(63) *7/ 



lieve, doubting not only the power of our instrument, 

 but even whether we ourselves possess the intellectual 

 elements which will ever enable us to grapple with the 

 ultimate structural energies of nature. 



But the speculative faculty, of which imagination 

 forms so large a part, will nevertheless wander into 

 regions where the hope of certainty would seem to be 

 entirely shut out. We think that though the detailed 

 analysis may be, and may ever remain, beyond us, gen- 

 eral notions may be attainable. At all events, it is plain 

 that beyond the present outposts of microscopic inquiry 

 lies an immense field for the exercise of the imagination. 

 It is only, however, the privileged spirits who know how 

 to use their liberty without abusing it, who are able to 

 surround imagination by the firm frontiers of reason, 

 that are likely to work with any profit here. But free- 

 dom to them is of such paramount importance that, for 

 the sake of securing it, a good deal of wildness on the 

 part of weaker brethren may be overlooked. In more 

 senses than one Mr. Darwin has drawn heavily upon 

 the scientific tolerance of his age. He has drawn heav- 

 ily upon time in his development of species, and he has 

 drawn adventurously upon matter in his theory of pan- 

 genesis. According to this theory, a germ already mi- 

 croscopic is a world of minor germs. Not only is the 

 organism as a whole wrapped up in the germ, but every 

 organ of the organism has there its special seed. 



This, I say, is an adventurous draft on the power of 

 matter to divide itself and distribute its forces. But, 

 unless we are perfectly sure that he is overstepping the 

 bounds of reason, that he is unwittingly sinning against 

 observed fact or demonstrated law for a mind like that 

 of Darwin can never sin wittingly against either fact or 



