DARWIN AND NEWTON 77 



In attempting to estimate the position of Darwin 

 in the intellectual history of his country and of 

 the world, I will quote the opinion of one whose 

 interests are literary rather than scientific. Lord 

 Courtney, proposing the toast of * The Royal 

 Society ' at the anniversary dinner a few years 

 ago, compared the scientific with the literary con- 

 tribution made by the English-speaking nations to 

 the brief list of the world's greatest men. In 

 literature of course there was Shakespeare, but 

 who could be placed as a second ? * Many,' 

 said the speaker, 'would propose Milton. Our 

 continental friends might suggest for us Byron ' ; 

 but for himself Lord Courtney was inclined to 

 think that Shakespeare stood in that great world- 

 list alone, without an English-speaking rival or 

 even a second. When, however, he turned to 

 science, the speaker expressed his belief that 

 two names must be admitted as our contribution. 

 I accept the opinion and believe that it will be 

 widely accepted. So far as we can estimate such 

 positions and make such comparisons, Newton 

 and Darwin stand together and for all time in 

 the select company of the greatest men the 

 world has ever seen. 



