444 THE LIFE OF JAMES 1). FORBES. [CHAP. 



a limited future, I think, and I leave it contentedly, so 

 far as I may, in God's hands/ 



When he reached Clifton his inclination was at once 

 to resign the Presidency of the United College, as he 

 felt convinced that he would never again revisit St. 

 Andrews. But from taking this step he was deterred 

 by the advice of Dr. Symonds, who suggested that the 

 Principal should wait quietly for four months and see 

 what change the summer brought : if it were not a change 

 for the better, he might then resign. On this advice 

 he acted implicitly. Meanwhile that his College and its 

 interests were not absent from his thoughts the follow- 

 ing letter written in pencil to one of his colleagues then 

 in England, shows : 



To PROFESSOR CAMPBELL. 



'CLIFTON, May I8tk, 18G8. 



' . . . I learn that you are likely to be here before 

 long. Pray give me some notice of your coming. 

 Should I happily be then as free from urgent illn 

 I could hold cautiously some conversation with you 

 on matters of importance affecting St. Andrews, but 

 which I could not have held sooner without extreme 

 imprudence. I began this letter under the impression 

 that you intended being at Clifton shortly, but Mrs. C. 

 now writes of the 30th June. This is a long time for 

 me to look forward to, and I may either be better or 

 worse by that time. 



' I thought that I might perhaps be able to explain to 

 you the drift of the notes which 1 have made and which 

 are here on the College holdings in St. Andrews. . . . 

 In my present state of weakness it is vain to hope 

 that I can put all this in writing. 



' It is very doubtful whether I could convey it to 

 you in a few desultory conversations of uncertain 

 length, earned on somewhat in despite of the doctor. 

 But you will easily understand the anxiety I have 

 that the materials I have gathered and which it 



