upon　him；　and　their　existence　is　quite　as　much　a　sine　qua　non　for
  his；　as　his　for　theirs。　　This　fact　precludes　us　from　proposing　the
  complete　annihilation　of　machinery；　but　surely　it　indicates　that　we
  should　destroy　as　many　of　them　as　we　can　possibly　dispense　with；
  lest　they　should　tyrannise　over　us　even　more　completely。
  〃True；　from　a　low　materialistic　point　of　view；　it　would　seem　that
  those　thrive　best　who　use　machinery　wherever　its　use　is　possible
  with　profit；　but　this　is　the　art　of　the　machinesthey　serve　that
  they　may　rule。　　They　bear　no　malice　towards　man　for　destroying　a
  whole　race　of　them　provided　he　creates　a　better　instead；　on　the
  contrary；　they　reward　him　liberally　for　having　hastened　their
  development。　　It　is　for　neglecting　them　that　he　incurs　their　wrath；
  or　for　using　inferior　machines；　or　for　not　making　sufficient
  exertions　to　invent　new　ones；　or　for　destroying　them　without
  replacing　them；　yet　these　are　the　very　things　we　ought　to　do；　and
  do　quickly；　for　though　our　rebellion　against　their　infant　power
  will　cause　infinite　suffering；　what　will　not　things　come　to；　if
  that　rebellion　is　delayed？
  〃They　have　preyed　upon　man's　grovelling　preference　for　his　material
  over　his　spiritual　interests；　and　have　betrayed　him　into　supplying
  that　element　of　struggle　and　warfare　without　which　no　race　can
  advance。　　The　lower　animals　progress　because　they　struggle　with　one
  another；　the　weaker　die；　the　stronger　breed　and　transmit　their
  strength。　　The　machines　being　of　themselves　unable　to　struggle；
  have　got　man　to　do　their　struggling　for　them：　　as　long　as　he
  fulfils　this　function　duly；　all　goes　well　with　himat　least　he
  thinks　so；　but　the　moment　he　fails　to　do　his　best　for　the
  advancement　of　machinery　by　encouraging　the　good　and　destroying　the
  bad；　he　is　left　behind　in　the　race　of　competition；　and　this　means
  that　he　will　be　made　uncomfortable　in　a　variety　of　ways；　and
  perhaps　die。
  〃So　that　even　now　the　machines　will　only　serve　on　condition　of
  being　served；　and　that　too　upon　their　own　terms；　the　moment　their
  terms　are　not　complied　with；　they　jib；　and　either　smash　both
  themselves　and　all　whom　they　can　reach；　or　turn　churlish　and　refuse
  to　work　at　all。　　How　many　men　at　this　hour　are　living　in　a　state　of
  bondage　to　the　machines？　　How　many　spend　their　whole　lives；　from
  the　cradle　to　the　grave；　in　tending　them　by　night　and　day？　　Is　it
  not　plain　that　the　machines　are　gaining　ground　upon　us；　when　we
  reflect　on　the　increasing　number　of　those　who　are　bound　down　to
  them　as　slaves；　and　of　those　who　devote　their　whole　souls　to　the
  advancement　of　the　mechanical　kingdom？
  〃The　vapour…engine　must　be　fed　with　food　and　consume　it　by　fire
  even　as　man　consumes　it；　it　supports　its　combustion　by　air　as　man
  supports　it；　it　has　a　pulse　and　circulation　as　man　has。　　It　may　be
  granted　that　man's　body　is　as　yet　the　more　versatile　of　the　two；
  but　then　man's　body　is　an　older　thing；　give　the　vapour…engine　but
  half　the　time　that　man　has　had；　give　it　also　a　continuance　of　our
  present　infatuation；　and　what　may　it　not　ere　long　attain　to？
  〃There　are　certain　functions　indeed　of　the　vapour…engine　which　will
  probably　remain　unchanged　for　myriads　of　yearswhich　in　fact　will
  perhaps　survive　when　the　use　of　vapour　has　been　superseded：　　the
  piston　and　cylinder；　the　beam；　the　fly…wheel；　and　other　parts　of
  the　machine　will　probably　be　permanent；　just　as　we　see　that　man　and
  many　of　the　lower　animals　share　like　modes　of　eating；　drinking；　and
  sleeping；　thus　they　have　hearts　which　beat　as　ours；　veins　and
  arteries；　eyes；　ears；　and　noses；　they　sigh　even　in　their　sleep；　and
  weep　and　yawn；　they　are　affected　by　their　children；　they　feel
  pleasure　and　pain；　hope；　fear；　anger；　shame；　they　have　memory　and
  prescience；　they　know　that　if　certain　things　happen　to　them　they
  will　die；　and　they　fear　death　as　much　as　we　do；　they　communicate
  their　thoughts　to　one　another；　and　some　of　them　deliberately　act　in
  concert。　　The　comparison　of　similarities　is　endless：　　I　only　make
  it　because　some　may　say　that　since　the　vapour…engine　is　not　likely
  to　be　improved　in　the　main　particulars；　it　is　unlikely　to　be
  henceforward　extensively　modified　at　all。　　This　is　too　good　to　be
  true：　　it　will　be　modified　and　suited　for　an　infinite　variety　of
  purposes；　as　much　as　man　has　been　modified　so　as　to　exceed　the
  brutes　in　skill。
  〃In　the　meantime　the　stoker　is　almost　as　much　a　cook　for　his　engine
  as　our　own　cooks　for　ourselves。　　Consider　also　the　colliers　and
  pitmen　and　coal　merchants　and　coal　trains；　and　the　men　who　drive
  them；　and　the　ships　that　carry　coalswhat　an　army　of　servants　do
