3 lO LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY chap, xxi 



sympathise entirely with you; and I am much inclined to think 

 that it is a good thing for a man, once at any rate in his life, 

 to perform a public war-dance against all sorts of humbug and 

 imposture. 



But having satisfied one's love of freedom in this way, per- 

 haps the sooner the war-paint is off the better. It has no virtue 

 except as a sign of one's own frame of mind and determina- 

 tion, and when that is once known, is little better than a dis- 

 traction. 



I think there are a few patches of this kind, my dear friend, 

 which may as well come out in the next edition, e.g. that wonder- 

 ful note about the relation of God to gas, the gravity of which 

 greatly tickled my fancy. 



I pictured to myself the effect which a translation of this 

 would have upon the minds of my respectable countrymen ! 



Apropos of translation. Darwin wrote to me on that sub- 

 ject, and with his usual generosity, would have made a consider- 

 able contribution towards the expense if we could have seen 

 our way to the publication of a translation. But I do not think 

 it would be well to translate the book in fragments, and, as a 

 whole, it would be a very costly undertaking, with very little 

 chance of finding readers. 



I do not believe that in the British Islands there are fifty 

 people who are competent to read the book, and of the fifty, five 

 and twenty have read it or will read it in German. 



What I desire to do is to write a review of it, which will 

 bring it into some notice on this side of the water, and this I 

 hope to do before long. If I do not it will be, you well know, 

 from no want of inclination, but simply from lack of time. 



In any case, as soon as I have been able to study the book 

 carefully, you shall have my honest opinion about all points. 



I am glad your journey has yielded so good a scientific 

 harvest, and especially that you found my Oceanic Hydrozoa of 

 some use. But I am shocked to find you had no copy of the 

 book of your own, and I shall take care that one is sent to 

 you. It is my first-born work, done when I was very raw and 

 inexperienced, and had neither friends nor help. Perhaps I am 

 all the fonder of the child on that ground. 



A lively memory of you remains in my house, and wife and 

 children will be very glad to hear that I have news of you when 

 I go home to dinner. 



Keep us in kindly recollection, and believe me — Ever yours 

 very faithfully, T. H. Huxley. 



