196 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY cHAP. VIII 



of Mr. Anthony Eich, the well-known antiquarian. 

 An old man, almost alone in the world, his admiration 

 for the great work done recently in natural science 

 had long since led him to devise his property to 

 Darwin and Huxley, to the one his private fortune, 

 to the other his house and its contents, notahly a 

 very interesting library. 



As a matter of feeling, Huxley was greatly dis- 

 inclined to part with this house, Chapel Croft, as 

 soon as it had come into his hands. A year earlier, 

 he might have made it his home ; but now he had 

 settled down at Eastbourne, and Chapel Croft, as it 

 stood, was unlikely to find a tenant. Accordingly 

 he sold it early in July, and with the proceeds bought 

 the piece of land adjoining his house. Thus he writes 

 to Sir J. Hooker : — 



HoDESLEA, Eastbourne, 

 May 17, 1891. 



My dear Hooker — My estate is somewhat of a white 

 elephant. There is about a couple of acres of ground 

 well situated and half of it in the shape of a very pretty 

 lawn and shrubbery, but unluckily, in building the house, 

 dear old Eich thought of his own convenience and not 

 mine (very wrong of him !), and I cannot conceive any- 

 body but an old bachelor or old maid living in it. I do 

 not believe anybody would take it as it stands. No doubt 

 the site is valuable, and it would be well worth while to 

 anybody witli plenty of cash to spare to build on to the 

 house and make it useful. But I neither have the cash, 

 nor do I want the bother. However, Waller is going to 

 look at the place for me and see what can be done. It 

 seems hardly decent to sell it at once ; and moreover the 



