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



to your own pleasure and to the benefit of your pupils. 

 My own health remains exceedingly stationary ; has 

 rather improved within two year*; but still compels a 

 comparatively inactive life. I was in London for some 

 weeks in May and June. I had not attended a meeting 

 of the Koyal Society nor indeed seen anyone almost in 

 London since 1851, the year of the first Exhibition! so 

 you will imagine that I seemed to myself and others a 

 sort of resuscitated antediluvian, or one of the stone 

 weapon people come to partial life. 



' The occasion of my visit was sad : my eldest and last 

 remaining brother, Sir John Forbes, whom I think you 

 slightly knew, died in London on the 28th of May, after 

 a painful illness, and I came to be with him. 



' The British Association meets next year at Dundee, 

 not far from here. Shall you not take one trip to Scot- 

 land and see us all ? my family now nearly grown up 

 would alone be a reason against attempting to travel, 

 besides my infirmities. My eldest son is with a civil 

 engineer at Newcastle. My second son I hope to send 

 to Cambridge/ 



To E. C. BATTEN, ESQ. 



* ST. ANDREWS, April 6th, 1867. 



* Weeks pass by almost unperceived by me, and anon 

 I find myself reminded by a letter from you that I have 

 been remiss. It is curious how much miscellaneous 

 business falls into my hands, perhaps from having more 

 normal leisure than most people. Setting aside a not 

 inconsiderable correspondence, it is surprising how many- 

 reports, drafts, minutes, advertisements and circulars 

 it falls to me to write out with my own hands ; the 

 number of these things I do, gives me of course a certain 

 facility in doing it. One of the last things is organizing 

 a subscription for an entertainment of a select party of 

 the British Association here on an excursion from Dundee 

 in September. It must be done, and as well done as we 

 are able. Then our new College Hall and the manage- 

 ment of the present one costs me no little anxiety. We 

 are told it is not at all known, and the Englishmen we 



