1 Eldon Place Broadstairs
Sep 5th 1858
My dear Hooker
I am glad Mrs Hooker has found rest for the sole of her foot. I returned her Tyndall[']s1 letter Saturday.
I am sorry for Harvey2, for of all things 'biles' [sic] is the unpleasantest. Is he going to migrate with you to the sea side?
Wallace's3 impetus seems to have set Darwin4 going in earnest and I am rejoiced to hear we shall learn his views in full, at last. I look forward to a great revolution being effected. [2] Depend upon it in Natural History as in everything else when the English mind fully determines to work a thing out it will do it better than any other.
I firmly believe in the advent of an English Epoch in science & art which will lick the Augustan5 (which, by the bye, had neither science nor art in one sense, but you know what I mean) into fits. So Hooray in the first place for the Genera plantarum.6
I can quite understand the need of a new one7 and I am right glad you have undertaken it —. It seems to [3] me to be in all respects the sort of work for you and exactly adapted to your environment at Kew — I remember you mentioned to me some time ago that you were thinking of it.
I wish I could even hope that such a thing would be ever attempted in the course of this generation for Animals —
But with Animal Morphology in the state in which it is now — we have no terminology that will stand and consequently concise & comparable definitions are in many cases impossible[.] [4] If old Dom. Gray8were[?] but[?] an intelligent activity instead of being a lot of[?] a sort of zoological whirlwind what a deal he might do — — and I am hopeless of Owen's9 comprehending what classification means since the publication of the wonderful scheme which adorns (like a Corinthian portico in cow-dung) the last edition of his lectures.
As you say I have found this a great place for "work of price[?]" — I have finished the Oceanic Hydrozoa10 all but the book work for [1 or 2 words illeg.].
[5] I must have access to the B.M. [British Museum] library — but another week will do him. My notes are from eight to twelve years old and really I often have felt like the editor of somebody else's posthumous work —
But now I am busy over the Croonian11 which must be done before I return. I have been pulling at all the arguments as a spider does at his thread & I think they are all strong — If so, the thing will do some good. [6] I am perplexed about the N[atural]. H[istory]. collections —. The best thing I firmly believe would be for the Economic Zoology and a set of well selected types to go to Kensington but I should be sorry to see the scientific collection placed under any such auspices[?] as those which govern the "Brilers"[?] [.] I don't believe the clay soil of the Regents Park would matter[?] a fraction[?] — and to have a grand scientific zoological [7] and paleontological collection for worker's[?] purposes[?] close[?] to the Gardens where the living beasts are would be a grand thing. I should not wonder if the affair is greatly discussed at the B[ritish] A[ssociation] at Leeds and then perhaps light will arise —
Have you seen that mad cap Tyndall's letter in the Times? He'll break his blessed neck some day and that will be a great hole in the efficiency of my scientific Young England. [8] We mean to return next Saturday, and [1 or 2 words illeg.] about the 16th[?] or 17th[?]? I shall go down to York where I want to study plesiosaurs. I shall return after the British Association. The interesting question arises shall I have a row with the great O12 there? What a capital title that is they give him of the British Cuvier13 — He stands in exactly the same relation to the French as British Brandy to Cognac.
Ever Yours[?] Faithfully[?] | T H Huxley [signature]
Am I to send the Gardeners Chron.14 Ch.[?] ? & where? Please I have mislaid the address[.]
Status: Edited (but not proofed) transcription [Letter (WCP3758.3670)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
[1] [p. 229]
1 ELDON PLACE, BROADSTAIRS, Sept. 5, 1858.
MY DEAR HOOKER — I am glad Mrs. Hooker has found rest for the sole of her foot. I returned her Tyndall's letter yesterday. [2] [p. 230] Wallace's impetus seems to have set Darwin going in earnest, and I am rejoiced to hear we shall learn his views in full, at last. I look forward to a great revolution being effected. Depend upon it, in natural history, as in everything else, when the English mind fully determines to work a thing out, it will do it better than any other.
I firmly believe in the advent of an English epoch in science and art, which will lick the Augustan (which, by the bye, had neither science nor art in our sense, but you know what I mean) into fits. So hooray, in the first place, for the Genera plantarum. I can quite understand the need of a new one, and I am right glad you have undertaken it. It seems to me to be in all respects the sort of work for you, and exactly adapted to your environment at Kew. I remember you mentioned to me some time ago that you were thinking of it.
I wish I could even hope that such a thing would be even attempted in the course of this generation for animals.
But with animal morphology in the state in which it is now, we have no terminology that will stand, and consequently concise and comparable definitions are in many case impossible.
If old Dom. Gray1 were but an intelligent activity instead of being a sort of zoological whirlwind, what a deal he might do. And I am hopeless of Owen's comprehending what classification means since the publication of the wonderful scheme which adorns the last edition of his lectures.
As you say, I have found this a great place for "work of price." I have finished the "Oceanic Hydroza" all but the bookwork, for which I must have access to the B.M. Library — but another week will do him. My notes are from eight to twelve years old, and really often I have felt like the editor of somebody else's posthumous work. [3] [p. 231] Just now I am busy over the "Croonian," which must be done before I return. I have been pulling at all the arguments as a spider does at his threads, and I think they are all strong. If so the thing will do some good.
I am perplexed about the N.H. Collections. The best thing, I firmly believe, would be for the Economic Zoology and a set of well-selected types to go to Kensington, but I should be sorry to see the scientific collection placed under any such auspices as those which govern the "Bilers." I don't believe the clay soil of the Regent's Park would matter a fraction — and to have a grand scientific zoological and paleontological collection for working purposes close to the Gardens where the living beasts are, would be a grand thing. I should not wonder if the affair is greatly discussed at the B.A. at Leeds, and then, perhaps, light will arise.
Have you seen that madcap Tyndall's letter in the Times? He'll break his blessed neck some day, and that will be a great hole in the efficiency of my scientific young England. We mean to return next Saturday, and somewhere about the 16th or 17th I shall go down to York, where I want to study Plesiosaurs. I shall return after the British Association. The interesting question arises, Shall I have a row with the great O. there? What a capital title that is they give him of the British Cuvier. He stands in exactly the same relation to the French as British brandy to cognac. — Ever yours faithfully,
T.H. HUXLEY
Status: Draft transcription [Published letter (WCP3758.6493)]
For more information about the transcriptions and metadata, see https://wallaceletters.myspecies.info/content/epsilon
Please cite as “WCP3758,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 28 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP3758