THE MORALITY OF HAPPINESS, 105 



than in simple self-sacrifice. Yet the matter is so obvious when pointed 

 out as to suggest later a different sort of retort — namely, that it was 

 scarce worth pointing out. Only, as it happens that this truly obvious 

 matter has been grievously overlooked, as the teacher of this essentially 

 true and therefore demonstrable lesson has been rebuked for inculcat- 

 ing mere self-seeking, it is tolerably clear that the lesson was very much 

 needed. 



Let us consider how obviously true it is, however, as he presents it. 

 Take, for instance, the matter on which I touched in my last — viz., the 

 consideration of the known laws of heredity. " When we remember," 

 says the clear, calm teacher of our time, " how commonly it is remarked 

 that high health and overflowing spirits render any lot in life toler- 

 able, while chronic ailments make gloomy a life most favorably cir- 

 cumstanced, it becomes amazing that both the world at large and 

 writers who make conduct their study should ignore the terrible evils 

 which disregard of personal well-being inflicts on the unborn, and the 

 incalculable good laid up for the unborn by attention to personal well- 

 being. Of all bequests of parents to children the most valuable is a 

 sound constitution. Though a man's body is not a property that can 

 be inherited, yet his constitution may fitly be compared to an entailed 

 estate ; and, if he rightly understands his duty to posterity, he will see 

 that he is bound to pass on that estate uninjured if not improved. To 

 say this is to say that he must be egoistic to the extent of satisfying 

 all those desires associated with the due performance of functions. 

 Nay, it is to say more. It is to say that he must seek in due amounts 

 the various pleasures which life offers. For beyond the effect these 

 have in raising the tide of life and maintaining constitutional vigor, 

 there is the effect they have in preserving and increasing a capacity 

 for receiving enjoyment. Endowed with abundant energies and vari- 

 ous tastes, some can get gratifications of many kinds on opportunities 

 hourly occurring ; while others are so inert, and so uninterested in 

 things around, that they can not even take the trouble to amuse them- 

 selves. And, unless heredity be denied, the inference must be that due 

 acceptance of the miscellaneous pleasures life offers conduces to the 

 capacity for enjoyment in posterity ; and that persistence in dull, 

 monotonous life by parents diminishes the ability of their descendants 

 to make the best of what gratifications fall to them." 



All this is clear and obvious enough when thus pointed out ; though 

 the very passage in which Mr. Spencer here so clearly shows that to 

 be happy, so far as by due regard of personal well-being one can make 

 one's self happy, is a duty, has been selected for abuse as though he 

 taught simply this — seek to gratify self in every available way. The 

 kind of rebuke justly passed on those who in the search for pleasure, 

 in mere self -gratification, ruin their health, lose happiness, become 

 morose, gloomy, and misanthropic, lose taste for all pleasures lower as 

 well as higher, and hand on to their children and their children's chil- 



