MILVERTON. Louis has got back to Plessis les Tours, and ought only to be too glad to be there with unbroken bones.

CHAPTER III.

and

A LONG interval has elapsed between the time of our last reading in the little inn at the reading which will be given in this chapter. It almost seemed as if our conversation about travel had something prophetic in it. When we last parted, we were all looking forward to many a summer's day spent together amidst this simple English scenery; and never dreamt that the next time we should meet would be in the city of many churches, Cologne. But shortly after the reading recorded in the last chapter, Milverton's health suddenly broke down. His illness was long and tedious; and a change of climate was recommended for him. The remedy was in great measure successful; and early in the ensuing spring when our friend still lingered in his way homewards, Ellesmere proposed to me to go and meet him on the Rhine. Lucy, at Ellesmere's request, accompanied me; and we had the pleasure of finding Milverton in comparatively renovated health at Cologne. It was one day while we were looking idly from

THAT SLAVERY IS MISCHIEVOUS. 171

the bridge of boats, that Ellesmere expressed a wish that we had one of "our essays," for so he called them, to read. Milverton told him that he could soon gratify him in that respect; for, very foolishly, as I think, he had sent for his books and papers. He also said he would show us a place-not exactly like our lawn-but still very fit for a quiet reading; and accordingly the next day he carried us to the yard close to the cathedral, near the sheds where the masons are working, and said we might seat ourselves on the great stones which lay scattered about, and have our reading there.

After going over the cathedral which, however often we may have seen it, it is almost impossible to be near without entering, and difficult to enter without staying longer than was intended, we returned to the group of stones we had fixed on for our seats; and, interrupted only by the repeated click of the workmen's tools, Milverton read the following section of his essay on slavery.

4.

THAT SLAVERY IS MISCHIEVOUS TO THE
MASTER AS WELL AS TO THE SLAVE.

nor

What is the wealth of a state, in the large sense of the word? not gold certainly iron-nor large population-nor fertile vege

tation laws.

nor extensive territory — nor even wise Adam Smith says: :

It deserves to be remarked, perhaps, that it is in the progressive state, while the society is advancing to the further acquisition, rather than when it has acquired its full complement of riches, that the condition of the laboring poor, of the great body of the people, seems to be the happiest and the most comfortable. It is hard in the stationary, and miserable in the declining state; the progressive state is in reality the cheerful and the hearty state to all the different orders of the society. The stationary is dull; the declining melancholy.

This may afford a clue to what the wealth that we are seeking to understand, consists in. It is a power of action, rather than a thing possesssed. It cannot be realized, except partially, being inexhaustible. If we must give any one word for it, that word is vitality. That vitality, however, is the sum of many things, and depends upon many things having just relations to each other. It is the focus, as it were, where many rays of light converge. If there is heat there, there is warmth throughout the body politic. This vitality is nowhere more seen, perhaps, than in the power of progress in a nation and at first thinking on this subject, we may imagine that we have come to the root of the matter, in concluding that the power of progress is the wealth of a nation. But this

will not always be a just test; for physical circumstances such as a vast unoccupied territory, may give great power of progress, even too great for a time. The vitality that I mean consists of a certain elasticity and durability also. We should be able to say of a great nation, as of a great man,

"Omnis Aristippum decuit color et status et res.'

Part of this vitality consists in national character; but the highest national character in some portion only of the nation will not do. The Spartans would never have grown into a great people. As you require a certain extent of territory for a considerable nation, so you do a certain extent of mind- of self-governing mind. Imagine England, for instance, to have consisted only of feudal lords and their retainers. Let these feudal lords have been great people and worthy to lead. Still there would not have been substance enough, or variety of position enough, to bear up against reverses, or minds enough for national resources to have grown out of. Deduct all that men of the humbler classes have done for England in the way of inventions only; and see where she would have been but for them.

Now turn to a slave state. What have we there? A solid dead weight-a constant quantity, as the mathematicians would say, in regard