334 MEMOIR OF AUGUSTUS DE MORGAN, 



To Sir J. F. W. Herschel. 



91 Adelaide Road, September 27, 1865. 



1865. MY -JEAR SIR JOHN, Then the story is a story, and has a 



place in history. ISTow for its explanation. Old George III. 

 knew Shakespeare pretty well much better than any other 

 literature. In ' Hamlet ' there are several places in which 

 Hamlet seems on the very point either of disclosing his step- 

 father's villany or giving him some reproach, but breaks off 

 and substitutes something. In one case where ass is clearly 

 coming, he makes it peacock. 



For thou dost know, O Damon dear, 



This realm dismantled was 

 Of Jove himself ; and now reigns here 



A very, very (ass) peacock. 



Now George III. had old score recollections of the House of 

 Commons. I suspect that when his mind was in his wanderings 

 he determined to be revenged and to say, * My Lords and Asses/ 

 and he remembered and imitated Hamlet's substitute. 



I am, yours sincerely, 



A. DE MORGAN. 



To Lord Chief Baron Pollock. 



91 Adelaide Road, December 22, 1865. 



MY DEAR L. CHIEF BARON, I don't believe in December 21 

 as the shortest day. Put on the twilight at both ends, and 

 calculate the shortest day. What care I for geometry ? It is 

 day as long as I can see to read, and even then the type must 

 be stated. There is Large Pica day, Small Pica day, Bour- 

 geois (pron. Burgice) day, etc. Diamond day is considerably 

 shorter than the geometrical day, in winter. 



But now to your questions. 1 'A/zos is an obsolete word = TIS. 

 HODS, the common word. 'A/xcocrycTrws is a word of Plato and 

 Aristophanes (two people as opposite as L. C. B. Pollock and 

 L. C. B. Nicholson), meaning somehow or another, So it is, as 

 you say, ' some unknown cause capable of producing.' We can- 

 not coin in English, I suppose, because it is the Queen's 



1 As to the meaning of amosgepotically in the preface to From 

 Matter to Spirit. 



