THE EVOLUTION OF SPECIES 157 



the threads of the same constitution and measured? 

 Whence the carefully constructed machinery, and the 

 force applied to it 1 And so it is not enough to tell us 

 in what way the frames, and forms, and tissues, and 

 patterns of the animal world have been woven. That 

 explains the most insignificant part of the work done. 

 Tlie great thing to be accounted for is the existence of 

 the material, its suitableness, its position, qualities, and 

 forces. And to account for it, we must go back to the 

 foundation elements, and finding in them the potencies 

 of all that is evolved, ascribe them to mind. 



The sufficient time element. " Carneades," says Cicero, 

 " imagined that in the quarries at Chios he found in a 

 stone that was split up the representation of the head of 

 a little Pan, or sylvan deity. I believe he might find a 

 figure not unlike, but surely not such a one as you would 

 say had been formed by an excellent sculptor such as 

 Scopas. Colours thrown upon canvas without design 

 may have some resemblance to a human face, but do you 

 think they would make as beautiful a picture as the 

 Coan Venus ? For so verily the case is that chance never 

 perfectly imitates design." Colours thrown by chance on 

 canvas by unskilful and unpractised hands would not, in 

 eternal ages, produce a perfect picture. Were all the 

 hands now on earth to make the trial, does anyone doubt 

 what the result would be 1 There would not be one gem 

 among all. Would another generation succeed better? 

 Would any generation for ever succeed better ? JS"o, not 

 any. As the result of pure chance a Coan Venus or a 

 Madonna would never be seen. To chance such results 

 are impossible. Ah ! what foolery is it to dream that a 

 mighty world has been produced by chance a world 

 shining with glories of mind as much surpassing those 

 that beam in beauty from the loveliest human face as 



