396 WORK ON 'MAN/ [i86q, 



that the views now adopted must indeed be supported by ar- 

 guments of overwhelming force. If for no other reason than 

 that Sir Charles Lyell in his tenth edition has adopted it, the 

 theory of Mr. Darwin deserves an attentive and respectful 

 consideration from every earnest seeker after truth."] 



C. Darwin to A. R. Wallace. 



Down, April 14, 1869. 



MY DEAR WALLACE, I have been wonderfully interested 

 by your article, and I should think Lyell will be much grati- 

 fied by it. I declare if I had been editor, and had the power 

 of directing you, I should have selected for discussion the 

 very points which you have chosen. I have often said to 

 younger geologists (for I began in the year 1830) that they 

 did not know what a revolution Lyell had effected ; neverthe- 

 less, your extracts from Cuvier have quite astonished me. 

 Though not able really to judge, I am inclined to put more 

 confidence in Croll than you seem to do ; but I have been 

 much struck by many of your remarks on degradation. 

 Thomson's views of the recent age of the world have been for 

 some time one of my sorest troubles, and so I have been glad 

 to read what you say. Your exposition of Natural Selection 

 seems to me inimitably good ; there never lived a better ex- 

 pounder than you. I was also much pleased at your dis- 

 cussing the difference between our views and Lamarck's. One 

 sometimes sees the odious expression, " Justice to myself 

 compels me to say," &c., but you are the only man I ever 

 heard of who persistently does himself an injustice, and never 

 demands justice. Indeed, you ought in the review to have 

 alluded to your paper in the ' Linnean Journal,' and I feel 

 sure all our friends will agree in this. But you cannot 

 " Burke " yourself, however much you may try, as may be 

 seen in half the articles which appear. I was asked but .the 

 other day by a German professor for your paper, which I 

 sent him. Altogether I look at your article as appearing in 

 the ' Quarterly' as an immense triumph for our cause. I pre- 



