176 



MEMOIR OF AUGUSTUS DE MORGAN. 



1849, 



Book 

 postage. 



Guglielmo 

 Libri. 



scattering blessings in his path, instead of, what he has 

 been made by over-driving, a rampant lion, seeking what 

 he may devour. 1 



Although not among our frequent visitors, Sir Eowland 

 Hill was an old acquaintance of my husband's. Before 

 the time of which I am writing he had brought his 

 great scheme of penny postage into operation, having 

 grappled with and overcome gigantic obstacles. Mr. De 

 Morgan had corresponded with him on this work, and in 

 1848 made many suggestions for the postage of books and 

 MSS. Sir R. Hill, after stating the conditions of posting, 

 and the amount of writing allowed in the address, requests 

 him not to refer in writing to the source of his informa- 

 tion, saying, ' You will perhaps think all this ridiculous, 

 but there are real as well as imaginary difficulties in doing 

 more at present, at least.' My husband gave a good deal 

 of help anonymously to this great reform, and, I think, 

 suggested the book postage. 



At this time he was actively interested in the 

 questions raised by the proposed compilation of a com- 

 plete catalogue of the British Museum Library. I 

 need not enter into the discussion which this subject 

 excited, further than to note that some expressions made 

 use of by Mr. T. K. Hervey, then editor of the Athenaeum, 

 led to Mr. De Morgan's discontinuing his contributions to 

 that journal for some years. 



During the agitation of the catalogue question he 

 often visited the British Museum, and on one occasion 

 met Count, or Professor, 2 Guglielmo Libri, who had come 

 to England in a state of utter despair, owing to the 

 charges of theft made against him by the French 

 Government. Mr. De Morgan was at once favourably 



1 January, 1878. Only yesterday a friend told me that while 

 walking in the street, violent and frightful screams startled her, and 

 on inquiring at the house from whence they came, she was told that 

 a young lady was dangerously ill of brain fever, having just passed a 

 College examination. 



2 He preferred the latter title. 



