JustatthetimewhenthisthoughtwastakingforminGoethe’sbrain，thesameideawasgerminatinginthemindofanotherphilosopher，anEnglishmanofinternationalfame，Dr。ErasmusDarwin，who，whilehelived，enjoyedthewidestpopularityasapoet，therhymedcoupletsofhisBotanicGardenbeingquotedeverywherewithadmiration。Andposterityrepudiatingtheversewhichmakesthebodyofthebook，yetgrantspermanentvaluetothebookitself，because，forsooth，itscopiousexplanatoryfoot-notesfurnishanoutlineofthestatusofalmosteverydepartmentofscienceofthetime。
Buteventhoughhelackedthehighestartoftheversifier，Darwinhad，beyondperadventure，theimaginationofapoetcoupledwithprofoundscientificknowledge；anditwashispoeticinsight，correlatingorganismsseeminglydiverseinstructureandimbuingthelowliestflowerwithavitalpersonality，whichledhimtosuspectthattherearenolinesofdemarcationinnature。
\"Canitbe，\"hequeries，\"thatoneformoforganismhasdevelopedfromanother；thatdifferentspeciesarereallybutmodifieddescendantsofoneparentstock？\"Thealluringthoughtnestledinhismindandwasnurturedthere，andgrewinafixedbelief，whichwasgivenfullerexpressioninhisZoonomiaandintheposthumousTempleofNature。
HereishisrenderingoftheideaasversifiedintheTempleofNature:
\"OrganiclifebeneaththeshorelesswavesWasborn，andnursedinOcean’spearlycaves；