The Descent of Man

felt except in the presence of danger; and many
a coward has thought himself brave until he
has met his enemy face to face. The wish for
another man's property is perhaps as persistent
a desire as any that can be named; but even in
this case the satisfaction of actual possession is
generally a weaker feeling than the desire: many
a thief, if not a habitual one, after success
has wondered why he stole some article. (27.
Enmity or hatred seems also to be a highly persistent
feeling, perhaps more so than any other
that can be named. Envy is defined as hatred of
another for some excellence or success; and
Bacon insists (Essay ix.), "Of all other affections
envy is the most importune and continual."
Dogs are very apt to hate both strange men and
strange dogs, especially if they live near at
hand, but do not belong to the same family,
tribe, or clan; this feeling would thus seem to be
innate, and is certainly a most persistent one. It
seems to be the complement and converse of
the true social instinct. From what we hear of