io2 MY LIFE 



and obtained testimonials from the presidents of all the 



natural-history societies of London, and from many eminent 

 men, but was not chosen. At the time this was a great dis- 

 appointment, but I have reason to believe now that it was 

 * all for the best" 



In 1881 a society was formed for advocating the nationali- 

 zation of the land, of which 1 was elected president, and in 

 1882 I published a volume, entitled "Land Nationalization: 

 its Necessity and its Aims." Some account of this move- 

 ment will be given in a future chapter. Its publication brought 

 me letters of sympathy and general agreement from Sir David 

 Wedderburn, M.P., Lord Mount-Temple, and many other 

 friends and correspondents. In this year, on June 29, the 

 Dublin University gave me the honorary degree of LL.D., 

 as already mentioned in the last chapter. I will here give 

 the very short but flattering Latin speech of the public orator 

 in introducing me, with a translation by my friend Mr. Comer- 

 ford Casey — 



" Introduco quoque Alfredum Russel Wallace Darwinii 

 aemulum, immo Darwinium alterum. Neque hunc neque ilium 

 variae eluserunt species atque ora ferarum. Darwinius nempe 

 lauri foetus auricomos decerpsit primus. Sed quid querimur? 



* Primo avulso non deficit alter 



Aureus, et simili f rondescit virga metallo.' " 



" I introduce also Alfred Russel Wallace, the friendly rival 

 of Darwin. Equally familiar to both are the different species 

 and varieties of animals. Darwin, indeed, was the first to 

 pluck the golden laurel-branch. Yet through this did Wallace 

 suffer no eclipse ; for as Virgil sang — 



'* One branch removed, another was to hand : 

 Another, bright and golden as the first' " 



In this year, too, the world was made poorer by the death 

 of my kind friend and teacher, Charles Darwin, and I was 

 honoured by an invitation to his funeral (on April 26) in 



