iS59 THE TIMES REVIEW OF THE ORIGIN 189 



But I feel that I have not yet by any means fully realised 

 the bearings of those most remarkable and original Chapters 

 — Ill, IV, and V, and I will write no more about them just now. 



The only objections that have occurred to me are — ist, That 

 you have loaded yourself with an unnecessary difficulty in adopt- 

 ing Natura )ion facit saltum so unreservedly; and 2nd, It is not 

 clear to me why, if continual physical conditions are of so little 

 moment as you suppose, variation should occur at all. 



However, I must read the book two or three times more 

 before I presume to begin picking holes. 



I trust you will not allow yourself to be in any way disgusted 

 or annoyed by the considerable abuse and misrepresentation 

 which, unless I greatly mistake, is in store for you. Depend 

 upon it, you have earned the lasting gratitude of all thoughtful 

 men. And as to the curs which will bark and yelp, you must 

 recollect that some of your friends, at any rate, are endowed 

 with an amount of combativeness which (though you have often 

 and justly rebuked it) may stand you in good stead. 



I amsharpening up_my_claws and beik in readiness. 



Looking back over my letter, it really expresses so feebly all 

 I think about you and your noble book, that I am half-ashamed 

 of it; but you will understand that, like the parrot in the story, 

 " I think the more." — Ever yours faithfully, 



T. H. Huxley. 



A month later, foitune put into his hands the oppor- 

 tunity of striking a vigorous and telling blow for the newly- 

 published book. Never was windfall more eagerly accepted. 

 A short account of this lucky chance was written by him 

 for the Darwin Life (vol. i. p. 255). 



The " Origin " was sent to Mr. Lucas, one of the staff of the 

 Times writers at that day, in what was I suppose the ordinary 

 course of business. Mr. Lucas, though an excellent journalist, 

 and at a later period, editor of Once a Week, was as innocent 

 of any knowledge of science as a babe, and bewailed himself 

 to an acquaintance on having to deal with such a book. W'here- 

 upon, he was recommended to ask me to get him out of his 

 difficulty, and he applied to me accordingly, explaining, how- 

 ever, that it would be necessary for him formally to adopt any- 

 thing I might be disposed to write, by prefacing it with two 

 or three paragraphs of his own. 



I was too anxious to seize upon the opportunity thus offered 



