My Dear Francis.
My object in requesting you to post these things2 for me was to render assurance doubly sure. We have a little cross post here in which difficulty often arises as to my foreign correspondence. All this will be avoided by posting in London and I shall therefore feel much obliged if you would have them packed up as you propose.
When I made use of the number 15 or 20 with regard to the testimonials3 I referred exclusively to the number to be sent over – I shall thank you to have 100 copies at least printed for me – they may prove of great value on some future occasion. I should like to send copies to Faraday and others and shall therefore be glad to receive the remainder when they are ready.
The packet which I now send contains copies of the memoirs from the 2nd downwards,4 and translations of some of these which appeared in Poggendorff.5 The parcel which you were so kind as to send me a day or two ago contained the translation of the last memoir6 – I send you a number as you may possibly decide on having it sent along with the others. Along with these the parcel contains the English testimonials, the copy of Dr Percy’s7 and a duplicate diploma – I shall leave it to you to decide whether the translation, or the diploma should be sent or not, and shall rest entirely satisfied with your decision whatever it may be.
I have read the testimonials carefully, and have made one or two slight alterations8 – I would propose that Sabines certificate should come between that of Du Bois and Bunsen – The arrangement beyond this is I think the best possible.
I omitted a few words in Magnus’s testimonial which now stand upon the margin – they are not very important and may be omitted if you like –
Dont you think that some remark like that which I have written at the end might be introduced – A similar one in Percy’s suggested the thing to me.
I shall gather up my thoughts this evening and write to the president9 – tomorrow I will send you the letter – Immediately afterwards I will write to Sir Robert Kane.10 Most heartily do I thank you for all the trouble you have taken in this affair – I only wish that some opportunity may be afforded me of proving by my acts how I value your kindness.
with best wishes dear Francis | most sincerely yours | J Tyndall
My parcels which you send to me by mail be kind enough to direct to the Dunbridge Station of the S.W. Railway – Stockbridge is the post room town, but Dunbridge is the place for parcels11
RDS 27/1
[13 or 14 October 1851]: this letter is in the long sequence of letters concerning the sending of Tyndall’s application to Toronto. References to the parcel(s) in this and in letters 0549 and 0550 seem to refer to the same parcel(s) and provide a means of dating this letter and the next. This letter was written to accompany a large parcel; the next letter was a brief note explaining that he saved money by dividing the parcel in two; the third letter, 15 October, mentioned that the parcel was posted ‘yesterday’. Letter 0549 was therefore written on 14 October and this letter was posted on 14 October although perhaps written the previous evening.
to post these things: the application for the professorship at Toronto.
the number … the testimonials: Tyndall previously discussed the number of testimonials Francis was to print and send in letters 0544 and 0545.
the memoirs from the 2nd downwards: that is the four (identified in letter 0518, n. 2) sent out when requesting testimonials; his first, 1850 co-authored paper with Knoblauch is again omitted.
translations … in Poggendorff: the translations of Tyndall’s papers published in Poggend. Annal. are listed in letter 0512, n. 5.
The parcel … containing the translation of the last paper: Tyndall had given a manuscript copy of his diamagnetism memoir to Poggendorff (for translation and publication) before leaving Berlin in June (JT/2/13b/548). Presumably, the package which Francis had forwarded contained copies of the paper, and had been sent care of Francis by Poggendorff.
Dr Percy: John Percy (1817–1889), an English metallurgist and Edinburgh M.D., had been FRS since 1847. Earlier in 1851 he had been appointed metallurgist at the museum of the Geological Survey and lecturer in metallurgy at the newly-established Government School of Mines in London.
I have read … slight alterations: Tyndall had read the proofs (‘slips’ referred to in letter 0544) of the printed English and French testimonials and, as the names here indicate, translations of the German testimonials. From his comments it would appear that translation could shift over into emphasis and interpretation.
the president: of the University of Toronto, John M’Caul (letter 0544).
I will write to Sir Robert Kane: regarding a potential position at Cork. Francis must have told Tyndall about the position in one of the missing letters (compare later letters 0551 and 0556)
My parcels … parcels: as this postscript makes clear, letter post and parcel post were independent systems. That Tyndall needed to inform Francis of the local offices suggests that Francis had not previously sent parcels to Tyndall.
Please cite as “Tyndall0548,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on 6 May 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/tyndall/letters/Tyndall0548