Cn. XIV.] 1861—1871. 273 



increasing liberality of England, that my book has sold wonder- 

 fully .... and as yet no abuse (though some, no doubt, will 

 come, strong enough), and only contempt even in the poor old 

 Athenseum." 



About the same time he wrote to Mr. Murray : — 



" Many thanks for the Nonconformist [March 8, 1871]. I like 

 to see all that is written, and it is of some real use. If 

 you hear of reviewers in out-of-the-way papers, especially the 

 religious, as Record, Guardian, Tablet, kindly inform me. It 

 is wonderful that there has been no abuse as yet. On the 

 whole, the reviews have been highly favourable." 



The following extract from a letter to Mr. Murray (April 13, 

 1871) refers to a review in the Times * : — 



" I have no idea who wrote the Times' review. He has no 

 knowledge of science, and seems to me a wind-bag full of meta- 

 physics and classics, so that I do not much regard his adverse 

 judgment, though I suppose it will injure the sale." 



A striking review appeared in the Saturday Review (March 4 

 and 11, 1871) in which the position of Evolution is well stated. 



" He claims to have brought man himself, his origin and 

 constitution, within that unity which he had previously sought 

 to trace through all lower animal forms. The growth of 

 opinion in the interval, due in chief measure to his own inter- 

 mediate works, has placed the discussion of this problem in a 

 position very much in advance of that held by it fifteen years 

 ago. The problem of Evolution is hardly any longer to be 

 treated as one of first principles : nor has Mr. Darwin to do 

 battle for a first hearing of his central hypothesis, upborne as it 

 is by a phalanx of names full of distinction and promise in 

 either hemisphere." 



We must now return to the history of the general principle 

 of Evolution. At the beginning of 1869 f he was at work on 



* April 7 and 8, 1871. 



t His holiday this year was at Caerdeon, on the north shore of tho 

 beautiful Barmouth, estuary, and pleasantly placed in being close to 

 wild hill country behind, as well as to the picturesque wooded " hum- 

 mocks," between the steeper hills and the river. My father was ill and 

 somewhat depressed throughout this visit, and I think felt imprisoned 

 and saddened by his inability to reach the hills over which he had once 

 wandered for days together. 



He wrote from Caerdeon to Sir J. D. Hooker (June 22nd) : — 



" We have been here for ten days, how I wish it was possible for you to 

 pay us a visit here ; we have a beautiful house with a terraced garden, 

 and a really magnificent view of Cader, right opposite. Old Cader is a 

 grand fellow, and shows himself off superbly with every changing light. 

 We remain here till the end of July, when the H. Wedgwoods have the 



T 



