i836 ADMINISTRATIVE INSIGHT 



157 



of hours more writing; after dinner reading and to bed 

 before eleven. 



I am working away (he writes) in a leisurely comfortable 

 manner at my chapter for Ward's Jubilee book, and have got the 

 first few pages done, which is always my greatest trouble. 



December 8. . . . Canon Mihnan wrote to me to come to 

 the opening of the New Buildings for Sion College, which the 

 Prince is going to preside over on the I5th. I had half a mind 

 to accept, if only for the drollery of finding myself among a 

 solemn convocation of the city clergy. However, I thought it 

 would be opening the floodgates, and I prudently declined. 



One more letter may perhaps be quoted as illustrating 

 the clearness of vision in administrative matters which made 

 it impossible for him to sit quietly by and see a tactical 

 blunder being committed, even though his formal position 

 might not seem to warrant his interference. This is his 

 apologia for such a step. 



Dec. 16, 1886. 



MY DEAR FOSTER On thinking over this morning's Com- 

 mittee work,* it strikes my conscience that being neither Presi- 

 dent or Chairman nor officer I took command of the boat in a 

 way that was hardly justifiable. 



But it occurred to me that our sagacious for once was 



going astray and playing into 's hands, without clearly seeing 



what he was doing, and I bethought me of " salus Societatis 

 suprema lex," and made up my mind to stop the muddle we 

 were getting into at all costs. I hope he was not disgusted nor 

 you either. X. ought to have cut in, but he did not seem in- 

 clined to do so. 



I am clearly convinced it was the right thing to do anyhow. 

 Ever yours, T. H. H. 



The chronicle of the year may fitly close with a letter 

 from Ilkley to Dr. Dohrn, apropos of his recommendation 

 of a candidate for a biological professorship. The "honest 

 sixpence got by hard labour," refers to a tour in the High- 

 lands which he had once taken with Dr. Dohrn, when, on a 

 rough day, they were being rowed across Loch Leven to 

 Mary Stuart's castle. The boatman, unable to make head 



* Some Committee of the Royal Society. 



