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  XI

  THEHOMELESSNESSOFJONES

  ThustheFutureofwhichwespokeatthebeginninghas(inEnglandatleast)alwaysbeentheallyoftyranny。

  TheordinaryEnglishmanhasbeendupedoutofhisoldpossessions,suchastheywere,andalwaysinthenameofprogress。

  Thedestroyersoftheabbeystookawayhisbreadandgavehimastone,assuringhimthatitwasapreciousstone,thewhitepebbleoftheLord\'select。TheytookawayhismaypoleandhisoriginalrurallifeandpromisedhiminsteadtheGoldenAgeofPeaceandCommerceinauguratedattheCrystalPalace。Andnowtheyaretakingawaythelittlethatremainsofhisdignityasahouseholderandtheheadofafamily,promisinghiminsteadUtopiaswhicharecalled(appropriatelyenough)

  \"Anticipations\"or\"NewsfromNowhere。\"Wecomeback,infact,tothemainfeaturewhichhasalreadybeenmentioned。

  Thepastiscommunal:thefuturemustbeindividualist。

  Inthepastarealltheevilsofdemocracy,varietyandviolenceanddoubt,butthefutureispuredespotism,forthefutureispurecaprice。Yesterday,IknowIwasahumanfool,butto-morrowIcaneasilybetheSuperman。

  ThemodernEnglishman,however,islikeamanwhoshouldbeperpetuallykeptout,foronereasonafteranother,fromthehouseinwhichhehadmeanthismarriedlifetobegin。

  Thisman(Jonesletuscallhim)hasalwaysdesiredthedivinelyordinarythings;hehasmarriedforlove,hehaschosenorbuiltasmallhousethatfitslikeacoat;

  heisreadytobeagreatgrandfatherandalocalgod。

  Andjustasheismovingin,somethinggoeswrong。

  Sometyranny,personalorpolitical,suddenlydebarshimfromthehome;andhehastotakehismealsinthefrontgarden。

  Apassingphilosopher(whoisalso,byamerecoincidence,themanwhoturnedhimout)pauses,andleaningelegantlyontherailings,explainstohimthatheisnowlivingthatboldlifeuponthebountyofnaturewhichwillbethelifeofthesublimefuture。

  Hefindslifeinthefrontgardenmoreboldthanbountiful,andhastomoveintomeanlodgingsinthenextspring。Thephilosopher(whoturnedhimout),happeningtocallattheselodgings,withtheprobableintentionofraisingtherent,stopstoexplaintohimthatheisnowinthereallifeofmercantileendeavor;

  theeconomicstrugglebetweenhimandthelandladyistheonlythingoutofwhich,inthesublimefuture,thewealthofnationscancome。

  Heisdefeatedintheeconomicstruggle,andgoestotheworkhouse。

  Thephilosopherwhoturnedhimout(happeningatthatverymomenttobeinspectingtheworkhouse)assureshimthatheisnowatlastinthatgoldenrepublicwhichisthegoalofmankind;

  heisinanequal,scientific,Socialisticcommonwealth,ownedbytheStateandruledbypublicofficers;infact,thecommonwealthofthesublimefuture。

  Nevertheless,therearesignsthattheirrationalJonesstilldreamsatnightofthisoldideaofhavinganordinaryhome。

  Heaskedforsolittle,andhehasbeenofferedsomuch。

  Hehasbeenofferedbribesofworldsandsystems;hehasbeenofferedEdenandUtopiaandtheNewJerusalem,andheonlywantedahouse;

  andthathasbeenrefusedhim。

  SuchanapologueisliterallynoexaggerationofthefactsofEnglishhistory。Therichdidliterallyturnthepooroutoftheoldguesthouseontotheroad,brieflytellingthemthatitwastheroadofprogress。Theydidliterallyforcethemintofactoriesandthemodernwage-slavery,assuringthemallthetimethatthiswastheonlywaytowealthandcivilization。

  Justastheyhaddraggedtherusticfromtheconventfoodandalebysayingthatthestreetsofheavenwerepavedwithgold,sonowtheydraggedhimfromthevillagefoodandalebytellinghimthatthestreetsofLondonwerepavedwithgold。

  AsheenteredthegloomyporchofPuritanism,soheenteredthegloomyporchofIndustrialism,beingtoldthateachofthemwasthegateofthefuture。Hithertohehasonlygonefromprisontoprison,nay,intodarkeningprisons,forCalvinismopenedonesmallwindowuponheaven。Andnowheisasked,inthesameeducatedandauthoritativetones,toenteranotherdarkporch,atwhichhehastosurrender,intounseenhands,hischildren,hissmallpossessionsandallthehabitsofhisfathers。

  WhetherthislastopeningbeintruthanymoreinvitingthantheoldopeningsofPuritanismandIndustrialismcanbediscussedlater。

  Buttherecanbelittledoubt,Ithink,thatifsomeformofCollectivismisimposeduponEnglanditwillbeimposed,aseverythingelsehasbeen,byaninstructedpoliticalclassuponapeoplepartlyapatheticandpartlyhypnotized。

  Thearistocracywillbeasreadyto\"administer\"CollectivismastheyweretoadministerPuritanismorManchesterism;insomewayssuchacentralizedpoliticalpowerisnecessarilyattractivetothem。

  ItwillnotbesohardassomeinnocentSocialistsseemtosupposetoinducetheHonorableTomnoddytotakeoverthemilksupplyaswellasthestampsupply——atanincreasedsalary。

  Mr。BernardShawhasremarkedthatrichmenarebetterthanpoormenonparishcouncilsbecausetheyarefreefrom\"financialtimidity。\"

  Now,theEnglishrulingclassisquitefreefromfinancialtimidity。

  TheDukeofSussexwillbequitereadytobeAdministratorofSussexatthesamescrew。SirWilliamHarcourt,thattypicalaristocrat,putitquitecorrectly。\"We\"(thatis,thearistocracy)

  \"areallSocialistsnow。\"

