a miscellany of men-第3部分

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elgium　were　flooded　by　the　sea。　　In　theory　the　sale　of　a　squire's　land　to　a　money…　lender　is　a　minor　and　exceptional　necessity。　　In　reality　it　is　a　thing　like　a　German　invasion。　　Sometimes　it　is　a　German　invasion。

Upon　this　helpless　populace；　gazing　at　these　prodigies　and　fates；　comes　round　about　every　five　years　a　thing　called　a　General　Election。　　It　is　believed　by　antiquarians　to　be　the　remains　of　some　system　of　self…　government；　but　it　consists　solely　in　asking　the　citizen　questions　about　everything　except　what　he　understands。　　The　examination　paper　of　the　Election　generally　consists　of　some　such　queries　as　these：　〃I。　　Are　the　green　biscuits　eaten　by　the　peasants　of　Eastern　Lithuania　in　your　opinion　fit　for　human　food？　　II。　　Are　the　religious　professions　of　the　President　of　the　Orange　Free　State　hypocritical　or　sincere？　　III。　　Do　you　think　that　the　savages　in　Prusso…Portuguese　East　Bunyipland　are　as　happy　and　hygienic　as　the　fortunate　savages　in　Franco…British　West　Bunyipland？　　IV。　Did　the　lost　Latin　Charter　said　to　have　been　exacted　from　Henry　III　reserve　the　right　of　the　Crown　to　create　peers？　　V。　What　do　you　think　of　what　America　thinks　of　what　Mr。　Roosevelt　thinks　of　what　Sir　Eldon　Gorst　thinks　of　the　state　of　the　Nile？　　VI。　　Detect　some　difference　between　the　two　persons　in　frock…coats　placed　before　you　at　this　election。〃

Now；　it　never　was　supposed　in　any　natural　theory　of　self…government　that　the　ordinary　man　in　my　neighbourhood　need　answer　fantastic　questions　like　these。　　He　is　a　citizen　of　South　Bucks；　not　an　editor　of　'Notes　and　Queries'。　　He　would　be；　I　seriously　believe；　the　best　judge　of　whether　farmsteads　or　factory　chimneys　should　adorn　his　own　sky…line；　of　whether　stupid　squires　or　clever　usurers　should　govern　his　own　village。　　But　these　are　precisely　the　things　which　the　oligarchs　will　not　allow　him　to　touch　with　his　finger。　　Instead；　they　allow　him　an　Imperial　destiny　and　divine　mission　to　alter；　under　their　guidance；　all　the　things　that　he　knows　nothing　about。　　The　name　of　selfgovernment　is　noisy　everywhere：　the　Thing　is　throttled。

The　wind　sang　and　split　the　sky　like　thunder　all　the　night　through；　in　scraps　of　sleep　it　filled　my　dreams　with　the　divine　discordances　of　martyrdom　and　revolt；　I　heard　the　horn　of　Roland　and　the　drums　of　Napoleon　and　all　the　tongues　Of　terror　with　which　the　Thing　has　gone　forth：　the　spirit　of　our　race　alive。　　But　when　I　came　down　in　the　morning　only　a　branch　or　two　was　broken　off　the　tree　in　my　garden；　and　none　of　the　great　country　houses　in　the　neighbourhood　were　blown　down；　as　would　have　happened　if　the　Thing　had　really　been　abroad。



THE　MAN　WHO　THINKS　BACKWARDS


The　man　who　thinks　backwards　is　a　very　powerful　person　to…day：　indeed；　if　he　is　not　omnipotent；　he　is　at　least　omnipresent。　　It　is　he　who　writes　nearly　all　the　learned　books　and　articles；　especially　of　the　scientific　or　skeptical　sort；　all　the　articles　on　Eugenics　and　Social　Evolution　and　Prison　Reform　and　the　Higher　Criticism　and　all　the　rest　of　it。　　But　especially　it　is　this　strange　and　tortuous　being　who　does　most　of　the　writing　about　female　emancipation　and　the　reconsidering　of　marriage。　　For　the　man　who　thinks　backwards　is　very　frequently　a　woman。

