DIFFICULTIES OF THE COURSE 197 



again by far than to Edinbro', but it is no use growling. . . . 

 [And later] I am in a stew already, but must trust to provi- 

 dence and my middling good fates. 



Harvey, who on the 9th had written, * My letters come 

 as quicldy as events in the life of Solomon Grundy," replied 

 on the 10th with good advice : 



I pity you the mess you are in about Edinburgh, knowing 

 well what a fuss I should be in, in your case — but I expect 

 you will wriggle out of it bravely. Be provided with written 

 lectures for the parts you are not glib in, and skeletons for 

 the rest — plenty of pictures — and talk much about these. 

 Hand about specimens, and 'twill all get on right well. 

 Here we had Allman ^ last year taking half a dozen lectures 

 to describe the cellular and vascular tissue alone ! and by 

 the time he got to the end of the structure and physiology 

 the course was expended, and he had to sum up arrangement 

 &c., in a few words. Very convenient for him, but query, 

 what for. his Class ? 



Hooker's response on April 14 asks : 



Who is Solomon Grundy ? — but I am very behindhand 

 in polite literature ; how do you find time to read what a 

 gentleman should know ? I have given up all hopes and 

 intentions of being accomplished, 



and proceeds to set forth the difficulties of the situation, which 

 left him sometimes, as he told his father in June, * in a pretty 

 fix between my own mind, my master, and my men.' 



Graham has not one lecture written out and he has given 

 me a syllabus of the course ; you never saw such a thing ; he 

 goes through with no order, introduces his subjects higgledy 

 piggledy every day, and does not give one really instructive 

 lesson throughout the course. I have no idea what I am 

 to do, I heartily wish he would leave it all in my hands or 

 write me lectures ; I sincerely say that no human being 

 could lecture for him as he desires, certainly no student 



^ George James Allman (1812-98), was Professor of Botany at Dublin 1844- 

 54, and of Natural History at Edinburgh 1854-70, and President of the Linnean 

 Society 1874-83, His special branch of science was marine zoology. 



VOL. I o 



