362 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY chap, xx 



I have no earthly objection to say all that I honestly can of 

 good about Owen's work — and there is much to be said about 

 some of it — on the contrary, I should be well pleased to do so. 



But I have no reparation to make; if the business were to 

 come over again, I should do as I did. My opinion of the man's 

 character is exactly what it was, and under the circumstances 

 there is a sort of hypocrisy about volunteering anything, which 

 goes against my grain. 



The best position for me would be to be asked to second the 

 resolution for the statue — then the proposer would have the 

 field of personal fiction and butter-boat all to himself. 



To Sir W. H. Flower 



Dec. 28, 1892. 



I think you are quite right in taking an active share in the 

 movement for the memorial. When a man is dead and can do no 



merits 

 more harm, one must do a sum in subtraction, deserts and if 



x-\-x-\-x 

 the x's are not all minus quantities', give him credit accordingly. 

 But I think that in your appeal, for which the Committee will 

 be responsible, it is this balance of solid scientific merit — a 

 good big one in Owen's case after all deductions — which should 

 be alone referred to. If you follow the example of Vanity Fair 

 and call him " a simple-minded man, who, had he been other- 

 wise, would long ago have adorned a title," some of us may 

 choke. 



Gladstone, Samuel of Oxford, and Owen belong to a very 

 curious type of humanity, with many excellent and even great 

 qualities and one fatal defect — utter untrustworthiness. Peace 

 be with two of them, and may the political death of the third 

 be speedy and painless ! — With our united best wishes, ever 

 yours very faithfully, T. H. Huxley. 



And on January 22, 1893, he writes of the meeting : — 



My dear Hooker — . . . What queer corners one gets into 

 if one only lives long enough ! The grim humour of the situa- 

 tion when I was seconding the proposal for a statue to Owen 

 yesterday tickled me a good deal. I do not know how they will 

 report me in the Times, but if they do it properly I think you 

 will see that I said no word upon which I could not stand cross- 

 examination. 



