Analogies Concerning Life 141 



Some of those epitomes are more, some 

 less, worthy ; sometimes there appears only a 

 poor deformity or a feeble-minded attempt, 

 sometimes a strong and vigorous embodi- 

 ment of the root idea. 



As to its technical continuity of existence 

 and actual mode of reproduction, I suppose 

 it would be merely fanciful to liken the 

 " Crown " to those germ-cells or nuclei, 

 whose existence continues without break, 

 which serve the purpose of collecting and 

 composing the somatic cells in due season. 



Other illustrations of the temporary 

 incarnation of a permanent idea are readily 

 furnished from the domain of Art ; but, 

 after all, the best analogy to life that I can at 

 present think of is to be found in the subject 

 of Magnetism. 



At one time it was possible to say that 

 magnetism could not be produced except by 

 antecedent magnetism ; that there was no 

 known way of generating it spontaneously ; 

 yet that, since it undoubtedly occurs in 

 certain rocks of the earth, it must have come 



