tion probably for many years, and marriage would have
been out of the question: I much preferred a moderate income in no
long time, and I am sure that in this I judged rightly for my
happiness. I had now in some measure taken science as my line (though
not irrevocably), and I thought it best to work it well, for a time at
least, and wait for accidents.

"The acceptance of the Lucasian Professorship prevented me from being
pressed by Sedgwick (who was Proctor this year) to take the office of
moderator: which was a great relief to me. As Lucasian Professor I was
ipso facto Member of the Board of Longitude. A stipend of _L100_ a
year was attached to this, on condition of attending four meetings:
but I had good reason (from intimations by South and other persons in
London) for believing that this would not last long. The fortnightly
notices of the meetings of the Board were given on Jan. 18th,
Mar. 22nd, May 24th and Oct. 18th.

"On Jan. 2nd, 1827, I came from London to Bury. I found my father in a
very declining state (the painful rheumatism of some years had changed
to ulcerations of the legs, and he was otherwise helpless and had
distressing hallucinations). On Jan. 8th I walked to Cambridge. At
both places I was occupied in preparations for the Smith's Prize
Examination and for lectures (for the latter I obtained at Bury gaol
some numerical results about tread-mills).

"Of the Smith's Prize I was officially an Examiner: and I determined
to begin with---what had never been done before--making the
examination public, by printing the papers of questions. The Prize is
the highest Mathematical honour in the University: the competitors are
incepting Bachelors of Arts after the examination for that Degree. My
day of examination (apparently) was Jan. 21st. The candidates were
Turner, Cankrein, Cleasby, and Mr Gordon. The first three had been my
private pupils: Mr Gordon was a Fellow-commoner of St Peter's College,
and had just passed the B.A. examination as Senior Wrangler, Turner
being second. My situation as Examiner was rather a delicate one, and
the more so as, when I came to examine the papers of answers, Turner
appeared distinctly the first. Late at night I carried the papers to
Whewell's rooms, and he on inspection agreed with me. The other
examiners (Professors Lax and Woodhouse, Lowndean and Plumian
Professors) generally supported me: and Turner had the honour of First
Smith's Prize.

"On Jan. 30th my mother wrote