Charles liohert Darwin. 43 



the general temper and spirit of the man, his simplicity and 

 modesty, his geiitleness and forbearance, his abstinence from 

 all contention, his evident desire to know the truth, -what- 

 ever it might be. As time went on, these qualities made 

 themselves felt. They went on before his thought, and by 

 tliem every valley was exalted and every mountain and hill 

 were made low, and the crooked was made straight, and tlie 

 rough places plain, so that his thought might make an un- 

 obstructed progress through the world and all flesh might 

 see it together. Never, I think, since Jesus spoke the words, 

 '•' My judgment is just because 1 seek not mine own will," has 

 any thinker had so good a right to take them to himself as 

 Charles Darwin. So little did he care for triumph that in 

 the "Origin of Species" he heaped up every objection he 

 could iind against his theory, so that objectors could say 

 nothing against it which he had not said already. 



He died on the 19th of April, 1882 — a great historic an- 

 niversary, an anniversary of freedom, and well suited, there- 

 fore, for the consummation of a life whose motto ever was, 

 " The truth shall make you free." They buried him in West- 

 minster Abbey (where I have stood above his dust, with 

 Xewton's close at hand), as if to make the soul of Stanley 

 glad. What a sign was here of the completeness of his vic- 

 tory ! It was such a little while since he had been anath- 

 ematized and hissed and scorned and slandered and reviled 

 as an infidel and atheist, an enemy of Christianity and of 

 religion, and now the nation's grandest temple of religion 

 opened its gates and lifted up its everlasting doors and bade 

 the king of science to come in. 



"Far in front the cross stands ready, 

 And the clustering fagots burn, 



"WHiile the hooting mob of yesterday 

 With silent awe return 



To glean up the scattered ashes 

 Into history's golden urn." 



It was indeed "the hooting mob of yesterday." They do 

 not often come so quickly back. " His body is buried in 

 peace," the anthem softly sang, and then rolled, in thunder, 

 " But his name liveth forevermore." 



The life of Darwin was a singularly fortunate and happy 

 one. His outward circumstances were in perfect keeping 

 with his inward disposition. They afforded him the amplest 

 opportunity for beholding the bright countenance of truth 



