George Ticknor, Life, letters and journals of George Ticknor
George Hillard, Ed.

[438]

What I especially desire to obtain from you is:—

1. All his letters and notes to you and your family, which I will carefully return to you, after I have taken from them all I may need; unless you prefer to send me copies.

2. Permission to print any portion of the letters from you and yours which may be found among his papers, and which may be necessary to explain or illustrate such parts of his own as may be printed.

3. Any facts about him, and especially about his visit to England, of which you knew more than anybody else; any anecdotes of him; anything, in short, which may tend to set him rightly before the world, as we knew and loved him.

In furnishing these materials for his Life, I am quite aware you will be obliged to rely on my discretion, as to the manner in which they will be used. But I hope you will feel safe, and I think I can promise that you will be.

I shall write by the next steamer, if not by this one, to Dean Milman, to Mr. Stirling, . . . . and to a few others. . . . .

When you have anything ready, be it more or less, just put it under an envelope and let it come, without waiting for more . . . . . I do not mean to be pressed or do it in a hurry . . . .

I have two capital letters from Sir Charles. Thank him for them in the most cordial manner, and tell him I shall write to him as soon as I can, and go into the Agassiz matter, ¹ which is very thriving, and likely to come to excellent results. I am more engaged in it than I ought to be, considering that a more ignorant man in regard to natural science can hardly be found; but Dr. Bigelow, who is in deeper than I am, is safe, and he and Agassiz will be held responsible for any mistakes I may make. At least, I intend they shall be. . . . .

Anna writes, as usual, so that nothing remains for me but to give you my love, which you are always sure of, as well as that of all mine.

Geo. Ticknor.

Thenceforward he gave himself to his work of love with a sad pleasure. During the following summer, when he carried out his long-cherished wish to pass several weeks at Niagara, he was busy there, and while visiting Sir Edmund Head at Toronto, writing about his friend. The following letter contains an allusion to this:—