!88 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY chap, xi 



had entered into contracts, had bought land, and staked their 

 fortunes in Ireland, who would be ruined by the establish- 

 ment of Home Rule. Moreover, he held that the right of 

 self-preservation entitled a nation to refuse to establish at 

 its very gates a power which could, and perhaps would, be 

 a danger to its own existence. Of the capacity of the Irish 

 peasant for self-government he had no high opinion, and 

 what he had seen of the country, and especially the great 

 central plain, in his frequent visits to Ireland, convinced him 

 that the balance between subsistence and population would 

 speedily create a new agrarian question, whatever political 

 schemes were introduced. This was one of " the only politi- 

 cal questions which interested him." 



Towards the end of October he left London for Hastings, 

 partly for his own, but still more for his wife's sake, as she 

 was far from well. He was still busy with one or two Royal 

 Society Committees, and came up to town occasionally to 

 attend their meetings, especially those dealing with the 

 borings in the Delta, and with Antarctic exploration. Thus 

 he writes : — 



II EVERSFIELD PLACE, HASTINGS, Oct. 31, 1887. 



My dear Foster — We have been here for the last week, and 

 are likely to be here for some time, as my wife, though mending, 

 is getting on but slowly, and she will be as well out of London 

 through beastly November. I shall be up on Thursday and 

 return on Friday, but I do not want to be away longer, as it is 

 lonesome for the wife. 



I quite agree to what you propose on Committee, so I need 

 not be there. Very glad to hear that the Council " very much 

 applauded what we had done," and hope we shall get the £500. 



I don't believe a word in increasing whale fishery, but scien- 

 tifically, the Antarctic expedition would, or might be very in- 

 teresting, and if the colonies will do their part, I think we ought 

 to do ours. 



You won't want me at that Committee either. Hope to see 

 you on Thursday. — Ever yours, T. H. Huxley. 



Hideous pen ! 



But he did not come up that Thursday. His wife was 

 for a time too ill to be left, and he winds up his letter of 

 November 2 to Dr. Foster with the reflection : — 



