canterbury pieces-第3部分

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F。　　No　more　horrid　than　that　you　should　eat　roast　mutton　or　boiled
beef。

C。　　But　it　is　utterly　subversive　of　Christianity；　for　if　this　theory
is　true　the　fall　of　man　is　entirely　fabulous；　and　if　the　fall；　then
the　redemption；　these　two　being　inseparably　bound　together。

F。　　My　dear　friend；　there　I　am　not　bound　to　follow　you。　　I　believe　in
Christianity；　and　I　believe　in　Darwin。　　The　two　appear
irreconcilable。　　My　answer　to　those　who　accuse　me　of　inconsistency
is；　that　both　being　undoubtedly　true；　the　one　must　be　reconcilable
with　the　other；　and　that　the　impossibility　of　reconciling　them　must
be　only　apparent　and　temporary；　not　real。　　The　reconciliation　will
never　be　effected　by　planing　a　little　off　the　one　and　a　little　off
the　other　and　then　gluing　them　together　with　glue。　　People　will　not
stand　this　sort　of　dealing；　and　the　rejection　of　the　one　truth　or　of
the　other　is　sure　to　follow　upon　any　such　attempt　being　persisted　in。
The　true　course　is　to　use　the　freest　candour　in　the　acknowledgment　of
the　difficulty；　to　estimate　precisely　its　real　value；　and　obtain　a
correct　knowledge　of　its　precise　form。　　Then　and　then　only　is　there　a
chance　of　any　satisfactory　result　being　obtained。　　For　unless　the
exact　nature　of　the　difficulty　be　known　first；　who　can　attempt　to
remove　it？　　Let　me　re…state　the　matter　once　again。　　All　animals　and
plants　in　a　state　of　Nature　are　undergoing　constant　competition　for
the　necessaries　of　life。　　Those　that　can　hold　their　ground　hold　it；
those　that　cannot　hold　it　are　destroyed。　　But　as　it　also　happens　that
slight　changes　of　food；　of　habit；　of　climate；　of　circumjacent
accident；　and　so　forth；　produce　a　slight　tendency　to　vary　in　the
offspring　of　any　plant　or　animal；　it　follows　that　among　these　slight
variations　some　may　be　favourable　to　the　individual　in　whom　they
appear；　and　may　place　him　in　a　better　position　than　his　fellows　as
regards　the　enemies　with　whom　his　interests　come　into　collision。　　In
this　case　he　will　have　a　better　chance　of　surviving　than　his　fellows；
he　will　thus　stand　also　a　better　chance　of　continuing　the　species；
and　in　his　offspring　his　own　slight　divergence　from　the　parent　type
will　be　apt　to　appear。　　However　slight　the　divergence；　if　it　be
beneficial　to　the　individual　it　is　likely　to　preserve　the　individual
and　to　reappear　in　his　offspring；　and　this　process　may　be　repeated　ad
infinitum。　　Once　grant　these　two　things；　and　the　rest　is　a　mere
matter　of　time　and　degree。　　That　the　immense　differences　between　the
camel　and　the　pig　should　have　come　about　in　six　thousand　years　is　not
believable；　but　in　six　hundred　million　years　it　is　not　incredible；
more　especially　when　we　consider　that　by　the　assistance　of　geology　a
very　perfect　chain　has　been　formed　between　the　two。　　Let　this
instance　suffice。　　Once　grant　the　principles；　once　grant　that
competition　is　a　great　power　in　Nature；　and　that　changes　of
circumstances　and　habits　produce　a　tendency　to　variation　in　the
offspring　（no　matter　how　slight　such　variation　may　be）；　and　unless
you　can　define　the　possible　limit　of　such　variation　during　an
infinite　series　of　generations；　unless　you　can　show　that　there　is　a
limit；　and　that　Darwin's　theory　over…steps　it；　you　have　no　right　to
reject　his　conclusions。　　As　for　the　objections　to　the　theory；　Darwin
has　treated　them　with　admirable　candour；　and　our　time　is　too　brief　to
enter　into　them　here。　　My　recommendation　to　you　is　that　you　should
read　the　book　again。

