550 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



The further honor offered has caused in me some mental conflict. 

 Eight years ago, to the inquiry whether I would sit for a subscription 

 portrait to be painted by Millais, I replied negatively, assigning the 

 reasons that the raising of funds to pay the costs of conferring marks 

 of approbation had grown into an abuse ; that the moral coercion under 

 which contributions were in many cases obtained was repugnant to 

 me ; and that I objected to have my known and unknown friends asked 

 to tax themselves to the required extent. These reasons survived, and, 

 swayed by them, I recently sent a copy of the letter in which they had 

 been stated to the gentleman with whom the proposal now made origi- 

 nated, thinking thereby to prevent further trouble. I was unaware 

 to how large an extent the proposal had been adopted and how distin- 

 guished were the numerous gentlemen who had given it their support. 

 I now find myself obliged either inconsistently to waive my objection 

 or else rudely to slight the cordially-expressed feelings and wishes of 

 so many whose positions and achievements command my great respect. 

 Between the alternatives there seems to be practically no choice. I am 

 compelled to yield to the request made in so sympathetic a manner 

 by signatories so eminent, and at the same time must express to them 

 through you my full sense of the honor done me. 



I am, my dear Hooker, sincerely yours, 



HERBERT SPENCER. 



Marks of honor offered to Mr. Spencer from time to time since 

 1871 have included doctor's degrees from the Universities of St. 

 Andrews, Bologna, Cambridge, Edinburgh, and Buda-Pesth; and 

 elections as foreign member or correspondent of the Academies of 

 Home, Turin, Naples, Paris, Philadelphia, Copenhagen, Brussels, 

 Vienna, Milan, and the Prussian order " Pour le Merite." Mr. Spen- 

 cer has been prompted year after year to decline these various hon- 

 ors by the conviction that instead of being, as commonly supposed, 

 encouragements to literature and science, they are discouraging. 

 He contends that they constitute a system of inverse handicapping. 

 In physical competitions it is usual to give the younger a certain arti- 

 ficial advantage when they are set against the elder; but in these 

 mental competitions between the rising men and the men who have 

 risen the reverse practice is followed the men who have risen 

 have an artificial advantage, and the younger men, who of neces- 

 sity have much to struggle against, have their difficulties artificially 

 increased by the absence of titles which their competitors possess. 

 Mr. Spencer is quite aware that the course he has persistently fol- 

 lowed has cost him much, since a list of honors on the title-pages 

 of his books would have greatly increased the attention paid to 



