MR. GRANT ALLEN'S "CHARLES DARWIN." 257 



characteristic appearance of ardour. He does not ex- 

 plain how he is able to execute such rapid changes 

 of front without forfeiting his claim on our attention ; 

 explanations on matters of this sort seem out of date 

 with modern scientists. I can only suppose that Mr. 

 Allen regards himself as having taken a brief, as it 

 were, for the production of a popular work, and feels 

 more bound to consider the interests of the gentleman 

 who pays him than to say what he really thinks ; for 

 surely Mr., Allen would not have written as he did in 

 such a distinctly philosophical and scientific journal 

 as " Mind " without weighing his words, and nothing 

 has transpired lately, apropos of evolution, which will 

 account for his present recantation. I said in my book, 

 " Selections," &c., that when Mr. Allen made stepping- 

 stones of his dead selves, he jumped upon them to 

 some tune. I was a little scandalised then at the com- 

 pleteness and suddenness of the movement he executed, 

 and spoke severely; I have sometimes feared I may 

 have spoken too severely, but his recent performance 

 goes far to warrant my remarks. 



If, however, there is no dead self about it, and Mr. 

 Allen has only taken a brief, I confess to being not 

 greatly edified. I grant that a good case can be made 

 out for an author's doing as I suppose Mr. Allen to 

 have done ; indeed I am not sure that both science 

 and religion would not gain if every one rode his 

 neighbour's theory, as at a donkey-race, and the least 

 plausible were held to win ; but surely, as things stand, 

 a writer by the mere fact of publishing a book professes 

 to be giving a bond fide opinion. The analogy of the 



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