1 866.] ACCURACY. 55 



dressing-gown. As nearly as I can remember, the following 

 are the words he used : 



" ' Since I went to bed I have been thinking over our con- 

 versation in the drawing-room, and it has just occurred to me 

 that I was wrong in telling you I felt most of the sublime 

 when on the top of the Cordillera ; I am quite sure that I 

 felt it even more when in the forests of Brazil. I thought it 

 best to come and tell you this at once in case I should be 

 putting you wrong. I am sure now that I felt most sublime 

 in the forests.' 



"This was all he had come to say, and it was evident 

 that he had come to do so, because he thought that the fact 

 of his feeling ' most sublime in forests ' was v more in accord- 

 ance with the hypothesis which we had been discussing, than 

 the fact which he had previously stated. Now, as no one knew 

 better than Mr. Darwin the difference between a speculation 

 and a fact, I thought this little exhibition of scientific con- 

 scientiousness very noteworthy, where the only question 

 concerned was of so highly speculative a character. I should 

 not have been so much impressed if he had thought that by 

 his temporary failure of memory he had put me on a wrong 

 scent in any matter of fact, although even in such a case he 

 is the only man I ever knew who would care to get out of 

 bed at such a time of night in order to make the correction 

 immediately, instead of waiting till next morning. But as 

 the correction only had reference to a flimsy hypothesis, 

 I certainly was very much impressed by this display of 

 character."] 



C. Darwin to J. D. Hooker. 



Down, December 10 [1866]. 



.... I have now read the last No. of H. Spencer.* I do 

 not know whether to think it better than the previous number, 

 but it is wonderfully clever, and I dare say mostly true. I feel 

 rather mean when I read him : I could bear, and rather enjoy 



* ' Principles of Biology.' 



