London
My dear Tyndall
This note you sent me with your prospectus1 made me fear that you were ill; and as soon as I had a moment to spare I went to Mr Faraday with it to talk to him about you when I met you in the hall and heard from yourself that you were better. When I went up stairs I soon found from Mr Faraday’s manner that the expression in your note had a deeper foundation than your health.
He would not tell me what had passed between you.2 He absolutely refused & said it must come from you & that he had begged you to come to me for he was sure that you were ill.
Please do please come to me and bring me the letter you shewed me the other day & would not give me then & talk to me as you would to your best friend.
I am so grieved to think that all I have been trying to do for the good of scientific research3 should bring trouble upon you and distress upon Mr Faraday; the two men of all in the world I wish to serve & help
Ever your sincere friend | H. Bence Jones | Nov 29 1863
RI MS JT/1/J/54
RI MS JT/1/TYP/2/685
note you sent me with your prospectus: letter missing; prospectus not identified.
what had passed between you: as Roland Jackson notes in his Ascent of John Tyndall, there had been some ‘uncharacteristically unkind words from Faraday, perhaps over the appointment of laboratory assistants to Tyndall and Faraday. Tyndall had asked Faraday if the Institution could fund his assistant, William Barrett, whom he had been paying out of his own pocket’ (p. 180). See letter 2043.
for the good of scientific research: Bence Jones had suggested expanding the Holland Fund (see letter 2015, n. 2).
Please cite as “Tyndall2047,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on