INTRODUCTORY 



all of us, however "liberal" or progressive we may 

 fancy ourselves to be. We cannot face, without 

 some measure of horror, the idea that, for instance, 

 the church to which we belong is, in the last resort, 

 only somewhat less ephemeral than the insect of 

 a day. There is something appalling in the belief 

 that "from low to high doth dissolution climb," 

 sparing nothing whatever. But if the evolutionary 

 or any other philosophy be true, it must be ac- 

 cepted, whether we happen to like it or not; and 

 when finally our minds are subdued to the follow- 

 ing of Truth "wherever she leads" as Huxley 

 said we may be able to say of her as did Words- 

 worth of duty: 



" Nor know we anything so fair 

 As is the smile upon thy face." 



But ere we close an initial chapter which may 

 serve to instil an approximately adequate concep- 

 tion of the breadth and scope of the term evolu- 

 tion, it is necessary to make some reference to 

 the antiquity * of the idea that all things change. 



1 The history of any subject is a permanent part of it and 

 should always be discussed in treating it. But there is good 

 reason why I should make only brief and casual allusions in 

 the present volume to the history of evolutionary ideas. My 

 purpose is to show the validity of evolution in the light of the 

 most recent knowledge. To insert a history of these ideas 

 would therefore not be strictly relevant to the object of this 

 volume. But the subject is interesting and important. Fort- 

 unately it has already been dealt with by distinguished stu- 

 dents in works readily accessible. I need only to refer to Dr. 



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