P'ER CONTRA. 283 



for all as he was in 1859 when the "Origin of 

 Species" appeared. 



The tenacity of purpose which appears to have heen 

 one of Mr. Darwin's most remarkable characteristics 

 was visible even in his outward appearance. He always 

 reminded me of Eaffaelle's portrait of Pope Julius the 

 Second, which, indeed, would almost do for a portrait 

 of Mr. Darwin himself. I imagine that these two 

 men, widely as the sphere of their action differed, 

 must have been like each other in more respects than 

 looks alone. Each, certainly, had a hand of iron ; 

 whether Pope Julius wore a velvet glove or no, I do 

 not know; I rather think not, for, if I remember 

 rightly, he boxed Michael Angelo's ears for giving him 

 a saucy answer. We cannot fancy Mr. Darwin box- 

 ing any one's ears ; indeed there can be no doubt he 

 wore a very thick velvet glove, but the hand under- 

 neath it was none the less of iron. It was to his 

 tenacity of purpose, doubtless, that his success was 

 mainly due ; but for this he must inevitably have 

 fallen before the many inducements to desist from the 

 pursuit of his main object, which beset him in the 

 shape of ill health, advancing years, ample private 

 means, large demands upon his time, and a reputation 

 already great enough to satisfy the ambition of any 

 ordinary man. 



I do not gather from those who remember Mr. 

 Darwin as a boy, and as a young man, that he 

 gave early signs of being likely to achieve greatness ; 

 nor, as it seems to me, is there any sign of unusual 

 intellectual power to be detected in his earliest book. 



