Mon cher M. Tyndal
J’ai eu l’honneur de vous écrire il y a quelques temps pour vous dire que j’accepte le [Phal] magazine aux conditions que Mr. Taylor vous a données. J’ai mis dans ma lettre un bon sur le correspondant de Mr. Duprat, pour le montant des livres que j’ai reçus en novembre et pour lesquels j’ai déposé la valeur le lendemain de la reception. Je pense bien que j’aurai dans le [Phal] magaz[ine] les originaux de beaucoup de travaux des physiciens anglais.
Je me propose d’aller à Londres vers la fin de mai. Je ne connais guères à Londres que vous et que MMr Faraday, Grove, Wheatstone et Gassiot. Bab[b]age. On me dit qu’il est très agréable d’être admis à l’Atheneum qui je crois, est près de Regents Park.
Je ne vois, parmi les membres de cette société que Mr Faraday et Mr Wheatstone que je connaisse. Voudriez-vous demander à Mr. Faraday, s’il pourrait facilement me faire admettre à l’[Athaneum] pendant mon sejour prochain a Londres. Si cela présente quelques difficultés, n’insistez pas. Je viens de recevoir une lettre de Mr Grove. Il s’absente me dit-il pour six semaines.
Quand je recevrai les livres, je vous repondrai immediatement comme j’ai eu l’honneur de vous le dire dans ma lettre.
Agréez et faites agréez mes compliments affectueux à Mr Faraday
Votre dévoué C. Despretz. M. de l’Institut Le 4 mars 1855 Rue cassette 20
J’ai laissé long temps ma lettre sans vous l’envoyer. Je vous prie de vouloir bien prier le libraire de m’adresser la collection le plus tot possible. Je vais en avoir besoin.
Quant à l’[Athaneum], je ne voudrais pas que Mr. Faraday dût pour cela se donner beaucoup de peine. Je ne serai pas à Londres plus de trois semaines et pendant ce temps j’irai visiter quelques grandes villes situées sur les lignes des chemins de fer.
Recevez l’assurance des sentiments distingués avec lesquels je suis | votre dévoué | C. Despretz M. de l’Institut | 29 9bre 1855
My dear Mr Tyndal,
It was my pleasure to write to you some time ago to tell you that I accept the Phil. Magazine under the conditions that Mr Taylor gave you. I have enclosed in my letter a [credit note] [addressed to] Mr Duprat’s correspondent, for the value of the books that I received in November and of which I noted down the price the day following their receipt. In the Phil. Magazine, I believe I will have many works by the English physicists in their original language.
I intend to travel to London around the end of May.1 I hardly know anyone in London apart from yourself and Messrs Faraday, Grove, Wheatstone and Gassiot, [and] Bab[b]age. I am told that it is very pleasant to be received in the Athenaeum2 which I believe is close to Regents Park.3
Apart from Mr Faraday and Mr Wheatstone, I cannot think of anyone that I am acquainted with amongst the members of this society.4 Could you ask Mr Faraday if he could have me admitted to the Athenaeum during my forthcoming stay in London? If this causes some difficulties, do not insist. I have just received a letter from Mr Grove;5 he writes he will be absent for six weeks.
I will respond to you immediately after I receive the books, as I have had the honour of telling you in my letter.
Please accept my affectionate regards and send them to Mr Faraday.
Faithfully yours| C. Despretz M. of the Institute | 4 March 1855 | 20 Rue Cassette
I have kept this letter for a while before sending it to you. I beg you to please urge the bookseller to send me the collection as soon as possible. I will need it.
As for the Athenaeum, I would not really want Faraday to bother about it. I will not be in London longer than three weeks, and, during this time, I will visit some of the large cities connected by railway.
Please be assured of my highest regards with which I am | your devoted | C. Despretz M. of the Institute | November 29th 18556
RI MS JT/1/D/122
As this letter was not sent to Tyndall until the second part – dated 29 November 1855 – was written, it has been inserted into the sequence of letters at this point.
London around the end of May: According to entries in Tyndall’s Journal, Despretz visited London from 10 May to after 22 May 1856 (RI MS JT/2/13c/841–4); see letter 1219.
the Athenaeum: Founded in 1824 the Athenaeum Club was a private gentleman’s club that attracted not only men of inherited status but also those eminent in science, literature and art. Faraday, who served briefly as its first secretary, retained his membership until 1852. Thus he was no longer a member at the time of this letter.
close to Regents Park: The Athenaeum Club is nearly three miles from Regent’s Park. The closest park is St James’s Park.
members of this society: members of the Athenaeum Club.
a letter from Mr Grove: letter missing. However, on 23 November Tyndall recorded in his Journal: ‘Dined at Mr Barlow’s […] A conversation with [William] Grove afterwards about Despretz and other matters’ (RI MS JT/2/13c/805).
November 29th 1855: Despretz’s French text gives the date of the second part of this letter as ‘29 9bre 1855’. As the Latin for the number nine is ‘novem’, the month has been read as ‘novembre’, not the ninth month (September).
Please cite as “Tyndall1159,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on