Survival of the Fittest by Ron Rosenfeld
ACT II
SCENE 2
Setting: Darwin's study, several days later (June 26, 1858)
At Rise: It is the same study as in previous scenes, but, if anything,
there is an appearance of even more work being done here. The stacks
of books and journals and manuscripts have gotten even higher. There
are more papers scattered over the desks and tables. It is apparent
that Darwin, Lyell and Hooker have been deep in conversation.
DARWIN
It is true. I am confident of it. Ever since I first allowed myself
the satisfaction of writing a brief abstract of my theory, I
overlooked one problem of the greatest importance and it is
astonishing to me how I could possibly have ignored it and its
solution. Since that time, I have grappled with the problem of the
tendency in organic beings descended from the same stock to diverge in
character as they become modified. That they diverged over time, I
never had any question, but the mechanism had always eluded me. And
then, as I wrote Hooker last week, suddenly I found the crucial
missing piece. And with this piece, my concept of competition and
selection is now complete. At that moment, I had every confidence that
my theory was sound, and would become the keystone of my big book. But
now, Wallace has changed everything irrevocably.
HOOKER
He certainly has placed you in a most difficult position. When his
manuscript is published, the credit will, unfortunately, reside with
him.
DARWIN
But in truth, Hooker, Wallace never specifically requested publication
of his manuscript. Naturally, once I recognized its merit, I felt that
I had no recourse but to forward it to Sir Charles. And now, your
words several years ago have come true with a vengeance. You warned me
that I would be forestalled. I can well remember that very day. And
now, all my originality, if there ever was any, lies smashed.
HOOKER
(holding the Wallace manuscript)
But Charles, your studies and theories are far broader than anything
Wallace has written here. It would not be fair to deny yourself
priority and credit in this manner.
DARWIN
(taking the manuscript from Hooker and waving it)
I must say, I never saw a more striking coincidence. Why, if Wallace
had my sketch from 1842 in his possession, he could not have made a
better short abstract. Indeed, I can use his terms as the very
headings of my chapters! In truth, there is nothing in Wallace's
sketch which is not written out much fuller in my own work.
HOOKER
Precisely. This is why you must defend your position in this matter.
LYELL
(He has been deep in thought throughout the prior discussion between
Hooker and Darwin)
Charles. We must give consideration to how we can document your
priority. Hooker and I feel that you are the very man to be putting
this concept forward. Knowing that there will be vehement opposition,
it is all the more crucial that we have the right champion for this
theory.
DARWIN
This is the very reason that I wrote to the two of you immediately
upon receiving Wallace's correspondence so that I could have the
sage advice of my two best and kindest friends.
(Darwin hesitates a moment, as if considering the situation)
There is, of course, my original sketch from 1842. And, as you both
know, I expanded it substantially over the ensuing years. It is
certainly a much more thorough and detailed explication than that of
Wallace.
LYELL
There can be no questioning your priority in this matter, Charles,
but, unfortunately, you never published. You have speculated for years
on the implications that Malthus' doctrine of population has for
organic species, and I, myself, have become convinced of your argument
that only the strongest and most vigorous of a species can survive
this struggle. Of this, there can be no doubt. But Wallace, himself,
you will recall, made the very same point in own his paper several
years ago.
DARWIN
(ruefully)
Very sadly, I do remember.
LYELL
Now, it seems to me, Wallace has carried this reasoning one important
step further. He writes now of a tendency in nature
(taking Wallace's manuscript from Darwin, and stating with
emphasis)
of a continued progression of certain classes of varieties further and
further from the original type. It is this potentially limitless
progression which he claims leads to the origin of new and distinct
species.
DARWIN
But are these not merely logical extensions of my own ideas? Why, I
wrote Asa Gray in Boston on these matters over a year ago on this very
concept of divergence.
LYELL
(A look of surprise and some irritation crosses Lyell's face)
This is the first I have heard of such correspondence, Charles. Is
this, indeed, true? Have you been writing to Gray on this subject?
Hooker, do you know of this?
HOOKER
No, I have known nothing of such correspondence. Indeed, Charles, I am
somewhat surprised that you have chosen to share your thoughts with
Gray, rather than with Sir Charles or me.
DARWIN
(defensively)
Certainly, you knew that Gray and I have been corresponding for some
time. Why, I first met him through you, and you know of my interest in
the North American plants which he has been sending me. It was only
natural that I would share with him my conclusions concerning the
absence of independently-created species.
LYELL
(still somewhat miffed)
Charles, what precisely did you write Gray? And when, exactly, did
this correspondence take place?
