148 GEORGE JOHN ROMANES issi- 



not wholly, in unkindness. Many friends enlivened 

 his summer home, and all those who paid a second 

 visit were known as the ' Geanies brotherhood.' 



Journal, Geanies, July 26. — Yesterday came the 

 terrible news of Mr. Prank Balfour's sudden death.^ 

 His loss is irreparable. It is only a month since we 

 met him at Cambridge, looking so well, quite recovered 

 from his recent illness ; we were looking forward to 

 his promised visit. 



Sept. — Mr. Lockyer, the Bruntons, and the Burdon 

 Sandersons have been here. Memorial Poem to 

 Darwin begun. 



Nov. 14, Edinburgh. — Met for the first time Mr. 

 and Mrs. Butcher, who were Just taking possession 

 of the Greek Chair ; also Professor Blackie, who was 

 himself, and talked much of the insolence of John 

 Bull. 



Jan. 1883. — Dr. Sanderson is elected Professor of 

 Physiology at Oxford. 



To this election was due the ultimate change 

 in Mr. Eomanes' life in 1890, when he followed 

 Dr. Sanderson to Oxford, attracted mainly by the 

 facilities for physiological research. 



On Jan. 2 of this year (1883) his mother died. 



Mr. Eomanes lectured at the Eoyal Institution in 

 January, and immediately afterwards went abroad on 

 one of the only two Continental tours he took simply 

 for pleasure. He much enjoyed this Italian journey, 

 and the rhyming instinct woke up in him greatly. 

 He wrote a good deal about this time, and one of his 

 sonnets has reference to this journey — 'Florence.' 



1 Mr. F. Balfour was killed on the Aiguille Blanche de Peuteret, July 

 1882. 



