SKETCH OF LIFE AND WORK 49 



had been led to hope that my life might be protected 

 beyond the most dangerous season of the year. It is 

 thus that I issue from Devonshire the present volume, 

 which, however, contains no observations of mine made 

 there, the scenes of my labours being in distant parts of 

 the country." 



The fifth and concluding volume of his " great work " 

 was published on 31st July of the same year, after his 

 return to Aberdeen, and on 8th September following 

 he died in his residence in Crown Street of that 

 city. 



The " Conclusion " at the end of that volume is 

 calmly but deeply pathetic. In it the writer says : 

 " I have been honest and sincere in my endeavour to 

 promote the truth. With death apparently not distant 

 before my eyes, I am pleased to think I have not 

 countenanced error through fear or favour. Neither 

 have I in any case modified my sentiments so as to 

 endeavour thereby to conceal or palliate my faults." 

 The " Conclusion," from beginning to end, forms a 

 most touching "Finis" to all his life's labours. It 

 shows that he fully realised, in quiet, self-possessed 

 consciousness, that the end of his life's work was near ; 

 and the great outstanding features of his mind — an 

 unquenchable love of truth and profoundly reverential 

 worship of the Creator of all that organic life which 

 formed the subject of his untiring investigations — come 

 prominently out in it. That conclusion is given fully 

 as the final extract from his works in this volume, and 

 it forms an appropriate ending to it. 



£ 



