the story of mankind-第74部分

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He　had　devoted　his　life　to　the　cause　of　the　poor　and　the　unfortunate。

He　had　been　one　of　the　assistants　of　d'Alembert　and

Diderot　when　they　wrote　their　famous　Encyclopedie。　During

the　first　years　of　the　Revolution　he　had　been　the　leader　of　the

Moderate　wing　of　the　Convention。



His　tolerance；　his　kindliness；　his　stout　common　sense；　had

made　him　an　object　of　suspicion　when　the　treason　of　the　king

and　the　court　clique　had　given　the　extreme　radicals　their　chance

to　get　hold　of　the　government　and　kill　their　opponents。

Condorcet　was　declared　‘‘hors　de　loi；''　or　outlawed；　an　outcast

who　was　henceforth　at　the　mercy　of　every　true　patriot。　His

friends　offered　to　hide　him　at　their　own　peril。　Condorcet

refused　to　accept　their　sacrifice。　He　escaped　and　tried　to　reach

his　home；　where　he　might　be　safe。　After　three　nights　in　the

open；　torn　and　bleeding；　he　entered　an　inn　and　asked　for　some

food。　The　suspicious　yokels　searched　him　and　in　his　pockets

they　found　a　copy　of　Horace；　the　Latin　poet。　This　showed

that　their　prisoner　was　a　man　of　gentle　breeding　and　had　no

business　upon　the　highroads　at　a　time　when　every　educated

person　was　regarded　as　an　enemy　of　the　Revolutionary　state。

They　took　Condorcet　and　they　bound　him　and　they　gagged

him　and　they　threw　him　into　the　village　lock…up；　but　in　the

morning　when　the　soldiers　came　to　drag　him　back　to　Paris　and

cut　his　head　off；　behold！　he　was　dead。



This　man　who　had　given　all　and　had　received　nothing　had

good　reason　to　despair　of　the　human　race。　But　he　has　written

a　few　sentences　which　ring　as　true　to…day　as　they　did　one

hundred　and　thirty　years　ago。　I　repeat　them　here　for　your

benefit。



‘‘Nature　has　set　no　limits　to　our　hopes；''　he　wrote；　‘‘and

the　picture　of　the　human　race；　now　freed　from　its　chains　and

marching　with　a　firm　tread　on　the　road　of　truth　and　virtue

and　happiness；　offers　to　the　philosopher　a　spectacle　which

consoles　him　for　the　errors；　for　the　crimes　and　the　injustices

which　still　pollute　and　afflict　this　earth。''



The　world　has　just　passed　through　an　agony　of　pain　compared

to　which　the　French　Revolution　was　a　mere　incident。

The　shock　has　been　so　great　that　it　has　killed　the　last　spark　of

hope　in　the　breasts　of　millions　of　men。　They　were　chanting　a

hymn　of　progress；　and　four　years　of　slaughter　followed　their

prayers　for　peace。　‘‘Is　it　worth　while；''　so　they　ask；　‘‘to　work

and　slave　for　the　benefit　of　creatures　who　have　not　yet　passed

beyond　the　stage　of　the　earliest　cave　men？''



There　is　but　one　answer。



That　answer　is　‘‘Yes！''



