VII. 



Lyell and Modem Geology — Darwin's Theory of Selection — Beginning 



of Life. 



Ever since mankind has consciously laboured in the 

 field of intellect, pre-eminent men have existed, who, rea- 

 soning more rapidly than their contemporaries, have out- 

 stripped them in the apprehension of great truths and 

 the recognition of important laws. But it is a great 

 temptation to set too high a value on these anticipations; 

 and in all cases in which these intellectual exploits are 

 concerned, it will be discovered that, so to speak, they 

 floated in the air, and that it was merely a keener scent 

 and a so-called intuition resting on unconscious infer- 

 ences, which exalted the privileged being above his less 

 sharp-sighted neighbours. 



Great scientific crises, revolutions in the domain of 

 intellect, are prepared long beforehand; the watch-word 

 rarely comes too early and is seldom pronounced in ac- 

 cents unintelligible to contemporaries; as a rule, if the 

 change has not been altogether gradual and almost un- 

 perceived, but if on the contrary the veil has been sud- 

 denly drawn aside by one of these chosen spirits, 

 scales fall, as it were, from the eyes of fellow-labourers 

 and spectators, and the rapidity with which the new theory 



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