While the proposal on the part of the President of the Geographical Society was undergoing consideration, certain overtures were made to Dr. Livingstone by the Foreign Office.  On the 11th of March he called at the office, at the request of Mr. Layard, who propounded a scheme that he should have a commission giving him authority over the chiefs, from the Portuguese boundary to Abyssinia and Egypt; the office to carry no salary.  When a formal proposal to this effect was submitted to him, with the additional proviso that he was to be entitled to no pension, he could not conceal his irritation.  For himself he was just as willing as ever to work as before, without hope of earthly recompense, and to depend on the petition, “Give us this day our daily bread;” but he thought it ungenerous to take advantage of his well-known interest in Africa to deprive him of the honorarium which the most insignificant servant of Her Majesty enjoyed.  He did not like to be treated like a charwoman.  As for the pension, he had never asked it, and counted it offensive to be treated as if he had shown a greed which required to be repressed.  It came out, subsequently, that the letter had been written by an underling, but when Earl Russell was appealed to, he would only promise a salary when Dr. Livingstone should have settled somewhere!  The whole transaction had a very ungracious aspect.

Before publishing his book, Dr. Livingstone had asked Sir Roderick Murchison’s advice as to the wisdom of speaking his mind on two somewhat delicate points.  In reply, Sir Roderick wrote:  “If you think you have been too hard as to the Bishop or the Portuguese, you can modify the phrases.  But I think that the truth ought to be known, if only in vindication of your own conduct, and to account for the little success attending your last mission.”

We continue our extracts from his Journal: 

     “26th April, 1865.—­In London.  Horrified by news of
     President Lincoln’s assassination, and the attempt to
     murder Seward.”

“29th April.—­Went down to Crystal Palace, with Agnes, to a Saturday Concert.  The music very fine.  Met Waller, and lost a train.  Came up in hot haste to the dinner of the Royal Academy....  Sir Charles Eastlake, President; Archbishops of Canterbury and York on each side of the chair; all the Ministers present, except Lord Palmerston, who is ill of gout in the hand.  Lord Russell, Lord Granville, and Duke of Somerset sat on other side of table from Sir Henry Holland, Sir Roderick, and myself.  Lord Clarendon was close enough to lean back and clap me on the shoulder, and ask me when I was going out.  Duke of Argyll, Bishops of Oxford and London, were within earshot; Sir J. Romilly, the Master of the Rolls, was directly in front, on the other side of our table.  He said that he watched all my movements with great interest....  Lord Derby made a good speech.  The speeches were much above the average.  I was not told