The　World　War　was　a　terrible　calamity。　But　it　did　not

mean　the　end　of　things。　On　the　contrary　it　brought　about　the

coming　of　a　new　day。



It　is　easy　to　write　a　history　of　Greece　and　Rome　or　the

Middle　Ages。　The　actors　who　played　their　parts　upon　that

long…forgotten　stage　are　all　dead。　We　can　criticize　them　with

a　cool　head。　The　audience　that　applauded　their　efforts　has

dispersed。　Our　remarks　cannot　possibly　hurt　their　feelings。



But　it　is　very　difficult　to　give　a　true　account　of　contemporary

events。　The　problems　that　fill　the　minds　of　the　people

with　whom　we　pass　through　life；　are　our　own　problems；　and

they　hurt　us　too　much　or　they　please　us　too　well　to　be　described

with　that　fairness　which　is　necessary　when　we　are　writing

history　and　not　blowing　the　trumpet　of　propaganda。　All

the　same　I　shall　endeavour　to　tell　you　why　I　agree　with　poor

Condorcet　when　he　expressed　his　firm　faith　in　a　better　future。



Often　before　have　I　warned　you　against　the　false　impression

which　is　created　by　the　use　of　our　so…called　historical

epochs　which　divide　the　story　of　man　into　four　parts；　the　ancient

world；　the　Middle　Ages；　the　Renaissance　and　the　Reformation；

and　Modern　Time。　The　last　of　these　terms　is　the　most

dangerous。　The　word　‘‘modern''　implies　that　we；　the　people

of　the　twentieth　century；　are　at　the　top　of　human　achievement。

Fifty　years　ago　the　liberals　of　England　who　followed　the　leadership

of　Gladstone　felt　that　the　problem　of　a　truly　representative

and　democratic　form　of　government　had　been　solved　forever

by　the　second　great　Reform　Bill；　which　gave　workmen

an　equal　share　in　the　government　with　their　employers。　When

Disraeli　and　his　conservative　friends　talked　of　a　dangerous

‘‘leap　in　the　dark''　they　answered　‘‘No。''　They　felt　certain　of

their　cause　and　trusted　that　henceforth　all　classes　of　society

would　co…operate　to　make　the　government　of　their　common

country　a　success。　Since　then　many　things　have　happened；

and　the　few　liberals　who　are　still　alive　begin　to　understand

that　they　were　mistaken。



There　is　no　definite　answer　to　any　historical　problem。



Every　generation　must　fight　the　good　fight　anew　or　perish

as　those　sluggish　animals　of　the　prehistoric　world　have

perished。



If　you　once　get　hold　of　this　great　truth　you　will　get　a　new

and　much　broader　view　of　life。　Then；　go　one　step　further

and　try　to　imagine　yourself　in　the　position　of　your　own　great…

great…grandchildren　who　will　take　your　place　in　the　year

10；000。　They　too　will　learn　history。　But　what　will　they

think　of　those　short　four　thousand　years　during　which　we　have

kept　a　written　record　of　our　actions　and　of　our　thoughts？

They　will　think　of　Napoleon　as　a　contemporary　of　Tiglath

Pileser；　the　Assyrian　conqueror。　Perhaps　they　will　confuse

him　with　Jenghiz　Khan　or　Alexander　the　Macedonian。　The

great　war　which　has　just　come　to　an　end　will　appear　in　the　light

of　that　long　commercial　conflict　which　settled　the　supremacy

of　the　Mediterranean　when　Rome　and　Carthage　fought　during

one　hundred　and　twenty…eight　years　for　the　mastery　of　the　sea。

The　Balkan　troubles　of　the　19th　century　（the　struggle　for

freedom　of　Serbia　and　Greece　and　Bulgaria　and　Montenegro）

to　them　will　seem　a　continuation　of　the　disordered　conditions

caused　by　the　Great　Migrations。　They　will　look　at　pictures

of　the　Rheims　cathedral　which　only　yesterday　was　destroyed

by　German　guns　as　we　look　upon　a　photograph　of　the　Acropolis

ruined　two　hundred　and　fifty　years　ago　during　a　war

between　the　Turks　and　the　Venetians。　They　will　regard　the

fear　of　death；　which　is　still　common　among　many　people；　as　a

childish　superstition　which　was　perhaps　natural　in　a　race　of

