* * * *

ROYAL OBSERVATORY, GREENWICH,
_1881, August 3_.

MY DEAR SIR,

With very great pleasure I received the Address of the Astronomische
Gesellschaft on occasion of my intended resignation of the Office of
Astronomer Royal: dated July 27, and signed by yourself as President
and Messrs Schoenfeld and Winnecke as Secretaries of the Astronomische
Gesellschaft. I thank you much for the delicacy of your arrangement
for the transmission of this document by the hands of our friend Dr
Huggins. And I think you will be gratified to learn that it arrived at
a moment when I was surrounded by my whole family assembled at my
_jour-de-fete_, and that it added greatly to the happiness of the
party.

I may perhaps permit myself to accept your kind recognition of my
devotion of time and thought to the interests of my Science and my
Office. It is full reward to me that they are so recognized. As to
the success or utility of these efforts, without presuming, myself, to
form an opinion, I acknowledge that the connection made by the
Astronomische Gesellschaft, between my name and the advance of modern
astronomy, is most flattering, and will always be remembered by me
with pride.

It is true, as is suggested in your Address, that one motive for my
resignation of Office was the desire to find myself more free for the
prosecution of further astronomical investigations. Should my health
remain unbroken, I hope to enter shortly upon this undertaking.

Again acknowledging the kindness of yourself and the Vorstand of the
Astronomische Gesellschaft, and offering my best wishes for the
continued success of that honourable institution,

I am, my dear Sir,
Yours very truly,
G.B. AIRY.

_To Dr Aimers
and the Vorstand of the
Astronomische Gesellschaft._

CHAPTER X.

AT THE WHITE HOUSE, GREENWICH. FROM HIS RESIGNATION
OF OFFICE ON AUGUST 15TH, 1881, TO HIS
DEATH ON JANUARY 2ND, 1892.

HISTORY OF HIS LIFE AFTER HIS RESIGNATION OF
OFFICE.

On the 16th of August 1881 Airy left the Observatory which had been
his residence for nearly 46 years, and removed to the White
House. Whatever his feelings may have been at the severing of his old
associations he carefully kept them to h