PER CONTRA, 2^7 ■ 



as part of the work which he knew was essential if so 

 great a revolution was to be effected. 



This is an exceedingly difficult and delicate thing 

 to do. If people think they need only write striking 

 and well-considered books, and that then the Times 

 will immediately set to work to call attention to them, 

 I should advise them not to be too hasty in basing 

 action upon this hypothesis. I should advise them to 

 be even less hasty in basing it upon the assumption 

 that to secure a powerful literary backing is a matter 

 within the compass of any one who chooses to under- 

 take it. No one who has not a strong social position 

 should ever advance a new theory, unless, a life of 

 hard fighting is part of what he lays himself out for. 

 It was one of Mr. Darwin's great merits that he had a 

 strong social position, and had the good sense to know 

 how to profit by it. The magnificent feat which he 

 eventually achieved was unhappily tarnished by much 

 that detracts from .the splendour that ought to have 

 attended it, but a magnificent feat it must remain. 



Whose work in this imperfect world is not tarred 

 and tarnished by something that detracts from its 

 ideal character ? It is enough that a man should be 

 the rigbt man in the right place, and this Mr. Darwin 

 pre-eminently was. If he had been more like the 

 ideal character which Mr. Allen endeavours to re- 

 present him, it is not likely that he would have been 

 able to do as much, or nearly as much, as he actually 

 did ; he would have been too wide a cross with his 

 generation to produce much effect upon it. Original 

 thought is much more common than is generally 



