63 



What are a few impossibilities, more or less, in the way of such 

 a grand idea ? 



I believe that the intellect in man has proceeded from that 

 which had no intellect, all by Natural Selection. You may ask 

 me who selected Natural Selection. Ay, "there's the rub," as 

 I have said before. I am not going to tell you, so you need not 

 ask me. It is easy enough to ask a question, but not always so 

 easy to answer it. 



I believe that the first creature did, in my own words, " flash 

 into existence," somehow or other. You may call this an act of 

 Creation, I do not. I have, indeed, put the question, " Were the 

 numerous kinds of animals created as eggs, or seeds, or full 

 grown ?" What I mean, so far as I know my own meaning, is, 

 that as whatever is, is, so whatever was, was. Intelligis-ne f 



I believe that this was the " simple beginning" of all things. 

 You may call it a miraculous act of a Creator, but I hold that it 

 was nothing at all of the sort. It was a Creation, but there was 

 no CREATOR. It may be quite unreasonable, but that is no 

 affair of mine. What is a hobby good for if I cannot ride it over 

 a fence like this, especially when mounted on such a one as 

 Huxley's " little horse," which he has found out for me ready 

 saddled and bridled, eh! perhaps, I hear you say. You are 

 mistaken again, I can ride him quite well without either. 



I believe that the only creation, if I must use the word, was 

 that of the first organic form 



That every plant and animal has since acquired its present 

 shape by minute accidental changes, one after another ; 



That these changes were useful, though without any intention 

 that they should be so ; 



That in the " struggle for life " those thus favoured survived, 

 and that those not thus favoured were " exterminated ; " 



That no plant or animal became, what we now see it to be, by 

 design, but by pure accident, favoured as just stated ; 



That every plant and animal is still " struggling " to keep its 

 place, if it can, in Nature. 



You probably will here ask me, whence principles of virtue or 

 morality came to men ? For if man was intended to have any 



