Page:The Harveian oration ; delivered at the Royal College of Physicians, June 26th, 1879 (IA b24976465).pdf/58

 degrading or even demoralising. Of course, these writers are blind; they have not their eyes open to the wonders around them, or if they hold any opinion as to the meaning of the world it is asso- ciated with some philosophical or religious dogma which has formed its foundation. But scientific teaching must have its way; for, as we believe, all parts of the world are held together by one force (and what is true of one portion is true of another), so scientific men must be pleased to see that the doctrine of evolution, first taught by them regarding material things, is seen to be a law pervading the world, and is now being made appli- cable to man in his mental and spiritual nature, both by moralists and divines. For if, as many hold, the imagination of man is but a reflection of the world around him, then evolution is as true as the older theories of a perfect world undergoing decay; for the scientific man knows that life and death are but correlative terms. Scientific pur- suits are ennobling and accompanied by pleasure of the purest and highest kind. Nature reveals her secrets only to those who wish to discover truth; for while the dishonest man is repelled, and his only recompense is error, to the earnest investigator