hinders, is cruel; it is made, not discovered; it is common-place although loved by poets. Such are broad tendencies: there is much that is unconscious in them; the truth-seeker is not always saying "I am merciful;" and the opinion-spinner is not wittingly cruel.

The nerve of intellect gives its character to all intellectual performance. Criminals have poor brain and consequently have poor intellect and poor action. Sly and suspicious they may be (and slyness and suspicion are often mistaken for cleverness and foresight); but poor, or diseased, or injured, or alcoholicised nerve is usually sly and suspicious. It is so with the nerve of peoples or persons when they are in rude states, or decaying, or are greedy, or selfindulgent. The immature brain of children, especially of neglected children, and the degenerate brain of the aged, especially the neglected aged, may alike be dirty, or untruthful, or dishonest, or, worst of all, cruel. Yet the faulty young brain, when it is fully matured, will probably scorn everything that is mean; and senile brain may, on the other hand, bring to an ignoble close a noble life.

But if intellectual nerve leads it must never

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be forgotten that moral nerve and bodily nerve follow closely upon its heels. The moral sense constantly appeals to the intellect; the intellect cannot move without stumbling over a moral question; the body sends messages to both and receives messages in return.

Progress follows truths; it does not overtake them; it never goes beyond them. When truths were few and opinions many, when men knew little and believed much, the explanatory scheme of all things, around us and within us, was a mere list of supernatural items. If one item was given up another took its place. If, two thousand years ago, it had been shown that epilepsy was not due to the "possession of devils," no one would have hinted at pathological causes. Only two or three centuries ago opinion burnt women because cows died. Puritan opinion (with its good and its evil), burnt the most eagerly. Opinion would have burnt men also, if they had said that inflammation was stronger than witchcraft. Neither two thousand years ago, nor three hundred, were truths sufficiently numerous to make men compassionate; for truths, be it always known, lead men to compassion and compassion leads men to truths.

Again and again the question arises-how came the list of supernatural beliefs into existence? In reply many speak and much has been said. Only this can be said here: perhaps it is all that can be truthfully and intelligibly said anywhere: supernatural beliefs arose when (and because) brain was poorer, and poorly equipped. Better brain, and especially better-equipped brain, is dismissing them slowly one by one.

What do we mean by progress? How do we know, how can we know that we are making progress? Change in nerve structures is slow and out of sight. Change in the nerve action of a people, save at long intervals, is difficult to appraise. But if it is true—and here it is held to be true--that, normally, nerve actions run in company, we have at hand a fairly accurate, practical, and working test of progress. If intellectual nerve improves moral nerve improves also; if one decays the other decays; if one utterly breaks down so does the other. If, then, we are not quite sure whether the intellect of a people, or a person, is more or is less acute than it once was, we can, at any rate, be sure whether their conduct grows better or grows worse.

A better morality then is the unfailing test of progress. And, let it be added, added on every ground and with all emphasis, that the unfailing test of a better morality is a constantly growing kindliness. Whenever and wherever there is progress every human relationship is kindlier; men are kinder to all living things; individuals are kinder to individuals; classes to classes; parties to parties; peoples to peoples. There is greater kindness on both sides (if both sides are making progress), between parents and children, masters and servants, teachers and taught, rulers and ruled. Human life is a sphere with two poles-ferocity and kindliness: mere beliefs and opinion guide men to one pole, ascertained truths guide them to the other: the latitude and longitude of the travellers admit of fairly precise measurement.

Good brain is prone to ponder, evil brain to strike. Well-inherited, well-matured, weighty brain leans to suspense and kindliness. Poorly inherited, immature (immaturity sometimes lasts long), ill-nurtured, senile (senility sometimes comes early), degenerate, enfeebled brain leans to undue confidence, dogma, precipitancy, and cruelty.

Kindliness, involuntary or reasoned out kindliness, and, indeed, all our feelings, are stronger when stirred by witnessed truths than when they are based on the most eloquently spun or beautifully rhymed opinion.

The

sportsman, deaf to preacher and poet—perhaps, himself, preacher or poet-puts aside his powder, shot and hook, when the physiologist shows him that what he took for bone, and flesh, and fur, and scale, is everywhere a delicate network of keenest nerve. When physiology - the one compassionate science—is taught everywhere, bodily violence (the deepest shame), kicking, stabbing, duelling, soldiering, will slink from human sight. True bravery will not decay; for high purposes it will continually grow. Still braver men and still braver women will face peril and slur if so be they may save life, or serve truth, or help on kindliness.

It has just been said that truth is merciful and that opinion is cruel. It cannot be said too often. History says it over and over again. Pagan opinion burnt Christian opinion; Christian opinion burnt Pagan opinion; Catholic opinion (always the stronger burner of the