al depends on the great
mass of computations in Section ii. These have been made in duplicate,
with all the care for accuracy that anxiety could supply. Still I cannot
but fear that the error which is the source of discordance must be on my
part." The work was continued until October 1888, but without success.

He continued to show his characteristic fearlessness in what he considers
to be his duty. Thus in 1883 (p. 355) he refused to sign a memorial in
favour of the burial of Mr Spottiswoode in Westminster Abbey, on the
ground that he had not conferred "great and durable" benefits on society.
In 1883 he wrote (p. 356) to the Vicar of Greenwich protesting against
choral service in the church. I shall quote his words as almost a
solitary example of his use of picturesque English:--"For a venerable
persuasion there is substituted a rude irreverential confusion of voices;
for an earnest acceptance of the form offered by the Priest there is
substituted--in my feeling at least--a weary waiting for the end of an
unmeaning form."

In 1887 his son records (p. 361) that Airy's private accounts gave him
much trouble. It had been his custom to keep them by double entry in
very perfect order. "But he now began to make mistakes and to grow
confused, and this distressed him greatly . . . and so he struggled with
his accounts as he did with his Lunar Theory till his powers absolutely
failed."

In 1889 he had the satisfaction of knowing that his system of compass
correction in iron ships had been universally adopted. Whether the
Admiralty ought to be proud of the fact that fifty years had elapsed
since Airy's discovery was made known is another question.

Sir George Airy died 2nd January 1892. It is recorded that before the
end came he had been lying quietly for several days "reciting the English
poetry with which his memory was stored."

SYDNEY SMITH {175a}

"I thank God, Who has made me poor, that He has made me merry."

I. BIOGRAPHICAL.

Sydney Smith was born in 1771, the son of an eccentric Mr Robert Smith
and his wife, who was the daughter of a French _emigre_. Robert Smith is
said to have bought and re-sold something like twenty houses in the
course of his life. This may help to account for Sydney being early
dependent on his own resources. When he was engaged to be married, he
threw six silver teaspoons into his fiancee's lap, saying: "There Kate,
you lucky girl, I give you my whole fortun