418 STUDY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



supposed to despise the decorations of a riband, or 

 the homage of a political party. 



(287.) But then it is urged, if philosophers 

 were to be rewarded by titular distinctions, " many- 

 would be seeking them." No doubt, many aspirants 

 would be found for these, as there are for all other 

 honours, whose qualifications were trifling. But in 

 what manner this evil is to be peculiar to the 

 class of society under consideration has not been 

 explained. As national honours, of whatsoever 

 description they may be, are highly and deservedly 

 prized; so, as a matter of course, will they be 

 sought for and coveted. When a vacancy occurs for 

 the decoration of a blue riband, are there not many 

 who seek to fill it? Those who are in power can 

 best answer this question ; but every one acquainted 

 with human nature, knows by induction that there 

 must be a host of aspirants, where honours are to 

 be gained ; while to suppose such rewards were 

 not of sufficient value to excite competition, and 

 induce " many to seek them," is at once to proclaim 

 their unfitness for exciting that emulation ivhich is 

 one of their legitimate uses. But supposing, for a 

 moment, that England, like all other civilised Eu- 

 ropean nations, had her own order of merit, by 

 whatsoever title it were called, and solely restricted 

 to her philosophers. Can it be imagined, for a 

 moment, that there would be a tenth part as many 

 aspirants to its honours, as there are now to the 

 titles belonging to the existing orders? Un- 

 questionably not, and for this simple reason : hun- 

 dreds, we might almost say thousands, in a country 

 like this, from the possession of wealth, rank, or 



