My dear Huxley

I enclose the names in alphabetical order, & I hope that there is not one on the list of which you will disapprove.¹ To my mind any mark of friendship from such men would be a thousand times more valuable than all the medals & such like honours which can be thought of.— Some of your friends think that you had better take a holiday at once, & had you not better talk with D^r. Clark on subject?² Some time ago, Lubbock, as I understood, spoke to Forster, who seemed to think that there w^d. be no difficulty in your taking rest at any time that was necessary, or adviseable for your health.³

I am sorry I did not write more explicitly about Lady Lyell. It is a dreadful tragedy, but how fortunate that she never knew that there was danger of her leaving poor old Sir C., & that she did not suffer at all except from weakness.⁴

Very many thanks for your new vol. received this morning. I have read the Preface, & there certainly “is life in the old dog yet.”⁵

By the way there is a new Review (I suspect written by D^r Stirling, your enemy.—) in the Edinburgh scolding me severely, & you & Tyndall & H. Spencer.⁶ I have not read it all, but parts, as far as I am concerned, are very unfair: for instance, like Mivart, he says I quote only authors on my own side in my Expression book, whereas, H. Spencer is the sole evolutionist who has written on the subject!⁷ With respect to D^r. Forbes, unless there is something more explicit than the sentence which you copy, I sh^d. not have thought it worth answering. It seems to me much the same as if the French after the battle of Waterloo had said “the English & their friends will now be rendered more cautious in their further proceedings”⁸

My dear Huxley | Ever yours | C. Darwin

I have had a cheering letter from Hooker who has seen your letter to me about your “noble-minded” proceedings⁹

I must add that Lady Lubbock¹⁰ cried from joy about your letter.