390 Edward Livingston Yournans. 



lishing the principles of Evolution, in their general scientific and 

 philosophical bearings, that tliey had no time to apply theui to 

 theology; that is a task for the next generation and I have no 

 doubt that in due time it will be successfully accomplished. 



Mk. Hekbekt Spencer: 



The following letter from Mr. Spencer was received too late to 

 be read at this meeting, but was read at a subsequent meeting. 



64 Avenue Koad, Regent's Park, 



London, N. W., March 13, 1890. 

 Bear Mr. Skilton : 



I received your telegram last night, and from the wording 

 conclude that you wish some letter from me about Yournans 

 which Fiske may read in his lecture on the 23d. I am very glad 

 to respond to the request, and I cannot do this better than by 

 giving you the following copy of a passage in my Autobiogi'aphy 

 concerning him: 



"The relation thus initiated was extremely fortunate; for 

 Prof. Edward L. Youmans was, of all Americans I have known 

 or heard of, the one most able and most willing to help me. Alike 

 intellectually and morally, he had in the highest degrees the 

 traits conducive to success in diffusing the doctrines he espoused; 

 and from that time to this he has devoted his life mainly to 

 spreading throughout the United States the doctrine of Evolution. 

 His love of wide generalizations had been shown years before in 

 lectures on such toi)ics as tlie correlation of the physical forces; 

 and from tliose who heard him I have gathered that, aided by his 

 unusual powers of exposition, the enthusiasm wliich contempla- 

 tion of the larger truths of science produced in him, was in a 

 remarkable degree communicated to his hearers. Such larger 

 truths I have on many occasions observed are those which he 

 quickly seizes ever i)assing at once through details to lay hold of 

 essentials; and, having laid hold of them, he clearly sets them 

 forth afresh in his own way with added illustrations. But it is 

 morally even more than intellectually that he has proved himself 

 a true missionary of advanced ideas. Extremely energetic so 

 onergetic that no one has been able to check his over-activity 

 lie has expended all his jxjwers in advancing what he holds to be 

 the truth; ;ind not only his powers but his means. It has proved 

 impossil)l(! to ])revent him from injuring himself in health by his 

 <'xertioiis; and it has proved imi)ossible to make him pay due 

 ic'gard to his jx'rsonal interests. So tliat towards the close of life 

 he linds himself wre(;ked in body and imi)ov('rished in estate by 

 tiiirty years of devotion to liitjli ends. Among professed wor- 

 shipers of Ininianity, who teacli that human welfare should be 

 the dominant aim, 1 liave not yet heard of one whose sacrifices 

 on l)ehalf of humanity will bear coni])arison with those of my 

 friend." 



Though the volume containing tliis ])assage will not be ]>ub- 

 lished until after my deatli, I am very willing that this tribute of 

 jidmiration to my late friend should be made public now. 



1 am, faithfully youis, IIkhbekt Si'Knceij. 



