XL] FAILURE OF HEALTH. 367 



till August 1856, was at last fairly published, he sent 

 the first copy of it to Dr. Symonds, with the following 



letter : 



'EDINBURGH, November 30^, 1856. 



' My impatience to send you a copy of my Opus 

 Magnum, of which I received a few from my publisher 

 last night, will not allow me to wait to have its exterior 

 made a little more comely by the binder. Your first 

 impression will be, I am sure, its small and insignificant 

 appearance, though it represents the best part of three 



irs' work of " these degenerate days." 



' 1 owe you triple thanks connected with it ; first, for 

 originally encouraging me to undertake it ; secondly, for 

 your valuable revision of the language ; and thirdly, for 

 your kind sympathy and encouragement during its pro- 

 gress, when a little mild approbation was much needed 

 to get up my flagging spirits. 



' It is now finished and embalmed in that dreadful 

 stereotype, and sent out 1,600-fold into the world, for 

 such is its circulation in the Encyclopaedia alone ! I calmly 

 await the award of the public so far as it may be expressed, 

 knowing that I have done my best ; but so well aware of 

 its deficiencies, that no critic could write a sharper review 

 of it than I could. In short, I am well up to its weak 

 points. 



'It is not only published but paid for! and Black 

 said yesterday as much as it is in his nature to do, to 

 gratify 



' . . . My Pedestrian article has been at an absolute 

 standstill for some time, but I have good hopes of re- 

 suming it.' 



In his journal he writes, ' I received 420 for the copy- 

 it .' 1 Hiring the session of '56-'57 Forbes' health seems 

 to have been better than it had IMM-H during any winter 

 o his severe illness. For this year arid the two fol low- 

 ing years he was assisted in ins class work by Dr. 

 Balfour Stcv. art. who lectured twice a week, and was 

 present daily at the class for a great part of the se^ 



