“You must know that I look at it, as very important, for the reception of the view of species not being immutable, the fact of the greatest Geologist and Botanist in England taking any sort of interest in the subject: I am sure it will do much to break down prejudices.”
In the following January Darwin received a letter from Wallace, and his reply (on the 25th) shows how much relieved and pleased he was at its generous spirit. Alluding to Lyell’s and Hooker’s action in his “Autobiography” Darwin says:—“I was at first very unwilling to consent, as I thought Mr. Wallace might consider my doing so unjustifiable, for I did not then know how generous and noble was his disposition.” It was this letter which conveyed the knowledge to him and set his mind at rest on the subject.
Thus ended one of the most interesting and memorable episodes in the history of science. It was sufficiently remarkable that two naturalists in widely-separated lands should have independently arrived at the theory which was to be the turning-point in the history of biology and of many other sciences—although such simultaneous discoveries have been known before; it was still more remarkable that one of the two should unknowingly have chosen the other to advise him upon the theory which was to be for ever associated with both their names. It was a magnificent answer to those who believed that the progress of scientific discovery implies continual jealousy and bitterness, that the conditions attending the first publication of the theory of natural selection were the beginning of a life-long friendship and of mutual confidence and esteem.[F]
FRIENDSHIP WITH WALLACE.
It is justifiable to speak of this episode as the beginning of Darwin’s and Wallace’s friendship, for the latter writes (February, 1895):—
“I had met him once only for a few minutes at the Brit. Mus. before I went to the East.”
Later on Darwin, in his letters to Wallace, more than once alluded to the simultaneous publication of their essays. Thus he wrote, April 18th, 1869, congratulating Wallace on his article in the Quarterly Review for that month:—
“I was also much pleased at your discussing the difference between our views and Lamarck’s. One sometimes sees the odious expression, ‘Justice to myself compels me to say,’ &c., but you are the only man I ever heard of who persistently does himself an injustice, and never demands justice. Indeed, you ought in the review to have alluded to your paper in the ‘Linnean Journal,’ and I feel sure all our friends will agree in this. But you cannot ‘Burke’ yourself however much you may try, as may be seen in half the articles which appear.”
And again, on April 20th of the following year, he wrote:—
“I hope it is a satisfaction to you to reflect—and very few things in my life have been more satisfactory to me—that we have never felt any jealousy towards each other, though in one sense rivals. I believe that I can say this of myself with truth, and I am absolutely sure that it is true of you.”