DARWIN'S THEORY. 19 



domestication, they will ever so occur, if he had re- 

 solved the question of the law of variation, and the lazv 

 were silent on the subject of a limit. 



Darwin, however, takes the fact, viz., that variations 

 do occur, and have occurred, in the past ; and holds 

 from this, that he is entitled to the presumption, that 

 these variations will go on forever, or, at least, indefi- 

 nitely. He reverses the usual canons- of logic; appeals 

 to his ignorance (!) of any law of variations ; and, 

 hence, to the absence of any such law, imposing a 

 limit to such variations ; and complacently assumes, 

 therefore, that there is no limit to variations. He turns 

 the logician's gun against the logician, albeit, most 

 absurdly ; and with charming simplicity, declares that 

 the assumption of any such limit is wholly gratuitous 

 — oblivious to the fact that, in the absence of knowl- 

 edge of the law of variation, his assumption of no- 

 limit is both illegitimate and gratuitous. Variation is 

 ever occurring, now, with all the animals and plants 

 under domestication ; and, therefore, the presumption 

 (Darwin holds) is a fair one, that in default of proof to 

 the contrary, those variations ever will occur. What 

 evidence, he triumphantly demands, is there to induce 

 a belief that there is a limit ? 



Such proof to the contrary, it is the purpose of this 

 work to advance ; and full warrant for the belief that 

 there is such a limit, we shall adduce. 



It is clear to the reader, that, if there is a law of 

 variation, and it should prescribe a limit, it is happily 

 for Darwin, and for his theory, that his " ignorance of 

 the law of variation" is so "profound." 



