PREFACE. 



THE discourse on " Evolution and Ethics," re- 

 printed in the first half of the present volume, was 

 delivered before the University of Oxford, as the 

 second of the annual lectures founded by Mr. 

 Romanes: whose name I may not write without 

 deploring the untimely death, in the flower of his 

 age, of a friend endeared to me, as to so many 

 others, by his kindly nature; and justly valued by 

 all his colleagues for his powers of investigation 

 and his zeal for the advancement of knowledge. 

 I well remember, when Mr. Romanes' early work 

 en me into my hands, as one of the secretaries 

 of the Royal Society, how much I rejoiced in the 

 accession to the ranks of the little army of workers 

 in science of a recruit so well qualified to take 

 a high place among us. 



It was at my friend's urgent request that I 

 agreed to undertake the lecture, should I be hon- 

 oured with an official proposal to give it, though 

 I confess not without misgivings, if only on ac- 

 count of the serious fatigue and hoarseness which 

 public speaking has for some years caused me; 

 while I knew that it would be my fate to follow 



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