HO DARWINIANISM. 



as much in their power of production as men vary in the 

 productiveness of their strengths, and so long as need 

 remains need, or cupidity, cupidity why, then, just so 

 long will rent remain the fixed necessity that it is the 

 advantage in piecework of much over less. A short time 

 ago the price of coal being enormously high (by tem- 

 jM)rary artifice), seams a few inches thick were seen to be 

 sfi/ud upon and actually worked :are they worked now, 

 when the price has fallen to its previous norm ? 



That is the same thing. The principle is transparent. 

 Bigger profit rent is the accidental advantage of the 

 better, or better-placed, land ; as bigger profit, bigger 

 wage, is the accidental advantage of the better work- 

 man, on piecework, or otherwise. Eent, in fact, is simply 

 the result of inequality the natural and unavoidable 

 result of inequality anywhere on the part, that is, of 

 all things whatever that may be termed jrroduetives. 

 The praises even, no less than the prizes, of men the 

 enormous price of the " Angelus " nay, the transcend- 

 ence of Shakespeare himself, is nothing but rent. 

 Philosophy is about the only property which (of course 

 unless it be a Tulchan) yields not a farthing of rent to 

 its proprietor. " I am in thousand-fold want," says 

 Socrates, " through the service of the God." 



The " argument " is not " so long and so refined, that 

 most minds are unable to pursue it without stumbling." 

 There are other such propos of his on the political 

 economy in the knowledge of which Mr. Buckle desires 

 undisguisedly to pass as an expert; and, estimated 

 aright, they are no more than the empty but well- 

 bawled parrot calls of the schoolroom. Under political 

 economy, there are various very complex interests, or, 

 we may say, institutions included, as, for example, bank- 

 ing and banks; but these apart, what are called the 

 great laws of political economy say in relation to 



