134 Life and Matter [chap. vh. 



that life is itself a guiding principle, a con- 

 trolling agency, i.e. that a live animal or 

 plant can and does guide or influence the 

 elements of inorganic nature. The fact 

 of an organism possessing life enables it 

 to build up material particles into many 

 notable forms oak, eagle, man, which 

 material aggregates last until they are aban- 

 doned by the guiding principle, when they 

 more or less speedily fall into decay, or be- 

 come resolved into their elements, until 

 utilised by a fresh incarnation ; and hence I 

 say that whatever life is or is not, it is 

 certainly this : it is a guiding and con- 

 trolling entity which interacts with our world 

 according to laws so partially known that 

 we have to say they are practically unknown, 

 and therefore appear in some respects 

 mysterious. If it be thought that I mean 

 by this something superstitious, and for ever 

 inexplicable or unintelligible, I have no such 

 meaning. I believe in the ultimate intel- 

 ligibility of the universe, though our present 

 brains may require considerable improvement 



