T 



IX 



HOUGH there Is no doubt but that there has 

 been a general advance in civilisation and 

 manners within the last hundred years, it is equally 

 certain — in England at least — that life has become 

 more sedate and uninspiring than was formerly the 

 case. A somewhat dull and uniform level of well- 

 conducted respectability would appear to have become 

 the national ideal of the great majority, whose main 

 excitement outside business hours is the genteel 

 athleticism which fills so many columns of the Press. 



Imagination and enterprise of an individualistic 

 kind is not looked upon with any great amount of 

 interest, indeed anything which is a revolt against the 

 monotonous conventionality which is being gradually 

 imposed upon all classes through the medium of 

 numberless laws and regulations is at a decided 

 discount. The English have become a nicely behaved 

 race, but the originality for which they were formerly 

 renowned seems dormant. 



France, on the other hand, though her detractors 

 have at times ventured to call her decadent, still 

 produces men of highly original character — all 

 honour to the gallant son of Gaul M. Bleriot, who by 

 his suberb flight across the Channel has shown the 



235 



