WHAT LED TO THE WOKK AND THE SUCCESS OF IT. 163 



from a man whose habit it was to speak in the warmth 

 of the moment. Even when he (Darwin) lets out to 

 others a little edge of discontent at some little difference 

 of opinion on the part of Huxley, it is never without 

 eulogy. He writes to Lyell once (ii. 280) 



" I think it was a great pity that Huxley wasted so much time, 

 in the lecture, on the preliminary remarks . . . but his lecture 

 seemed to me very fine and very bold. I have remonstrated (and 

 he agrees) against the impression that he would leave, that sterility 

 was a universal and infallible criterion of species ; " and again, a 

 month or two later : " There is a brilliant review by Huxley, with 

 capital hits, but I do not know that he much advances the subject. 

 I think I have convinced him that he has hardly allowed weight 

 enough to the case of varieties of plants being in some degrees 

 sterile." To Hooker he writes (iii. 3) : "I am very glad you like 

 Huxley's Lectures. I have been very much struck with them, 

 especially with the ' Philosophy of Induction.' I have quarrelled 

 with him for overdoing sterility and ignoring cases from Gartner 

 and Kolreuter about sterile varieties. His geology is obscure ; and 

 I rather doubt about man's mind and language. But it seems to me 

 admirably done." To Hooker, too (ii. 228), modesty forbids him 

 sending a letter of "tremendous" praise from Huxley, which he 

 should have liked to have done, " as he (Huxley) is very modest 

 about himself." 



We have seen already how (i. 102) he acknowledges 

 that he has " no great quickness of apprehension or wit " 

 as Huxley has ; and " Huxley " is always so to him, the 

 affectionately familiar " Huxley : " " did you perceive the 

 argumentum ad hominem, Huxley," he says. He even 

 gave to Mr. Huxley, Mr. Francis tells us (ii. 251), 

 the " sobriquet " of " My General Agent." " You 

 have done a real good turn in the Agency business ! " 

 This he might very well say as we shall presently 

 see. 



To Asa Gray the communications are such as these, 

 the first being exquisitely illustrative of the irresistible, 

 playful, ingratiating manner of Mr. Darwin when he is 



