s that of a stranger; and I put it to you, whether
common sense would not order you to take more regular exercise and work
your brain less. (N.B. Take a cold bath and walk before breakfast.) I
am certain in the long run you would not lose time. Till you have a
thoroughly bad stomach, you will not know the really great evil of
it, morally, physically, and every way. Do reflect and act resolutely.
Remember your troubled heart-action formerly plainly told how your
constitution was tried. But I will say no more--excepting that a man
is mad to risk health, on which everything, including his children's
inherited health, depends. Do not hate me for this lecture. Really I am
not surprised at your having some headache after Thursday evening, for
it must have been no small exertion making an abstract of all that was
said after dinner. Your being so engaged was a bore, for there were
several things that I should have liked to have talked over with you. It
was certainly a first-rate dinner, and I enjoyed it extremely, far more
than I expected. Very far from disagreeing with me, my London visits
have just lately taken to suit my stomach admirably; I begin to think
that dissipation, high-living, with lots of claret, is what I want,
and what I had during the last visit. We are going to act on this same
principle, and in a very profligate manner have just taken a pair of
season-tickets to see the Queen open the Crystal Palace. (37/1. Queen
Victoria opened the Crystal Palace at Sydenham on June 10th, 1854.) How
I wish there was any chance of your being there! The last grand thing we
were at together answered, I am sure, very well, and that was the Duke's
funeral.

Have you seen Forbes' introductory lecture (37/2. Edward Forbes
was appointed to a Professorship at Edinburgh in May, 1854.) in the
"Scotsman" (lent me by Horner)? it is really ADMIRABLY done, though
without anything, perhaps, very original, which could hardly be
expected: it has given me even a higher opinion than I before had, of
the variety and polish of his intellect. It is, indeed, an irreparable
loss to London natural history society. I wish, however, he would not
praise so much that old brown dry stick Jameson. Altogether, to my
taste, it is much the best introductory lecture I have ever read. I hear
his anniversary address is very good.

Adios, my dear Hooker; do be wise and good, and be careful of your
stomach, within which, as I know full well, lie intellect, consci