RELIGION. 



sciousness existed in the moon ? But I have had no practice 

 in abstract reasoning, and I may be all astray. Nevertheless 

 you have expressed my inward conviction, though far more 

 vividly and clearly than I could have done, that the Universe 

 is not the result of chance.* But then with me the horrid 

 doubt always arises whether the convictions of man's mind, 

 which has been developed from the mind of the lower animals, 

 are of any value or at all trustworthy. Would any one trust 

 in the convictions of a monkey's mind, if there are any con- 

 victions in such a mind ? Secondly, I think that I could 

 make somewhat of a case against the enormous importance 

 which you attribute to our greatest men ; I have been 

 accustomed to think, second, third, and fourth rate men of 

 very high importance, at least in the case of Science. Lastly, 

 I could show fight on natural selection having done and 

 doing more for the progress of civilization than you seem 

 inclined to admit. Remember what risk the nations of Europe 

 ran, not so many centuries ago of being overwhelmed by the 

 Turks, and how ridiculous such an idea now is ! The more 

 civilized so-called Caucasian races have beaten the Turkish 

 hollow in the struggle for existence. Looking to the world 

 at no very distant date, what an endless number of the lower 

 races will have been eliminated by the higher civilized races 

 throughout the world. But I will write no more, and not 

 even mention the many points in your work which have 



* The Duke of Argyll (' Good purposes in nature I said it was 



Words,' Ap. 1885, p. 244) has re- impossible to look at these without 



corded a few words on this subject, seeing that they were the effect and 



spoken by my father in the last the expression of mind. I shall 



year of his life. "... in the course never forget Mr. Darwin's answer, 



of that conversation I said to Mr. He looked at me very hard and 



Darwin, with reference to some of said, ' Well, that often comes over 



his own remarkable works on the me with overwhelming force ; but 



* Fertilisation of Orchids,' and upon at other times," and he shook his 



' The Earthworms,' and various head vaguely, adding, " it seems to 



other observations he made of the go away.' " 

 wonderful contrivances for certain 





