A House of Cards. 83 



consciousness in the vegetable world depend 

 wholly upon our capacity to observe and weigh 

 them." 1 What then? This, evidently: that 

 since we are not possessed of any such 

 capacity ; and since, without that capacity the 

 evidence is non-existent ; it follows that there 

 is no evidence whatever "as to consciousness 

 in the vegetable world." But if there is a fatal 

 lack of evidence there is no lack of imagination ; 

 and Dr. Tyndall's imagination, always brilliant, 

 is fully equal to the occasion. He supposes 

 altered conditions for the observer, and then 

 says : " I can imagine not only the vegetable, 

 but the mineral world, responsive to the proper 

 irritants." 2 "I can imagine ! " What ? " Con- 

 sciousness " in a cabbage, and in a granite cube. 

 But on what evidence ? None that I can find : 

 but plenty that " I can imagine ! " 



In the same category with the suppositions 

 of Mr. Spencer and the imagination of Professor 

 Tyndall must be placed the conceptions of Mr. 

 Darwin. Like them, he has to assume as fun- 

 damental, certain propositions which he cannot 

 prove. But then if he cannot prove, he " can- 

 not doubt," or he "can hardly doubt;" and 

 this incapacity for doubt serves as a highly 



1 " Materialism and its Opponents," ut sup., p. 595. 

 Ibid. 



