[...] in the race of life whose full span is some seventy years, the mental sprinter usually falls behind his slower-starting competitors. The child genius rarely stays the course, and before middle age is usually a mediocrity.

Among white peoples, however, the precocious child by no means always fades away into intellectual torpidity. But among coloured peoples, this is the general rule. The Australian aborigines, the Fantis and many other American tribes, the Cambodians and the Eskimos are often remarkably intelligent till they reach the age of fourteen. From puberty onwards there is a swift decline in intelligence. In this connexion it is of interest to note that the anthropoid apes, when young, are markedly more human in appearance and behaviour than they become in mature years.

An incident typical of military etiquette in the 18th century took place at the battle of Fontenoy in Belgium, which was fought between the British and French in 1745. Of the two commanders of the opposing regiments of guards neither was willing to deprive the other of the honour of firing the first shot. Finally the Frenchman, being more eloquent, had his way, but his courtesy cost him dear, for he fell at the first British salvo.

The same high standard of politeness was maintained when the forces were encamped, it being customary to send champagne and other delicacies to the commander of a beleaguered fortress. With the advent of the unkempt generals of the French Revolution, however, all such refinements gave way to more rough-and-ready methods.