From T. H. Huxley to G. H. Darwin? 9 December 1883

My dear Darwin—

I found Cayley & the two principal Oxford men Clifton & Price so strangely in favour of Sylvester that I had no doubt of the propriety of following on the same side.

I made your excuses at the Spottiswood meeting on Friday— I was afraid it would turn out a muddle but luckily things went well

I do not know what sort of report has reached Cambridge of the proceedings at the Linnean on Thursday— Romanes had been advertising the paper for weeks as a posthumous paper of your father's of great importance—and the meeting which gathered was far larger than that which met to hear the first sketch of the "Origin of species" in 1859.

Your brother Frank had told me something of the nature of the case last week—but I had not clearly apprehended that the paper was simply what your father had excised from the "Origin" five & twenty years ago—& that he had done nothing to it since then—

If it had appeared in what may be published by the literary executor—as a contribution to the history of the great work—it would have been quite in its right place—and very interesting too as evidence of the severity with which your father judged his own work— But I confess I was thoroughly vexed with Romanes for leading everybody to suppose as he doubtless innocently had done that they were to become acquainted with [illeg] unknown posthumous work

And my vexation shaped itself into pretty plain English—but I should be very sorry if any of you supposed it was reserved for any but Romanes—who I think has been very foolish

Ever yours very faily | T. H. Huxley