TO THE REV. C. B. TAYLER.

                                                                      8 Palace Gardens Terrace, W.,
                                                                                 2d February 1866.

     I was very glad to get your kind letter, and to be assured that you still remembered me. I thought of you when I   was in Cambridge, and made up my mind to write to you and hear of you and Mrs. Tayler, and your nephew   George. A nephew of yours was for a short time in my class in King's Coll., and I asked him about you, but he   had not seen you lately. Is George still in Hull?

     You ask for my history since I wrote to you before my marriage. We remained in Aberdeen till 1860, when the   union or fusion of the Colleges took place, and I went to King's Coll., London, where I taught till last Easter, when   I was succeeded by W. G. Adams brother of the astronomer. I have now my time fully occupied with experiments  and speculations of a physical kind, which I could not undertake [345] as long as I had public duties. These are the hronological data. It is 13 years nearly since I was with you, and you carried me about when I could not     move myself, but I remember everything about you and Otley much better than most things before and after that   time. I got advantage from your nursing when my father was ill, and many other things have since brought you and   Mrs. Tayler to mind. If you and Mrs. Tayler are to be in London during the spring, we shall be exceedingly glad to   see you here, or if you ever go to Scotland in summer or autumn, we hope you will try and stay with us some time.     My wife knows you quite well,—that is, as well as I do,—all but what can only be got by seeing and hearing   directly, and it would do us both great good to see you, and open up our minds a little.

     Many people's minds seem to be shut up with solemn charms, so that though they seem Christians, and know   what they mean to speak about, they can say nothing. At Cambridge I heard several sermons from excellent texts,   but all either on other subjects or else right against the text. There is a Mr. Offord in this street, a Baptist who    knows his Bible, and preaches as near it as he can, and does what he can to let the statements in the Bible be   understood by his hearers. We generally go to him when in London, though we believe oursleves baptized already.

     Pray let me hear from you occasionally. We shall be here till the end of March, and after that address Glenlair,  Dalbeattie, N.B., which is my permanent address, and is sure at all times to find me.

     Mrs. Maxwell joins me in kind regards to you and Mrs. Tayler, and I remain your afft. friend,

                                                                            J. CLERK MAXWELL.