FRIENDSHIP WITH WALLACE. 85 



the first publication of the theory of natural selection 

 were the beginning of a life-long friendship and of 

 mutual confidence and esteem.* 



It is justifiable to speak of this episode as the 

 beginning of Darwin's and Wallace's friendship, for 

 the latter writes (February, 1895) : 



" I had met him once only for a few minutes at the Brit. 

 Mus. before I went to the East." 



Later on Darwin, in his letters to Wallace, more 

 than once alluded to the simultaneous publication of 

 their essays. Thus he wrote, April 18th, 1869, con- 

 gratulating Wallace on his article in the Quarterly 

 Review for that month : 



" I w ( as also much pleased at your discussing the difference 

 between our views and Lamarck's. One sometimes sees the 

 odious expression, ' Justice to myself compels me to say,' &c., 

 but you are the only man I ever heard of who persistently 

 does himself an injustice, and never demands justice. Indeed, 

 you ought in the review to have alluded to your paper in the 

 ' Linnean Journal,' and I feel sure all our friends will agree 

 in this. But you cannot ' Burke ' yourself however much you 

 may try, as may be seen in half the articles which appear." 



* Since the above paragraph was written I have again read 

 Professor Newton's eloquent Address to the Biological Section of 

 the British Association at Manchester in 1887, and find that he says 

 on the same subject " If in future you should meet with any cynic 

 who may point the finger of scorn at the petty quarrels in which 

 naturalists unfortunately at times engage, particularly in regard to 

 the priority of their discoveries, you can always refer him to this 

 greatest of all cases, where scientific rivalry not only did not inter- 

 fere with, but even strengthened, the good-feeling which existed 

 between two of the most original investigators" (Report of Meeting, 

 p. 731). 



