54 THE COMING OF EVOLUTION [CH. v 



of genius shown by the great Scotch philosopher, 

 and equally by the brilliant exposition of those views 

 by Playfair in his Illustrations. To the former he 

 gave unstinted praise for the breadth and originality 

 of his views, and to the latter for the eloquence of his 

 writings adopting quotations chosen from these last, 

 indeed, as mottoes for his own work. 



It is only just to add that for the violent pre- 

 judices excited by some of his contemporaries against 

 Button's writings as being directed against the 

 theological tenets of the day and therefore subversive 

 of religion there is really no foundation whatever ; 

 and every candid reader of the Theory of the Earth 

 must acquit its author of any such design. The 

 passage quoted on page 51 could only have been 

 written by Lyell at a time when he was still un- 

 acquainted with Button's works, and was misled by 

 common report concerning them. It is interesting 

 to note, however, that the passage occurs in a letter 

 written in December 1827, that is after the first draft 

 of the Principles of Geology had been l delivered to 

 the publisher,' and before the preparation of the 

 historical introduction, which would appear to have 

 led to the first perusal of Button's great work, and 

 that of his brilliant illustrator, Playfair. 



