pt what talent or sham-
talent has already _got_ itself voted for!'--We here cut short
the _Indicator;_ all readers perceiving whither he now tends.

'More Wisdom' indeed: but where to find more Wisdom? We have
already a Collective Wisdom, after its kind,--though 'class-
legislation,' and another thing or two, affect it somewhat! On
the whole, as they say, Like people like priest; so we may say,
Like people like king. The man gets himself appointed and
elected who is ablest--to be appointed and elected. What can the
incorruptiblest _Bobuses_ elect, if it be not some _Bobissimus,_
should they find such?

Or, again, perhaps there is not, in the whole Nation, Wisdom
enough, 'collect' it as we may, to make an adequate Collective!
That too is a case which may befall: a ruined man staggers down
to ruin because there was not wisdom enough in him; so, clearly
also, may Twenty-seven Million collective men!--But indeed one of
the infalliblest fruits of Unwisdom in a Nation is that it cannot
get the use of what Wisdom is actually in it: that it is not
governed by the wisest it has, who alone have a divine right to
govern in all Nations; but by the sham-wisest, or even by the
openly not-so-wise if they are handiest otherwise! This is the
infalliblest result of Unwisdom; and also the balefullest,
immeasurablest,--not so much what we can call a poison-_fruit,_
as a universal death-disease, and poisoning of the whole tree.
For hereby are fostered, fed into gigantic bulk, all manner of
Unwisdoms, poison-fruits; till, as we say, the life-tree
everywhere is made a upas-tree, deadly Unwisdom overshadowing all
things; and there is done what lies in human skill to stifle all
Wisdom everywhere in the birth, to smite our poor world barren of
Wisdom,--and make your utmost Collective Wisdom, were it
collected and elected by Rhadamanthus, AEacus and Minos, not to
speak of drunken Tenpound Franchisers with their ballot-boxes, an
inadequate Collective! The Wisdom is not now there: how will
you 'collect' it? As well wash Thames mud, by improved methods,
to find more gold in it.

Truly, the first condition is indispensable, That Wisdom be
there: but the second is like unto it, is properly one with it:
these two conditions act and react through every fibre of them,
and go inseparably together. If you have much Wisdom in your
Nation, you will get it faithfully collected; for the wise love
Wisdom, and will search for it as f