INTRODUCTION. 413 



fundamental subject. This surely shows that 

 the idea was fermenting deeply in the time, 

 and was getting ready to be born. 



It may be here remarked that these oppos- 

 ing statements of Darwin illustrate a strain of 

 his psychologic character : he was gifted with 

 a considerable power of unconscious self-con- 

 tradiction. He had small logical, or rather, 

 dialectical aptitude; he specially disclaims 

 any success with metaphysics or 'mathematics, 

 they both lay outside of his mental domain. 

 Argumentation indeed he possessed, his great 

 book is cast throughout in the form of an ar- 

 gument. On the whole Darwin in his life was 

 an unfallen, paradisaical spirit, despite his re- 

 action; little of the negative lay in him con- 

 sciously, all his friends have celebrated his 

 angelic character. He was one with Nature 

 and responded instinctively to her heart-beat ; 

 such was his congenial sphere as well as his 

 limit. Still he also heard the call of his time 

 and answered famously in his way. This was 

 through Nature, who also gave expression to 

 the spirit of the age in Darwin's voice, which 

 really could speak no other tongue but Na- 

 ture 's. 



The foregoing facts of the age's prepara- 

 tion may be elaborated a little further, to 

 show more fully the place of Darwin as the 

 pivotal biologist of the Biocosmos, who biolo- 



