422 GOVERNMENT IX 



that this theory lies at the foundation of the 

 ancient polity ; and that the dominant purpose of 

 its organisation was not the preservation of liberty 

 or property, by taking order that no man used his 

 freedom in a way to interfere with others' freedom, 

 but the performance of those religious obligations 

 by which the good will of the ancestral gods might 

 be secured. Archaic society aims, not at the freest 

 | possible exercise of rights, but at the exactest 

 / possible discharge of duties. The most marked 

 inequalities and seeming iniquities of ancient law, 

 such as succession in the male line, the acknow- 

 ledgment of agnate blood relationship only, adop- 

 tion, divorce for barrenness, are direct consequences 

 of the religious foundation of ancient society. 

 Thus the whole fabric of a priori political specula- 

 tion which we have had under consideration is 

 built upon the quicksand of fictitious history. So 

 far as this method of establishing their claims is 

 concerned, Regimentation and Individualism en- 

 forced Socialism and Anarchy are alike out of 

 court. 



The comments upon the preceding essays which 

 have come under my notice, lead me to suspect 

 that my purpose in writing them has been some- 

 what misunderstood. 



They appear to have been regarded by the 

 regimental socialists as an onslaught specially 

 directed against their position ; and as an attempt 



