NOTES 319 



and immature legislation, the incessant quarrellings without 

 which even this small modicum of result is not achieved, the 

 degradation of the public mind by the low standards of party 

 politics, and perhaps even the undoubted mismanagement which 

 has been so largely responsible for the present war — will 

 think that one-tenth of the sum which Parliament has taken 

 to itself would have been ample payment for it. Perhaps the 

 time will come when the historian reviewing the present period 

 will decide that the work in science of a few humble individuals 

 now living was of far greater value to humanity than the work 

 of all those who have taken this little quarter of a million out of 

 the public till. And yet our " Chancellor of the Exchequer has 

 no funds at his disposal for grants in respect of eminent scientific 

 services." What a criticism of the average mentality of the 

 British public ! 



One of the most singular things about the mass of humanity 

 is that, though they constantly read or hear the great lessons 

 taught to them by their chief poets and seers, they never seem 

 to take the lessons to themselves. Thus the sublime story 

 which is read every Sunday in our churches, and which is 

 largely based upon this very theme, never comes home to them. 

 When Prometheus gave to humanity his discovery of fire, the 

 only recompense which he received was the most dreadful of 

 punishments. We also know well the story so graphically 

 related by Browning. When the burghers of Hamelin were 

 unable to get rid of the pest of rats which infested them, the 

 Pied Piper arranged to do the work for the payment of a small 

 fee. When, however, he had done the work, they refused him 

 the fee ; and the result was that he charmed away their children 

 by exactly the same means as those by which he had charmed 

 away their rats. Now we as a nation would look with righteous 

 disgust at such conduct on the part of the burghers of Hamelin ; 

 but as a matter of fact this is precisely the conduct that we 

 have adopted for centuries past towards almost all our leading 

 benefactors. And Mr. Lloyd George has now decided that this 

 shall be the declared policy of the British Empire towards all 

 Pied Pipers in future ! 



The saying that we are a nation of shopkeepers is attributed 

 to Napoleon. He implied by this not only that we kept shops 

 (and shopkeepers are often excellent people), but that we have a 

 certain national characteristic which, we suppose, did not com- 



