Sunday2 Sept[em]b[er] 18
I a chemist of great renown, a physicist of considerable repute, and a mathematician of great attainments have the misfortune to be charged by John Tyndall, Esq[ui]r[e], a Doctor of philosophy (not of artificial make but by the make of the higher powers), a sweet orator, an eminent professor in the Royal Institution of Great Britain, a [magnificent]2 3physicist, a member of X learned societies, a teacher of Royalty, a lover of nature, and of beauty, and finally of many other titles and attainments, of having returned an insufficient answer to a question. Have I, Mr Professor; with all due respect your memory seems to have gone somewhat out of gear. Here is the letter with the question. Did I not answer with mathematical accuracy your question? Did I not say exactly what you wanted to know according to your question? You with your great and accurate mind ought to know your own questions. However not merely has the Professor forgotten his own question but also the conversation we had some weeks ago. Nothing remains then for me, the Professors small and humble friend, but to tell him, that there were 100 hours of 3/6 a piece, according to his own proposition.4 Herewith closes the epistle about the question and now to something else.
RI MS JT/1/D/32
[1864]: this letter is archived at the RI with letter 2144, also from Heinrich Debus, and Debus may have originally enclosed it with that letter. In 1864, Tyndall had asked Debus to grade papers for him.
This letter was an enclosure with that above.
[magnificent]2: Debus here placed brackets around ‘magnificent’ and added a ‘squared’ symbol.
100 hours of 3/6 a piece, according to his own proposition: this is the sum that Tyndall and Debus had discussed as payment for marking the South Kensington examinations (see letter 2137).
Please cite as “Tyndall2141,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on