THE 



POPULAR SCIENCE 

 MONTHLY. 



AUGUST, 1885. 



CONCERNING THE SUPPKESSED BOOK. 



By E. L. YOUMANS. 



IT will be no news to the readers of this monthly that the volume 

 entitled " The Nature and Reality of Religion ; a Controversy 

 between Herbert Spencer and Frederic Harrison," published by D. 

 Appleton & Co. last March, has been suppressed by order of Mr. 

 Spencer. This catastrophe was the result of a public correspondence 

 carried on between these gentlemen in the columns of the London 

 "Times." Fragments of the letters were cabled to this country as 

 they appeared, and were widely disseminated by the newspapers, pro- 

 ducing some suspense, and giving a confused impression of the affair. 

 At length came the announcement that the disagreeable difference 

 was happily composed ; but with it came also a dispatch ordering the 

 destruction of the book copies, plates, and all the damage to be 

 charged to Mr. Spencer. This seemed a curious way of bringing an 

 unpleasant difference between two authors to a harmonious termina- 

 tion ; but, without waiting for explanations, the mandate was obeyed 

 and the book suppressed. The letters themselves are now before us, 

 and as they have not all been previously published in this country, 

 they are herewith submitted to the reader in full : 



THE SPENCER-HARRISON CORRESPONDENCE. 



[London Times, May 29, 1885.] 



A NEW FORM OF LITERARY PIRACY. 



Mr. Frederic Harrrison has forwarded to us for publication the inclosed let- 

 ter which he has addressed to Mr. Herbert Spencer: 



" May 28, 1885. 

 " Deae Mr. Spencer : I can not admit that there is anything to justify you 

 in being a party to the American reprint of articles of mine, without my knowl- 

 vol. xxvii. 28 



