But all men can't be gifted, Mr. Hood. Neither scientific,
literary, nor artistical powers are any more to be inherited than
the property arising from scientific, literary, or artistic
productions, which the law, with a beautiful imitation of nature,
declines to protect in the second generation. Very good, sir.
Then, people are naturally very prone to cast about in their minds
for other means of getting at Court Favour; and, watching the signs
of the times, to hew out for themselves, or their descendants, the
likeliest roads to that distinguished goal.

Mr. Hood, it is pretty clear, from recent records in the Court
Circular, that if a father wish to train up his son in the way he
should go, to go to Court: and cannot indenture him to be a
scientific man, an author, or an artist, three courses are open to
him. He must endeavour by artificial means to make him a dwarf, a
wild man, or a Boy Jones.

Now, sir, this is the shoal and quicksand on which the constitution
will go to pieces.

I have made inquiry, Mr. Hood, and find that in my neighbourhood two
families and a fraction out of every four, in the lower and middle
classes of society, are studying and practising all conceivable arts
to keep their infant children down. Understand me. I do not mean
down in their numbers, or down in their precocity, but down in their
growth, sir. A destructive and subduing drink, compounded of gin
and milk in equal quantities, such as is given to puppies to retard
their growth: not something short, but something shortening: is
administered to these young creatures many times a day. An
unnatural and artificial thirst is first awakened in these infants