  ButthisisnottheessentialnoteonwhichIdesiretoend。

  Mymaincontentionisthat,whethernecessaryornot,bothIndustrialismandCollectivismhavebeenacceptedasnecessities——

  notasnakedidealsordesires。NobodylikedtheManchesterSchool;

  itwasenduredastheonlywayofproducingwealth。

  NobodylikestheMarxianschool;itisenduredastheonlywayofpreventingpoverty。Nobody\'srealheartisintheideaofpreventingafreemanfromowninghisownfarm,oranoldwomanfromcultivatingherowngarden,anymorethananybody\'srealheartwasintheheartlessbattleofthemachines。

  Thepurposeofthischapterissufficientlyservedinindicatingthatthisproposalalsoisapisaller,adesperatesecondbest——

  liketeetotalism。IdonotproposetoproveherethatSocialismisapoison;itisenoughifImaintainthatitisamedicineandnotawine。

  Theideaofprivatepropertyuniversalbutprivate,theideaoffamiliesfreebutstillfamilies,ofdomesticitydemocraticbutstilldomestic,ofonemanonehouse——thisremainstherealvisionandmagnetofmankind。

  Theworldmayacceptsomethingmoreofficialandgeneral,lesshumanandintimate。Buttheworldwillbelikeabroken-heartedwomanwhomakesahumdrummarriagebecauseshemaynotmakeahappyone;Socialismmaybetheworld\'sdeliverance。butitisnottheworld\'sdesire。

  ***

  PARTTWO

  IMPERIALISM,ORTHEMISTAKEABOUTMAN

  ***

  I

  THECHARMOFJINGOISM

  Ihavecastaboutwidelytofindatitleforthissection;andIconfessthattheword\"Imperialism\"isaclumsyversionofmymeaning。Butnootherwordcamenearer;\"Militarism\"wouldhavebeenevenmoremisleading,and\"TheSuperman\"makesnonsenseofanydiscussionthatheenters。

  Perhaps,uponthewhole,theword\"Caesarism\"wouldhavebeenbetter;

  butIdesireapopularword;andImperialism(asthereaderwillperceive)

  doescoverforthemostpartthemenandtheoriesthatImeantodiscuss。

  Thissmallconfusionisincreased,however,bythefactthatI

  doalsodisbelieveinImperialisminitspopularsense,asamodeortheoryofthepatrioticsentimentofthiscountry。

  ButpopularImperialisminEnglandhasverylittletodowiththesortofCaesareanImperialismIwishtosketch。

  IdifferfromtheColonialidealismofRhodes\'andKipling;

  butIdonotthink,assomeofitsopponentsdo,thatitisaninsolentcreationofEnglishharshnessandrapacity。

  Imperialism,Ithink,isafictioncreated,notbyEnglishhardness,butbyEnglishsoftness;nay,inasense,evenbyEnglishkindness。

  ThereasonsforbelievinginAustraliaaremostlyassentimentalasthemostsentimentalreasonsforbelievinginheaven。

  NewSouthWalesisquiteliterallyregardedasaplacewherethewickedceasefromtroublingandthewearyareatrest;thatis,aparadiseforuncleswhohaveturneddishonestandfornephewswhoareborntired。

  BritishColumbiaisinstrictsenseafairyland,itisaworldwhereamagicandirrationalluckissupposedtoattendtheyoungestsons。

  ThisstrangeoptimismabouttheendsoftheearthisanEnglishweakness;

  buttoshowthatitisnotacoldnessoraharshnessitisquitesufficienttosaythatnooneshareditmorethanthatgiganticEnglishsentimentalist——thegreatCharlesDickens。Theendof\"DavidCopperfield\"isunrealnotmerelybecauseitisanoptimisticending,butbecauseitisanImperialisticending。

  ThedecorousBritishhappinessplannedoutforDavidCopperfieldandAgneswouldbeembarrassedbytheperpetualpresenceofthehopelesstragedyofEmily,orthemorehopelessfarceofMicawber。Therefore,bothEmilyandMicawberareshippedofftoavaguecolonywherechangescomeoverthemwithnoconceivablecause,excepttheclimate。

  Thetragicwomanbecomescontentedandthecomicmanbecomesresponsible,solelyastheresultofaseavoyageandthefirstsightofakangaroo。

  ToImperialisminthelightpoliticalsense,therefore,myonlyobjectionisthatitisanillusionofcomfort;thatanEmpirewhoseheartisfailingshouldbespeciallyproudoftheextremities,istomenomoresublimeafactthanthatanolddandywhosebrainisgoneshouldstillbeproudofhislegs。ItconsolesmenfortheevidentuglinessandapathyofEnglandwithlegendsoffairyouthandheroicstrenuousnessindistantcontinentsandislands。

  AmancansitamidthesqualorofSevenDialsandfeelthatlifeisinnocentandgodlikeinthebushorontheveldt。

  JustsoamanmightsitinthesqualorofSevenDialsandfeelthatlifewasinnocentandgodlikeinBrixtonandSurbiton。BrixtonandSurbitonare\"new\";theyareexpanding;theyare\"nearertonature,\"

  inthesensethattheyhaveeatenupnaturemilebymile。

  Theonlyobjectionistheobjectionoffact。TheyoungmenofBrixtonarenotyounggiants。TheloversofSurbitonarenotallpaganpoets,singingwiththesweetenergyofthespring。NorarethepeopleoftheColonieswhenyoumeetthemyounggiantsorpaganpoets。

  TheyaremostlyCockneyswhohavelosttheirlastmusicofrealthingsbygettingoutofthesoundofBowBells。Mr。RudyardKipling,amanofrealthoughdecadentgenius,threwatheoreticglamouroverthemwhichisalreadyfading。Mr。Kiplingis,inapreciseandratherstartlingsense,theexceptionthatprovestherule。

  Forhehasimagination,ofanorientalandcruelkind,buthehasit,notbecausehegrewupinanewcountry,butpreciselybecausehegrewupintheoldestcountryuponearth。Heisrootedinapast——

  anAsiaticpast。Hemightneverhavewritten\"KabulRiver\"

  ifhehadbeenborninMelbourne。

  Isayfrankly,therefore(lestthereshouldbeanyairofevasion),thatImperialisminitscommonpatrioticpretensionsappearstomebothweakandperilous。ItistheattemptofaEuropeancountrytocreateakindofshamEuropewhichitcandominate,insteadoftherealEurope,whichitcanonlyshare。Itisaloveoflivingwithone\'sinferiors。

