To Thomas Henry Huxley   10 March 1869

Down. | Bromley. | Kent. S.E.

March 10/69/

My dear Huxley

I fear that you will hate me, but I could not bear to refuse the request in the enclosed note, coming from a man whom I much like & respect.— Accordingly I send the long letter by this day’s post, 21 pages, but in excellent hand-writing.1

Possibly, but not probably, it may be worth your while to read, before you answer all your critics, what a red-hot Comtist, lawyer & able man has to say for his prophet.—2 If you can let me have a line, saying that you will consider Vernon Lushingtons remarks & that will satisfy him.

There is no peace for the wicked or the good in this world.

Ever yours | C. Darwin

1
The letter, which was from Vernon Lushington, has not been found.
2
Lushington was a supporter of the positivist philosophy of Auguste Comte. In an article that appeared in the Fortnightly Review of 1 February 1869, Huxley had criticised positivism, commenting, ‘M. Comte’s philosophy in practice might be compendiously described as Catholicism minus Christianity’ (T. H. Huxley 1869a, p. 141). Lushington’s letter probably contained a response to Huxley’s critique.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-6649,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-6649