196 



LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY chap, xi 



There is a paragraph in your preface, which I meant to have 

 charged you with having plagiarised from an article of mine, 

 which had not appeared when I got your book. In that Her- 

 mitage of yours you are up to any Codesicobuddhistotelepathic 

 dodge ! 



It is about the value of practical discipline to historians. 

 Half of them know nothing of life, and still less of government 

 and the ways of men. 



I am quite useless, but have vitality enough to kick and 

 scratch a little when prodded. 



I am at present engaged on a series of experiments on the 



thickness of skin of that wonderful little wind-bag . The 



way that second-rate amateur poses as a man of science, having 

 authority as a sort of papistical Scotch dominie, bred a minister, 

 but stickit, really " rouses my corruption." What a good phrase 

 that is ! I am cursed with a lot of it, and any fool can strike 

 ile.— Ever yours very faithfully, T. H. Huxley.* 



Please remember me very kindly to Mrs. Skelton. 



n Ever^field Place, Hastings, Nov. iS, 1887. 



My dear Spencer — I was very glad to get your letter this 

 morning. I heard all about you from Hirst before I left London, 

 now nearly a month ago, and I promised myself that instead of 

 bothering you with a letter I would run over from here and pay 

 you a visit. 



Unfortunately, my wife, who had been ill more or less 

 ever since we left Arolla and came here on Clark's advice, 

 had an attack one night, which frightened me a good deal, 

 though it luckily turned out to arise from easily remediable 

 causes. 



Under these circumstances you will understand how I have 

 not made my proposed journey to Brighton. 



I am rejoiced to hear of your move. I believe in the skill of 

 Dr. B. Potter and her understanding of the case more than I do 

 in all the doctors and yourself put together. Please offer my 

 respectful homage to that eminent practitioner. 



You see people won't let me alone, and I have had to tell 

 the Duke to " keep on board his own ship," as the Quaker said, 

 once more. I seek peace, but do not ensue it. 



* This letter is one of the twelve from T. H. H. already published 

 by Sir John Skelton in his Table Talk of Shirley, p. 295 sq. 