  ThenotionofrestoringtheRomanEmpirebyoneselfandforoneselfisadreamthathashauntedeveryChristiannationinadifferentshapeandinalmosteveryshapeasasnare。TheSpanishareaconsistentandconservativepeople;thereforetheyembodiedthatattemptatEmpireinlongandlingeringdynasties。TheFrenchareaviolentpeople,andthereforetheytwiceconqueredthatEmpirebyviolenceofarms。

  TheEnglishareaboveallapoeticalandoptimisticpeople;

  andthereforetheirEmpireissomethingvagueandyetsympathetic,somethingdistantandyetdear。Butthisdreamoftheirsofbeingpowerfulintheuttermostplaces,thoughanativeweakness,isstillaweaknessinthem;muchmoreofaweaknessthangoldwastoSpainorglorytoNapoleon。Ifeverwewereincollisionwithourrealbrothersandrivalsweshouldleaveallthisfancyoutofaccount。

  WeshouldnomoredreamofpittingAustralianarmiesagainstGermanthanofpittingTasmaniansculptureagainstFrench。Ihavethusexplained,lestanyoneshouldaccusemeofconcealinganunpopularattitude,whyIdonotbelieveinImperialismascommonlyunderstood。

  Ithinkitnotmerelyanoccasionalwrongtootherpeoples,butacontinuousfeebleness,arunningsore,inmyown。

  ButitisalsotruethatIhavedweltonthisImperialismthatisanamiabledelusionpartlyinordertoshowhowdifferentitisfromthedeeper,moresinisterandyetmorepersuasivethingthatIhavebeenforcedtocallImperialismfortheconvenienceofthischapter。

  Inordertogettotherootofthisevilandquiteun-EnglishImperialismwemustcastbackandbeginanewwithamoregeneraldiscussionofthefirstneedsofhumanintercourse。

  ***

  II

  WISDOMANDTHEWEATHER

  Itisadmitted,onemayhope,thatcommonthingsarenevercommonplace。

  Birthiscoveredwithcurtainspreciselybecauseitisastaggeringandmonstrousprodigy。Deathandfirstlove,thoughtheyhappentoeverybody,canstopone\'sheartwiththeverythoughtofthem。

  Butwhilethisisgranted,somethingfurthermaybeclaimed。

  Itisnotmerelytruethattheseuniversalthingsarestrange;

  itismoreovertruethattheyaresubtle。Inthelastanalysismostcommonthingswillbefoundtobehighlycomplicated。

  Somemenofsciencedoindeedgetoverthedifficultybydealingonlywiththeeasypartofit:thus,theywillcallfirstlovetheinstinctofsex,andtheaweofdeaththeinstinctofself-preservation。Butthisisonlygettingoverthedifficultyofdescribingpeacockgreenbycallingitblue。Thereisblueinit。

  ThatthereisastrongphysicalelementinbothromanceandtheMementoMorimakesthemifpossiblemorebafflingthaniftheyhadbeenwhollyintellectual。Nomancouldsayexactlyhowmuchhissexualitywascoloredbyacleanloveofbeauty,orbythemereboyishitchforirrevocableadventures,likerunningawaytosea。

  Nomancouldsayhowfarhisanimaldreadoftheendwasmixedupwithmysticaltraditionstouchingmoralsandreligion。

  Itisexactlybecausethesethingsareanimal,butnotquiteanimal,thatthedanceofallthedifficultiesbegins。

  Thematerialistsanalyzetheeasypart,denythehardpartandgohometotheirtea。

  Itiscompleteerrortosupposethatbecauseathingisvulgarthereforeitisnotrefined;thatis,subtleandhardtodefine。

  Adrawing-roomsongofmyyouthwhichbegan\"Inthegloaming,O,mydarling,\"wasvulgarenoughasasong;buttheconnectionbetweenhumanpassionandthetwilightisnonethelessanexquisiteandeveninscrutablething。Ortotakeanotherobviousinstance:

  thejokesaboutamother-in-lawarescarcelydelicate,buttheproblemofamother-in-lawisextremelydelicate。

  Amother-in-lawissubtlebecausesheisathinglikethetwilight。

  Sheisamysticalblendoftwoinconsistentthings——

  lawandamother。Thecaricaturesmisrepresenther;

  buttheyariseoutofarealhumanenigma。\"ComicCuts\"

  dealswiththedifficultywrongly,butitwouldneedGeorgeMeredithathisbesttodealwiththedifficultyrightly。

  Theneareststatementoftheproblemperhapsisthis:

  itisnotthatamother-in-lawmustbenasty,butthatshemustbeverynice。

  Butitisbestperhapstotakeinillustrationsomedailycustomwehaveallhearddespisedasvulgarortrite。

  Take,forthesakeofargument,thecustomoftalkingabouttheweather。Stevensoncallsit\"theverynadirandscoffofgoodconversationalists。\"Nowthereareverydeepreasonsfortalkingabouttheweather,reasonsthataredelicateaswellasdeep;theylieinlayeruponlayerofstratifiedsagacity。

  Firstofallitisagestureofprimevalworship。

  Theskymustbeinvoked;andtobegineverythingwiththeweatherisasortofpaganwayofbeginningeverythingwithprayer。

  JonesandBrowntalkabouttheweather:butsodoMiltonandShelley。Thenitisanexpressionofthatelementaryideainpoliteness——equality。FortheverywordpolitenessisonlytheGreekforcitizenship。Thewordpolitenessisakintothewordpoliceman:acharmingthought。Properlyunderstood,thecitizenshouldbemorepolitethanthegentleman;perhapsthepolicemanshouldbethemostcourtlyandelegantofthethree。

  Butallgoodmannersmustobviouslybeginwiththesharingofsomethinginasimplestyle。Twomenshouldshareanumbrella;

  iftheyhavenotgotanumbrella,theyshouldatleastsharetherain,withallitsrichpotentialitiesofwitandphilosophy。

