396 THE ASCENT OF MAN 



this simple combination was already strong enough 

 to become the nucleus of the social and national 

 life of the world. For the moment the new 

 forces of Sympathy, Brotherhood, Self-denial, or 

 Love, began to work among the isolated units 

 which made up primitive Man, the whole com- 

 position and character of the aggregate began to 

 change. Sooner or later in the recurring neces- 

 sities of savage existence there came an oppor- 

 tunity for the members of the first combination, 

 the little group of Father, Mother, and Sons, 

 to act together. However unworthily this primi- 

 tive group merited the name of Family, there was 

 here what at that time was of final importance — 

 the elements of physical strength. He who formerly 

 stood alone in the Struggle for Life now found him- 

 self backed on occasion by an inner circle. Those 

 who outside this circle ventured to oppose or offend 

 an individual within it had the Family to reckon 

 with. Ends were gained by the new alliance which 

 were unattainable single-handed by any individual 

 member of the tribe, and whether enlisted to evade 

 disaster or secure a prey, to resist an injustice or 

 avenge a wrong, the odds henceforth and always 

 were in favour of the combination. When it is re- 

 membered how, owing to the comparative equality 

 of the competitors in the conflict of savage exist- 



