Papers of William Kingdon Clifford

(Combe Bank, Sevenoaks.) Yesterday they went to see the Darwins [at Down House], with the object of persuading George Darwin to lecture at the Royal Institution on 'the figure of the Earth'; he was unwilling, but may come round. 'The grand old man' [Charles Darwin] talked beautifully. The Darwins are reading the '[Modern] Symposium' [in the Nineteenth Century], but have only got as far as Martineau, who [Charles] Darwin thinks 'too flowery'. On the way back they stopped at the home of Sir John Lubbock [High Elms, near Bromley], who is presently 'at his antics' at Biarritz. They were given tea by Lady Lubbock, who was 'much wickeder than usual' because the 'Archbishopess of Canterbury' [Catharine Tait] was there. She told them all about her daughter [Amy]'s marriage [15 March 1877]. 'The next girl but one [Gertrude], with whom I went bird'snesting at Grant Duff's, is grown very lovely.' The Moultons are coming today to stay till Friday, so that he will be able to go back with them. Looks forward to seeing her and the 'dear little kid'. Commends [George Eliot's novel]Daniel Deronda. 'It is exactly opposite to that poor creature Mallock, who catches superficial traits of men one knows to be great, and makes them mean' [Mallock had satirised Clifford and others in his novel The New Republic].

(Dated Wednesday.)