darwin and modern science-第118节

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is　later　years　he　took　up　a　very　different　and　more　logical　position；　and　maintained　that　〃Consistent　uniformitarianism　postulates　evolution　as　much　in　the　organic　as　in　the　inorganic　world。　　The　origin　of　a　new　species　by　other　than　ordinary　agencies　would　be　a　vastly　greater　'catastrophe'　than　any　of　those　which　Lyell　success　fully　eliminated　from　sober　geological　speculation。〃　　（〃L。L。〃　II。　page　190。）

Huxley's　admiration　for　the　〃Principles　of　Geology〃；　and　his　conviction　of　the　greatness　of　the　revolution　of　thought　brought　about　by　Lyell；　was　almost　as　marked　as　in　the　case　of　Darwin　himself。　　（See　his　Essay　on　〃Science　and　Pseudo　Science〃。　　〃Collected　Essays〃；　Vol。　V。　page　90；　London；　1902。）　　He　felt；　however；　as　many　others　have　done；　that　in　one　respect　the　very　success　of　Lyell's　masterpiece　has　been　the　reason　why　its　originality　and　influence　have　not　been　so　fully　recognised　as　they　deserved　to　be。　　Written　as　the　book　was　before　its　author　had　arrived　at　the　age　of　thirty；　no　less　than　eleven　editions　of　the　〃Principles〃　were　called　for　in　his　lifetime。　　With　the　most　scrupulous　care；　Lyell；　devoting　all　his　time　and　energies　to　the　task　of　collecting　and　sifting　all　evidence　bearing　on　the　subjects　of　his　work；　revised　and　re…revised　it；　and　as　in　each　edition；　eliminations；　modifications；　corrections；　and　additions　were　made；　the　book；　while　it　increased　in　value　as　a　storehouse　of　facts；　lost　much　of　its　freshness；　vigour　and　charm　as　a　piece　of　connected　reasoning。

Darwin　undoubtedly　realised　this　when　he　wrote　concerning　the　〃Principles〃；　〃the　first　edition；　my　old　true　love；　which　I　never　deserted　for　the　later　editions。〃　　（〃M。L。〃　II。　page　222。）　　Huxley　once　told　me　that　when；　in　later　life；　he　read　the　first　edition；　he　was　both　surprised　and　delighted；　feeling　as　if　it　were　a　new　book　to　him。　　（I　have　before　me　a　letter　which　illustrates　this　feeling　on　Huxley's　part。　　He　had　lamented　to　me　that　he　did　not　possess　a　copy　of　the　first　edition　of　the　〃Principles〃；　when；　shortly　afterwards；　I　picked　up　a　dilapidated　copy　on　a　bookstall；　this　I　had　bound　and　sent　to　my　old　teacher　and　colleague。　　His　reply　is　characteristic：

October　8；　1884。

My　Dear　Judd；

You　could　not　have　made　me　a　more　agreeable　present　than　the　copy　of　the　first　edition　of　Lyell；　which　I　find　on　my　table。　　I　have　never　been　able　to　meet　with　the　book；　and　your　copy　is；　as　the　old　woman　said　of　her　Bible；　〃the　best　of　books　in　the　best　of　bindings。〃

Ever　yours　sincerely；

T。H。　Huxley。

I　cannot　refrain　from　relating　an　incident　which　very　strikingly　exemplifies　the　affection　for　one　another　felt　by　Lyell　and　Huxley。　　In　his　last　illness；　when　confined　to　his　bed；　Lyell　heard　that　Huxley　was　to　lecture　at　the　Royal　Institution　on　the　〃Results　of　the　'Challenger'　expedition〃：　　he　begged　me　to　attend　the　lecture　and　bring　him　an　account　of　it。　　Happening　to　mention　this　to　Huxley；　he　at　once　undertook　to　go　to　Lyell　in　my　place；　and　he　did　so　on　the　morning　following　his　lecture。　　I　shall　never　forget　the　look　of　gratitude　on　the　face　of　the　invalid　when　he　told　me；　shortly　afterwards；　how　Huxley　had　sat　by　his　bedside　and　〃repeated　the　whole　lecture　to　him。〃）

