io8 THE FAMILY AND THE NATION 



ten or twenty years seems to have been felt sufficient ; the 

 previous rugged circumstances of life had not permitted 

 the accumulation of such family treasures as portraits 

 and plate. Family affection among the present and the 

 living was strong, as it is sure to be in a vigorous, 

 healthy stock ; but family pride in ancestry disappeared 

 with the knowledge of the ancestors. The greater 

 wealth, increased luxury, larger responsibilities, wider 

 outlook, seemed to justify the belief that the individual 

 had achieved a success, for which, if foolish, he thanked 

 himself, if wise, he thanked God ; but, in any case, 

 usually forgot the sturdy yeoman ancestors who had 

 lived and laboured and intermarried for generations 

 before him. 



