28-does the race of man love a lord-第1部分

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DOES　THE　RACE　OF　MAN　LOVE　A　LORD？







Often　a　quite　assified　remark　becomes　sanctified　by　use　and

petrified　by　custom；　it　is　then　a　permanency；　its　term　of　activity

a　geologic　period。







The　day　after　the　arrival　of　Prince　Henry　I　met　an　English　friend；

and　he　rubbed　his　hands　and　broke　out　with　a　remark　that　was　charged

to　the　brim　with　joyjoy　that　was　evidently　a　pleasant　salve

to　an　old　sore　place：



〃Many　a　time　I've　had　to　listen　without　retort　to　an　old　saying

that　is　irritatingly　true；　and　until　now　seemed　to　offer　no　chance

for　a　return　jibe：　　'An　Englishman　does　dearly　love　a　lord'；

but　after　this　I　shall　talk　back；　and　say；　'How　about　the　Americans？'〃



It　is　a　curious　thing；　the　currency　that　an　idiotic　saying　can　get。　

The　man　that　first　says　it　thinks　he　has　made　a　discovery。　

The　man　he　says　it　to；　thinks　the　same。　　It　departs　on　its　travels；

is　received　everywhere　with　admiring　acceptance；　and　not　only　as

a　piece　of　rare　and　acute　observation；　but　as　being　exhaustively

true　and　profoundly　wise；　and　so　it　presently　takes　its　place

in　the　world's　list　of　recognized　and　established　wisdoms；

and　after　that　no　one　thinks　of　examining　it　to　see　whether　it　is

really　entitled　to　its　high　honors　or　not。　　I　call　to　mind　instances

of　this　in　two　well…established　proverbs；　whose　dullness　is　not

surpassed　by　the　one　about　the　Englishman　and　his　love　for　a　lord：　

one　of　them　records　the　American's　Adoration　of　the　Almighty　Dollar；

the　other　the　American　millionaire…girl's　ambition　to　trade　cash　for

a　title；　with　a　husband　thrown　in。



It　isn't　merely　the　American　that　adores　the　Almighty　Dollar；

it　is　the　human　race。　　The　human　race　has　always　adored　the　hatful

of　shells；　or　the　bale　of　calico；　or　the　half…bushel　of　brass　rings；

or　the　handful　of　steel　fish…hooks；　or　the　houseful　of　black　wives；

or　the　zareba　full　of　cattle；　or　the　two…score　camels　and　asses；

or　the　factory；　or　the　farm；　or　the　block　of　buildings；　or　the

railroad　bonds；　or　the　bank　stock；　or　the　hoarded　cash；　or

anything　that　stands　for　wealth　and　consideration　and　independence；

and　can　secure　to　the　possessor　that　most　precious　of　all　things；

another　man's　envy。　　It　was　a　dull　person　that　invented　the　idea

that　the　American's　devotion　to　the　dollar　is　more　strenuous　than

another's。



Rich　American　girls　do　buy　titles；　but　they　did　not　invent　that　idea；

it　had　been　worn　threadbare　several　hundred　centuries　before　America

was　discovered。　　European　girls　still　exploit　it　as　briskly　as　ever；

and；　when　a　title　is　not　to　be　had　for　the　money　in　hand；　they　buy

the　husband　without　it。　　They　must　put　up　the　〃dot；〃　or　there　is

no　trade。　　The　commercialization　of　brides　is　substantially　universal；

except　in　America。　　It　exists　with　us；　to　some　little　extent；

but　in　no　degree　approaching　a　custom。



〃The　Englishman　dearly　loves　a　lord。〃



What　is　the　soul　and　source　of　this　love？　　I　think　the　thing　could

be　more　correctly　worded：



〃The　human　race　dearly　envies　a　lord。〃



That　is　to　say；　it　envies　the　lord's　place。　　Why？　　On　two　accounts；

I　think：　　its　Power　and　its　Conspicuousness。



Where　Conspicuousness　carries　with　it　a　Power　which；　by　the　light

of　our　own　observation　and　experience；　we　are　able　to　measure

