lxii LIFE OF DR. ROLLESTON. 



any necessity for the Institute taking the matter up. It seems to 

 me an entirely political one . . . .' The extremely important 

 subject, at what stage in the development of science its results 

 may be wisely brought into contact and it may be conflict with 

 political and social opinions, is thus in Rolleston's view to be 

 managed by keeping science and practice apart as long as may 

 be. Whether he was right or wrong, his judgment must be fairly 

 stated and considered, as based on experience. Here, as else- 

 where, the writer of these memorial pages feels it no office of 

 his to discuss the positions taken up by Rolleston in science, 

 politics, or religion. His task is only to survey these positions 

 — of their strong and weak points the reader will judge. 



It remains to speak briefly of Rolleston's last year of life. 

 Though not even past middle age, he had for years felt the 

 strain of life growing more and more severe. Renal disease set 

 up by excessive toil had morbidly increased his nervous excita- 

 bility, when the work he still craved for became yet more 

 harmful. The physicians urged him to rest, but this was the 

 very thing he could not do. For instance, during his last Term 

 at Oxford, he rose every morning at six to get two hours free 

 for revising his ' Forms of Animal Life ' before the ordinary hard 

 day's work began. Such pressure could not last, and he had to 

 yield to medical advice, and leave England to spend the winter 

 1880-1 on the shores of the Mediterranean. He went out with 

 Sir William Gull and Dr. Acland to Florence in December, join- 

 ing his sister, Miss Margaret Rolleston, who was already abroad 

 and could give him the attention he needed for the few months 

 which his family confidently hoped would restore him to health, 

 while Mrs. Rolleston was kept at home by the care of their 

 young children. His starting on this his last journey was sad, 

 for, seeing the future more clearly than those nearest him, 

 he no longer carried with him the expectation of coming 

 back with new vigour to the battle of life. An old pupil came 

 to him at the Museum, and found him very ill but thoughtful 

 as ever for his friends. He said, ' Now is there anything more 

 I can do for you? I shan't be here long to do anything for any- 



