Pièce 67 - James David Forbes to William Whewell

5 pp

Portree, Skye - JDF has accepted James Challis's invitation to Cambridge Observatory. He is pleased that WW formed a favourable opinion of his article on William Hopkins [see JDF to WW, 27 Apr. 1845]. 'You ask about our university Tests. As on all similar subjects men's minds seem to be undergoing a curious revolution on this.The result of the late discussions in our senate surprised me excessively. From the first I had resolved to take no part in it whatever. As an episcopalian I felt too much interested in the removal of them to trust myself to vote on that side; my prepossessions being certainly favourable to some species of test generally...every Professor present including old Presbyterians, Freechurchmen, Lawyers, several conservatives, and all the Episcopalians, voted for the removal of the Tests, except the Principal (Lee) and myself who did not vote...This curious result satisfied me that the minds of moderate sensible men in Scotland attached to Presbyterianism are in favour of the removal of the Tests which in our University at least have so long been nominal'. JDF is pleased WW likes his paper on the eye [On a Possible Explanation of the Adaption of the Eye to Distinct Vision at Different Distances, Trans. of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1845, see JDF to WW, 5 March 1845].