1845 ‘VESTIGES OF CREATION’ 249. 
Coombe, Sir Richard Vyvyan, and even Prince 
Albert, but one of the depositories of the secret, 
Mr. Alexander Ireland, in a lecture delivered 
before the Manchester Literary Club in April 
1884, stated that it was entirely from the pen of 
Robert Chambers. The most extraordinary pre- 
cautions had been taken to preserve the anony- 
mity of the author, who states in one of his 
letters : ‘ To e.scape strife at the expense of 
losing any honour which may arise from 
my work is to me a most advantageous ex- 
change.’ What Owen thought of this book 
may be gathered from the following letter 
which he addressed to the ‘ Author of “ Ves- 
tiges,” &c. : ’ — 
‘ Sir, — 'I beg to offer you my best thanks for 
the copy of your work entitled “Vestiges of the 
Natural History of Creation,” which I have perused 
with the pleasure and profit that could not fail to 
be imparted by a summary of the evidences from 
all the Natural Sciences bearing upon the origin 
of all Nature, by one who is evidently familiar 
with the principles of so extensive a range of 
human knowledge. It is to be presumed that no 
true searcher after truth can have a prejudiced 
dislike to conclusions based upon adequate evi- 
dence, and the discovery of the general secondary 
'Causes concerned in the production of organised 
beings upon this planet would not only be 
■■eceived with pleasure, but is probably the chief 
