x] OF EVOLUTION 121 



problem of the origin of species, was delayed to a 

 considerably later date, yet I believe that this was 

 only the result of his over-cautious temperament, 

 and we must accept the date named as being that of 

 the real birth of the hypothesis. 



At this early date, too, it is evident that Darwin 

 conceived the idea that he might accomplish for the 

 principle of evolution in the organic world, what 

 Lyell had done, in the Principles, for the inorganic 

 world. To cite his own words, ' after my return to 

 England it appeared to me that by following the 

 example of Lyell in Geology, and by collecting all 

 facts which bore in any way on the variation of 

 animals and plants under domestication and nature, 

 some light might perhaps be thrown on the whole 

 subject 123 / ' In June 1842,' he says, ' I first allowed 

 myself' (how significant is the phrase!) 'the satis- 

 faction of writing a brief abstract of my theory in 

 pencil in 35 pages 124 .' 



For many years it was thought that this first 

 sketch of Darwin's great work had been lost. But 

 after the death of Mrs Darwin in 1896, when the 

 house at Down was vacated, the interesting MS. was 

 found ' hidden in a cupboard under the stairs which 

 was not used for papers of any value but rather as 

 an overflow of matters he did not wish to destroy 126 .' 

 By the pious care of his son, this interesting MS. 

 hurriedly written and sometimes almost illegible 