  \"ForHemakethHissuntoshine……\"Thisisthesecondelementintheweather;itsrecognitionofhumanequalityinthatweallhaveourhatsunderthedarkbluespangledumbrellaoftheuniverse。

  Arisingoutofthisisthethirdwholesomestraininthecustom;

  Imeanthatitbeginswiththebodyandwithourinevitablebodilybrotherhood。Alltruefriendlinessbeginswithfireandfoodanddrinkandtherecognitionofrainorfrost。

  ThosewhowillnotbeginatthebodilyendofthingsarealreadyprigsandmaysoonbeChristianScientists。EachhumansoulhasinasensetoenactforitselfthegigantichumilityoftheIncarnation。Everymanmustdescendintothefleshtomeetmankind。

  Briefly,inthemereobservation\"afineday\"thereisthewholegreathumanideaofcomradeship。Now,purecomradeshipisanotherofthosebroadandyetbewilderingthings。Weallenjoyit;

  yetwhenwecometotalkaboutitwealmostalwaystalknonsense,chieflybecausewesupposeittobeasimpleraffairthanitis。

  Itissimpletoconduct;butitisbynomeanssimpletoanalyze。

  Comradeshipisatthemostonlyonehalfofhumanlife;

  theotherhalfisLove,athingsodifferentthatonemightfancyithadbeenmadeforanotheruniverse。AndIdonotmeanmeresexlove;anykindofconcentratedpassion,maternallove,oreventhefiercerkindsoffriendshipareintheirnaturealientopurecomradeship。Bothsidesareessentialtolife;andbothareknownindifferingdegreestoeverybodyofeveryageorsex。

  Butverybroadlyspeakingitmaystillbesaidthatwomenstandforthedignityofloveandmenforthedignityofcomradeship。

  Imeanthattheinstitutionwouldhardlybeexpectedifthemalesofthetribedidnotmountguardoverit。Theaffectionsinwhichwomenexcelhavesomuchmoreauthorityandintensitythatpurecomradeshipwouldbewashedawayifitwerenotralliedandguardedinclubs,corps,colleges,banquetsandregiments。

  Mostofushaveheardthevoiceinwhichthehostesstellsherhusbandnottosittoolongoverthecigars。ItisthedreadfulvoiceofLove,seekingtodestroyComradeship。

  AlltruecomradeshiphasinitthosethreeelementswhichIhaveremarkedintheordinaryexclamationabouttheweather。First,ithasasortofbroadphilosophylikethecommonsky,emphasizingthatweareallunderthesamecosmicconditions。Weareallinthesameboat,the\"wingedrock\"ofMr。HerbertTrench。Secondly,itrecognizesthisbondastheessentialone;forcomradeshipissimplyhumanityseeninthatoneaspectinwhichmenarereallyequal。

  Theoldwriterswereentirelywisewhentheytalkedoftheequalityofmen;buttheywerealsoverywiseinnotmentioningwomen。

  Womenarealwaysauthoritarian;theyarealwaysaboveorbelow;

  thatiswhymarriageisasortofpoeticalsee-saw。Thereareonlythreethingsintheworldthatwomendonotunderstand;

  andtheyareLiberty,Equality,andFraternity。Butmen(aclasslittleunderstoodinthemodernworld)findthesethingsthebreathoftheirnostrils;andourmostlearnedladieswillnotevenbegintounderstandthemuntiltheymakeallowanceforthiskindofcoolcamaraderie。Lastly,itcontainsthethirdqualityoftheweather,theinsistenceuponthebodyanditsindispensablesatisfaction。

  Noonehasevenbeguntounderstandcomradeshipwhodoesnotacceptwithitacertainheartyeagernessineating,drinking,orsmoking,anuproariousmaterialismwhichtomanywomenappearsonlyhoggish。

  Youmaycallthethinganorgyorasacrament;itiscertainlyanessential。Itisatrootaresistancetothesuperciliousnessoftheindividual。Nay,itsveryswaggeringandhowlingarehumble。

  Intheheartofitsrowdinessthereisasortofmadmodesty;adesiretomelttheseparatesoulintothemassofunpretentiousmasculinity。

  Itisaclamorousconfessionoftheweaknessofallflesh。

  Nomanmustbesuperiortothethingsthatarecommontomen。

  Thissortofequalitymustbebodilyandgrossandcomic。

  Notonlyareweallinthesameboat,butweareallseasick。

  Thewordcomradeshipjustnowpromisestobecomeasfatuousastheword\"affinity。\"ThereareclubsofaSocialistsortwhereallthemembers,menandwomen,calleachother\"Comrade。\"Ihavenoseriousemotions,hostileorotherwise,aboutthisparticularhabit:

  attheworstitisconventionality,andatthebestflirtation。

  Iamconvincedhereonlytopointoutarationalprinciple。

  Ifyouchoosetolumpallflowerstogether,liliesanddahliasandtulipsandchrysanthemumsandcallthemalldaisies,youwillfindthatyouhavespoiledtheveryfineworddaisy。

  Ifyouchoosetocalleveryhumanattachmentcomradeship,ifyouincludeunderthatnametherespectofayouthforavenerableprophetess,theinterestofamaninabeautifulwomanwhobaffleshim,thepleasureofaphilosophicaloldfogyinagirlwhoisimpudentandinnocent,theendofthemeanestquarrelorthebeginningofthemostmountainouslove;ifyouaregoingtocallallthesecomradeship,youwillgainnothing,youwillonlyloseaword。Daisiesareobviousanduniversalandopen;

  buttheyareonlyonekindofflower。Comradeshipisobviousanduniversalandopen;butitisonlyonekindofaffection;

  ithascharacteristicsthatwoulddestroyanyotherkind。

  Anyonewhohasknowntruecomradeshipinacluborinaregiment,knowsthatitisimpersonal。Thereisapedanticphraseusedindebatingclubswhichisstrictlytruetothemasculineemotion;

  theycallit\"speakingtothequestion。\"Womenspeaktoeachother;

  menspeaktothesubjecttheyarespeakingabout。Manyanhonestmanhassatinaringofhisfivebestfriendsunderheavenandforgottenwhowasintheroomwhileheexplainedsomesystem。

