70 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY cHAP. Ill 



4 Marlborough Place, 



May 4, 1888. 



My dear Hooker — Best thanks for your note and 

 queries. 



I remember hearing what you say about Darwin's 

 father long ago, I am not sure from what source. But if 

 you look at p. 20 of the Life and Letters you will see 

 that D. himself says his father's mind " was not scientific." 

 I have altered the passage so as to iLse these exact words. 



I used " malice " rather in the French sense, which is 

 more innocent than ours, but " irony " would be better if 

 " malice " in any way suggests malignity. " Chaff " is 

 unfortunately beneath the dignity of an R.S. obituary. 



I am going to add a short note about Erasmus 

 Darwin's views. 



It is a great comfort to me that you like the thing. 

 I am getting nervous over possible senility — 63 to-day, 

 and nothing of your evergreen ways about me. 



I am decidedly mending, chiefly to all appearance by 

 allowing myself to be stuffed with meat and drink like a 

 Strasburg goose. I am also very much afraid that abolish- 

 ing tobacco has had something to do with my amend- 

 ment. 



But I am mindful of your maxim — keep a tight hold 

 over your doctor. — Ever yours very faithfully, 



T. H. Huxley. 



P.S. 1. — Can't say I have sacrificed anything to pen- 

 manship, and am not at all sure about lucidity ! 



P.S. 2. — It is " Friday " — there is a dot over the i — • 

 reopened my letter to crow 1 



The following letter to Mr. Spencer is in answer to 

 a note of condolence on his illness, in which the 

 following passage occurs : — 



