On seeing Lacaita yesterday I learnt from him, as I expected, he had communicated to you my intention of retiring from an office which I cannot any longer fill with advantage to the public or satisfaction to myself. I am sorry that you have learnt this intention of mine from a third party and not from me, but if I have abstained from speaking of it to you myself, it has been from motives of delicacy, and not to seem to presume on the kindness you have uniformly shown to me. My first impulse, indeed, was to speak to you, and to avow how deeply I should feel to separate myself from an Institution to which I owe so much, and in which I take, and shall ever take, more interest than in anything else in the world; but circumstances have arisen that, I fear, render it impossible it can be otherwise. I do not mean to resign till after the discussion (whatever be its fate) has taken place in the House of Commons; and I then mean to offer to the Trustees my poor services for a limited time and gratis, if they will condescend to accept them, and should they consider them of any use till my successor has got in harness, or any other arrangement is come to which may be considered best for the Museum. I told this to Lacaita yesterday, and you may have already heard it from him. Yours ever, A. PANIZZI.” This letter shows how deeply the thought of separation from his beloved Institution, on which he had centered all his energies and aspirations, affected him, and how cogent must have been the reasons which impelled him to meditate such a step. Mr. Gladstone’s reply was most complimentary, but showed little inclination to fall in with the contemplated scheme; it consisted of original Italian verses, and admirable Italian too, a fine specimen of the abilities of the great statesman in a language not his own. On the 24th of June, 1865, however, Panizzi informed the Committee of the Trustees that, in justice to the Museum, as well as to himself, the state of his health compelled him, much against his will, to tender to Her Majesty the resignation of his appointment as Principal Librarian. The Report in which he made this communication ran as follows:— “Mr. Panizzi respectfully represents that he is reluctantly compelled, humbly to beg of the Queen to accept his resignation of the place of Principal Librarian, to which Her Majesty was graciously pleased to appoint him. Mr. Panizzi regrets being obliged, after long hesitation, to take this step; but he finds that neither in justice to this great Institution nor to himself, he ought to continue to hold a place, the duties of which, to be efficiently performed, require a vigour, not only of mind but of body, which Mr. Panizzi is conscious that he no longer possesses.