omen something more than and apart
from creed and profession and formulated principle; which indeed
directs and colours this creed and principle as decisively as it
is in its turn acted on by them, and this is their character or
humanity."--LORD MORLEY.

"As sets the sun in fine autumnal calm
So dost thou leave us. Thou not least but last
Link with that rare and gallant little band
Of seekers after truth, whose days, though past,
Shed lustre on the hist'ry of their land.
And thine, O Wallace, thine the added charm
Of modesty, thy mem'ry to embalm."--_Anonymous._

(_Received with a bunch of lilies-of-the-valley, a few days after Dr.
Wallace's death_.)

Addison somewhere says that modesty sets off every talent which a man
can be possessed of. This was manifestly true of Alfred Russel Wallace.
When, for instance, honours were bestowed upon him, he accepted or
rejected them with the same good-humour and unspoilable modesty. To
Prof. E.B. Poulton, whose invitation for the forthcoming Encaemia had
been conveyed in Prof. Bartholomew Price's letter, he wrote:

_Godalming. May 28, 1889._

My dear Mr. Poulton,--I have just received from Prof. B. Price the
totally unexpected offer of the honorary degree of D.C.L. at the coming
Commemoration, and you will probably be surprised and _disgusted_ to
hear that I have declined it. I have to thank you for your kind offer of
hospitality during the ceremony, but the fact is, I have at all times a
profound distaste of all public ceremonials, and at this particular
time that distaste is stronger than ever. I have never recovered from
the severe illness I had a year and a half ago, and it is in hopes of
restoring my health that I have let my cottage here and have taken
another at Parkstone, Dorset, into which I have arranged to move on
Midsummer Day. To add to my difficulties, I have work at examination
papers for the next two or three weeks, and also a meeting (annual) of
our Land Nationalisation Society, so that the work of packing my books
and other things and looking after the plants which I have to move from
my garden will have to be done in a very short time. 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.

Really the greatest kindness my friends can do me is to leave me in
pe