Scientific Sophisms. 283 



or root planted, a grand revolution was effected 

 in nature, a revolution which in all the previous 

 ages of the world'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 himself in 

 harmony with her, not by a change in body, 

 but by an advance in 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 and an order, a class, or 

 a sub-kingdom by himself, have some reason on 

 their side. He is, indeed, a being apart, since 

 he is not influenced by the great laws which ir- 

 resistibly modify all other organic beings. . . . 

 Man has not only escaped ' natural selection ' 

 himself, but he is actually able to take away 

 some of that power from nature which, before 

 his appearance, she universally exercised." * 



Conclusive as is this testimony in itself, it is 

 doubly so on account of the quarter from which 

 it comes. From a very different quarter comes 



1 Mr. Wallace, in the Anthropological Review, May, 

 1864. 



