SCIENCE AND MARRIAGE 41 



lavished with safety on the young human being. 

 His brothers were considerably younger than 

 himself, and he was continually in the company of 

 persons to whom his growing knowledge of natural 

 science seemed scarcely less than miraculous. It 

 was before the day of " Nature study " and the 

 general encouragement given in schools to such 

 pursuits. From the very first he appears to 

 have had a gift of facile exposition which was 

 to make him an admirable lecturer. But for 

 the moment it is evident that the combination 

 of these qualities and these conditions must have 

 put him in much peril of acquiring that intel- 

 lectual arrogance which is most easily indicated by 

 the word priggishness. 



Intellectual arrogance is the very last crime 

 with which the enemies, if he had enemies, of 

 Lord Avebury could conceivably charge his 

 formed character, and in its formation it is well 

 to be believed that a great part was played by 

 that learned, wise, and good man to whom he 

 went eagerly for instruction. While revering 

 the learning and the wisdom, young Lubbock 

 no doubt unconsciously assimilated the goodness 

 — the fortitude with which pain and illness were 

 borne, the patience with which was endured the 

 scarcely less grievous misconstruction which 

 many persons of the best intentions, but of the 

 most narrow minds, placed on Mr. Darwin's; 

 great services to science, and above all the 

 singular humility which deprecated all credit 

 to self for any exceptional mental faculty or 

 achievement. The modesty which was char- 

 acteristic of Lord Avebury was a very eminent 