  Thisisnotpeculiartointellectualmen;menarealltheoretical,whethertheyaretalkingaboutGodoraboutgolf。

  Menareallimpersonal;thatistosay,republican。Nooneremembersafterareallygoodtalkwhohassaidthegoodthings。

  Everymanspeakstoavisionarymultitude;amysticalcloud,thatiscalledtheclub。

  Itisobviousthatthiscoolandcarelessqualitywhichisessentialtothecollectiveaffectionofmalesinvolvesdisadvantagesanddangers。

  Itleadstospitting;itleadstocoarsespeech;itmustleadtothesethingssolongasitishonorable;comradeshipmustbeinsomedegreeugly。Themomentbeautyismentionedinmalefriendship,thenostrilsarestoppedwiththesmellofabominablethings。

  Friendshipmustbephysicallydirtyifitistobemorallyclean。

  Itmustbeinitsshirtsleeves。Thechaosofhabitsthatalwaysgoeswithmaleswhenleftentirelytothemselveshasonlyonehonorablecure;

  andthatisthestrictdisciplineofamonastery。AnyonewhohasseenourunhappyyoungidealistsinEastEndSettlementslosingtheircollarsinthewashandlivingontinnedsalmonwillfullyunderstandwhyitwasdecidedbythewisdomofSt。BernardorSt。Benedict,thatifmenweretolivewithoutwomen,theymustnotlivewithoutrules。

  Somethingofthesamesortofartificialexactitude,ofcourse,isobtainedinanarmy;andanarmyalsohastobeinmanywaysmonastic;

  onlythatithascelibacywithoutchastity。Butthesethingsdonotapplytonormalmarriedmen。Thesehaveaquitesufficientrestraintontheirinstinctiveanarchyinthesavagecommon-senseoftheothersex。

  Thereisonlyoneverytimidsortofmanthatisnotafraidofwomen。

  ***

  III

  THECOMMONVISION

  Nowthismasculineloveofanopenandlevelcamaraderieisthelifewithinalldemocraciesandattemptstogovernbydebate;

  withoutittherepublicwouldbeadeadformula。Evenasitis,ofcourse,thespiritofdemocracyfrequentlydifferswidelyfromtheletter,andapothouseisoftenabettertestthanaParliament。Democracyinitshumansenseisnotarbitramentbythemajority;itisnotevenarbitramentbyeverybody。

  Itcanbemorenearlydefinedasarbitramentbyanybody。

  Imeanthatitrestsonthatclubhabitoftakingatotalstrangerforgranted,ofassumingcertainthingstobeinevitablycommontoyourselfandhim。Onlythethingsthatanybodymaybepresumedtoholdhavethefullauthorityofdemocracy。

  Lookoutofthewindowandnoticethefirstmanwhowalksby。

  TheLiberalsmayhavesweptEnglandwithanover-whelmingmajority;

  butyouwouldnotstakeabuttonthatthemanisaLiberal。TheBiblemaybereadinallschoolsandrespectedinalllawcourts;butyouwouldnotbetastrawthathebelievesintheBible。Butyouwouldbetyourweek\'swages,letussay,thathebelievesinwearingclothes。

  Youwouldbetthathebelievesthatphysicalcourageisafinething,orthatparentshaveauthorityoverchildren。Ofcourse,hemightbethemillionthmanwhodoesnotbelievethesethings;

  ifitcomestothat,hemightbetheBeardedLadydressedupasaman。

  Buttheseprodigiesarequiteadifferentthingfromanymerecalculationofnumbers。Peoplewhoholdtheseviewsarenotaminority,butamonstrosity。Butoftheseuniversaldogmasthathavefulldemocraticauthoritytheonlytestisthistestofanybody。

  Whatyouwouldobservebeforeanynewcomerinatavern——thatistherealEnglishlaw。Thefirstmanyouseefromthewindow,heistheKingofEngland。

  Thedecayoftaverns,whichisbutapartofthegeneraldecayofdemocracy,hasundoubtedlyweakenedthismasculinespiritofequality。IrememberthataroomfulofSocialistsliterallylaughedwhenItoldthemthattherewerenotwonoblerwordsinallpoetrythanPublicHouse。Theythoughtitwasajoke。

  Whytheyshouldthinkitajoke,sincetheywanttomakeallhousespublichouses,Icannotimagine。Butifanyonewishestoseetherealrowdyegalitarianismwhichisnecessary(tomales,atleast)

  hecanfinditaswellasanywhereinthegreatoldtaverndisputeswhichcomedowntousinsuchbooksasBoswell\'sJohnson。Itisworthwhiletomentionthatonenameespeciallybecausethemodernworldinitsmorbidityhasdoneitastrangeinjustice。

  ThedemeanorofJohnson,itissaid,was\"harshanddespotic。\"

  Itwasoccasionallyharsh,butitwasneverdespotic。

  Johnsonwasnotintheleastadespot;Johnsonwasademagogue,heshoutedagainstashoutingcrowd。Theveryfactthathewrangledwithotherpeopleisproofthatotherpeoplewereallowedtowranglewithhim。Hisverybrutalitywasbasedontheideaofanequalscrimmage,likethatoffootball。Itisstrictlytruethathebawledandbangedthetablebecausehewasamodestman。

  Hewashonestlyafraidofbeingoverwhelmedorevenoverlooked。

  Addisonhadexquisitemannersandwasthekingofhiscompany;

  hewaspolitetoeverybody;butsuperiortoeverybody;

  thereforehehasbeenhandeddownforeverintheimmortalinsultofPope——

  \"LikeCato,givehislittleSenatelawsAndsitattentivetohisownapplause。\"

  Johnson,sofarfrombeingkingofhiscompany,wasasortofIrishMemberinhisownParliament。Addisonwasacourteoussuperiorandwashated。

  Johnsonwasaninsolentequalandthereforewaslovedbyallwhoknewhim,andhandeddowninamarvellousbook,whichisoneofthemeremiraclesoflove。

