I8S6 LETTER TO SIR M. FOSTER 1 a 1 



museum — containing a threefold collection of typical forms, a 

 biological Trinity in Unity in fact. 



It might conciliate the clerics if you adopted this illustration. 

 But as your own, mind. I should not like them to think me 

 capable of it. 



However, even Ilkley was not an infallible cure. Thus 

 he writes to Sir M. Foster : — 



May 17. — I am ashamed of myself for not going to town to 

 attend the Gov. Grant Committee and Council, but I find I had 

 better stop here till the end of the month, when I must return 

 for a while anyhow. 



I have improved very much here, and so long as I take heaps 

 of exercise every day I have nothing to complain of beyond a fit 

 of blue devils when I wake in the morning. 



But I don't want to do any manner of work, still less any 

 manner of play, such as is going on in London at this time of 

 year, and I think I am wise to keep out of it as long as I can. 



I wish I knew what is the matter with me. I feel always 

 just on the verge of becoming an absurd old hypochondriac, and 

 as if it only wanted a touch to send me over. 



May 27. — . . . The blue devils worry me far less than they 

 did. If there were any herd of swine here I might cast them 

 out altogether, but I expect they would not go into blackfaced 

 sheep. 



I am disposed to stop not more than ten days in London, but 

 to come back here and bring some work with me. In fact I do 

 not know that I should return yet if it were not that I do not 

 wish to miss our usual visit to Balliol, and that my Spanish 

 daughter is coming home for a few months. . . . 



I am overwhelmed at being taken at my word about scientific 

 federation.* " Something will transpire " as old Gutzlaff f said 

 when he flogged plaintiff, defendant and witnesses in an obscure 

 case. 



P.S. — I have had an invitation from to sign " without 



committing myself to details " an approbation of his grand 

 scheme. % A stupendous array of names appear thus committed 



* i.e. a federation between the Royal Society and scientific societies 

 in the colonies. 



f This worthy appears to have been an admiral on the China sta- 

 tion about 1840. 



\ For the reorganisation of the Fisheries Department. 



