our knowledge is already sufficient to
justify the pursuit of this perhaps the grandest of all objects." {31a}

At the close of the lecture he speaks out as to the difficulties and the
pre-eminent value of eugenics, and once more of the oppressive "magnitude
of the enquiry."

No one who reads this lecture of Sir Francis Galton's is likely to let
eugenics go with a smile, and a remark that it is not a practical
problem. It is one of the functions of the Eugenics Education Society to
spread the sanely scientific views here set forth by Galton, and as far
as I am able to judge, the Society has and is doing sound work in this
direction.

In another essay, {31b} Galton discusses the meaning of the 'eu' in
eugenics in a characteristic way. He imagines an attempt among the
animals in the Zoological Gardens to establish a code of absolute
morality. With customary love of detail he supposes the inquiry to be
undertaken by some animal, such as a sparrow or a rat, which is
intelligent and has easy access to all the cages, and is therefore able
to collect opinions. There would be strongly pronounced differences
between the carnivorous animals and those which form their natural prey.
There would be a general agreement as to maternal affection, though
fishes and the cuckoo would laugh at it. But all would agree on some
eugenic principles: That it is better to be healthy and vigorous than
sickly and weak--well-fitted for their part in life rather than the
reverse--in fact, good specimens of their kind whatever that kind may be.

Sir Francis Galton goes on to give a list of qualities that "nearly every
one except cranks would take into account in picking out the best
specimens of his class." The list includes "health, energy, ability,
manliness and courteous disposition." {32a} I wish he had thought of
eugenic mothers, and had translated manliness into the feminine
equivalents of courage and endurance. When I first read this list it
struck me at once how highly distinguished was Galton himself in all
these qualities. As we dwell on the qualities one by one, they seem to
call up echoes from the image we have of his character. "Ability,
manliness, and courteous disposition," how strong these were in him! I
cannot help feeling that he might have added one more quality from his
own treasure-house, namely, a sense of humour, which is so priceless an
antiseptic to sentimentality, and was markedly present in his character.

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