ch last, permit me to say,
sir, is a species of knowledge;--"

_Riccabocca._--"Yes; but your knowledge-mongers at present call upon us
to discard military discipline, and the qualities that produce it, from
the list of the useful arts. And in your own essay, you insist upon
knowledge as the great disbander of armies, and the foe of all military
discipline."

_Parson._--"Let the young man proceed. Nations, you say, may be beaten
by other nations less learned and civilized?"

_Leonard._--"But knowledge elevates a class. I invite my own humble
order to knowledge, because knowledge will lift them into power."

_Riccabocca._--"What do you say to that, Mr. Dale?"

_Parson._--"In the first place, is it true that the class which has the
most knowledge gets the most power? I suppose philosophers, like my
friend Dr. Riccabocca, think they have the most knowledge. And pray, in
what age have philosophers governed the world? Are they not always
grumbling that nobody attends to them?"

"Per Bacco," said Riccabocca, "if people had attended to us, it would
have been a droll sort of world by this time!"

_Parson._--"Very likely. But, as a general rule, those have the most
knowledge who give themselves up to it the most. Let us put out of the
question philosophers (who are often but ingenious lunatics), and speak
only of erudite scholars, men of letters and practical science,
professors, tutors, and fellows of colleges. I fancy any member of
Parliament would tell us that there is no class of men which has less
actual influence on public affairs. They have more knowledge than
manufacturers and ship-owners, squires and farmers; but, do you find
that they have more power over the Government and the votes of the House
of Commons!"

"They ought to have," said Leonard.

"Ought they?" said the Parson: "we'll consider that later. Meanwhile,
you must not escape from your own proposition, which is that knowledge
_is_ power--not that it _ought_ to be. Now, even granting your
corollary, that the power of a class is therefore proportioned to its
knowledge--pray, do you suppose that while your order, the operatives,
are instructing themselves, all the rest of the community are to be at a
stand-still? Diffuse knowledge as you may, you will never produce
equality of knowledge. Those who have most leisure, application, and
aptitude for learning, will still know the most. Nay, by a very natural
law, the more general the appetite for knowledge,