84 HEREDITY AND SOCIETY 



from attacking her ; but the whole artificial fabric of 

 her structure, since it had no innate strength to sup- 

 port it from within, collapsed before the first sharp 

 blow from without." 



The passage is most instructive. Woe betide a 

 people that pins its faith in social regeneration solely to 

 a policy of excellent police and admirable sanitation. 



There is another point which may be gleaned from 

 a study of the Roman and Venetian empires during their 

 time of expansion, a point which is not without its 

 application in any criticism of the constitution of 

 society at the present time. 



A period of great material prosperity seems in- 

 evitably to lead to an extension of the social element 

 thriving on the opportunities afforded for rapid gain 

 and irresponsible wealth. This of itself is an unmixed 

 evil, especially in its secondary effect of setting a bad 

 example and putting a false standard before the nation. 

 From the point of view of heredity, it can at first do 

 little ; but its most insidious effect must be sought in 

 the undermining of sound customs and frugal habits 

 among the natural aristocracy of a land, with whom their 

 ill-gotten gains too often enable the speculative element 

 to purchase the right of association. The distrust of 

 the nouveau riche, of the unproved family of mush- 

 room growth, is probably a sound racial instinct ; 

 and there is more to be said in support of the deep- 

 rooted prejudice which exists in certain circles against 

 the parvenu than has ever come to the ears of the 

 egalitarian philosophers. 



It is essential to remember that we, in England, 



