(that is
not to write about the matter), so no more of this odious deadly
subject[69].'

It was just the same in their mode of viewing scientific questions. Thus
in 1838, while they were in the midst of the fierce battle with the 'Old
Guard' at the Geological Society, Lyell wrote to his brother-in-arms as
follows:--

'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[70].'

To which the younger and more ardent Darwin warmly replied:--

'_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
_hoping_[71].'

When talking with Lyell at this time about the opposition of the old
school of geologists to their joint views, Darwin said, 'What a good
thing it would be if every scientific man was to die at sixty years old,
as afterwards he would be sure to oppose all new doctrines[72].'

In conversations that I had with him late in life, Darwin several times
remarked to me, that 'he had seen so many of his friends make fools of
themselves by putting forward new theoretical views in their old age,
that he had resolved quite early in life, never to publish any
speculative opinions after he was sixty.' But both in conversation and
in his writings he always maintained that Lyell was an exception to all
such rules, seeing that at last he adopted the theory of Natural
Selection in his old age, thus displaying the most 'remarkable candour.'

All who had the pleasure of discussing geological questions with Lyell
will recognise the truth of the portrait drawn of his old friend by
Darwin, about a year before his own death.

He says:--

'His mind was characterised, as it appeared to me, by clearness,
caution, sound judgment, and a good deal of originality. When I
made a 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.'

And he sums up his admiration of the 'd