do；　and　to　do　it　repeatedly；　is　not　to　be　intelligent？　　Some　say
  that　the　rose…seed　does　not　want　to　grow　into　a　rose…bush。　　Why；
  then；　in　the　name　of　all　that　is　reasonable；　does　it　grow？　　Likely
  enough　it　is　unaware　of　the　want　that　is　spurring　it　on　to　action。
  We　have　no　reason　to　suppose　that　a　human　embryo　knows　that　it
  wants　to　grow　into　a　baby；　or　a　baby　into　a　man。　　Nothing　ever
  shows　signs　of　knowing　what　it　is　either　wanting　or　doing；　when　its
  convictions　both　as　to　what　it　wants；　and　how　to　get　it；　have　been
  settled　beyond　further　power　of　question。　　The　less　signs　living
  creatures　give　of　knowing　what　they　do；　provided　they　do　it；　and　do
  it　repeatedly　and　well；　the　greater　proof　they　give　that　in　reality
  they　know　how　to　do　it；　and　have　done　it　already　on　an　infinite
  number　of　past　occasions。
  〃Some　one　may　say；〃　he　continued；　〃'What　do　you　mean　by　talking
  about　an　infinite　number　of　past　occasions？　　When　did　a　rose…seed
  make　itself　into　a　rose…bush　on　any　past　occasion？'
  〃I　answer　this　question　with　another。　　'Did　the　rose…seed　ever　form
  part　of　the　identity　of　the　rose…bush　on　which　it　grew？'　　Who　can
  say　that　it　did　not？　　Again　I　ask：　　'Was　this　rose…bush　ever　linked
  by　all　those　links　that　we　commonly　consider　as　constituting
  personal　identity；　with　the　seed　from　which　it　in　its　turn　grew？'
  Who　can　say　that　it　was　not？
  〃Then；　if　rose…seed　number　two　is　a　continuation　of　the　personality
  of　its　parent　rose…bush；　and　if　that　rose…bush　is　a　continuation　of
  the　personality　of　the　rose…seed　from　which　it　sprang；　rose…seed
  number　two　must　also　be　a　continuation　of　the　personality　of　the
  earlier　rose…seed。　　And　this　rose…seed　must　be　a　continuation　of
  the　personality　of　the　preceding　rose…seedand　so　back　and　back　ad
  infinitum。　　Hence　it　is　impossible　to　deny　continued　personality
  between　any　existing　rose…seed　and　the　earliest　seed　that　can　be
  called　a　rose…seed　at　all。
  〃The　answer；　then；　to　our　objector　is　not　far　to　seek。　　The　rose…
  seed　did　what　it　now　does　in　the　persons　of　its　ancestorsto　whom
  it　has　been　so　linked　as　to　be　able　to　remember　what　those
  ancestors　did　when　they　were　placed　as　the　rose…seed　now　is。　　Each
  stage　of　development　brings　back　the　recollection　of　the　course
  taken　in　the　preceding　stage；　and　the　development　has　been　so　often
  repeated；　that　all　doubtand　with　all　doubt；　all　consciousness　of
  actionis　suspended。
  〃But　an　objector　may　still　say；　'Granted　that　the　linking　between
  all　successive　generations　has　been　so　close　and　unbroken；　that
  each　one　of　them　may　be　conceived　as　able　to　remember　what　it　did
  in　the　persons　of　its　ancestorshow　do　you　show　that　it　actually
  did　remember？'
  〃The　answer　is：　　'By　the　action　which　each　generation　takesan
  action　which　repeats　all　the　phenomena　that　we　commonly　associate
  with　memorywhich　is　explicable　on　the　supposition　that　it　has
  been　guided　by　memoryand　which　has　neither　been　explained；　nor
  seems　ever　likely　to　be　explained　on　any　other　theory　than　the
  supposition　that　there　is　an　abiding　memory　between　successive
