60 HUXLEY 



matter of fact, disposed of the doctrine of the im- 

 mutability of species," he raised a number of dis- 

 ingenuous objections to the general theory of what he 

 ironically called the " comforting word, Evolution," 

 objections evidencing the "biassed amateur" and the 

 "representative of ecclesiastical conservatism and 

 orthodoxy." Huxley had consented to second the 

 vote of thanks to the president, and although "the 

 old Adam, of course, prompted the tearing of the ad- 

 dress to pieces, which would have been a very easy 

 job," he had perforce to content himself with " con- 

 veying criticism in the shape of praise." * However, 

 he dealt with the " polemical dexterity " of the Mar- 

 quis and gave him "a Roland for his Oliver" in an 

 article on "Past and Present " in Nature, ist No- 

 vember, 1894. In that month the Royal Society put 

 its final seal to Huxley's life-work in awarding him 

 the Darwin medal ; and in his speech at the anniver- 

 sary dinner acknowledging the compliment, a speech 

 whose impressiveness can never fade from the mem- 

 ory of those who heard it, he also set the " seal to his 

 ministry " in emphasising his belief 



that the views which were propounded by Mr. Dar- 

 win thirty-five years ago may be understood hereafter 

 as constituting an epoch in the intellectual history of 

 the human race. They will modify the whole system 



l lL 379- 



