father and son-第16节

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site　journeys　down　to　the　sea　and　back　again。　His　work　as　a　naturalist　eventually　took　him；　laden　with　implements；　to　the　rock…pools　on　the　shore；　and　I　was　in　attendance　as　an　acolyte。　But　our　earliest　winter　in　South　Devon　was　darkened　for　us　both　by　disappointments；　the　cause　of　which　lay；　at　the　time；　far　out　of　my　reach。　In　the　spirit　of　my　Father　were　then　running；　with　furious　velocity；　two　hostile　streams　of　influence。　I　was　standing；　just　now；　thinking　of　these　things；　where　the　Cascine　ends　in　the　wooded　point　which　is　carved　out　sharply　by　the　lion…　coloured　swirl　of　the　Arno　on　the　one　side　and　by　the　pure　flow　of　the　Mugnone　on　the　other。　The　rivers　meet；　and　run　parallel；　but　there　comes　a　moment　when　the　one　or　the　other　must　conquer；　and　it　is　the　yellow　vehemence　that　drowns　the　purer　tide。

So；　through　my　Father's　brain；　in　that　year　of　scientific　crisis；　1857；　there　rushed　two　kinds　of　thought；　each　absorbing；　each　convincing；　yet　totally　irreconcilable。　There　is　a　peculiar　agony　in　the　paradox　that　truth　has　two　forms；　each　of　them　indisputable；　yet　each　antagonistic　to　the　other。　It　was　this　discovery；　that　there　were　two　theories　of　physical　life；　each　of　which　was　true；　but　the　truth　of　each　incompatible　with　the　truth　of　the　other；　which　shook　the　spirit　of　my　Father　with　perturbation。　It　was　not；　really；　a　paradox；　it　was　a　fallacy；　if　he　could　only　have　known　it；　but　he　allowed　the　turbid　volume　of　superstition　to　drown　the　delicate　stream　of　reason。　He　took　one　step　in　the　service　of　truth；　and　then　he　drew　back　in　an　agony；　and　accepted　the　servitude　of　error。

This　was　the　great　moment　in　the　history　of　thought　when　the　theory　of　the　mutability　of　species　was　preparing　to　throw　a　flood　of　light　upon　all　departments　of　human　speculation　and　action。　It　was　becoming　necessary　to　stand　emphatically　in　one　army　or　the　other。　Lyell　was　surrounding　himself　with　disciples；　who　were　making　strides　in　the　direction　of　discovery。　Darwin　had　long　been　collecting　facts　with　regard　to　the　variation　of　animals　and　plants。　Hooker　and　Wallace；　Asa　Gray　and　even　Agassiz；　each　in　his　own　sphere；　were　coming　closer　and　closer　to　a　perception　of　that　secret　which　was　first　to　reveal　itself　clearly　to　the　patient　and　humble　genius　of　Darwin。　In　the　year　before；　in　1856；　Darwin；　under　pressure　from　Lyell；　had　begun　that　modest　statement　of　the　new　revelation；　that　'abstract　of　an　essay'；　which　developed　so　mightily　into　'The　Origin　of　Species'。　Wollaston's　'Variation　of　Species'　had　just　appeared；　and　had　been　a　nine　days'　wonder　in　the　wilderness。

On　the　other　side；　the　reactionaries；　although　never　dreaming　of　the　fate　which　hung　over　them；　had　not　been　idle。　In　1857　the　astounding　question　had　for　the　first　time　been　propounded　with　contumely；　'What；　then；　did　we　come　from　an　orang…outang？'　The　famous　'Vestiges　of　Creation'　had　been　supplying　a　sugar…and…　water　panacea　for　those　who　could　not　escape　from　the　trend　of　evidence；　and　who　yet　clung　to　revelation。　Owen　was　encouraging　reaction　by　resisting；　with　all　the　strength　of　his　prestige；　the　theory　of　the　mutability　of　species。

In　this　period　of　intellectual　ferment；　as　when　a　great　political　revolution　is　being　planned；　many　possible　adherents　were　confidentially　tested　with　hints　and　encouraged　to　reveal　their　bias　in　a　whisper。　It　was　the　notion　of　Lyell；　himself　a　great　mover　of　men；　that；　before　the　doctrine　of　natural　selection　was　given　to　a　world　which　would　be　sure　to　lift　up　at　it　a　howl　of　execration；　a　certain　bodyguard　of　sound　and　experienced　naturalists；　expert　in　the　description　of　species；　should　be　privately　made　aware　of　its　tenor。　Among　those　who　were　thus　initiated；　or　approached　with　a　view　towards　possible　illumination；　was　my　Father。　He　was　spoken　to　by　Hooker；　and　later　on　by　Darwin；　after　meetings　of　the　Royal　Society　in　the　summer　of　1857。

My　Father's　attitude　towards　the　theory　of　natural　selection　was　critical　in　his　career；　and　oddly　enough；　it　exercised　an　immense　influence　on　my　own　experience　as　a　child。　Let　it　be　admitted　at　once；　mournful　as　the　admission　is；　that　every　instinct　in　his　intelligence　went　out　at　first　to　greet　the　new　light。　It　had　hardly　done　so；　when　a　recollection　of　the　opening　chapter　of　'　Genesis'　checked　it　at　the　outset。　He　consulted　with　Carpenter；　a　great　investigator；　but　one　who　was　fully　as　incapable　as　himself　of　remodelling　his　ideas　with　regard　to　the　old；　accepted　hypotheses。　They　both　determined；　on　various　grounds；　to　have　nothing　to　do　with　the　terrible　theory；　but　to　hold　steadily　to　the　law　of　the　fixity　of　species。　It　was　exactly　at　this　juncture　that　we　left　London；　and　the　slight　and　occasional　but　always　extremely　salutary　personal　intercourse　with　men　of　scientific　leading　which　my　Father　had　enjoyed　at　the　British　Museum　and　at　the　Royal　Society　came　to　an　end。　His　next　act　was　to　burn　his　ships　down　to　the　last　beam　and　log　out　of　which　a　raft　could　have　been　made。　By　a　strange　act　of　wilfulness；　he　closed　the　doors　upon　himself　forever。

