240 ORIGIN OF SPECIES. [Ch. XIII. 



The following letter shows that Mr. Huxley's presence at 

 this remarkable scene depended on so slight a chance as that 

 of meeting a friend in the street ; that this friend should have 

 been Eobert Chambers, so that the author of the Vestiges 

 should have sounded the war-note for the battle of the Origin, 

 adds interest to the incident. I have to thank Mr. Huxley 

 for allowing the story to be told in words of his not written for 

 publication. 



T. H. Huxley to Francis Darwin. 



June 27, 1891. 



... I should say that Fremantle's account is substantially 

 correct ; but that Green has the passage of my speech more 

 accurately. However, I am certain I did not use the word 

 " equivocal " * 



The odd part of the business is that I should not have been 

 present except for Robert Chambers. I had heard of the Bishop's 

 intention to utilise the occasion. I knew he had the reputation 

 of being a first-rate controversialist, and I was quite aware that 

 if he played his cards properly, we should have little chance, 

 with such an audience, of making an efficient defence. More- 

 over, I was very tired, and wanted to join my wife at her 

 brother-in-law's country house near Reading, on the Saturday. 

 On the Friday I met Chambers in the street, and in reply to 

 some remark of his about the meeting, I said that I did not 

 mean to attend it ; did not see the good of giving up peace and 

 quietness to be episcopally pounded. Chambers broke out into 

 vehement remonstrances and talked about my deserting them. 

 So I said, " Oh 1 if you take it that way, I'll come and have 

 my share of what is going on." 



So I came, and chanced to sit near old Sir Benjamin Brodie. 

 The Bishop began his speech, and, to my astonishment, very 

 soon showed that he was so ignorant that he did not know how 

 to manage his own case. My spirits rose proportionally, and 

 when he turned to me with his insolent question, I said to Sir 

 Benjamin, in an undertone, " The Lord hath delivered him into 

 mine hands." 



That sagacious old gentleman stared at me as if I had lost 

 my senses. But, in fact, the Bishop had justified the severest 

 retort I could devise, and I made up my mind to let him have 

 it. I was careful, however, not to rise to reply, until the 

 meeting called for me — then I let myself go. 



In justice to the Bishop, I am bound to say he bore no 



* This agrees with Professor Victor Carus's recollection. 



