THE HARMONY OF VIRTUE

350 The Harmony of Virtuethey began in periods of satiety such as the beginning of theChristian era in Europe to be partly replaced, partly put undercontrol. As is the law of such things, they have always revertedagain with greater or less virulence and sought with more or lesssuccess to re-establish themselves. Finally, in the nineteenth centuryit seemed for a time as if some of these forces had, for the timeat least, exhausted themselves and the hour for saÌyama andgradual dismissal from the evolution had really arrived. Such hopesalways recur and in the end they are likely to bring about theirown fulfilment, but before that happens another recoil is inevitable.We see plenty of signs of it in the reeling back into thebeast which is in progress in Europe and America behind thefair outside of Science, progress, civilisation and humanitarianism,and we are likely to see more signs of it in the era that iscoming upon us. A similar law holds in politics and society. Thepolitical evolution of the human race follows certain lines of whichthe most recent formula has been given in the watchwords ofthe French Revolution, freedom, equality and brotherhood. Butthe forces of the old world, the forces of despotism, the forcesof traditional privilege and selfish exploitation, the forces of unfraternalstrife and passionate self-regarding competition are alwaysstruggling to reseat themselves on the thrones of the earth.A determined movement of reaction is evident in many parts ofthe world and nowhere perhaps more than in England which wasonce one of the self-styled champions of progress and liberty.The attempt to go back to the old spirit is one of those necessaryreturns without which it cannot be so utterly exhausted asto be blotted out from the evolution. It rises only to be defeatedand crushed again. On the other hand, the force of the democratictendency is not a force which is spent but one whichhas not yet arrived, not a force which has had the greater partof its enjoyment but one which is still vigorous, unsatisfied andeager for fulfilment. Every attempt to coerce it in the past reactedeventually on the coercing force and brought back thedemocratic spirit fierce, hungry and unsatisfied, joining to itsfair motto of “Liberty, Equality and Fraternity” the terribleaddition “or Death”. It is not likely that the immediate futureof the democratic tendency will satisfy the utmost dreams