Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–1895)
Letter to Charles Darwin commenting on Darwin’s theory of pangenesis
London, 16 July 1865

Darwin sent his manuscript on pangenesis to a number of scientific friends for comment. They were not enthusiastic. Thomas Henry Huxley was worried that it would give Darwin’s critics ammunition but didn’t want to be responsible for preventing publication: ‘Somebody rummaging among your papers half a century hence will find Pangenesis & say “See this wonderful anticipation of our modern Theories—and that stupid ass, Huxley, prevented his publishing them” …. I am not going to be made a horrid example of in that way’.

MS DAR 166: 309