man and superman-第7部分

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And　after　all；　the　main　thing　in　determining　the　artistic　quality
of　a　book　is　not　the　opinions　it　propagates；　but　the　fact　that
the　writer　has　opinions。　The　old　lady　from　Colchester　was　right
to　sun　her　simple　soul　in　the　energetic　radiance　of　Bradlaugh's
genuine　beliefs　and　disbeliefs　rather　than　in　the　chill　of　such
mere　painting　of　light　and　heat　as　elocution　and　convention　can
achieve。　My　contempt　for　belles　lettres；　and　for　amateurs　who
become　the　heroes　of　the　fanciers　of　literary　virtuosity；　is　not
founded　on　any　illusion　of　mind　as　to　the　permanence　of　those
forms　of　thought　（call　them　opinions）　by　which　I　strive　to
communicate　my　bent　to　my　fellows。　To　younger　men　they　are
already　outmoded；　for　though　they　have　no　more　lost　their　logic
than　an　eighteenth　century　pastel　has　lost　its　drawing　or　its
color；　yet；　like　the　pastel；　they　grow　indefinably　shabby；　and
will　grow　shabbier　until　they　cease　to　count　at　all；　when　my
books　will　either　perish；　or；　if　the　world　is　still　poor　enough
to　want　them；　will　have　to　stand；　with　Bunyan's；　by　quite
amorphous　qualities　of　temper　and　energy。　With　this　conviction　I
cannot　be　a　bellettrist。　No　doubt　I　must　recognize；　as　even　the
Ancient　Mariner　did；　that　I　must　tell　my　story　entertainingly　if
I　am　to　hold　the　wedding　guest　spellbound　in　spite　of　the　siren
sounds　of　the　loud　bassoon。　But　〃for　art's　sake〃　alone　I　would
not　face　the　toil　of　writing　a　single　sentence。　I　know　that　there
are　men　who；　having　nothing　to　say　and　nothing　to　write；　are
nevertheless　so　in　love　with　oratory　and　with　literature　that
they　keep　desperately　repeating　as　much　as　they　can　understand　of
what　others　have　said　or　written　aforetime。　I　know　that　the
leisurely　tricks　which　their　want　of　conviction　leaves　them　free
to　play　with　the　diluted　and　misapprehended　message　supply　them
with　a　pleasant　parlor　game　which　they　call　style。　I　can　pity
their　dotage　and　even　sympathize　with　their　fancy。　But　a　true
original　style　is　never　achieved　for　its　own　sake：　a　man　may　pay
from　a　shilling　to　a　guinea；　according　to　his　means；　to　see；
hear；　or　read　another　man's　act　of　genius；　but　he　will　not　pay
with　his　whole　life　and　soul　to　become　a　mere　virtuoso　in
literature；　exhibiting　an　accomplishment　which　will　not　even　make
money　for　him；　like　fiddle　playing。　Effectiveness　of　assertion　is
the　Alpha　and　Omega　of　style。　He　who　has　nothing　to　assert　has　no
style　and　can　have　none：　he　who　has　something　to　assert　will　go
as　far　in　power　of　style　as　its　momentousness　and　his　conviction
will　carry　him。　Disprove　his　assertion　after　it　is　made；　yet　its
style　remains。　Darwin　has　no　more　destroyed　the　style　of　Job　nor
of　Handel　than　Martin　Luther　destroyed　the　style　of　Giotto。　All
the　assertions　get　disproved　sooner　or　later；　and　so　we　find　the
world　full　of　a　magnificent　debris　of　artistic　fossils；　with　the
matter…of…fact　credibility　gone　clean　out　of　them；　but　the　form
still　splendid。　And　that　is　why　the　old　masters　play　the　deuce
with　our　mere　susceptibles。　Your　Royal　Academician　thinks　he　can
get　the　style　of　Giotto　without　Giotto's　beliefs；　and　correct　his
perspective　into　the　bargain。　Your　man　of　letters　thinks　he　can
get　Bunyan's　or　Shakespear's　style　without　Bunyan's　conviction　or
Shakespear's　apprehension；　especially　if　he　takes　care　not　to
split　his　infinitives。　And　so　with　your　Doctors　of　Music；　who；
with　their　collections　of　discords　duly　prepared　and　resolved　or
retarded　or　anticipated　in　the　manner　of　the　great　composers；
think　they　can　learn　the　art　of　Palestrina　from　Cherubim's
treatise。　All　this　academic　art　is　far　worse　than　the　trade　in
sham　antique　furniture；　for　the　man　who　sells　me　an　oaken　chest
which　he　swears　was　made　in　the　XIII　century；　though　as　a　matter
of　fact　he　made　it　himself　only　yesterday；　at　least　does　not
pretend　that　there　are　any　modern　ideas　in　it；　whereas　your
academic　copier　of　fossils　offers　them　to　you　as　the　latest
outpouring　of　the　human　spirit；　and；　worst　of　all；　kidnaps　young
people　as　pupils　and　persuades　them　that　his　limitations　are
rules；　his　observances　dexterities；　his　timidities　good　taste；
and　his　emptinesses　purities。　And　when　he　declares　that　art
should　not　be　didactic；　all　the　people　who　have　nothing　to　teach
and　all　the　people　who　don't　want　to　learn　agree　with　him
emphatically。

