442 MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS [Chap. XII 



Letter 774 a Pococurante, 1 which, not understanding, I thought was a 

 dreadful name. I wish you had shown in your lecture how 

 science could practically be taught in a great school ; I have 

 often heard it objected that this could not be done, and I 

 never knew what to say in answer. 



I heartily hope that you may live to see your zeal and 

 labour produce good fruit. 



Letter 775 To Herbert Spencer. 



Down, Dec. 9th [1867]. 

 I thank you very sincerely for your kind present of your 

 First Principles} I earnestly hope that before long I may 

 have strength to study the work as it ought to be studied, for 

 I am certain to find or re-find much that is deeply interesting. 

 In many parts of your Principles of Biology 3 I was fairly 

 astonished at the prodigality of your original views. Most of 

 the chapters furnished suggestions for whole volumes of future 

 researches. As I have heard that you have changed your 

 residence, I am forced to address this to Messrs. Williams & 

 Norgate ; and for the same reason I gave some time ago the 

 same address to Mr. Murray for a copy of my book on variation, 

 etc., which is now finished, but delayed by the index-maker. 



Letter 776 To T. H. Huxley. 



This letter refers to a movement set on foot at a meeting held at the 

 Freemasons' Tavern, on Nov. 16th, 1872, of which an account is given 

 in the Times of Nov. 23rd, 1872, at which Mark Pattison, Mr. Henry 

 Sidgwick, Sir Benjamin Brodie, Professors Rolleston, Seeley, Huxley, 

 etc., were present. The Times says that the meeting was held "by 

 members of the Universities and others interested in the promotion of 

 mature study and scientific research in England.'' One of the headings of 

 the " Programme of Discussion" was "The Abolition of Prize Fellowships." 



Sevenoaks, Oct. 22nd [1872]. 



I have been glad to sign and forward the paper, for I have 

 very long thought it a sin that the immense funds of the 

 Universities should be -wasted in Fellowships, except a few 

 for paying for education. But when I was at Cambridge it 

 would have been an unjustifiable sneer to have spoken of the 

 place as one for education, always excepting the men who 



1 Told in Life and letters, I., p. 35. 



2 " This must have been the second edition." (Note by Mr. Spencer.) 



3 See Life and Letters, III., pp. 55, 56. 



