1839-4- EDWARD FORBES INTRODUCED. 107 



"26th. May, 1840. 



" The bearer of this letter is Mr. Edward Forbes, triangle- 

 bearer, painter, song-writer, naturalist, and I know not how 

 many other excellent and admirable things besides. He is 

 at present in London, to superintend the printing of his 

 book on the star-fish, and will stay some time there. As I 

 have told you concerning his talents and amiability before, 

 I shall leave you to discover his merits yourself, and close 

 this introductory portion of my letter; the rest you can 

 read at another time. 



" . . . . For my part, I expect to be married about the 

 year of our Lord 1860 ; all thought of the ceremony being 

 celebrated sooner has clean gone out of my mind for a long 

 while back, and I have banished all love ideas. It is dif- 

 ferent, however, with you ; and I hope sincerely to see you 

 soon, as that wild, strange, powerful man, the author of the 

 Chartist Epic, says, finding 'expectation substanced into 

 bliss.' With every fond wish for your happiness, I conclude 

 here, for I have got strange beasts to analyse, sent me from 

 the sea-caves of Fife, and they are beginning to decay. 

 Hoping you have not kept Edward Forbes waiting all this 

 time, I remain your affectionate brother, " GEORGE." 



The allusions towards the close of this letter are in conse- 

 quence of Daniel's approaching marriage. 



"June 6, 1840. 



" I work steadily at my lectures, writing and reading often 

 for eight or ten hours a day. I find that the undertaking is 

 a more serious one than it seemed at first. But I don't 

 flinch, and hope to get on bravely." 



" July 18. 



"I shall write you at present a very short letter, for I 

 have not much to say, and am not in the humour for saying 



