506 THE PRIMORDIAL GERM. 



ance of the general system, this or that species or genus might never 

 have existed, since it stands in no relation as being the product of others, 

 nor as having been concerned in giving origin to others. 



But these superficial conceptions are now to .be replaced by others of 



a far more general and philosophical order, which present to us 



organic creation under an aspect of sublime grandeur, each class 



of beings standing in an intercommunication or connection with others 



a part of a plan, the manifestations of which are not limited to the forms 



now existing, but also include those presented by the ancient geological 



times. These views cast a flood of light not only upon the relations of 



the various races of life to one another, but also of the human family to 



them, illustrating the course through which man has hitherto passed, and 



indicating that through which, in future ages, he is to go. 



Starting from a solitary cell, development takes place, and, according 

 All organic be- as extraneous forces may be brought into action, variable in 

 thf\ame tf erm tne ^ r nature, and differing in their intensity, the resulting or- 

 or cell. ganisms will differ. If such language may be used, the aim 



of Nature is to reach a certain ideal model or archetype. As the pas- 

 sage toward this ideal model is more or less perfectly accomplished, form 

 after form, in varied succession, arises. The original substratum or ma- 

 terial is in every instance alike ; for it matters not what may be the class 

 of animals or of plants, the primordial germ, as far as investigation has 

 gone, is in every instance the same. The microscope shows no differ- 

 ence, but, on the contrary, demonstrates the identity of the first cell, 

 which, if it passes but a little way on its forward course, ends in pre- 

 senting the obscure cryptogamic plant, or, if it runs forward toward 

 reaching the archetype, ends in the production of man. The diversity 

 of form that is eventually presented depends then, not upon the consti- 

 tution or aspect of the primitive cell, but upon the influence of the many 

 surrounding agencies to which it is exposed. In one instance, through 

 The primitive the interworking of these agencies perhaps by cessation of 

 ward^oTiffer- one or P erna P s by ^ s increased intensity development 

 ent points. comes up rapidly to a certain point, and there stops. In 

 another case, through change in the conditions, it runs to a farther de- 

 gree, and there stops. Organic beings are, therefore, the materialized 

 embodiment of what must take place through the action of given forces, 

 of a given intensity, and under given conditions, on an evolving cell ; 

 The ciassifica- and, though it may suit the purposes of description to classify 

 Siy anTfic- t ^ iem * nto or ^ ers J genera, species, or other such subdivisions, 

 titious. . it must never be forgotten that these are artificial fictions, 



and have no real foundation in nature. 



Not only is the primordial cell in all instances the same, but the first 

 stages of its career are in all instances identical, and this whether we 



