CORRESPONDENCE WITH DR. MANTELL. 227 



FROM DR. MANTELL. 



July 3, 1850. 



SIR ROBERT PEEL, on Saturday afternoon, when 



riding but a few hundred yards from this square, was 

 thrown from his horse, picked up senseless, carried home, 

 suffered greatly forty-eight hours, and then expired, last 

 night at eleven o'clock, in the prime of life and health and 

 intellectual vigor. Though he was out of office, and had 

 mortally offended many of his political friends, his death is 

 universally lamented. I deplore it exceedingly, both on 

 public and private grounds. He was the only one of our 

 public men who paid any respect to the aristocracy of tal- 

 ent ; men of art and science always found a warm friend in 

 Sir Robert Peel. To me he had, for years, shown much 

 courtesy ; inviting me to his table when any eminent for- 

 eigners were visiting him, and always making a point to 

 notice me, in the most cordial manner, in every public 

 society where we happened to meet. He always read my 

 works as soon as they appeared, and had he again been in 

 office, I am sure he would have recommended that the 

 Queen should bestow some distinction on me, for my unre- 

 warded scientific labors. The event has thrown a great 

 gloom over the public mind ; but it will soon be forgotten, 

 and the world go on as usual. When at Oxford, I was 

 deeply affected at the absence of Dr. Buckland ; never be- 

 fore had I been in the University without being with him, 

 and was often his guest at Christ's Church. 



FROM DR. MANTELL. 



April 1, 1852. 



I AM desirous you should know that my task at 



the Royal Institution passed off capitally. I think I men- 

 tioned to you my desire to make it a dashing affair, because 



I was last year refused permission to lecture through 's 



insidious persuasions, and I was therefore desirous of show- 



