You will, I am sure, feel that till I know who are the candidates for the office, I should do very wrong to say more.
Believe me, &c.,
Cranworth.”
The Home Secretary, at that time Sir George Grey, received, without Panizzi’s knowledge, several letters from eminent personages, strongly recommending him for the vacant post; to quote one of these will be sufficient evidence of their tendency:—
“Bridgewater House,
February 18th, 1856.
“My dear Sir George,
Having served as Chairman of the British Museum Commission, I have thought myself justified in writing to the Archbishop of Canterbury on the subject of the selection of a successor to Sir Henry Ellis. His Grace, who has received this intrusion with indulgence, seems to desire that I should repeat to you and Sir G. Lewis what I have ventured to state to him. Without troubling you at length, I may briefly state that, on the assumption that Mr. Panizzi’s qualifications for the vacant post would not fail to receive His Grace’s consideration, should that consideration be favourable, my voice would be at His Grace’s disposal to defend, if need were, Mr. Panizzi’s appointment, as, in my opinion, the best that could be made. I also adverted to some knowledge I happen to possess of the considerate and benevolent character of Mr. Panizzi’s dealings with a very interesting class of men, his subordinates in the library. This feature in his merits being necessarily less under public notice than others which are too notorious to require my testimony, I considered it deserving of mention, co-existing, as I believe it does, with an assiduous exaction of duty, and an energetic exercise of authority.
Ever yours,
Egerton Ellesmere.”