DESIGN. 239 



but they are as nothing beside their contraries, and are 

 rather to be considered as but outcome of courtesy for the 

 moment. So in the present connection when, in reply to 

 the Duke of Argyll's remark on the evident expression of 

 mind in his own illustrations from nature, Mr. Darwin 

 admitted that " that often came over him with over- 

 whelming force, but that, at other times, it seemed to go 

 away," we are to see only a check of the moment to his 

 veritable resolution and belief. In several expressions to 

 Asa Gray also in mitigation of his own views of design, 

 we cannot doubt that we have before us only the reluct- 

 ance of such a genuine nature as Darwin's to cause his 

 correspondent pain. He "grieves," he says (ii. 353), 

 that he " cannot go as far as Dr. Gray about Design ; " 

 but at another time he writes (p. 373), " Your question, 

 What would convince me of Design, is a poser : If I saw 

 an angel come down to teach us good, and I was con- 

 vinced from others seeing him that I was not mad, 

 I should believe in design." On yet another occasion he 

 again tells Dr. Gray (p. 373) that he has been " thinking 

 more on this subject of late," but " grieves " to say that 

 he comes to " differ more " from him. Within a year of 

 his death Mr. Darwin will be found (i. 315) writing to 

 W. Graham, " There are some points in your book which 

 I cannot digest : the chief one is that the existence of 

 so-called natural laws implies purpose : I cannot see this." 

 This is not to be mistaken ; and, again, there can be no 

 more express statement than (p. 309) this other: "The 

 old argument from design in Nature, as given by Paley, 

 which formerly seemed to me so conclusive, fails, now 

 that the law of natural selection has been discovered 

 there seems to be no more design in the variability of 

 organic beings, and in the action of natural selection, 

 than in the course which the wind blows." 



We must credit Mr. Darwin with understanding at 



