The K -partitions of the R-gon. 127 



whom I never saw three times, was not of the Council, nor 

 even a Fellow, of the Royal Society. 



That letter is the only evidence, direct or indirect, that 

 has yet reached me, that any competent judge, dead or 

 alive, ever tried to read six pages of mine on this subject, 

 printed or in my MS. 



Of my definite teaching ab initio, to which a student at 

 the beginning would gladly turn, the first lessons are all in 

 my third section, which is evident in the above quotation. 

 Not a line of the third section was permitted to see the 

 light in 1862. And I have been informed by the Secretary 

 of the Royal Society that they have no intention to print 

 more of my Memoir. 



I have to confess that, a few years ago, I was tempted 

 to a violation — a very little violation — of this dread taboo. 

 Of that impiety I hope to die sufficiently penitent ; and I 

 am confident that I am much too virtuous to repeat the sin. 

 It is this — in Vol. XLIII., 1888-9, of the Proceedings of the 

 Literary and Philosophical Society of Liverpool, there is, 

 plentifully illustrated by plates containing 70 figures, an 

 analysis and synthesis of four autopolar solids, three that 

 have each six, and one that has nine, different edges. 



Of this taboo, for my very brief time, I make no 

 complaint. My two first sections printed contain, not a 

 production — our planet is yet but young — but a sufficient 

 protection, of my theorems. And I am very far from denying 

 that what was done with them was perfectly regular and in 

 order, and simply what, when a like somewhat rare case 

 recurs, will with equal propriety be done again. 



Wherefore I sing lustily, and shall sing to the end, the 

 song they have taught me — Procul este, profani ! Floreat 

 Taboo ! 



It is a genuine and an effectual taboo. For it has a 

 droll side, which I leave to the reader who knows a little 

 about the Grand Prize Question that, early in 1858, was 



