1892 THE PKIVY COUNCILLORSHIP 253 



deserts, the other " half" you speak of can be nothing less 

 than a bishopric ! May you live to see that dignity con- 

 ferred ; and go on writing such capital papers as the last 

 you sent me, until I write myself your Right Revd. as 

 well as Right Honble. old friend, T. H. Huxley. 



To Sir W. H. Flower 



Cors-t-Gedol Hotel, Bakmouth, 

 Aug. 31, 1892. 



My dear Flower — Many thanks for your congratu- 

 lations, with Lady Flower's postscript not forgotten. I 

 should have answered your letter! sooner, but I had to go 

 to Osborne last week in a hurry, kiss hands and do my 

 swearing. It was very funny that the Gladstone P.C.'s 

 had the pleasure of welcoming the Salisbury P.C.'s among 

 their first official acts ! 



I will gladly come to as many meetings of the Trustees 

 as I can. Only you must not expect me in very severe 

 weather like that so common last year. My first attack 

 of pleurisy was dangerous and not painful ; the second 

 was painful and not dangerous ; the third will probably 

 be both painful and dangerous, and my commander-in- 

 chief [(who lias a right to be heard in such matters) will 

 not let me run the risk of it. 



But I have marked dov,ii Oct. 22 and Nov. 24, and 

 nothing short of snow shall stop me. 



As to what you want to do, getting butter out of a 

 dog's mouth is an easier job than getting patronage out 

 of that of a lawyer or an ecclesiastic. But I am always 

 good for a forlorn hope, and we wlU. have a try. 



We shall not be back at Eastbourne till the latter 

 half of September, and I doubt if we shall get into our 

 house even then. We leave this for Gloucester, where we 

 are going to spend the festival week with my daughter 

 to-morrow. — With our love to you both, ever yours very 

 faithfuUy, T. H. Huxley. 



