144 AN EPISCOPAL TRILOGY IV 



turbing the judgment formed by the multitude on the scientific 

 character the infallibility of the great master! 



So far as I know anything about the matters 

 which are here referred to, the part of this passage 

 which I have italicised is absolutely untrue. I 

 believe that I am intimately acquainted with all 

 Mr. Darwin's immediate scientific friends : and I 

 say that no one of them, nor any other man of 

 science known to me, ever could, or would, have 

 given such advice to any one if for no other 

 reason than that, with the example of the most 

 candid and patient listener to objections that ever 

 lived fresh in their memories, they could not so 

 grossly have at once violated their highest duty 

 and dishonoured their friend. 



The charge thus brought by "Anonymous" 

 affects the honour and the probity of men of 

 science ; if it is true, we have forfeited all claim 

 to the confidence of the general public. In 

 my belief it is utterly false, and its real effect will 

 be to discredit those who are responsible for it. 

 As is the way with slanders, it has grown by 

 repetition. " Anonymous " is responsible for the 

 peculiarly offensive form which it has taken in his 

 hands; but he is not responsible for originating 

 it. He has evidently been inspired by an article 

 entitled " A Great Lesson," published in the Sep- 

 tember number of this Eeview. Truly it is " a 

 great lesson," but not quite in the sense intended 

 by the giver thereof! 



