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Mr. Gladstone’s remark upon the increasing prevalence 
ofthe views founded upon Darwin’s theory of evolution,that 
they seem to be all too much ofa “‘ steeple chase” character, 
suggests to me the hurry with which scientific and 
subscientific men make the new notions to jump with this 
new theory. How frequently have we noted minds, bent 
too intently on one subject, eagerly to shut out all sugges- 
tions that seem to conflict with their craze, and readily 
to press all favourable ideas into the service of their 
foregone conclusions. This is the readiness Darwin re- 
gretted to observe in himself. 
It is said that Ladies alone may change thcir minds: 
but if, as Darwin claims, Sir C. Lyell now holds his views, 
this experienced mind must indeed have changed since 
1855, when, after years of devoted study to geology, he 
wrote: 
“We have at least succeeded beyond all hope in carrying 
back our researches to times antecedent to the existence of 
man.” 
“We can prove that man had a begininng ; and that, all 
the species now contemporary with man, and many others 
which preceded, had also a beginning.” 
The expression, “a beginning,” as applied to man, 
clearly meaning that at some date man began as man, 
and not as monkey, or protoplasm: and so also for the 
synchronous species each after his kind. Again he says, 
“The succession of living beings appears to have been 
continued not by the transmutation of species, but by the 
introduction into the earth, from time to time, of new plants 
and animals.” 
Sir C. Lyell here, being familiar with the Doctrine 
of Evolution, which is older than Darwin’s time, distinctly, 
after vast research, rejects it, he says: 
“ Tiving nature ... 18 only the last of a great series 
of pre-existing Creations.” 
ee RT a ll i St 
