‘But those who agree eagerly and buy machines and make railways become, in proportion as they are eager and active, independent of the British and manufacture everything for themselves, as happens in their own colonies, while the others, not sharing these ideals, neglect the machines and remain poor and can neither pay for what they have had nor buy anything fresh. Against this second class, who are found largely in the other or southern Americas, the British merchants have a strong prejudice.’ After pondering for a moment, Lysis said: ‘It seems to me the Scotch must be very like the Americans.’ ‘Yes,’ I said, ‘but when the Scotch first set out to grow rich and important they had themselves to please a guardian class that valued learning, and so they learnt to value it too. Whereas there was no class that the Americans had to please. But, in general, there is much in common between the Americans and the commercial people of Scotland, and those also of the North of England, who agree with the Scotch about life. Of them we may say with the poet:―― “Nursed in so harsh a clime what shouldst thou know of good?” ‘And these make the settlers the most acceptable to the Americans.’ ‘Why do they not all go there,’ said Phaelon; ‘I do not like to think of them so near Greece.’ ‘The men of South England, on the other hand, find it very useful to have these Scots and northerners in the same island.’ ‘Why?’ ‘Well,’ I said, ‘the southern English live a life that is almost reasonable, inquiring into things, and pondering upon them, and amusing themselves with games, and, whenever possible, sitting in the sun. Those men who are both rich and sensible settle in South England.’ ‘Is their pondering good pondering?’ demanded Lysis. ‘Why no,’ I said, ‘for they like to begin and end in the middle of all questions. It is difficult to muddle through in philosophy.’ ‘How do they live, apart from what they get from the Americans?’ asked Phaelon. ‘Some make these northerners pay them rents but a large part are concerned one way or another, I am afraid, in the business of their great city of London.’ ‘What is that?’ ‘It is doing the business of other people for them, because it will be done better than they could do it themselves. Even the Athenians use the city of London.’ ‘What is the secret of this London business?’ asked Phaelon. ‘There is a special climate in London,’ I answered, ‘which has the property of making every man feel that he is ruined. And no one is ever distracted from minding his affairs by beholding the sun or the sky, whose contemplation has ever led men to philosophy. So they do business there in a very careful and concentrated way.’ ‘But you say,’ said Lysis, ‘that they do not come like the Americans to consider commerce the end of life?’