

CHAPTKR VII 



THE BATTLE FOR EVOLUTION 



Huxley's Prevision of the Battle — The Causes of the Battle — 

 The Times Review — Sir Richard Oweu attacks Darwinism 

 in the Edinburgh Review — Bishop Wilberforce attacks in 

 the Quarterly Revieiv — Huxley's Scathing Replies — The 

 British Association Debates at Oxford— Huxley and Wil- 

 berforce — Resume of Huxley's Exact Position with Regard 

 to Evolution and to Natural Selection. 



WHEN Htixley wrote thanking Darwin for the 

 first copy of the Origin, he warned him of the 

 annoyance and abuse he might expect from those whose 

 opinions were too suddenly disturbed by the new ex- 

 position of evohition, and assured him of the strongest 

 personal support : 



"I trust you will not allow yourself to be in any way dis- 

 gusted or annoyed by the considerable abuse and misrepre- 

 sentation which, unless I greatly mistake, is in store for you. 

 Depend upon it, you have earned the lasting gratitude of all 

 thoughtful men ; and as to the curs which will bark and yelp, 

 you must recollect that some of your friends, at any rate, are 

 endowed with an amount of combativeness which (though you 

 have often and justly rebuked it) may stand you in good stead. 



" I am sharpening my claws and beak in readiness." 



Huxley was absolutel}^ right in his prediction as to 

 the magnitude of the prejudices to be overcome before 



no 



