386 EVOLUTION, OLD AND NEW. 



News/ August 16, 1879 ; 'Nonconformist,' November 26, 

 1879 ; ' Popular Science Eeview,' Jan. 1, 1880 ; ' Morning 

 Post,' Jan. 12, 1880. 



Some of the most hostile passages in the reviews 

 above referred to are as follows .• — 



" From beginning to end, our eccentric author treats 



us to a dazzling flood of epigram, invective, and what 



appears to be argument ; and finally leaves us without 



a single clear idea as to what he has been driving at." 



* * * * • 



" Mr. Butler comes forward, as it were, to proclaim 

 himself a professional satirist, and a mystifier who will 

 do his best to leave yeu utterly in the dark with regard 

 to his system of juggling. Is he a teleological theolo- 

 gian making fun of evolution ? Is he an evolutionist 

 making fun of teleology ? Is he a man of letters making 

 fun of science ? Or is he a master of pure irony making 

 fun of all three, and of his audience as well ? For our 

 part we decline to commit ourselves, and prefer to 

 observe, as Mr. Butler observes of Von Hartmann, that 

 if his meaning is anything like what he says it is, we can 

 only say that it has not been given us to form any 

 definite conception whatever as to what that meaning 

 may be."— ' Academy,' May 17, 1879, Signed Grant 

 Allen. 



» * * * • 



Here is another criticism of "Evolution, Old and 

 New " — also, I believe I am warranted in saying, by Mr. 

 Grant Allen. These two criticisms appeared on the 

 same day ; how many more Mr. Allen may have written 

 later on I do not know. 



