Winter in the Riviera. 363 



adapted to convey general conceptions of the doctrine of 

 evolution to the public mind ; and further, that besides put- 

 ting them so clearly and simply you would make them ex- 

 tremely interesting. It seems to me that you cannot do a 

 better thing than carry out your plans in that direction, 

 and, at any rate for a time, drop other matters. I have no 

 doubt that the better mood of mind that would arise, alike 

 from the different mode of life as well as from the successes 

 that I doubt not would result, would more than anything 

 else conduce to your improved health. 



Now that I am not with you and cannot play the bully 

 over you daily, I see you are relapsing into your old mal- 

 practices. So far from abiding by the principle of doing all 

 your writing by dictation, you seem to me to be going more 

 in the opposite direction, for the last three letters I have 

 had from you have been in your own hand. However, it is 

 no use saying anything. 



LONDON, July 4, 1879. 



Fiske's lectures at University College ended satisfac- 

 torily, and were greatly applauded at the close. He and 

 Holt and I have had two country excursions, one to Rich- 

 mond and one to Windsor. 



October /, /(?/<?. 



I am glad to find you writing in a more cheerful style, 

 and hope that your more sanguine view of your state will 

 be borne out by the results. I was glad to see in the last 

 number of the Monthly that you are notifying publicly 

 your intention of resuming lecturing. In a certain measure 

 it commits you, and will serve to decide you in favour of 

 that course when otherwise you might hesitate. 



I do not see why you should have grown " morbidly 

 timorous about speaking of your [my] views?" So far as 

 I remember, you have always been perfectly correct in your 

 statements, and extremely lucid. Even when it has been a 

 mathematical question you have done extremely well. 



