The International Scientific Scries. 287 



It is otherwise here. The men are scattered, and Mr. Ban- 

 croft says that although everybody can read here, and 

 there is great boasting of "universal education," yet there 

 is no place in the world where there is on the part of the 

 learned such contempt for popular education, or such shal- 

 low and worthless trash as they write when they attempt to 

 write for " the people." He says this business of mine will 

 be a new thing to them, and it remains to be seen how they 

 will regard it. He has invited Helmholtz, Virchow, and 

 Du Bois-Reymond to meet me at dinner on Sunday, and I 

 shall then probably be able to find out something of the 

 prospect. I had a letter to Haeckel, of Jena (six hours 

 from here), from Huxley, and have sent it to him with a 

 message, but have heard nothing yet. I am not sanguine 

 about results here ; everything is so scattered. 



. . . Germany is not going to suit me. They are too 

 cocky. "We don't want your translations; we can make 

 our own books; the talent is here," is the way the publish- 

 ers talk. On the other hand, I find that scientific men here 

 have a contempt for " popularization " more intense than 

 anywhere else. They ostentatiously despise it and the 

 countries that tolerate it. It looks like a very bad market 

 for my pigs, but I am going to know more about it before 

 I get through. I shall meet Helmholtz, Virchow, and 

 Du Bois-Reymond at Bancroft's on Sunday, and I shall try 

 and find out a few things. But it will not trouble me if 

 they don't want the series. I am bound to have something 

 out of them, which will strengthen us. I have called on 

 Asher, a leading publisher here. He says I hold all the 

 cards so far as authors are concerned, and cannot fail to 

 win, but as for the publishers he don't see it. He talks 

 English, and is wide awake. I am afraid there is no show 

 to get Spencer translated here. They have never heard of 

 him, and there is great contempt for English " philosophy." 

 While they do not jump headforemost into my traps, I 



