vii.] MARRIED LIFE. 163 



Chamounix, and on the glacier of the Grindehvald. On 

 returning to Bonn to consult Dr. Nasse, the physician 

 who had attended him with much care and skill during 

 his late illness, the advice he received was that to under- 

 take his winter's work was inexpedient, and might prove 

 dangerous, and that to ensure recovery he ought to 

 winter in Italy. On receiving this advice, he acted, as 

 he did so often afterwards, and at once surrendered to 

 the judgment of his physician. He wrote to the then 

 Lord Provost of Edinburgh, as the representative of the 

 Town Council, the patrons of the University, telling the 

 state of his health, and the advice of his physician, and 

 applying for leave to appoint a substitute to teach his 

 - during the ensuing winter. The request was at 

 once granted, and Forbes set out with his wife for Italy. 

 Naples was reached about the middle of November, and 

 Rome by the beginning of January, which places were 

 their head-quarters till the end of May. September 

 1844 was far advanced before they reached the first home 

 of their married life, at 15 Ainslie Place, Edinburgh. 



Soon after his return he received the following warm 

 welcome from a former pupil, whose words no doubt 

 expressed the feelings of many besides himself: 



From MR. RANKIN. 



4 November 14//<, 1844. My heart leaped when I saw 

 your well-known handwriting attain ; often while you 

 were in the South I thought of you, and longed and 

 prayed that you might soon be restored to health and 

 professional duty. . . . However. I was ^ratified by 

 seeing in the public prints that you had returned much 

 benefited by your sejour in the South. . . . Allow me 

 to thank you for your kind interest in my well-bein^. 

 I feel indebted to your kindness more than can be ex- 

 pressed, for it was this kindness which first awoke my 

 s into energy, and enabled me to taste the j.l.-a- 

 sures flowing from their lively Indeed, often 



since my settlement here, win n some extra work was 

 accomplished by dint of extra application, 1 have thanked 



M 2 



