LETTER TO SIR HARRIS NICOLAS. 73 



sentiments, for God knows all the rest is but leather and 1836. 

 prunella) requires, one who believes that no independent man 

 can hold at the pleasure of any individual or corporation, except 

 perhaps the Crown, and then only because usage has made laws ? 



3. Does the regulation relating to that case provide the security 

 which a prudent man would think requisite against the subdivi- 

 sion of the Professorship in the event of its becoming lucrative ? 



We will suppose it comparatively immaterial what shall or 

 shall not be good behaviour, and who shall decide, presuming on 

 the check of public opinion, which operated strongly though not 

 effectually on a former occasion. And, on the one hand, let the 

 affirmative of the question (1) have all the advantage of its 

 having been found very difficult to remove a Professor, even 

 under the old regime ; while, on the other hand, it must have all 

 the disadvantage of the appeal to the Court of Proprietors being 

 utterly worthless. 



Your opinion should be given on no supposition of the 

 affirmative being desired, if possible. 



Should I accept any offer (for I shall certainly not be a 

 candidate) I should rather lose than gain for the time ; and I do 

 not consider the prospect of ultimate gain as greater than that I 

 now have. The advantage would be the resumption of an occu- 

 pation which is in itself pleasant to me, and which has some few 

 pleasing associations. But in a thing so nearly indifferent to 

 myself, the notion of what people in general would think would 

 have some weight. 



If your answers are such as would not please any parties con- 

 cerned, I will keep this communication entirely secret, and 

 remain, 



Yours sincerely, 



A. DE MORGAN. 

 5 Upper Gower Street, Oct. 10, 1836. 



N.B. The appeal to the Court of Proprietors is abolished , 

 which must be considered as increasing the respectability of the 

 Professorships, since, entre nous, a body of commercial English- 

 men got together upon a point of trade (and with these gentlemen, 

 as was sufficiently evident before, the honour and character of a 

 Professor was avowedly, and almost ipsissimis verbis, made a 

 question of trade) knows neither right from wrong, nor reason 

 from anything else. 



The answer must have been such as would please all 