Thinking　backwards　is　not　quite　easy　to　define　abstractedly；　and；　perhaps；　the　simplest　method　is　to　take　some　object；　as　plain　as　possible；　and　from　it　illustrate　the　two　modes　of　thought：　the　right　mode　in　which　all　real　results　have　been　rooted；　the　wrong　mode；　which　is　confusing　all　our　current　discussions；　especially　our　discussions　about　the　relations　of　the　sexes。　　Casting　my　eye　round　the　room；　I　notice　an　object　which　is　often　mentioned　in　the　higher　and　subtler　of　these　debates　about　the　sexes：　I　mean　a　poker。　　I　will　take　a　poker　and　think　about　it；　first　forwards　and　then　backwards；　and　so；　perhaps；　show　what　I　mean。

The　sage　desiring　to　think　well　and　wisely　about　a　poker　will　begin　somewhat　as　follows：　Among　the　live　creatures　that　crawl　about　this　star　the　queerest　is　the　thing　called　Man。　　This　plucked　and　plumeless　bird；　comic　and　forlorn；　is　the　butt　of　all　the　philosophies。　　He　is　the　only　naked　animal；　and　this　quality；　once；　it　is　said；　his　glory；　is　now　his　shame。　　He　has　to　go　outside　himself　for　everything　that　he　wants。　　He　might　almost　be　considered　as　an　absent…minded　person　who　had　gone　bathing　and　left　his　clothes　everywhere；　so　that　he　has　hung　his　hat　upon　the　beaver　and　his　coat　upon　the　sheep。　　The　rabbit　has　white　warmth　for　a　waistcoat；　and　the　glow…worm　has　a　lantern　for　a　head。　　But　man　has　no　heat　in　his　hide；　and　the　light　in　his　body　is　darkness；　and　he　must　look　for　light　and　warmth　in　the　wild；　cold　universe　in　which　he　is　cast。　This　is　equally　true　of　his　soul　and　of　his　body；　he　is　the　one　creature　that　has　lost　his　heart　as　much　as　he　has　lost　his　hide。　　In　a　spiritual　sense　he　has　taken　leave　of　his　senses；　and　even　in　a　literal　sense　he　has　been　unable　to　keep　his　hair　on。　　And　just　as　this　external　need　of　his　has　lit　in　his　dark　brain　the　dreadful　star　called　religion；　so　it　has　lit　in　his　hand　the　only　adequate　symbol　of　it：　I　mean　the　red　flower　called　Fire。　　Fire；　the　most　magic　and　startling　of　all　material　things；　is　a　thing　known　only　to　man　and　the　expression　of　his　sublime　externalism。　It　embodies　all　that　is　human　in　his　hearths　and　all　that　is　divine　on　his　altars。　　It　is　the　most；　human　thing　in　the　world；　seen　across　wastes　of　marsh　or　medleys　of　forest；　it　is　veritably　the　purple　and　golden　flag　of　the　sons　of　Eve。　　But　there　is　about　this　generous　and　rejoicing　thing　an　alien　and　awful　quality：　the　quality　of　torture。　　Its　presence　is　life；　its　touch　is　death。　　Therefore；　it　is　always　necessary　to　have　an　intermediary　between　ourselves　and　this　dreadful　deity；　to　have　a　priest　to　intercede　for　us　with　the　god　of　life　and　death；　to　send　an　ambassador　to　the　fire。　　That　priest　is　the　poker。　　Made　of　a　material　more　merciless　and　warlike　than　the　other　instruments　of　domesticity；　hammered　on　the　anvil　and　born　itself　in　the　flame；　the　poker　is　strong　enough　to　enter　the　burning　fiery　furnace；　and；　like　the　holy　children；　not　be　consumed。　　In　this　heroic　service　it　is　often　battered　and　twisted；　but　is　the　more　honourable　for　it；　like　any　other　soldier　who　has　been　under　fire。

Now　all　this　may　sound　very　fanciful　and　mystical；　but　it　is　the　right　view　of　pokers；　and　no　one　who　takes　it　will　ever　go　in　for　any　wrong　view　of　pokers；　such　as　using　them　to　beat　one's　wife　or　torture　one's　children；　or　even　（though　that　is　more　excusable）　to　make　a　policeman　jump；　as　the　clown　does　in　the　pantomime。　　He　who　has　thus　gone　back　to　the　beginning；　and　seen　everything　as　quaint　and　new；　will　always　see　things　in　their　right　order；　the　one　depending　on　the　other　in　degree　of　purpose　and　importance：　the　poker　for　the　fire　and　the　fire　for　the　man　and　the　man　for　the　glory　of　God。

