nonsense[1] of a 'tendency to progression,' 'adaptations from the slow willing of animals', etc.! But the conclusions I am led to are not widely different from his; though the means of change are wholly so." This last statement, as we shall see by reference to the "Origin of Species" was not wholly true.
Another glimpse at the state of affairs in 1859 and the immediately succeeding years may be found in Darwin's anxiety to convince Hooker, Lyell, and Huxley that species were variable and changeable, and his rejoicing when Huxley wrote out his very guarded acceptance of the Darwinian version of organic evolution. We find it hard to conceive of Huxley, the "war-horse of Darwinism" reluctantly agreeing to most of Darwin's points, but at the same time voicing strong objections to others. And yet these very objections of Huxley's, made in 1859, were in 1921 paraded before an audience at one of the country's most famous universities as evidence against the truth of organic evolution!
In France, even more than in England, the "Origin of Species" was held in disapproval. A translation of the book was offered to a
- ↑ Darwin seemed unable to speak of Lamarck without contempt or derision. Certainly he was not familiar with Lamarck's writings in the French, and attributed to that naturalist certain erroneous ideas for which he was not responsible. Also, it would seem that Darwin failed to make allowances for Lamarck's insuperable handicaps, and his position as a pioneer, and therefore adopted an attitude of unjustified antagonism.