Darwin's　generous　nature　seems　often　to　have　made　him　experience　a　fear　lest　he　should　do　less　than　justice　to　his　〃dear　old　master；〃　and　to　the　influence　that　the　〃Principles　of　Geology〃　had　in　moulding　his　mind。　　In　1845　he　wrote　to　Lyell；　〃I　have　long　wished；　not　so　much　for　your　sake；　as　for　my　own　feelings　of　honesty；　to　acknowledge　more　plainly　than　by　mere　reference；　how　much　I　geologically　owe　you。　　Those　authors；　however；　who　like　you；　educate　people's　minds　as　well　as　teach　them　special　facts；　can　never；　I　should　think；　have　full　justice　done　them　except　by　posterity；　for　the　mind　thus　insensibly　improved　can　hardly　perceive　its　own　upward　ascent。〃　　（〃L。L。〃　I。　pages　337…8。）　　In　another　letter；　to　Leonard　Horner；　he　says：　　〃I　always　feel　as　if　my　books　came　half　out　of　Lyell's　brain；　and　that　I　never　acknowledge　this　sufficiently。〃　　（〃M。L。〃　II。　page　117。）　　Darwin's　own　most　favourite　book；　the　〃Narrative　of　the　Voyage〃；　was　dedicated　to　Lyell　in　glowing　terms；　and　in　the　〃Origin　of　Species〃　he　wrote　of　〃Lyell's　grand　work　on　the　〃Principles　of　Geology〃；　which　the　future　historian　will　recognise　as　having　produced　a　revolution　in　Natural　Science。〃　　〃What　glorious　good　that　work　has　done〃　he　fervently　exclaims　on　another　occasion。　　（〃L。L。〃　I。　page　342。）

To　the　very　end　of　his　life；　as　all　who　were　in　the　habit　of　talking　with　Darwin　can　testify；　this　sense　of　his　indebtedness　to　Lyell　remained　with　him。　　In　his　〃Autobiography〃；　written　in　1876；　the　year　after　Lyell's　death；　he　spoke　in　the　warmest　terms　of　the　value　to　him　of　the　〃Principles〃　while　on　the　voyage　and　of　the　aid　afforded　to　him　by　Lyell　on　his　return　to　England。　　（〃L。L。〃　I。　page　62。）　　But　the　year　before　his　own　death；　Darwin　felt　constrained　to　return　to　the　subject　and　to　place　on　record　a　final　appreciationone　as　honourable　to　the　writer　as　it　is　to　his　lost　friend：

〃I　saw　more　of　Lyell　than　of　any　other　man；　both　before　and　after　my　marriage。　　His　mind　was　characterised；　as　it　appeared　to　me；　by　clearness；　caution；　sound　judgment；　and　a　good　deal　of　originality。　　When　I　made　any　remark　to　him　on　Geology；　he　never　rested　until　he　saw　the　whole　case　clearly；　and　often　made　me　see　it　more　clearly　than　I　had　done　before。　　He　would　advance　all　possible　objections　to　my　suggestion；　and　even　after　these　were　exhausted　would　remain　long　dubious。　　A　second　characteristic　was　his　hearty　sympathy　with　the　work　of　other　scientific　men。。。His　delight　in　science　was　ardent；　and　he　felt　the　keenest　interest　in　the　future　progress　of　mankind。　　He　was　very　kind…hearted。。。His　candour　was　highly　remarkable。　　He　exhibited　this　by　becoming　a　convert　to　the　Descent　theory；　though　he　had　gained　much　fame　by　opposing　Lamarck's　views；　and　this　after　he　had　grown　old。〃

〃THE　SCIENCE　OF　GEOLOGY　IS　ENORMOUSLY　INDEBTED　TO　LYELLMORE　SO；　AS　I　BELIEVE；　THAN　TO　ANY　OTHER　MAN　WHO　EVER　LIVED。〃　　（〃L。L。〃　I。　pages　71…2　（the　italics　are　mine。）

