Gad's Hill, Wednesday, 31st October, 1860.
My dear Sir John,[70]
First let me congratulate you on your marriage and wish you all happiness and prosperity.
Secondly, I must tell you that I was greatly vexed with the Chatham people for not giving me early notice of your lecture. In that case I should (of course) have presided, as President of the Institution, and I should have asked you to honour my Falstaff house here. But when they made your kind intention known to me, I had made some important business engagements at the "All the Year Round" office for that evening, which I could not possibly forego. I charged them to tell you so, and was going to write to you when I found your kind letter.
Thanks for your paper, which I have sent to the Printer's with much pleasure.
We heard of your accident here, and of your "making nothing of it." I said that you didn't make much of disasters, and that you took poison (from natives) as quite a matter of course in the way of business.
Faithfully yours.
Mr. A. H. Layard.
Gad's Hill Place, Higham by Rochester, Kent,
Tuesday, 4th December, 1860.
My dear Layard,