LAST WORDS ABOUT AGNOSTICISM. 311 



sideration that it is a pity to cease just when a few more pages will 

 make clear sundry of the issues, and leave readers in a better position 

 for deciding. Partly it seems to me wrong to leave grave misunder- 

 standings unrectified. And partly I am reluctant on personal grounds 

 to pass by some of Mr. Harrison's statements unnoticed. 



One of these statements, indeed, it would be imperative on me to 

 notice, since it reflects on me in a serious way. Speaking of the 

 " Descriptive Sociology," which contains a large part (though by no 

 means all) of the evidence used in the " Principles of Sociology," and 

 referring to the compilers who, under my superintendence, selected 

 the materials forming that work, Mr. Harrison says : — 



Of course these intelligent gentlemen had little difficulty in clipping from hun- 

 dreds of books about foreign races sentences which seem to support Mr. Spencer's 

 doctrines. The whole proceeding is too much like that of a famous lawyer who 

 wrote a law-book, and then gave it to his pupils to find the " cases " which sup- 

 ported his law. 



Had Mr, Harrison observed the dates, he would have seen that 

 since the compilation of the " Descriptive Sociology " was commenced 

 in 1867 and the writing of the "Principles of Sociology " in 1874, the 

 parallel he draws is not altogether applicable : the fact being that the 

 " Descriptive Sociology " was commenced seven years in advance for 

 the purpose (as stated in the preface) of obtaining adequate materials 

 for generalizations : sundry of w^hich, I may remark in passing, have 

 been quite at variance with my pre-conceptions.* I think that on 

 consideration, Mr. Harrison will regret having made so grave an in- 

 sinuation without very good warrant ; and he has no warrant. Charity 

 would almost lead one to suppose that he was not fully conscious of its 

 implications when he wrote the above passage ; for he practically can- 

 cels them immediately afterwards. He says : — " But of course one 

 can find in this medley of tables almost any view. And I find facts 

 which make for my view as often as any other." How this last state- 

 ment consists with the insinuation that what Mr. Harrison calls a 

 " medley " of tables contains evidence vitiated by special selection of 

 facts, it is difiicult to understand. If the purpose was to justify a 

 foregone conclusion, how does it happen that there are (according to 

 Mr. Harrison) as many facts which make against it as there are facts 

 which make for it ? 



The question here incidentally raised concerns the primitive re- 

 ligious idea. Which is the original belief, fetichism or the ghost- 

 theory ? The answer should profoundly interest all who care to under- 



* Elsewhere Mr. Harrison contemptuously refers to the " Descriptive Sociology " as 

 " a pile of clippings made to order." While I have been writing, the original directions 

 to compilers have been found by my present secretary, Mr. James Bridge ; and he has 

 drawn my attention to one of the " orders." It says that all works are " to be read not 

 with a view to any particular class of facts but with a view to all classes of facts." 



