1855 EFFLORESCENT PIETISM 



133 



my own wishes go, I am in a curiously balanced state of mind 

 about it. Many things make it a desirable post, but I dread 

 leaving London and its freedom — its Bedouin sort of life — for 

 Edinburgh and no whistling on Sundays. Besides, if I go there, 

 I shall have to give up all my coast-survey plans, and all their 

 pleasant concomitants. 



Apropos of Edinburgh I feel much like the Irish hod-man 

 who betted his fellow he could not carry him up to the top of a 

 house in his hod. The man did it, but Pat turning round as he 

 was set down on the roof, said, " Ye've done it, sure enough, 

 but, bedad, I'd great hopes ye'd let me fall about three rounds 

 from the top." Bedad, I'm nearly at the top of the Scotch ladder, 

 but I've hopes. 



It is finally settled that the chair will not be divided. I told 

 them frankly I would not go if it were. 



Has Highly sent your books yet? — Ever yours faithfully, 



T. H. Huxley. 



Jermyn Street, J^ei. 13, 1855. 



My dear Dyster — ... I will do my best to help to 



some alumni if the chance comes in my way, though, as you say, 

 I don't like him. I can't help it. I respect piety, and hope I 

 have some after my own fashion, but I have a profound preju- 

 dice against the efflorescent form of it. 'I never yet found 

 in people thoroughly imbued with that pietism, the same no- 

 tions of honour and straightforwardness that obtain among 



men of the world. It may be otherwise with — , but I can't 



help my pagan prejudice. So don't judge harshly of me there- 

 anent. 



About Edinburgh, I have been going to write to you for 

 days past. I have decided on withdrawing from the can- 

 didature, and have done so. In fact the more I thought of 

 it the less I liked it. They require nine months' lectures some 

 four or five times a week, which would have thoroughly 

 used me up, and completely put a stop to anything like original 

 work; and then there was a horrid museum to be arranged, 

 work I don't care about, and which would have involved an 

 amount of intriguing and heart-burning, and would have re- 

 quired an amount of diplomacy to carry to a successful issue, 

 for which my temper and disposition are wholly unfitted. 



And then I felt above all things that it was for me an im- 

 posture. Here have I been fighting and struggling for years, 

 sacrificing everything to be a man of science, a genuine worker. 



