Second and Third Visits to England. 209 



I can hardly resist without quarrelling with my friends who 

 have made it. It seems that the arrangement has resulted 

 under the pressure of a number of persons interested, chiefly 

 wealthy, who were anxious that something should be done 

 to meet the difficulty, and who, under the guidance of Hux- 

 ley, Tyndall, Busk, Lubbock, and Mill, have arranged to 

 take a large number of copies (250) for distribution ; and 

 they say that I cannot prevent them. However, I shall 

 refrain from opposing the arrangement only on condition 

 of a large reduction in the number (down to 150) and the 

 erasure of the names of some of those concerned. 



I have received the two periodicals which you have been 

 good enough to send me. As usual, where there is theo- 

 logical antagonism there is plenty of misstatement and 

 garbling of evidence by leaving out passages that give a 

 totally different meaning to the passages quoted. If it 

 were worth while rebutting these statements, a strong case 

 of deliberate untruthfulness might be made out.* But I 

 have no energy to spare in controversies, and must make 

 up my mind to be continually misrepresented. I am glad 

 to hear that the first volume of the Biology is at length 

 printed. I suppose it will be issued before this reaches 



* Usually, however, I believe that such misrepresentations admit of a 

 more charitable construction. They are probably oftener due to dulness 

 than to dishonesty. It is hard to make sufficient allowance for the abys- 

 mal depth of human stupidity. Such a luminous intelligence as Mr. Spen- 

 cer's cannot realize the way in which ordinary minds, even of many men 

 who are able enough in some things, grope in darkness and stick fast in the 

 mud. I cannot help feeling some regret that Mr. Spencer has not adhered 

 more closely to the resolution above expressed, not to waste time and 

 strength in controversies. His rejoinders are always delightful to read, 

 but they must often have consumed hours which had been better devoted 

 to the great work. Such arguments as rebutting charges of materialism, 

 etc., are, moreover, apt to be wasted. As long as people feel like making 

 such charges they will do so, but it is less the fashion now than half a cen- 

 tury ago, and by and by it will cease entirely. A sufficient number of funer- 

 als is sure to bring a change of fashion. 



10 