and　comprehend；　I　think　our　envy　of　the　possessor　is　as　deep　and　as

passionate　as　is　that　of　any　other　nation。　　No　one　can　care　less

for　a　lord　than　the　backwoodsman；　who　has　had　no　personal　contact

with　lords　and　has　seldom　heard　them　spoken　of；　but　I　will　not

allow　that　any　Englishman　has　a　profounder　envy　of　a　lord　than　has

the　average　American　who　has　lived　long　years　in　a　European　capital

and　fully　learned　how　immense　is　the　position　the　lord　occupies。



Of　any　ten　thousand　Americans　who　eagerly　gather；　at　vast　inconvenience；

to　get　a　glimpse　of　Prince　Henry；　all　but　a　couple　of　hundred

will　be　there　out　of　an　immense　curiosity；　they　are　burning　up

with　desire　to　see　a　personage　who　is　so　much　talked　about。　

They　envy　him；　but　it　is　Conspicuousness　they　envy　mainly；　not　the

Power　that　is　lodged　in　his　royal　quality　and　position；　for　they

have　but　a　vague　and　spectral　knowledge　and　appreciation　of　that；

though　their　environment　and　associations　they　have　been　accustomed

to　regard　such　things　lightly；　and　as　not　being　very　real；　consequently；

they　are　not　able　to　value　them　enough　to　consumingly　envy　them。



But；　whenever　an　American　（or　other　human　being）　is　in　the　presence；

for　the　first　time；　of　a　combination　of　great　Power　and　Conspicuousness

which　he　thoroughly　understands　and　appreciates；　his　eager　curiosity

and　pleasure　will　be　well…sodden　with　that　other　passionenvy

whether　he　suspects　it　or　not。　　At　any　time；　on　any　day；　in　any　part

of　America；　you　can　confer　a　happiness　upon　any　passing　stranger

by　calling　his　attention　to　any　other　passing　stranger　and　saying：



〃Do　you　see　that　gentleman　going　along　there？　　It　is　Mr。　Rockefeller。〃



Watch　his　eye。　　It　is　a　combination　of　power　and　conspicuousness

which　the　man　understands。



When　we　understand　rank；　we　always　like　to　rub　against　it。　

When　a　man　is　conspicuous；　we　always　want　to　see　him。　　Also；　if　he

will　pay　us　an　attention　we　will　manage　to　remember　it。　　Also；　we

will　mention　it　now　and　then；　casually；　sometimes　to　a　friend；

or　if　a　friend　is　not　handy；　we　will　make　out　with　a　stranger。



Well；　then；　what　is　rank；　and　what　is　conspicuousness？　　At　once　we

think　of　kings　and　aristocracies；　and　of　world…wide　celebrities

in　soldierships；　the　arts；　letters；　etc。；　and　we　stop　there。　

But　that　is　a　mistake。　　Rank　holds　its　court　and　receives　its　homage

on　every　round　of　the　ladder；　from　the　emperor　down　to　the　rat…catcher；

and　distinction；　also；　exists　on　every　round　of　the　ladder；

and　commands　its　due　of　deference　and　envy。



To　worship　rank　and　distinction　is　the　dear　and　valued　privilege

of　all　the　human　race；　and　it　is　freely　and　joyfully　exercised

in　democracies　as　well　as　in　monarchiesand　even；　to　some　extent；

among　those　creatures　whom　we　impertinently　call　the　Lower　Animals。　

For　even　they　have　some　poor　little　vanities　and　foibles；　though　in

this　matter　they　are　paupers　as　compared　to　us。



A　Chinese　Emperor　has　the　worship　of　his　four　hundred　millions

of　subjects；　but　the　rest　of　the　world　is　indifferent　to　him。　

A　Christian　Emperor　has　the　worship　of　his　subjects　and　of　a　large

part　of　the　Christian　world　outside　of　his　domains；　but　he　is

a　matter　of　indifference　to　all　China。　　A　king；　class　A；　has　an

extensive　worship；　a　king；　class　B；　has　a　less　extensive　worship；

