350 JAMES CLERK MAXWELL. [CHAP. XII. 



Maxwell's usual modesty is apparent in the draft 

 of his reply to this letter : 



Glenlair, Dalbeattie, 15th February 1871. 



My DEAR BLORE Though I feel much interest in the 

 proposed Chair of Experimental Physics, I had no intention 

 of applying for it when I got your letter, and I have none 

 now, unless I come to see that I can do some good by it. 



... I am sorry Sir W. Thomson has declined to stand. 

 He has had practical experience in teaching experimental 

 work, and his experimental corps have turned out very good 

 work. I have no experience of this kind, and I have seen 

 very little of the somewhat similar arrangements of a class 

 of real practical chemistry. The class of Physical Investiga- 

 tions, which might be undertaken with the help of men of 

 Cambridge education, and which would be creditable to the 

 University, demand, in general, a considerable amount of 

 dull labour which may or may not be attractive to the 

 pupils. 



In the Grace of Senate of 9th February, it had 

 been enacted that it should be " the principal duty of 

 the professor to teach and illustrate the laws of Heat, 

 Electricity, and Magnetism ; to apply himself to the 

 advancement of the knowledge of such subjects; and 

 to promote their study in the University." 



For some time after his appointment, Maxwell's 

 principal work was that of designing and superin- 

 tending the erection of the Cavendish Laboratory. 



He inspected the Physical Laboratories of Sir 

 William Thomson at Glasgow and of Professor 

 Clifton at Oxford, in order to embody in the new 

 structure the best features of both of these institu- 

 tions. But many of the most important arrangements 



