io8 Heredity, Variation and Genius 



vehemence. On the contrary, they believe every 

 angrier repetition to be an added proof of what 

 they believe and an added condemnation of the 

 wickedness or wilful blindness of those who do 

 not agree with them. Outdoing the famous 

 company which in jubilant procession marched 

 round and shouted down the walls of Jericho, 

 they think to build up the walls of truth by much 

 shouting. Moreover, the lie which serves their 

 cause is no lie, or at any rate, being justified by 

 its end and polished to its purpose, is essentially 

 a virtuous lie. It is not such quality of character 

 that bespeaks a sound mental constitution or 

 promises well for the mental constitution of off- 

 spring. It is he who owns a saner constitution, 

 a better ballasted judgment, well-tempered feeling, 

 and pursues a wiser conduct of life : who lives 

 a pure life, does what is right, and speaks the 

 truth from his heart ; practises no deceit nor 

 slanders or otherwise wrongs his neighbour ; 

 does not set himself up in his own conceit but is 

 lowly in his own eyes ; performs that which he 

 promises, though to his own hindrance — he it is 

 who, doing these things, shall not fall, nor, one 

 may perhaps add, leave bad seed behind him.* 

 For as he who lacks the inward strength, propor- 

 tion and wholeness of mind to adapt to himself 

 or to adapt himself to the circumstances of life 

 in which fate or fortune has placed him inherits 



* Psalm xv. 



