my reputation, I was anxious to offer to Dr. Royce an
opportunity of doing me justice in a manner which should be consistent
with full vindication, yet should involve the least possible publicity
and the least possible mortification to himself. Accordingly, on June
20, I wrote to Mr. Warner thus: "I beg leave to enclose a Card, which,
if returned to me within a week from to-day, unchanged, dated, and
signed by Dr. Royce, and if actually published in the October number
of the 'Journal,' will render unnecessary further measures of
self-vindication as now contemplated. I send this because you assured
me that Dr. Royce disclaims all malice in the publication of the
original article I complain of, and because I am willing to test the
sincerity of his disclaimer before resorting to other measures for my
self-protection. I expect you, who came to me in the character of a
pacificator, and who expressed a creditable desire, in which I fully
join, for the settlement of this trouble in some way which shall
occasion no scandal to Harvard College, to exert your utmost
influence with Dr. Royce to persuade him to perform this act of
manifest justice to me. A frank retraction and apology, when unjust
charges have been made as now, is not dishonorable and ought not to be
humiliating; and I shall consider Dr. Royce's action in this matter as
showing the sincerity or insincerity of his disclaimer of all malice
in his original article." The enclosed paper above mentioned was
this:--

A CARD.

CAMBRIDGE, June --, 1891.

I. I admit that I have no knowledge whatever of any
"extravagant pretensions" made by Dr. Abbot "as to the
originality and profundity of his still unpublished system
of philosophy."

II. I admit that Dr. Abbot did not, consciously or
unconsciously, "borrow his theory of universals from Hegel,"
or "sin against the most obvious demands of literary
property-rights."

III. I unconditionally retract my "professional warning to
the liberal-minded public against Dr. Abbot's philosophical
pretensions," acknowledge that it was groundless and
unjustifiable, and apologize to Dr. Abbot for having
published it in the "International Journal of Ethics."

IV. I authorize the publication of this retraction and
apology in the next number of the "International Journal of
Ethics" without note or comment.

In his answer of June 24, Mr. Warner