1880 LETTER TO TYNDALL 285 



to his fellow-workers in science. At a meeting of 

 the x Club, Tyndall made a jesting allusion to this ; 

 Huxley, however, thought the mere suggestion too 

 grave for a joke, and replied with all seriousness to 

 clear himself from the possibility of such misconcep- 

 tion. And the same evening he wrote to Tyndall : 



ATHENAEUM CLUB, PALL MALL, S.W., 

 Dec. 2, 1880. 



MY DEAR TINDALL I must tell you the ins and outs 

 of this Nineteenth Century business. I was anxious to 

 help Knowles when he started the journal, and at his 

 earnest and pressing request I agreed to do what I have 

 done. But being quite aware of the misinterpretation to 

 which I should be liable if my name " sans phrase " were 

 attached to the article, I insisted upon the exact words 

 which you will find at the head of it ; and which seemed, 

 and still seem to me, to define my position as a mere 

 adviser of the editor. 



Moreover, by diligently excluding any expression of 

 opinion on the part of the writers of the compilation, I 

 thought that nobody could possibly suspect me of assum- 

 ing the position of an authority even on the subjects with 

 which I may be supposed to be acquainted, let alone 

 those such as physics and chemistry, of which I know no 

 more than any one of the public may know. 



Therefore your remarks came upon me to-night with 

 the sort of painful surprise which a man feels who is 

 accused of the particular sin of which he flatters himself 

 he is especially not guilty, and " roused my corruption " 

 as the Scotch have it. But there is no need to say 

 anything about that, for you were generous and good as 

 I have always found you. Only I pray you, if hereafter 

 it strikes you that any doing of mine should be altered 

 or amended, tell me yourself and privately, and I promise 



