302 THE LIFE OF JAMES D. FORBES. [CHAP. 



winter's work there. Dr. Nassd, wjio had attended him 

 in the former attack at Bonn, and whom he again con- 

 sulted on this subject, gave a decided answer in the 

 negative ; and Forbes, with a heavy heart, addressed a 

 letter to the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, requesting leave 

 of absence for the winter. 



His request was immediately granted.. 'I have received/ 

 he writes to Mr. Batten, 'the most gratifying letters from 

 Scotland. Kelland and Henderson have done everything 

 with the best grace, and in the kindest manner. The 

 Principal writes to me that both he and the senators 

 have cordially endorsed my conduct ; the Lord Prov.t 

 and Council have been conciliatory and accommodating ; 

 and last, not least, my own family decidedly approve of 

 my remaining abroad, without, however, any unreason- 

 able apprehensions. All this comforts me in the highest 

 degree. ... I doubt not that all will go on well under 

 Kelland 's care, and that James Lindsay will be very 

 useful and in high favour. Even the grim Scotsman 

 has relaxed into a very kindly paragraph in my 

 favour ' 



They turned their steps once more towards the South. 

 But they had only proceeded as far as Frankfort when 

 they were again stopped by illness. This time Mrs. 

 Forbes was the sufferer, and they were unable to attempt 

 any further progress until the end of October. At len^i li , 

 however, by slow, and often weary stages, they reached 

 Naples. 



To E. C. BATTEN, ESQ. 



' NAPLES, November 2th. 



'. . . My former letters from Frankfort and Geneva 

 have explained the course of our tedious journey. My 

 dear wife has been not a little delicate ever since ; and 

 even when we had arrived at Aix, and had arranged to 

 go by Nice to Genoa, I was reluctantly obliged to give 

 up the idea, and take ship to Marseilles. At Geneva we 

 spent some pleasant days, but after leaving it we had a 

 very cold journey of three days by voiturier to Lyons, 

 and down the Rhone to Avignon. At Marseilles it froze 