  generations。'
  〃Will　any　one　bring　an　example　of　any　living　creature　whose　action
  we　can　understand；　performing　an　ineffably　difficult　and　intricate
  action；　time　after　time；　with　invariable　success；　and　yet　not
  knowing　how　to　do　it；　and　never　having　done　it　before？　　Show　me　the
  example　and　I　will　say　no　more；　but　until　it　is　shown　me；　I　shall
  credit　action　where　I　cannot　watch　it；　with　being　controlled　by　the
  same　laws　as　when　it　is　within　our　ken。　　It　will　become　unconscious
  as　soon　as　the　skill　that　directs　it　has　become　perfected。　　Neither
  rose…seed；　therefore；　nor　embryo　should　be　expected　to　show　signs
  of　knowing　that　they　know　what　they　knowif　they　showed　such　signs
  the　fact　of　their　knowing　what　they　want；　and　how　to　get　it；　might
  more　reasonably　be　doubted。〃
  Some　of　the　passages　already　given　in　Chapter　XXIII　were　obviously
  inspired　by　the　one　just　quoted。　　As　I　read　it；　in　a　reprint　shown
  me　by　a　Professor　who　had　edited　much　of　the　early　literature　on
  the　subject；　I　could　not　but　remember　the　one　in　which　our　Lord
  tells　His　disciples　to　consider　the　lilies　of　the　field；　who
  neither　toil　nor　spin；　but　whose　raiment　surpasses　even　that　of
  Solomon　in　all　his　glory。
  〃They　toil　not；　neither　do　they　spin？〃　　Is　that　so？　　〃Toil　not？〃
  Perhaps　not；　now　that　the　method　of　procedure　is　so　well　known　as
  to　admit　of　no　further　questionbut　it　is　not　likely　that　lilies
  came　to　make　themselves　so　beautifully　without　having　ever　taken
  any　pains　about　the　matter。　　〃Neither　do　they　spin？〃　　Not　with　a
  spinning…wheel；　but　is　there　no　textile　fabric　in　a　leaf？
  What　would　the　lilies　of　the　field　say　if　they　heard　one　of　us
  declaring　that　they　neither　toil　nor　spin？　　They　would　say；　I　take
  it；　much　what　we　should　if　we　were　to　hear　of　their　preaching
  humility　on　the　text　of　Solomons；　and　saying；　〃Consider　the
  Solomons　in　all　their　glory；　they　toil　not　neither　do　they　spin。〃
  We　should　say　that　the　lilies　were　talking　about　things　that　they
  did　not　understand；　and　that　though　the　Solomons　do　not　toil　nor
  spin；　yet　there　had　been　no　lack　of　either　toiling　or　spinning
  before　they　came　to　be　arrayed　so　gorgeously。
  Let　me　now　return　to　the　Professor。　　I　have　said　enough　to　show　the
  general　drift　of　the　arguments　on　which　he　relied　in　order　to　show
  that　vegetables　are　only　animals　under　another　name；　but　have　not
  stated　his　case　in　anything　like　the　fullness　with　which　he　laid　it
  before　the　public。　　The　conclusion　he　drew；　or　pretended　to　draw；
  was　that　if　it　was　sinful　to　kill　and　eat　animals；　it　was　not　less
  sinful　to　do　the　like　by　vegetables；　or　their　seeds。　　None　such；　he
  said；　should　be　eaten；　save　what　had　died　a　natural　death；　such　as
  fruit　that　was　lying　on　the　ground　and　about　to　rot；　or　cabbage…
  leaves　that　had　turned　yellow　in　late　autumn。　　These　and　other　like
  garbage　he　declared　to　be　the　only　food　that　might　be　eaten　with　a
  clear　conscience。　　Even　so　the　eater　must　plant　the　pips　of　any
  apples　or　pears　that　he　may　have　eaten；　or　any　plum…stones；　cherry…
  stones；　and　the　like；　or　he　would　come　near　to　incurring　the　guilt
