184 
A COLONY IN THE MAKING 
CHAP. 
These would appear to be the main charges and 
counter-charges. As to their respective merits, it is not 
for us to say, probably there is an element of truth 
in each. At all events, the result is, with, thank 
heaven! many an exception, the comparative unsuit¬ 
ability of the class for our older Colonies. Nor is the 
reason of this far to seek. For three hundred years or 
more the whole aim of a public-school education has 
been to fit a boy, not for work, but for the overseeing 
of work. Until comparatively recent times, for the sons 
of gentlemen, and more especially of country squires 
(which class formed the huge bulk of the public school), 
there were but three careers : the overseeing of the 
estate itself for the eldest son ; the Army, which then 
demanded little or no expert knowledge; and the 
Church, which amounted to the overseeing of the 
parish and the position of the squire’s right-hand man. 
Even when, say about the middle of the last century, 
the merchant class began to invade the public 
school, it was customary, after a very brief period 
of probation, for the merchant’s son to take up 
the position of partner rather than apprentice. 
To this end, therefore, i.e. that the finished 
product might become an efficient overseer of labour 
—was the whole system of education directed. And 
well, indeed, it served its purpose. I venture to say 
that never again will England see such good land¬ 
lords, such good magistrates, such good clergymen, 
or such splendid leaders of soldiery, as she saw last 
century. But times have inevitably changed, and in 
the main, of course, for the better ; at all events, the 
design of giving a more equal chance to every human 
being born into the world is a great one. To be a 
landlord at all now is next door to a criminal offence, 
