1888.] on Antagonism, 291 



view and imagined the earth dancing on the dancers' feet, which it 

 most unquestionably did. Indeed, his great invention of balloons was 

 guessed at by his witnessing a mild form of antagonism between heat 

 and gravitation. He, being a dutiful husband, was airing his wife's 

 dresses, who was going to a ball. He observed the hot air from the 

 fire inflated the light materials, which rose up in a sort of spheroidal 

 form (you may some of you have noticed this form in dress ! ). This 

 gave him the idea of the fire-balloon, which, being a large pajjer-maker 

 at Annonay, he forthwith experimented on, and hence we got aerial 

 navigation. This anecdote was told me by his ne^Dhew M. Seguin, 

 also an eminent man. Even what we call a natural death is a greater 

 struggle than that which other animals go through, and is, in fact, the 

 most artificial of all deaths. The lower animals, practically speaking, 

 do experience a natural death, i. e. a violent or unforeseen death. As 

 soon as their powers decline to such an extent that they cannot take 

 part in the struggle for existence, they die or are killed, generally 

 quickly, and their sufferings are not protracted by the artificial tortures 

 arising from the endeavours to prolong life. 



Let us now pass from individuals to communities. Is there less 

 antagonism now than of yore ? Do the nations of Europe now form 

 a happy family ? Are the armaments of Continental nations, or is 

 the navy of this country, less than in former years '? The very ex- 

 pression " the Great Powers " involves antagonism. 



As with wars and revolutions, so, as I have said, with regard to 

 individuals, during our so-called peace, the fight is continuous among 

 communities. If the water does not boil, it simmers. Not merely 

 are there the struggles of poor against rich going on, but the battles for 

 position and pre-eminence are constant. The subjugated party or sect 

 seeks first for toleration, then for equalisation, and then for domination. 



We call contentment a virtue, but we inculcate discontent. A 

 father reproaches his son for not exerting himself to improve his 

 position, and at school and college and in subsequent periods of life 

 efforts at advancement in the social scale are recommended. Individual 

 antagonisms, class antagonisms, political, trading, and religious 

 antagonisms take the place of war. Can war exhibit a more vigorous 

 and persistent antagonism than competition does ? Take the college 

 student with ruined health ; take the bankrupt tradesman with ruined 

 family ; take the aspirants of fashion turning night into day, and 

 preferring gas or electric light to that of the sun : there is, to be 

 sure, some excuse for this, as we so rarely see the latter. 



But our very amusements are of a combative character : chess, 

 whist, billiards, racing, cricket, football, &c. And in all these we, in 

 common parlance, speak of heating our opponent. Even dancino" is 

 probably a relic and reminiscence of war, and some of its forms are 

 of a military character. I can call to mind only one game which is 

 not combative, and that is the game you are in some sort now playing, 

 viz. " patience," and with, I fear, some degree of internal antagonism ! 



Take, again, the ordinary incidents of a day's life in London : 



