FAILING HEALTH, BUT UNFLAGGING ZEAL 281 



of contradiction. Yet his judgment was usually sound 

 and fair, to the very last. 



The same round of festive gatherings and conversazioni 

 went on with undiminished brilliancy. He was a constant 

 attendant at the Royal Society Club. Considering his 

 bodily infirmities this was very wonderful as a triumph 

 of mind over matter. 



" For fourteen or fifteen years previous to his death 

 he lost the use of his lower limbs so completely as to 

 oblige him to be carried or wheeled, as the case might 

 require, by his servants in a chair. In this way he was 

 conveyed to the more dignified Chair of the Royal Society, 

 and also to the Club, and conducted the business with so 

 much spirit and dignity that a stranger would not have 

 supposed he was often suffering at the time, nor even 

 have observed an infirmity, which never disturbed his 

 uniform cheerfulness." 1 



Yet, in spite of his being thus crippled, he managed 

 to live a full life, attending to his various official duties 

 with his old zest. He took his physical troubles with 

 more than philosophy. He rarely alluded to his growing 

 weakness ; and then without murmuring. " I think I 

 shall not last much longer " (he writes to Bligh). " I 

 thank God I have had a long and happy life, and think 

 I am quite willing to resign it. At this moment I have 

 no use of my left hand, and not much of my legs." There 

 were still twelve years of his life to run. And still he 

 could write jocular letters to Everard Home, on col- 

 chicum, quackery, and eau medicinale d'Husson; perhaps 

 with a view of cheering up his fellow-sufferer. He could 

 be merry enough, when not in actual pain ; and he kept 

 up those social pleasures that were in reach. He writes to 

 Home (August 24, 1818) : 



" The Club prospers. Till last Thursday we had not 



1 Sir John Barrow : Sketches of the Royal Society, etc. 



