The Humour of Homer and Other Essays

{19} I am indebted to one of Butler’s contemporaries at Cambridge, the Rev Dr. T. G. Bonney, F.R.S., and also to Mr. John F. Harris, both of St. John’s College, for help in finding and dating Butler’s youthful contributions to the Eagle.

{20} This gentleman, on the death of his father in 1866, became the Rev. Sir Philip Perring, Bart.

{22} The late Sir Julius von Haast, K.C.M.G., appointed Provincial Geologist in 1860, was ennobled by the Austrian Government and knighted by the British.  He died in 1887.

{59} A lecture delivered at the Working Men’s College, Great Ormond Street, 30th January, 1892.

{99} Published in the Universal Review, July, 1888.

{110} Published in the Universal Review, December, 1890.

{127} Published in the Universal Review, May, 1889.  As I have several times been asked if the letters here reprinted were not fabricated by Butler himself, I take this opportunity of stating that they are authentic in every particular, and that the originals are now in my possession.—­R.  A. S.

{142} An address delivered at the Somerville Club, February 27th, 1895.

{150} The Foundations of Belief, by the Right Hon. A. J. Balfour.  Longmans, 1895, p. 48.

{153a} Published in the Universal Review, November, 1888.

{153b} Since this essay was written it has been ascertained by Cavaliere Francesco Negri, of Casale Monferrato, that Tabachetti died in 1615.  If, therefore, the Sanctuary of Montrigone was not founded until 1631, it is plain that Tabachetti cannot have worked there.  All the latest discoveries about Tabachetti’s career will be found in Cavaliere Negri’s pamphlet Il Santuario di Crea (Alessandria, 1902).  See also note on p. 195.—­R.  A. S.

{166} Published in the Universal Review, December, 1889.

{188} Published in the Universal Review, November, 1890.

{190} M. Ruppen’s words run:  “1687 wurde die Kapelle zur hohen Stiege gebaut, 1747 durch Zusatz vergrossert und 1755 mit Orgeln ausgestattet.  Anton Ruppen, ein geschickter Steinhauer und Maurermeister leitete den Kapellebau, und machte darin das kleinere Altarlein.  Bei der hohen Stiege war fruher kein Gebetshauslein; nur ein wunderthatiges Bildlein der Mutter Gottes stand da in einer Mauer vor dem fromme Hirten und viel andachtiges Volk unter freiem Himmel beteten.

“1709 wurden die kleinen Kapellelein die 15 Geheimnisse des Psalters vorstellend auf dem Wege zur hohen Stiege gebaut.  Jeder Haushalter des Viertels Fee ubernahm den Bau eines dieser Geheimnisskapellen, und ein besonderer Gutthater dieser frommen Unternehmung war Heinrich Andenmatten, nachhet Bruder der Gesellschaft Jesu.”

{195} The story of Tabachetti’s insanity and imprisonment is very doubtful, and it is difficult to make his supposed visit to Saas fit in with the authentic facts of his life.  Cavaliere Negri, to whose pamphlet on Tabachetti I have already referred the reader, mentions neither.  Tabachetti left his native Dinant in 1585, and from that date until his death he appears to have lived chiefly at Varallo and Crea.  In 1588 he was working at Crea; in 1590 he was at Varallo and again in 1594, 1599, and 1602.  He died in 1615, possibly during a visit to Varallo, though his home at the time was at Costigliole, near Asti.—­R.  A. S.

{196} This is thus chronicled by M. Ruppen:  “1589 den 9 September war eine Wassergrosse, die viel Schaden verursachte.  Die Thalstrasse, die von den Steinmatten an bis zur Kirche am Ufer der Visp lag, wurde ganz zerstort.  Man ward gezwungen eine neue Strasse in einiger Entfernung vom Wasser durch einen alten Fussweg auszuhauen welche vier und einerhalben Viertel der Klafter, oder 6 Schuh und 9 Zoll breit sollte” (p. 43).

{209} A lecture delivered at the Working Men’s College in Great Ormond Street, March 15th, 1890; rewritten and delivered again at the Somerville Club, February 13th, 1894.

{210} Correlation of Forces, Longmans, 1874, p. 15.

{230} Three Lectures on the Science of Language, Longmans, 1889, p. 4.

{234} Science of Thought, Longmans, 1887, p. 9.

{245} Published in the Universal Review, April, May, and June, 1890.

{259a} Voyages of the “Adventure” and “Beagle,” iii. p. 237.

{259b} Luck or Cunning, pp. 170, 180.

{260} Journals of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society (Zoology, vol. iii.), 1859, p. 62.

{261} Darwinism (Macmillan, 1889), p. 129.

{263} See Nature, March 6, 1890.

{265} Origin of Species, sixth edition, 1888, vol. i. p. 168.

{266} Origin of Species, sixth edition, 1888, vol. ii. p. 261.

{271} Mr. J. T. Cunningham, of the Marine Biological Laboratory, Plymouth, has called my attention to the fact that I have ascribed to Professor Ray Lankester a criticism on Mr. Wallace’s remarks upon the eyes of certain flat-fish, which Professor Ray Lankester was, in reality, only adopting—­with full acknowledgment—­from Mr. Cunningham.  Mr. Cunningham has left it to me whether to correct my omission publicly or not, but he would so plainly prefer my doing so that I consider myself bound to insert this note.  Curiously enough, I find that in my book Evolution, Old and New I gave what Lamarck actually said upon the eyes of flat-fish, and, having been led to return to the subject, I may as well quote his words.  He wrote:—­

“Need—­always occasioned by the circumstances in which an animal is placed, and followed by sustained efforts at gratification—­can not only modify an organ—­that is to say, augment or reduce it—­but can change its position when the case requires its removal.

“Ocean fishes have occasion to see what is on either side of them, and have their eyes accordingly placed on either side of their head.  Some fishes, however, have their abode near coasts on submarine banks and inclinations, and are thus forced to flatten themselves as much as possible in order to get as near as they can to the shore.  In this situation they receive more light from above than from below, and find it necessary to pay attention to whatever happens to be above them; this need has involved the displacement of their eyes, which now take the remarkable position which we observe in the case of soles, turbots, plaice, etc.  The transfer of position is not even yet complete in the case of these fishes, and the eyes are not, therefore, symmetrically placed; but they are so with the skate, whose head and whole body are equally disposed on either side a longitudinal section.  Hence the eyes of this fish are placed symmetrically upon the uppermost side.”—­Philosophie Zoologique, tom. i. pp. 250, 251.  Edition C. Martins.  Paris, 1873.

{274a} Essays on Heredity, etc., Oxford, 1889, p. 171.

{274b} Ibid., p. 266.

{275} Darwinism, 1889, p. 440.

{277} Page 83.

{279} Vol. i. p. 466, etc.  Ed. 1885.

{286} Darwinism, p. 440.

{288} Tom. iv. p. 383.  Ed. 1753.

{290} Essays, etc., p. 447.

{299} Zoonomia, 1794, vol. i. p. 480.

END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HUMOUR OF HOMER AND OTHER ESSAYS

* This file should be named 12651.txt or 12651.zip *