INTR OD UCTION, 



centre in it. As a whole, it rose among the Greeks, 

 declined with the decay of Greek science, was kept 

 alive by Greek influence in Theology, and fell in 

 the opposition to rationalism. When it was first 

 revived in France and Germany, it was either 

 inspired by Greek freedom of speculation and sug- 

 gestiveness, or permeated by Greek fallacies. 



In the first revival the natural philosophers 

 took the lead, followed, in the second, by a series 

 of rashly speculative writers. Then the working 

 and observing naturalists took it up. Considering 

 the Greek movement as the first, this was the 

 second genuine progressive movement towards the 

 Evolution theory; it reached its height with La- 

 marck, and then declined, or rather failed to make 

 a permanent or widespread impression. In the 

 middle of this century, all the ground gained was 

 apparently but not really lost ; science, church, and 

 laity were almost at one upon the Special Creation 

 theory. The open dissenters were comparatively 

 few and very guarded in the expression of their 

 opinions. Young Darwin was among the few who 

 kept before his mind both theories ; he met and 

 successfully overcame the great tide of adverse 

 opinion ; a conquest which Germany has recognized 

 by rechristening Evolution Darwinismus. Since 

 1858 more works upon Evolution have appeared 

 each year than in all the centuries previous. 



In this more recent history, which I hope to take 

 up in the same spirit in another course, we again 



