THE ENGLISH COPYRIGHT COMMISSION. 39 



that departments which are now widely separated were once united, 

 and sprang from a common source. He would find that there had been 

 a time when all history and all theology were poetical, and all poetry 

 historical or theological ; that all romance was originally more or less 

 historical, and that all history or science was at first more or less 

 imaginary. 



By the study of the less frequent and familiar forms of literature, 

 and by the history of its growth, he would, like the naturalist, learn 

 that his distinctions and classifications are only relative ; of great value, 

 indeed, but by no means absolute ; but he would not therefore conclude 

 that his groups are not real. He would not conclude that, because some 

 novels are historical, there is no such thing as a history and no such 

 thing as a novel, although he would perceive that they are connected 

 by intermediate forms, and have originated from a common source. 



The fact that there is no arbitrary line between the groups of 

 natural objects, between animals and plants for instance, or between 

 two related species of animals, does not prove that the groups them- 

 selves have not a real existence. The differences between plants and 

 animals are real, and each group may be defined, but no definition can 

 embrace all the forms of one group, and exclude all of the other, any 

 more than a definition of fiction or of poetry can exclude all historical 

 works. 



The things, like the words, are real ; but the definiteness of words is 

 very difi'erent from the indefiniteness and complexity of Nature. 



PKOFESSOR TTNDALL BEFORE THE ENGLISH COPY- 

 RIGHT COMMISSION' 



QUESTION ( Chairman). I believe you have published not onl^ 

 , in England, but in the United States ? 



Answer. I have published about a dozen volumes in England, and 

 most, if not the whole of them, have been reproduced in the United 

 States. 



Q. With your sanction ? 



A. With my sanction. I make an arrangement with my publishers, 

 the Messrs. Appleton, in New York, and they every year send me an 

 accoixnt of their sales, and allow me a certain percentage on the retail 

 price of my books, 



Q. Now you have heard, I think, since you have been in this room, 

 the scheme which has been submitted to the consideration of this com- 



' Tuesday, April lY, ISVY : Lord John Manners, M. P., in the chair. Members of the 

 commission present : Sir H. D. Wolff, Sir Julius Benedict, Sir James Stephen, Dr. William 

 Smith. 



