To Thomas Archer Hirst¹

My dear Tom

I have been waiting until I should have something to say, otherwise I should have written to you before. I believe you are already in possession of the state of matters up to lately. I will now send a copy of a note² received from Bence Jones this morning which will let you know the precise position of things at present. Here it is –

“The managers met today and Mr Faraday stated that he wished to mention a subject in order that at our next meeting (this day fortnight) it might be placed on the minutes. He then made a statement and proposed you as Professor of Physics to receive £200 and to give 19 lectures. and in order to shew us what we might and ought to do he read a statement of what the then managers had done for Davy & he said he saw no reason why we should not do the same now. Davy was given £100 and rooms the first year, the second year £200, the third £300, the fourth £600, the fifth an extra hundred to go on excursion. The sixth it was repeated and he was allowed to take travelling an assistant and have his expenses paid. The seventh he had a multitude of other appointments, after this Mr Faraday said we might do anything.

When he finished Mr Gassiott said he thought it right to say that the London Institution was going to make an offer to you – Thereupon it was unanimously agreed that Mr Faraday should make a proposition in writing at our next meeting on the 23^rd.

I have little doubt that a scale sliding upwards will result and you will be allowed any sum you please however great for experiments. We agreed to pay £28 for the illustration of Hoffman’s lectures and ten times as much if you want it would be given for original research. Nothing could be better than Mr Faraday’s statement. It was every thing that could be wished and so I hope in a fortnight’s time all this will be settled.”

May the gods grant your brother³ strength to remain the same man in prosperity that he has been in adversity, if any thing an humbler man.

Stay in Paris as long as you can my dear boy. I may take a run over to you when my labours here are ended.

Ever yours affectionately | John Tyndall

RI MS JT/1/T/561

RI MS JT/1/HTYP/240