C。　　Thank　you；　but　for　my　own　part　I　confess　to　caring　very　little
whether　my　millionth　ancestor　was　a　gorilla　or　no；　and　as　Darwin's
book　does　not　please　me；　I　shall　not　trouble　myself　further　about　the
matter。



BARREL…ORGANS：　　＇From　the　Press；　17　January；　1863。＇



Dugald　Stewart　in　his　Dissertation　on　the　Progress　of　Metaphysics
says：　　〃On　reflecting　on　the　repeated　reproduction　of　ancient
paradoxes　by　modern　authors　one　is　almost　tempted　to　suppose　that
human　invention　is　limited；　like　a　barrel…organ；　to　a　specific　number
of　tunes。〃

It　would　be　a　very　amusing　and　instructive　task　for　a　man　of　reading
and　reflection　to　note　down　the　instances　he　meets　with　of　these　old
tunes　coming　up　again　and　again　in　regular　succession　with　hardly　any
change　of　note；　and　with　all　the　old　hitches　and　involuntary　squeaks
that　the　barrel…organ　had　played　in　days　gone　by。　　It　is　most　amusing
to　see　the　old　quotations　repeated　year　after　year　and　volume　after
volume；　till　at　last　some　more　careful　enquirer　turns　to　the　passage
referred　to　and　finds　that　they　have　all　been　taken　in　and　have
followed　the　lead　of　the　first　daring　inventor　of　the　mis…statement。
Hallam　has　had　the　courage；　in　the　supplement　to　his　History　of　the
Middle　Ages；　p。　398；　to　acknowledge　an　error　of　this　sort　that　he　has
been　led　into。

But　the　particular　instance　of　barrel…organism　that　is　present　to　our
minds　just　now　is　the　Darwinian　theory　of　the　development　of　species
by　natural　selection；　of　which　we　hear　so　much。　　This　is　nothing　new；
but　a　rechauffee　of　the　old　story　that　his　namesake；　Dr。　Darwin；
served　up　in　the　end　of　the　last　century　to　Priestley　and　his
admirers；　and　Lord　Monboddo　had　cooked　in　the　beginning　of　the　same
century。　　We　have　all　heard　of　his　theory　that　man　was　developed
directly　from　the　monkey；　and　that　we　all　lost　our　tails　by　sitting
too　much　upon　that　appendage。

We　learn　from　that　same　great　and　cautious　writer　Hallam　in　his
History　of　Literature　that　there　are　traces　of　this　theory　and　of
other　popular　theories　of　the　present　day　in　the　works　of　Giordano
Bruno；　the　Neapolitan　who　was　burnt　at　Rome　by　the　Inquisition　in
1600。　　It　is　curious　to　read　the　titles　of　his　works　and　to　think　of
Dugald　Stewart's　remark　about　barrel…organs。　　For　instance　he　wrote
on　〃The　Plurality　of　Worlds；〃　and　on　the　universal　〃Monad；〃　a　name
familiar　enough　to　the　readers　of　Vestiges　of　Creation。　　He　was　a
Pantheist；　and；　as　Hallam　says；　borrowed　all　his　theories　from　the
eclectic　philosophers；　from　Plotinus　and　the　Neo…Platonists；　and
ultimately　they　were　no　doubt　of　Oriental　origin。　　This　is　just　what
has　been　shown　again　and　again　to　be　the　history　of　German　Pantheism；
it　is　a　mere　barrel…organ　repetition　of　the　Brahman　metaphysics　found
in　Hindu　cosmogonies。　　Bruno's　theory　regarding　development　of
species　was　in　Hallam's　words：　　〃There　is　nothing　so　small　or　so
unimportant　but　that　a　portion　of　spirit　dwells　in　it；　and　this
spiritual　substance　requires　a　proper　subject　to　become　a　plant　or　an
animal〃；　and　Hallam　in　a　note　on　this　passage　observes　how　the　modern
theories　of　equivocal　generation　correspond　with　Bruno's。

