To Richard Dawes   24th July 1861

Royal Institution | 24^th July 1861

My dear Mr Dean,¹

Thank you many times for your goodnatured letter.² At the present moment I am in the midst of my preparations for Switzerland, from which I hope to return with the strength of a giant. It is tremendously hard, believe me, to get away from London. Bread & butter considerations first cast a hundred entanglements round a man, his health drives him away periodically, and the remnant of his time he grasps like a miser, knowing that into it the real performance of his life is to be crammed. Be assured of it, it would give me great delight to join you at Hereford, but a week for me is like a five pound note from a man whose whole worldly possessions are limited to thirty pounds. Now just fancy yourself with thirty pounds in the world. Would you not clutch it with miserly tenacity? I wish you were nearer London—I wish I could run down to you on Saturday and run up again on Monday—But those scandalous Whigs in placing you at Hereford³ diminished the pleasure of many a decent man. Still I will not say nay to your kind invitation—If I can find any means of satisfying my conscience that it is allowable I will run down to you for a week during the autumn.

Goodbye and present my very kindest remembrances to Mrs Dawes.

Believe me, dear Mr Dean | Yours ever truly | John Tyndall.

Private Collection, via Frank James

RI MS JT/1/TYP/1/322