536 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY chap, xxxiii 



I forget whether I asked you before. From all I hear of him I 

 expect he would do No. 6 very well. I have written to Adamson 

 by this post. 



I shall get off with Harvey and Darwin to my share. — 

 Ever yours very faithfully, T. H. Huxley. 



4 Marlborough Place, N.W., Dec. 26, 1878. 



My dear Roscoe — I was very loth to lump the chemists 

 together, but Max was very strong about not having too many 

 books in the series ; and on the other hand, I had my doubts 

 how far the chemists were capable of " dissociation " without 

 making the book too technical. 



But I do not regard the present arrangement as unalterable, 

 and if you think the early chemists and the later chemists would 

 do better in two separate groups, the matter is quite open to 

 consideration. 



Maxwell says he is overdone with work already, and alto- 

 gether declines to take anything new. I shall have to look 

 about me for a man to do the Physikers. 



Of course Adamson will have to take in a view of the sci- 

 ence of the middle ages. That will be one of the most interest- 

 ing parts of the book, and I hope he will do it well. I suppose 

 he knows his Dante. 



The final cause of boys is to catch something or other. I 

 trust that yours is demeasling himself properly. — Ever yours 

 very faithfully, T. H. Huxley. 



4 Marlborough Place, Dec. 1878. 



My dear Tyndall — I consider your saying the other even- 

 ing that you would see " anyone else d -d first," before you 



would assent to the little proposal I made to you, as the most 

 distinct and binding acceptance you are capable of. You have 

 nothing else to swear by, and so you swear at everybody but me 

 when you want to pledge yourself. 



It will release me of an immense difficulty if you will under- 

 take R. Boyle and the Royal Society (which of course includes 

 Hooke) ; and the subject is a capital one. 



The book should not exceed about 200 pages, and you need 

 not be ready before this time next year. There could not be a 

 more refreshing piece of work just to enliven the dolce far 

 niente of the Bel Alp. (That is quite d, la Knowles, and I begin 

 to think I have some faculty as an editor.) 



