FRIENDLY SYMPATHY. J J 



That the obscure and scattered manner in which Joule's 

 papers were published must have hindered his work from 

 becoming as well known as it might otherwise have been is 

 certain ; but the fact that it called forth no comment does 

 not show that it was not read, or if read was rejected. Two 

 of the most important of his papers were read at the British 

 Association and with several others published in full in the 

 Philosphical Magazine. These were doubtless heard or read, 

 and the complete silence in which they were received shows 

 not that they were rejected, but that the views they contained 

 were so much in advance of anything accepted at this time 

 that no one had sufficient confidence in his own opinion, or 

 was sufficiently sure of apprehending the full significance 

 of the discoveries on which these views were based, 

 to venture an expression of acceptance or rejection. The 

 " angels feared to tread," and perhaps the most remarkable 

 thing is that in this case there were no fools. The position, 

 however, is not without ample precedent besides that of Kep- 

 ler. And although Joule, thus compelled against his will to 

 remain the only individual in the world possessing the 

 knowledge of and realising the significance of this funda- 

 mental law of the universe, was, as he says, very anxious to 

 convince the scientific world of the truth of the positions 

 he maintained, he was in no way discouraged by the silence 

 in which his papers were received, though this silence 

 remained unbroken for six more years. 



He was not altogether without friendly sympathy and 

 interest. He had that of Dr. Scoresby, with whom he had 

 been continuing his magnetic researches, as well as of his 

 family and friends in Manchester, and particularly of the 

 members of the Literary and Philosophical Society. 



On 19th March, 1844 Joule's father removed from 



