From J. D. Hooker [1 March 1863]1
Kew
Sunday.
Dear Darwin
You will be glad to know that Lubbocks lecture was a complete success, & quite admirable I thought—2 I never before recognized any satisfactory evidence of a probably distinct Stone, Iron & Bronze age. Lubbock put it all in the most satisfactory light that the subject admitted of, with excellent skill and judgement.—3 (I wish he had written the chapters thereon in Lyell’s book.).4
I have pretty nearly got through my Examination week’s work & shall resume Lyell at once—5
Many thanks for A Grays letter—6 I am always glad to see them, he never alludes to politics or “Darwinism” in his letters to me.7 the War has made him very bumptious in many ways I fear.— & I often think that one of the worst effects of a war is the acerbation of feelings that it brings about. It certainly seems wonderfully to have dwarfed Gray’s intellect— how he can so utterly misconceive the respective positions and attitudes of England & America is inconceivable to me, but it is impossible to undeceive him,—to attempt it would madden him.— His account of his “young Rothricks propensities is sickening,—“wd make wounds rather than tend them”!8
Rolleston’s letter will please Lyell & I was glad to see it.9 R. is a great favorite amongst the orthodox in Oxford, & is perhaps Owen’s most formidable enemy, socially certainly he is so
P.S. I have progressed through Lyells Glacial Chapters, & can quite see they are far the best in the book & quite excellent.—10 the subject is freely & boldly handled, & bears the stamp of his intellect his Experience & his opinion he throws himself into the subject—& carries his head erect through it like the Master he is— the wind up about Ramsay is excellent, & struck me as very original & able, but I am not convinced by it. it requires several readings.11
I do wish he could have begun or ended his book with the Glacial discussion & worked down to the recent times— The perplexity of post-pliocenes & post-tertiary is very irritating at the beginning for I must tell him how feeble the Cave, Stone, &c. discussion is, comparatively,12 & how terribly disappointing the termination of the chapters on origin & on Man.—13which I have again read over, though still not with sufficient care. One leaves off absolutely hungry & thirsty for his own imprimatur on the evidence he so glibly adduces & so ably marshals. I think very highly of all the latter part of the book, in every way but this,: & it is the opinion of all I have asked that the want of a summary & authoratative expression of opinion should not have been foregone, & can-not be forgiven— it is an abandonment of Lyells high position,— —he is like a King ducking down behind his throne, when obnoxious nobles crowd & frown. And we who quote him will have this thrown in our teeth ever after— In this Lyell & Stanley are in the same unenviable position, of reticence of their opinions on questions of the gravest import to the progress of Science.14 To me & my papers he has done far more than mere justice—& I feel greatly gratified,15 nay more, touched, by the evident kindly spirit that I can appreciate throughout.
I have a deal more to say, but no time to say it now. Ever yours affec | J D Hooker
Lyell is I suppose with you16 if you the least care to, pray read him the above, I must tell him the same in pretty much the same words. & it is perhaps better that he should hear it in words not written under the vestment of a personal communication—if you do read it, please read this too.
Footnotes
Bibliography
Correspondence: The correspondence of Charles Darwin. Edited by Frederick Burkhardt et al. 29 vols to date. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1985–.
Ellis, Ieuan. 1980. Seven against Christ. A study of "Essays and reviews". Leiden, Netherlands: E. J. Brill.
Essays and reviews. London: John W. Parker. 1860.
Hooker, Joseph Dalton. 1859. On the flora of Australia, its origin, affinities, and distribution; being an introductory essay to the flora of Tasmania. London: Lovell Reeve.
Liddon, Henry Parry. 1893–7. Life of Henry Bouverie Pusey. Doctor of divinity, canon of Christ Church, Regius professor of Hebrew in the University of Oxford. 4 vols. Edited and prepared for publication by J. O. Johnston et al. London and New York: Longmans, Green & Co.
Mill, Humphrey. 1646. The second part of The Nights Search, discovering the condition of the various fowles of night. Or, the second great mystery of iniquity exactly revealed: with the projects of these times. In a poem. London: printed for Henry Shepeard and William Ley.
[Stanley, Penrhyn Arthur.] 1861. [Review of Essays and reviews & other works.] Edinburgh Review 113: 461–500.
Van Riper, A. Bowdoin. 1993. Men among the mammoths: Victorian science and the discovery of human prehistory. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press.
Summary
John Lubbock’s lecture on man a success [Not. Proc. R. Inst. G. B. 4 (1863): 29–40].
JDH on the effect of the Civil War on Asa Gray.
JDH’s opinion of Lyell on glaciers is improving.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-4019
- From
- Joseph Dalton Hooker
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Kew
- Source of text
- DAR 101: 111–13
- Physical description
- ALS 6pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 4019,” accessed on 1 September 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-4019.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 11