(59) J 3' 



the egg. Now the theory of the molecularists would, 

 for its part, remove all the difficulties that, for material- 

 ism, are involved in this beginning ; it would place pro- 

 toplasm undeniably at length on a merely chemical 

 level ; and would fairly enable Mr. Darwin, supple- 

 mented by such a life-stuff, to account by natural means 

 for everything like an idea or thought that appears in 

 creation. The misfortune is, however, that we must 

 believe the theory of the molecularists still to await the 

 proof ; while the theory of Mr. Darwin has many diffi- 

 culties peculiar to itself. This theory, philosophically, 

 or in ultimate analysis, is an attempt to prove that de- 

 sign, or the objective idea, especially in the organic 

 world, is developed in time by natural means. The time 

 which Mr. Darwin demands, it is true, is an infinite 

 time j and he thus gains the advantage of his processes 

 being allowed greater clearness for the understanding, in 

 consequence of the obscurity of the infinite past in 

 which they are placed, and of which it is difficult in the 

 first instance to deny any possibility whatever. Still it 

 remains to be asked, Are such processes credible in any 

 time ? What Mr. Darwin has done in aid of his view 

 is, first, to lay before us a knowledge of facts in natural 

 history of surprising richness ; and, second, to support 

 this knowledge by an inexhaustible ingenuity of hypoth- 

 esis in arrangement of appearances. Now, in both re- 

 spects, whether for information or even interest, the 

 value of Mr. Darwin's contribution will probably always 

 remain independent of the argument or arguments that 

 might destroy his leading proposition ; and it is with 

 this proposition that we have here alone to do. As 

 said, we ask only, Is it true that the objective idea, the 

 design which we see in the organized world, is the re- 



