A family passion for land, that survives a generation, is as effective as genius in producing the object it conceives; and through marriages and conflicts, the seizure of lands, and brides bearing land, these sharp-feeding eagle-eyed earls of Romfrey spied few spots within their top tower's wide circle of the heavens not their own.
It is therefore manifest that they had the root qualities, the prime active elements, of men in perfection, and notably that appetite to flourish at the cost of the weaker, which is the blessed exemplification of strength, and has been man's cheerfulest encouragement to fight on since his comparative subjugation (on the whole, it seems complete) of the animal world.

By-and-by the struggle is transferred to higher ground, and we begin to perceive how much we are indebted to the fighting spirit.

Strength is the brute form of truth.

No conspicuously great man was born of the Romfreys, who were better served by a succession of able sons.

They sent undistinguished able men to army and navy--lieutenants given to be critics of their captains, but trustworthy for their work.