Sir Richard Owen, K.C.B. bl 
years. This will explain why at this period of Owen’s career, from 
1856 to 1880, he was so prolific in papers and memoirs. 
The event of the Great Exhibition brought Owen (as the President 
of one of the Juries) under the notice of the Prince Consort, and 
he speedily became a recognised favourite with the Queen, and was; 
frequently requested to deliver lectures on Natural History before 
Her Majesty and the Royal family. By the Queen’s favour he 
received a residence, Sheen Lodge, Richmond Park, and a Civil 
List pension, both of which he enjoyed until the time of his death, 
He was President of the British Association at Leeds, in 1858; and 
was succeeded by the Prince Consort at Aberdeen, in 1859. 
Although (away from Monte Carlo) every one is too well-educated, 
to believe in “being born under a lucky star,” nevertheless, we may 
safely affirm that Owen was born at a most fortunate time, and ina 
century marked by the greatest progress in science, commerce, and: 
literature that the world has ever known. 
Owen lived on into the new era of steam-locomotion, of telegraphs, , 
of cheap printing, of good illustrations, of higher education ; indeed, 
it is n t too much to assert, that Owen like his contemporaries,. 
Herschell, Faraday, Lyell, and Darwin (together with many others), 
helped to bring on this great advance in civilization. 
- But for the vast amount of solid anatomical and paleontological 
work which Owen had accomplished, much of Lyell’s work could. 
not have been effected, and the theory of Natural Selection and the: 
Origin of Species could not have appeared so soon. Indeed, when 
in the end of 1859, Darwin’s first edition of the “Origin of Species”’ 
appeared, Owen claimed to have enunciated similar views long before. 
Nevertheless, when Darwin begged to be permitted to quote Owen, 
as a supporter of his views, or as favourable to them, he declined to, 
accept them, and classed them as a new phase of Lamarckianism. 
which we should most of us live to see die a natural death. This 
was not generous, and contrasts strongly with Lyell, who having 
held to the old uniformitarian views for many years, and to the 
fixity of species, abandoned his old views, and accepted the new, 
doctrines with an open mind. 
The real secret, perhaps, lay in some anxiety felt by Owen lest he 
should lose popularity and give offence to the higher clergy, and to. 
my lords, and (as the Catechism expresses it) “to those who are. 
put in authority over us!” 
The success that attended him in his long life resulted from a. 
combination of circumstances. Hveryone will readily admit the’ 
fact of Professor Owen’s extraordinary genius, his sagacity in in- 
terpretation, and his remarkable ability as a lecturer; but behind 
these he owed very much to his indomitable energy and power of 
sustained work ; to his marvellous flow of language, to his vigorous: 
bodily health, and, in controversy, not a little to his cleverness both 
in defence and attack. His courteous manners, when dealing with, 
the general public, were proverbial, and also the marked attention! 
which he paid to the rank of the individual. oud 