I　pride　myself　on　not　being　one　of　these　susceptible：　If　you
study　the　electric　light　with　which　I　supply　you　in　that
Bumbledonian　public　capacity　of　mine　over　which　you　make　merry
from　time　to　time；　you　will　find　that　your　house　contains　a　great
quantity　of　highly　susceptible　copper　wire　which　gorges　itself
with　electricity　and　gives　you　no　light　whatever。　But　here　and
there　occurs　a　scrap　of　intensely　insusceptible；　intensely
resistant　material；　and　that　stubborn　scrap　grapples　with　the
current　and　will　not　let　it　through　until　it　has　made　itself
useful　to　you　as　those　two　vital　qualities　of　literature；　light
and　heat。　Now　if　I　am　to　be　no　mere　copper　wire　amateur　but　a
luminous　author；　I　must　also　be　a　most　intensely　refractory
person；　liable　to　go　out　and　to　go　wrong　at　inconvenient　moments；
and　with　incendiary　possibilities。　These　are　the　faults　of　my
qualities；　and　I　assure　you　that　I　sometimes　dislike　myself　so
much　that　when　some　irritable　reviewer　chances　at　that　moment　to
pitch　into　me　with　zest；　I　feel　unspeakably　relieved　and
obliged。　But　I　never　dream　of　reforming；　knowing　that　I　must　take
myself　as　I　am　and　get　what　work　I　can　out　of　myself。　All　this
you　will　understand；　for　there　is　community　of　material　between
us：　we　are　both　critics　of　life　as　well　as　of　art；　and　you　have
perhaps　said　to　yourself　when　I　have　passed　your　windows；　〃There；
but　for　the　grace　of　God；　go　I。〃　An　awful　and　chastening
reflection；　which　shall　be　the　closing　cadence　of　this
immoderately　long　letter　from　yours　faithfully；

