Queenwood College Stockbridge | England | 17th Aug. 1851
My Dear DuBois.
I dare say you have already been informed of my intention to become a candidate for the professorship of Natural philosophy in the University of Toronto. I wrote to Professors Magnus and Poggendorff1 some weeks ago for testimonials – yesterday morning’s post brought me a most admirable ‘Zeugniss’2 from Magnus who is now in London – A few days ago I wrote to Professor Dove on the same subject and this post will carry letters to you and Professor Riess.3 I have no doubt the support of your names will be of great value to me. I have to beg of you (if you have not already done so) to look over the philosophical Magazine for July 18504 and over the various papers which have appeared in the Annalen5 and see whether they will not justify you in sending me a testimonial. I do not want to dictate a single word to you, but it might be of service if you mentioned in the document the fact of my being elected a foreign member of the physical society.6
I wrote to Faraday7 some time ago laying before him the nature of my situation here and asking his advice; he encourages me to make application for the post at Toronto – the following few lines are quoted from his letter8 – ‘I trust it (Toronto) is a place where a man of science and a true philosopher is required and where in return such a man would be nourished and cherished in proportion to his desire to advance natural knowledge so I think that you would be exceedingly fit for the position and I hope the position fit for you’. –
I have nothing more to say, as I am a bad hand at writing complimentary letters. I will only add that I shall long remember the hours which I have spent in your society; with the best wishes for your happiness believe me dear DuBois | most sincerely yours | John Tyndall
Remember me kindly to Dr Beetz9 when you see him.10
Ihr Brief an mich muss natürlich unfrankiert sein.11
RI MS JT/1/T/397
wrote to Professors Magnus and Poggendorff: these letters are missing but are alluded to in letters 0505 and 0506.
Zeugniss: testimonial (German).
wrote to Professor Dove ... and Professor Riess: letters missing. Riess replied in letter 0514 and du Bois-Reymond in letter 0515. Both sent testimonials.
the philosophical Magazine for July 1850: an article cited in letter 0403, n. 2.
papers ... Annalen: Tyndall probably alludes to the two papers he co-authored with Knoblauch (cited letters 0392, n. 13 and 0458, n. 8), his paper on the water jet (letter 0458, n. 7), his memoir on magnetism (letter 0464, n. 13), and, possibly, his recent paper on diamagnetism, the translation of which was published as Tyndall, ‘Ueber Diamagnetismus und magnekrystallinische Wirkung’, Poggend. Annal., 83:7 (1851), pp. 384–416.
elected a foreign member of the physical society: the Berlin Physical Society or Physikalische Gesellschaft. Tyndall had been elected in early May (letter 0480, n. 9).
wrote to Faraday: letter 0505.
his letter: letter 0506.
Dr Beetz: Wilhelm Beetz (1822–66) was at this time teaching physics at the secondary-level Cadet Training School in Berlin. In 1855 he moved to become Professor of Physics in the Berlin School of Artillery and Engineering, which trained officers for the military (Jungnickel & McCormmach, pp. 252–4)
Remember me … him: the postscripts were written on the back of the sheet.
Ihr Brief … unfrankirt Sein: ‘Your letter to me must be unfranked, of course’ (German).
Please cite as “Tyndall0512,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on 7 May 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/tyndall/letters/Tyndall0512