158 EVOLUTION [CHAP. Ill 



Letter 107 few men there are in England who can do original work in 

 the several lines in which you are excellently fitted. Lyell, 

 I remember, on analogous grounds many years ago resolved 

 he would write no more reviews. I am an old slowcoach, and 

 your scheme makes me tremble. God knows in one sense I 

 am about the last man in England who ought to throw cold 

 water on any review in which you would be concerned, as I 

 have so immensely profited by your labours in this line. 



With respect to reviewing myself, I never tried : any 

 work of that kind stops me doing anything else, as I cannot 

 possibly work at odds and ends of time. I have, moreover, 

 an insane hatred of stopping my regular current of work. I 

 have now materials for a little paper or two, but I know I 

 shall never work them up. So I will not promise to help ; 

 though not to help, if I could, would make me feel very 

 ungrateful to you. You have no idea during how short a 

 time daily I am able to work. If I had any regular duties, 

 like you and Hooker, I should do absolutely nothing in 

 science. 



I am heartily glad to hear that you are better ; but how 

 such labour as volunteer-soldiering (all honour to you) does 

 not kill you, I cannot understand. 



For God's sake remember that your field of labour is 

 original research in the highest and most difficult branches 

 of Natural History. Not that I wish to underrate the im- 

 portance of clever and solid reviews. 



Letter 108 To T. H. Huxley, 



Sudbrook Park, Richmond, Thursday [July, 1860]. 



I must send you a line to say what a good fellow you 

 are to send me so long an account of the Oxford doings. I 

 have read it twice, and sent it to my wife, and when I get 

 home shall read it again : it has so much interested me. But 

 how durst you attack a live bishop in that fashion ? I am 

 quite ashamed of you ! Have you no reverence for fine 

 lawn sleeves? By Jove, you seem to have done it well. If 

 any one were to ridicule any belief of the bishop's, would 

 he not blandly shrug his shoulders and be inexpressibly 

 shocked ? I am very, very sorry to hear that you are not 

 well ; but am not surprised after all your self-imposed labour. 