G。　BERNARD　SHAW。

WOKING；　1903



ACT　I

Roebuck　Ramsden　is　in　his　study；　opening　the　morning　letters。　The
study；　handsomely　and　solidly　furnished；　proclaims　the　man　of
means。　Not　a　speck　of　dust　is　visible：　it　is　clear　that　there　are
at　least　two　housemaids　and　a　parlormaid　downstairs；　and　a
housekeeper　upstairs　who　does　not　let　them　spare　elbow…grease。
Even　the　top　of　Roebuck's　head　is　polished：　on　a　sunshiny　day　he
could　heliograph　his　orders　to　distant　camps　by　merely　nodding。
In　no　other　respect；　however；　does　he　suggest　the　military　man。
It　is　in　active　civil　life　that　men　get　his　broad　air　of
importance；　his　dignified　expectation　of　deference；　his
determinate　mouth　disarmed　and　refined　since　the　hour　of　his
success　by　the　withdrawal　of　opposition　and　the　concession　of
comfort　and　precedence　and　power。　He　is　more　than　a　highly
respectable　man：　he　is　marked　out　as　a　president　of　highly
respectable　men；　a　chairman　among　directors；　an　alderman　among
councillors；　a　mayor　among　aldermen。　Four　tufts　of　iron…grey
hair；　which　will　soon　be　as　white　as　isinglass；　and　are　in　other
respects　not　at　all　unlike　it；　grow　in　two　symmetrical　pairs
above　his　ears　and　at　the　angles　of　his　spreading　jaws。　He　wears
a　black　frock　coat；　a　white　waistcoat　（it　is　bright　spring
weather）；　and　trousers；　neither　black　nor　perceptibly　blue；　of
one　of　those　indefinitely　mixed　hues　which　the　modern　clothier
has　produced　to　harmonize　with　the　religions　of　respectable　men。
He　has　not　been　out　of　doors　yet　to…day；　so　he　still　wears　his
slippers；　his　boots　being　ready　for　him　on　the　hearthrug。
Surmising　that　he　has　no　valet；　and　seeing　that　he　has　no
secretary　with　a　shorthand　notebook　and　a　typewriter；　one
meditates　on　how　little　our　great　burgess　domesticity　has　been
disturbed　by　new　fashions　and　methods；　or　by　the　enterprise　of
the　railway　and　hotel　companies　which　sell　you　a　Saturday　to
Monday　of　life　at　Folkestone　as　a　real　gentleman　for　two　guineas；
first　class　fares　both　ways　included。

How　old　is　Roebuck？　The　question　is　important　on　the　threshold　of
a　drama　of　ideas；　for　under　such　circumstances　everything　depends
on　whether　his　adolescence　belonged　to　the　sixties　or　to　the
eighties。　He　was　born；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　in　1839；　and　was　a
Unitarian　and　Free　Trader　from　his　boyhood；　and　an　Evolutionist
from　the　publication　of　the　Origin　of　Species。　Consequently　he
has　always　classed　himself　as　an　advanced　thinker　and　fearlessly
outspoken　reformer。

Sitting　at　his　writing　table；　he　has　on　his　right　the　windows
giving　on　Portland　Place。　Through　these；　as　through　a　proscenium；
the　curious　spectator　may　contemplate　his　profile　as　well　as　the
blinds　will　permit。　On　his　left　is　the　inner　wall；　with　a　stately
bookcase；　and　the　door　not　quite　in　the　middle；　but　somewhat
further　from　him。　Against　the　wall　opposite　him　are　two　busts　on
pillars：　one；　to　his　left；　of　John　Bright；　the　other；　to　his
right；　of　Mr　Herbert　Spencer。　Between　them　hang　an　engraved
portrait　of　Richard　Cobden；　enlarged　photographs　of　Martineau；
Huxley；　and　George　Eliot；　autotypes　of　allegories　by　Mr　G。F。
Watts　（for　Roebuck　believed　in　the　fine　arts　with　all　the
earnestness　of　a　man　who　does　not　understand　them）；　and　an
impression　of　Dupont's　engraving　of　Delaroche's　Beaux　Artes
hemicycle；　representing　the　great　men　of　all　ages。　On　the　wall
behind　him；　above　the　mantelshelf；　is　a　family　portrait　of
impenetrable　obscurity。

A　chair　stands　near　the　writing　table　for　the　convenience　of
business　visitors。　Two　other　chairs　are　against　the　wall　between
the　busts。

A　parlormaid　enters　with　a　visitor's　card。　Roebuck　takes　it；　and
nods；　pleased。　Evidently　a　welcome　caller。

RAMSDEN。　Show　him　up。

The　parlormaid　goes　out　and　returns　with　the　visitor。

THE　MAID。　Mr　Robinson。

Mr　Robinson　is　really　an　uncommonly　nice　looking　young　fellow。　He
must；　one　thinks；　be　the　jeune　premier；　for　it　is　not　in　reason
to　suppose　that　a　second　such　attractive　male　figure　should
appear　in　one　story。　The　slim　shapely　frame；　the　elegant　suit　of
new　mourning；　the　small　head　and　regular　features；　the　pretty
little　moustache；　the　frank　clear　eyes；　the　wholesome　bloom
and　the　youthful　complexion；　the　well　brushed　glossy　hair；　not
curly；　but　of　fine　texture　and　good　dark　color；　the　arch　of　good
nature　in　the　eyebrows；　the　erect