I^O SPREAD OF EVOLUTION. . [1861. 



should believe in design. If I could be convinced thoroughly 

 that life and mind was in an unknown way a function of other 

 imponderable force, I should be convinced. If man was 

 made of brass or iron and no way connected with any other 

 organism which had ever lived, I should perhaps be con- 

 vinced. But this is childish writing. 



I have lately been corresponding with Lyell, who, I think, 

 adopts your idea of the stream of variation having been led 

 or designed, I have asked him (and he says he will hereafter 

 reflect and answer me) whether he believes that the shape of 

 my nose was designed. If he does I have nothing more to 

 say. If not, seeing what Fanciers have done by selecting 

 individual differences in the nasal bones of pigeons, I must 

 think that it is illogical to suppose that the variations, which 

 natural selection preserves for the good of any being have 

 been designed. But I know that I am in the same sort of 

 muddle (as I have said before) as all the world seems to be 

 in with respect to free will, yet with everything supposed to 

 have been foreseen or pre-ordained. 



Farewell, my dear Gray, with many thanks for your 

 interesting letter. 



Your unmerciful correspondent, 



C. Darwin. 



C, Darwin to H. JV. Bates, 



Down, Dec. 3 [1861]. 



My dear Sir. — I thank you for your extremely interesting 

 letter, and valuable references, though God knows when I 

 shall come again to this part of my subject. One cannot of 

 course judge of style when one merely hears a paper,* but 

 yours seemed to me very clear and good. Believe me that I 

 estimate its value most highly. Under a general point of view, 

 I am quite convinced (Hooker and Huxley took the same 

 view some months ago) that a philosophic view of nature can 



* On Mimetic Butterflies, read before the Linnean Soc, Nov. 21, 1861. 

 For my father's opinion of it when published, see p, 183. 



