From Thomas Archer Hirst   August 3rd 1851

Marburg – Sunday | Aug^st 3^rd 1851

My dear John –

I was glad yesterday to have a word from you¹ and am also glad to be in a position even so early as to day to send you an answer I have made it a point with me during this Semester inasmuch as I had forsaken his Lectures to coddle² up little Gerling whenever an opportunity should occur; with this intention I paid him a visit some time ago and took him a copy of both your memoirs³ whereon I wrote ‘with the Author’s kind regards’ in good round hand, this pleased the little Daddy Dogood⁴ & as it has turned out was remarkably lucky for this latter business – Yesterday evening there happened also to be an English Kräntzchen⁵ (at Pfeifer’s garden⁶ given by the Fraulein von Tileman⁷) at which our old Friend was present. Knoblauch brought you on to the table, or your representatives, in the shape of all your letters to him since you left Marburg, whereby he proved that you still kept the Kräntzchen in remembrance, and in every letter made mention of it and sent greetings to its members. – This was again lucky to my purpose so that on our walk home I tackled the old Boy⁸ and mentioned your prospects with regard to the University of Toronto. He immediately entered into a description of its situation, longitude and latitude, shewing an intimate acquaintance with the said Toronto, told me there was an English Magnetical Observatory there, that Col. Sabine had at three distinct periods (dates after a little time also remembered) had forwarded him the results of some observations made there – &c. &c. &c. In short if I would go up this morning he would shew me these interesting documents as well as a map of North America, and at the same time I might pay a visit to his Frau who had often enquired after me. All this, to make a long tale shorter John I have done, I took the opportunity to ask also for a testimonial representing it as a project of my own and by no means as a request of yours⁹ – though of course I told him how obliged you would feel for the influence of his name (which would be already known to the magnetical natives of Toronto and as a natural consequence esteemed!!) He jumped at the proposal wrote it immediately. we consulted over a draft copy of it, and tomorrow morning he is to send me down a fair copy for the inclosure with this. So far so good it will do you a little more service than blank paper perhaps and will it¹⁰ also please him, thus to come before the inhabitants of Toronto. –All the family bid me greet you & should you go to America you are to give them one more call on your way! And now John having dispatched Gerlings share of the matter, for a word between ourselves, I look on it with a little jealousy. Toronto (according to Gerlings map of Upper Canada)¹¹ is situated on the shores of lake Ontario not far from the Falls of Niagara¹² now although it is under the same blue canopy of this universe of ours, yet I feel great reluctance to see the thread that binds you to good little England, who needs your services and more like them, so far expanded, True your Theory of the cause of the roar of the celebrated Falls¹³ might become developed but even in a Scientific aspect you would be out of reach of many advantages which England can furnish. For a few years sojourn there there is not much objection but as a permanency do not let it enter your head. I have not forgotten that we have yet to work together (bodily as well as spiritually) and I have enough love of country in me to hope that in the end she also shall be the scene of our labours We are yet young and may wander through the world, it will help us perhaps to tools certain it is it will give us a discipline which we can eventually turn to account True also there is everywhere somewhat to be learnt, some good to do, to ourselves and those around us, space decreases daily as an obstacle to the influence of our labour and example. Toronto no more than Queenwood or Marburg can retain within its walls John Tyndall and his effect on Humanity, that I well know yet after all I hold it as due to the Land that gave us birth if possible to return her what extra advantages our presence may afford. You need not me to preach Patience to you, something and that before long must turn up in England, meanwhile you stand in readiness

Toronto will give you £350 per annum. ‘Meine Ansicht nach’¹⁴ you would reap no pecuniary

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advantage – in the long run certainly not – but rather a sacrifice. I rather anticipate and certainly hope that this also will be Faraday’s opinion,¹⁵ which of course must influence you most.

Have you seen Capt. Wynne or Dr Mackay since your return – remember me to the latter should you meet.

To-day has been a gorgeous day; in spite of the heat and Noll’s advice, who cannot conceive the inducement I find in making walks alone, I have had a stroll to the Frauenberg.¹⁶ The crops of rye are already reaped and in stacks, the foresters grave¹⁷ is hid in its richest green foliage, and every beautiful branching valley tempts you to thread its fairy windings. I no more dine in the close room, but under an apple tree laden with branches as tempting as those in the Garden of Eden could have been, I have to-day swallowed my pancake and Sauer Milch.¹⁸ That done, I spent an hour reading a poem of Schiller’s, it pleased me so much I scribbled a literal prose translation. This evening I will put the same in my journal,¹⁹ and as it will interest you perhaps to know what it was about, I will make this sheet my rough draft and leave you to smooth it for yourself, as I will in transcribing it in my journal. It is written in beautiful German hexameters, which would take a far cleverer translator than me to screw into unwieldy English, which is not well adapted thereto, as you know, and is entitled

The Genius.²⁰

Thou asketh me ‘Do I believe what the Wisdom Dealers would teach me, and what Youth so readily and confidently asserts; can Science alone lead me to true peace, only the beam of System support Happiness and Justice? Must I then still mistrust the search which softly teaches me the law which thou thyself, Nature, hast emplanted in my bosom until on the eternal page Philosophy sets her seal, and confines the soaring Soul in the formal vessel? Tell me! Thou hast pierced these depths, from the mouldy grave thou hast come back unsullied. Thou know’st what the crypts of the dark word preserve, whether among the Mummies the hope of the living still dwells. Must I wander it, that lonely path? I see a glimpse of it; wander it then I will, for it leads to Truth and Right.’

Friend, thou hast heard of the Golden Age? Have not the poets related simple and touching tidings of it; that Time, when Innocence yet wandered in Life, and Feeling preserved yet its maidenhood and chastity, when yet the same great law, that alike governs the sun in his course, and hidden in the egg moves the germinating point, yet the still law of Necessity, the eternal, impartial, also moved in free waves. the human heart, when the unerring understanding, true as the hands of the Dial, knew but the True and Eternal? Then was seen no Profaner, no Mocker; what the living enjoyed, was not at death expected; equally comprehensible to every heart was the eternal Law, equally hidden the source from whence it sprung.

But that happy Time is past! Imprudent Self-will has destroyed the Godlike peace of trusty Nature, sacrificed Feeling is no more the voice of the Gods, and the Oracle is dumb in the confused breast. The listening spirit hears it now only in the stiller self and the Holy meaning thereof is clothed in the mystic word.

Here the Searcher prays the pure heart rises, and lost Nature gives him Wisdom in return. Hast thou, happy one, ne’er lost thy protecting Angel, never disobeyed the loving warnings of holy instinct; see’st thou yet Truth pure and bright in the chaste eye, in the childlike breast hearest thou yet its tones, in thy contented disposition has Doubt ne’er arisen, will it, art thou certain, be always thus silent, will the strife of sensations never require an Arbitrator, nor mere understanding becloud the simple heart? –

Oh then go forth in thy costly Unguilt, Science can teach thee nothing, but must learn from thee! That Law, which with honoured rod corrects the straying affects thee not! What thou doest, thy will, is law, and to all creatures goes forth from thee a Godlike command, what thou with holy hand formest, with holy lips speakest, will move almighty the astounded Understanding; thou only observest not the God that builds in thy bosom, thou knowest not the might of the Wand that bends all spirits to thee; simple goest thou and still through a conquered world.

From this you may derive a notion of how I passed the hour under the apple tree, but not of the poem itself unless it is already known to you. Remember me to Debus, Haas and Mr Edmondson and family.

Thine affectionately, | T.A. Hirst.

RI MS JT/1/H/160

RI MS JT/1/HTYP/153–155