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With handwritten commentary by J.F. Stephen.

Informs Sidgwick that Sir John [Lubbock's] paper 'on the "moral condition of the lower races of man"' is scheduled for Wednesday 12 January at 8.30pm. Asks him to let him know if he wishes to dine with the Metaphysical Society at 6.30. Approves of the subject proposed by Sidgwick for a paper, and asks him if it would be convenient for him to read it in March or April.

Is 'out of reach of the bulk of [his] books, not to mention the Athenaeum and the London Library' but says there is 'a good deal about the Metaphysical Society up and down various recent memoirs': mentions Leslie Stephen's life of James Fitzjames Stephen and Wilfrid Ward's book about his father W.G. Ward. Sees no reason why Sir James Knowles, who has the minute book of the society, should not be willing to let Nora see it. States that Shadworth Hodgson is about the only living person who was an active member before he [Pollock] joined the society. Does not think that there is much relevant information on it in Huxley's biography, but suggests that it would be worthwhile to look. States that Dr Martineau was the last chairman of the society.

Remarks that it was surprising that its members stayed together for so long, and states that the Synthetic Society is 'a kind of modified revival of it.' Does not believe that Henry Sidgwick came to the society's meetings often during Pollock's time, but states that he had many better opportunities for discussion with him outside the society. Relates that at one time Knowles 'thought or preferred to think the [society] was going to define the fundamental terms of philosophy and prepare the way for a general agreement', and states that the members certainly were not up to such a task. Refers also to a plan that he and Henry had around 1897 to set up 'a smaller speculative club or brother-hood with enough common tendency to hold it together but no dogmas', but it came to nothing. Is glad that Nora liked his review [of Henry's The Development of European Polity]; states that he was especially impressed by 'the excellence of the medieval part.' Adds that 'the Society was intended to satisfy Tennyson concerning the immortality of the soul', and states that he believes that the latter attended one meeting.

The Hollies, Clapham Common, S.W.—Is distressed to hear how ill Clifford is. All at the Metaphysical Society like him, and Cardinal Manning, on hearing the news, wrote out the enclosed cheque immediately. Encloses a cheque of his own.

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Transcript

The Hollies
Clapham Common
S.W
April 26th 1876

My dear Mr Pollock

I am indeed distressed to hear how ill poor Clifford is. You are quite right in supposing that I know him well—& I like him ever better than I know him—thinking of him as one of the finest intellects & bravest natures I ever met.

We all like him at our Metaphysical Club I think—extremely—& I had a pleasant little proof of it last night when I was telling Cardinal Manning how ill he was & talking over the discussion between Clifford & himself at the last Metaphysical evening. The Cardinal was greatly touched & sorry—& begged to be allowed to do whatever I was myself going to do—by way of aiding the Fund which you are so kindly collecting. I was quite sure that if Clifford did come to know of this eagerness & forwardness of Manning’s it would be a great pleasure to him & undertook to send to you the enclosed cheque for £10 from the Cardinal—which he wrote in my name rather than in Clifford’s out of a feeling of delicacy.

He went away with me from the midst of a great reception he was holding to give me this at once—& if our Metaphysical Society does nothing else but encourage the sort of kind & friendly feelings thus shown I think & hope it will not have existed in vain.

I enclose my own cheque for £10–10 & shall be greatly obliged to you if you will let me know whether any more would be desirable or necessary.
With thanks to yourself for writing to me

I am
[…] {1}
James Knowles

To / F. Pollock Esq

I have crossed the Cardinal’s cheque for greater security—& I think it ought to have a 1d stamp put on it—ought it not?

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Black-edged paper.

{1} There are two indistinct words here.

11 Portsea Place, Connaught Square, W.—Has sent for a copy of Little People, and will copy out the ‘lily song’ (see A2/7). Refers to aspects of her husband’s personality she would Pollock to bring out in his memoir. Has been trying to comfort herself with ideas of a future consciousness. Mrs Deffell is concerned that the Pollocks are not enjoying their holiday.

(With an envelope.)