This　is　thinking　forwards。　　Now　our　modern　discussions　about　everything；　Imperialism；　Socialism；　or　Votes　for　Women；　are　all　entangled　in　an　opposite　train　of　thought；　which　runs　as　follows：…　A　modern　intellectual　comes　in　and　sees　a　poker。　　He　is　a　positivist；　he　will　not　begin　with　any　dogmas　about　the　nature　of　man；　or　any　day…dreams　about　the　mystery　of　fire。　　He　will　begin　with　what　he　can　see；　the　poker；　and　the　first　thing　he　sees　about　the　poker　is　that　it　is　crooked。　　He　says；　〃Poor　poker；　it's　crooked。〃　　Then　he　asks　how　it　came　to　be　crooked；　and　is　told　that　there　is　a　thing　in　the　world　（with　which　his　temperament　has　hitherto　left　him　unacquainted）a　thing　called　fire。　　He　points　out；　very　kindly　and　clearly；　how　silly　it　is　of　people；　if　they　want　a　straight　poker；　to　put　it　into　a　chemical　combustion　which　will　very　probably　heat　and　warp　it。　　〃Let　us　abolish　fire；〃　he　says；　〃and　then　we　shall　have　perfectly　straight　pokers。　　Why　should　you　want　a　fire　at　all？〃　　They　explain　to　him　that　a　creature　called　Man　wants　a　fire；　because　he　has　no　fur　or　feathers。　　He　gazes　dreamily　at　the　embers　for　a　few　seconds；　and　then　shakes　his　head。　　〃I　doubt　if　such　an　animal　is　worth　preserving；〃　he　says。　　〃He　must　eventually　go　under　in　the　cosmic　struggle　when　pitted　against　well…armoured　and　warmly　protected　species；　who　have　wings　and　trunks　and　spires　and　scales　and　horns　and　shaggy　hair。　If　Man　cannot　live　without　these　luxuries；　you　had　better　abolish　Man。〃　At　this　point；　as　a　rule；　the　crowd　is　convinced；　it　heaves　up　all　its　clubs　and　axes；　and　abolishes　him。　　At　least；　one　of　him。

Before　we　begin　discussing　our　various　new　plans　for　the　people's　welfare；　let　us　make　a　kind　of　agreement　that　we　will　argue　in　a　straightforward　way；　and　not　in　a　tail…foremost　way。　　The　typical　modern　movements　may　be　right；　but　let　them　be　defended　because　they　are　right；　not　because　they　are　typical　modern　movements。　Let　us　begin　with　the　actual　woman　or　man　in　the　street；　who　is　cold；　like　mankind　before　the　finding　of　fire。　　Do　not　let　us　begin　with　the　end　of　the　last　red…hot　discussionlike　the　end　of　a　redhot　poker。　　Imperialism　may　be　right。　　But　if　it　is　right；　it　is　right　because　England　has　some　divine　authority　like　Israel；　or　some　human　authority　like　Rome；　not　because　we　have　saddled　ourselves　with　South　Africa；　and　don't　know　how　to　get　rid　of　it。　　Socialism　may　be　true。　But　if　it　is　true；　it　is　true　because　the　tribe　or　the　city　can　really　declare　all　land　to　be　common　land；　not　because　Harrod's　Stores　exist　and　the　commonwealth　must　copy　them。　　Female　suffrage　may　be　just。　　But　if　it　is　just；　it　is　just　because　women　are　women；　not　because　women　are　sweated　workers　and　white　slaves　and　all　sorts　of　things　that　they　ought　never　to　have　been。　　Let　not　the　Imperialist　accept　a　colony　because　it　is　there；　nor　the　Suffragist　seize　a　vote　because　it　is　lying　about；　nor　the　Socialist　buy　up　an　industry　merely　because　it　is　for　sale。

Let　us　ask　ourselves　first　what　we　really　do　want；　not　what　recent　legal　decisions　have　told　us　to　want；　or　recent　logical　philosophies'　proved　that　we　must　want；　or　recent　social　prophecies　predicted　that　we　shall　some　day　want。　　If　there　must　be　a　British　Empire；　let　it　be　British；　and　not；　in　mere　panic；　American　or　Prussian。　　If　there　ought　to　be　female　suffrage；　let　it　be　female；　and　not　a　mere