86 
PROFESSOR OWEN 
CH. III. 
and the fact that he had already felt the narrow- 
ness of the field in which he had been placed. It 
is possible that Carlisle, well knowing the apathy 
of the reigning faction to the Hunterian Collection, 
feared that Owen himself would be led away by 
the enthusiasm of outside teaching from the true 
purpose of his position. But Owen’s energy and 
powers proved to be such, that no amount of extra 
work was permitted to interfere with his ordinary 
routine : — 
Sir Anthony Carlisle to Richard Owen 
September lo, 1834. 
‘ My dear Sir, — I wish you to understand that 
I feel the greatest regard for you personally and 
professionally, and I should lament any incident 
which might lead you to doubt of my steadiness, 
but we have severally many public charges which 
should not be interrupted by misapprehension on 
either side. You know how deeply I regret the 
shameful delays in making Mr. Hunter’s Works 
public, and how basely one of my efforts to 
awaken the slumbers of the profession by giving 
my last Hunterian Oration was treated, not 
merely by the active malevolence of ignorant 
savages, but by the neglect of the whole College. 
I knew that your fine specimen of physiological 
anatomy would be waste-paper In England, and 
so will every similar effort until the great scheme 
of scientific zootomy of Mr. Hunter is fully 