  Thisdoctrineofequalityisessentialtoconversation;

  somuchmaybeadmittedbyanyonewhoknowswhatconversationis。

  Oncearguingatatableinatavernthemostfamousmanonearthwouldwishtobeobscure,sothathisbrilliantremarksmightblazelikethestarsonthebackgroundofhisobscurity。

  Toanythingworthcallingamannothingcanbeconceivedmorecoldorcheerlessthantobekingofyourcompany。

  Butitmaybesaidthatinmasculinesportsandgames,otherthanthegreatgameofdebate,thereisdefiniteemulationandeclipse。

  Thereisindeedemulation,butthisisonlyanardentsortofequality。Gamesarecompetitive,becausethatistheonlywayofmakingthemexciting。Butifanyonedoubtsthatmenmustforeverreturntotheidealofequality,itisonlynecessarytoanswerthatthereissuchathingasahandicap。

  Ifmenexultedinmeresuperiority,theywouldseektoseehowfarsuchsuperioritycouldgo;theywouldbegladwhenonestrongrunnercameinmilesaheadofalltherest。

  Butwhatmenlikeisnotthetriumphofsuperiors,butthestruggleofequals;and,therefore,theyintroduceevenintotheircompetitivesportsanartificialequality。

  Itissadtothinkhowfewofthosewhoarrangeoursportinghandicapscanbesupposedwithanyprobabilitytorealizethattheyareabstractandevensevererepublicans。

  No;therealobjectiontoequalityandself-rulehasnothingtodowithanyofthesefreeandfestiveaspectsofmankind;allmenaredemocratswhentheyarehappy。Thephilosophicopponentofdemocracywouldsubstantiallysumuphispositionbysayingthatit\"willnotwork。\"

  Beforegoingfurther,Iwillregisterinpassingaprotestagainsttheassumptionthatworkingistheonetestofhumanity。

  Heavendoesnotwork;itplays。Menaremostthemselveswhentheyarefree;andifIfindthatmenaresnobsintheirworkbutdemocratsontheirholidays,Ishalltakethelibertytobelievetheirholidays。

  Butitisthisquestionofworkwhichreallyperplexesthequestionofequality;anditiswiththatthatwemustnowdeal。

  Perhapsthetruthcanbeputmostpointedlythus:thatdemocracyhasonerealenemy,andthatiscivilization。Thoseutilitarianmiracleswhichsciencehasmadeareanti-democratic,notsomuchintheirperversion,orevenintheirpracticalresult,asintheirprimaryshapeandpurpose。TheFrame-BreakingRioterswereright;

  notperhapsinthinkingthatmachineswouldmakefewermenworkmen;

  butcertainlyinthinkingthatmachineswouldmakefewermenmasters。

  Morewheelsdomeanfewerhandles;fewerhandlesdomeanfewerhands。

  Themachineryofsciencemustbeindividualisticandisolated。

  Amobcanshoutroundapalace;butamobcannotshoutdownatelephone。

  Thespecialistappearsanddemocracyishalfspoiledatastroke。

  ***

  IV

  THEINSANENECESSITY

  ThecommonconceptionamongthedregsofDarwiniancultureisthatmenhaveslowlyworkedtheirwayoutofinequalityintoastateofcomparativeequality。Thetruthis,Ifancy,almostexactlytheopposite。Allmenhavenormallyandnaturallybegunwiththeideaofequality;theyhaveonlyabandoneditlateandreluctantly,andalwaysforsomematerialreasonofdetail。

  Theyhavenevernaturallyfeltthatoneclassofmenwassuperiortoanother;theyhavealwaysbeendriventoassumeitthroughcertainpracticallimitationsofspaceandtime。

  Forexample,thereisoneelementwhichmustalwaystendtooligarchy——orrathertodespotism;Imeantheelementofhurry。

  Ifthehousehascaughtfireamanmustringupthefireengines;

  acommitteecannotringthemup。Ifacampissurprisedbynightsomebodymustgivetheordertofire;thereisnotimetovoteit。

  Itissolelyaquestionofthephysicallimitationsoftimeandspace;

  notatallofanymentallimitationsinthemassofmencommanded。

  Ifallthepeopleinthehouseweremenofdestinyitwouldstillbebetterthattheyshouldnotalltalkintothetelephoneatonce;nay,itwouldbebetterthatthesilliestmanofallshouldspeakuninterrupted。IfanarmyactuallyconsistedofnothingbutHanibalsandNapoleons,itwouldstillbebetterinthecaseofasurprisethattheyshouldnotallgiveorderstogether。

  Nay,itwouldbebetterifthestupidestofthemallgavetheorders。

  Thus,weseethatmerelymilitarysubordination,sofarfromrestingontheinequalityofmen,actuallyrestsontheequalityofmen。

  DisciplinedoesnotinvolvetheCarlyleannotionthatsomebodyisalwaysrightwheneverybodyiswrong,andthatwemustdiscoverandcrownthatsomebody。Onthecontrary,disciplinemeansthatincertainfrightfullyrapidcircumstances,onecantrustanybodysolongasheisnoteverybody。Themilitaryspiritdoesnotmean(asCarlylefancied)obeyingthestrongestandwisestman。

  Onthecontrary,themilitaryspiritmeans,ifanything,obeyingtheweakestandstupidestman,obeyinghimmerelybecauseheisaman,andnotathousandmen。Submissiontoaweakmanisdiscipline。

  Submissiontoastrongmanisonlyservility。

  NowitcanbeeasilyshownthatthethingwecallaristocracyinEuropeisnotinitsoriginandspiritanaristocracyatall。

  Itisnotasystemofspiritualdegreesanddistinctionslike,forexample,thecastesystemofIndia,orevenliketheoldGreekdistinctionbetweenfreemenandslaves。Itissimplytheremainsofamilitaryorganization,framedpartlytosustainthesinkingRomanEmpire,partlytobreakandavengetheawfulonslaughtofIslam。ThewordDukesimplymeansColonel,justasthewordEmperorsimplymeansCommander-in-Chief。ThewholestoryistoldinthesingletitleofCountsoftheHolyRomanEmpire,whichmerelymeansofficersintheEuropeanarmyagainstthecontemporaryYellowPeril。Nowinanarmynobodyeverdreamsofsupposingthatdifferenceofrankrepresentsadifferenceofmoralreality。

