was to see the close, I was with him almost every day. At this time I was myself laid aside from systematic work of any kind, while his obviously failing health and incapacity to walk any distance without suffering invited companionship. His intellectual interest was as keen as ever, but the hope of doing much more was fast dying out. He reflected with satisfaction that he had completed his lectures on the Early Greek Philosophy, and he would fain have been spared for a renewed study of Plato, and a fresh and extended treatment of the Platonic Philosophy. He felt this to be no longer possible; but his mind naturally lingered round his favourite subject, and we spent the summer in reading together some of the Dialogues in which he formerly delighted, and had carefully pencilled with his notes. He took it into his head also to read through Virgil, and I used sometimes to join him in the evenings which he devoted to this purpose. The companionship was a great pleasure to me, and seemed in some degree to relieve the tedium of his bodily languor. The strength and patience of his character, and buoyant energy and varied activity of his mind, were never more conspicuous. We had many earnest conversations, too, about more solemn matters; for it is needless to say that a reason so inquisitive and reflective as Professor Ferrier's had pondered much on the subject of religion. He was unable to feel much interest in any of its popular forms, but he had a most intense interest in its great mysteries, and a thorough rever-
