800 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



wonderful of phenomena, the human * mind. And the acts of other 

 parts of the organism, which have been the outcome of this process, 

 have produced the varied structures which to-day constitute the ani- 

 mal kingdom. 



It is thus shown to a demonstration, by means of the principle of 

 kinetogenesis, that evolution is essentially a process of mind. The 

 source of the consciousness, which is back of it, is at present an un- 

 solved problem. That it has existed and does exist, there can be no 

 question, and there is no sufficient reason for supposing that it will not 

 continue to exist. 



*** 



"THE METAPHYSICAL SOCIETY." 



A REMINISCENCE. 



By E. H. HUTTON. 



TN the autumn of 1868 Mr. Tennyson and the Rev. Charles Pritch- 

 |__L ard Savilian Professor of Astronomy were guests together in 

 my house. 



A good deal of talk arose on speculative subjects, especially the- 

 ology, and in the course of it the idea was suggested of founding a 

 Theological Society, to discuss such questions after the manner and 

 with the freedom of an ordinary scientific society. 



I volunteered to endeavor to bring such a body together if Mr. Ten- 

 nyson and Mr. Pritchard would promise to belong to it, and I then con- 

 sulted other friends, beginning with Dean Stanley, Dean Alford, Arch- 

 bishop Manning, the Rev. James Martineau, the Bishop of Gloucester 

 and Bristol, Dr. Ward of the " Dublin Review," Mr. R. H. Hutton of 

 the " Spectator," and one or two more, finding them all willing to join. 

 I next went to " the opposition," and, explaining our plan, found Pro- 

 fessor Huxley, Professor Tyndall, Mr. Froude, Mr. Walter Bagehot, 

 Sir John Lubbock, and others, equally ready to co-operate. 



The originally intended name of Theological Society was dropped 

 in favor of " Metaphysical Society," under which full discussion of the 

 largest range of topics from all points of view could be better insured, 

 and on the 21st of April, 1869, we held our first meeting at Willis's 

 Rooms. 



I remember Mr. Froude who was among our first members say- 

 ing that, if we hung together for twelve months, it would be one of 

 the most remarkable facts in history. But we " hung together " for 

 nearly twelve years, meeting once a month, usually at an hotel, where, 

 after dining together, a paper was read by some member, and after- 

 ward discussed. Mr. Tennyson's remark at an early meeting seemed 



* The word human is emphasized because it is not yet proven that protoplasm is the 

 only possible physical basis of mind. 