Those　who　knew　Lyell　intimately　will　recognise　the　truth　of　the　portrait　drawn　by　his　dearest　friend；　and　I　believe　that　posterity　will　endorse　Darwin's　deliberate　verdict　concerning　the　value　of　his　labours。

It　was　my　own　good　fortune；　to　be　brought　into　close　contact　with　these　two　great　men　during　the　later　years　of　their　life；　and　I　may　perhaps　be　permitted　to　put　on　record　the　impressions　made　upon　me　during　friendly　intercourse　with　both。

In　some　respects；　there　was　an　extraordinary　resemblance　in　their　modes　and　habits　of　thought；　between　Lyell　and　Darwin；　and　this　likeness　was　also　seen　in　their　modesty；　their　deference　to　the　opinion　of　younger　men；　their　enthusiasm　for　science；　their　freedom　from　petty　jealousies　and　their　righteous　indignation　for　what　was　mean　and　unworthy　in　others。　　But　yet　there　was　a　difference。　　Both　Lyell　and　Darwin　were　cautious；　but　perhaps　Lyell　carried　his　caution　to　the　verge　of　timidity。　　I　think　Darwin　possessed；　and　Lyell　lacked；　what　I　can　only　describe　by　the　theological　term；　〃faiththe　substance　of　things　hoped　for；　the　evidence　of　things　not　seen。〃　　Both　had　been　constrained　to　feel　that　the　immutability　of　species　could　not　be　maintained。　　Both；　too；　recognised　the　fact　that　it　would　be　useless　to　proclaim　this　conviction；　unless　prepared　with　a　satisfactory　alternative　to　what　Huxley　called　〃the　Miltonic　hypothesis。〃　　But　Darwin's　conviction　was　so　far　vital　and　operative　that　it　sustained　him　while　working　unceasingly　for　twenty…two　years　in　collecting　evidence　bearing　on　the　question；　till　at　last　he　was　in　the　position　of　being　able　to　justify　that　conviction　to　others。

And　yet　Lyell's　attitudeand　that　of　Hooker；　which　was　very　similar　proved　of　inestimable　service　to　science；　as　Darwin　often　acknowledged。　　One　of　the　greatest　merits　of　the　〃Origin　of　Species〃　is　that　so　many　difficulties　and　objections　are　anticipated　and　fairly　met；　and　this　was　to　a　great　extent　the　result　of　the　persistent　and　very　candidif　always　friendlycriticism　of　Lyell　and　Hooker。

I　think　the　divergence　of　mental　attitude　in　Lyell　and　Darwin　must　be　attributed　to　a　difference　in　temperament；　the　evidence　of　which　sometimes　appears　in　a　very　striking　manner　in　their　correspondence。　　Thus　in　1838；　while　they　were　in　the　thick　of　the　fight　with　the　Catastrophists　of　the　Geological　Society；　Lyell　wrote　characteristically：　　〃I　really　find；　when　bringing　up　my　Preliminary　Essays　in　〃Principles〃　to　the　science　of　the　present　day；　so　far　as　I　know　it；　that　the　great　outline；　and　even　most　of　the　details；　stand　so　uninjured；　and　in　many　cases　they　are　so　much　strengthened　by　new　discoveries；　especially　by　yours；　that　we　may　begin　to　hope　that　the　great　principles　there　insisted　on　will　stand　the　test　of　new　discoveries。〃　　（Lyell's　〃Life；　Letters　and　Journals〃；　Vol。　II。　page　44。）　　To　which　the　more　youthful　and　impetuous　Darwin　replies：　　〃BEGIN　TO　HOPE：　　why　the　POSSIBILITY　of　a　doubt　has　never　crossed　my　mind　for　many　a　day。　　This　may　be　very　unphilosophical；　but　my　geological　salvation　is　staked　on　it。。。it　makes　me　quite　indignant　that　you　should　talk　of　HOPI