1862 EDINBURGH LECTURES ON MAN 281 



fury over the fact that the audience applauded this 

 " an ti- scriptural and most debasing theory . . . 

 standing in blasphemous contradiction to biblical 

 narrative and doctrine," instead of expressing their 

 resentment at this " foul outrage committed upon 

 them individually, and upon the whole species as 

 ' made in the likeness of God,' " by deserting the 

 hall in a body, or using some more emphatic form 

 of protest against the corruption of youth by " the 

 vilest and beastliest paradox ever vented in ancient 

 or modern times amongst Pagans or Christians." In 

 his finest vein of sarcasm, the writer expresses his 

 surprise that the meeting did not instantly resolve 

 itself into a " Gorilla Emancipation Society," or pro- 

 pose to hear a lecture from an apostle of Mormonism ; 

 " even this would be a less offensive, mischievous, 

 and inexcusable exhibition than was made in the 

 recent two lectures by Professor Huxley," etc. 



JERMYN STREET, January 13, 1862. 

 MY DEAR DARWIN In the first place a new year's 

 greeting to you and yours. In the next, I enclose this 

 slip (please return it when you have read it) to show you 

 what I have been doing in the north. 



Everybody prophesied I should be stoned and cast out 

 of the city gate, but, on the contrary, I met witli unmiti- 

 gated applause ! ! Three cheers for the progress of 

 liberal opinion ! ! 



The report is as good as any, but they have not put 

 quite rightly what I said about your views, respecting 

 which I took my old line about the infertility difficulty. 



Furthermore, they have not reported my statement 

 that whether you were right or wrong, some form of the 



