2 STUDIES IN LIFE AND SENSE. 



recognise in the gorilla or orang even a far-off cousin of humanity, 

 brought a sense of deep consolation and comfort to many minds. 

 The additional statement that the kinship between man and apes was 

 limited to an ancient connection placed very far back on the tree of 

 life, and existent long before men were men, or even respectable 

 monkeyhood had appeared, conveyed still deeper satisfaction to those 

 who sympathised with the opening expression we have quoted from 

 the "Pense'es." Willing to concede that humanity was certainly 

 nearer the quadruped races at large than had been previously sus- 

 pected, the thoughtful amongst us began at the same time to perceive 

 clearly enough that the conclusions of Darwinism, after all, only 

 tended to throw human characteristics into bolder relief, against the 

 lower substratum on which these traits are founded. Recognising 

 the animal basis, so to speak, it was seen that all in humanity's own 

 sphere which was worth extolling and valuing had been left unaffected 

 by the bath of evolution through which the nature of mankind had 

 been passed. 



The attitude of objectors to the scientific exposition of man's 

 place in nature has thus undergone a material change. It is no 

 longer deemed heretical to assert our near relations with the quad- 

 ruped-stock ; and no social ostracism is involved in the intelligent 

 acceptation of even the furthest conclusions advanced by the up- 

 holders of the theory of evolution. There are not a few persons, in 

 truth, who, at first alarmed by the apparently incongruous declara- 

 tions of man's kinship with lower forms, expected a fearful fall from 

 the secure position of human dignity ; such persons, to quote Mr. 

 Leslie Stephen's 'remark, having found that, after all, they were hang- 

 ing not on the brink of a vast precipice, but merely from a rocky 

 ledge with the toes, all unknown to themselves, nearly touching the 

 ground. And we have heard of still more cheerfully disposed people, 

 who, finding, to their relief, that humanity and its affairs remained 

 perfectly undisturbed by Mr. Darwin's views, became converted to 

 scientific ways of thinking, and even contrived to find a cheering 

 proof of man's lower kinship in the metaphorical declaration of Job 

 that man is the descendant of the worm. 



But if the general opinion that, after all, evolution is by no means 

 such a dreadful conception as was formerly supposed, has rapidly 

 gained ground amongst us, there yet remains a considerable lack of 

 information concerning the exact fashion in which man's resemblance 

 to lower forms of life are demonstrated by nature. Objections to the 

 views of science on this hand, proceed as often as not from inability 

 to comprehend the relationships which, apart from all theories, 

 actually exist between man and other animals. The knowledge of 

 these relationships lies in a perfectly elementary study of natural 

 history. There need be no difficulty in the ready comprehension of 



