Queenwood Oct 1 1851. in the evening of a
stormy day. all alone, fire crackling before me.
My Dear Tom.1
I did not intentionally shut you out of my thoughts since your letter2 reached me, nevertheless you were not too often in them; sometimes in the quiet evening I asked myself ‘where is Tom now?’ but you soon vanished like a dissolving view in Swiss mist and I saw no more of you. Although however not in the foreground of my thoughts, although I was as unconscious of you as of my ear or my eye still were the question put directly to me I dare say I should avow the same concern for you as for either. The fact is Tom I have been working terribly hard.3 I had three irons in the fire which demanded constant attention – The school and lectures, the Toronto affair, and a little investigation on ‘diamagnetic polarity’ the last of which I sent off today.4 I have been compelled to start before day in the morning and to work till late at night, and the gods in their goodness have granted me barely strength to finish the enquiry, did it endure much longer I should have been obliged to yield for awhile, for never in my life did I lay down my pen with greater physical prostration than last night when the last work was written. Even this day’s quiet5 has however done wonders for me. I have swung and jumped and forgotten every thing possible so that I find the machine6 is again righting itself and will be ready for another grind by and by. Poor Mrs Edmondson says to her husband ‘I’m concerned for that young man – he looks like an old one – he will most certainly break down – in fact one needs only to look at him to see that he is broken down already’ – But they know how tough7 I am –
The Toronto affair is going on in a proper manner. I am well supported. As far as England, France, Germany, and Switzerland are concerned I have strong testimony from the principle men in each, From Becquerel, Dela Rive, Faraday, Sabine, Joule, and all the host of Berlin. Magnus, Dove, DuBois-Reymond, Riess &c. Bunsen Frankenheim &c. &c. When I set that milk and water little article which your small friend at the summit of the hill sent me8 beside some of these the contrast tickles one’s fancy. Col. Sabine made the following remark in a note9 which accompanied his certificate. – ‘Permit me to say that I could not read your writings without feeling some degree of regret at the separation which a residence in America will necessarily cause10 from the intercourse which you have so happily cultivated with some of the most distinguished philosophers11 of Europe.’ I wrote to him back12 and told him of my asking Faraday’s opinion saying in conclusion – ‘I shall cheerfully go to Toronto if the honour of the lot fall on me, with the determination to do my best to sustain the credit of my department. Nevertheless I will say that I should willingly remain a year or two in my present position if at the end of that time a reasonable prospect awaited me of obtaining in these kingdoms the means of carrying out my investigations and of supplying my material wants’.
The rain is plashing outside, where are you now? Trudging along an alpine road or perhaps comfortably housed beside a Swiss stove. Knoblauch has told me Tom that you look miserable – I’m glad that you have looked miserable provided that the misery of your look is now gone – Remember Tom it is your duty to take care of that bodily instrument of yours. A man’s value consists of his force and his capability of applying it. a vast deal of force may be silenced by an imperfect mechanism – I have no rule to give, you are bound to work;13 but never forget that you are bound to work rationally – Remember also Tom that the principle of duty may take a morbid form, and become a devilish leech ever crying ‘give’, ‘give’14 – You must elevate yourself above this: you must be able to say to it sometimes ‘no I won’t give!’ – A little daring rebellion of this kind has its value at times, though there are not many in the world who would bear to be told so.
I had Knoblauch down with me15 – he stopped only one night. I expected his father also, but he did not come16 – I must say it gave me great satisfaction to see him within the halls of Queenwood. He is now in Edinburgh but will probably return in a few days. You are aware I dare say that January17 has closed a partnership with Tom Perkinton and has had to pay £300 for the privilege – Carter has taken Booth of Keithly18 into partnership,19 on what terms I know not.
Things looked very torpid when I came to Queenwood. there was no energy, no effort, the number of the pupils was low and altogether matters looked disheartening – There was20 a number of farmers here who were like untamed colts, and the superintendence of this precious lot during the evening fell upon me. I took them together and explained my position to them got them all to promise that they would not enter a public house nor visit any of the neighbouring villages without permission. told them that they would ever find me their supporter in all rational demands which they wished to make of Mr Edmondson, but also an obstinate opponent if circumstances called for it – For a few days things went on well, but the fellows had been accustomed to threatenings of Mr Edmondson and to the nonfulfillment of these threatenings and doubtless imagined that they might get over me just as easily – One night a parcel of them came in in outrageous disorder – I followed them into their room – they seemed determined to shew me that they cared nothing about me, went on with their slang and their laughter as if they wished to provoke me – I listened to them for 2 hours without saying a word. They were at length silent when they saw me determined to see it out. By degrees they dropped off to bed the ringleader being the last to leave the room – I laid hold of him sat down and looking coolly into his face told him that if after that night I found him to cross the threshold of a public house, or commit even what might under circumstances be called a slight error I would resign my situation at Queenwood or he should be expelled. I broke the others up into parties next morning and took them in order, thus weakening the influence which mere numbers has with such fellows. told them the rules of our living together. ‘If you cant abide by these’ I said ‘the most graceful exit you can make is to pack your trunks and leave immediately for most certainly if you infringe the rules I will do all that in me lies to have you expelled’ of course this is the merest skeleton of my remarks – suffice it to say insubordination has been smashed to atoms; fellows which were the most goodfornothing scamps last half year are working – we stand on the most friendly terms and every thing wears the appearance of abiding good order.