My　Father　had　never　admired　Sir　Charles　Lyell。　I　think　that　the　famous　'Lord　Chancellor　manner'　of　the　geologist　intimidated　him；　and　we　undervalue　the　intelligence　of　those　whose　conversation　puts　us　at　a　disadvantage。　For　Darwin　and　Hooker；　on　the　other　hand；　he　had　a　profound　esteem；　and　I　know　not　whether　this　had　anything　to　do　with　the　fact　that　he　chose；　for　his　impetuous　experiment　in　reaction；　the　field　of　geology；　rather　than　that　of　zoology　or　botany。　Lyell　had　been　threatening　to　publish　a　book　on　the　geological　history　of　Man；　which　was　to　be　a　bombshell　flung　into　the　camp　of　the　catastrophists。　My　Father；　after　long　reflection；　prepared　a　theory　of　his　own；　which；　as　he　fondly　hoped；　would　take　the　wind　out　of　Lyell's　sails；　and　justify　geology　to　godly　readers　of　'Genesis'。　It　was；　very　briefly；　that　there　had　been　no　gradual　modification　of　the　surface　of　the　earth；　or　slow　development　of　organic　forms；　but　that　when　the　catastrophic　act　of　creation　took　place；　the　world　presented；　instantly；　the　structural　appearance　of　a　planet　on　which　life　had　long　existed。

The　theory；　coarsely　enough；　and　to　my　Father's　great　indignation；　was　defined　by　a　hasty　press　as　being　thisthat　God　hid　the　fossils　in　the　rocks　in　order　to　tempt　geologists　into　infidelity。　In　truth；　it　was　the　logical　and　inevitable　conclusion　of　accepting；　literally；　the　doctrine　of　a　sudden　act　of　creation；　it　emphasized　the　fact　that　any　breach　in　the　circular　course　of　nature　could　be　conceived　only　on　the　supposition　that　the　object　created　bore　false　witness　to　past　processes；　which　had　never　taken　place。　For　instance；　Adam　would　certainly　possess　hair　and　teeth　and　bones　in　a　condition　which　it　must　have　taken　many　years　to　accomplish；　yet　he　was　created　full…grown　yesterday。　He　would　certainlythough　Sir　Thomas　Browne　denied　itdisplay　an　'omphalos'；　yet　no　umbilical　cord　had　ever　attached　him　to　a　mother。

Never　was　a　book　cast　upon　the　waters　with　greater　anticipations　of　success　than　was　this　curious；　this　obstinate；　this　fanatical　volume。　My　Father　lived　in　a　fever　of　suspense；　waiting　for　the　tremendous　issue。　This　'Omphalos'　of　his；　he　thought；　was　to　bring　all　the　turmoil　of　scientific　speculation　to　a　close；　fling　geology　into　the　arms　of　Scripture；　and　make　the　lion　eat　grass　with　the　lamb。　It　was　not　surprising；　he　admitted；　that　there　had　been　experienced　an　ever…increasing　discord　between　the　facts　which　geology　brings　to　light　and　the　direct　statements　of　the　early　chapters　of　'Genesis'。　Nobody　was　to　blame　for　that。　My　Father；　and　my　Father　alone；　possessed　the　secret　of　the　enigma；　he　alone　held　the　key　which　could　smoothly　open　the　lock　of　geological　mystery。　He　offered　it；　with　a　glowing　gesture；　to　atheists　and　Christians　alike。　This　was　to　be　the　universal　panacea；　this　the　system　of　intellectual　therapeutics　which　could　not　but　heal　all　the　maladies　of　the　age。　But；　alas！　atheists　and　Christians　alike　looked　at　it；　and　laughed；　and　threw　it　away。

In　the　course　of　that　dismal　winter；　as　the　post　began　to　bring　in　private　letters；　few　and　chilly；　and　public　reviews；　many　and　scornful；　my　Father　looked　in　vain　for　the　approval　of　the　churches；　and　in　vain　for　the　acquiescence　of　the　scientific　societies；　and　in　vain　for　the　gratitude　of　those　'thousands　of　thinking　persons'；　which　he　had　rashly　assured　himself　of　receiving。　As　his　reconciliation　of　Scripture　statements　and　geological　deductions　was　welcomed　nowhere；　as　Darwin　continued　silent；　and　the　youthful　Huxley　was　scornful；　and　even　Charles　Kingsley；　from　whom　my　Father　had　expected　the　most　instant　appreciation；　wrote　that　he　could　not　'give　up　the　painful　and　slow　conclusion　of　five　and　twenty　years'　study　of　geology；　and　believe　that　God　has　written　on　the　rocks　one　enormous　and　superfluous　lie'；as　all　this　happened　or　failed　to　happen；　a　gloom；　cold　and　dismal；　descended　upon　our　morning　teacups。　It　was　what　the　poets　mean　by　an　'inspissated'　gloom；　it　thickened　day　by　day；　as　hope　and　self…confidence　evaporated　in　thin　clouds　of　disappointment。　My　Father　was　not　prepared　for　such　a　fate。　He　had　been　the　spoiled　darling　of　the　public；　the　constant　favourite　of　the　press；　and　now；　l