Item 65 - James David Forbes to William Whewell

3 pp

Edinburgh - Thanks WW for his letter. William Hopkins 'has certainly thrown away his temper' in his reply to WW [see JDF to WW, 5 Feb. 1845]. JDF would not have understood WH's accusation of sarcasm, but for 'the glossary which you have given me to make it intelligible; for nothing could be more discreetly worded than your last letter...Altogether Mr Hopkins's powers of sticking to his point, or making out any definite point to stick to, appear to me to be shewn to very little advantage in this controversy; there is a confusion of ideas which runs through the whole thing which seems to shew that he is not capable of grappling with any subject requiring either force or delicacy'. JDF notes in the April number of the Philosophical Magazine that he has Darwin as a supporter. He has re-read WW's Indications of the Creator, 'intended as an antidote I presume to that very dangerous book Vestiges of Creation Pray who is the author?' JDF trusts that WW has received the proofs of his article from the printers [see JDF to WW, 2 Apr. 1845]. 'I don't know how Hopkins will look when he finds that the author of the term "viscous" applied to my glacier theory was, - Sir John Herschel'.