4 Marlborough Place, N.W., December 10, 1878.

My dear Roscoe,

You will think that I have broken out into letter-writing in a very unwonted fashion, but I forgot half of what I had to say this morning.

After a good deal of consultation with Macmillans, who were anxious that the “English Men of Science” series should not be too extensive, I have arranged the books as follows:—­

1.  Roger Bacon.

2.  Harvey and the Physiologists of the 17th century.

3.  Robert Boyle and the Royal Society.

4.  Isaac Newton.

5.  Charles Darwin.

6.  English Physicists, Gilbert, Young, Faraday, Joule.

7.  English Chemists, Black, Priestley, Cavendish, Davy, Dalton.

8.  English Physiologists and Zoologists of the 18th century, Hunter, etc.

9.  English Botanists, Ray, Crew, Hales, Brown.

10.  English Geologists, Hutton, Smith, Lyell.

We may throw in the astronomers if the thing goes.

Green of Leeds will undertake 10; Dyer, with Hooker’s aid, 9; M.
Foster eight and I look to you for 7.

Tyndall has half promised to do Boyle, and I hope he will.  Clerk-Maxwell can’t undertake Newton, and hints X. But I won’t have X.—­he is too much of a bolter to go into the tandem.  I am thinking of asking Moulton, who is strongly recommended by Spottiswoode, and is a very able fellow, likely to put his strength into it.

Do you know anything about Chrystal of St. Andrews? [Now Professor of Mathematics at Edinburgh.] I forget whether I asked you before.  From all I hear of him I expect he would do Number 6 very well.  I have written to Adamson by this post.

I shall get off with Harvey and Darwin to my share.

Ever yours very faithfully,

T.H.  Huxley.

4 Marlborough Place, N.W., December 26, 1878.

My dear Roscoe,

I was very loth to lump the chemists together, but Max was very strong about not having too many books in the series; and on the other hand, I had my doubts how far the chemists were capable of “dissociation” without making the book too technical.

But I do not regard the present arrangement as unalterable, and if you think the early chemists and the later chemists would do better in two separate groups, the matter is quite open to consideration.

Maxwell says he is overdone with work already, and altogether declines to take anything new.  I shall have to look about me for a man to do the Physikers.

Of course Adamson will have to take in a view of the science of the Middle Ages.  That will be one of the most interesting parts of the book, and I hope he will do it well.  I suppose he knows his Dante.

The final cause of boys is to catch something or other.  I trust that yours is demeasling himself properly.

Ever yours very faithfully,

T.H.  Huxley.