CHAPTER I 



INTRODUCTORY 



WHEN the history of the Nineteenth Century 

 1 the Wonderful Century,' as it has, not inaptly, been 

 called comes to be written, a foremost place must 

 be assigned to that great movement by which evolu- 

 tion has become the dominant factor in scientific 

 progress, while its influence has been felt in every 

 sphere of human speculation and effort. At the 

 beginning of the Century, the few who ventured 

 to entertain evolutionary ideas were regarded by 

 their scientific contemporaries, as wild visionaries 

 or harmless 'cranks' by the world at large, as 

 ignorant 'quacks' or 'designing atheists/ At the 

 end of the Century, evolution had not only become 

 the guiding principle of naturalists, but had pro- 

 foundly influenced every branch of physical science ; 

 at the same time, suggesting new trains of thought 

 and permeating the language of philologists, histori- 

 ans, sociologists, politicians and even of theologians. 



How has this revolution in thought the greatest 

 which has occurred in modern times been brought 



J. E. 



