My dear Father,

As I said in my contradictory letter, I have changed my opinion very much in the matter of the Quarterly Review.¹ I showed the extract to Jackson² & he quite agreed as to the scurrility of the attack. Tho’ no lawyer he seemed to think that it c^d. hardly be a libel at law. It happens to be circuit time, & I showed it to a barrister friend, who, tho’ he has no practise, has seen a good deal of other people’s. He thought it a very nice point as to whether it is libellous or not. I c^d. not allege ‘special damage’ i.e specific injury in trade or profession, but sh^d. have to go on the fact that it holds me up to reprobation or ridicule. Both he & Jackson seemed to think decidedly that it w^d. not be worth going to law about. Jackson thinks (& I agree, unless reconverted by you) that the best course will be for me to write an explicit denial & short account of my essay & to send it for publication (thro’ you) in the next $\frac{1}{4}$ly.— He also thinks that they w^d. most likely publish it, & I think considering the pressure that you c^d. exert on Murray, & he on the Editor that it w^d. almost certainly be accepted.³ He also thinks that Murray might possibly not object to publish an explicit denial, but might to a sketch of the Essay.

I have therefore begun & almost done my proposed draft & have consulted Jackson, which I will send in a few days. I w^d. suggest that we sh^d. go for the insertion of the whole, & only submit to its curtailment if Murray sh^d. demand it. This w^d. be I think quite sufficient to vindicate me. It w^d. be infinitely more likely to be accepted than a counsel’s opinion—which we sh^d. however be of course at liberty to publish. Sh^d. we be met by a point-blank refusal it will be time to think of more hostile measures. I have ordered the Quarterly & am going to read the whole article & if it sh^d. seem worth the powder & shot, I sh^d. like to have a try to answer it, as his disgusting sentence about you & Mill rankles in me a good deal.⁴ The Pall Mall noticed it scornfully on Tuesday, but made no reference to the obnoxious parts.⁵ I shall be very glad to hear what you have to say to all this.

The sentences about me are compiled with a skilful venom certainly!

I am very comfortable up here, & there is a holy calm over the whole place which suits me. There are several friends of mine up now, tho’ Jackson goes off to Switz^d. tomorrow I am sorry to say. Frank B.⁶ is up—or rather he went away yest. & comes back on Friday.

I met Michael Foster in the court just now with one of the Huxley girls. I didn’t feel absolutely certain whether it was Maidy⁷ or not, & so I suppose it was’nt, but she was most marvellously like her. I hear the H’s are giving up Whitby & going to Littlehampton.⁸ I hope your Abinger visit was successful & that your collapse has not come on.⁹

I wrote to Clowes on Mond. about sending me proofs.¹⁰ I think I shall probably stay here a fortnight, as there is some mathematics I want to read & I must get the books from the library; but goodness knows whether I shall have the go for it. I have been doing a little yesterday & today. The sickness keeps off thanks entirely to ipecac., but I have extreme discomfort when I sh^d. otherwise be sick, I think however I am a little on the mend, & I have managed to play tennis for $\frac{1}{2}$ an hour both today & yest. I fear I shall go on losing flesh if that state of bowels continues to wh. I referred yest.¹¹

I had a very civil letter from Reginald Darwin (who is with the channel fleet & his son I supp) sending kind messages to you¹²

Your affec son | George Darwin