Darwin
(walks over to his desk, where, rather conveniently, a letter lies. He
picks up the letter and looks at it)
Why, I have a copy of the letter right here. I wrote in September of
last year. Here, you see that I stated that
(reading from the letter),
"I could not doubt that, during millions of generations, individuals
of a species will be occasionally born with some slight variation,
profitable to some part of their economy, and making them more fit
than the parent species."
(looking up from the letter)
I did clearly state that the sketch was most imperfect and that his
imagination must fill the very wide blanks. In fact, I urged him to
not mention my doctrine, for fear that others might work them into
their own papers and thereby injure any chance of my views being
considered original.
LYELL
(still irritated)
Indeed, Gray kept your secrets so well, that neither Hooker nor I knew
anything of this.
(He takes the letter from Darwin and rapidly peruses it)
Charles, I must admit that I am somewhat taken aback by all of this.
Your correspondence all seems to have occurred within months of
Wallace's previous paper from Sarawak, and, yet, I see no mention of
any of his observations.
DARWIN
(somewhat indignantly)
That had nothing to do with it, Sir Charles. It was you, yourself, you
should recall, who advised me at that time to pull my thoughts
together and prepare for publication of my expanded sketch. It was you
and Hooker who counseled me in this matter.
LYELL
True, of course. But that does not mean that you can simply ignore
Wallace's contributions on the matter.
HOOKER
(He has taken the letter from Lyell and scanned it quickly)
Still, perhaps we can use this letter to advantage and protect
Charles' priority.
DARWIN
I could, perhaps, write a brief paper, but I cannot persuade myself
that I can do so honorably. This trumpery affair has completely
destroyed my peace of mind. I cannot tell, any more, whether to
publish now would not be base and paltry. I must turn to you, my
advisors and friends, for advice. Tell me, and I will never trouble
the two of you on the subject again.
LYELL
I am afraid that a paper from you at this time would not suffice. It
is already June 26.
(Lyell walks over to Hooker and takes the Wallace manuscript)
When, exactly, did you receive the manuscript from Wallace?
DARWIN
Less than two weeks ago.
(He hesitates for a second, as if in thought)
June 14, if my memory is correct. I can't seem to locate the
envelope in which it arrived, but June 14 sounds correct.
HOOKER
That's excellent! You wrote to me on June 8, about finally finding
the "missing keystone" for your theory.
LYELL
(looking at Wallace's manuscript)
The timing is most remarkable. Why Wallace's manuscript seems to
have arrived mere days after your own discovery, Charles. Still,
Wallace's manuscript was composed in February, four months ago.
(Lyell looks at Darwin, with a suggestion of suspicion on his face)
It's somewhat surprising, Charles, that it took over three months
for Wallace's letter to reach your hands. Even with the necessity of
it having to be posted through Singapore, that seems an inordinately
long time. In any case, there can be no question, but that this
manuscript was written at least four months ago. A new paper from you
simply would not be sufficient, I fear.
DARWIN
(sits down, visibly dismayed)
In truth, I always thought it very possible that I might be
forestalled, but I must say that I fancied that I had a good enough
soul not to care. And now, I find myself mistaken and sorely punished.
(He looks up at Hooker and Lyell, as if for help)
There are my notebooks, of course. There are years of
correspondence to you, to Hooker,
(Darwin delays slightly, and then continues, with subtle emphasis)
to Gray.
HOOKER
Yes, you are right, Charles. We need to take advantage of your years
of work and correspondence, if we are to successfully promote your
priority. Wallace is all well and good, but he is, after all, little
more than a mere collector. It is you who have made the most
substantive contributions to Science. It is you who has just been
awarded the Royal Medal. Why, Wallace is not even a member of any of
the Societies! Sir Charles is quite correct in saying that you must be
the champion of this new theory. Wallace simply won't do. Why, he is
not even in England!
LYELL
Indeed. We can, perhaps, use the scientific societies to our
advantage. The last session of the Linnaean Society was canceled, you
will recall, due to Brown's death. The Society bylaws dictate that
the vacated vice-presidency be filled within three months, and a
special meeting has been organized for July 1, I believe. We can use
that meeting as an opportunity to present Charles' work, and have it
read into the Society records. Remember, it is the publication date,
and not the time of submission, that establishes priority. We must
quickly draft a letter to the Society secretary.
DARWIN
(torn between his desire for priority and a sense of fair play)
I'm not clear what you are proposing, Sir Charles. You are
suggesting that my work be presented, and not Wallace's?
LYELL
No. No. That would not do, would it? Wallace's paper must be read,
after all. Still, we can use that same forum to present your work,
especially if we take care to document that you had been considering
these same issues for years before Wallace composed his manuscript.
HOOKER
And how do you propose that we demonstrate Charles's priority?
LYELL
I am not even certain that we need to address priority. If we just
demonstrate Charles' work in this area, dating back to his early
notebooks, we can allow our colleagues to draw their own conclusions.
