164 Unconscious Memory 



corresponding state in the existence of its own parent. 

 To memory, therefore, the most prominent place in the 

 transaction is assigned rightly. 



To deny that will guided by memory has anything to 

 do with the development of embryos seems like denying 

 that a desire to obstruct has anything to do with the 

 recent conduct of certain members in the House of Com- 

 mons. What should we think of one who said that the 

 action of these gentlemen had nothing to do with a desire 

 to embarrass the Government, but was simply the neces- 

 sary outcome of the chemical and mechanical forces at 

 work, which being such and such, the action which we see 

 is inevitable, and has therefore nothing^to do with wUful 

 obstruction ? We should answer that there was doubt- 

 less a great deal of chemical and mechanical action in the 

 matter ; perhaps, for aught we knew or cared, it was all 

 chemical and mechanical ; but if so, then a desire to 

 obstruct parliamentary business is involved in certain 

 kinds of chemical and mechanical action, and that the 

 kinds involving this had preceded the recent proceedings 

 of the members in question. If asked to prove this, we 

 can get no further than that such action as has been taken 

 has never yet been seen except as following after and in 

 consequence of a desire to obstruct ; that this is our 

 nomenclature, and that we can no more be expected to 

 change it than to change our mother tongue at the bid- 

 ding of a foreigner. 



A little reflection will convince the reader that he will 

 be unable to deny will and memory to the embryo with- 

 out at the same time denying their existence everywhere, 

 and maintaining that they have no place in the acquisition 

 of a habit, nor indeed in any human action. He will feel 

 that the actions, and the relation of one action to another 

 which he observes in embryos is such as is never seen 

 except in association with and as a consequence of will 

 and memory. He will therefore say that it is due to will 

 and memory. To say that these are the necessary out- 



