The chances seem to me immense against that having occurred through
"fortuitous variation," as Mivart puts it.
I see still further difficulties on this point but cannot go into them
now. Many thanks for your kind invitation. I will try and call some day,
but I am now very busy trying to make my house habitable by Lady Day,
when I _must_ be in it.--Believe me yours very faithfully,
ALFRED R. WALLACE.
* * * * *
_Down, Beckenham, Kent. July 27, 1872._
My dear Wallace,--I have just read with infinite satisfaction your
crushing article in _Nature_.[90] I have been the more glad to see it, as
I have not seen the book itself: I did not order it, as I felt sure
from Dr. B.'s former book that he could write nothing of value. But
assuredly I did not suppose that anyone would have written such a mass
of inaccuracies and rubbish. How rich is everything which he says and
quotes from Herbert Spencer!
By the way, I suppose that you read H. Spencer's answer to Martineau: it
struck me as quite wonderfully good, and I felt even more strongly
inclined than before to bow in reverence before him.
Pages:
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423