The Society members all know Charles and his previous contributions,
after all. And Wallace is still largely unknown. I would propose that
we have Charles read an abstract of his early notebooks, and
supplement that with his 1857 letter to Gray.
DARWIN
(anxiously)
I will not be able to go to London for the Meeting, I am afraid. My
health has been dreadful these last few weeks, and my constitution
would never stand up to that stress. Emma is concerned about illness
throughout the village, as well, and our youngest child has come down
now with scarlet fever. He has always been of weak constitution.
Something is not right in his development, and Emma fears that he may
lack the strength to stand up to this latest illness. It is simply not
possible for me to consider traveling to London at this time.
LYELL
That is no matter. We can arrange for your abstract and letter to be
read at the Society first, and then follow them with Wallace's
manuscript. I can propose that to Thomas Bell. As President of the
Society, he can easily re-arrange the schedule.
HOOKER
But we have no clearance form Wallace to present his paper. And it
would take half a year, if not longer, with him wandering through the
Moluccas or wherever, before we could possible receive his
permission.
LYELL
I do not see why that should be a concern. He did send the manuscript
to Charles, with a request that it be forwarded. Why else would he
have given those instructions, other than to assure that his
manuscript reached the public ear?
DARWIN
This is a most delicate situation for me, especially as you will be
presenting my own papers first You both must understand this. I could
never, in good conscience, have proposed such a solution, myself.
LYELL
Charles. Do not let that concern you. Hooker and I will make all of
the necessary arrangements.
DARWIN
(somewhat embarrassed)
You must let me again tell you how deeply I feel your kindness on this
occasion. But, in truth, it shames me most deeply that you should lose
valuable time on a mere point of priority. Is this the way honorable
men behave? Is this the manner in which Science is to advance?
(Darwin hesitates, than resumes)
Still, I do not think that Wallace could think my conduct unfair, in
allowing the two of you to do whatever you think is appropriate and
right.
(looking for reassurance)
Do you not agree?
LYELL
Of course! Then let's consider it done.
(Lyell rises, and Hooker rises shortly thereafter)
Hooker, come. We must write to Bell and make the necessary
arrangements. Charles is right. It is a somewhat "delicate
situation."
(Darwin shows Lyell and Hooker to the door. He returns to his chair,
picks up Wallace's manuscript. He looks at the manuscript briefly,
and then slumps in the chair, with a look of exhaustion and despair.
There is a knock on the door.
Emma enters. There is a look of deep consternation on her face.)
DARWIN
Emma, I am at a loss. Lyell and Hooker wish to present my work at the
Linnaean Society, but it is impossible for me to think of attending.
My heart is racing just thinking about it.
EMMA
Charles, you must do what you think best. You understand, I know, how
I feel about this subject how I worry that your ideas are a barrier
to our spending eternity together. My reason tells me that honest and
conscientious doubts cannot be a sin, but I feel it will become a
painful void between us.
DARWIN
My dear, I would never ask you to surrender one ounce of your faith.
EMMA
It is not my faith that is at risk, Charles. But even more, try as I
might, I cannot embrace your concept of such a cruel world, where the
weak must inevitably suffer and perish. Did Jesus not tell us that the
meek shall inherit the earth? I know how much your work means to you,
and yet
DARWIN
(quickly interrupting her)
It is everything. It is my life. Next to my family, it is the world to
me.
(He hesitates)
By the way, how are the children faring? I have heard that there have
been some deaths in the village.
EMMA
Charles, I am so worried. Etty seems to be better today, but the baby
is getting worse, I am sure. The fever has not broken and he can
scarcely breathe. He has always been so weak and frail. I fear that he
will not survive more than another day or two.
DARWIN
He has never been strong. We have always feared that he was born
without his full share of intelligence or stamina. Never able to
walk not even crawl and now
EMMA
(She is upset by Darwin's words and angrily defends her child)
Are you telling me that he is unfit? That this sweet and lovely child,
without a mean bone to his body, is doomed? Is this what your theories
tell us? Is this the world in which you choose to live? Where is
grace? Where is mercy?
DARWIN
Emma, my dear, I just don't know. My head is spinning. For now, we
must call for the doctor. It is that cursed Darwin constitution that
he has inherited. Is there no one in this family who is fit? Please,
Emma. Have them fetch the doctor immediately.
(Emma leaves the room. Darwin watches Emma depart and then looks at
the Wallace manuscript. He is at a loss at how to deal with
everything.)
DARWIN
And how am I to deal with this now?
(He ponders for a moment)
Lyell and Hooker are right! It is only appropriate that my work be
presented! No one will be able to fault me. I never did pick
anyone's pocket! No! Never!
(Darwin stares again at the manuscript, still despairing, as the
curtain falls.)
[end of extract]