An Introduction to a Biology 



what like is each one in itself and in its relation to others. 

 It is as if I were a shepherd of much experience and a thou- 

 sand sheep ; I live among them and tend them, and know 

 the face of each one of them ; while you are a shepherd 

 of no experience with a thousand thousand sheep. I know 

 the properties of every sheep, while you trouble yourself 

 only with the properties of flocks." Now this was spoken 

 in a friendly manner, but the wizard of the dead went away, 

 saying, " I do not understand your words, and I had rather 

 have a knowledge of flocks than be the companion of sheep." 

 Surely there was no justice in his wrathful taunt ; but it 

 is often thus. Now it is established that the greatest differ- 

 ence between the things which cannot be cut up and the 

 things which can be and often are, is that the first are always 

 the same, indestructible, undying because they are never 

 alive, and that the last are destructible, mortal, but con- 

 tinuing through the ages by begetting young after their 

 kind ; for beasts do not beget herbs, nor herbs beasts ; nor 

 even one kind of beast another kind of beast ; but beasts 

 of certain kinds beget beasts of the same kind, or nearly ; 

 and herbs of certain kinds beget herbs of the same kind, or 

 nearly. Now this likeness of the generation begotten to 

 the generation which begat it was a marvel for all time ; 

 but it was not till the time of which we have spoken, the 

 time when men lied, saying, " There is civilisation," that 

 wizards said to themselves, " What is this marvel, and what 

 are the inward workings of it ? " And so great was the 

 desire to discover the secret that both wizards of the dead 

 and wizards of the living were fired with it. Now it must 

 be remembered that in all wizards the passion to discover 

 an orderliness in the things with which they busy themselves 

 is very great ; and the wizards of the dead asked, " How 

 can we discover an orderliness in this marvel of the things 

 which can be cut up?" and they answered themselves, " In 

 the same way as we discover it in the things which cannot 

 be cut up." So, forthwith they gathered vast records of 



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