72 MEMOIR OF AUGUSTUS DE MORGAN. 



1836. Mr. remained, and then denied that they had recommended 



Letter to his dismissal ? 



Nicolas On this dismissal, within twenty minutes of hearing it 



authenticated, I retired from the University, writing the follow- 

 ing letter to the Council. 1 



This took place in July or August 1831. 



In consequence of the retirement of other Professors, and of 

 the severe loss sustained by the classes, as I suppose, a different 

 system of management was finally adopted. It is detailed in the 

 printed paper enclosed, of which the parts in question are scored 

 in black ink where they relate to the Professor and Council, and 

 in red ink where they relate to the Professor and his pupils. 2 



My successor has, most unfortunately for the University, 

 been lost at sea, which was communicated to me very suddenly 

 by one of my old colleagues. My first impulse was to offer to 

 perform the duties till Christmas, which I accordingly did, look- 

 ing at the moment only to the inconvenience arid probable loss 

 which would be sustained by the institution opening without 

 one of its most material chairs. 



But on looking out into the world in this new character of 

 a pro tewpore substitute of my former self, I find in the first 

 place a wish on the part of all I have spoken to (or rather, who 

 have spoken to me) that I should return to my old post per- 

 manently, mixed, I suspect, with a strong notion that such is 

 my desire. I am, therefore, if I do not choose finally to make 

 any overture on this subject, or to allow any to be made, in a 

 position to be supposed to have coquetted with this divorcee of 

 mine, and unsuccessfully. This I mean to avoid by taking a 

 very early opportunity of stating to anybody who thinks it worth 

 while to ask the question, whether I will take it or not. I want 

 the opinion of an unprejudiced person, who knows the world, on 

 the following questions : 



1. Do the regulations here submitted amount to bond fide 

 moral security that Professorships in the University of London 

 are offices tenable during good behaviour, and not held at 

 pleasure ? 



2. In addition to the practical security, supposing it to exist, 

 do they offer that exterior show of being so held which would 

 place the holders in that advantageous position as to respect- 

 ability which a gentleman (meaning only by education and 



1 See p. 39. 



2 The document itself is much too long for insertion. 



