256 ARISTOCRACY AND EVOLUTION 



Book in given level, unless it can metamorphose itself 



Chapter 3 -11 r 



as in many cases it can do by means of patterns 

 unless u can or otherwise into a series of orders which men 

 phosed into who have less skill can execute, and thus affects 

 ordera a g! ! ven to commodities not directly, but indirectly. So long 

 as it resides in exertions of the craftsman's hand, 

 applied directly to each commodity produced, it has 

 on the progress of the arts generally no effect at all. 

 The man or men who invented the slide rest com- 

 municated a new power to every one of the in- 

 numerable artisans now using it ; but an artisan 

 who should produce exceptionally accurate work 

 owing to the exceptional accuracy and steadiness of 

 his own hand, could no more add anything to the 

 faculties of even one of his fellows than a beautiful 

 woman can, by means of her own beauty, improve 

 the eyes, nose, or hair of her plainer sisters. 

 Material progress, then, as has just been said, is 

 so far from being dependent on the growth of rare 

 manual skill that it takes place in proportion as the 

 necessity for such skill is eliminated. 

 Again, brim- And now let us turn from the consideration of 



ance or charm . . . 1 i 1 



in private life human capacities, as applied to and expressing 

 mote "progress, themselves in the production of particular com- 

 modities or results, and consider them as they 

 reveal themselves in ordinary life and conversation. 

 We shall find ourselves confronted by a similar set 

 of facts here. We shall see that many of the talents 

 and qualities which, when possessed by our friends 

 or by ourselves, elicit our strongest admiration, and 

 give an interest to human nature, do nothing to 



