Wednesday.
My dear Mrs. Pollock
As far as my vision reaches I see no barrier between me and the enjoyment of the trip to St Albans.2 I shall be most glad to join you and I am sure I shall return morally & physically sounder for the trip.
I spent a delightful day at Petersham3 on Monday—Mr. & Mrs. Faraday & Miss Barnard4 were there. I acted the part of a dutiful donkey in drawing Mrs. Faraday round the grounds. Miss Moore5 took two photographs6 of us all in a group. The negative looks very well, which is, of course, the first step towards a good positive.
From them I heard, and was sorry to hear it, that you had recently lost a friend,7 and that your friend Mr Macready8 had lost a daughter.9
I am busy clearing off the coil of small matters which had aggregated during the session. I look forward with longing eyes to the Alps. Two military examinations10 which I have to attend occur in July, and this holds me back some days later than I expected—nevertheless when the time comes I shall make amends for all.
I intend to write today to a guide11 in Lauterbrunnen12 who has the reputation of being ‘the boldest man in the Oberland’.13 If I can secure him I shall be all right, as he is not likely to insist upon a retinue of guides to keep him in countenance. I am assured by some who know him that he will go with me anywhere.
What splendid weather! When are you going out of town?—How is Walter14—how is Mr Pollock15—I have just had a cup of coffee, & it has made me quite gossipy. Can you inform me how an agent so purely physical & material can produce a result so purely spiritual? I wish you could—it would save me some bewilderment. Perhaps however it is better that the thing should be hid—It leaves room for wonder, which is a wonderful moral agent in its way.
I must contrive to see you before Saturday week, and to learn all about the time of starting.
After I came in from Petersham on Monday Mr. Faraday took me with him to see Ristori16—I had never seen her previously—She is a wonderful creature.
When are you going to pay Walter & myself that ice which you owe us. I think we have a right to charge you interest upon it. According to the laws of compound interest you owe us two instead of one.
Ever yours | J. Tyndall Have you seen ‘Thorndale or the conflict of opinions?’17
RI MS JT/1/T/1199
RI MS JT/1/TYP/6/2067–8
[23 June 1858]: the date is given by the reference to the death of Lydia Macready on 20 June 1858 (see n. 7) and Tyndall’s mention of two military examinations coming up in July. Wednesdays occurring after 20 June 1858 and before July were 23 and 30 June. Given the news of Lydia Macready’s death, 23 June seems more likely.
St Albans: a city in England, northwest of London.
Petersham: the home of the Moore family. See letter 1515, n. 3.
Miss Barnard: Jane Barnard.
Miss Moore: either Harriet Jane Moore or Julia Moore.
two photographs: the photographs, in the collection of the RI, show Michael and Sarah Faraday, Tyndall, Faraday’s niece Jane Barnard, and either Harriet Jane Moore or Julia Moore positioned around a bench. The photographs were taken by either Harriet Jane Moore or Julia Moore on 21 June (given the date of this letter), and one is reproduced as the frontispiece to Tyndall Correspondence, vol. 5.
a friend: Lydia Jane Macready (1842–58), who died on 20 June 1858.
Mr Macready: William Macready, see letter 1502, n. 6.
a daughter: Lydia Macready.
military examinations: in 1858 Tyndall was an examiner in ‘Experimental sciences’ for the Council of Military Education (see letter 1476, n. 1). He gave an admission examination for the Sandhurst Military College on 5 July at King’s College, and an examination for direct commissions on 15 July at Burlington House. See Council of Military Education, Report, Command Paper 2603 (London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1860); Examination Papers used at the Examinations for Direct Commissions, and for Admission to the Royal Military College, in July, 1858 (London: Harrison, 1858); and Journal, 15 July 1858, JT/2/13c/1076. For more on Tyndall as an examiner, see letter 1306, n. 2.
a guide: Christian Lauener.
Lauterbrunnen: a village in the Swiss canton of Bern.
Oberland: the geographically higher region of the Swiss canton of Bern.
Walter: Walter Pollock.
Mr Pollock: William Frederick Pollock.
Ristori: Adelaide Ristori (1822–1906), an Italian stage actress of tragic roles, performed in London in late June–July 1858. See H. Morley, The Journal of a London Playgoer from 1851 to 1866 (London: George Routledge & Sons, 1866), p. 204–18.
‘Thorndale or the conflict of opinions?’: W. Smith, Thorndale or the conflict of opinions (London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1857).
Please cite as “Tyndall1527,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on