1885 CONTINUED ILL-HEALTH 411 



Presidency before the Council of the Eoyal Society. 

 By the latter he was begged to defer his final decision, 

 but his health gave no promise of sufficient amend- 

 ment before the decisive Council meeting in October. 

 He writes on May 27 : 



I am convinced that what with my perennial weari- 

 ness and my deafness I ought to go, whatever my kind 

 friends may say. 



A curious effect of his illness was that for the first 

 time in his life he began to shrink involuntarily from 

 assuming responsibilities and from appearing on 

 public occasions ; thus he writes on June 16 : 



I am sorry to say that the perkiness of last week 1 

 was only a spurt, and I have been in a disgusting state 

 of blue devils lately. Can't make out what it is, for I 

 really have nothing the matter, except a strong tendency 

 to put the most evil construction upon everything. 



I am fairly dreading to-morrow [i.e. receiving the 

 D.C.L. degree at Oxford 2 ] but why I don't know 

 probably an attack of modesty come on late in life and 

 consequently severe. 



Very likely it will do me good and make me "fit" 

 for Thursday [i.e. Council and ordinary meetings of 

 Royal Society]. 



And a month later : 



I have been idling in the country for two or three 

 days but like the woman with the issue, " I am not 

 better but rather worse" blue devils and funk funk 



1 I.e. at the unveiling of the Darwin statue at South Kensing- 

 ton. See p. 422. 



2 See p. 419. 



