THE PERCEPTION OP LIGHT. 21 



balance wheel, or the pendulum, as the case might be, regulat- 

 ing the motion so that the motion of the hands should bo the 

 proper measure of the time elapsing. But supposing he had 

 found that out, that would not lead him to imagine there was 

 less design in the thing than when he first picked it up. On 

 the contrary I tliiuk his idea that there was design about it 

 would be only the more strengthened. And so as regards 

 the eye. We have in the first place the marvellous sense of 

 sight itself, answering I may say to the turning round of 

 the hands of the watch, then when we go a little deeper, and 

 find those most remarkable structures apparently designed 

 to bring about distinct vision, though we are very imperfectly 

 able to see how it is brought about, certainly our idea ot 

 design is not thereby weakened, but it seems to me it is 

 much strengthened. Supposing we could go a step further, 

 and find out how the formation of these various rods and 

 cones was brought about by vessels involving the growth and 

 nutrition of the organs, 1 do not see how that would 

 weaken our sense of design at all, but it might strengthen it 

 rather than otherwise. 



But I fear, my lords, ladies, and gentlemen, that I have 

 already detained you too long. The subject is so large that I 

 might speak on it at far greater length than I already have. 

 (Applause.) 



The Right Honourable Lord Halsbury (Lord High Chancellor). 

 — Ladies and gentlemen, I have to discharge a very pleasant duty. 

 No one present could have listened to the very interesting Address 

 which we have just heard without being thankful ; and, speaking- 

 for myself, I should have liked to have heard more of it. One of 

 the first impressions given to us must be, I think, that we are, 

 indeed, "fearfully and wonderfully made"; and the inference 

 drawn by Sir Gabriel Stokes is, I think, one that everybody will 

 draw for themselves from his mere statement of facts ; not only 

 that it is design, but design that can only be directed to human 



