THE LEGACY OF THE GREEKS 149 



ence that is probably as good an account, on its larger side, 

 of the Darwinian theory as, let us say, the late Matthew Arnold 

 could have written without reference to some accepted exposition. 

 In Pliny there are recipes for foretelling the weather. 

 Democritus had written upon the same subject at a time more 

 distant from Pliny than the later crusades from our own. 



It is evident enough that a very large number of minds 

 had widened to the perception of nature as a series of pheno- 

 mena, orderly and more or less predictable, and understand- 

 able among themselves. It is evident that for five or six 

 hundred years the clearer thinking portion of mankind had 

 given over its beliefs in interfering deities and malevolent demons, 

 and had quite ceased to look out upon creation with the naive 

 fancies of their far forbears. 



Consider now the world ideas of some of the foremost men 

 of letters, of politics, and of affairs in the present age. It is 

 evident that there were among the ancients not single minds 



. but scores who undoubtedly had better apprehended the scheme 

 of this world than, let us say, Tolstoi or Mr. Gladstone, the 

 last representative of the Russian autocracy, or the possessor 

 of the greatest fortune in America. 



Again, let us ask ourselves, in what regard does the average 

 man, even among the most enlightened, nowadays pursue the 

 game of life in a manner different from the busy traders of 

 Alexandria or the land-holders of the Roman Empire ? Then, 

 as now, money ruled the world. Then, as now, the central 

 power of the State was a plutocracy. Then, as now, politics 

 was a road to wealth. Caesar left Rome for Spain at thirty- 

 eight or so, owing 250 million sesterces perhaps two million 

 sterling. He died worth perhaps as many more. Crassus 

 became the wealthiest man in Rome through real-estate specu- 

 lation, just as did George Washington, and by building houses 

 to sell, doubtless on the instalment plan. Then, as now, to be 

 rich, to marry among the rich, to have a place among the society 

 of the rich, to win applause or secure political preferment by 

 scattering a fortune with a lavish hand, was the supreme desire 

 of the great body of mankind. 



r* Scientific investigation then interested but few. It interests 

 but few now. The number of men of culture and intellectual 



I distinction, of freedom from the prejudices and passions of the 



V vulgar, from the cant of religion or patriotism or a smug and 



