Item 54 - William Whewell to Richard Jones

4 pp.

Trinity College - WW has just returned from Cornwall after making a series of pendulum experiments down a tin mine with George Airy in an attempt to measure the density of the earth ['Account of Experiments Made at Dalcoath Mine in Cornwall', 1828]: 'To tell the truth I consider that we have failed in our object nearly or altogether. Mainly in consequence of a rascally piece of steel deviating 1/10,000th of an inch from a straight line, by the fault of Thomas Jones of Charing Cross who is as great and reputable as his illustrious namesake was'. However, 'Airy who opposes a face of adamant to a fist of iron thinks he can still make something of their vagaries'. WW has been reading a pamphlet on rent by a Mr Thompson [Thomas Perronet Thompson] of Queens' College ['The True Theory of Rent, in Opposition to Mr. Ricardo and Others', 1826]: 'One inference to be made from this same pamphlet is how ripe the world is for your speculations...Here you have the fallacy of rent being the excess of richer soils, the case (no doubt most imperfectly) indicated of rent in countries where this does not apply...[in which] the influence of moral causes and national habits' are taken into consideration. If political economists 'will not understand common sense because their heads are full of extravagant theory they will be trampled down and passed over; and it will be the height of indolence and bad management if you allow other heads to take the feet of yours'. WW thinks that he recognizes 'several views which I learnt from you' in the above work of Thompson's.