Dynamical Theory of Heat. 369 



not by right of the alphabet, that of Professor Tait. From 

 this gentleman's communication to the Philosophical Maga- 

 zine of last month, I learn that it was in compliance with 

 requests made to you that the article in ( Good Words * was 

 written. Indeed, irrespective of these considerations, in any 

 article of the kind where your name is associated with that of 

 Prof. Tait, you are sure to be regarded as the 'principal/ 

 You are the older and more famous man, and it is your 

 behaviour in this controversy, and not that of your colleague, 

 which will interest the scientific world. I trust, therefore, Prof. 

 Tait will see that simple chivalry makes it my duty to decline 

 entering into any contest with him at present ; and seeing this, 

 he will, I doubt not, have the grace and modesty to stand aside 

 and allow you and me to settle this affair between ourselves. 



At your request, we are informed, your friend has replied to 

 my a Remarks" both for you and for himself. Doubtless his 

 reply has passed through your hands and received your assent. 

 I may therefore, I hope, regard it as your reply, and deal with it 

 accordingly. You open thus : — " I think it right at starting to 

 call Prof. TyndalPs attention to the fact that, in the Philosophical 

 Magazine (1862, vol. xxiv. p. 65), he has published the following 

 words : — f I do not think a greater disservice could be done to a 

 man of science than to overstate his claims : such overstatement 

 is sure to recoil to the disadvantage of him in whose interest it 

 is made/ M There is surely nothing in these words of which an 

 honest man need be ashamed. They are, I submit, sensible 

 words ; and were they not my words, I should on various grounds 

 strongly recommend them to your own particular attention. 

 But besides reviving my memory of these words, you remind me 

 " that any unpleasant results which may follow from the course 

 which he [Prof. Tyndall] has pursued are, by his own acknow- 

 ledgment, to be laid to his charge." 



I hope you will forgive me if I now remind you that, in con- 

 ducting this correspondence, it is extremely desirable that each 

 of us should endeavour to make his meaning clear. This 

 1 reminder ' of yours is by no means clear. As a deduction it 

 would be illogical, as an assertion it would be untrue. If in 

 such a simple matter your writing is made difficult of compre- 

 hension, how am I to seize your meaning when you come to deal 

 with a really difficult subject ? Let each of us try then to render 

 his meaning unmistakeable ; but this once done, let neither of 

 m seek to divert the words of the other from their plain and 

 obvious sense. This course will shorten controversy, and make 

 the world feel that we mean fairly by each other. In your last 

 communication you write thus: — "A journal which contains in 

 nearly every Number a scientific paper by yourself [Sir David 



