1878 HIS BOOK ON HUME 251 



a holiday occupation at Penmaenmawr. The speed 

 at which it was composed is remarkable, even allow- 

 ing for his close knowledge of the subject, acquired 

 many years before. Though he had been " picking 

 at it " earlier in the summer, the whole of the philo- 

 sophical part was written during September, leaving 

 the biographical part to be done later. 



The following letters from Marlborough Place 

 show him at work upon the book : 



March 31, 1878. 



MY DEAR MORLEY I like the notion of undertaking 

 your Hume book, and I don't see why I should not get 

 it done this autumn. But you must not consider me 

 pledged on that point, as I cannot quite command my time. 



Tulloch sent me his book on Pascal. It was interesting 

 as everything about Pascal must be, but Tulloch is not a 

 model of style. 



I have looked into Bruton's book, but I shall now 

 get it and study it. Hume's correspondence with 

 Kousseau seems to me typical of the man's sweet, easy- 

 going nature. Do you mean to have a portrait of each 

 of your men ? I think it is a great comfort in a 

 biography to get a notion of the subject in the flesh. 



I have rather made it a rule not to part with my 

 property in my books but I daresay that can be arranged 

 with Macmillan. Anyhow I shall be content to abide 

 by the general arrangement if you have made one. 



We have had a bad evening. Clifford * has been here, 

 and he is extremely ill in fact I fear the worst for him. 



It is a thousand pities, for he has a fine nature all 

 round, and time would have ripened him into something 

 very considerable. We are all very fond of him. Ever 

 yours very faithfully, T. H. HUXLEY. 



1 See p. 259. 



