CHAP, in.] "OLD 31" EDINBURGH ACADEMY. 57 



account of them by chance in a book. But the fact 

 remains that at this early time his fancy, like that of 

 the old Greek geometers, was arrested by these types 

 of complete symmetry; and his imagination so 

 thoroughly mastered them, that he proceeded to 

 make them with his own hand. That he himself 

 attached more importance to this moment than the 

 letter indicates, is proved by the care with which he 

 has preserved these perishable things, so that they (or 

 those which replaced them in 1848) are still in exist- 

 ence after thirty-seven years. 



LETTERS, 1842 to 1844. 



[April 1842.} 



MY DEAR PAPA The day you went away Lizzy and I 

 went to the Zoological Gardens, and they have got an 

 elephant, and Lizzy was frightened for its ugly face. One 

 gentleman had a boy that asked if the Indian cow was he. 



Asky * thinks he is a scholar, and was for going with me 

 to the school, and came into the dancing to-day. 



On Friday there was great fun with Hunt the Gowk ; 2 

 we could believe nothing, for the clocks were all "stopped," 

 and everybody had a " hole in his jacket." Does Margaret 3 

 play on the trump 4 still ? and what are the great works ? 

 Does Bobby sail in the tub ? I am, your obedient servant, 



JAMES CLERK MAXWELL. 



[Illuminated letters at beginning, and border after.~] 



MY DEAR MR. MAXWELL I saw your son to-day, when 

 he told me that you could not make out his riddles. Now, 



1 Pet name of a dog. See illustration on p. 18. 



2 Scotch name for the license of April Fool's day. 



3 A daughter o'f his nurse. 4 The Jew's harp. 



