Thursday night
My dear Huxley
The stupid postman left your letter2 next door, and this evening by the purest accident it has come into my hands – otherwise of course you should have had a reply to it before this. I understand the curve of double flexure perfectly. It would have been a far simpler matter had he condescended to walk in a straight line.3 I have done all I could to get a distinct proposal but thus far I have failed. My wishes were simply to have a distinct proposal and my answer would have been prompt. Could I obtain this my answer would be prompt. I will write to Forbes4 not because I am anxious about the matter but that I esteem the man and should like to do as he requests. You know it is not my place to make a proposition. I have distinctly stated over and over again that I was ready to undertake the lectures provided they did not require too many – that I never could learn how many would be required. The matter is so exceedingly simple that I cannot imagine how so many interviews have taken place about it without any distinct result. Half an hour’s frank conversation would settle the whole matter.5
Believe me dear [1 words illeg.] | always yours | J Tyndall
IC HP 8:15
RI MS JT/1/T/1026
[22 December 1853]: Tyndall was responding to a letter (0856) that he did not receive until 22 December as noted in his journal (JT/2/13b/648), as well as in letter 0859, n. 2. He also noted here (see n. 2) that he would have replied sooner, had the post not been misdelivered. Morever, 22 December was a Thursday.
your letter: letter 0856.
had he condescended to walk in a straight line: reference to De la Beche, who wished for Tyndall to lecture at the Government School of Mines, but despite numerous meetings had not given Tyndall a clear proposal for the duties required for the position (see letter 0856, n. 2).
write to Forbes: Edward Forbes (see letter 0859).
would settle the whole matter: the final line of the typescript read, ‘But I will write to Forbes, perhaps this may bring matters to a crisis’ (see n. 4). This statement was not part of the handwritten letter.
Please cite as “Tyndall0858,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on