216 THE STRUGGLE FOR EXISTENCE v 



whether in this or other countries, is aware that, 

 amidst a large and increasing body of that pojm- 

 lation, la misere reigns supreme. I have no 

 pretensions to the character of a philanthropist, 

 and I have a special horror of all sorts of senti- 

 mental rhetoric ; I am merely trying to deal with 

 facts, to some extent within my own knowledge, 

 and further evidenced by abundant testimony, as 

 a naturalist ; and I take it to be a mere plain 

 truth that, throughout industrial Europe, there is 

 not a single large manufacturing city which is 

 free from a vast mass of people whose condition 

 is exactly that described ; and from a still greater 

 mass who, living just on the edge of the social 

 swamp, are liable to be precipitated into it by any 

 lack of demand for their produce. And, with 

 every addition to the population, the multitude 

 already sunk in the pit and the number of the 

 host sliding towards it continually increase. 



Argumentation can hardly be needful to make 

 it clear that no society in which the elements of 

 decomposition are thus swiftly and surely accumu- 

 lating can hope to win in the race of industries. 



Intelligence, knowledge, and skill are undoubt- 

 edly conditions of success ; but of what avail are 

 they likely to be unless they are backed up by 

 honesty, energy, goodwill, and all the physical and 

 moral faculties that go to the making of manhood, 

 and unless they are stimulated by hope of such 

 reward as men may fairly look to ? And what 



