Herbert Spencer and the Doctrine of Evolution. 551 



less, in time know much more about them tlian we do now. But, so far as 

 my imperfect knowledge of the subject extends, I take much the same 

 view of it that you do, at least in principle." We thus see how profoundly 

 the foremost psychologist of his time was ultimately influenced in his most 

 radical philosophical views by the doctrines of Mr. Spencer; and, when 

 we remember how completely Mr. Spencer had already reconstructed the 

 new psychology upon the basis of the principle thus lately and partially 

 recognized by Mr. Mill, we are enabled to see how far he was in advance 

 of his age in dealing with this great subject. 



Note E. — Page 5^7. 



Interested in all that relates to the history of Mr. Spencer's enter- 

 prise, and the conditions under which it was launched, when I learned 

 about his being sustained by eminent men in his application to Govern- 

 ment, I sought to know what kind of action they took, and found that 

 their influence was given in the shape of letters to Mr. Spencer, to be 

 used with the Government authorities. They were written by Mr. J. S. 

 Mill, George Grote, and Profs. Huxley, Fraser, Hooker, Tyndall, and 

 Latham, in 1859, fifteen years ago, and were, of course, responsible esti- 

 mates of Mr. Spencer as a thinker by some of the most distinguished of 

 his contemporaries. At my request, Mr, Spencer favoured me with the 

 reading of these letters, and the effect of their perusal was to produce 

 a feeling of profound regret that they had never been given to the pub- 

 lic ; for this would certainly have made an important difference in the re- 

 ception accorded to his philosophical project. The writers recognized 

 that Mr. Spencer was eminently the man to do a great and special work 

 for the advancement and organization of knowledge in this age — a work 

 which the British Government would honour itself by promoting ; and they 

 predicted the utmost that time has fulfilled in regard to the undertaking. 

 But Mr. Spencer regarded the letters as written for a special purpose, and 

 therefore not to be appropriated to any other. They, however, belonged 

 to the initial stage of his enterprise, were designed to aid it, and should, 

 I think, have been used for that object. I refer to this circumstance be- 

 cause it is an interesting fact ; and I have the less concern in speaking 

 about it, as the author of one of the letters assured me that the writers 

 designed them for publication. 



