1889 CONTROVERSY WITH BISHOP MAGEE 241 



I am astonished at its meekness. Being reviled, I revile 

 not; not an exception, I believe, can be taken to the wording of 

 one of the venomous paragraphs in which the paper abounds. 

 And I perceive the truth of a profound reflection I have often 

 made, that reviling is often morally superior to not reviling. 



I give up Peterborough. His " Explanation " is neither 

 straightforward, nor courteous, nor prudent. Of which last 

 fact, it may be, he will be convinced when he reads my acknowl- 

 edgment of his favours, which is soft, not with the softness of 

 the answer which turneth away wrath, but with that of the 

 pillow which smothered Desdemona. — Ever yours very faith- 

 fully, T. H. Huxley. 



I shall try to stand an hour or two of the Academy dinner, 

 and hope it won't knock me up. 



4 Marlborough Place, N.W., May 6, 1889. 



My dear Knowles — If I had not gone to the Academy din- 

 ner I might have kept my promise about sending you my paper 

 to-day. I indulged in no gastronomic indiscretions, and came 

 away after H.R.H.'s speech, but I was dead beat all yesterday, 

 nevertheless. 



We are off to Eastbourne, and I will send the MS. from 

 there ; there is very little to do. 



Such a waste ! I shall have to omit a paragraph that was 

 really a masterpiece. 



For who should I come upon in one of the rooms but the 

 Bishop ! As we shook hands, he asked whether that was before 

 the fight or after ; and I answered, " A little of both." Then we 

 spoke our minds pretty plainly; and then we agreed to bury the 

 hatchet.* 



So yesterday I tore up the paragraph. It was so appropriate 

 I could not even save it up for somebody else ! — Ever yours, 



T. H. Huxley. 



3 Jevington Gardens, Eastbourne, 



May 22, 1889. 



My dear Knowles — I sent back my proof last evening. I 



shall be in town Friday afternoon to Monday morning next, 



having a lot of things to do. So you may as well let me see 



a revise of the whole. Did you not say to me, " sitting by a 



* As he says {Coll. Ess. v. 210), this chance meeting ended " a tem- 

 porary misunderstanding with a man of rare ability, candour, and wit, 

 for whom I entertained a great liking and no less respect." 

 52 