men　who　had　burned　witches　as　late　as　the　year　1692。　Even

our　hospitals　and　our　laboratories　and　our　operating　rooms

of　which　we　are　so　proud　will　look　like　slightly　improved

workshops　of　alchemists　and　mediaeval　surgeons。



And　the　reason　for　all　this　is　simple。　We　modern　men　and

women　are　not　‘‘modern''　at　all。　On　the　contrary　we　still

belong　to　the　last　generations　of　the　cave…dwellers。　The　foundation

for　a　new　era　was　laid　but　yesterday。　The　human　race

was　given　its　first　chance　to　become　truly　civilised　when　it　took

courage　to　question　all　things　and　made　‘‘knowledge　and

understanding''　the　foundation　upon　which　to　create　a　more

reasonable　and　sensible　society　of　human　beings。　The　Great

War　was　the　‘‘growing…pain''　of　this　new　world。



For　a　long　time　to　come　people　will　write　mighty　books　to

prove　that　this　or　that　or　the　other　person　brought　about　the

war。　The　Socialists　will　publish　volumes　in　which　they　will　ac…

cuse　the　‘‘capitalists''　of　having　brought　about　the　war　for　‘‘commercial

gain。''　The　capitalists　will　answer　that　they　lost　infinitely

more　through　the　war　than　they　madethat　their　children

were　among　the　first　to　go　and　fight　and　be　killedand

they　will　show　how　in　every　country　the　bankers　tried　their

very　best　to　avert　the　outbreak　of　hostilities。　French　historians

will　go　through　the　register　of　German　sins　from　the

days　of　Charlemagne　until　the　days　of　William　of　Hohenzollern

and　German　historians　will　return　the　compliment　and

will　go　through　the　list　of　French　horrors　from　the　days　of

Charlemagne　until　the　days　of　President　Poincare。　And

then　they　will　establish　to　their　own　satisfaction　that　the　other

fellow　was　guilty　of　‘‘causing　the　war。''　Statesmen；　dead　and

not　yet　dead；　in　all　countries　will　take　to　their　typewriters　and

they　will　explain　how　they　tried　to　avert　hostilities　and　how

their　wicked　opponents　forced　them　into　it。



The　historian；　a　hundred　years　hence；　will　not　bother　about

these　apologies　and　vindications。　He　will　understand　the　real

nature　of　the　underlying　causes　and　he　will　know　that　personal

ambitions　and　personal　wickedness　and　personal　greed　had　very

little　to　do　with　the　final　outburst。　The　original　mistake；　which

was　responsible　for　all　this　misery；　was　committed　when　our

scientists　began　to　create　a　new　world　of　steel　and　iron　and

chemistry　and　electricity　and　forgot　that　the　human　mind　is

slower　than　the　proverbial　turtle；　is　lazier　than　the　well…known

sloth；　and　marches　from　one　hundred　to　three　hundred　years

behind　the　small　group　of　courageous　leaders。



A　Zulu　in　a　frock　coat　is　still　a　Zulu。　A　dog　trained　to　ride

a　bicycle　and　smoke　a　pipe　is　still　a　dog。　And　a　human　being

with　the　mind　of　a　sixteenth　century　tradesman　driving　a　1921

Rolls…Royce　is　still　a　human　being　with　the　mind　of　a　sixteenth

century　tradesman。



If　you　do　not　understand　this　at　first；　read　it　again。　It

will　become　clearer　to　you　in　a　moment　and　it　will　explain

many　things　that　have　happened　these　last　six　years。



Perhaps　I　may　give　you　another；　more　familiar；　example；

to　show　you　what　I　mean。　In　the　movie　theatres；　jokes　and

funny　remarks　are　often　thrown　upon　the　screen。　Watch　the

audience　the　next　time　you　have　a　chance。　A　few　people　seem

almost　to　inhale　the　words。　It　takes　them　but　a　second　to　read

the　lines。　Others　are　a　bit　slower。　Still　others　take　from

twenty　to　thirty　seconds。　Finally　those　men　and　women　who

do　not　read　any　more　than　they　can　help；　get　the　point　when

the　brighter　ones　among　the　audience　have　already　begun　to

decipher　the　next　cut…in。　It　is　not　different　in　human　life；

as　I　shall　now　show　you。



In　a　former　chapter　I　have　t