PEEFACE. 21 



way to become members of what I trust will be what 

 I am certain ought to be the aristocracy of the 

 future. 



I say it deliberately, as a student of society and of 

 history. Power will pass more and more, if all goes 

 healthily and well, into the hands of scientific men ; 

 into the hands of those who have made due use of that 

 great heirloom which the philosophers of the seven- 

 teenth century left for the use of future generations, 

 and specially of the Teutonic race. 



For the rest, events seem but too likely to repeat 

 themselves again and again all over the world, in the 

 same hopeless circle. Aristocracies of mere birth 

 decay and die, and give place to aristocracies of 

 mere wealth ; and they again to " aristocracies of 

 genius," which are really aristocracies of the noisiest, 

 of mere scribblers and spouters, such as France is 

 writhing under at this moment. And when these last 

 have blown off their steam, with mighty roar, but 

 without moving the engine a single yard, then they 

 are but too likely to give place to the worst of all 

 aristocracies, the aristocracy of mere " order," which 

 means organised brute force and military despotism. 

 And, after that, what can come, save anarchy, and 

 decay, and social death ? 



What else ? unless there be left in the nation, in 

 the society, as the salt of the land, to keep it all from 

 rotting, a sufficient number of wise men to form a true 

 working aristocracy, an aristocracy of sound and rational 

 science ? If they be strong enough (and they are 

 growing stronger day by day over the civilised world), 

 on them will the future of that world mainly depend. 

 They will rule, and they will act cautiously, we may 