  of　infanticide。　　The　grain　of　cereals；　according　to　him；　was　out　of
  the　question；　for　every　such　grain　had　a　living　soul　as　much　as　man
  had；　and　had　as　good　a　right　as　man　to　possess　that　soul　in　peace。
  Having　thus　driven　his　fellow　countrymen　into　a　corner　at　the　point
  of　a　logical　bayonet　from　which　they　felt　that　there　was　no　escape；
  he　proposed　that　the　question　what　was　to　be　done　should　be
  referred　to　an　oracle　in　which　the　whole　country　had　the　greatest
  confidence；　and　to　which　recourse　was　always　had　in　times　of
  special　perplexity。　　It　was　whispered　that　a　near　relation　of　the
  philosopher's　was　lady's…maid　to　the　priestess　who　delivered　the
  oracle；　and　the　Puritan　party　declared　that　the　strangely
  unequivocal　answer　of　the　oracle　was　obtained　by　backstairs
  influence；　but　whether　this　was　so　or　no；　the　response　as　nearly　as
  I　can　translate　it　was　as　follows：…
  〃He　who　sins　aught
  Sins　more　than　he　ought；
  But　he　who　sins　nought
  Has　much　to　be　taught。
  Beat　or　be　beaten；
  Eat　or　be　eaten；
  Be　killed　or　kill；
  Choose　which　you　will。〃
  It　was　clear　that　this　response　sanctioned　at　any　rate　the
  destruction　of　vegetable　life　when　wanted　as　food　by　man；　and　so
  forcibly　had　the　philosopher　shown　that　what　was　sauce　for
  vegetables　was　so　also　for　animals；　that；　though　the　Puritan　party
  made　a　furious　outcry；　the　acts　forbidding　the　use　of　meat　were
  repealed　by　a　considerable　majority。　　Thus；　after　several　hundred
  years　of　wandering　in　the　wilderness　of　philosophy；　the　country
  reached　the　conclusions　that　common　sense　had　long　since　arrived
  at。　　Even　the　Puritans　after　a　vain　attempt　to　subsist　on　a　kind　of
  jam　made　of　apples　and　yellow　cabbage　leaves；　succumbed　to　the
  inevitable；　and　resigned　themselves　to　a　diet　of　roast　beef　and
  mutton；　with　all　the　usual　adjuncts　of　a　modern　dinner…table。
  One　would　have　thought　that　the　dance　they　had　been　led　by　the　old
  prophet；　and　that　still　madder　dance　which　the　Professor　of　botany
  had　gravely；　but　as　I　believe　insidiously；　proposed　to　lead　them；
  would　have　made　the　Erewhonians　for　a　long　time　suspicious　of
  prophets　whether　they　professed　to　have　communications　with　an
  unseen　power　or　no；　but　so　engrained　in　the　human　heart　is　the
  desire　to　believe　that　some　people　really　do　know　what　they　say
  they　know；　and　can　thus　save　them　from　the　trouble　of　thinking　for
  themselves；　that　in　a　short　time　would…be　philosophers　and　faddists
  became　more　powerful　than　ever；　and　gradually　led　their　countrymen
  to　accept　all　those　absurd　views　of　life；　some　account　of　which　I
  have　given　in　my　earlier　chapters。　　Indeed　I　can　see　no　hope　for
  the　Erewhonians　till　they　have　got　to　understand　that　reason
  uncorrected　by　instinct　is　as　bad　as　instinct　uncorrected　by
  reason。
  CHAPTER　XXVIII：　　ESCAPE
  Though　busily　engaged　in　translating　the　extracts　given　in　the　last
  five　chapters；　I　was　also　laying　matters　in　train　for　my　escape
  with　Arowhena。　　And　indeed　it　was　high　time；　for　I　received　an
  intimation　from　one　of　the　cashiers　of　the　Musical　Banks；　that　I