[Footnote 21:  Life and Letters, p, 769.]

He himself, however, had no idea that this was the case; and when he left Stitchel he did so with the purpose of preparing for the work of another session.  But as the autumn advanced and his health did not greatly improve, another consultation of his doctors was held, the result of which was that he was pronounced to be suffering from cardiac weakness, and quite unfit for the work of the coming winter.  He at once acquiesced in this verdict, and, with unabated cheerfulness, set himself to bring his lectures into a state that would admit of their being easily read to his classes by two friends who had undertaken this duty.  This done, he wrote out in full the Greek texts—­some five hundred in all—­quoted in his lectures on Biblical Theology.  These two tasks kept him busy until about the end of the year 1891, when he began an undertaking which many of his friends had long been urging upon him—­the preparation of a volume of his sermons for the press.  He selected for this purpose those sermons which he had preached most frequently, and which he had, with few exceptions, originally written for sacramental occasions at Berwick—­some of them far back in the old Golden Square days.  These he carefully transcribed, altering them where he thought this necessary, and not always, in the opinion of many, improving them in the process.

He found that his strength was not unduly strained when he worked thus six or seven hours a day.  But he always, as hitherto, spent one hour daily in reading the Scriptures in the original tongues, in which time he could get through three pages of Hebrew and an indefinite quantity of Greek.  There was, however, one change in his habits which had become necessary.  He was forbidden by the doctors to study at night.  And so, instead of going upstairs in the evening, he remained in the comfortable parlour, where he wrote his letters, talked to his brother and sister, or to visitors as they came in, and regaled himself with light literature.  This last consisted sometimes of volumes of the Fathers, but more frequently of the Koran in the original.  He would frequently read aloud extracts, translating from the Greek and Latin without ever pausing for a word; as regards the Arabic, he had Sale’s translation at hand to help him through a tough passage, but he was always a very proud man when he could find his way out of a difficulty without its aid.

As the winter advanced he felt that it was desirable that he should have another medical opinion, so that, in the event of his further incapacity, the Synod at its approaching meeting might make permanent arrangements for carrying on the work of his chair.  On the 19th of February he was examined by Drs. Maclagan, Webster, and G.W.  Balfour, who certified that he was “unfit for the discharge of any professional duty.”  After consulting his relatives, he decided to resign his Professorship and the Principalship