From J. D. Hooker   [7 March 1870]¹

Dear old Darwin

I went a pilgrimage to town yesterday, at 1 PM on purpose to see you— on my way in, I remembered that I forgot your brother’s number, & so called at the Lyell’s to ask it—, & finding that they knew nothing of you, I took for granted that you had not come up & I went & spent the evening with Mrs Boott instead.² So your letter this morning disgusted me.³ I am so dreadfully busy, that I doubt if I can get in this week, do tell me how long you stay in town— Can you come here?— I do want a talk about Barkly’s letter & other things; so let me hear your movements.⁴

I do not give much for the Botanical results of Ronde Island as depending on Monocots ^+/- Dicots, but the segregation of new forms & the Zoolog are most wonderful.⁵

Do back me up in my attempt to get Lyell to reduce his forthcoming little book to Elementary Principles & a compress of a volume like Huxleys Elementary Physiology—or not much bigger—⁶ A book like that to teach masters & children the principles of the Science in a concrete form is what is wanted, & it must be small & concrete. I have been coaching Charlie⁷ in Huxley which is admirable and the boy took to it (during his holidays) with actual avidity.— Just such a book on Geology is quite as much as should be compulsory on all youths with a liberal Education.

My Brit. Flora is a frightful drag—⁸ how difficult it is to do simple books well, & how little show they make for it.— I think Lyell must go to work in a different spirit or he will not succeed. He should go to work as the Veteran Phil. expanding the fundamental Principles of his own grand system—& not as a Scientific Expositor of data & facts. He tells me that “this”, & “that” requires modification explanation expansion & so forth— I tell him & such this’^s & that’^s should have no place in such a book: they are for proficients, advanced students & so forth— —but I bore you— we must meet some how—

Just write one line to say how long you will be in town—

Ever yrs affec | J D Hooker

Grove is disgusted at your being disquieted about Sir W Thomson— tell George from me not to sit upon you—with his mathematics—⁹ When I threatened your tropical cooling views with the facts of the physicists, you snubbed me & the facts sweetly, over & over again—¹⁰ & now because a scare crow of x + y has been raised on the self same facts you boo hoo— Take another dose of Huxley’s penultimate G. S. address¹¹ & send George back to College.

A queer man—Crompton of Norwich, is too modest to send you enclosed, & asks me to do so—¹² please tear it up— I do not want it again.