From Thomas Archer Hirst   Octr 5th 1854

Vine Cottage, | Broughton.¹| Oct^r 5^th 1854

My dear John

You will see from the above that I have already moved to my new residence and have commenced my initiation into the mysteries of household matters. I have already started in good earnest to make the place a neat and habitable one, by the time you next visit Queenwood I shall have a roof to shelter to you and you may dwell under it in peace as long as you wish and thank nobody for your lodging. The reports of the Liverpool meeting² which reached me through the papers sent by yourself³ and Atkinson were all very meagre indeed and I began to have a very poor opinion of the association and its meeting. Your letter⁴ partially removes this, but I wish you had told me a little more about the discussion in which Faraday, Thompson and Whewell joined. Whether they were able to shake any of your results or views as to the nature of Diamagnetism,⁵ or whether they shewed any symptoms of changing their own views. As to Thompsons shiftiness⁶ I can well conceive that it must be annoying It is, however, satisfactory to reflect that the time will come when Thompson will be judged not from what he said at this meeting or at that, or wrote in this memoir or the other but from what he has said and written altogether when the real merit of what he has done and misdone will be apparent to all. To me he has always appeared to be a man of greater brilliancy than solidity, he appears to be an acute but a too-hasty thinker and writer. The fame of such an one always increases most rapidly during his own lifetime and decreases almost as rapidly afterwards.

I am right glad to hear of your increasing strength, depend upon it you will be thankful for the store of health you have laid up when you return to London. I never was in North Whales⁷ but I have seen the picturesque contours of the mountains about Snowden⁸ from the sea and I fully agree with you as to their beauty. Some day when I have money enough I hope to take Anna⁹ to see them. My brother¹⁰ is with me at present he has come over professionally to give me some assistance in repairing my house. To day the lads have a whole holiday and this evening a concert. It is a beautiful day for them & I am sure they are in high spirits. I lecture now at 3 P.M at Queenwood and I think the arrangement will suit us all very well I lose very little time. My morning’s walk to Queenwood has thus far agreed with me very well and at present I enjoy very good health I dine from 5 to 6 every day so that before dinner I can get a usual days work done At present of course I have my evenings very cosily to myself, and am less interrupted than when at Queenwood. The physical exercise which I so unwillingly took when health was the only object is now more easily attainable. I can at any time earn my dinner and give it a relish by an hours work in my garden. I expect much benefit from an hours digging per day.

Good-bye, John. Get strong and healthy and don’t hurry yourself about returning to London. Where are you going to reside to write your treatise on Natural Philosophy.¹¹ Write me another line soon.

Yours affectionately | T. A. Hirst.

RI MS JT/1/H/205

RI MS JT/1/HTYP/364