ts appearance so late. Huxley, always generous, never thought of
claiming priority for himself. In enthusiastic language he tells how
Darwin's immortal work, "The Origin of Species", first shed light for
him on the problem of the descent of man; the recognition of a vera
causa in the transformation of species illuminated his thoughts as with
a flash. He was now content to leave what perplexed him, what he could
not yet solve, as he says himself, "in the mighty hands of Darwin."
Happy in the bustle of strife against old and deep-rooted prejudices,
against intolerance and superstition, he wielded his sharp weapons on
Darwin's behalf; wearing Darwin's armour he joyously overthrew adversary
after adversary. Darwin spoke of Huxley as his "general agent." ("Life
and Letters of Thomas Henry Huxley", Vol. I. page 171, London, 1900.)
Huxley says of himself "I am Darwin's bulldog." (Ibid. page 363.)

Thus Huxley openly acknowledged that it was Darwin's "Origin of Species"
that first set the problem of the descent of man in its true light, that
made the question of the origin of the human race a pressing one. That
this was the logical consequence of his book Darwin himself had long
felt. He had been reproached with intentionally shirking the application
of his theory to Man. Let us hear what he says on this point in his
autobiography: "As soon as I had become, in the year 1837 or 1838,
convinced that species were mutable productions, I could not avoid the
belief that man must come under the same law. Accordingly I collected
notes on the subject for my own satisfaction, and not for a long time
with any intention of publishing. Although in the 'Origin of Species'
the derivation of any particular species is never discussed, yet I
thought it best, in order THAT NO HONOURABLE MAN SHOULD ACCUSE ME OF
CONCEALING MY VIEWS (No italics in original.), to add that by the work
'light would be thrown on the origin of man and his history.' It would
have been useless and injurious to the success of the book to have
paraded, without giving any evidence, my conviction with respect to his
origin." ("Life and Letters of Charles Darwin", Vol. 1. page 93.)

In a letter written in January, 1860, to the Rev. L. Blomefield, Darwin
expresses himself in similar terms. "With respect to man, I am very far
from wishing to obtrude my belief; but I thought it dishonest to quite
conceal my opinion." (Ibid. Vol. II. page 263.)

The brief allusion in the "Origin o