[Three days later he found himself ordered to leave England immediately, under pain of a hopeless breakdown.]

4 Marlborough Place, October 8, 1884.

My dear Foster,

We shall be very glad to see you on Friday.  I came to the conclusion that I had better put myself in Clark’s hands again, and he has been here this evening overhauling me for an hour.

He says there is nothing wrong except a slight affection of the liver and general nervous depression, but that if I go on the latter will get steadily worse and become troublesome.  He insists on my going away to the South and doing nothing but amuse myself for three or four months.

This is the devil to pay, but I cannot honestly say that I think he is wrong.  Moreover, I promised the wife to abide by his decision.

We will talk over what is to be done.

Ever yours,

T.H.  Huxley.

Athenaeum Club, October 13, 1884.

My dear Morley,

I heartily wish I could be with you on the 25th, but it is aliter visum to somebody, whether Dis or Diabolis, I can’t say.

The fact is, the day after I saw you I had to put myself in Clark’s hands, and he ordered me to knock off work and go and amuse myself for three or four months, under penalties of an unpleasant kind.

So I am off to Venice next Wednesday.  It is the only tolerably warm place accessible to any one whose wife will not let him go within reach of cholera just at present.

If I am a good boy I am to come back all sound, as there is nothing organic the matter; but I have had enough of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and shall extricate myself from that Trinity as soon as may be.  Perhaps I may get within measurable distance of Berkeley ("English Men of Letters” edited by J.M.) before I die!

Ever yours very faithfully,

T.H.  Huxley.

Athenaeum Club, October 18, 1884.

My dear Foster,

Best thanks for your letter and route.  I am giving you a frightful quantity of trouble; but as the old woman (Irish) said to my wife, when she gave her a pair of my old trousers for her husband, “I hope it may be made up to ye in a better world.”

She is clear, and I am clear, that there is no reason on my part for not holding on if the Society really wishes I should.  But, of course, I must make it easy for the Council to get rid of a faineant President, if they prefer that course.

I wrote to Evans an unofficial letter two days ago, and have had a very kind, straightforward letter from him.  He is quite against my resignation.  I shall see him this afternoon here.  I had to go to my office (Fishery).

Clark’s course of physic is lightening my abdominal troubles, but I am preposterously weak with a kind of shabby broken-down indifference to everything.

Ever yours,

T.H.  Huxley.