198 THE DARWINIAN THEORY 



child, if left to itself, would never begin to speak 

 English." We also see examples of rudimentary- 

 organs well illustrated by the silent letters in words 

 such as doubt, reign, feign, debt, and answer. Per- 

 sistent types in language are also met with. " The 

 language which the Norwegian refugees brought to 

 Iceland has remained almost the same for seven 

 centuries ; whereas, on its native soil and surrounded 

 by local dialects it has grown into two distinct 

 languages — Swedish and Danish." 



Constant change is found in words at different 

 periods. We can read Milton, Bacon, Shakespeare, 

 and Hooker, though conscious of unfamiliar words 

 and obsolete expressions ; we can make out 

 Wycliffe and Chaucer ; but when we come to the 

 English of the thirteenth century we can but guess 

 its meaning. A Bible glossary shows that since the 

 year 161 1, three hundred and eighty-eight words, or 

 one-fifteenth of the whole number used, have become 

 obsolete : and, on the other hand, new words are 

 constantly being added. 



Conclusion. 



This is the precise position which I have endea- 

 voured to establish : that there are causes which 

 will account for what we find — for the structure, 

 language, and habits of man ; causes which have 

 been in existence ever since life began, and causes 

 which must have tended in this direction. 



Whether there is anything further than this, 

 whether man has other attributes, either peculiar to 



