CHAPTEIi XVI. 



RESULT. 



LOOKING back on what lies behind us, we may now draw 

 all, summarisingly, to a close. 



It may, perhaps, occur to reflect here, that, let us but 

 take up the book itself, the Origin of Mr. Darwin, and 

 read, it is almost only with a shock that we can look 

 back. With the Origin in our hand, and having just 

 read, when we do look back, " That cannot be right," we 

 say to ourselves ; " why, just read how it all goes on ! and 

 have we the presumption to oppugn a credence that is 

 still, at least so far, in very general repute ? " 



But, at check thus, and continuing to think, we may 

 by and by remind ourselves of much that, more and 

 more, brings with it the heartening of reassurance. 



There is the plan (p. 152) with which we set out, for 

 example, and the salient consideration in regard to it 

 that the complaint of Mr. Darwin (ii. 313), with refer- 

 ence to " Classification, Geological Succession, Homologies, 

 Embryology, and Eudimentary Organs," etc., if it lies 

 against his Reviewers, lies quite as strongly against 

 ourselves ; but so, nevertheless, that the plan itself, 

 perhaps, remains unaffected. It is not evolution as 

 evolution, namely, that we have it in hand directly to 

 canvass, but solely the special and peculiar device by 

 which Mr. Darwin, if there is evolution, would accom- 



