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result of blind chance, yet I can see no evidence of beneficent design
or indeed of design of any kind, in the details. As for each variation
that has ever occurred having been preordained for a special end, I
can no more believe in it than that the spot on which each drop of rain
falls has been specially ordained.
Spontaneous generation seems almost as great a puzzle as preordination.
I cannot persuade myself that such a multiplicity of organisms can have
been produced, like crystals, in Bastian's (236/1. On September 2nd,
1872, Mr. Darwin wrote to Mr. Wallace, in reference to the latter's
review of "The Beginnings of Life," by H.C. Bastian (1872), in "Nature,"
1872, pages 284-99: "At present I should prefer any mad hypothesis, such
as that every disintegrated molecule of the lowest forms can reproduce
the parent-form; and that these molecules are universally distributed,
and that they do not lose their vital power until heated to such a
temperature that they decompose like dead organic particles.") solutions
of the same kind. I am astonished that, as yet, I have met with no
allusion to Wyman's positive statement (236/2. "Observations and
Experiments on Living Organisms in Heated Water," by Jeffries Wyman,
Prof. of Anatomy, Harvard Coll. ("Amer. Journ. Sci." XLIV., 1867, page
152.) Solutions of organic matter in hermetically sealed flasks were
immersed in boiling water for various periods. "No infusoria of any kind
appeared if the boiling was prolonged beyond a period of five hours.")
that if the solutions are boiled for five hours no organisms appear;
yet, if my memory serves me, the solutions when opened to air
immediately became stocked. Against all evidence, I cannot avoid
suspecting that organic particles (my "gemmules" from the separate cells
of the lower creatures!) will keep alive and afterwards multiply under
proper conditions.
What an interesting problem it is.
LETTER 237. TO W.B. TEGETMEIER. Down, July 15th [1870].
It is very long since I have heard from you, and I am much obliged
for your letter. It is good news that you are going to bring out a new
edition of your Poultry book (237/1. "The Poultry Book," 1872.), and
you are quite at liberty to use all my materials. Thanks for the curious
case of the wild duck variation: I have heard of other instances of a
tendency to vary in one out of a large litter or family. I have too many
things in hand at present to profit by your offer of the loan of the
American Poultry book.
Pray keep firm to your idea of working out the subject of analogous
variations (237/2. "By this term I mean that similar characters
occasionally make their appearance in the several varieties or races
descended from the same species, and more rarely in the offspring of
widely distinct species" ("Animals and Plants," II., Edition II., page
340).) with pigeons; I really think you might thus make a novel and
valuable contribution to science. I can, however, quite understand how
much your time must be occupied with the never-ending, always-beginning
editorial cares.
I keep much as usual, and crawl on with my work.
LETTER 238. TO J.D. HOOKER. Down, September 27th [1870].
Yours was a splendid letter, and I was very curious to hear something
about the Liverpool meeting (238/1. Mr. Huxley was President of the
British Association at Liverpool in 1870. His Presidential Address
on "Biogenesis and Abiogenesis" is reprinted in his collected Essays,
VIII., page 229. Some account of the meeting is given in Huxley's "Life
and Letters," Volume I., pages 332, 336.), which I much wished to be
successful for Huxley's sake. I am surprised that you think his address
would not have been clear to the public; it seemed to me as clear as
water. The general line of his argument might have been answered by the
case of spontaneous combustion: tens of thousands of cases of things
having been seen to be set on fire would be no true argument against any
one who maintained that flames sometimes spontaneously burst forth. I am
delighted at the apotheosis of Sir Roderick; I can fancy what neat and
appropriate speeches he would make to each nobleman as he entered the
gates of heaven. You ask what I think about Tyndall's lecture (238/2.
Tyndall's lecture was "On the Scientific Uses of the Imagination."):
it seemed to me grand and very interesting, though I could not from
ignorance quite follow some parts, and I longed to tell him how
immensely it would have been improved if all the first part had been
made very much less egotistical. George independently arrived at the
same conclusion, and liked all the latter part extremely. He thought the
first part not only egotistical, but rather clap-trap.
How well Tyndall puts the "as if" manner of philosophising, and shows
that it is justifiable. Some of those confounded Frenchmen have lately
been pitching into me for using this form of proof or argument.
I have just read Rolleston's address in "Nature" (238/3. Presidential
Address to the Biological Section, British Association, 1870. "Nature,"
September 22nd, 1870, page 423. Rolleston referred to the vitality of
seeds in soil, a subject on which Darwin made occasional observations.
See "Life and Letters," II., page 65.): his style is quite unparalleled!
I see he quotes you about seed, so yesterday I went and observed more
carefully the case given in the enclosed paper, which perhaps you might
like to read and burn.
How true and good what you say about Lyell. He is always the same; Dohrn
was here yesterday, and was remarking that no one stood higher in the
public estimation of Germany than Lyell.
I am truly and profoundly glad that you are thinking of some general
work on Geographical Distribution, or so forth; I hope to God that your
incessant occupations may not interrupt this intention. As for my book,
I shall not have done the accursed proofs till the end of November
(238/4. The proofs of the "Descent of Man" were finished on January
15th, 1871.): good Lord, what a muddled head I have got on my wretched
old shoulders.
LETTER 239. TO H. SETTEGAST. Down, September 29th, 1870.
I am very much obliged for your kind letter and present of your
beautiful volume. (239/1. "Die Thierzucht," 1868.) Your work is not new
to me, for I heard it so highly spoken of that I procured a copy of the
first edition. It was a great gratification to me to find a man who had
long studied with a philosophical spirit our domesticated animals, and
who was highly competent to judge, agreeing to a large extent with my
views. I regretted much that I had not known your work when I published
my last volumes.
I am surprised and pleased to hear that science is not quite forgotten
under the present exciting state of affairs. Every one whom I know in
England is an enthusiastic wisher for the full and complete success of
Germany.
P.S. I will give one of my two copies of your work to some public
scientific library in London.
LETTER 240. TO THE EDITOR OF THE "PALL MALL GAZETTE." Down, March 24th
[1871]. |