THE COPLEY MEDAL 



Man is born to trouble as the sparks, etc. but when you 

 have come to my time of life you will say as I do Lucky it is 

 no worse. 



November 6. I am very glad to hear that the 500 is 

 granted, and I will see to what is next to be done as soon as I 

 can. Also I am very glad to find you don't want my valuable 

 service on Council R.S. I repented me of my offer when I 

 thought how little I might be able to attend. 



One thing, however, afforded him great pleasure at this 

 time. He writes on November 6 to his old friend, Sir J. 

 Hooker : 



I write just to say what infinite satisfaction the award of 

 the Copley Medal to you has given me. If you were not my 

 dear old friend, it would rejoice me as a mere matter of justice 



of which there is none too much in this " rum world," 



as Whitworth's friend called it. 



To the reply that the award was not according to rule, 

 inasmuch as it w r as the turn for the medal to be awarded 

 in another branch of science, he rejoins : 



I had forgotten all about the business but he had done 

 nothing to deserve the Copley, and all I can say is that if the 

 present award is contrary to law, the 'law's a hass " as Mr. 

 Bumble said. But I don't believe that it is. 



He replies also on November 5 to a clerical correspond- 

 ent who had written to him on the distinction between 

 shehrets and rehmcs, and accused him of " wilful blindness ' 

 in his theological controversy of 1886: 



Let me assure you that it is not my way to set my face 

 against being convinced by evidence. 



I really cannot hold myself to be responsible for the transla- 

 tors of the Revised Version of the O.T. If I had given a 

 translation of the passage to which you refer on my own au- 

 thority, any mistake would be mine, and I should be bound to 

 acknowledge it. As I did not, I have nothing to admit. I have 



every respect for your and Mr. 's authority as Hebraists, 



but I have noticed that Hebrew scholars are apt to hold very 

 divergent views, and before admitting either your or Mr. - -'s 

 interpretation, I should like to see the question fully discussed. 



If, when the discussion is concluded, the balance of authority 



