XI PHENOMENA OF ORGANIC NATURE 469 
pledge themselves to creeds; they are bound by 
articles of no sort ; there is not a single belief that 
it is not a bounden duty with them to hold with 
a light hand and to part with cheerfully, the 
moment it is really proved to be contrary to any 
fact, great or small. And if, in course of time I 
see good reasons for such a proceeding, I shall have 
no hesitation in coming before you, and pointing 
out any change in my opinion without finding the 
slightest occasion to blush for so doing. So I say 
that we accept this view as we accept any other, 
so long as it will help us, and we feel bound to 
retain it only so long as it will serve our great 
purpose—the improvement of Man’s estate and 
the widening of his knowledge. The moment 
this, or any other conception, ceases to be useful 
for these purposes, away with it to the four winds; 
we care not what becomes of it! 
But to say truth, although it has been my busi- 
ness to attend closely to the controversies roused 
by the publication of Mr. Darwin's book, I think 
that not one of the enormous mass of objections 
and obstacles which have been raised is of any 
very great value, except that sterility case which 
I brought before you just now. All the rest are 
misunderstandings of some sort, arising either 
from prejudice, or want of knowledge, or still 
more from want of patience and care in reading 
the work. 
For you must recollect that it is not a book to 
