Cm XIEL] REVIEWS AND CRITICISMS, 1860. 241 



malice, but was always courtesy itself when we occasionally 

 met in after years. Hooker and I walked away from the 

 meeting together, and I remember saying to him that this 

 experience had changed my opinion as to the practical value of 

 the art of public speaking, and that, from that time forth, I 

 should carefully cultivate it, and try to leave off hating it. I 

 did the former, but never quite succoeded in the latter effort. 



I did not mean to trouble you with such a long scrawl when 

 I began about this piece of ancient history. 



Ever yours very faithfully 



T. H. Huxley. 



The eye-witness above quoted (p. 237) continues : — 

 " There was a crowded conversazione in the evening at the 

 rooms of the hospitable and genial Professor of Botany, Dr. 

 Daubeny, where the almost solo topic was the battle of the 

 Origin, and I was much struck with the fair and unprejudiced 

 way in which the black coats and white cravats of Oxford 

 discussed the question, and the frankness with which they 

 offered their congratulations to the winners in the combat." * 



C. D. to J. D. Hooker. Monday night [July 2nd, I860]. 



My dear Hooker, — I have just received your letter. I have 

 been very poorly, with almost continuous bad headache for 

 forty-eight hours, and I was low enough, and thinking what a 

 useless burthen I was to myself and all others, when your letter 

 came, and it has so cheered me ; your kindness and affection 

 brought tears into my eyes. Talk of fame, honour, pleasure, 

 wealth, all are dirt compared with affection ; and this is a 

 doctrine with which, I know, from your letter, that you will 

 agree with from the bottom of your heart. . . . How I should 

 have liked to have wandered about Oxford with you, if I had 

 been well enough ; and how still more I should have liked to 

 have heard you triumphing over the Bishop. I am astonished 

 at your success and audacity. It is something unintelligible to 

 me how any one can argue in public like orators do. I had no 

 idea you had this power. I have read lately so many hostile 

 views, that I was beginning to think that perhaps I was wholly 



in the wrong, and that was right when he said the whole 



subject would be forgotten in ten years ; but now that I hear 

 that you and Huxley will fight publicly (which I am sure I 



* See Professor Newton's interesting Early Days of Darwinism in 

 Macmillan's Magazine, Feb. 1888, where tfce battle at Oxford is briefly 

 described. 



