Herbert Spencer and the Doctrine of Evolution. 527 



form a coherent body of scientific truth a System of 

 Philosophy. 



It is proper to state in this place that, in contemplating 

 the execution of so comprehensive a work, the first diffi- 

 culty that arose was a pecuniary one. Mr. Spencer had 

 frittered away the greater part of what little he possessed 

 in writing and publishing books that did not pay their ex- 

 penses, and a period of eighteen months of ill health and 

 enforced idleness consequent on the writing of one of 

 them had further diminished his resources. His state of 

 health was still such that he could work, at the outside, 

 but three hours a day, and very frequently not that, so 

 that what little he could do in the shape of writing for peri- 

 odicals, even though tolerably paid for it, did not suffice 

 to meet the expenses of a very economical bachelor life. 

 How, then, could he reasonably hope to prosecute a scheme 

 elaborating the doctrine of Evolution throughout all its de- 

 partments in the way contemplated a scheme that would 

 involve an enormous amount of thought, labour, and inquiry, 

 and which seemed very unlikely to bring any pecuniary re- 

 turn, even if it paid its expenses ? Unable to see any so- 

 lution of the difficulty, Mr. Spencer wrote, in July, 1858, 

 to Mr. John Stuart Mill, explaining his project, and asking 

 whether he thought that in the administration for India, in 

 which Mr. Mill held office, there was likely to be any post, 

 rather of trust than of much work, which would leave him 

 leisure enough for the execution of his scheme. Mr. Mill 

 replied sympathetically, but nothing turned out to be 

 available. In despair of any other possibility, Mr. Spencer 

 afterward extended his application to the Government, 

 being re-enforced by the influence of various leading scien- 

 tific men, who expressed themselves strongly respecting 

 the importance of giving him the opportunity he wished.* 



* See Note E. 



