Dear Dr Tyndall
Your letter1 caused me some surprise. I thought they were more liberal in the city. I think by far the best plan would be to let the matter remain in suspense until June.2
The Session3 is nearly over & there will be plenty of time between June & October to get ready for lectures. Let Mr. Gassiot know all you think about their offer4 but say that until all the proposals are before you you are not competent to decide what is best for yourself & science. I have again heard a rumor of your receiving an offer from the School of Mines.5 Some of the changes there are to be settled this week. I must stop.
Believe me | Yours most truly | H. Bence Jones | March 21 1853 | 30 Grosvenor St
March 21. 1853 | 30 Grosvenor St.
If you are in London & have time to come & dine here send or leave word with my servant at what hour you will come. I am generally in at six.
RI MS JT/1/J/45
RI MS JT/1/TYP/675
Your letter: letter missing.
the matter remain in suspense until June: the ‘matter’ is in reference to the offer of a professorship at the RI that Bence Jones suggests delaying until June (see Journal, 24 March, JT/2/13b/602).
The Session: teaching term.
their offer: the offer for a professorship at the LI. Tyndall recorded in his journal that ‘Mr. Gassiot’s proposal is that I should deliver a course of 6 lectures; give one evening lecture; attend the meetings of the Laboratory Committee once a month and have all the rest of my time free; it is a sin qua non that my scientific publications should be dated from the London Institution’ (24 March, JT/2/13b/602–3).
School of Mines: see letter 0718, n. 4.
Please cite as “Tyndall0736,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on