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Transcript

11 Portsea Place. Connaught Square. W.
Weds night 16th Ap[ri]l

My dear Fred

I have sent for my copy of Little People {1}. Meanwhile I will copy out the lily song in case you want if from the MS copy he gave me because it has a little note which was too late to include in the book. I hope you are not working too hard. I am convinced I shall be the death of you because I keep thinking of more & more sides which I am anxious you shall bring out. I have been thinking now of how merry he was, how he liked to see his friends about him (he was always arranging little dinners & asking if we could not afford “a little party” & you remember his bachelor parties.) And how simple & how happy he was & what a ringing laugh he had with a little shout at the end. There was such a wonderful light & life & brightness ab[ou]t him.

I often think of his glee when he came home from the Metaph: {2} if it had been a good night & the Bishops had appeared & he had been in good form how he w[oul]d not only tell me everything everybody had said but mimic the manner in which it was said. We have sat over the fire & shouted with laughter when he added ridiculous little tags of his own on to what had been really said. The last time he ever went he spent all the money he had on the way (he dined at the club first) & when he was at the station coming home found to his dismay he had’nt† a penny. Lord Arthur Russell turned up so he borrowed a 1/– took a ticket & “paid back 6d on account”.1 It will be good for people to see his brightness & spice of wickedness. I should be so sorry if they thought he always lived at high pressure like a prophet—it w[oul]d spoil his humanity.

It seems as if one could say too much ab[ou]t him—too many things that were good. I have been thinking such wild things lately and—supposing for a moment there is after consciousness—wondering if it could be possible for many forms of intellect & beauty to take refuge in one physical frame until they made up a perfect whole worthy of standing alone; so that Willi represented the former consciousness of many & is after all living still or carrying on in some other world what is first going on in this—the survival of the fittest. You see this differs from the old transmigration idea (the Buddhist &c.) because it makes only the best & greatest, i e the strongest, survive, & even these are grouped after the fashion of the atom & molecule theory—it is that over again until the higher type is formed. It would quite account for his many sidedness, his many forms of greatness imperfect only from accident or physical restraint.

I think I shall set up as having invented a new religion. You cannot think how well it works in many ways. It would account for the dim remembrance of things we have never consciously seen which sometimes flickers across us. What a comfort the flicker would be a sign we were working upwards. Then (in old days) the population question frightened me so when I thought of the people that had been pouring into the unseen world since we first became me. It gets rid of this—the weak & useless & so the majority die out, are lost in the struggle for existence yet we sh[oul]d all believe our own people immortal—is it not Darwinian? It gives no excuse for persecution or priesthood and has many other sides all of which I have arranged most carefully. I don’t know where my unknown world is to be because I know nothing about Space or what my immortals (they need not even be immortal) are to do, the higher type would find the higher worlds—which of course would still be progressive. Of course I know it is all nonsense & I know it all ceases with the circulation & that the brain & nerves & grey matter & all that makes our consciousness dries up and there is no more life left than in spoilt quicksilver or mercury, but one tries to comfort oneself with any madness.

Mrs Deffell came yesterday. She said Georgie had sent her “a charming letter” but she (Mrs D.) seemed much concerned ab[ou]t your holiday & drew a tragic picture of you writing & Georgie sewing & the rain raining & nothing going on but the bill. I wonder if Jack’s toes are visible yet. I fear the poor little chicks are not getting much good out of the country in this wretched weather.

Now I will take my chloral which I have reduced from 22 to 16 grains as an experiment & go to bed. Goodnight my dearest Georgie & Fred

Y[ou]r loving
Lucy Clifford

Willi often used to say “be free” at the end of his letters, he said it was an old form & much better than goodbye which was full of superstition.

[Direction on envelope:] F. Pollock Esq | Royal Ascot Hotel | Ascot

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Black-edged paper and envelope. The envelope was postmarked at London, W., and at Staines and Sunninghill, on 17 April 1879. Letters missing from words abbreviated by superscript letters have been supplied in square brackets.

{1} The Little People, and Other Tales (London: Chapman and Hall, 1874), a collection of fairy stories by Lady Pollock, W. K. Clifford, and W. H. Pollock.

{2} The Metaphysical Society.

† Sic.

Explains his delay in replying to Martineau's letter, giving his reasons as his having to move around Scotland much in the past while, and also his concern for his daughter's health. Also apologises for not having enclosed in his first note the annual subscription, which he should have sent 'before offering to join the brotherhood of the Free Christian Union', the establishment he welcomes warmly 'as a rallying centre for all catholic hearts in the divided church.' Believes that the spirit of the movement 'is in deepest accord with the aims of the Blessed Founder of the Christian commonwealth.' Refers to the report of the movement's committee.

