Yet they do, you know, though it's a slow business. It's
thought that leads."
"The multitude following in its own fashion," said Piers drily.
"Rousseau teaches liberty and fraternity; France learns the lesson
and plunges into '93."
"With Nap to put things straight again. For all that a step was
taken. We are better for Jean Jacques--a little better."
"And for Napoleon, too, I suppose. Napoleon--a wild beast with a
genius for arithmetic."
John Jacks let his eyes rest upon the speaker, interested and
amused.
"That's how you see him? Not a bad definition. I suppose the truth
is, we know nothing about human history. The old view was good for
working by--Jehovah holding his balance, smiting on one side, and
rewarding on the other. It's our national view to this day. The
English are an Old Testament people; they never cared about the New.
Do you know that there's a sect who hold that the English are the
Lost Tribes--the People of the Promise? I see a great deal to be
said for that idea. No other nation has such profound sympathy with
the history and the creeds of Israel. Did you ever think of it? That
Old Testament religion suits us perfectly--our arrogance and our
pugnaciousness; this accounts for its hold on the mind of the
people; it couldn't be stronger if the bloodthirsty old Tribes were
truly our ancestors. The English seized upon their spiritual
inheritance as soon as a translation of the Bible put it before
them.
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