C8 JAMES CLERK MAXWELL 



Maxwell was elected without opposition. Writing* 

 to his wife from Cambridge, 20th March, 1871, lie 

 says : 



" There are two parties about the professorship. One \vanta 

 popular lectures, and the other cares more for experimental 

 work. I think there should be a gradation popular lectures 

 and rough experiments for the masses ; real experiments for 

 real students; and laborious exjcriments for first-rate uien 

 like Trotter and Stuart and Strutt." 



While in a letter t from Glenlair to C. J. Munro, dated 

 March 15th, 1871, he writes: "The Experimental 

 Physics at Cambridge is not built yet, but wo arc 

 going to try. The desideratum is to set u Don and a 

 Freshman to observe and register (say) the vibrations 

 of a magnet together, or the Don to turn a watch and 

 the Freshman to observe and govern him." 



In October he delivered his Introductory Lecture. 

 A few quotations will show tho spirit in which ho 

 approached his task. 



"In a course of Experimental Physics we may consider 

 either tho Physics or the Experiment* as the leading feature. 

 We may either employ the experiments to illustrate tho 

 phenomena of a particular branch of Physics', or we may 

 make some physical research in order to exemplify a particular 

 experimental method. In the order of time, we should begin, 

 in the Lecture lloom, with a course of lectures on some branch 

 of Physics aided by experiments of illustration, and conclude, 

 in the Laboratory, with a course of experiments of research. 



"Let me say a few words on these two classes of experi- 

 ments Experiments of Illustration and Experiments of 

 Research. The aim of on experiment of illustration is to 



" Life of J. C. Maxwell," p. 381. 

 t M Life of J. C. Maxwell," p. 3.79. 



