74 THE LAWS OF SOCIAL INEQUALITY 



must and will naturally take an inferior and subordinate 

 position. But the branch, if it grows for centuries, will 

 never equal the entire tree in size, and the branchlet must 

 ever continue smaller than the branch. For each has its 

 own limit of growth prescribed by Nature, according to a 

 morphological law which it cannot pass, even under the 

 most favorable circumstances, and by means of which each 

 is rendered subservient to the growth of the other. So, if 

 we suppose all to have the advantages of a liberal educa- 

 tion, the variety of gift and intellectual capacity amongst 

 mankind will still remain unchangeably the same, and 

 therefore their social position with reference to each other. 

 There will, however, be this important advantage gained; 

 each will be rendered more capable of discharging the 

 duties of that position in life in which it has pleased Pro- 

 .vidence to place them ; and thus the whole community will 

 be benefited by the prosperity of its individual members. 

 It has been proved that there will ever be subordination. 

 But as man is naturally a selfish being, blind submission 

 to superior talent and energy is not to be thought of for a 

 moment. It has been well said that " History is Philoso- 

 phy teaching by example ;" now, History teaches most 

 impressively the social evils which were formerly pro- 

 duced by a monopoly of religious and political power. Is 

 it possible to imagine any religious tyranny more execrable 

 than that which existed before the Reformation ? Priests 

 were then the jailors of the human mind ; they wielded 

 powers so enormous, that the greatest monarchs of the 

 earth trembled before them. Whe*n first attacked, terrible 

 were the struggles of this religious despotism ! What brute 

 force was employed ! What disgraceful and cruel persecu- 

 tions ! Who originated the Inquisition, with its hellish 

 tortures, and dungeons with walls built' purposely thick 

 to deaden the shrieks of suffering men and women ? 

 The philosopher Copernicus withholding his discoveries 

 through terror of this tyranny, during his lifetime, from 

 mankind, and only consenting to their publication on his 

 death-bed ! And the venerable Galileo imprisoned and 

 compelled to adjure as errors, what are now known to be 



