To George Knights 1 December 1855

My dear Knights,

I send you L. A. H's two letters - & the Committee will see it is not so easy to determine the days for others as they appear to have supposed. Pressed as I am, & engaged as I am to give 5 more lectures before next Easter, the broad fact as regards Ipswich is this - I promised to account for three lectures, & to ask Sidney to give another which he promised he would do. Of my own 3 lectures, I exchange one with Ld A. H. that I may be able to respond to a strong appeal from Bury. Now you may shuffle the cards to suit Ld A. H. as you please. You see April 1t. is out of the question & also Jan 22d. If therefore you can get one of the lecturers on either Jany 8, Feb 5, or March 18 to take my lecture of Jany 22 [page ripped] exchange is made - or I could (if necessary, still inconveniently) take Jan 22 with Phosphate of Lime & someone can engage for Feb 19th instead of me. I will write to Sidney & ask if he can take Jan 22 but I am altogether in the dark about him, as I did not know till I saw the printed paper that he had declined April 1t. It seems the Museum has to provide 6 lectures, of which I consented (when last in Ipswich) to guarantee for i.e. one half! & to ask Sidney for favor so that really the Committee had only one besides Mr Alexander's to provide for. Anything in reason - but we must be careful to overdrive a willing horse, who best knows his own capabilities.

Ever yrs sincerely

J. S. Henslow

With the faith of having no more than 5 lectures before Easter I have undertaken a task which precludes my doing more