3rd June 1855
My dear Tom,
I got your note1 which Fox was kind enough to bring me. By the way I am not sure that it was our friend the Dr.2 – for when I asked the porter3 what he was like he replied that he was a fine young man about 30 years of age4 – Can it be that the father of such a family was mistaken for a man younger than I am that have still my family to produce!
Well my lectures are nearly over. I gave them a lecture on Friday evening5 which seemed to please them mightily – I had steadied my thoughts beforehand and resolved to make the lecture an instructive one. As I sat pondering in my little room Barlow came to me saying that ‘The Duke’6 was there and asking me would I see him – I went and was very cordially received by his grace. At the appointed moment I found myself behind the lecture table. I introduced the subject by a few general remarks on the laws of mind in relation to scientific symbols. Faraday I saw was caught by them – and led on the rumble of applause which followed. I then went at the experiments, taking time to clear the way for each, and to extract from it all the instructions which it was capable of giving. The bursts of applause were frequent and warm, and the experiments succeeded every one to perfection. I had my doubts of some of them, but no doubt was justified by the result. The applause at the conclusion was loud long and enthusiastic, the Duke of Northumberland & many others came and shook me by the hand so that on the whole the lecture was as successful as the most exorbitant egotist could desire it to be.
I have now cast it7 behind me and its benefit to me is this – it tranquilizes me by the assurance that I have done my work successfully and this tranquility enables me to attack other work with advantage – God knows I do not feed upon the memory of my success. It simply relieves me of that dissatisfaction which accompanies failure and thus enables me to apply my thoughts without any disturbing influence. I shall be down with you on Saturday.8 How long do you purpose remaining in Broughton – I must remain there for a few days to get some writing finished for the Westminster Review9 – You must give me lodgings for a week & remain with me until the week is spent. Love to Anna.
Your affectionate | John
RI MS JT/1/T/603
your note: possibly letter 1089.
the Dr: the local surgeon Luther Owen Fox (c. 1812–79).
the porter: The porter, probably Henry Lacey (c. 1818–62), would have received letters delivered to the RI.
a fine young man about 30 years of age: unidentified.
a lecture on Friday evening: ‘On the Currents of the Leyden Battery’; see letter 1081, n. 5.
The Duke: Algernon Percy, 4th Duke of Northumberland (1792–1865), was a landowner and Conservative politician with a strong interest in science. He collected Egyptian antiquities, helped to finance John Herschel’s expedition to the Cape of Good Hope to observe the stars in the southern hemisphere and was the current president of the RI. In his Journal entry for 1 June 1855, Tyndall recorded his meeting with the Duke (RI MS JT/2/13c/750–1).
it: the Friday Evening Discourse at the RI.
down with you on Saturday: Tyndall and Debus travelled to Broughton on Saturday, 9 June 1855.
some writing finished for the Westminster Review: Tyndall reviewed four works on geology, under the title ‘The Earth and Man’, in the July 1855 issue of the Westminster Review, 64 (1855), pp. 151–70.
Please cite as “Tyndall1092,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on