86 PROFESSOR OWEN ch. in. 



chief members of the Association. By this kind 

 arrangement of Sir James I avoid a forty-miles' 

 journey in crowded vehicles on Thursday, for most 

 of the party will have to go and return the same 

 day from Balmoral, there being no sleeping ac- 

 commodation. From Balmoral I return to sleep 

 Thursday night at Sir J. C.'s, and then proceed 

 on Sunday to Lancaster, and have a couple of 

 quiet days there to recruit before going on to my 

 lectures at Manchester and Liverpool, . . . and 

 have given up visits to the Earl of Aberdeen, Earl 

 of Caithness, Lord Ashburton, Grant Duff, &c.' 



Owen's plans, however, were altered, for in 

 another letter, September 21, he says: 'Soon 

 after I despatched my last, I received a kind 

 invitation from Lady John Russell to spend a few 

 days with them at Abergeldie (where the Prince of 

 Wales was staying) after visiting Balmoral, and it 

 is arranged that I am to sleep there after visiting 

 Her Majesty to-morrow.' 



Owen states in his diary that he lectured at 

 Manchester on September 26, 29, 30, October 3, 

 7, 10, and at Liverpool on September 27 and 

 October 4 and 6. 



His position at the British Museum brought 

 him into contact with many interesting questions 

 not primarily connected with his own line of work. 

 He had always been a careful student of Shake- 

 speare, and had this year the opportunity of making 

 an examination of a copy of the second folio 



