My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org
My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org
230 MY LIFENothing ever was better done than your argumentabout the term Origin of Species, and about muchbeing gained if we know nothing about precise causeof each variation."At the end of the letter he says something aboutthe progress of his great work, " The Descent ofMan."" I have finished ist vol. and am half-way throughproofs of 2nd vol. of my confounded book, which halfkills me by fatigue, and which I fear will quite killme in your good estimation." If you have leisure, I should much like a littlenews of you and your doings and your family," Ever yours very sincerely,"Ch. Darwin."The above remark, " kill me inyour good estimation,"refers to his views on the mental and moralnature of man being very different from mine, thisbeing the first important question as to which ourviews had diverged. But I never had the slightestfeeling of the kind he supposed, looking upon thedifference as one which did not at all affect ourgeneral agreement, and also as being one on whichno one could dogmatize, there being much to be saidon both sides. The last paragraph shows the extremeinterest he took in the personal affairs of all hisfriends.Soon after the " Descent of Man " appeared, Iwrote to Darwin, giving my impressions of the firstvolume, to which he replied (January 30, 1871). Thisletter is given in the "Life and Letters" (iii. p. 134),but I will quote two short passages expressing hiskind feelings towards myself. He begins, "Yournote has given me very great pleasure, chiefly because
LYELL AND DARWIN 231I was so anxious not to treat you with the least disrespect,and it is so difficult to speak fairly whendiffering from any one. If I had offended you, it wouldhave grieved me more than you will readily believe."And the conclusion is, " Forgive me for scribbling atsuch length. You have put me quite in good spirits ;I did so dread having been unintentionally unfairtowards your views. I hope earnestly the secondvolume will escape as well. I care now very littlewhat others say. As for our not agreeing, really, insuch complex subjects, it is almost impossible for twomen who arrive independently at their conclusions toagree fully ;it would be unnatural for them to do so."Again, on July 12, he writes ": I feel very doubtfulhow far I shall succeed in answering Mivart. Itis so difficult to answer objections to doubtful pointsand make the discussion readable. The worst of itis, that I cannot possibly hunt through all my referencesfor isolated points—it would take me threeweeks of intolerably hard work, I wish I had yourpower of arguing clearly. At present I feel sick ofeverything, and if I could occupy my time and forgetmy daily discomforts, or rather miseries, I would neverpublish another word. But I shall cheer up, I daresay, soon, having only just got over a bad attack.Farewell. God knows why I bother you aboutmyself." I can say nothing more about missing links thanI have said. I should rely much on pre-Siluriantimes ; but then comes Sir W. Thomson like anodious spectre. Farewell."This last remark refers to the limitation of theearth's age by physicists, so as not to leave timeenough for the evolution of organisms.During this latter period of his life I had but
- Page 226 and 227: i84MY LIFEIn a letter to Bates, dat
- Page 228 and 229: —1 86 MY LIFEin Borneo and Bates'
- Page 230: i88MY LIFEwet in Celebes, while it
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- Page 236 and 237: 192 MY LIFEThe effect of my paper u
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- Page 240 and 241: —196 MY LIFEcontinued perseveranc
- Page 242 and 243: 198 MY LIFEbecause they are so much
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- Page 256 and 257: 212 MY LIFEMany of these had appear
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- Page 271 and 272: LYELL AND DARWIN 225Sir Charles quo
- Page 273 and 274: LYELL AND DARWIN 227he usually did
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- Page 285 and 286: "CHAPTER XVIHERBERT SPENCER, HUXLEY
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LYELL AND DARWIN 231I was so anxious not to treat you with the least disrespect,<strong>and</strong> it is so difficult to speak fairly whendiffering from any one. If I had <strong>of</strong>fended you, it wouldhave grieved me more than you will readily believe."And the conclusion is, " F<strong>org</strong>ive me for scribbling atsuch length. You have put me quite in good spirits ;I did so dread having been unintentionally unfairtowards your views. I hope earnestly the secondvolume will escape as well. I care now very littlewhat others say. As for our not agreeing, really, insuch complex subjects, it is almost impossible for twomen who arrive independently at their conclusions toagree fully ;it would be unnatural for them to do so."Again, on July 12, he writes ": I feel very doubtfulhow far I shall succeed in answering Mivart. Itis so difficult to answer objections to doubtful points<strong>and</strong> make the discussion readable. The worst <strong>of</strong> itis, that I cannot possibly hunt through all my referencesfor isolated points—it would take me threeweeks <strong>of</strong> intolerably hard work, I wish I had yourpower <strong>of</strong> arguing clearly. At present I feel sick <strong>of</strong>everything, <strong>and</strong> if I could occupy my time <strong>and</strong> f<strong>org</strong>etmy daily discomforts, or rather miseries, I would neverpublish another word. But I shall cheer up, I daresay, soon, having only just got over a bad attack.Farewell. God knows why I bother you aboutmyself." I can say nothing more about missing links thanI have said. I should rely much on pre-Siluriantimes ; but then comes Sir W. Thomson like anodious spectre. Farewell."This last remark refers to the limitation <strong>of</strong> theearth's age by physicists, so as not to leave timeenough for the evolution <strong>of</strong> <strong>org</strong>anisms.During this latter period <strong>of</strong> his <strong>life</strong> I had but
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