CHAP, vin EVOLUTION SPENCER 8/ 



cess as the limit of evolution, and the goal to which 

 it tends. 



Accordingly Mr. Spencer gives us this curious pic- 

 ture of the eternal and necessary nature of things : 

 every system of matter and motion, which admits of 

 being studied by itself, and which is subject to no in- 

 fluences from without except such minute ones as 

 may fairly be disregarded, if it is in a state of com- 

 parative simplicity, must, by eternal necessity, grow 

 more and more complex, till at length it has perfectly 

 worked out the inner scheme of possibility prescribed 

 to it by its original deposit of matter and motion. 

 When it has done this evolution must cease, equilib- 

 rium superseding it. In this sense of the term equi- 

 librium now begins to reign. And the reign now 

 begun, so far as appears, might, for good or for evil, be 

 eternal, so perfect will the inner equilibrium have 

 become, if only there were not other systems of 

 matter outside the balanced system of which we are 

 speaking other systems which, sooner or later, will 

 interfere in its affairs with a crash of dissolution. 

 Then comes the third and shortest act in this drama. 

 Hitherto subordinate, counterbalanced, overruled, dis- 

 solution will now be master of all ; the web of changes, 

 so slowly woven, so long preserved, will be rapidly 

 torn into shreds ; the wheel will have come full cir- 

 cle, and nature will begin once again "at the very 

 beginning." 



By this time the evolutionary doctrine of Mr. 

 Spencer has ceased to bear any resemblance to a 

 truism. Vague as are its terms, they are sufficiently 

 startling. Fichte seemed a bold man when he an- 

 nounced a test for all possible revelations ; Spencer is 



