Popular Education^ and Other Matters. 235 



Biology, which was a little behind them, designing to be 

 all ready with it September ist. Hence, when I gave the 

 order to return the ])lates, I was met by the statement 

 that there were but one hundred copies of Volume I re- 

 maining, and it would not do to publish Volume II with- 

 out a full supply of the first; and as it would take a long 

 time to get the plates back, and would be attended with 

 considerable expense of transit, they insisted that the bet- 

 ter plan would be to take the duplicates here, which could 

 be done in twenty days for three hundred dollars. I re- 

 fused to entertain the idea, and by driving up the printer 

 and bullying the box-maker I got the plates ready for the 

 shipper the next day at noon. I intended to have seen 

 them on board the steamer, but was taken ill, and had to 

 leave for home. I know, however, that they started for 

 the ship, and I believe they are now on their way, but I 

 should be easier if I knew. 



I need not urge the utmost dispatch, as you see the 

 situation. The change of title is desirable, and the one you 

 have hit upon fortunate. But the reasons you offer for tak- 

 ing the step compel me to suggest that if it can be avoided 

 it will be undesirable to reopen the Comte discussion. I 

 have myself never doubted the wisdom of publishing the 

 Classification, but that is by no means the universal opinion. 

 Your original letter disclaiming Comtism had a wide cir- 

 culation in this country, and was generally felt to be oppor- 

 tune, appropriate, and satisfactory. But when the pam- 

 phlet appeared many of your friends said, " Mr. Spencer's 

 work will vindicate itself and find its true place. We are 

 sorry to see him so apparently sensitive about these early 

 misapprehensions of it." You have an antagonism upon 

 this question with your friends the Leweses, while Mr. 

 Lewes is engaged in the business of weighing and measur- 

 ing philosophers. May not this circumstance have had a 

 tendency to keep the subject alive, if not to exaggerate 



