l86/.] 'REIGN OF LAW.' 6l 



not to have known how great the distinction was, for in June 

 1868 he wrote to Sir J. D. Hooker : 



" What a man you are for sympathy. I was made " Eques " 

 some months ago, but did not think much about it. Now, by 

 Jove, we all do ; but you, in fact, have knighted me." 



The letters may now take up the story.] 



C. Darwin to J. D. Hooker. 



Down, February 8 [1867]. 



MY DEAR HOOKER, I am heartily glad that you have 

 been offered the Presidentship of the British Association, for 

 it is a great honour, and as you have so much work to do, 

 I am equally glad that you have declined it. I feel, however, 

 convinced that you would have succeeded very well ; but if 

 I fancy myself in such a position, it actually makes my blood 

 run cold. I look back with amazement at the skill and taste 

 with which the Duke of Argyll made a multitude of little 

 speeches at Glasgow. By the way, I have not seen the 

 Duke's book,* but I formerly thought that some of the 

 articles which appeared in periodicals were very clever, but 

 not very profound. One of these was reviewed in the Satur- 

 day Review f some years ago, and the fallacy of some main 

 argument was admirably exposed, and I sent the article to 

 you, and you agreed strongly with it. ... There was the 

 other day a rather good review of the Duke's book in the 



ship. Robert Brown, Faraday, then elect by vote the new member 



and Herschel, have belonged to but the king has technically the 



it in this way. From the thirty appointment in his own hands, 



members a chancellor is elected by * ' The Reign of Law,' 1867. 



the king (the first officer of this f Sat. Review, Nov. 15, 1862, 



kind was Alexander v. Humboldt) ; ' The Edinburgh Review on the 



and it is the duty of the chancellor Supernatural.' Written by my 



to notify a vacancy in the Order to cousin, Mr. Henry Parker, 

 the remainder of the thirty, who 



