STATEMENT OF THE QUESTION AT ISSUE. 8; 



to do with the eye. The telescope owes its develop- 

 ment to cunning, the eye to luck, which, it would seem, 

 is so far more cunning than cunning that one does 

 not quite understand why there should be any cunning 

 at all. The main means of developing the eye was, 

 according to Mr. Darwin, not use as varying circum- 

 stances might direct with consequent slow increase of 

 power and an occasional happy flight of genius, but 

 natural selection. Natural selection, according to him, 

 though not the sole, is still the most important means 

 of its development and modification.* What, then, is 

 natural selection ? 



Mr. Darwin has told us this on t^ie title-page of 

 the " Origin of Species." He there defines it as " The 

 Preservation of Favoured Eaces ; " " Favoured " is 

 " Fortunate," and " Fortunate " " Lucky ; " it is plain, 

 therefore, that with Mr. Darwin natural selection 

 comes to " The Preservation of Lucky Eaces," and 

 that he regarded luck as the most important feature 

 in connection with the development even ■ of so 

 apparently purposive an organ as the eye, and as the 

 one, therefore, on which it was most proper to insist. 

 And what is luck but absence of intention or design ? 

 What, then, can Mr. Darwin's title-page amount to 

 when written out plainly, but to an assertion that the 

 main means of modification has been the preservation 

 of races whose variations have been unintentional, 

 that is to say, not connected with effort or intention, 

 devoid of mind or meaning, fortuitous, spontaneous, 

 accidental, or whatever kindred word is least disagree- 



* Origin of Species, ed. I, p. 6 ; see also p. 43. 



