1893 THE ROMANES LECTURE 297 



Who would have thought thirty-three years ago, when 

 the great " Sammy " fight came off, that the next time I 

 should speak at Oxford would be in succession to Gladstone, 

 on " Evolution and Ethics " as an invited lecturer ? 



There was something so quaint about the affair that I 

 really could not resist, though the wisdom of putting so 

 much strain on my creaky timbers is very questionable. 

 Mind you wish me weU through it at 2.30 on Thursday. 



I wish we could have better news of you. As to dying 

 by inches, that is what we are all doing, my dear old 

 fellow ; the only thing is to establish a proper ratio 

 between inch and time. Eight years ago I had good 

 reason to say the same thing of myself, but my inch has 

 lengthened out in a most extraordinary way. Still I 

 confess we are getting older ; and my dear wife has been 

 greatly shaken by repeated attacks of violent pain which 

 seizes her quite unexpectedly. I am always glad, both on 

 her account and my own, to get back into the quiet and 

 good air here as fast as possible, and in another year or 

 two, if I live so long, I shall clear out of all engagements 

 that take me away. ... T. H. Huxley. 



Not to he answered, and you had better get Mrs. Tyndall 

 to read it to you or you will say naughty words about the 

 scrawL 



Sanguine as lie had resolved to be about the 

 recovery of his voice, his fear lest " 1000 out of the 

 2000 won't hear " was very near realisation. The 

 Sheldonian Theatre was thronged before he appeared 

 on the platform, a striking presence in his D.C.L. 

 robes, and looking very leonine with his silvery 

 gray hair sweeping back in one long wave from his 

 forehead, and the rugged squareness of his features 

 tempered by the benignity of an old age which has 



