1S87 A DINNER TO TYNDALL 



177 



Things have been very crooked for me lately. I had a con- 

 glomerate of engagements of various degrees of importance in 

 the latter half of last week, and had to forego them all, by reason 

 of a devil in the shape of muscular rheumatism of one side, 

 which entered me last Wednesday, and refuses to be wholly 

 exorcised (I believe it is my Jubilee Honour).* Along with it, 

 and I suppose the cause of it, a regular liver upset. I am very 

 seedy yet, and even if Fanning's death had not occurred I doubt 

 if I should have been ready to face the Tyndall dinner. 



The reference to this " Tyndall dinner " is explained in 

 the following letters, which also refer to a meeting of the 

 London University, in which the projects of reform which 

 he himself supported met with a smart rebuff. 



4 Marlborough Place, May 13, 1887. 



My dear Tyndall — I am very sorry to hear of your gout, 

 but they say when it comes out at the toes it flies from the better 

 parts, and that is to the good. 



There is no sort of reason why unsatisfied curiosity should 

 continue to disturb your domestic hearth ; your wife will have 

 the gout too if it goes on. " They " can't bear the strain. 



The history of the whole business is this. A day or two 

 before I spoke to you, Lockyer told me that various people had 

 been talking about the propriety of recognising your life-long 

 work in some way or other; that, as you would not have any- 

 thing else, a dinner had been suggested, and finally asked me 

 to inquire whether you would accept that expression of good- 

 will. Of course I said I would, and I asked accordingly. 



After you had assented I spoke to several of our friends who 

 were at the Athenaeum, and wrote to Lockyer. I believe a strong 

 committee is forming, and that we shall have a scientific jubila- 

 tion on a large scale ; but I have purposely kept in the back- 

 ground, and confined myself, like Bismarck, to the business of 

 " honest broker." 



But of course nothing (beyond preliminaries) can be done 

 till you name the day, and at this time of year it is needful to 



* On the same day he describes this to Sir J. Evans : — " I have 

 hardly been out of the house as far as my garden, and not much off 

 my bed or sofa since I saw you last. I have had an affection of the 

 muscles of one side of my body, the proper name of which I do not 

 know, but the similitude thereof is a bird of prey periodically digging 

 in his claws and stopping your breath in a playful way." 



