CHAPTER XV. MR. JEKYL'S OPINIONS.

ortoconsistinthefactthathehadagreateramountofcapacitythanallcreaturesputtogether,and,therefore,wasboundtopromotehisownhappinessbeforeallofthemputtogether.HebelievedthattheCreatormadehimselfhisfirstobjectinallthatHedidand,descendingfromHim,allcreaturesweretofollowthesamerule,inproportiontotheiramountofbeingthegreatercapacityofhappinessalwaystakingprecedenceoftheless.Thus,Mr.JekylconsideredthattheCreatorbroughtintotheworldyearlymyriadsofhumanbeingswithnootherintentionthantomakethemeverlastinglymiserableandthatthiswasright,becausehiscapacityofenjoymentbeinggreaterthanalltheirsputtogether,Hehadarighttogratifyhimselfinthisway. Mr.Jekyl'sbeliefinslaverywasfoundedonhistheology.Heassumedthatthewhiteracehadthelargestamountofbeingtherefore,ithadarighttotakeprecedenceoftheblack.Onthispointheheldlongandsevereargumentswithhispartner,Mr.IsraelMcFogg,who,belongingtoadifferentschooloftheology,referredthewholemattertononaturalfitness,buttoadivinedecree,bywhichitpleasedtheCreatorinthetimeofNoahtopronounceacurseuponCanaan.ThefactthattheAfricanracedidnotdescendfromCanaanwas,itistrue,aslightdifficultyinthechainoftheargumentbuttheologiansaredailyinthehabitofsurmountingmuchgreaterones.Eitherway,whetherbymetaphysicalfitnessorDivinedecree,thetwopartnersattainedthesamepracticalresult. Mr.Jekyl,thoughacoarse-grainedman,hadstartedfromthehandsofnaturenomorehard-heartedorunfeelingthanmanyothersbuthismind,havingforyearsbeenimmersedinthewatersoflawandtheology,hadslowlypetrifiedintosuchasteadyconsiderationofthegreatestgeneralgood,thathewaswhollyinaccessibletoanyemotionofparticularhumanity.Thetrembling,eagertoneofpity,inwhichNinahadspokenofthewomanandchildrenwhowereabouttobemadevictimsofalegalprocess,hadexcitedbutamoment'spause.Whatconsiderationsoftemporallossandmiserycanshaketheconstancyofthetheologianwhohasaccustomedhimselftocontemplateanddiscuss,asacoolintellectualexercise,theeternalmiseryofgenerations?—whoworshipsaGodthatcreatesmyriadsonlytoglorifyhimselfintheireternaltorments?