22 THE LESSON OF EVOLUTION 



universe. I must here try to make my meaning clear. 

 We apply the word chance to those phenomena which 

 are irregular in their appearance, and which are due to 

 causes too complicated for us to unravel. We call 

 throwing dice chance, because we cannot foretell what 

 will happen. Similarly, if we say that evolution is 

 due to chance, we mean that the Author of Nature 

 could not foretell the results of the action of the forces 

 he was setting in motion. Now, is the universe due 

 to design, or is it due to what we may call a lucky 

 throw ? Has it been brought about intentionally or 

 unintentionally ? That is the question. 



It may be possible to imagine a cloud formed by 

 meteorites, which are moving rapidly in all directions 

 but are unable to escape from the cloud, gradually 

 changing, by mechanical laws, into a sun with its 

 attendant planets. But we cannot imagine how the 

 action of any mechanical causes could clothe one of 

 those planets with vegetation, fill that vegetation with 

 various kinds of animal life, and, at last, give rise to 

 a being with sufficient intelligence to ask how and 

 why it was all done. The idea that physical forces, 

 called into existence indiscriminately, and without any 

 ulterior object, could, by their interaction, evolve the 

 earth and all that is on it, is evidently quite in- 

 credible. But this general statement leaves only a 

 vague impression on the mind ; and, in order to clear 

 our ideas, I will give you two examples, one taken 

 from inorganic, the other from organic nature, and 

 treat them in some detail. 



In the first place, let us consider the formation of 

 the earth itself. It is evident that no organic 

 development of importance can ever take place on 



