The Enemy of Mankind 



But perhaps the most striking prevision of 

 the present degradation under which we 

 groan was published in 1903 by George 

 Gissing as having been found by him among 

 the private papers of Henry Rycroft. 1 



"I hate and fear Science because of my 

 conviction that, for long to come if not for 

 ever, it will be the remorseless enemy of 

 mankind. I see it destroying all simplicity 

 and gentleness of life, all the beauty of 

 the world ; I see it restoring barbarism 

 under the mask of civilization ; I see it 

 darkening men's minds and hardening their 

 hearts; I see it bringing a time of vast 

 conflicts, which will pale into insignificance 

 ' the thousand wars of old,' and, as likely 

 as not, will whelm the laborious advances 

 of mankind in blood-stained chaos." 



The greater part of this remarkable pre- 

 diction has already overtaken us ; only by 



1 I am indebted for this reference to Mr Newton Scott. 



c 33 



