XV IMPRESSION ON HIS FRIENDS 371 



by his own generation, and he reminded the world 

 how little the scientific insight of Goethe, for instance, 

 or the solid labours of BufFon or Reaumur or 

 Lamarck, deserved oblivion. 



The only point on which he did claim recognition 

 was the honesty of his motives. He was incapable 

 of doing anything underhand, and he could not bear 

 even the appearance of such conduct towards his 

 friends, or those with whom he had business relations. 

 In such cases he always took the bull by the horns, 

 acknowledged an oversight or explained what was 

 capable of misunderstanding. The choice between 

 Edward Forbes and Hooker for the Royal Society's 

 medal, or the explanations to Mr. Spencer for not 

 joining a social reform league of which the latter was 

 a prominent member, will serve as instances. 



The most considerable difference I note among men 

 (he wrote), is not in their readiness to fall into error, but 

 in their readiness to acknowledge these inevitable lapses. 



For himself, he let no personal feelings stand in the 

 way when fact negatived his theories : once convinced 

 that they were untenable, he gave up Bathyhius and 

 the European origin of the Horse without hesitation. 



The regard in which he was held by his friends 

 was such that he was sometimes appealed to by both 

 parties in a dispute. He was a man to be trusted 

 with the confidence of his friends. " Yes, you are 

 quite right about 'loyal,'" he writes to Mr. Knowles, 

 " I love my friends and hate my enemies — which 



