242 



LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY CHAP, xiv 



sea-coal fire' (I say nothing about a "parcel gilt goblet"), 

 that this screed was to be the " last word " ? I don't mind how 

 long it goes on so long as I have the last word. But you must 

 expect nothing from me for the next three or four months. 

 We shall be off abroad, not later than the 8th June, and among 

 the everlasting hills, a fico for your controversies ! Wace's 

 paper shall be waste paper for me. Oh ! This is a " goak ' : 

 which Peterborough would not understand. 



I think you are right about the wine and water business 

 I had my doubts but it was too tempting. All the teetotallers 

 would have been on my side. 



There is no more curious example of the influence of educa- 

 tion than the respect with which this poor bit of conjuring is 

 regarded. Your genuine pietist would find a mystical sense in 

 thimblerig. I trust you have properly enjoyed the extracts from 

 Newman. That a man of his intellect should be brought down 

 to the utterance of such drivel by Papistry, is one of the strong- 

 est of arguments against that damnable perverter of mankind, 

 I know of. Ever yours very faithfully, 



1 . rl. riUXLEY. 



Shortly afterwards, he received a long and rambling 

 letter in connection with this subject. Referring to the 

 passage in the first article, ' the apostolic injunction to 

 ' suffer fools gladly ' should be the rule of life of a true 

 agnostic," the writer began by begging him u to ' suffer 

 gladly ' one fool more," and after several pages wound up 

 with a variation of the same phrase. It being impossible 

 to give any valid answer to his hypothetical inquiries, 

 Huxley could not resist the temptation to take the opening 

 thus offered him, and replied : 



SIR I beg leave to acknowledge your letter. I have com- 

 plied with the request preferred in its opening paragraph. 

 Faithfully yours, ^ R 



The following letter also arises out of this controversy : 



Its occasion (writes Mr. Taylor) was one which I had 

 written on seeing an article in which he referred to the Persian 

 sect of the Babis. I had read with much interest the account 

 of it in Count Gobineau's book, and was much struck with the 

 points of likeness to the foundation of Christianity, and the 



