The Descent of Man 49 



action thus done ceases to be moral. On the contrary, we all feel 

 that an act cannot be considered as perfect, or as performed in the 

 most noble manner, unless it is done impulsively, without deliberation 

 or effort, in the same manner as by a man in whom the requisite 

 qualities are innate.' — Vol. i. p. 88. 



To this must be replied, in one sense, ' Yes ' ; in another, 

 * No.' An action which has ceased to be directly or indirectly 

 deliberate, has ceased to be moral as a distinct act, but it is 

 moral as the continuation of those preceding deliberate acts ^ 

 through which the good habit was originally formed, and the 

 rapidity with which the will is directed in the case supposed 

 may indicate the number and constancy of antecedent 

 meritorious volitions. Mr. Darwin seems to see this more 

 or less, as he adds : ' He who is forced to overcome his fear 

 or want of sympathy before he acts, deserves, however, in one 

 way higher credit than the man whose innate disposition 

 leads him to do a good act without effort.' 



As an illustration of the genesis of remorse, we have the 

 case 



' of a temporary though for the time strongly persistent instinct con- 

 quering another instinct which is usually dominant over all others.' 

 Swallows 'at the proper season seem all day long to be impressed 

 with the desire to migrate ; their habits change ; they become rest- 

 less, are noisy, and congregate in flocks. Whilst the mother-bird is 

 feeding or brooding over her nestlings, the maternal instinct is 

 probably stronger than the migratory ; but the instinct which is more 

 persistent gains the victory, and at last, at a moment when her young 

 ones are not in sight, she takes flight and deserts them. When 

 arrived at the end of her long journey, and the migratory instinct 

 ceases to act, what an agony of remorse each bird would feel, if, 

 from being endowed with great mental activity, she could not 

 prevent the image continually passing before her mind of her young 

 ones perishing in the bleak north from cold and hunger.' — Vol. i. 

 p. 90. 



Let us suppose she does suffer ' agony,' that feeling would 

 be nothing to the purpose. What is requisite is that she 

 ^ See m\te,, vol. i. p. 329. 

 VOL. II. D 



