2IO LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY chap, xv 



s 



Jermyn Stix&T , January i6, 1862. 



My dear Hooker— I wonder if we are ever to meet again in 

 this world ! At anyrate I send to the remote province of Kew, 

 Greeting, and my best wishes for the new year to you and yours. 

 I also inclose a slip from an Edinburgh paper containing a 

 report of my lecture on the " Relation of Man," etc. As you 

 will see, I went in for the entire animal more strongly, in fact, 

 than they have reported me. I told them in so many words 

 that I entertained no doubt of the origin of man from the same 

 stock as the apes. 



And to my great delight, in saintly Edinburgh itself the an- 

 nouncement met with nothing but applause. For myself I can't 

 say that the praise or blame of my audience was much matter, 

 but it is a grand indication of the general disintegration of old 

 prejudices which is going on. 



I shall see if I cannot make something more of the lectures 

 by delivering them again in London, and then I shall publish 

 them. 



The report does not put nearly strong enough what I said in 

 favour of Darwin's views. I affirmed it to be the only scientific 

 hypothesis of the origin of species in existence, and expressed 

 my belief that the one gap in the evidence would be filled up, as 

 I always do. — Ever yours faithfully, T. H. Huxley. 



Jermyn Street, January 20, 1862. 



My dear Darwin — The inclosed article, which has been 

 followed up by another more violent, more scurrilously personal, 

 and more foolish, will prove to you that my labour has not been 

 in vain, and that your views and mine are likely to be better 

 ventilated in Scotland than they have been. 



I was quite uneasy at getting no attack from the Witness, 

 thinking I must have overestimated the impression I had made, 

 and the favourableness of the reception of what I said. But the 

 raving of the Witness is clear testimony that my notion was 

 correct. 



I shall send a short reply to the Scotsman for the purpose of 

 further advertising the question. 



With regard to what are especially your doctrines, I spoke 

 much more favourably than I am reported to have done. I 

 expressed no doubt as to their ultimate establishment, but as I 

 particularly wished not to be misrepresented as an advocate 

 trying to soften or explain away real difficulties, I did not in 

 speaking enter into the details of what is to be said in diminish- 