class　C；　class　D；　class　E　get　a　steadily　diminishing　share　of　worship；

class　L　（Sultan　of　Zanzibar）；　class　P　（Sultan　of　Sulu）；　and　class　W

（half…king　of　Samoa）；　get　no　worship　at　all　outside　their　own　little

patch　of　sovereignty。



Take　the　distinguished　people　along　down。　　Each　has　his　group

of　homage…payers。　In　the　navy；　there　are　many　groups；　they　start

with　the　Secretary　and　the　Admiral；　and　go　down　to　the　quartermaster

and　below；　for　there　will　be　groups　among　the　sailors；　and　each　of

these　groups　will　have　a　tar　who　is　distinguished　for　his　battles；

or　his　strength；　or　his　daring；　or　his　profanity；　and　is　admired

and　envied　by　his　group。　　The　same　with　the　army；　the　same

with　the　literary　and　journalistic　craft；　the　publishing　craft；

the　cod…fishery　craft；　Standard　Oil；　U。　S。　Steel；　the　class　A　hotel

and　the　rest　of　the　alphabet　in　that　line；　the　class　A　prize…fighter

and　the　rest　of　the　alphabet　in　his　lineclear　down　to　the　lowest

and　obscurest　six…boy　gang　of　little　gamins；　with　its　one　boy

that　can　thrash　the　rest；　and　to　whom　he　is　king　of　Samoa；

bottom　of　the　royal　race；　but　looked　up　to　with　a　most　ardent

admiration　and　envy。



There　is　something　pathetic；　and　funny；　and　pretty；　about　this

human　race's　fondness　for　contact　with　power　and　distinction；

and　for　the　reflected　glory　it　gets　out　of　it。　　The　king；　class　A；

is　happy　in　the　state　banquet　and　the　military　show　which　the

emperor　provides　for　him；　and　he　goes　home　and　gathers　the　queen

and　the　princelings　around　him　in　the　privacy　of　the　spare　room；

and　tells　them　all　about　it；　and　says：



〃His　Imperial　Majesty　put　his　hand　upon　my　shoulder　in　the　most

friendly　wayjust　as　friendly　and　familiar；　oh；　you　can't　imagine　it！

and　everybody　SEEING　him　do　it；　charming；　perfectly　charming！〃



The　king；　class　G；　is　happy　in　the　cold　collation　and　the　police

parade　provided　for　him　by　the　king；　class　B；　and　goes　home

and　tells　the　family　all　about　it；　and　says：



〃And　His　Majesty　took　me　into　his　own　private　cabinet　for　a　smoke

and　a　chat；　and　there　we　sat　just　as　sociable；　and　talking　away

and　laughing　and　chatting；　just　the　same　as　if　we　had　been　born

in　the　same　bunk；　and　all　the　servants　in　the　anteroom　could　see

us　doing　it！　　Oh；　it　was　too　lovely　for　anything！〃



The　king；　class　Q；　is　happy　in　the　modest　entertainment　furnished　him

by　the　king；　class　M；　and　goes　home　and　tells　the　household　about　it；

and　is　as　grateful　and　joyful　over　it　as　were　his　predecessors

in　the　gaudier　attentions　that　had　fallen　to　their　larger　lot。



Emperors；　kings；　artisans；　peasants；　big　people；　little　peopleat　the

bottom　we　are　all　alike　and　all　the　same；　all　just　alike　on　the　inside；

and　when　our　clothes　are　off；　nobody　can　tell　which　of　us　is　which。　

We　are　unanimous　in　the　pride　we　take　in　good　and　genuine　compliments

paid　us；　and　distinctions　conferred　upon　us；　in　attentions　shown。　

There　is　not　one　of　us；　from　the　emperor　down；；　but　is　made　like　that。　

Do　I　mean　attentions　shown　us　by　the　guest？　　No；　I　mean　simply

flattering　attentions；　let　them　come　whence　they　may。　　We　despise

no　source　that　can　pay　us　a　pleasing　attentionthere　is　no　source

that　is　humble　enough　for　that。　　You　have　heard　a　dear　little　girl

say　to　a　frowzy　and　disreputable　dog：　　〃He　came　right　to　me　an