Canterbury Pieces

Canterbury Pieces

As the following dialogue embodies the earliest fruits of Butlers study of the works of Charles Darwin, with whose name his own was destined in later years to be so closely connected, and thus possesses an interest apart from its intrinsic merit, a few words as to the circumstances in which it was published will not be out of place. Butler arrived in New Zealand in October, 1859, and about the same time Charles Darwins Origin of Species was published. Shortly afterwards the book came into Butlers hands. He seems to have read it carefully, and meditated upon it. The result of his meditations took the shape of the following dialogue, which was published on 20 December, 1862, in the Press which had been started in the town of Christ Church in May, 1861. The dialogue did not by any means pass unnoticed. On the 17th of January, 1863, a leading article (of course unsigned) appeared in the Press, under the title Barrel-Organs, discussing Darwins theories, and incidentally referring to Butlers dialogue. A reply to this article, signed A.M., appeared on the 21st of February, and the correspondence was continued until the 22nd of June, 1863. The dialogue itself, which was unearthed from the early files of the Press, mainly owing to the exertions of Mr. Henry Festing Jones, was reprinted, together with the correspondence that followed its publication, in the Press of June 8 and 15, 1912. Soon after the original appearance of Butlers dialogue a copy of it fell into the hands of Charles Darwin, possibly sent to him by a friend in New Zealand. Darwin was sufficiently struck by it to forward it to the editor of some magazine, which has not been identified, with the following letter: ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 3279
Author: Butler, Samuel
Release Date: Jun 1, 2002
Format: eBook
Language: English