IS8S CONTINUED ILL-HEALTH II3 



except a strong tendency to put the most evil construction upon 

 everything. 



I am fairly dreading to-morrow [i.e. receiving the D.C.L. 

 degree at Oxford *] but why I don't know— probably an attack 

 of modesty come on late in life and consequently severe. 



Very likely it will do me good and make me " fit " for Thurs- 

 day [i.e. Council and ordinary meetings of Royal Society]. 



And a month later: — 



I have been idling in the country for two or three days— 

 but like the woman with the issue, " I am not better but rather 

 worse "—blue devils and funk — funk and blue devils. Liver, I 

 expect. [An ailment of which he says to Prof. Marsh, " I rather 

 wish I had some respectable disease — it would be livelier."] 



And again : — 



Everybody tells me I look so much better, that I am really 

 ashamed to go growling about, and confess that I am continually 

 in a blue funk and hate the thought of any work — especially of 

 scientific or anything requiring prolonged attention. 



At the end of July he writes to Sir W. Flower — 



4 Marlborough Place, July 27, 1885. 



My dear Flower — I am particularly glad to hear that things 

 went right on Saturday, as my conscience rather pricked me for 

 my desertion of the meeting. f But it was the only chance we 

 had of seeing our young married couple before the vacation — 

 and you will rapidly arrive at a comprehension of the cogency of 

 that argument now. 



I will think well of your kind words about the Presidency. 

 If I could only get rid of my eternal hypochondria the work of 

 the R.S. would seem little enough. At present, I am afraid of 

 everything that involves responsibility to a degree that is simply 

 ridiculous. I only wish I could shirk the inquiries I am going 

 off to hold in Devonshire ! 



P.R.S. in a continual blue funk is not likely to be either 

 dignified or useful ; and unless I am in a better frame of mind 

 in October I am afraid I shall have to go. — Ever yours very 

 faithfully, T. H. Huxley. 



A few weeks at Filey in August did him some good at 

 first ; and he writes cheerfully of his lodgings in " a place 



* See p. 118. f British Museum Trustees, July 25. 



44 



