242 THE THRESHOLD OF EVOLUTION 



Hope Wisdom is sacrificed to energy. Hence we find that it 

 is one continuous strife between these three classes for the 

 control of Government, and as each in its turn gains the 

 supremacy and holds it for three generations, during which 

 it evolves the legislation most fit for its requirements. The 

 class that chanced to be in power has exerted the maximum 

 energy of its leaders, so is compelled to rest. The next class 

 then gains ascendancy and pulls down what its predecessors 

 built and so destroys any stability of government, until 

 Commerce and Science, Knowledge and Invention come to its 

 aid that they may exert the wisdom of their rule by the forces 

 of thrift, organization and co-operation, which latter in the 

 past coincides with religious advancement and must continue 

 to do so. Then another three generations later the mass of 

 the people gain the reins of government, but lacking the 

 powers of energy and judgment, their rule is necessarily of 

 short duration. Thus the wisdom of the past has ever been 

 doomed to die before class struggle for physical supremacy. 



In the present age I take it from my tables, the age of 

 Invention, which is to mark the rise on the horizon of the 

 sky of evolution of the sun of the powers of the soul over 

 those of body will in the future enable the light of wisdom to 

 so brighten the darkness of physical development, that the 

 dawn of the day of rule of Mind over Matter is now to com- 

 mence, and in the future right is to overcome might. Hitherto 

 might has ruled over right, for the reasons given above. I 

 do not intend to carry out my Tables to the extent of making 

 any particular forecast of the future, but it may be as well 

 just to point out here how coming events cast their shadows 

 before them by making a slight note of what the main features 

 of the forecast of the next two stages of Evolution are most 

 likely inclined to evolve, just to show how my Hypothesis 

 may in wiser hands become useful in the future, and be a 

 means of helping a better knowledge of past evolution to cast 

 its shadow over the evolution of future Governments and 

 Religions, Industries and Manufactures, Order and Society. 



The present Age of Invention clearly portrays the triumph 

 of Science and Invention over Materialism and materialistic 

 forces, or in other words the control of courage, wealth and 

 energy by Wisdom, not by Conquest. Wisdom of Use over 

 greed, Capital or Thrift over Courage, and the Energy of 



