1 66 'DESCENT OF MAN' EXPRESSION. [1872. 



fear, are not many) ought to bow their knee to you, and I 

 for one do. 



Believe me, yours most sincerely, 



C. DARWIN. 



C. Darwin to J. D. Hooker. 



Down, July 12 [1872]. 



MY DEAR HOOKER, I must exhale and express my joy at 

 the way in which the newspapers have taken up your case. 

 I have seen the Times, the Daily News, and the Pall Mall, 

 and hear that others have taken up the case. 



The Memorial has done great good this way, whatever may 

 be the result in the action of our wretched Government. On 

 my soul, it is enough to make one turn into an old honest 

 Tory. . . . 



If you answer this, I shall be sorry that I have relieved my 

 feelings by writing. 



Yours affectionately, 



C. DARWIN. 



[The memorial here referred to was addressed to Mr. 

 Gladstone, and was signed by a number of distinguished men, 

 including Sir Charles Lyell, Mr. Bentham, Mr. Huxley, and 

 Sir James Paget. It gives a complete account of the arbitrary 

 and unjust treatment received by Sir J. D. Hooker at the 

 hands of his official chief, the First Commissioner of Works. 

 The document is published in full in 'Nature' (July II, 1872), 

 and is well worth studying as an example of the treatment 

 which it is possible for science to receive from officialism. As 

 ' Nature ' observes, it is a paper which must be read with 

 the greatest indignation by scientific men in every part of the 

 world, and with shame by all Englishmen. The signatories 

 of the memorial conclude by protesting against the expected 

 consequences of Sir Joseph Hooker's persecution namely his 

 resignation, and the loss of " a man honoured for his integrity, 



