xviii PREFA TOR Y NO TE. 



jects of which he knows least ; while the habit of 

 weighing evidence is discouraged, and the means of 

 forming a sound judgment are carefully withheld 

 from the pupil. 



Professor Yirchow is known to me only as he is 

 known to the world in general hy his high and well - 

 earned scientific reputation. With Professor Haeckel 

 on the other hand, I have the good fortune to be on 

 terms of personal friendship. But in making the pre- 

 ceding observations, I should be sorry to have it 

 supposed that I am holding a brief for my friend, or 

 that I am disposed to adopt all the opinions which he 

 has expressed in his reply. Nevertheless, I do desire 

 to express my hearty sympathy with his vigorous 

 defence of the freedom of learning and teaching ; and 

 I think I shall have all fair-minded men with me 

 when I also give vent to my reprobation of the intro- 

 duction of the sinister arts of unscrupulous political 

 warfare into scientific controversy, manifested in the 

 attempt to connect the doctrines he advocates with 

 those of a political party which is, at present, the 

 object of hatred and persecution in his native land. 

 The one blot, so far as I know, on the fair fame of 

 Edmund Burke is his attempt to involve Price and 

 Priestley in the furious hatred of the English masses 

 against the authors and favourers of the revolution of 



