et Imbecillitate Darwiniana. 



I. 



The necessary foundation of science is, 

 rigorous exactitude in elements and prin- 

 ciples. 



And since all scientific explanation essen- 

 tially consists in referring the phenomena 

 of Nature to causes, forces, agencies, prin- 

 ciples, &c., that are ABLE to produce and 

 explain them : whoever comes forward to 

 offer us any such cause, force, agency, &c., 

 as an explanatory principle is scientifically 

 bound to satisfy himself beforehand that his 

 principle does actually possess the power to, 

 effect those results which he employs it to 

 explain. As, e.g., a teacup of water spilt 

 in Abyssinia will not account for the rise 

 of the Nile at Cairo : an ounce of gunpowder 

 will not produce an earthquake of Lisbon. 

 The cause must be adequate^ in kind and 

 degree, to the effect. And if, without the 



