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DARWIN AND HUMBOLDT. 



what must be regarded as the first 

 principles of the science, hitherto 

 unsuspected, have been brought to 

 light. No longer is it enough to say- 

 that such and such actions are the 

 result of instinct, and so beyond the 

 reach of explanation ; for now the 

 very thing to be explained is the char- 

 acter and origin of the instinct — the 

 causes which led to its development, 

 its continuance, its precision and its 

 use. No longer is it enough to con- 

 sider the instincts manifested by an 

 animal, or a group of animals, as an 

 isolated body of phenomena, devoid 

 of any scientific meaning because 

 standing out of relation to any known 

 causes ; for now the whole scientific 

 import of instincts as manifested by 

 one animal depends on the degree in 

 which they are connected by general 

 principles of causation with the in- 

 stincts that are manifested by other 

 animals. And not only in respect of 

 instincts, but also in respect of intelli- 

 gence, the science of comparative 

 psychology may be said for the first 

 time really to have begun with the 

 discovery of the general causes in 

 question; while from the simplest 

 reflex actions, up to the most recondite 

 processes of reason and the most im- 

 perious dictates of conscience, we are 

 able to trace a continuity of develop- 

 ment. A revelation of truth so ex- 

 tensive as this in the department of 

 science which, in most nearly touch- 

 ing the personality of man, is of most 

 importance for man to explore, can- 

 not fail to justify the anticipations of 

 the revealer, who, in referring to 

 psychology, could "in the future see 

 open fields for far more important 

 researches" than those relating to 

 geology and biology. If the proper 

 study of mankind is man, Mr. Dak- 

 win has done more than any other 

 human being to further the most de- 

 sirable kind of learning, for it is 

 through him that humanity in our 

 generation has first been able to be- 

 gin its response to the precept of 

 antiquity — Know thyself. 



. The series of urief resumes whereby 

 we have endeavored to take a sort of 

 bird's eye view of Mr. Darwin's great 

 ! and many labors have now drawn to 

 a close. But we cannot finish this 

 very rudimentary sketch of his work 

 without alluding once more to what 

 | was said in the opening paragraphs 

 of the series, and which cannot be 

 more tersely repeated than in Mr. 

 Darwin's own words there quoted 

 with reference to Prof. Henslow: 

 "Reflecting over his character with 

 gratitude and reverence, his moral 

 attributes rise, as they should do in 

 the highest character, in pre-eminence 

 over his intellect." 



In the gratitude and reverence^ 

 which we feel in a measure never to be 

 expressed, we sometimes regret that 

 the ill-health which led to his seclusion 

 prevented the extraordinary beauty of 

 his character from being more gen- 

 erally known by personal intercourse. 

 True it is that the world has shown 

 in a wonderful degree a just apprecia- 

 tion of this character, so that many- 

 thousands, in many nations, who had 

 never even seen the man, heard that 

 Charles Darwin was dead with a 

 shock like that which follows such an 

 announcement in the case of a well- 

 loved friend ; still it seems almost sad 

 that when such an exalted character 

 has lived, it should only have been to 

 so comparatively few of us that thelast 

 farewell over the open grave at West- 

 minster implied a severance of feel- 

 ings which had never been formed 

 before, and which, while ever living 

 among the most hallowed lights of 

 memory, we know too well can never 

 be formed again. But to those of us. 

 who have now to mourn so unspeaka- 

 ble a loss, it is some consolation to 

 think, while much that was sweetest 

 and much that was noblest in our lives 

 has ended in that death, his great life 

 and finished work still stand before 

 our view; and in regarding them we 

 may almost bring our hearts to cry — 

 Not for him, but for ourselves, we 

 weep. 



