j64 LUCK, OR CUNNING? 



announcement of conclusions of the most self-ev/^WT 

 truth is a most curious proof of the reign of terror 

 which has come to be established." 



Against this I must protest; the Duke cannot seri- 

 ously maintain that the main scope and purpose of Mr. 

 Herbert Spencer's articles is new. Their substance has 

 been before us in Mr. Spencer's own writings for some 

 two and twenty years, in the course of which Mr. Spencer 

 has been followed by Professor Mivart, the Eev. J. J. 

 Murphy, the Duke of Argyll himself, and many other 

 writers of less note. When the Duke talks about the 

 establishment of a scientific reign of terror, I confess 

 I regard such an exaggeration with something like 

 impatience. Any one who has known his own mind 

 and has had the courage of his opinions has been able 

 to say whatever he wanted to say with as little let or 

 hindrance during the last twenty years, as during any 

 other period in the history of literature. Of course, 

 if a man will keep blurting out unpopular truths with- 

 out considering whose toes he may or may not be 

 treading on, he will make enemies some of whom will 

 doubtless be able to give effect to their displeasure ; 

 but that is part of the game. It is hardly possible 

 for any one to oppose the fallacy invxjlved in the 

 Charles-Darwinian theory of natural selection more 

 persistently and unsparingly than I have done my- 

 self from the year 1877 onwards; naturally I have 

 at times been very angrily attacked in consequence, 

 and as a matter of business have made myself as un- 

 pleasant as I could in my rejoinders, but I cannot 

 remember anything having been ever attempted against 



