The Friendships of Darwin 383 
could Sir C. Lyell...for thirty years read, write, and think, on the 
subject of species and their succession, and yet constantly look down 
the wrong road'!” Huxley attributed this hesitation of Lyell to his 
“profound antipathy” to the doctrine of the “pithecoid origin of 
man*.” Without denying that this had considerable influence (and 
those who knew Lyell and his great devotion to his wife and her 
memory, are aware that he and she felt much stronger convictions 
concerning such subjects as the immortality of the soul than Darwin 
was able to confess to) yet I think Darwin had divined the real 
characteristics of his friend’s mind, when he wrote: “He would 
advance all possible objections...and even after these were exhausted, 
would remain long dubious.” 
Very touching indeed was the friendship maintained to the end 
between these two leaders of thought—free as their intercourse was 
from any smallest trace of self-seeking or jealousy. When in 1874 
I spent some time with Lyell in his Forfarshire home, a communi- 
cation from Darwin was always an event which made a “red-letter 
day,” as Lyell used to say; and he gave me many indications in his 
conversation of how strongly he relied upon the opinion of Darwin— 
more indeed than on the judgment of any other man—this con- 
fidence not being confined to questions of science, but extending to 
those of morals, politics, and religion. 
I have heard those who knew Lyell only slightly, speak of his 
manners as cold and reserved. His complete absorption in his 
scientific work, coupled with extreme short-sightedness, almost in 
the end amounting to blindness, may have permitted those having 
but a casual acquaintance with him to accept such a view. But 
those privileged to know him intimately recognised the nobleness of 
his character and can realise the justice and force of Hooker’s words 
when he heard of his death: “My loved, my best friend, for well 
nigh forty years of my life. The most generous sharer of my own 
and my family’s hopes, joys and sorrows, whose affection for me was 
truly that of a father and brother combined.” 
But the strongest of all testimonies to the grandeur of Lyell’s 
character is the lifelong devotion to him of such a man as Darwin. 
Before the two met, we find Darwin constantly writing of facts and 
observations that he thinks “will interest Mr Lyell” ; and when they 
came together the mutual esteem rapidly ripened into the warmest 
affection. Both having the advantage of a moderate independence, 
permitting of an entire devotion of their lives to scientific research, 
they had much in common, and the elder man—who had already 
achieved both scientific and literary distinction—was able to give 
good advice and friendly help to the younger one. The warmth of 
1T, L. u. p. 227, 21, L. 1. p. 198. 
