198 SKETCH OF THE LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS 



evils connected with our social state. War is 

 an evil unhappily incident to mankind at every 

 stage of advancement ; and history proves that 

 the more this calamity depends for its support 

 and its success upon mere physical force and 

 individual prowess, the more likely is it to be 

 barbarous and prolonged. ' All that raised 

 the hero, sunk the man,' said Pope. Every 

 one must be aware that modern warfare has, 

 by the aid of science, become more certain, 

 more decisive, and more brief, and has thereby 

 done much for human happiness. Professor 

 Hennessy said in his essay ' On the Relations 

 of Science to Modern Civilization,' ( The re- 

 sources which science now places at the dis- 

 posal of civilized nations engaged in war, not 

 only allow them to strike more energetic blows, 

 and thus the more rapidly terminate the con- 

 flict, but also enable hostile powers to more 

 accurately estimate each other's strength, and 

 thus to more equitably weigh all the considera- 

 tions that may induce them to maintain war or 

 to return to a state of peace.' And if the for- 

 midable armaments which science has already 

 furnished, and is yet able to perfect and to mul- 

 tiply, ' should ' to use Professor Hennessy 's 

 words ' fortunately not be required, they will 

 have far more effectually performed their work 