  the　machines　thus　employ！　　Are　there　not　probably　more　men　engaged
  in　tending　machinery　than　in　tending　men？　　Do　not　machines　eat　as
  it　were　by　mannery？　　Are　we　not　ourselves　creating　our　successors
  in　the　supremacy　of　the　earth？　daily　adding　to　the　beauty　and
  delicacy　of　their　organisation；　daily　giving　them　greater　skill　and
  supplying　more　and　more　of　that　self…regulating　self…acting　power
  which　will　be　better　than　any　intellect？
  〃What　a　new　thing　it　is　for　a　machine　to　feed　at　all！　　The　plough；
  the　spade；　and　the　cart　must　eat　through　man's　stomach；　the　fuel
  that　sets　them　going　must　burn　in　the　furnace　of　a　man　or　of
  horses。　　Man　must　consume　bread　and　meat　or　he　cannot　dig；　the
  bread　and　meat　are　the　fuel　which　drive　the　spade。　　If　a　plough　be
  drawn　by　horses；　the　power　is　supplied　by　grass　or　beans　or　oats；
  which　being　burnt　in　the　belly　of　the　cattle　give　the　power　of
  working：　　without　this　fuel　the　work　would　cease；　as　an　engine
  would　stop　if　its　furnaces　were　to　go　out。
  〃A　man　of　science　has　demonstrated　'that　no　animal　has　the　power　of
  originating　mechanical　energy；　but　that　all　the　work　done　in　its
  life　by　any　animal；　and　all　the　heat　that　has　been　emitted　from　it；
  and　the　heat　which　would　be　obtained　by　burning　the　combustible
  matter　which　has　been　lost　from　its　body　during　life；　and　by
  burning　its　body　after　death；　make　up　altogether　an　exact
  equivalent　to　the　heat　which　would　be　obtained　by　burning　as　much
  food　as　it　has　used　during　its　life；　and　an　amount　of　fuel　which
  would　generate　as　much　heat　as　its　body　if　burned　immediately　after
  death。'　　I　do　not　know　how　he　has　found　this　out；　but　he　is　a　man
  of　sciencehow　then　can　it　be　objected　against　the　future　vitality
  of　the　machines　that　they　are；　in　their　present　infancy；　at　the
  beck　and　call　of　beings　who　are　themselves　incapable　of　originating
  mechanical　energy？
  〃The　main　point；　however；　to　be　observed　as　affording　cause　for
  alarm　is；　that　whereas　animals　were　formerly　the　only　stomachs　of
  the　machines；　there　are　now　many　which　have　stomachs　of　their　own；
  and　consume　their　food　themselves。　　This　is　a　great　step　towards
  their　becoming；　if　not　animate；　yet　something　so　near　akin　to　it；
  as　not　to　differ　more　widely　from　our　own　life　than　animals　do　from
  vegetables。　　And　though　man　should　remain；　in　some　respects；　the
  higher　creature；　is　not　this　in　accordance　with　the　practice　of
  nature；　which　allows　superiority　in　some　things　to　animals　which
  have；　on　the　whole；　been　long　surpassed？　　Has　she　not　allowed　the
  ant　and　the　bee　to　retain　superiority　over　man　in　the　organisation
  of　their　communities　and　social　arrangements；　the　bird　in
  traversing　the　air；　the　fish　in　swimming；　the　horse　in　strength　and
  fleetness；　and　the　dog　in　self…sacrifice？
  〃It　is　said　by　some　with　whom　I　have　conversed　upon　this　subject；
  that　the　machines　can　never　be　developed　into　animate　or　quasi…
  animate　existences；　inasmuch　as　they　have　no　reproductive　system；
  nor　seem　ever　likely　to　possess　one。　　If　this　be　taken　to　mean　that
  they　cannot　marry；　and　that　we　are　never　likely　to　see　a　fertile
  union　between　two　vapour…engines　with　the　young　ones　playing　about
  the　door　of　the　shed；　however　greatly　we　might　desire　to　do　so；　I
  will　readily　grant　it。　　But　the　objection　is　not　a　very　profound
  one。　　No　one　expects　that　all　the　features　of　the　now　existing
  organisations　will　be　absolutely　repeated　in　an　entirely　new　class
  of　life。　　The　reproductive　system　of　animals　differs　widely　from
  that　of　plants；　but　both　are　reproductive　systems。　　Has　nature
  exhausted　her　phases　of　this　power？
  〃Surely　if　a　machine　is　able　to　reproduce　another　machine
  systematically；　we　may　say　that　it　has　a　reproductive　system。　　What
  is　a　reproductive　system；　if　it　be　not　a　system　for　reproduction？
  And　how　few　of　the　machines　are　there　which　have　not　been　produced
  systematically　by　other　machines？　　But　it　is　man　that　makes　them　do
  so。　　Yes；　but　is　it　not　insects　that　make　many　of　the　plants
  reproductive；　and　would　not　whole　families　of　plants　die　out　if
  their　fertilisation　was　not　effected　by　a　class　of　agents　utterly
  foreign　to　themselves？　　Does　any　one　say　that　the　red　clover　has　no
  reproductive　system　because　the　humble　bee　（and　the　humble　bee
  only）　must　aid　and　abet　it　before　it　can　reproduce？　　No　one。　　The
  humble　bee　is　a　part　of　the　reproductive　system　of　the　clover。
  Each　one　of　ourselves　has　sprung　from　minute　animalcules　whose
  entity　was　entirely　distinct　from　our　own；　and　which　acted　after
  their　kind　with　no　thought　or　heed　of　what　we　might　think　about　it。
  These　little　creatures　are　part　of　o