170 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY CHAP. VIII 



getting a bust of him made, part to establishing an 

 Edward Forbes medal, to be competed for by the 

 students of his old school in Jermyn Street. 



As Huxley had been Forbes' successor at Jermyn 

 Street, so now he seemed to many marked out to 

 succeed him at Edinburgh. In November he writes 

 to Hooker : 



People have been at me about the Edinburgh chair. 

 If I could contrive to stop here, between you and I, I 

 would prefer it to half a dozen Edinburgh chairs, but 

 there is a mortal difference between .200 and 1000 

 a year. I have written to say that if the Professors can 

 make up their minds they wish me to stand, I will 

 if not, I will not. For my own part, I believe my 

 chances would be very small, and I think there is every 

 probability of their dividing the chair, in which case 

 I certainly would not go. However, I hate thinking 

 about the thing. 



And also to his sister : 



Nov. 26, 1854. 



MY DEAREST LIZZIE I feel I have been silent very 

 long a great deal too long but you would understand 

 if you knew how much I have to do ; why, with every 

 disposition to do otherwise, I now write hardly any but 

 business letters. Even Nettie conies off badly, I am 

 afraid. When a man embarks as I have done, with 

 nothing but his brains to back him, on the great sea of 

 life in London, with the determination to make the 

 influence and the position and the money which he hasn't 

 got, you may depend upon it that the fierce wants and 

 interests of his present and immediate circle leave him 

 little time to think of anything else, whatever old loves 

 and old memories may be smouldering as warmly as ever 

 below the surface. So, sister mine, you must not imagine 