  Nobodyeversaysaboutaregiment,\"YourMajorisveryhumorousandenergetic;yourColonel,ofcourse,mustbeevenmorehumorousandyetmoreenergetic\"Nooneeversays,inreportingamess-roomconversation,\"LieutenantJoneswasverywitty,butwasnaturallyinferiortoCaptainSmith。\"Theessenceofanarmyistheideaofofficialinequality,foundedonunofficialequality。

  TheColonelisnotobeyedbecauseheisthebestman,butbecauseheistheColonel。SuchwasprobablythespiritofthesystemofdukesandcountswhenitfirstaroseoutofthemilitaryspiritandmilitarynecessitiesofRome。Withthedeclineofthosenecessitiesithasgraduallyceasedtohavemeaningasamilitaryorganization,andbecomehoneycombedwithuncleanplutocracy。Evennowitisnotaspiritualaristocracy——itisnotsobadasallthat。

  Itissimplyanarmywithoutanenemy——billeteduponthepeople。

  Man,therefore,hasaspecialistaswellascomrade-likeaspect;

  andthecaseofmilitarismisnottheonlycaseofsuchspecialistsubmission。Thetinkerandtailor,aswellasthesoldierandsailor,requireacertainrigidityofrapidityofaction:

  atleast,ifthetinkerisnotorganizedthatislargelywhyhedoesnottinkonanylargescale。ThetinkerandtailoroftenrepresentthetwonomadicracesinEurope:theGipsyandtheJew;buttheJewalonehasinfluencebecausehealoneacceptssomesortofdiscipline。

  Man,wesay,hastwosides,thespecialistsidewherehemusthavesubordination,andthesocialsidewherehemusthaveequality。

  Thereisatruthinthesayingthattentailorsgotomakeaman;

  butwemustrememberalsothattenPoetsLaureateortenAstronomersRoyalgotomakeaman,too。TenmilliontradesmengotomakeManhimself;

  buthumanityconsistsoftradesmenwhentheyarenottalkingshop。

  Nowthepeculiarperilofourtime,whichIcallforargument\'ssakeImperialismorCaesarism,isthecompleteeclipseofcomradeshipandequalitybyspecialismanddomination。

  Thereareonlytwokindsofsocialstructureconceivable——

  personalgovernmentandimpersonalgovernment。Ifmyanarchicfriendswillnothaverules——theywillhaverulers。

  Preferringpersonalgovernment,withitstactandflexibility,iscalledRoyalism。Preferringimpersonalgovernment,withitsdogmasanddefinitions,iscalledRepublicanism。

  ObjectingbroadmindedlybothtokingsandcreedsiscalledBosh;

  atleast,Iknownomorephilosophicwordforit。Youcanbeguidedbytheshrewdnessorpresenceofmindofoneruler,orbytheequalityandascertainedjusticeofonerule;butyoumusthaveoneortheother,oryouarenotanation,butanastymess。

  Nowmenintheiraspectofequalityanddebateadoretheideaofrules;theydevelopandcomplicatethemgreatlytoexcess。

  Amanfindsfarmoreregulationsanddefinitionsinhisclub,wheretherearerules,thaninhishome,wherethereisaruler。

  Adeliberateassembly,theHouseofCommons,forinstance,carriesthismummerytothepointofamethodicalmadness。

  Thewholesystemisstiffwithrigidunreason;

  liketheRoyalCourtinLewisCarroll。YouwouldthinktheSpeakerwouldspeak;thereforeheismostlysilent。

  Youwouldthinkamanwouldtakeoffhishattostopandputitontogoaway;thereforehetakesoffhishattowalkoutandputsinontostopin。Namesareforbidden,andamanmustcallhisownfather\"myrighthonorablefriendthememberforWestBirmingham。\"Theseare,perhaps,fantasiesofdecay:

  butfundamentallytheyansweramasculineappetite。

  Menfeelthatrules,evenifirrational,areuniversal;

  menfeelthatlawisequal,evenwhenitisnotequitable。

  Thereisawildfairnessinthething——asthereisintossingup。

  Again,itisgravelyunfortunatethatwhencriticsdoattacksuchcasesastheCommonsitisalwaysonthepoints(perhapsthefewpoints)wheretheCommonsareright。

  TheydenouncetheHouseastheTalking-Shop,andcomplainthatitwastestimeinwordymazes。NowthisisjustonerespectinwhichtheCommonsareactuallyliketheCommonPeople。Iftheyloveleisureandlongdebate,itisbecauseallmenloveit;

  thattheyreallyrepresentEngland。TheretheParliamentdoesapproachtothevirilevirtuesofthepothouse。

  Therealtruthisthatadumbratedintheintroductorysectionwhenwespokeofthesenseofhomeandproperty,asnowwespeakofthesenseofcounselandcommunity。Allmendonaturallylovetheideaofleisure,laughter,loudandequalargument;

  buttherestandsaspecterinourhall。Weareconsciousofthetoweringmodernchallengethatiscalledspecialismorcut-throatcompetition——Business。Businesswillhavenothingtodowithleisure;businesswillhavenotruckwithcomradeship;

  businesswillpretendtonopatiencewithallthelegalfictionsandfantastichandicapsbywhichcomradeshipprotectsitsegalitarianideal。Themodernmillionaire,whenengagedintheagreeableandtypicaltaskofsackinghisownfather,willcertainlynotrefertohimastherighthonorableclerkfromtheLaburnumRoad,Brixton。Thereforetherehasariseninmodernlifealiteraryfashiondevotingitselftotheromanceofbusiness,togreatdemigodsofgreedandtofairylandoffinance。

