AVOWAL OF EVOLUTIONISM 31

of Evolutionism. — In 1852 Spencer definitely
began his work as a pioneer of Evolution Doctrine by
publishing the famous Leader article on " The Develop-
ment Hypothesis,"in which he avowed his belief that the
Whole world of life is the result of an age-long process
of natural transmutation. In the same year he wrote
for The Westminster Review another important essay,
f< A Theory of Population deduced from the General
Law of Animal Fertility," in which he sought to show
that the degree of fertility is inversely proportionate
to the grade ,of development, or conversely that the
attainment of higher degrees of evolution must be
accompanied by lower rates of multiplication. To-
wards the close of the article he came within an ace
of recognising that the struggle for existence was a
factor in organic evolution. It is profoundly instruc-
tive to find that at a time when pressure of population
was practically interesting men's minds, not Spencer
only, but Darwin and Wallace, were being independ-
ently led from this social problem to a biological
theory of organic evolution. There could be no
better illustration, as Prof. Geddes has pointed out,
of the Comtian thesis that science is a " social
phenomenon."

Friendships. — About this time a strong friendship
arose between Spencer and Miss Evans (George
Eliot). To him she was " the most admirable
woman, mentally," he ever met, and he speaks en-
thusiastically of her large intelligence working easily,
her remarkable philosophical powers, her habitual
calm, her deep and broad sympathies. It is interest-
Ing to learn that he strongly advised her to write
novels, and that she tried in vain to induce him to