24 SPREAD OF EVOLUTION. [1863. 



address to the Linnean Society (May 25, 1863). Mr. Bentham 

 does not yield to the new theory of Evolution, " cannot 

 surrender at discretion so long as many important outworks 

 remain contestable." But he shows that the great body of 

 scientific opinion is flowing in the direction of belief. 



The mention of Pasteur by Mr. Bentham is in reference 

 to the promulgation "as it were ex cathedra" of a theory 

 of spontaneous generation by the reviewer of Dr. Carpenter 

 in the Athenaum (March 28, 1863). Mr. Bentham points 

 out that in ignoring Pasteur's refutation of the supposed 

 facts of spontaneous generation, the writer fails to act with 

 "that impartiality which every reviewer is supposed to 

 possess."] 



C. Darwin to G. Bentham. 



Down, May 22 [1863]. 



MY DEAR BENTHAM. I am much obliged for your kind 

 and interesting letter. I have no fear of anything that a 

 man like you will say annoying me in the very least degree. 

 On the other hand, any approval from one whose judgment 

 and knowledge I have for many years so sincerely respected, 

 will gratify me much. The objection which you well put, of 

 certain forms remaining unaltered through long time and 

 space, is no doubt formidable in appearance, and to a certain 

 extent in reality according to my judgment. But does not 

 the difficulty rest much on our silently assuming that we know 

 more than we do ? I have literally found nothing so difficult 

 as to try and always remember our ignorance. I am never 

 weary, when walking in any new adjoining district or country, 

 of reflecting how absolutely ignorant we are why certain old 

 plants are not there present, and other new ones are, and 

 others in different proportions. If we once fully feel this, then 

 in judging the theory of Natural Selection, which implies that 

 a form will remain unaltered unless some alteration be to its 



