t content to
air his own crude, though clever, fallacies, but presumes to criticize
Mr. Darwin with the superciliousness of a young schoolmaster looking
over a boy's theme, it is difficult not to take him more seriously than
he deserves or perhaps desires. One would think that Mr. Butler was the
travelled and laborious observer of Nature, and Mr. Darwin the pert
speculator, who takes all his facts at secondhand."

. . . . . .

"Let us once more consider how matters stood a year or two before the
'Origin of Species' first appeared. The continuous evolution of animated
Nature had in its favour the difficulty of drawing fixed lines between
species and even larger divisions, all the indications of comparative
anatomy and embryology, and a good deal of general scientific
presumption. Several well-known writers, and some eminent enough to
command respect, had expressed their belief in it. One or two far-seeing
thinkers, among whom the place of honour must be assigned to Mr. Herbert
Spencer, had done more. They had used their philosophic insight, which,
to science, is the eye of faith, to descry the promised land almost
within reach; they knew and announced how rich and spacious the heritage
would be, if once the entry could be made good. But on that 'if'
everything hung. Nature was not bound to give up her secret, or was
bound only in a mocking covenant with an impossible condition: _Si caelum
digito tetigeris_; if only some fortunate hand could touch the
inaccessible firmament, and bring down the golden chain to earth! But
fruition seemed out of sight. Even those who were most willing to
advance in this direction, could only regret that they saw no road
clear. There was a tempting vision, but nothing proven--many would have
said nothing provable. A few years passed, and all this was changed.
The doubtful speculation had become a firm and connected theory. In the
room of scattered foragers and scouts, there was an irresistibly
advancing column. Nature had surrendered her stronghold, and was
disarmed of her secret. And if we ask who were the men by whom this was
done, the answer is notorious, and there is but one answer possible: the
names that are for ever associated with this great triumph are those of
Charles Darwin and Wallace."[378]

I gave the lady or gentleman who wrote this an opportunity of
acknowledging the authorship; but she or he preferred, not I think
unnaturally, to remain anonymous.

The only other cr