has since eased the passage of many minds to the acceptance of
evolution, seems to have been much appreciated by his audience. It was a
comparison of man to the Alps, which turn out to be] "of one substance
with the dullest clay, but raised by inward forces to that place of
proud and seemingly inaccessible glory."

[The lectures were met at first with astonishing quiet, but it was not
long before the stones began to fly. The "Witness" of January 11 lashed
itself into a fury over the fact that the audience applauded this
"anti-scriptural and most debasing theory...standing in blasphemous
contradiction to biblical narrative and doctrine," instead of expressing
their resentment at this "foul outrage committed upon them individually,
and upon the whole species as 'made in the likeness of God,'" by
deserting the hall in a body, or using some more emphatic form of
protest against the corruption of youth by "the vilest and beastliest
paradox ever vented in ancient or modern times amongst Pagans or
Christians." In his finest vein of sarcasm, the writer expresses his
surprise that the meeting did not instantly resolve itself into a
"Gorilla Emancipation Society," or propose to hear a lecture from an
apostle of Mormonism; "even this would be a less offensive, mischievous,
and inexcusable exhibition than was made in the recent two lectures by
Professor Huxley," etc.]

Jermyn Street, January 13, 1862.

My dear Darwin,

In the first place a new year's greeting to you and yours. In the next,
I enclose this slip (please return it when you have read it) to show you
what I have been doing in the north.