474 



LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY CHAP. XIX 



One more letter may perhaps be quoted as illus- 

 trating the clearness of vision in administrative 

 matters which made it impossible for him to sit 

 quietly by and see a tactical blunder being committed, 

 even though his formal position might not seem to 

 warrant his interference. This is his apologia for 

 such a step. 



Dec. 16, 1886. 



MY DEAR FOSTER On thinking over this morning's 

 Committee work, 1 it strikes my conscience that being 

 neither President or Chairman nor officer I took command 

 of the boat in a way that was hardly justifiable. 



But it occurred to me that our sagacious for 



once was going astray and playing into 's hands, 



without clearly seeing what he was doing, and I bethought 

 me of " salus Societatis suprema lex," and made up my 

 mind to stop the muddle we were getting into at all 

 costs. I hope he was not disgusted nor you either. X. 

 ought to have cut in, but he did not seem inclined to 

 do so. 



I am clearly convinced it was the right thing to do 

 anyhow. Ever yours, T. H. H. 



The chronicle of the year may fitly close with a 

 letter from Ilkley to Dr. Dohrn, apropos of his re- 

 commendation of a candidate for a biological professor- 

 ship. The "honest sixpence got by hard labour," 

 refers to a tour in the Highlands which he had once 

 taken with Dr. Dohrn, when, on a rough day, they 

 were being rowed across Loch Leven to Mary 

 Stuart's castle. The boatman, unable to make head 



1 Some Committee of the Royal Society. 



