vn] OF EVOLUTION 81 



present, unless good cause be shown to the contrary; and the 

 fact, that, so far as our knowledge of the past history of life on 

 our globe goes, no such cause can be shown I cannot but believe 

 that Lyell, for others, as for myself, was the chief agent in 

 smoothing the road for Darwin. For consistent uniformitarianism 

 postulates evolution as much in the organic as in the inorganic 

 world. The origin of a new species by other than ordinary 

 agencies would be a vastly greater 'catastrophe 'than any of those 

 which Lyell successfully eliminated from sober geological specu- 

 lation 78 .' 



How strongly Lyell had become convinced, as 

 early as 1832, of the truth and importance of the 

 doctrine of Evolution in the organic as well as in 

 the inorganic world in spite of his emphatic rejec- 

 tion of the theory of Lamarck, we shall show in the 

 next chapter. It was this conviction, as we shall see, 

 which led to his friendly encouragement of Darwin 

 in his persevering investigations and to his constant 

 solicitude that the results of his friend's labours 

 should not be lost through delay in their publi- 

 cation. 



J. E. 6 



