* * * * *

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 himself, and entered upon his new life with the cheerful composure and steadiness of temper which he possessed in a remarkable degree.  He was now more than 80 years old, and the cares of office had begun to weigh heavily upon him:  the long-continued drag of the Transit of Venus work had wearied him, and he was anxious to carry on and if possible complete his Numerical Lunar Theory, the great work which for some years had occupied much of his time and attention.  His mental powers were still vigorous, and his energy but little impaired:  his strong constitution, his regular habits of life,