464 THE LAST YEARS 



when appro aching, my 10th decade; as to which I assure 

 you that their foreshadowing the event added to the great 

 pleasure they gave ; bis dat qui cito, I inconsequently ex- 

 claimed. They left me an interval in which to enjoy them, 

 undisturbed by the advent of the floods that have arrived 

 within the last two days, leaving me not an interval to dis- 

 criminate amongst them. 



It was good of you to recall the close intimacy of our lives 

 and work at Kew. Your appointment to the Board of Works 

 heralded the termination of a long period of official indiffer- 

 ence to the real objects of the establishment over which you 

 watched and in which you played so great a part with zeal 

 and success. But for you I should never have had an 

 assistant-director. 



Now I have your kind postscript written from Nuneham, 

 where I was for a good many years an annual guest. 



This month has brought me a cupful of honour. The 

 unique broad gold medal struck by the Swedish Academy in 

 commemoration of the bicentenary of Linnaeus, has been 

 awarded to me as first of living Botanists, with the acclama- 

 tion of the host of scientific men there assembled ; and 

 presented by the Crown Prince to our Ambassador. 



To-day I have been waited on by Col. Douglas Dawson 

 bringing the insignia of the Order of Merit, with a letter from 

 Lord Knollys informing me that he is commanded by His 

 Majesty to tell me that it is conferred in recognition of my 

 eminent services to science, adding the King's hopes that, 

 notwithstanding my advanced age, I will live long to enjoy 

 the honour. 1 



Excuse this volcano of vanity and believe me ever, dear 

 sympathetic Kedesdale, 



Your truly affectionate, 



Jos. D. HOOKER. 



The cumbrous addresses I have received in Latin and 

 German are terrors to translate and stupefaction to answer. 



To celebrate Hooker's ninetieth birthday and sixtieth year 

 of Fellowship, an address was presented to him by a deputation 

 from the Royal Society. 



1 ' Is it not curious that Lord Kelvin and I, who eat in the same class in 

 Glasgow College as boys, should both be recipients of this rare honour ? ' (To 

 Mrs. Paisley, July 16, 1907.) 



