168 FOUNDATIONS OF THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES. [Ch. IX. 



Mr. Huxley continues : — 



" If one reads any of the earlier editions of the Principles 

 carefully (especially by the light of the interesting series of 

 letters recently published by Sir Charles Lyell's biographer), 

 it is easy to see that, with all his energetic opposition to 

 Lamarck, on the one hand, and to the ideal quasi-progressionism 

 of Agassiz, on the other, Lyell, in his own mind, was strongly 

 disposed to account for the origination of all past and present 

 species of living things by natural causes. But he would 

 have liked, at the same time, to keep the name of creation 

 for a natural process which he imagined to be incompre- 

 hensible." 



The passage above given refers to the influence of Lyell in 

 preparing men's minds for belief in the Origin, but I cannot 

 doubt that it " smoothed the way " for the author of that work 

 in his early searchings, as well as for his followers. My father 

 spoke prophetically when he wrote the dedication to Lyell of 

 the second edition of the Journal of Researches (1815). 



"To Charles Lyell, Esq., F.K.S., this second edition is 

 dedicated with grateful pleasure — as an acknowledgment that 

 the chief part of whatever scientific merit this journal and 

 the other works of the author may possess, has been derived 

 from studying the well-known and admirable Principles of 

 Geology." 



Professor Judd, in some reminiscences of my father which 

 he was so good as to give me, quotes him as saying that, M It 

 was the reading of the Principles of Geology which did most 

 towards moulding his mind and causing him to take up the 

 line of investigation to which his life was devoted." 



The role that Lyell played as a pioneer makes his own point 

 of view as to evolution all the more remarkable. As the late 

 H. C. Watson wrote to my father (December 21, 1859) : — 



Now these novel views are brought fairly before the 

 scientific public, it seems truly remarkable how so many of 

 them could have failed to see their right road sooner. How 

 could Sir C. Lyell, for instance, for thirty years read, write, 

 and think, on the subject of species and their succession, and 

 yet constantly look down the wrong road ! 



" A quarter of a century ago, you and I must have been in 

 something like the same state of mind on the main question. 

 But you were able to see and work out the quo modo of the 

 succession, the all-important thing, while I failed to grasp it." 



In his earlier attitude towards evolution, my father was 

 on a par with his contemporaries. He wrote in the Auto- 

 biography : — 



s 



