182 NATURAL SELECTION y vni 



compete with the deer in swiftness, or with the wild bull in 

 strength, this gave him weapons with which to capture or 

 overcome both. Though less capable than most other animals 

 of living on the herbs and the fruits that unaided nature sup- 

 plies, this wonderful faculty taught him to govern and direct 

 nature to his own benefit, and make her produce food for him, 

 when and where he pleased. From the moment when the 

 first skin was used as a covering, when the first rude spear 

 was formed to assist in the chase, when fire was first used to 

 cook his food, when the first seed was sown or shoot planted, 

 a grand revolution was effected in nature a revolution which 

 in all the previous ages of the earth's history had had no 

 parallel, for a being had arisen who was no longer necessarily 

 subject to change with the changing universe a being who 

 was in some degree superior to nature, inasmuch as he knew 

 how to control and regulate her action, and could keep him- 

 self in harmony with her, not by a change in body, but by an 

 advance of mind. 



Here, then, we see the true grandeur and dignity of man. 

 On this view of his special attributes, we may admit that 

 even those who claim for him a position as an order, a class, 

 or a sub-kingdom by himself, have some show of reason on 

 their side. He is, indeed, a being apart, since he is not in- 

 fluenced by the great laws which irresistibly modify all other 

 organic beings. Nay more : this victory which he has gained 

 for himself, gives him a directing influence over other exist- 

 ences. Man has not only escaped natural selection him- 

 self, but he is actually able to take away some of that power 

 from nature which before his appearance she universally 

 exercised. We can anticipate the time when the earth will 

 produce only cultivated plants and domestic animals ; when 

 man's selection shall have supplanted natural selection ; 

 and when the ocean will be the only domain in which that 

 power can be exerted, which for countless cycles of ages has 

 ruled supreme over all the earth. 



Their Bearing on the future Development of Man 

 We now find ourselves enabled to answer those who main- 

 tain that if Mr. Darwin's theory of the Origin of Species is 

 true, man too must change in form, and become developed 



