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To The Editors of the Times 1

Sir, – In justice to the candidates for Commissions in the Royal Artillery and Engineers examined by me in Natural Philosophy and Chemistry you will, perhaps, permit me to state that the general level of the answers in the last examination was much higher than that attained in the first. Some of the papers2 returned to me gave evidence of rare ability; and if, during their future career,3 the authors of those papers continue to cultivate the powers which they have shown themselves to possess they will, I doubt not, justify by their deeds the high opinion entertained of them by

Your obedient servant, | John Tyndall

Royal Institution | 26th April 1856.

RI MS JT/2/13c/836

1

Published in The Times, 28 April 1856, p. 12. The published version differs slightly from the manuscript version as noted.

2

Some of the papers: The editor substituted ‘many’ for ‘some’, a significant alteration by the editor.

3

during their future careers: phrase deleted by the editor.

Please cite as “Tyndall1213,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/tyndall/letters/Tyndall1213