Nor has the discussion of the subject been restrained within the limits
of conversation. When the public is eager and interested, reviewers
must minister to its wants; and the genuine 'litterateur' is too much
in the habit of acquiring his knowledge from the book he judges--as the
Abyssinian is said to provide himself with steaks from the ox which
carries him--to be withheld from criticism of a profound scientific
work by the mere want of the requisite preliminary scientific
acquirement; while, on the other hand, the men of science who wish well
to the new views, no less than those who dispute their validity, have
naturally sought opportunities of expressing their opinions. Hence it
is not surprising that almost all the critical journals have noticed
Mr. Darwin's work at greater or less length; and so many disquisitions,
of every degree of excellence, from the poor product of ignorance, too
often stimulated by prejudice, to the fair and thoughtful essay of the
candid student of Nature, have appeared, that it seems an almost
hopeless task to attempt to say anything new upon the question.

But it may be doubted if the knowledge and acumen of prejudged
scientific opponents, or the subtlety of orthodox special pleaders,
have yet exerted their full force in mystifying the real issues of the
great controversy which has been set afoot, and whose end is hardly
likely to be seen by this generation; so that, at this eleventh hour,
and even failing anything new, it may be useful to state afresh that
which is true, and to put the fundamental positions advocated by Mr.
Darwin in such a form that they may be grasped by those whose special
studies lie in other directions. And the adoption of this course may
be the more advisable, because, notwithstanding its great deserts, and
indeed partly on account of them, the 'Origin of Species' is by no
means an easy book to read--if by reading is implied the full