266 



Life awl Letters of Francis Gait on 



29 years as 4"5 yeare later than the averaji^ age at marriaj^e and so takes 

 27 and 3(> years as the lengths of generations in the two classes. Tims in 

 108 years the early marrying class will have had four and the late marrying 

 cliuis three generations. Galton's numbers on p. 322 should, 1 think, he 

 repUvced hy the following: 



Relative, contributions to Mateiiial Populations. 



The changes emphasise considerably Galton's argument, although ex- 

 ception may well be taken to some of its stages, in particular to the ecjuality 

 of death-i-ates in large and small families. However, his general jirinciple is 

 probably a correct one: namely that for the physically fit early marriage 

 means more numerous offspring. Galton's next two sections indicate how 

 he proposed to make use of this greater fertility in the case of the early 

 married. His first suggestion is to give marks in competitive e.xaminations 

 for 'family merit.' Thus able youths would be favourably handicapped in 

 civil service examinations if they came of superior breed. A superior breed 

 is one which has been successful in its callings and is physically fit. 



"A thriving family may be sufficiently defined or inferred by the successive occupations of 

 its several male niemljers in the prt-vioiis genenition, and of the two grandfathers. These arc 

 ptatent facta ascertainablo by almost ev'ory youth, wliich admit of being verified in his neighlx)ur- 

 hood and attested in a satisfactory manner. A healthy and long-lived family may Ik; defined 

 by the patent facts of ages at death, and number and ages of living relations, within the degrees 

 mentioned above, all of which can be verified and attested. A know]e<lge of the existence of 

 longevity in the family would testify to the stamina of the wmdidate, and be an important 

 addition to the knowledge of his present health in forecasting the probability of his performing 

 a large measure of experienced work." (p. .32.5.) 



Galton would feel his way gradually in these matters, but even a small 

 allowance to family merit would he great in its effect as indicatuig "that 

 ancestrjil qualities are of present current value." The second factor is that 

 of 'Endowment' of the able who have 'family merit.' As money has often 

 been left for marriage portions for poor girls, so it might be left for the 

 worthier purpose of marriage portions for able young people of ' family merit.' 

 In the seventies the college statutes of the older universities etiforoed 

 celibacy on the Fellows. 



"Tlie college statutes to which I referred were very recently relaxed at Oxfonl, and have 

 just been reformed at Cambridge. I am told that numerous mnrringes have ensue*! in conse- 

 quence, or are ensuing. In Hereditary (renins I showed that scholastic success runs strongly in 

 familieo; therefore in all seriousness, I have no doubt, that the numb<>r of Englishmen naturally 

 endowed with high scholastic faculties will be sensibly increase<l in future generations by the 

 repeftl of these ancient statutes." (pp. 329-30.) 



As Galton very truly states, the wealth of the English race in hereditary 

 gifts has never been properly exjilored; and when it has been, the natural 



