Ch. XL] 1858—1859. v 203 



Charles Darwin, the result of twenty years of observations and 

 experiments in Zoology, Botany, and Geology, by which he 

 has been led to the conclusion that those powers of nature 

 which give rise to races and permanent varieties in animals 

 and plants, are the same as those which in much longer periods 

 produce species, and in a still longer series of ages give rise 

 to differences of generic rank. He appears to me to have 

 succeeded by his investigations and reasonings in throwing a 

 flood of light on many classes of phenomena connected with 

 the affinities, geographical distribution, and geological suc- 

 cession of organic beings, for which no other hypothesis has 

 been able, or has even attempted to account." 



My father wrote : — 



" You once gave mo intense pleasure, or rather delight, by 

 the way you were interested, in a manner I never expected, 

 in my Coral Reef notions, and now you have again given me 

 similar pleasure by the manner you have noticed my species 

 work. Nothing could be more satisfactory to me, and I thank 

 you for myself, and even more for the subject's sake, as I 

 know well that the sentence will make many fairly consider 

 the subject, instead of ridiculing it." 



And again, a few days later : — 



" I do thank you for your eulogy at Aberdeen. I have been 

 so wearied and exhausted of late that I have for months 

 doubted whether I have not been throwing away time and 

 labour for nothing. But now I care not what the universal 

 world says ; I have always found you right, and certainly on 

 this occasion I am not going to doubt for the first time. 

 Whether you go far, or but a very short way with me and others 

 who believe as I do, I am contented, for my work cannot be 

 in vain. You would laugh if you knew how often I have read 

 your paragraph, and it has acted like a little dram." 



0. D. to G. Lyell Down, Sept. 30th [1859]. 



My dbae Lyell, — I sent off this morning the last sheets, 

 but without index, which is not in type. I look at you as my 

 Lord High Chancellor in Natural Science, and therefore I 

 request you, after you have finished, just to re-run over the 

 heads in the recapitulation-part of the last chapter. I shall be 

 deeply anxious to hear what you decide (if you are able to 

 decide) on the balance of the pros and contras given in my 

 volume, and of such other pros and contras as may occur to 

 you. I hope that you will think that I have given the 

 difficulties fairly. I feel an entire conviction that if you are 