  Thispopularphilosophyisutterlydespoticandanti-democratic;

  thisfashionistheflowerofthatCaesarismagainstwhichIamconcernedtoprotest。Theidealmillionaireisstronginthepossessionofabrainofsteel。Thefactthattherealmillionaireisrathermoreoftenstronginthepossessionofaheadofwood,doesnotalterthespiritandtrendoftheidolatry。Theessentialargumentis\"Specialistsmustbedespots;menmustbespecialists。

  Youcannothaveequalityinasoapfactory;soyoucannothaveitanywhere。Youcannothavecomradeshipinawheatcorner;

  soyoucannothareitatall。Wemusthavecommercialcivilization;

  thereforewemustdestroydemocracy。\"Iknowthatplutocratshareseldomsufficientfancytosoartosuchexamplesassoaporwheat。

  Theygenerallyconfinethemselves,withfinefreshnessofmind,toacomparisonbetweenthestateandaship。Oneanti-democraticwriterremarkedthathewouldnotliketosailinavesselinwhichthecabin-boyhadanequalvotewiththecaptain。

  Itmighteasilybeurgedinanswerthatmanyaship(theVictoria,forinstance)wassunkbecauseanadmiralgaveanorderwhichacabin-boycouldseewaswrong。Butthisisadebatingreply;

  theessentialfallacyisbothdeeperandsimpler。Theelementaryfactisthatwewereallborninastate;wewerenotallbornonaship;

  likesomeofourgreatBritishbankers。Ashipstillremainsaspecialistexperiment,likeadiving-belloraflyingship:

  insuchpeculiarperilstheneedforpromptitudeconstitutestheneedforautocracy。Butweliveanddieinthevesselofthestate;

  andifwecannotfindfreedomcamaraderieandthepopularelementinthestate,wecannotfinditatall。Andthemoderndoctrineofcommercialdespotismmeansthatweshallnotfinditatall。

  Ourspecialisttradesintheirhighlycivilizedstatecannot(itsays)berunwithoutthewholebrutalbusinessofbossingandsacking,\"toooldatforty\"andalltherestofthefilth。

  Andtheymustberun,andthereforewecallonCaesar。NobodybuttheSupermancoulddescendtodosuchdirtywork。

  Now(toreiteratemytitle)thisiswhatiswrong。Thisisthehugemodernheresyofalteringthehumansoultofititsconditions,insteadofalteringhumanconditionstofitthehumansoul。

  Ifsoapboilingisreallyinconsistentwithbrotherhood,somuchtheworstforsoap-boiling,notforbrotherhood。

  Ifcivilizationreallycannotgetonwithdemocracy,somuchtheworseforcivilization,notfordemocracy。Certainly,itwouldbefarbettertogobacktovillagecommunes,iftheyreallyarecommunes。Certainly,itwouldbebettertodowithoutsoapratherthantodowithoutsociety。Certainly,wewouldsacrificeallourwires,wheels,systems,specialties,physicalscienceandfrenziedfinanceforonehalf-hourofhappinesssuchashasoftencometouswithcomradesinacommontavern。

  Idonotsaythesacrificewillbenecessary;Ionlysayitwillbeeasy。

  ***

  PARTTHREE

  FEMINISM,ORTHEMISTAKEABOUTWOMAN

  ***

  I

  THEUNMILITARYSUFFRAGETTE

  Itwillbebettertoadoptinthischapterthesameprocessthatappearedapieceofmentaljusticeinthelast。

  Mygeneralopinionsonthefemininequestionaresuchasmanysuffragistswouldwarmlyapprove;anditwouldbeeasytostatethemwithoutanyopenreferencetothecurrentcontroversy。

  ButjustasitseemedmoredecenttosayfirstthatIwasnotinfavorofImperialismeveninitspracticalandpopularsense,soitseemsmoredecenttosaythesameofFemaleSuffrage,initspracticalandpopularsense。Inotherwords,itisonlyfairtostate,howeverhurriedly,thesuperficialobjectiontotheSuffragettesbeforewegoontothereallysubtlequestionsbehindtheSuffrage。

  Well,togetthishonestbutunpleasantbusinessover,theobjectiontotheSuffragettesisnotthattheyareMilitantSuffragettes。

  Onthecontrary,itisthattheyarenotmilitantenough。

  Arevolutionisamilitarything;ithasallthemilitaryvirtues;

  oneofwhichisthatitcomestoanend。Twopartiesfightwithdeadlyweapons,butundercertainrulesofarbitraryhonor;

  thepartythatwinsbecomesthegovernmentandproceedstogovern。

  Theaimofcivilwar,liketheaimofallwar,ispeace。

  NowtheSuffragettescannotraisecivilwarinthissoldierlyanddecisivesense;first,becausetheyarewomen;

  and,secondly,becausetheyareveryfewwomen。Buttheycanraisesomethingelse;whichisaltogetheranotherpairofshoes。

  Theydonotcreaterevolution;whattheydocreateisanarchy;

  andthedifferencebetweentheseisnotaquestionofviolence,butaquestionoffruitfulnessandfinality。Revolutionofitsnatureproducesgovernment;anarchyonlyproducesmoreanarchy。

  MenmayhavewhatopinionstheypleaseaboutthebeheadingofKingCharlesorKingLouis,buttheycannotdenythatBradshawandCromwellruled,thatCarnotandNapoleongoverned。

  Someoneconquered;somethingoccurred。YoucanonlyknockofftheKing\'sheadonce。ButyoucanknockofftheKing\'shatanynumberoftimes。Destructionisfinite,obstructionisinfinite:

  solongasrebelliontakestheformofmeredisorder(insteadofanattempttoenforceaneworder)thereisnologicalendtoit;itcanfeedonitselfandrenewitselfforever。

  IfNapoleonhadnotwantedtobeaConsul,butonlywantedtobeanuisance,hecould,possibly,havepreventedanygovernmentarisingsuccessfullyoutoftheRevolution。Butsuchaproceedingwouldnothavedeservedthedignifiednameofrebellion。

  ItisexactlythisunmilitantqualityintheSuffragettesthatmakestheirsuperficialproblem。Theproblemisthattheiractionhasnoneoftheadvantagesofultimateviolence;itdoesnotaffordatest。

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