Characterisation, especially by Letters . 607 



42, Rutland Gate, S.W. July 19, 1910. 



My dear Milly, You have indeed a full programme. May the weather befriend the 

 motor trip. I have practically taken a house near Haslemere for either a month or six weeks. 

 It has a Roman Catholic chapel attached to it, for the use of which we pay in the rent ! It is called 

 " The Court, Grayshott, Haslemere, Surrey," and has excellent grounds and roads for my arm- 

 chair on wheels. No news worth recording. My novel gets on and I live a new life with its 

 characters. I have often read of this faculty but never experienced it before. An uncommonly 

 neat and well got-up German translation of my Hereditary Genius has been published. It was 

 translated by Dr Neurath of Vienna, aided by a Dr Lady of the same name*, presumably 

 a near relation. Grace Moilliet comes to us early in August, and that is all that occurs 

 to me to tell. I had a long morning in the Park to-day. Best loves to you all. 



Ever affectionately, Francis Galton. 



42, Rutland Gate, S.W. July 31, 1910. 



My dear Milly, I do indeed sympathise with your having to forgo the long desired 

 motor expedition to Tregeare. Perhaps it will come off after all when the bad colds are gone. 

 An efficient ex-chief examiner of the Civil Service asked me whether I knew that the word 

 "Whisky'' appeared in the Bible? As I did not, he referred me to the 2nd chapter and 

 3rd verse of Hezekiah. Is it new to you, to Amy, to Guy, and to Hugh 1 When you write 

 again, tell me the result ; ask them separately. Our move approaches. In little more than 

 a fortnight's time we ought to be settled at Haslemere, or rather Grayshott, which is in 

 a different county, viz. in Hampshire. Haslemere is very near to the border of Surrey and 

 Grayshott is over it. My cough has departed and now I am at " my usual " again, and have 

 recommenced daily trundles in Kensington Gardens. Three Butler nephews have taken their 

 several leaves, one to be a guest of a wealthy admirer in Canada (or ? the U.S.A.) for his 

 holiday. Another for three weeks in the Auvergne country, and who will report on the state 

 of dear Louisa's grave. Another, Ralph, to be assistant to the Times correspondent in Berlin, 

 and I should add Harcourt, who will soon return to India, as a newly elected member of the 

 Viceroy's Council. He has been made much of by people in high places and among others was 

 struck by the keen interest of the King in Indian affairs. Howard Galton and his wife have 

 just had tea here. He sticks to his story that the very oldest will in Somerset House is that 

 of a Galton progenitor and that the wills of all his descendants are there in unbroken 

 succession. The history of the first part of this is that the wills were registered at Old Sarum 

 and that the earlier collection was transferred in recent years to Somerset House. There are 

 hundreds of letters preserved at Hadzor that relate to the Galton family, who were not 

 Quakers till after they settled in Birmingham t. Ever affectionately, Francis Galton. 



42, Rutland Gate, S.W. August 7, 1910. 



My dear Milly, Did any of you really look in the Bible for "Hezekiah"? I hope they 

 did ! ! That is the fun of the thing. I should not have attempted such a " sell " without the 

 prefix of the "Chief Examiner," which is literally true. It was G. G. Butler. Gladstone could 

 not see the fun of the story about the Austrian Archduchess and her successful lottery ticket 

 of No. 28. She had been inquiring everywhere for the holder of the then sold No. 28 and bought 

 it back at much cost, and, lo and behold, No. 28 did really win the big prize. Her friends 

 clustered round, begging to know her secret of divination. At last she said: "Well, I will tell 

 you. I had dreamt it was 9, but said to myself 'a mere dream is nothing.' The next night, 

 I again dreamt it was 9. Then I thought, this is becoming serious. — What will happen on the 

 third night? It was 9 again. So I said 'as 3 times 9 is 28, that must be the lucky number; 

 and so it was.'" Gladstone, who had no more fun in him than an average Scotchman, simply 



* The title of the translation is Genie und Vererbung von Francis Galton, Autorisierte 

 Ubersetzung von Dr Otto Neurath und Dr Anna Schapire-Neurath. It was issued in 1910 

 by Werner Klinkhardt in his Vienna PhUosophisch-soziologische Biic/ierei as Bd. xix. The 

 translators inscribed the copy sent to Francis Galton: " Dem Meister der Eugenik in 

 Verehrung." O. Neurath u. A. Schapire-Neurath, Wien im Juli, 1910. 



t I think this should at least read, " till after they settled in Bristol." 



