THE DARWIN STATUE AT SHREWSBURY 319 



of London especially, to that in the S. K. Museum, and to 

 call upon it for a second and a local one, appears to me to be 

 unreasonable. It seems to me absurd that a great town 

 like Shrewsbury should have to go round the world with the 

 hat to secure its own credit ! in fact I do not think it credit- 

 able, and I should think would not be well responded to. 



A scholarship is rather a thing for a University to honor 

 one of its Alumni with, and for a local object a statue would 

 get more support than a scholarship. A school for promoting 

 science would be a first rate thing, but it involves great labor 

 and paid supervision. To be effective it would cost thousands 

 to establish and much to maintain. I cannot see the objec- 

 tion to a copy, provided the original is good. The noble 

 statue of Jas. Watt, put up by the Glasgovians, has been 

 copied elsewhere. 



The only objection to a statue is that it looks so miserable 

 in the rain and grimy air of a British town. It should be 

 in bronze, but that would be enormously expensive. The 

 alternative would be a half size in marble, to be placed in 

 the Museum, or in an alcove built for it (if there is no room). 

 With good photographs of the one in S. K. Museum, a careful 

 young sculptor should have no difficulty in reproducing the 

 original in ' petto.' These are my ideas. 



I quite agree with you as to the futility of enlarging 

 W. Abbey for the mortal remains of illustrious men but I 

 have always favored a Campo Santo for memorial tablets, 

 busts, &c., &c., which should have inscribed on them the 

 burial place of the deceased, as well as his birth, death 

 and deeds. 



Ever, my dear La Touche, most sincerely yours, 



J. D. HOOKER. 



Huxley's ' Hume ' has just come. I have written to ask 

 Mr. Darwin if he wants it before it goes to you. 



To the Same 



Feb. 18, 1897. 



I am very pleased to get so good an account of the Darwin 

 statue. There will be time to think of inviting some one to 

 unveil it when it is got into marble a long job. I differ 

 from you as to this matter of unveiling. I do not like to 

 see this delegated to outsiders. Why should every town 



