2 DARWINIANISM. 



that year, namely, that there appeared in England that 

 translation of Dr. Ernst Krause's Essay on the Scientific 

 Works of Erasmus Darwin, which, according to the 

 declaration of Mr. Francis Darwin, is a "glorifying of 

 the older Evolutionist." Now, was it not for the first 

 time then, after many years, that that glorifying took 

 place, and till it took place, must it not be acknowledged 

 that, as has been said, Charles apart, the allegation of the 

 German Conversations- Lexicon remained true for Budge ? 

 Without Charles, to Budge alone would have remained 

 the credit of having immortalised the name Darwin. 

 And this solely by introduction into the Flora of the new 

 genus Darurinia ! No doubt, it is quite certain that, in 

 his own day, Dr. Erasmus Darwin acquired a widespread 

 and enormous reputation ; but it is equally certain that 

 that reputation collapsed and vanished almost as suddenly 

 as it rose. Of his various works, edition had followed 

 edition, not only in England, but even in America ; while 

 on the Continent, in France, Germany, Italy, translations 

 had appeared. He preceded Scott, Byron, Moore as a 

 poet of a thousand guineas the canto. Miss Seward, in 

 her, Life of him, published in 1804, talking the language 

 of the time, speaks of the Botanic Garden as " a 

 magnificent poem," and of its author as on a level with 

 " Pope, and Swift, and Gray, and Johnson." In fact, she 

 says, " neither Pope nor Gray could have execiited the 

 poem so well ; " Dr. Darwin is " not inferior to Ovid," 

 and " the Botanic Garden will live as long as the 

 Metamorphoses." " Its successive pictures alternately 

 possess the sublimity of Michael Angelo, the correctness 

 and the elegance of Baphael, with the glow of Titian, at 

 times the strength of Salvator Bosa, and at others the 

 softness of Claude ! " (What a fine familiarity is this 

 with names a familiarity quite uncommon !) Dr. 

 Samuel Johnson honoured Erasmus with his hatred, and 



