ALFRED R. WALLACE.

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TO MR. F. BIRCH

Sept. 12, 1907.

Dear Fred,—­ ...  For the last two or three months I have had a hard struggle with Mars—­not the god of war, but the planet—­writing a small book, chiefly criticising Lowell’s last book, called “Mars and its Canals,” published less than a year back by Macmillan, who will also publish my reply. I think it is crushing, but it has cost me a deal of trouble, as Lowell has also printed a long and complex mathematical article trying to prove that though Mars receives less than half the sun-heat we do, yet it is very nearly as warm and quite habitable!  But his figures and arguments are alike so shaky and involved that I cannot get any of my mathematical friends to tackle it or point out his errors.  However, I think I have done it myself by the rules of common sense....—­Your sincere friend,

ALFRED R. WALLACE.

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TO MR. H. JAMYN BROOKE

Old Orchard, Broadstone, Wimborne.  December 2, 1910.

Dear Sir,—­Your “monistic” system is to me a system of mere contradictory words.  You begin with three things—­then you say they are correlated with one substance—­coextensive with the universe.  This you cannot possibly know, and it is about as intelligible and as likely to be true as the Athanasian Creed!—­Yours truly,

ALFRED R. WALLACE.

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TO PROP.  KNIGHT

Old Orchard, Broadstone, Dorset.  October 1, 1913.

Dear Mr. Knight,—­I have written hardly anything on the direct proofs of “immortality” except in my book on “Miracles and Modern Spiritualism,” and also in “My Life,” Vol.  II.  But my two works, “Man’s Place in the Universe” (now published at 1s.), and my later volume, “The World of Life,” form together a very elaborate, and I think conclusive, scientific argument in favour of the view that the whole material universe exists and is designed for the production of immortal spirits, in the greatest possible diversity of nature, and character, corresponding with ... the almost infinite diversity of that universe, in all its parts and in every detail....—­Yours very truly,

ALFRED R. WALLACE.

P.S.—­I am fairly well, but almost past work.—­A.R.W.

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TO SIR OLIVER LODGE

Old Orchard, Broadstone, Dorset.  October 9, 1913.