136 Cells; or, Evolution. 



any parental agency. It is a little singular, by the 

 way, that the diametrically opposite school to-day 

 of scientific materialism has recourse to the same 

 " potential energy of the sun," for precisely the 

 opposite conclusion. 



147. The experiments which Redi performed 

 were not unworthy of science, for the epoch at 

 which he lived. By exposing meat in a couple of 

 jars, leaving one open to the insects of the air, and 

 closing the other, he found as he had surmised that 

 no life sprang into being where insects were ex- 

 cluded, and the usual abundance of minute animal- 

 cular life appeared, wherever they did enjoy free 

 access. Some exceptions were taken to certain fea- 

 tures of his experiment, but upon his modifying it, 

 the same results were obtained; and science was 

 satisfied. The microscope had not as yet enabled 

 observers to detect the vast world of life, which re- 

 mained still invisible in decaying organisms. 



148. When the microscope came into use, and 

 especially when the principle of achromatism was 



applied to it by Professor Ehrenberg, a 

 The Micro- world of revelations broke upon the 



scope and , , r . m t 



Animalcules, astonished eyes of science. Living 

 things were observed breeding with ex- 

 treme rapidity in water that was poured over, or 

 11 infused upon," dead organic matter; and the Pro- 

 fessor called them infusoria, or infusory animalcules. 

 Where did these come from? Surely, spontaneous 

 generation was now reinstated and proved. 