The rain plashes Tom, where are you? Across waves and mountains I speak to you – I raise my eyes and right before me is a picture of Faraday, a noble countenance and withal a dash of sadness in it. Mr Edmondson noticed this yesterday and said he could not understand why it should be so – I believe him – ‘To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven but to them it is not given’21 He indulged in some eloquent wind about the beauty of the world &c and so I left him.
Debus made his first attempt at a lecture this evening and got through it well. He had a good many experiments which of course helped him. I never see the Leader22 now and I am thinking of subscribing for it.
Morning of oct. 2nd
A watery looking morning: but up to the present time we have had fabulous weather. the most glorious sunshine day after day. A clear blue sky overhead and at night the firmament fretted by its star-spangles. If you have only had the same in Switzerland you will have been content with your journey. John Yeats met you!23 – well well how people knock against each other in this huge world. I shall now await your account of yourself, of your journey and your health – remember Tom what I have said about the latter – A few years will harden you and you may then go farther than you dare do at present. I have no more to say. – good bye Tom.
Your affectionate | Tyndall
RI MS JT/1/T/545
Tom.: In this letter it is particularly difficult to distinguish commas and stops. The apparent punctuation is often grammatically incorrect.
your letter: probably letter 0516, in which Hirst told Tyndall of his holiday plans.
hard: ten to twelve words are thoroughly scratched out here.
investigation on ‘diamagnetic polarity’: see letter 0525, n. 2.
this day’s quiet: the rest that Tyndall was taking after finishing the paper on diamagnetism.
the machine: that is, the bodily machine.
know how tough: Tyndall may have intended to write ‘know not how tough’.
milk and water little article ... sent me: probably refers to a bland testimonial, perhaps the one from Gerling, which Tyndall considered a ‘very dilute affair’ (see letter 0510).
Col. Sabine … a note: letter 0535. There are significant differences between the LT typescript of Sabine’s letter and the quote here. See nn. 10 and 11 for details. There is no extant original MS, so it is possible that some differences were introduced by LT (or her clerk). It is unlikely, though, that she added phrases; more likely Tyndall omitted them.
at the separation … necessarily cause: the LT typescript of Sabine’s letter reads: ‘at the prospect of the separation, more or less, which the distance of Toronto must occasion’.
philosophers: in the LT typescript of the original letter this is ‘Physicists’.
I wrote to him back : letter missing. Tyndall uses very similar words in his account to Francis (letter 0536).
A man’s value … bound to work: Tyndall was here giving a metaphorical physical flavor to Carlyle.
devilish leech … ‘give’: allusion to Carlyle, who often criticised the inner and outer demands to ‘Give! Give!’ He used the phrase combined with the leech metaphor of Jewish money-lenders (Past and Present, ch. 2.4).
I had Knoblauch down with me: Knoblauch spent the night of Sunday 7 September at Queenwood; see Journal, 9 September (JT/2/13b/549).
he did not come: this seems contradictory. Knoblauch had thanked Tyndall on behalf of himself and his father (letter 0533) – but for the invitation.
January: January Searle, or G. S. Phillips.
Booth of Keithly: Tyndall may have meant Keighley, a town in West Yorkshire about 12 miles north of Halifax. Booth, a land surveyor, is not further identified.
Carter … partnership: Richard Carter, the surveyor who had employed both Tyndall and Hirst in Halifax.
There was: Tyndall originally wrote ‘were’ but corrected it to ‘was’.
To you … not given: Mathew 13:11. It is the answer given by Jesus when asked by his disciples why he spoke to the crowd in parables. ‘He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given’. There is a very similar passage in Luke 8:10. Tyndall used the analogy of Edmondson with the crowd as a criticism of Edmondson.
the Leader: see letter 0398, n. 8.
John Yeats met you!: Hirst ran into Yeats, whom Tyndall disliked when teaching at Queenwood in 1847–8, in Lausanne during his walking tour in the Alps (Hirst, ‘Journals’, 19 September 1851). Tyndall’s knowledge that Yeats and Hirst had met may have come from Hirst or Tyndall may have heard from a mutual friend. The rest of this postscript and Hirst’s later letter (0553) suggest that Tyndall had yet to hear anything direct from Hirst about his trip.
Please cite as “Tyndall0540,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on 2 May 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/tyndall/letters/Tyndall0540