176 



LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY chap, x 



temporary posterity" of foreigners judges us, and rewards good 

 work by membership of Academies and so forth. 



In Art, if a man chooses to call Raphael a dauber, you can't 

 prove he is wrong; and literary work is just as hard to judge. 



I then spoke of the dangers to which science is exposed by 

 the undue prominence and weight of men who successfully apply 

 scientific knowledge to practical purposes — engineers, chemical 

 inventors, etc. etc. ; said it appeared to me that a Minister having 

 such order at his disposal would find it very difficult to resist the 

 pressure brought by such people as against the man of high 

 science who had not happened to have done anything to strike 

 the popular mind. 



Discussed the possibility of submission of names by some- 

 body for the approval and choice of the Crown. For Science, 

 I thought the R.S. Council might discharge that duty very fairly. 

 I thought that the Academy of Berlin presented people for the 

 Pour Ic Mcrite, but Lord S. thought not. 



In the course of conversation I spoke of Hooker's case as a 

 glaring example of the wrong way of treating distinguished men. 

 Observed that though I did not personally care for or desire the 

 institution of such honorary order, yet I thought it was a mis- 

 take in policy for the Crown as the fountain of honour to fail 

 in recognition of that which deserves honour in the world of 

 Science, Letters, and Art. 



Lord Salisbury smilingly summed up. " Well, it seems that 

 you don't desire the establishment of such an order, but that if 

 you were in my place you would establish it," to which I as- 

 sented. 



Said he had spoken to Leighton, who thought well of the 

 project. 



It was not long, however, before he received imperative 

 notice to quit town with all celerity. He fell ill with what 

 turned out to be pleurisy ; and after recruiting at Ilkley, went 

 again to Switzerland. 



4 Marlborough Place, June 27, 1887. 



My dear Foster — ... I am very sorry that it will be im- 

 possible for me to attend [the meeting of committee down for 

 the following Wednesday]. If I am well enough to leave the 

 house I must go into the country that day to attend the funeral 

 of my wife's brother-in-law and my very old friend Fanning, 

 of whom I may have spoken to you. He has been slowly sink- 

 ing for some time, and this morning we had news of his death. 



