Life and Letters of Charles Darwin — Volume 2Darwin, Charles
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Life and Letters of Charles Darwin — Volume 2
Darwin, Charles
Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882; Naturalists -- Great Britain -- Biography; Naturalists -- Great Britain -- Correspondence
"Dr. Brinton has been here (recommended by Busk); he does not believe my
brain or heart are primarily affected, but I have been so steadily going
down hill, I cannot help doubting whether I can ever crawl a little
uphill again. Unless I can, enough to work a little, I hope my life
may be very short, for to lie on a sofa all day and do nothing but
give trouble to the best and kindest of wives and good dear children is
dreadful."
The minor works in this year were a short paper in the 'Natural
History Review' (N.S. vol. iii. page 115), entitled "On the so-called
'Auditor-Sac' of Cirripedes," and one in the 'Geological Society's
Journal' (vol. xix), on the "Thickness of the Pampaean Formation
near Buenos Ayres." The paper on Cirripedes was called forth by
the criticisms of a German naturalist Krohn (Krohn stated that the
structures described by my father as ovaries were in reality salivary
glands, also that the oviduct runs down to the orifice described in the
'Monograph of the Cirripedia' as the auditory meatus.), and is of some
interest in illustration of my father's readiness to admit an error.
With regard to the spread of a belief in Evolution, it could not yet be
said that the battle was won, but the growth of belief was undoubtedly
rapid. So that, for instance, Charles Kingsley could write to F.D.
Maurice (Kingsley's 'Life,' ii, page 171.):
"The state of the scientific mind is most curious; Darwin is conquering
everywhere, and rushing in like a flood, by the mere force of truth and
fact."
Mr. Huxley was as usual active in guiding and stimulating the growing
tendency to tolerate or accept the views set forth in the 'Origin of
Species.' He gave a series of lectures to working men at the School of
Mines in November, 1862. These were printed in 1863 from the shorthand
notes of Mr. May, as six little blue books, price 4 pence each, under
the title, 'Our Knowledge of the Causes of Organic Nature.' When
published they were read with interest by my father, who thus refers to
them in a letter to Sir J.D. Hooker:--
"I am very glad you like Huxley's lectures. I have been very much
struck with them, especially with the 'Philosophy of Induction.' I have
quarrelled with him for overdoing sterility and ignoring cases from
Gartner and Kolreuter about sterile varieties. His Geology is obscure;
and I rather doubt about man's mind and language. But it seems to
me ADMIRABLY done, and, as you say, "Oh my," about the praise of the
'Origin.' I can't help liking it, which makes me rather ashamed of
myself."
My father admired the clearness of exposition shown in the lectures, and
in the following letter urges their author to make use of his powers for
the advantage of students:]
CHARLES DARWIN TO T.H. HUXLEY. November 5 [1864].
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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