BRITISH FERTILITY. 177 



say that high-water mark is yet reached? Every- 

 thing betokens a race still in its youth, still on the 

 road to empire. The full-bloodedness, the large 

 feet and hands, the prominent canine teeth, the 

 stomachic and muscular robustness, the health of 

 the women, the savage jealousy of personal rights, 

 the swarms upon swarms of children and young 

 people, the delight in the open air and in athletic 

 sports, the love of danger and adventure, a certain 

 morning freshness and youthfulness in their look, 

 as if their food and sleep nourished them well, 

 together with a certain animality and stupidity, 

 all indicate a people who have not yet slackened 

 speed or taken in sail. Neither the land nor the 

 race shows any exhaustion. In both there is yet 

 the freshness and fruitfulness of a new country. 

 You would think the people had just come into 

 possession of a virgin soil. There is a pioneer 

 hardiness and fertility about them. Families in- 

 crease as in our early frontier settlements. Let me 

 quote a paragraph from Taine's "Notes: " 



"An Englishman nearly always has many chil- 

 dren, the rich as well as the poor. The Queen 

 has nine, and sets the example. Let us run over 



the families we are acquainted with: Lord has 



eix children; the Marquis of , twelve; Sir 



N , nine; Mr. S , a judge, twenty-four, of 



whom twenty-two are living; several clergymen, 

 five, six, and up to ten and twelve." 



Thus is the census kept up and increased. The 

 land, the towns and cities, are like hives in swarm- 



