416 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY CHAP. XXI 



There can be but one opinion, however, as to the 

 knowledge and intellectual grasp displayed in the book ; 

 and, to me, the attempt to systematise biology as a whole 

 is especially interesting and valuable. 



I shall go over this part of your work with great care 

 by and by, but I am afraid you must expect that the 

 number of biologists who will do so, will remain exceed- 

 ingly small. Our comrades are not strong in logic and 

 philosophy. 



With respect to the polemic excursus, of course, I 

 chuckle over them most sympathetically, and then say 

 how naughty they are ! I have done too much of the 

 same sort of thing not to sympathise entirely with you ; 

 and I am much inclined to think that it is a good thing 

 for a man, once at any rate in his life, to perform a 

 public war-dance against all sorts of humbug and 

 imposture. 



But having satisfied one's love of freedom in this way, 

 perhaps the sooner the war-paint is off the better. It 

 has no virtue except as a sign of one's own frame of mind 

 and determination, and when that is once known, is 

 little better than a distraction. 



I think there are a few patches of this kind, my dear 

 friend, which may as well come out in the next edition, 

 e.g. that wonderful note about the relation of God to gas, 

 the gravity of which greatly tickled my fancy. 



I pictured to myself the effect which a translation of 

 this would have upon the minds of my respectable 

 countrymen ! 



Apropos of translation. Darwin wrote to me on that 

 subject, and with his usual generosity, would have made 

 a considerable contribution towards the expense if we 

 could have seen our way to the publication of a transla- 

 tion. But I do not think it would be well to translate 

 the book in fragments, and, as a whole, it would be a 

 very costly undertaking, with very little chance of finding 

 readers. 



