THE HISTORY OF GEOLOGY AT OXFORD. 49 



My Dear Phillips, 



I have directed Murray to send you a copy of my book on 

 the Origin of Species, which as yet is only an abstract. I fear that you will 

 be inclined to fulminate awful anathemas against it. I assure you that it is 

 the result of far more labour than is apparent in its present highly con- 

 densed state. If you have time to read it, let me beg you to read it all 

 straight through, as otherwise it will be unintelligible. Try not to condemn 

 it utterly till you have finished it and reflected on the recapitulation. Not 

 that I am so foolish as to expect to convert any one, who has long viewed 

 the subject from an opposite point of view. I remember too well how 

 many long years my own conversion took. The utmost which I hope is 

 that you may see that more can be said on the side of mutability of specific 

 forms than is at first sight apparent. If indeed your own observations have 

 made you at all sceptical on the subject, then my Book may produce some 



effect. . . . 



Yours very sincerely, 



Charles Darwin. 



Phillips had for a long time previously given careful 

 attention to the " Succession of Life on the Earth," and 

 had chosen this subject for the Read lecture, which he de- 

 livered before the University of Cambridge, shortly before 

 the appearance of the Origin of Species. 



His pronouncement on Darwin's work was adverse. 

 " Dead against," as Darwin wrote. His opinion as ex- 

 pressed in a letter to Darwin, of which he did not preserve 

 a copy, called forth the following reply : — 



Ilkley Wells House, 

 Otley, Yorkshire, 2.6th November [1859]. 

 My Dear Phillips, 



Thank you for your note. Permit me to say one word 

 about my book. Though many facts in Pakeontology may appear, or be 

 really, opposed to my notions, and though my explanations may be quite 

 fallacious, I earnestly beg you to consider whether a theory wholly false 

 would explain, as it seems to me to explain, several classes of facts — as 

 affinity of inhabitants of islands to nearest continent; the nature of the 

 inhabitants of oceanic islands ; the affinities and classification of organic 

 beings and their arrangement in groups ; the strange fact of a member of 

 one group being adapted to the habits of another group ; the facts of 

 morphology or homology ; embryology and rudimentary organs. If you 

 think the theory of Natural Selection does not to a large extent explain 

 these classes of facts, I have not a word to say. Pray forgive me saying a 

 word in favour of my own offspring to one whom I consider an important 



judge. 



Yours very sincerely, 



C. Darwin. 

 4 



