“My dear Murchison,
Many thanks for the trouble you have taken in my behalf. The result is what I expected, and I am not in the least affected by it. I am only sorry for the pain that I know it must have given you.
I am proud of having received on this occasion additional proofs of regard and friendship from you, from the Dean of St. Paul’s, and from Mr. Grote. This outweighs the unpopularity to which your colleague in the Committee says I am obnoxious on the part of some unknown members of the Athenæum, who certainly do not know me as well as you and the other Trustees of the British Museum do.
Believe me, &c.,
A. Panizzi.”
In the summer of 1861, Sir G. Cornewall Lewis, then Home Secretary, sought to confer another honour on Panizzi in offering him knighthood, which, however, he declined in these terms (July 23rd, 1861):—
“I can hardly find words to acknowledge as I ought your unexpected communication of to-day. Her Majesty’s approbation of my humble services at the Museum is the highest reward I ever desired to receive for them. I can only regret my inability adequately to express my dutiful gratitude for Her Majesty’s condescension.
“Permit me, however, to represent most respectfully that, occupying as I do, through Her Majesty’s goodness, the honourable position I now fill, I feel great unwillingness to be the object of a further mark of Royal favour which may attract too much public attention to one like myself, a foreigner by birth, who will be considered by many to have already received too high a reward for his exertions.
“If, therefore, I may be allowed to give utterance to my feelings on the subject, I humbly but earnestly beg to be excused from having an honour bestowed on me, the value of which I fully appreciate and unfeignedly regard as far beyond my deserts. Apart from all other considerations, I feel an instinctive shrinking from all distinctions of this nature.
“With the utmost thankfulness to you for having advised Her Majesty to acknowledge in so gracious a manner the public services which you are pleased to state I have rendered at the Museum, I remain, &c.”