1851 LETTER TO HIS SISTER 139 



I am indebted for the supervision of papers that were 

 published in my absence, for many introductions, and 

 most valuable information and assistance, and all done 

 in such a way as not to oppress one or give one any 

 feeling of patronage, which you know (so much do I 

 retain of my old self) would not suit me. My notions are 

 diametrically opposed to his in some matters, and he 

 helps me to oppose him. The other night, or rather 

 nights, for it took three, I had a long paper read at the 

 Royal Society which opposed some of his views, and he 

 got up and spoke in the highest terms of it afterwards. 

 This is all as it should be. I can reverence such a 

 man and yet respect myself. 



I have been aspiring to great honours since I wrote 

 to you last, to wit the F.R.S., and found no little to my 

 astonishment that I had a chance of it, and so went in. 

 I must tell you that they have made the admission more 

 difficult than it used to be. Candidates are not elected 

 by the Society alone, but fifteen only a year are selected 

 by a committee, and then elected as a matter of course 

 by the Society. This year there were thirty -eight 

 candidates. I did not expect to come in till next year, 

 but I find I am one of the selected. I fancy I shall be 

 the junior Fellow by some years. Singularly enough, 

 among the non-selected candidates were Ward, the man 

 who conducted the Botanical Honours Examination 

 of Apothecaries' Hall nine years ago, and Bryson, the 

 surgeon of the Fisguard, i.e., nominally my immediate 

 superior, and who, as he frequently acts as Sir Wm. 

 Burnett's deputy, will very likely examine me when I pass 

 for Surgeon B.N. ! ! That is awkward and must be 

 annoying to him, but it is not my fault. I did not ask 

 for a single name that appeared upon my certificate. 

 Owen's name and Carpenter's, which were to have been 

 appended, were not added. Forbes, my recommender, told 

 me beforehand not to expect to get in this year, and 

 did not use his influence, and so I have no intriguing 



