56 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY chai>. iv 



years. " The worst of it is," he wrote to Sir M. Foster on 

 July 2, "that I see myself gravitating towards the Presi- 

 dency en permanence, that is to say, for the ordinary period. 



And that is what I by no means desired. has been 



at me (as a sort of deputation, he told me, from a lot of 

 the younger men) to stand. However, I suppose there is 

 no need to come to any decision yet.'' 



The following letters, in reply to congratulations on his 

 election, illustrate his attitude of mind in the affair : — 



To the Warden of Merton 



Hindhead, July 8, 1883. 



My dear Brodrick — I do not get so many pleasant letters 

 that I can afford to leave the senders of such things unthanked. 



I am very much obliged for your congratulations, and I may 

 say that I accepted the office inter alia for the purpose of getting 

 people to believe that such places may be properly held by people 

 who have neither riches nor station — who want nothing that 

 statesmen can give — and who care for nothing except upholding 

 the dignity and the freedom of science. — Ever yours very faith- 

 fully, T. H. Huxley. 



To Sir W. H. Flower, F.R.S. 



4 Marlborough Place, July y, 1883. 



My dear Flower — I am overwhelmed by the kind letters I 

 get from all sides, and I need hardly say that I particularly value 

 yours. 



A month ago I said that I ought not, could not, and would 

 not take the Presidency under any circumstances whatever. My 

 wife was dead against it, and you know how hen-pecked I am. 



Even when I was asked to take the Presidency to the end 

 of the year and agreed, I stipulated for my freedom next St. 

 Andrew's Day. 



But such strong representations were made to me by some 

 of the younger men about the dangers of the situation, that at 

 the last moment almost I changed my mind. 



However, I wanted it to be clearly understood that the 

 Council and the Society are, so far as I am concerned, perfectly 

 free to put somebody else in my place next November. All I 

 stipulate for is that my successor shall be a man of science. 



I will not, if I can help it, allow the chair of the Royal So- 



