118 MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHAP. III. 



Essay ; and I only allow myself half an hour when walking, to 

 think of my next lecture. Dr. Christison has given me liberty 

 to try as many experiments as I like in his laboratory, and I 

 shall not miss the opportunity. Meanwhile, I am toiling night 

 and day, as you are, elated with hopes and depressed with fears 

 and troubles, as you are, and feeling how much more would be 

 my progress had I you beside me." 



"Saturday, I6th December. 



" The letter which envelops this was written to-day, and I 

 now snatch a moment to bring up to the present time, as far as 

 time will permit me, the news of house and family. 



" To my last I intended to add a postscript, but so many 

 things have since occurred to me as deserving a place there, 

 that now I have dropped the idea of filling up that space ; and 

 I doubt not that, after filling up this letter as far as time will 

 permit, the accompanying Maffa will serve to amuse you and 

 J. G. about Dr. Barry's fooleries. He has been bringing home 

 an odd animal, one of those, you will remember, referred to by 

 Sir H. Davy in his ' Consolations of Travel/ as found among 

 the lakes of Carniola. Of course he has been acting Jamie the 

 showman with it, and deserves the whipping he gets. The 

 other picture is of young Thomson, very like ; the rest can 

 scarcely interest you. 



" Mr. Dobbie and Mr. M 'Donald form a part of my Friday 

 audience. I have received great kindness from the former. He 

 has given me a most beautiful I cannot say more of it, I sum 

 up all, I think, in the words, it is a beautiful basso relievo of 

 Arago's head by David the French sculptor ; it is a very fine 

 head, and exquisitely done : as the head of a scientific man, as 

 the head of one I have seen, and especially as a piece of fine 

 and high art, I greatly value it. Mr. Dobbie told me last night 

 he had a Christ's head also for me, so you see I have a great 

 deal to make iny solitude happy. I am going to have a unique 

 Study. You remember two white jars of unglazed porcelain, 

 one of them the property of a lady in Glasgow, a Miss Mackay, 

 but I have seized on both. Mr. M'Donald is to paint them or 

 .slain them brownish-red. They are then to have black devices, 



