80 THE DARWIN CENTENARY AT OXFORD 



He considered that we must reckon with 



' the fact that to give the mind full and free play in one 

 direction seems as yet to imply the atrophy of its activities 

 in the other.' 



The article was evidently written for the 

 anniversary, and that the visionary antagonism 

 which so unnecessarily distressed the author was 

 founded on the misinterpretation of Darwin's life 

 is clear from the following passage : 



' If a man so utterly incapable of taking an intolerant or 

 a contemptuous view of the life of art could yet find that his 

 own work produced in him the decay of all faculty of 

 artistic enjoyment, we have indeed a proof of the extent to 

 which the two temperaments have diverged.' 



The author spoke also of the fine intellectual 

 training, conferred by the combined ' austerity and 

 responsiveness' of Darwin's work, as one which 

 nevertheless * leaves untouched and undeveloped, 

 positively even starves, the faculty of aesthetic 

 enjoyment'. And he finally touched the high- 

 water mark in these astounding words : 



' The case of a man given up to scientific investigations, 

 who yet reads Shakespeare without finding him so dull as 

 to be nauseating, is a case which stands out, which is 

 remarked, which is felt to be notable. As long as this is so 

 we must take Darwin's case to be typical of the rule.' 



I will not call this statement an exaggeration, 

 and thus imply that it contains a minute kernel 

 of truth : I unhesitatingly affirm that it is wholly 

 and utterly false. Few can be happier than 

 I in the intimate friendship of scientific men, 



