!86 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY chap, xi 



that resignation of one of the two offices was the right solu- 

 tion of the difficulty. 



Finally, it seemed that perhaps, after all, a " masterly 

 inactivity " was the best line of action. Without risk of an 

 authoritative decision of the Society " the wrong way," out 

 of personal regard for the President, the question would be 

 solved for him by actual experience of work in the House 

 of Commons, where he would doubtless discover that he 

 must " renounce either science, or politics, or existence." 



This campaign, however, against a principle, was carried 

 on without any personal feeling. The perfect simplicity of 

 the President's attitude would have disarmed the hottest 

 opponent, and indeed Huxley took occasion to write him 

 the following letter, in reference to which he writes to Dr. 

 Foster : — " I hate doing things in the dark and could not 

 stand it any longer." 



Dec. I, 1887. 



My dear Stokes — When we met in the hall of the Athe- 

 naeum on Monday evening I was on the point of speaking to 

 you on a somewhat delicate topic ; namely, my responsibility for 

 the leading article on the Presidency of R.S. and politics which 

 appeared a fortnight ago in Nature. But I was restrained by 

 the reflection that I had no right to say anything about the 

 matter without the consent of the Editor of Nature. I have 

 obtained that consent, and I take the earliest opportunity of 

 ' availing myself of my freedom. 



I should have greatly preferred to sign the article, and its 

 anonymity is due to nothing but my strong desire to avoid the 

 introduction of any personal irrelevancies into the discussion of 

 a very grave question of principle. 



I may add that as you are quite certain to vote in the way 

 that I think right on the only political questions which greatly 

 interest me, my action has not been, and cannot be, in any way 

 affected by political feeling. 



And as there is no one of whom I have a higher opinion 

 as a man of science — no one whom I should be more glad to 

 serve under, and to support year after year in the Chair of the 

 Society, and no one for whom I entertain feelings of more sin- 

 cere friendship — I trust you will believe that, if there is a word 

 in the article which appears inconsistent with these feelings, it 

 is there by oversight, and is sincerely regretted. 



