270 DARWINIANISM. 



are the steps to it. The divergence but strengthens and 

 carries on whatever responsibility has been committed to 

 the modification (the variation). Divergence, in fact, as 

 has been said, and as is seen in the horses, is no more 

 than an illustration of modification. 



The process, then, as Mr. Darwin figures it, is now 

 complete, and we may confine ourselves at last to this 

 bare process itself, or to the bare moments of it. These 

 moments are two in number : A, The Variation ; and B, 

 The Natural Selection as such. 



A, The Variation. Mr. Darwin conceives variation, 

 any variation, to be preceded by variability as the neces- 

 sary constitutive quality, state, condition, of organisms 

 generally and as such. " Mere variability," we are given 

 to understand (ii. 8 7), is exemplified by the mere fact that 

 " the child does not closely resemble its parent," or (p. 122) 

 " is not absolutely similar to its parent," or (p 123) " does 

 not exactly resemble its parents." " I say over and over 

 again," asseverates Mr. Darwin (p. 389), "that natural 

 selection can do nothing without variability." He says 

 also (p. 388), " Mere variability, which is the necessary 

 foundation of all modifications, I believe to be almost 

 always present, enough to allow of any amount of 

 selected change." This variability further (p. 373) is 

 characterised as " undesigned." " Designed variation " 

 would make his " deity," " natural selection," " super- 

 fluous ; " but what weighs with him against design is, 

 " seeing what an enormous field of undesigned variability 

 there is ready for natural selection to appropriate." It 

 is with this same reference to mere natural process, 

 mere physical fact, in his mind, that (p. 157) he does 

 not look at variability " as some necessary contingency 

 with organisms," as " some necessary tendency." He will 

 have no evolution as of an interior with principles laid 

 into it. He admits, however (p. 87), that external 



