140 DARWINIANISM. 



how he cannot but endeavour, by propitiatory words, to 

 do away with the effect that his political expressions, in 

 his first letter after the voyage, may have had on his old 

 captain, Fitz-Eoy. Another somewhat amusing, but 

 very telling, example in the same direction is what he 

 feared was too much of a boast (i. 118), when he had 

 said that in South America he killed twenty-three snipe 

 in twenty-four shots, and so must anxiously append, " but 

 they were not quite so wild as English snipe." He upbraids 

 his own selfishness (i. 364) in keeping to himself the rare 

 beetle he had caught near Jenyns Blomefield's vicarage, 

 though that naturalist was then making collections for 

 certain public purposes ; but I suppose every one will be 

 quite ready to forgive Darwin for even such a delin- 

 quency in the case of a beetle ! were there not the 

 characteristic repentance present also to absolve it. 



Mr. Darwin, in a letter (ii. 54) to Hooker, pleasantly 

 admits to him " When I wrote last I was going to triumph 

 over you, for my experiment had in a slight degree 

 succeeded ; but this, with infinite baseness, I did not tell, 

 in hopes that you would say that you would eat all the 

 plants which I could raise after immersion. The chil- 

 dren at first were tremendously eager, and asked me 

 often ' whether I should beat Dr. Hooker.' " It is at least 

 with similar graciousness that, in mentioning to Lyell 

 his dedication to him of the Journal, he subjoins, " Pray 

 do not think that I am so silly as to suppose that my 

 dedication can anyway gratify you, except so far as I 

 trust you will receive it as a most sincere mark of my 

 gratitude and friendship." 



But of the ascribed repentance proper, so characteristic 

 of Mr. Darwin, the best instances occur at iii. 5 3 sqq. One 

 is told by Mr. Brodie Tnnes, and another by Mr. Komanes. 

 To both gentlemen Mr. Darwin is obliged to present 

 himself at untimely night hours, and to both only that 



