[138]

(2

ramble in this head, in a letter to A. Gray.

Within late time var reviewers have given the whole credit of the idea to F. M. & H. who have undoubtedly worked at it much more fully & in some respects more [consistently] I had material for a whole chapter on the subject & I ought to have made the discussion longer; for it is clear that I failed to impress my readers, & he who succeed in doing so deserve, in my opinion, all that credit. This leads me to remark, that I have almost always been treated honestly & fairly by my reviewers, passing over those without scientific knowledge or not worthy of any notice. My views have often been grossly misrepresented bitterly opposed by & [illeg] , but this has, I believe almost always done in good faith. I must, here, [3 words illeg] who as an American expressed it in a letter has acted like a pettifogger, or as Huxley has said "like an old Bayley lawyer". I do not doubt that my works have been often & often greatly overpraised. I have fortunately avoided controversy, & this I owe to L, who many years ago in relation to my geologic work, strongly advised me never to get entangled in a controversy, as this rarely did any good, & caused a miserable loss of time & temper.)

[Darwin, C. R. 'Recollections of the development of my mind & character' [Autobiography [1876-4.1882] CUL-DAR26.1-121, pp. 98-99.]