vi] OF EVOLUTION 61 



was known as an effective writer, and, happily for 

 the progress of science, he undertook the review of 

 Lyell's book. 



Although, of course, Lyell had no voice in the 

 choice of a reviewer for the Principles, yet he could 

 not fail to rejoice in the fact that it had fallen to his 

 friend, who so strongly sympathised with his views, 

 to introduce it to the public. While the book was 

 being printed and the review of it was in preparation, 

 a number of letters passed between Lyell and Scrope, 

 and the latter, before his death, gave me the carefully 

 treasured epistles of his friend, with the drafts of 

 some of his replies. These letters, some of which 

 have been published, throw much light on the diffi- 

 culties with which Lyell had to contend, and the 

 manner in which he strove to meet them. 



As we have already seen, many of the leaders in 

 the Geological Society at that day besides being 

 strongly inclined to Wernerian and Cataclysmal views, 

 had an honest, however mistaken, dread lest geo- 

 logical research should lead to results, apparently 

 not in harmony with the accounts given in Genesis 

 of the Creation and the Flood. Lyell, as this corre- 

 spondence shows, was most anxious to avoid exciting 

 either scientific or theological prejudice. He wrote, 

 * I conceived the idea five or six years ago ' (that is 

 in 1824 or 5) that ' if ever the Mosaic geology could 

 be set down without giving offence, it would be in an 



