priest is some Roche-Aymon, some
Necklace-Cardinal Louis de Rohan. The voice of the poor, through long
years, ascends inarticulate, in Jacqueries, meal-mobs; low-whimpering
of infinite moan: unheeded of the Earth; not unheeded of Heaven. Always
moreover where the Millions are wretched, there are the Thousands
straitened, unhappy; only the Units can flourish; or say rather, be
ruined the last. Industry, all noosed and haltered, as if it too were
some beast of chase for the mighty hunters of this world to bait, and
cut slices from,--cries passionately to these its well-paid guides and
watchers, not, Guide me; but, Laissez faire, Leave me alone of your
guidance! What market has Industry in this France? For two things there
may be market and demand: for the coarser kind of field-fruits, since
the Millions will live: for the fine kinds of luxury and spicery,--of
multiform taste, from opera-melodies down to racers and courtesans;
since the Units will be amused. It is at bottom but a mad state of
things.

To mend and remake all which we have, indeed, victorious Analysis.
Honour to victorious Analysis; nevertheless, out of the Workshop and
Laboratory, what thing was victorious Analysis yet known to make?
Detection of incoherences, mainly; destruction of the incoherent. From
of old, Doubt was but half a magician; she evokes the spectres which she
cannot quell. We shall have 'endless vortices of froth-logic;' whereon
first words, and then things, are whirled and swallowed. Remark,
accordingly, as acknowledged grounds of Hope, at bottom mere precursors
of Despair, this perpetual theorising about Man, the Mind of Man,
Philosophy of Government, Progress of the Species and such-like; the
main thinking furniture of every head. Time, and so many Montesquieus,
Mablys, spokesmen of Time, have discovered innumerable things: and now
has not Jean Jacques promulgated his new Evangel of a Contrat Social;
explaining the whole mystery of Government, and how it is contracted and
bargained for,--to universal satisfaction? Theories of Government! Such
have been, and will be; in ages of decadence. Acknowledge them in their
degree; as processes of Nature, who does nothing in vain; as steps in
her great process. Meanwhile, what theory is so certain as this, That
all theories, were they never so earnest, painfully elaborated, are,
and, by the very conditions of them, must be incomplete, questionable,
and even false? Thou shalt know that this Universe