400 MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHAP. X. 



lighted on a cornice in his bedroom, which he slowly recognised 

 as something he had seen somewhere before, then he followed a 

 line from the cornice to the floor ; from the floor his eye tra- 

 velled to the bed which grew familiar to him, and finally his 

 glance settled on his own body, and he exclaimed, ' Oh, I'm 

 Hugh Miller !' and there was an end of the crockery business." 

 In the opening month of 1855, George writes to Daniel, " The 

 reactionaiy lassitude following eleven prelections last week, has 

 slowed my brain-engine, and I look at some duties, and with a 

 hardened heart refuse to fulfil them. I made stern resolutions 

 at the beginning of the winter, not to overwork myself, or to 

 take extra lectures, but the art of saying No is not learned in a 

 day, and though I have succeeded in uttering it several times, I 

 could not escape some demands on me." Amongst these de- 

 mands were three lectures to the Architectural Institute, ' On 

 the Chemistry of Building Materials,' 1 at the request of its 

 members. In the closing lecture a hope is expressed that 

 through the instrumentality of the Industrial Museum, the 

 knowledge of the qualities of Scottish building stones will re- 

 ceive large additions. 



" The many deaths among relatives and friends have made us 

 very grave. I am soberly cheerful among strangers, and try to 

 live day by day as a dying man ; and though it is a most im- 

 perfect copy of the life of my Lord and Master, I know that I 

 love Him more than ever I did, and I hope to love and imitate 

 Him better and better." The preparedness for death, of which 

 these words give evidence, was about to be put to a searching 

 test. After a lecture at the School of Arts one evening in the 

 beginning of February, he lay down to rest, but was aroused by 

 the rupture of a blood-vessel, and the loss of a considerable 

 quantity of blood. His indomitable spirit showed itself in his 

 coming down next morning as usual to breakfast, and actually 

 lecturing twice that day, though his ghastly appearance showed 

 that he was little fit for such exertion. When the weary day 

 was over, and he was again left for the night, haBmorrhage re- 

 turned a second time, and consciousness nearly failed him. He 

 \vas unable to summon assistance, and all that lonely night his 



i 'Transactions of the Architectural Institute of Scotland for 1854-5.' 



