BUSINESS AND SCIENCE 31 



matics ; 9 J to 10, sermons (if I read them any- 

 later they invariably send me to sleep, and as 

 it is I cannot always keep awake) ; 10 to 11 J, 

 German, which is the only thing that keeps me 

 awake ; 11 J to 12, prayers ; 12, Bed." He 

 writes Bed, in the diary thus, with a big " b," 

 as surely he well may, after a day thus disposed. 

 The nice apportionments of the quarters of 

 hours, as three-quarters of an hour for " whist " 

 (it is not said what happened if the rubber were 

 unfinished), is very characteristic of the exact 

 disposition of his time which resulted in such an 

 immense output of mental activity. He adds : 

 " I do rather over 8| hours' work a day, but 

 the afternoon part is rather irregular, as I often 

 go out three or even four hours, and sometimes 

 not at all." 



By the light of later entries it is clear that 

 these strenuous days had much relaxation in 

 the following years. What has to be recognised 

 with less satisfaction is the frequency of what 

 he writes of as " attacks " — of a gastric nature. 

 Probably he was at this time seriously over- 

 working his young strength, but the natural 

 powers of his constitution, aided by the change 

 of treatment already spoken of, triumphed, and 

 at the end of a long life Lord Avebury was 

 certainly able to look back on a more generous 

 gift of health and energy than is granted to 

 most men. 



We may notice the short spells, often of half 

 an hour, into which his different studies were 

 divided. In later years it was always a surprise 

 to me to note how instantly, and without any 



