Autograph letter signed : Bristol, to William Angus Knight, 1872 October 23.

Thanking him for his letter and the explanation it provided of the proceedings of the Presbytery "...of which, I trust you will never hear anything more;" relating news of Dr. Martineau "...of whose illness you may have heard exaggerated or alarming accounts. - He was clearly far from well during his Welsh sojourn, where he suffered at the commencement of the vacation from fits of giddiness which prevented his doing any literary work, and compelled him to take ample exercise;" providing more detail on Martineau's health, his examination by a doctor and the diagnosis "...that there was nothing structurally wrong, that the vertigo arose from defective circulation, and that there was no immediate cause for anxiety;" saying he had seen him and that he looked much better, but he will "...submit to curtail his hours of midnight study. He could not long hesitate what to resign; you will not again have the opportunity of standing in his pulpit, for it is his no more; 'in fact' he said, 'I have preached my last sermon.' Evidently it was a great trial: it was the work he loved; he had laboured at it continuously for more than forty years; & in it he had spent his happiest hours, and exercised his highest influence. 'It is a great wrench, ' he said. How we shall miss him; yet who could urge him to continue work to which he feels himself unequal;" adding that Martineau will continue his college lectures; inviting Knight to visit on his way to Keswick.