102 LECTUEES ON BIOLOGY 



come into existence out of dead, inorganic substance by spon- 

 taneous generation. Here, as there, we move on the unstable 

 ground of hypothesis, but with this exception that the creation- 

 myth denotes to our minds an inexplicable miracle, a breaking 

 through the laws of Nature, whilst the doctrine of a generation 

 without ancestors, even if we cannot prove it, may, nevertheless, 

 be brought into accord with the laws of Nature, and this is the 

 least that may be said in its favour does not come into conflict 

 with logic. The hypothesis of spontaneous generation is after 

 all the best theory which has been promulgated for the solution 

 of this difficult question. Until science shows a better way we 

 must assume the doctrine of spontaneous generation to be true. 

 But though we cannot say with certainty whence life came we 

 know at any rate how life has been preserved after it had been 

 generated. With that subject I shall deal in another lecture. 