No　doubt　Hallam　is　right　in　saying　that　they　are　all　of　Oriental
origin。　　Pythagoras　borrowed　from　thence　his　kindred　theory　of　the
metempsychosis；　or　transmigration　of　souls。　　But　he　was　more
consistent　than　modern　philosophers；　he　recognised　a　downward
development　as　well　as　an　upward；　and　made　morality　and　immorality
the　crisis　and　turning…point　of　changea　bold　lion　developed　into　a
brave　warrior；　a　drunken　sot　developed　into　a　wallowing　pig；　and
Darwin's　slave…making　ants；　p。　219；　would　have　been　formerly
Virginian　cotton　and　tobacco　growers。

Perhaps　Prometheus　was　the　first　Darwin　of　antiquity；　for　he　is　said
to　have　begun　his　creation　from　below；　and　after　passing　from　the
invertebrate　to　the　sub…vertebrate；　from　thence　to　the　backbone；　from
the　backbone　to　the　mammalia；　and　from　the　mammalia　to　the　manco…
cerebral；　he　compounded　man　of　each　and　all：…


Fertur　Prometheus　addere　principi
Limo　coactus　particulam　undique
Desectam　et　insani　leonis
Vim　stomacho　apposuisse　nostro。


One　word　more　about　barrel…organs。　　We　have　heard　on　the　undoubted
authority　of　ear　and　eyewitnesses；　that　in　a　neighbouring　province
there　is　a　church　where　the　psalms　are　sung　to　a　barrel…organ；　but
unfortunately　the　psalm　tunes　come　in　the　middle　of　the　set；　and　the
jigs　and　waltzes　have　to　be　played　through　before　the　psalm　can
start。　　Just　so　is　it　with　Darwinism　and　all　similar　theories。　　All
his　fantasias；　as　we　saw　in　a　late　article；　are　made　to　come　round　at
last　to　religious　questions；　with　which　really　and　truly　they　have
nothing　to　do；　but　were　it　not　for　their　supposed　effect　upon
religion；　no　one　would　waste　his　time　in　reading　about　the
possibility　of　Polar　bears　swimming　about　and　catching　flies　so　long
that　they　at　last　get　the　fins　they　wish　for。



DARWIN　ON　SPECIES：　　＇From　the　Press；　21　February；　1863。＇



To　the　Editor　of　the　Press。

SirIn　two　of　your　numbers　you　have　already　taken　notice　of　Darwin's
theory　of　the　origin　of　species；　I　would　venture　to　trespass　upon
your　space　in　order　to　criticise　briefly　both　your　notices。

The　first　is　evidently　the　composition　of　a　warm　adherent　of　the
theory　in　question；　the　writer　overlooks　all　the　real　difficulties　in
the　way　of　accepting　it；　and；　caught　by　the　obvious　truth　of　much
that　Darwin　says；　has　rushed　to　the　conclusion　that　all　is　equally
true。　　He　writes　with　the　tone　of　a　partisan；　of　one　deficient　in
scientific　caution；　and　from　the　frequent　repetition　of　the　same
ideas　manifest　in　his　dialogue　one　would　be　led　to　suspect　that　he
was　but　little　versed　in　habits　of　literary　composition　and
philosophical　argument。　　Yet　he　may　fairly　claim　the　merit　of　having
written　in　earnest。　　He　has　treated　a　serious　subject　seriously
according　to　his　lights；　and　though　his　lights　are　not　brilliant
ones；　yet　he　has　apparently　done　his　best　to　show　the　theory　on　which
he　is　writing　in　its　most　favourable　aspect。　　He　is　rash；　evidently
well　satisfied　with　himself；　very　possibly　mistaken；　and　just　one　of
those　persons　who　（without　intending　it）　are　more　apt　to　mislead　than
to　lead　the　few　people　that　put　their　trust　in　them。　　A　few　will
always　follow　them；　for　a　strong　faith　is　always　more　or　less
impressive　upon　persons　who　are　too　weak　to　have　any　definite　and
original　faith　of　their　own。　　The　second　writer；　however；　assumes　a
very　different　tone。　　His　arguments　to　all　practical　intents　and
purposes　run　as　follows：…

Old　fallacies　are　constantly　recurring。　　Therefore　Darwin's　theory　is
a　fallacy。

They　come　again　and　again；　like　tunes　in　a　barrel…organ。　　Theref