204 EDINBUEGH 



is exquisitely beautiful.' And so of the recent adornments 

 of Edinburgh : 



Certainly these modern Athenians have not improved 

 their Athens lately ; the much-vaunted ' Scott Monument ' 

 is, to my mind, vile, bad in composition, situation, and in 

 all other particulars, saving the handycraft. It is very like 

 the top of the steeple of a Belgian Hotel de Ville, taken 

 down and placed on the side of a road. Here it is thought 

 perfection, and Scott is conceived to be unspeakably honored, 

 both in the design and execution. 



I do wish you would come here and let me talk you into 

 my likings and dislikes. Have you seen Cennini's book 

 on old Fresco paintings ? I think you would care to look 

 at it, as you were once addicted to frescoing stables and 

 outhouses ; there are also some few graceful little outhnes 

 in it. I often think that a nice book of lithographed 

 outlines of good pictures would sell well. I am sure 

 that you and I, who could not afford better, would buy 

 such things. . . . 



To return to the Botanical Professorship — canvassing for 

 which he found ' detestable work:' 



As has been explained, the Crown appointed to the less 

 valuable Eegius Professorship and the Botanic Garden, the 

 Town to the valuable College Professorship. The Town Council 

 felt aggrieved that, without consulting them. Sir James Graham, 

 the Home Secretary, had decided on Hooker as the Crown 

 nominee ; and indeed gratuitously aggrieved, as there was a 

 large majority for him at their first meeting, the Edinburgh 

 candidate, Balfour, having refused to stand if the two appoint- 

 ments were separated. 



The Provost cannily tried to better the situation by pro- 

 posing a bargain. The Natural History chair was under the 

 same dual control, the Crown appointing to the Museum, the 

 Town to the chair. Let the Crown take over the whole of 

 the former and relinquish the latter entirely to the Town, 

 who would on this occasion bestow it on the Crown nominee, 

 Hooker. The Crown, however, could hardly look on such a 

 proposal with favour, having spent full £20,000 on the Garden 



