OBITUARY. 469 



and not from pleasure. He felt that it was a unique opportunity of 

 paying homage to the mighty genius whose name had been, and will 

 ever be, associated with his own. 



In the summer of 1889 the Hebdomadal Council of Oxford 

 University invited him to receive the hon. degree of D.C.L. at the 

 Encaenia. Professor Bartholomew Price wrote to inform Wallace 

 of the decision. He wrote to me on May 28th : — 



" You will probably be surprised and disgusted to hear that I 



have declined it I have at all times a profound distaste for all 



public ceremonials, and at this particular time that distaste is 

 stronger than ever." After referring to the amount of work he had 

 to do, the letter continues: " Under these circumstances it would be 

 almost impossible for me to rush away to Oxford, except under 

 absolute compulsion ; and to do so would be to render a ceremony, 

 which at .any time would be a trial, a positive punishment. 



" Eeally the greatest kindness my friends can do me is to leave 

 me in peaceful obscurity, for I have lived so secluded a life that I am 

 more and more disinclined to crowds of any kind." 



A few years later he refused, for the same reason, to unveil a 

 statue of Darwin in the Oxford University Museum, and I well 

 remember the sly humour with which he hinted that Sir Joseph 

 Hooker would be a far more appropriate central figure at the 

 ceremony. 



Ten years ago the Hon. John Collier generously offered to paint 

 a portrait of Wallace. If the offer had been accepted we should 

 have had a noble presentation of one of the greatest men of the last 

 century — a splendid companion to the Darwin and Huxley we all 

 know and love so well. But nothing would induce Wallace to sit. 

 "My portrait is just appearing in 'Black and White,'" he said, 

 " and I am sure nothing could be better than that." About ten 

 weeks ago Wallace gave up his old objection, and was willing to sit 

 for his portrait : arrangements were actually being made at the time 

 of his death. It is still hoped that, with the help of photographs, a 

 portrait, to be presented to the Boyal Society, may be one of the 

 memorials of this great man. 



Although Wallace avoided humanity in the mass, he resembled 

 Darwin in the breadth of his interest in mankind. The older 

 naturalist, although he quoted Cobbett and spoke of the " bloody old 

 Times," still said that he could not do without it, and that it was 

 "meat and drink" to him. Just a year before his death Wallace 

 wrote, November 12th, 1912 : — 



