XIIL] TUE CLOSE. 445 



may almost certainly be predicted, no one will ever 

 again work out from the beginning, though they might 

 follow up what I have thought and done should not 

 be utterly lost/ 



I y the beginning of October the four appointed months 

 had expired, and then Principal Forbes, finding his weak- 

 ness gradually increasing, with the full consent of his 

 physician, sent in to the University Court his resignation, 

 with the request that it should take effect on the 15th 

 November. On acquainting the senior Professor that 

 such was his intention, several of his colleagues who 

 were then in St. Andrews sent him a joint letter, 

 ng that he would postpone his resignation. 

 Having, however, acted thus deliberately, he abode by 

 his resolve, and his connection with St. Andrews ceased 

 on the day he himself had named. 



\Vith this last act his connection with the outer 

 world may be said to have ended, and he lay calmly and 

 devoutly looking forward to the close. 



On the 5th October, to his eldest daughter on her 

 sick bed at Pitlochrie, he wrote in pencil, these his last 

 written words : 



'CLIFTON, October 5th, 18G8. 



' DEAREST ELIZA, 



' I am glad to take up my pencil again to write. 



to you. I hardly know why 1 have not done so sooner. 



I n-,-d not tell ymi. my dearest .n'irl, how deeply I have 



ited in the reports of your changing condition 



of he.-iltli. and my sorrow that you have been such a 



rer. 



'I n-joice to hear that you have borne it all with so 



i pati.-nee and rhe.-rfulness. We are much indebted 



to Dr. Irvine and Aunt .lam- for their full and frequent 



letters, and I fnndly hope that the latest improvement 



will be the beginning n f better tin 



1 I : have had many ups and downs ; but at 



present I am rather better. \\ , have some eold ni;_ 



It \\\\\A be frrttili'r mid at 1'itlnelirie. but 1 do lint 



