200 LOSS AND GAIN 



I have arranged for his burial in Westminster Abbey. 

 On Monday I got up a petition signed by some 50 Fellows 

 of the Royal, Geological, and Linnean, and at Stanley's 

 suggestion and promise that it should be attended to (com- 

 municated to Spottiswoode) I sent it in yesterday. It 

 was by mere accident I went to Town on the Monday to 

 vote at the Athenaeum, heard of Lyell's death, and was able 

 to secure so many voters to sign the petition. 



As to any other testimonial, I think that this is so in- 

 comparably beyond any other that none need be thought of 

 — any other would in my eyes dim the lustre of his memory 

 — his Principles must live for ever — they will no more be 

 forgotten than Plato's or Faraday's works : they will 

 always be classical. The idea of a testimonial being in any 

 way required seems to me rather an underrating of the 

 durability of his works. 



The choice of an epitaph involved much consideration. 

 To Charles Darwin 



June 20, 1876. 



Mrs. Lyell has asked me to help her with an inscription 

 for Lyell's slab in Westminster Abbey — such as Stanley 

 may approve (I have fainted away twice). 



She sends me two, neither of which I like. I enclose 

 them. 



I have asked for some days to consider, and the longer 

 I do so the more awful the task appears. How would it 

 do to suggest something of this sort : 



His long life was devoted to searching for Truths and 

 to reasoning on their Teaching ; and he gave to the 

 Public the results of his labours in a memorable work of 

 enduring scientific value — ' The Principles of Geology.' 



The epitaph took final form as follows : 



Throughout a long and laborious life he sought the means 

 of deciphering the fragmentary records of the earth's history 

 in the patient investigation of the present order of Nature, 

 enlarging the boundaries of knowledge and leaving on 

 scientific thought an enduring influence. 



