r 



EFFECT OF THE ' ABSTEACT ' 499 



fairly complete sections of his MS. to his chief critic, his words, 

 * Believe me I value to the full every word of criticism from 

 you, and the advantage which I have derived from you cannot 

 be told,' are a measure of the delight and relief at that critic's 

 appreciation of the finished argument. The process bears 

 out the phrase of June 2, 1857 : 



Although we are very apt, I have observed, at the first' 

 approach of a subject, to take different views, we generally 

 come to a near approach after a talk. ^ 



Indeed, in writing on the subject, Darwin confesses, * I try to 

 give the strongest cases opposed to me. I have been working 

 your books as richest (and vilest) against mine ' (July 12, 1856). 

 But in the end, when the first paper expounding his views had 

 been read at the Linnean, he concludes : 



You cannot imagine how pleased I am that the notion 

 of Natural Selection has acted as a purgative on your bowels 

 of immutability. Whenever Naturahsts can look on species 

 changing as certain, what a magnificent field will be open, — 

 on all the lines of variation — on the genealogy of all Hving 

 beings — on their Hnes of migration, &c., &c. 



At the end as at the beginning he was keenly aware of all 

 the help Hooker had lent, help which^ as has been said. Hooker 

 himself rated at nothing. Darwin, however, exclaims : 



You speak of my having * so few aids ' ; why should you 9 [ x^^ 

 [you] yourself for years and years have aided me in innumer- 

 able ways, lending me books, giving me endless facts, giving 

 me your valuable opinion and advice on all sorts of subjects, ^ 

 and more than all, your kindest sympathy. 



Again, when the Abstract had been set going after Wallace's 

 paper had come hke a bolt from the blue,^ he cries, * in how 



1 It will be remembered how Wallace, on realising the vast work already- 

 done by Darwin to establish the theory on an incomparably broader basis than 

 the observations which had suggested the same theory to himself, generously 

 waived all claim to priority. "Wten in May 1864, in his paper on the Evolution 

 of Man, in the Anthropological Review, he repeated his disclaimer. Hooker 

 writes to Darwin (May 14) : 'I am struck with his negation of all credit or 

 share in the Natural Selection theory — which makes one think him a very 

 high-minded man.' 



