124 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY 



CHAt. V 



by the gross and stupid superstitions oi' ortliodoxy than 

 mine has been. And I shall be well satisfied if I can 

 succeed to however small an extent in bringing about that 

 result. — I am, yours very faithfully, 



T. H. Huxley. 



4 MARLBOROTTOn PlACK, 



May 25, 1889. 



My dear Lankester — I cannot attend the Council 

 meeting on the 29th. I have a meeting of the Trustees 

 of the British Museum to-day, and to be examined by a 

 Committee on Monday, and as the sudden heat half kills 

 me I shall be fit for nothing but to slink off to Eastbourne 

 again. 



However, I do hope the Council will be very careful 

 what they say or do about the immature fish question. 

 The thing has been discussed over and over again ad 

 nauseam, and I doubt if there is anything to be added to 

 the evidence in the blue-books. 



The id^e fixe of the British public, fishermen, M.P.'s 

 and ignorant persons generally is that aU small fish, if 

 you do not catch them, grow up into big fish. They can- 

 not be got to understand that the wholesale destruction of 

 the immature is the necessary part of the general order 

 of things, from codfish to men. 



You seem to have some very interesting things to talk 

 about at the Royal Institution. 



Do you see any chance of educating the white corpuscles 

 of the human race to destroy the theological bacteria 

 which are bred in parsons ? — Ever yours very faithfully, 



T. H. Huxley. 



3 Jevington Gardens, Eastbourne, 

 Mmj 19, 1889. 



My dear Donnelly — The Vice-President's letter has 

 brought home to me one thing very clearly, and that is, 

 that I had no business to sign the Report. Of course he 



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