1863.] LETTER IN THE ' ATHEN/EUM.' 23 



[In the following, he refers to the above letter to the 

 A thenczum :] 



C. Darwin to J. D. Hooker. 



Leith Hill Place, 



Saturday [May 11, 1863]. 



MY DEAR HOOKER, You give good advice about not 

 writing in newspapers ; I have been gnashing my teeth at 



my own folly ; and this not caused by 's sneers, which 



were so good that I almost enjoyed them. I have written 

 once again to own to a certain extent of truth in what he 

 says, and then if I am ever such a fool again, have no mercy 

 on me. I have read the squib in Pitblic Opinion ; * it is 

 capital ; if there is more, and you have a copy, do lend it. It 

 shows well that a scientific man had better be trampled in 

 dirt than squabble. I have been drawing diagrams, dissecting 

 shoots, and muddling my brains to a hopeless degree about 

 the divergence of leaves, and have of course utterly failed. 

 But I can see that the subject is most curious, and indeed 

 astonishing 



[The next letter refers to Mr. Bentham's presidential 



* Public Opinion, April 23, was obliged to conceal it imme- 

 1863. A lively account of a police diately, or one of the old bone 

 case, in which the quarrels of collectors would be sure to appro- 

 scientific men are satirised. Mr. priate it first and deny the theft 

 John Bull gives evidence that afterwards, and the consequent 



" The whole neighbourhood was wrangling and disputes were as 



unsettled by their disputes ; Hux- endless as they were wearisome, 



ley quarrelled with Owen, Owen " Lord Mayor. Probably the 



with Darwin, Lyell with Owen, clergyman of the parish might 



Falconer and Prestwich with Lyell, exert some influence over them ? 



and Gray the menagerie man with " The gentleman smiled, shook 



everybody. He had pleasure, how- his head, and stated that he re- 



ever, in stating that Darwin was gretted to say that no class of men 



the quietest of the set. They were paid so little attention to the 



always picking bones with each opinions of the clergy as that to 



other and fighting over their gains. which these unhappy men be- 



If either of the gravel sifters or longed." 

 stone breakers found anything, he 



