PREFACE 



THE discourse on "Evolution and Ethics," re- 

 printed in the first half of the present volume, waa 

 delivered before the University of Oxford, as the 

 second of the annual lectures founded by Mr. 

 Romanes : whose name I may not write without 

 deploring the untimely death, in the flower of his 

 age, of a friend endeared to me, as to so many 

 others, by his kindly nature ; and justly valued by 

 all his colleagues for his powers of investigation 

 and his zeal for the advancement of knowledge. 

 I well remember, when Mr. Romanes' early work 

 came into my hands, as one of the secretaries 

 of the Royal Society, how much I rejoiced in 

 the accession to the ranks of the little army of 

 workers in science of a recruit so well qualified 

 to take a high place among us. 



It was at my friend's urgent request that I 



agreed to undertake the lecture, should I be 



honoured with an official proposal to give it, though 



, I confess not without misgivings, if only on 



