VIL 
Lyell and Modern 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, 
reasoning more rapidly than their contemporaries, have 
outstripped 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 anti- 
cipations ; 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 merelya 
keener scent and a so-called intuition resting on uncon- 
scious inferences, which exalted the privileged being 
above his less sharp-sighted neighbours. 
Great Scientific crises, revolutions in the domain of in- 
tellect, are prepared long beforehand ; the watch-word 
rarely comes too early and is seldom pronounced in 
accents unintelligible to contemporaries; as a rule, if 
the change has not been altogether gradual and almost 
unperceived, but if on the contrary the veil has been 
suddenly 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 
