things; and there is done what lies in human skill to stifle all
Wisdom everywhere in the birth, to smite our poor world barren of
Wisdom,--and make your utmost Collective Wisdom, were it
collected and elected by Rhadamanthus, AEacus and Minos, not to
speak of drunken Tenpound Franchisers with their ballot-boxes, an
inadequate Collective! The Wisdom is not now there: how will
you 'collect' it? As well wash Thames mud, by improved methods,
to find more gold in it.

Truly, the first condition is indispensable, That Wisdom be
there: but the second is like unto it, is properly one with it:
these two conditions act and react through every fibre of them,
and go inseparably together. If you have much Wisdom in your
Nation, you will get it faithfully collected; for the wise love
Wisdom, and will search for it as for life and salvation. If you
have little Wisdom, you will get even that little ill-collected,
trampled under foot, reduced as near as possible to annihilation;
for fools do not love Wisdom; they are foolish, first of all,
because they have never loved Wisdom,--but have loved their own
appetites, ambitions, their coroneted coaches, tankards of heavy-
wet. Thus is your candle lighted at both ends, and the progress
towards consummation is swift. Thus is fulfilled that saying in
the Gospel: To him that hath shall be given; and from him that
hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. Very
literally, in a very fatal manner, that saying is here fulfilled.

Our 'Aristocracy of Talent' seems at a considerable distance yet;
does it not, O Bobus?