PART VII 

 Characteristics 



" There is a point of view so lofty or so peculiar that from it vre are able 

 to discern in men and women something more than and apart from creed and 

 profession and formulated principle ; which indeed directs and colours this 

 creed and principle as decisively as it is in its turn acted on by them, and this 

 is their character or humanity." — Lord Morley. 



" As sets the sun in fine autumnal calm 

 So dost thou leave us. Thou not least but last 

 Link -ftith that rare and gallant little band 

 Of seekers after truth, whose days, though past, 

 Shed lustre on the hist'ry of their land. 

 And thine, O Wallace, thine the added charm 

 Of modesty, thy mem'ry to embalm." — Anonymous. 



{Received with a bunch of lilies-of-the-vaUeg, a few 

 days after Dr. Wallace's death.) 



A DDISON somewhere says that modesty sets off every 

 ZJk talent which a man can be possessed of. This was 

 manifestly true of Alfred Russel Wallace. When, 

 for instance, honours were bestowed upon him, he accepted 

 or rejected them with the same good-humour and unspoil- 

 able modesty. To Prof. E. B. Poulton, whose invitation 

 for the forthcoming Encsemia had been conveyed in Prof. 

 Bartholomew Price's letter, he wrote : 



Godalming. May 28, 1889. 



My dear Mr. Poulton,— I have just received from Prof. 

 B. Price the totally unexpected offer of the honorary 

 degree of D.C.L. at the coming Commemoration, and you 

 will probably be surprised and disgusted to hear that I 

 have declined it. I have to thank you for your kind offer 

 of hospitality during the ceremony, but the fact is, I have 

 at all times a profound distaste of all public ceremonials, 



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