To Thomas Archer Hirst   11th. Dec. 1855.

11^th. Dec. 1855.

My dear Tom

I have read your pretty note¹to me with a great deal of interest for it held up a glass before me which revealed myself to myself in a manner in which I had not appeared to myself previously. With regard to Bevington he is a man of clear and subtle mind and who has thought deeply on many matters – He has once or twice through inadvertence on my part placed me in difficulty and compelled me to ground arms. He chooses in his own quiet way the points over which he has thought and the probability I find is that his thoughts lead him to a correct conclusion. He is as you say a sweet soul – one of the best and cleanest hearted men that I have ever met. But you really make me aware of peculiarity in my own case that I was not before acquainted with – though I have no doubt that your observations are perfectly correct. Perhaps this trying of the temper of others may be referred to some fault in my own – some result of ill health, or perhaps a result of impatience with some philistine with whom you have heard me argue. But you say you have felt it in your own case. This I have scarcely ever observed, never has mortal father I think less to complain of regarding his son than I have in this respect regarding you. I know I have tried Debus’s temper and Haas’s temper sometimes, but this was generally when they shot illogically wide of the mark which they ought to have kept in mind. In general I have no thought of trying the temper of the man with whom I argue and if I do so it must be through some peculiarity of which I have not yet become conscious. About going down² I can say nothing as yet. It is almost too soon after my last visit. Should my thoughts take shape about it during the week I will let you know. I am very sorry to learn that Anna has not yet got rid of her cold, but if companionship in misfortune enables her to bear it more patiently, she has me for a companion. I have lately been greatly afflicted by a cold. Bence Jones prophesies dark things concerning me if I do not mend my ways. So I have agreed to follow his advice for the future. While walking towards the Institution³ yesterday I noticed a nice little boy trotting along by my side. At length he looked up in my face & said it was very cold. ‘It is my boy’ I replied, patting his little shoulder, ‘I live in Bond Street’⁴ he said ‘and have been at school – now I am going home’. Thus we talked. Once I was going to make the little fellow a present, but the goodness of his dress and superiority of his general appearance dissuaded me. At a street corner he vanished as if by magic and I have not seen him since. Trifling as the thing is it pleased me.

Today I was walking up Mount Street,⁵ when a one horse carriage dashed by me. The horse lashed out furious kicks as he passed me and ran straight for a lamp post. The carriage came smash against it and I heard a scream from within. The horse continued kicking & plunging and the driver appeared to have lost all power over him. In an instant the handle of the carriage door was in my hand and in the next a fine girl in my arms – a little boy was also in the carriage whom I rescued. The horse was finally secured and I suppose by this time bound down to his good behaviour. The lady absolutely never looked at me. She escaped with remarkable velocity into an adjacent shop.

I told you I think that Matteucci had been writing to Faraday about my experiments, and stating that they were absolutely incorrect. I had a letter⁶ from him today and the following are the concluding words of it.

‘En attendant je voulais vous faire savoir que j’avais trouvé que vos expériences sont bien, et comme j’avais écrit a Grove et à Faraday que j’en doutais, je vous prie de lui dire de ma part que je suis parveneu à une complète verification des experiences.’ | avec respect et attachement | C. Matteucci.

So much for the amend honorable, he finds me quite correct.

I have just finished a paper⁷ which I wish you had time to read over, but you are so busy at present that it would be monstrous to ask you. Now I think I have written you a pretty amusing letter – this as much for Anna as for you.

yours affectionately | John

[Postscript]

Will you just ascertain in a quiet way whether Wright has got Tennyson’s poetry – and if not I should like to present them to him at Christmas. You would like him to of course. He is a worthy little fellow and I like to make him feel now & then that I have an esteem for him.

RI MS JT/1/T/613