BIOGRAPHICAL (1870-1896) 39 



important topics were well known, and he was 

 scrupulously careful lest the Royal Society itself 

 should be thought to be identified ^^^th his private 

 convictions. The business of the Royal Society 

 occupied most of his time just at this period, and 

 subsequent to this, and noticeably from the year 

 1884, his health grew steadily worse. His untiring 

 energy began to be obviously failing. Microscopical 

 work was painful from the effort of stooping, and 

 hence, naturally enough, he turned his attention more 

 to philosophical and theological reading. He con- 

 tinued, however, in all his important positions up 

 to the beginning of October, but was already con- 

 templating resigning his Presidency, as well as re- 

 tiring from other active spheres. In a letter to Sir 

 M. Foster, written in October, he says, " I do not 

 think there is anything the matter with me except 

 a profound disinchnation to work," which, to anyone 

 who knew anything about Huxley, must have appeared 

 a very serious symptom, and, as a matter of fact, a 

 day or two after writing those words he was ordered 

 abroad immediately. He went to Italy, whence he 

 wrote that he thought he was getting better, but 

 very slowly, and, indeed, he was not much improved, 

 though his return to England seemed for a time to 

 benefit him. Acting, however, on the advice of 

 Sir Andrew Clark to give up work, he resigned his 

 Inspectorship of Salmon Fisheries in May 1885. He 

 was then sixty years of age. In spite of this, however, 

 there was no improvement, and so at the anniversary 

 meeting of the Royal Society on November 30 he 

 announced his resignation of the position of President. 

 Huxley had now given thirty-one years of devoted 

 and strenuous service to Government work, and the 



