Dear old Darwin

I am very proud of your letter—² I thought I might have exaggerated the effect I produced on my audience, & did not like to think too much of it— I do now pray to be another “Single speech Robinson”!³ I wish you could have heard Huxley’s eloge, it pleased me so immensely, & was so much better than all the applause.⁴ I had set my head heart & mind on earning your’s, Groves, Huxley’s, Tyndalls, & the Lubbocks (especially Lady L’!) good opinion, & I cared little for other peoples.⁵ I have not seen Tyndall since, nor heard how he liked it.— He came up to me in the forenoon, evidently most anxious for my success, & questioned me about it. When I told him it was a written discourse, & that I intended to read it, his countenance fell & I saw he was cut.— he turned away first, but came back & with great delicacy & loving kindness gave me some hints; to learn passages by heart &c—(I had done this copiously already) & to put myself en rapport with the audience &c &c. I saw in short that he prognosticated a dead failure, & I spared no pains that afternoon in preparing myself to succeed in his eyes. I hope I did.—

Huxley made a capital President of §D.—& was very conciliatory prudent & amusing too—⁶ I really heard few papers & none of any consequence. Wallaces was no doubt the best in our line.⁷

As to Grove’s address, I can quite understand your disappointment at the Species part of it—⁸ I only wonder he did it so well, for when I have talked the subject with him, he has shown so little appreciation of its difficulties that I was rather pleased than otherwise that he thought it needful to discuss it— I knew too that he had left it all to me— indeed he, on accepting the Presidentship, retained me as champion of the cause.⁹ I wished him at the Devil, but felt flattered at the selection—puzzled as I was then, & am now, to make out why he should have thought me worthy of so responsible a post—on so critical an occasion. I had always a notion that he looked on me as a very weak vessell, & my branches of Botany as mild child’s play. Then too he had no hints or instructions for me   I was to “back him up” & “to carry Darwinism through the ranks of the enemy” after he had sounded the charge: & whether or no his “Continuity” Address¹⁰ was well received. In short I was a stink-pot,¹¹ which he was to pitch into the Enemies decks, whether sinking or swimming himself.

The only excursion I went on, was to Belvoir castle, a really grand place, & well worth a visit.¹² The pictures & the grounds delighted me.

I am so glad that you are succeeding with Acropera   I should not like you to be beat by any orchid.¹³

I sent off Seringe to day, & the Drosera shall go soon.¹⁴

Ever yr aff | J D Hooker