33 Ladbroke Sq | Notting Hill | 5th March /52
Dear Sir,
Having been engaged in the preparation of some public lectures I regret to find that I have not answered your letter of the 24th Feby.1 The Cavendish Socy which published a translation of Bunsens first Memoir2 does not intend to translate or publish any more Scientific Memoirs, confining its operations to self-contained works – I have therefore been unable to obtain its translation. I think it possible if you were to write to Francis of the Phil. Mag. that he would order its translation for Taylor’s Scientific Memoirs.3 I had much pleasure in signing your certificate for the Royal Socy a few days since4
Truly yours | Lyon Playfair
J Tyndall Esqr
RI MS JT/1/P/113
your letter of the 24th Feby: letter missing.
Bunsens first Memoir: cited letter 0520, n. 4.
its translation for Taylor’s Scientific Memoirs: Tyndall had been trying since September 1851 to get this very long memoir by Bunsen (cited letter 0526, n. 2) translated and published. It was taken up by Scientific Memoirs in October (see letters 0666, n. 1 and 0676, n. 3).
signing your certificate ... a few days since: Playfair had not signed Tyndall’s certificate in advance, but had signed from ‘general knowledge’ when the certificate was displayed, along with those of other candidates, in the Society’s rooms.
Please cite as “Tyndall0607,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on