Suggests that it would be advantageous for the Union to 'secure the adhesion of several very pronounced Trinitarians....' Asks whether Dr Temple has joined, and suggests that possibly the latter's connection with Rugby 'hindered him from expressing public sympathy.' Presumes that, 'amongst the Bishops, he will surely not be behind Thirlwall and the late Bishop Hinds.' Refers to the fact that 'that remarkable Indian [ ]' is coming to England to study Western civilisation, and laments 'that he will see such a divided and dismembered church....' Assumes that he will have heard of the Union, "and it will command his earnest sympathy.'

Stresses that the function of the Free Christian Union is ' "responsible not for the final attainment of truth, but only for the serious search [of] it" '. Refers also to the nature and origin of Error, which, according to the maxim of B[ ] was 'a truth abused'. Undertakes to put down on a separate page some thoughts on 'the two great theories as to the person of Christ', and to send to Martineau 'an account of any paper that may be read which possesses general philosophical interest.' Acknowledges that this is 'far beneath [Martineau's] London Metaphysical Club', but that the aims are the same.

As to Martineau's request for suggestions in relation to 'a Scotchman able to contribute a paper to [his] projected volume of essays', Knight puts forward some names. Fears that Principal Tulloch is too ill to attempt such a project. Believes that Dr [John?] Muir would be able 'to give a valuable paper on such a subject as, the parallel and divergent lines of thought in Eastern and Western civilization'. Mentions also Professor Campbell, who holds the Greek chair at St Andrew's University, and who read a paper on 'the footprints of the doctrine of Immortality amongst the Greeks...to [Knight's] Speculative club', and Edward Caird of Glasgow, who, 'although inclined towards a modified Hegelianism would be very well fitted to contribute an essay, were he to join the Christian Union'.

Refers also to Dr Robert Wallace, 'Professor Lee's [successor] in Greyfriars church Edin[burgh]', as 'a remarkably able man, with an intellect at once clear, incisive and robust', but who 'lacks delicacy of perception'. Fears that, although he is 'the most thoroughly pronounced broad churchman in the Established church of Scotland...perhaps he would shrink from openly identifying himself with the Union.' Adds that he is a member of the 'New Speculative'.

Lastly mentions Dr Donaldson, Rector of the High School in Edinburgh, and author of a critical history of 'the Ante Nicene Christian Literature.' Adds that there are 'some remarks on B[ ], and the School of Tübingen in that work' which might indicate that he was unsympathetic 'towards the great movements of modern philosophic thought', but claims that he is 'really one of the most catholic and liberal of men'. States that he was one of the few men in Edinburgh who understood 'to the last' Knight's late friend Mr Cranbrook. Claims that Martineau's ' "Endeavours" and his ' "Essays" ' have already taught him much, and that 'hours spent with them are amongst [his] most prized recollections of the past....' Sends him a copy of 'Mr Lake's memorial sermons in reference to Mr Cranbrook...with a brief note appended' [not included].

Announces that he intends to come to visit her 'from the 4th to the 11th'. Reports that he is up in Trinity College, working, and that he feels very well after a pleasant visit to Oxford. Reports that William seemed in very good spirits, and that he was sleeping 'very fairly' and hunts every other day. Desires to hear the Rugby news, and asks who are the five old Rugbeians. Reports that he wrote a letter to the Times, but that it was not published. Reports that he received a letter from his nephew Martin, which was 'very nicely written and with that curious mixture of childish and prematurely adult phraseology that one sees in a precocious child'. Asks her to tell him when Mary is going to visit her, and supposes that Edward will be very busy all the vacation.

Asks his mother's opinion on 'the new Tennyson'. States that they [in Trinity College] regard it 'as rather an imposition on the part of the publisher - republishing the Morte d'Arthur...and having so few lines in a page.' Complains that it is as bad as one of Victor Hugo's novels. Refers to a reading of the poem called The Higher Pantheism by Tennyson himself at a meeting of the Metaphysical Society, and to Tyndall's reaction to it. Remarks on 'how busy Death has been' during the previous six months among those whom he knows. Reports that he has just heard of the death of one of the Clifton Masters called Cay.