The tenacity of purpose which appears to have been one of Mr. Darwin’s most remarkable characteristics was visible even in his outward appearance.  He always reminded me of Raffaelle’s portrait of Pope Julius the Second, which, indeed, would almost do for a portrait of Mr. Darwin himself.  I imagine that these two men, widely as the sphere of their action differed, must have been like each other in more respects than looks alone.  Each, certainly, had a hand of iron; whether Pope Julius wore a velvet glove or no, I do not know; I rather think not, for, if I remember rightly, he boxed Michael Angelo’s ears for giving him a saucy answer.  We cannot fancy Mr. Darwin boxing any one’s ears; indeed there can be no doubt he wore a very thick velvet glove, but the hand underneath it was none the less of iron.  It was to his tenacity of purpose, doubtless, that his success was mainly due; but for this he must inevitably have fallen before the many inducements to desist from the pursuit of his main object, which beset him in the shape of ill health, advancing years, ample private means, large demands upon his time, and a reputation already great enough to satisfy the ambition of any ordinary man.

I do not gather from those who remember Mr. Darwin as a boy, and as a young man, that he gave early signs of being likely to achieve greatness; nor, as it seems to me, is there any sign of unusual intellectual power to be detected in his earliest book.  Opening this “almost” at random I read—­“Earthquakes alone are sufficient to destroy the prosperity of any country.  If, for instance, beneath England the now inert subterraneous forces should exert those powers which most assuredly in former geological ages they have exerted, how completely would the entire condition of the country be changed!  What would become of the lofty houses, thickly-packed cities, great manufacturies (sic), the beautiful public and private edifices?  If the new period of disturbance were to commence by some great earthquake in the dead of night, how terrific would be the carnage!  England would be at once bankrupt; all papers, records, and accounts would from that moment be lost.  Government being unable to collect the taxes, and failing to maintain its authority, the hand of violence and rapine would go uncontrolled.  In every large town famine would be proclaimed, pestilence and death following in its train.” {240a} Great allowance should be made for a first work, and I admit that much interesting matter is found in Mr. Darwin’s journal; still, it was hardly to be expected that the writer who at the age of thirty-three could publish the foregoing passage should twenty years later achieve the reputation of being the profoundest philosopher of his time.