glancing around’. You refer to ourselves in it as far as I can make out, here is something you have noticed between us that I have not – you say it is a delicate point, but no matter, I shall treat it as it ought to be I hope, and I feel certainly anxious that you should speak more plainly. You say ‘I may have gone too far already’. But how, and in what? I cannot for the life of me see. I know no one coming to Manchester just now – can you do without your bag until I come? If not I will send you it immediately.2 I have received an invitation to a Tea-party3 given by the Mutual Improvement Society to me before I go. They have sent for my name in full, by which I make a rough guess that they have some present or other in view. It’s very kind on their part certainly, but puts me in a rather uncomfortable state of mind.
You have forgot my Pamphlet again.4 If you haven’t it by you it’s no matter at all, only just say so.
Yours affectionately | T.A. Hirst.
You say my letter set you thinking.5 That is what you ought to do and be a decent reasonable fellow. Let me know your conclusions early.
Phillips was over last Sunday, and was very glad to see your success at Edinburgh. In the Morning Chronicle and the Literary Gazette6 I am told there are long accounts. I shall see the Gazette on Saturday.
I had a very interesting letter from Thomas Spencer the Quaker7 this morning, which I will shew you when I come.
Dr. Tyndall, | Spring Bank, Over Darwen, Lancs.8
R1 MS JT/1/HTYP/108
LT Transcript Only
very interesting letter yesterday: letter 0426.
can you do … immediately: Hirst had the bag delivered (see letters 0431 and 0432).
Tea-party: a Mr. Hill of the Mechanics’ Institute and Mutual Improvement Society of Halifax sent Hirst a letter suggesting that the Society hold a tea party for him before he went away (Hirst, ‘Journals’, 19 August 1850). The party took place on 23 August.
my Pamphlet: see letter 0421, n. 10.
my letter set you thinking: the missing letter of 13 August, see letter 0426, n. 38. Tyndall was re-thinking Hirst’s offer of a loan.
Morning Chronicle and the Literary Gazette: Literary Gazette article, cited letter 0418, n. 10. We have found no mention of Tyndall’s presentation in the Morning Chronicle, although on 5 August it noticed the Friday sessions of the BAAS.
Thomas Spencer, the Quaker: not identified.
Dr. Tyndall … Lancs.: presumably from the envelope.
Please cite as “Tyndall0427,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on 26 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/tyndall/letters/Tyndall0427