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CHAPTER XVIIL 



INFLUENCE OF DARWIN UPON HUXLEY. 



It is of the utmost interest to trace the influence 

 of Darwin upon Huxley, his great General in the 

 numerous controversial battles which had to be 

 fought before the new views were to secure a fair 

 hearing and, at length, complete success. Now that 

 we are quietly enjoying the fruit of his many vic- 

 tories, we are apt to forget how much we owe to 

 Huxley, not only for evolution, but for that perfect 

 freedom in the expression of thought and opinion 

 which we enjoy. For Huxley fought on wider issues 

 than those raised by evolution, wide as these are ; and 

 with a success so great that it is inconceivable that 

 any new and equally illuminating thought which the 

 future may hold in store for us, will meet with a 

 reception like that accorded to the "Origin of 

 Species." 



At first sight it seems a simple matter to describe 

 the effect of the " Origin " upon Huxley, considering 

 that he, more than any other man, expounded it, and 

 defended it from the most weighty of the attacks 

 made upon it. Hence, it is only natural to believe, 

 as many have done, that he was in entire agreement 

 with the conclusions of the book as regards natural 



