As a reasoned account of the life and writings of the subject of the book, Professor Huxley's _Hume_ is one of the very best of the series--we were going to pronounce it the best, but remembered in good time that we had not seen them all. In any case it is excellent. It does not seem to us that Hume's "Description of the Will" is grammatically open to the criticism on p. 181. But comment like this would be useless unless we gave the reader an opportunity of judging. This is Hume's "description of the Will," as quoted by Professor Huxley:-- "Of all the immediate effects of pain and pleasure there is none more remarkable than the _will_; and though, properly speaking, it be not comprehended among the passions, yet as the full understanding of its nature and properties is necessary to the explanation of them, we shall here make it the subject of our inquiry. I desire it may be observed that, by the _will_, I mean nothing but _the internal impression we feel and are conscious of, when we knowingly give rise to any new motion of our body, or new perception of our mind_. This impression, like the preceding ones of pride and humility, love and hatred, it is impossible to define, and needless to describe any further."--(ii. p. 150.) And this is Professor Huxley's comment:-- "This description of a volition may be criticized on various grounds. More especially does it seem defective in restricting the term "will" to that feeling which arises when we act, or appear to act, as causes: for one may will to strike, without striking; or to think of something which we have forgotten." But is not this met by the last six of the words which Professor Huxley has italicised? They are certainly very wide, and one might ask, in addition, what word of absolute "restriction" is employed by Hume in this passage? He indicates what he means by the word "Will," by saying that it is what we are conscious of upon certain occasions, and this gives a clue to the quality of the sensation; but it was obvious, and did not need saying, that the quality of the sensation might remain, though its complete outcome were baulked. In presenting and criticizing Hume's views upon such topics as Theism, Immortality and Miracles, Necessary Truth, &c., Professor Huxley is, so far as we have discovered, both accurate and candid. It is only necessary to suggest that the reader should keep his eyes open--for there is really not one new word to be written upon these matters.