Iviii 



It is better for the mind itself — not being quite sure whether 1 shall ever 

 end the research, and yet being sure that, if in my former state of memory, 

 I could work it out in a week or two to a successful result." 



He gave six reports to the Trinity House. The most important was on 

 Holmes's magneto-electric light, which was put up at Blackwall, and ob- 

 served from Woolwich, and compared with a Fresnel lamp in the centre of 

 Bishop's lens, and also in the focus of a parabolic reflector. He critically 

 examined the cost of the apparatus, the price of the light, the suppositions 

 regarding its intensity and advantages, and the proposition to put one up 

 in a lighthouse. He agreed to its being tried at tbe South Foreland. 



He was made Member of the Institute of Breslau, Corresponding As- 

 sociate of Institute of Sciences, Venice, and Member of the Imperial 

 Academy, Breslau. 



Mt. 66 (1858). 



He wrote a short paper on Regelation, which he sent with a letter to Dr. 

 Tyndall on Ice of irregular fusibility. These were printed in Dr. TyndalPs 

 paper on some Physical Properties of Ice in the Philosophical Transactions 

 for this year. 



He gave two Friday discourses. The first was remarks on Static Induc- 

 tion ; and the other on Wheatstone's Electric Telegraph in relation to Sci- 

 ence (being an argument in favour of the full recognition of science as a 

 branch of education). 



This year Prince Albert offered him a house on Hampton Court Green. 

 It required repair, and he doubted whether he could afford to do it up. 



He writes to a niece : — 



" The case is settled. The Queen has desired me to dismiss all thoughts 

 of the repairs, as the house is to be put into thorough repair both inside and 

 out. The letter from Sir C. Phipps is most kind." 



To Sir C. Phipps he writes : — 



" I find it difficult to write my thanks or express my sense of the grati- 

 tude I owe to Her Majesty ; first, for the extreme kindness which is offered 

 to me in the use of the house at Hampton Court, but far more for that 

 condescension and consideration which, in respect of personal rest and 

 health, was the moving cause of the offer. I feared that I might not be 

 able properly to accept Her Majesty's most gracious favour. I would not 

 bring myself to decline so honourable an offer, and yet I was constrained 

 carefully to consider whether its acceptance was consistent with my own 

 particular and peculiar circumstances. The enlargement of Her Majesty's 

 favour has removed all difficulty. I accept with deep gratitude, and I 

 hope that you will help me to express fitly to Her Majesty my thanks and 

 feelings on this occasion." 



To M. De la Rive he thus writes on the death of Mrs. Marcet : — 

 "Your subject interested me deeply every way, for Mrs. Marcet was a 

 good friend to me, as she must have been to many of the human race. I 

 entered the shop of a bookseller and bookbinder at the age of 13 in the year 



