104 MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHAP. V. 



entangled in some love scrape or other to give a colour of 

 rationality to their own fancies ; and Daniel, though saying 

 nothing, has, I daresay, had a laugh with his namesake at 

 my sudden conviction of the great advantages of a residence 

 in Edinburgh. Nevertheless, in spite of these sly insinua- 

 tions, you know and I know, that the ' Virgin Chemia,' as 

 certain of the old alchemists call her, is my only love and 

 object of worship. Her ladyship may be adored in a very 

 quiet way ; a little expense for glasses is all (and does not 

 every lady need her glasses tumblers, spectacles, mirrors, 

 and so forth ?) Flesh-and-blood ladies ne.ed on the part of 

 their adorers lots of wealth and wisdom, and my share of 

 both is so very slender, that I must tarry a long while before 

 I get the right to address them." 



To the lectureship spoken of the following letter chiefly 

 refers : 



" 21 st May, 1840. 



" MY DEAR DANIEL, I know not what to say to you in 

 return for your great trouble in looking after this vacant 

 place for me, and if thanks were things to be sent between 

 brothers, I should make my letter so heavy with them, that 

 it would need two or three of Mulready's nonsensical 

 envelopes, stuck all over with her Majesty's penny heads, 

 to get it through the Post-office. As it is, however, I fear 

 the place is not worth my taking, even in its best view. 

 The School must be a very small and humble one, for I 

 never heard of its competition with University College, all 

 last winter; and no exertions on my part could make 

 much difference on the small income it must yield its 



chemist. I never heard of Mr. , B.A., nor do 



the Cambridge men here know about him. As to Mr. 



going to the College of Engineers, he can only be going as 



