My dear Hooker

What a days work you had on that Thursday.¹ I was not able to go to London till Monday, & then I was a fool for going, for on Tuesday night I had an attack of fever (with a touch of pleurisy) which came on like a Lion, but went off as a lamb, but has shattered me a good bit.—²

I was much interested by your last note. That was a good sneer by the Bishop at Huxley.— ³ I think you expect too much in regard to change of opinion on the subject of species. One large class of men, more especially I suspect of naturalists, never will care about any general question, of which old Gray of Brit. Mus. may be taken as a type;⁴ & secondly nearly all men, past a moderate age either in actual years or in mind, are, I am fully convinced physically incapable of looking at facts under a new point of view. Seriously I am astonished & rejoiced at progress which subject has made; look at enclosed memorandum.

Owen says my book will be forgotten in 10 years;⁵ perhaps so, but with such a list, I feel convinced the subject will not. The outsiders, as you say, are strong.—

You say that you think that Bentham is touched, “but like a wise man holds his tongue”.—⁶ Perhaps you only mean that he cannot decide: otherwise I sh^d think such silence the reverse of magnanimity; for if others behaved the same way, how would opinion ever progress? It is a direliction of actual duty.—

I am so glad to hear about Thwaites.⁷ I do not know who “Greene” & “Oliver” are.—⁸ I have had an astounding letter from D^r. Boott: it might be turned into ridicule against him & me, so will not send it to anyone.—   He writes in a noble spirit of love of truth.—⁹

I wonder what Lindley thinks;—probably too busy to read or think on the question.—¹⁰

I am vexed about Bentham’s reticence; for it would have been of real value to know what part appeared weakest to a man of his powers of observation.—

I sh^d like to have a copy of Huxley’s lecture.—¹¹

I am very very sorry for Huxley about his Lecture: he seems to me vexed. I suppose H. C. Watson was there for he noticed in a letter to me one surprising lapsus linguæ.—¹²

Farewell | My dear Hooker | Yours affect | C. Darwin

I am very glad to hear that Lady Hooker improves gradually though slowly.—

Is not Harvey in class of men who do not at all care for generalities?¹³ I remember your saying you could not get him to write on Distribution.—   I have found his works very unfruitful in every respect.—