My dear Tom
Here I am alone: it is Sunday evening and the rays of the sinking sun are shining upon the gray slates and red tiles of Glasgow. I have had hard work since I came here – The old Secretary1 who has transacted the chief business of the Physical Section2 for a great many years is ill, and has staid at home. This has thrown an immense amount of work on my shoulders and quite neutralised the benefit I derived from my excursion amid the lakes. My own paper3 came off yesterday – it has bothered me not a little but I am beginning to be able to look calmly at the matter. I had but little sleep – I believe none – the night before and my head was not strong – nevertheless when my time came I found my brain clear and my courage by no means low. I have been told indeed that my communication was unequalled. Indeed I got through it entirely to my own satisfaction – Whewell,4 Sir David Brewster, Sir William Hamilton5 & numbers of that stamp were present and they all cheered me at the conclusion. Brewster took me by the hand and said ‘Oh what an admirable lecture you have given us’ introducing me at the same time to Sir William Hamilton – Thomson was beside me as I spoke taking notes – I said that I was glad to see him there and hoped that we should finally come to an understanding with each other[.] He arose and replied. Whewell apparently desirous of throwing the weight of his great authority in favour of Thomson and thus bearing me down rose and spoke – Had he not done so all would have passed off well. But I with my sensitive head rose and replied to both him and Thomson speaking I think with considerable power & effect upon the audience – I went just a little too far and for this I feel dissatisfied with myself. I said something to the effect that Thomson had acted a safe part in suffering himself to be guided by Faraday, one of Thomson’s friends6 upon the platform grumbled; Whewell glowered upon me like an enraged lion – indeed Thomson’s friends en masse seemed to be offended with me. The great body of the audience was however upon my side and this perhaps made matters worse. when I was aware of the discontent I stopped and said that if I had uttered any thing unbefitting the calmness of scientific discussion, I begged to apologize for it. The Chairman7 said that every body present felt that there was no need of an apology: the audience applauded loudly. Still the impression which the whole affair has left upon me is by no means a pleasant one. Thomson indeed invited me to dine with him and meet Liebig8 afterwards: but it will take some time to banish the remembrance of the thing from the minds of all concerned.
I shall get away towards home on Wednesday or Thursday. It is just possible that Frankland and myself – we live together – will spend Wednesday at Loch Lomond.9 I am anxious to return & should perhaps have been happier had I not come at all. But this feeling is of brief duration in my case. The molecules have been stirred but they are already subsiding and in a short time I shall enjoy the serenity of a philosopher. and now I have said as much as you & Anna will care about hearing – Goodbye
Yours affectionately | John
Greet Debus for me and tell him all you remember of what I have told you.
RI MS JT/1/T/611
The old Secretary: John Stevelly (1795–1868), professor of natural philosophy at Queen’s College, Belfast.
the Physical Section: The BAAS meeting was divided into seven sections and one sub-section. Section A covered ‘Mathematical and Physical Science’.
My own paper: A summary of Tyndall’s paper ‘Experimental Demonstration of the Polarity of Diamagnetic Bodies’ was subsequently published in Brit. Assoc. Rep. 1855, pp. 22–3. Tyndall also provided a fuller account of the proceedings in his Journal entry for 18 September 1855 (RI MS JT/2/13c/784–5).
Whewell: William Whewell (1794–1866) was master of Trinity College, Cambridge, having previously held the chairs of mineralogy and of moral philosophy. A man of wide learning he had contributed to the study of both mineralogy and tides and had written books on mechanics, architecture and foundation texts on the history and philosophy of science.
Sir William Hamilton: The mathematician William Rowan Hamilton (1805–65) was professor of astronomy at the University of Dublin and the Astronomer Royal of Ireland.
one of Thomson’s friends: not identified.
The Chairman: Philip Kelland; see letter 1135, n. 3.
dine with … Liebig: The noted chemist and educator Justus von Liebig (1803–73) had transferred from the University of Giessen to the University of Munich in 1852. He opened the field of organic chemistry and made substantial contributions to agricultural chemistry, plant and animal physiology and the chemistry of foodstuffs, as well as introducing the laboratory-based teaching method. Liebig was the principal guest at the farewell dinner that had been held in Glasgow for the Scottish chemist Thomas Graham, who had recently left the chair of chemistry at University College London.
Loch Lomond: the large freshwater loch (lake) some 20 miles north-east of Glasgow. It straddles the boundary between the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland.
Please cite as “Tyndall1137,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on