1885 THE DARWIN STATUE I2 I 



door, they shall be reminded of the ideal according to which 

 they must shape their lives, if they would turn to the best ac- 

 count the opportunities offered by the great institution under 

 your charge. 



Nor was this his only word about Darwin. Somewhat 

 later, Professor Mivart sent him the proofs of an article on 

 Darwin, asking for his criticism, and received the following 

 reply, which describes better than almost any other docu- 

 ment, the nature of the tie which united Darwin and his 

 friends, and incidentally touches the question of Galileo's 

 recantation : — 



A'ov. 12, 18S5. 



My dear Mr. Mivart — I return your proof with many 

 thanks for your courtesy in sending it. I fully appreciate the 

 good feeling shown in what you have written, but as you ask 

 my opinion, I had better say frankly that my experience of Dar- 

 win is widely different from yours as expressed in the passages 

 marked with pencil. I have often remarked that I never knew 

 any one of his intellectual rank who showed himself so tolerant 

 to opponents, great and small, as Darwin did. Sensitive he 

 was in the sense of being too ready to be depressed by adverse 

 comment, but I never knew any one less easily hurt by fair 

 criticism, or who less needed to be soothed by those who opposed 

 him with good reason. 



I am sure I tried his patience often enough, without ever 

 eliciting more than a " Well there's a good deal in what you say ; 

 but — " and then followed something which nine times out of ten 

 showed he had gone deeper into the business than I had. 



I cannot agree with you, again, that the acceptance of Dar- 

 win's views was in any way influenced by the strong affection 

 entertained for him by many of his friends. What that affection 

 really did was to lead those of his friends who had seen good 

 reason for his views to take much more trouble in his defence 

 and support, and to strike out much harder at his adversary 

 than they would otherwise have done. This is pardonable if 

 not justifiable — that which you suggest would to my mind be 

 neither. 



I am so ignorant of what has been going on during the last 

 twelvemonth, that I know nothing of your controversy with 

 Romanes. If he is going to show the evolution of intellect from 

 sense, he is the man for whom I have been waiting, as Kant 

 says. 



