the new machiavelli-第13章

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grizzled　pointed　beard；　small　featured　and；　under　the　stresses　of　a　

Zeitgeist　that　demanded　liberality；　with　an　expression　of　puzzled　

but　resolute　resistance　to　his　own　unalterable　opinions。　　He　made　a　

tall　dignified　figure　in　his　gown。　　In　my　junior　days　he　spoke　to　me　

only　three　or　four　times；　and　then　he　annoyed　me　by　giving　me　a　

wrong　surname；　it　was　a　sore　point　because　I　was　an　outsider　and　not　

one　of　the　old　school　families；　the　Shoesmiths；　the　Naylors；　the　

Marklows；　the　Tophams；　the　Pevises　and　suchlike；　who　came　generation　

after　generation。　　I　recall　him　most　vividly　against　the　background　

of　faded　brown　book…backs　in　the　old　library　in　which　we　less　

destructive　seniors　were　trusted　to　work；　with　the　light　from　the　

stained…glass　window　falling　in　coloured　patches　on　his　face。　　It　

gave　him　the　appearance　of　having　no　colour　of　his　own。　　He　had　a　

habit　of　scratching　the　beard　on　his　cheek　as　he　talked；　and　he　used　

to　come　and　consult　us　about　things　and　invariably　do　as　we　said。　　

That；　in　his　phraseology；　was　〃maintaining　the　traditions　of　the　

school。〃



He　had　indeed　an　effect　not　of　a　man　directing　a　school；　but　of　a　

man　captured　and　directed　by　a　school。　　Dead　and　gone　Elizabethans　

had　begotten　a　monster　that　could　carry　him　about　in　its　mouth。



Yet　being　a　man；　as　I　say；　with　his　hair　a　little　stirred　by　a　

Zeitgeist　that　made　for　change；　Gates　did　at　times　display　a　

disposition　towards　developments。　　City　Merchants　had　no　modern　

side；　and　utilitarian　spirits　were　carping　in　the　PALL　MALL　GAZETTE　

and　elsewhere　at　the　omissions　from　our　curriculum；　and　particularly　

at　our　want　of　German。　　　Moreover；　four　classes　still　worked　

together　with　much　clashing　and　uproar　in　the　old　Big　Hall　that　had　

once　held　in　a　common　tumult　the　entire　school。　　Gates　used　to　come　

and　talk　to　us　older　fellows　about　these　things。



〃I　don't　wish　to　innovate　unduly；〃　he　used　to　say。　　But　we　ought　to　

get　in　some　German；　you　know；for　those　who　like　it。　　The　army　men　

will　be　wanting　it　some　of　these　days。〃



He　referred　to　the　organisation　of　regular　evening　preparation　for　

the　lower　boys　in　Big　Hall　as　a　〃revolutionary　change；〃　but　he　

achieved　it；　and　he　declared　he　began　the　replacement　of　the　hacked　

wooden　tables；　at　which　the　boys　had　worked　since　Tudor　days；　by　

sloping　desks　with　safety　inkpots　and　scientifically　adjustable　

seats；　〃with　grave　misgivings。〃　　And　though　he　never　birched　a　boy　

in　his　life；　and　was；　I　am　convinced；　morally　incapable　of　such　a　

scuffle；　he　retained　the　block　and　birch　in　the　school　through　all　

his　term　of　office；　and　spoke　at　the　Headmasters'　Conference　in　

temperate　approval　of　corporal　chastisement；　comparing　it；　dear　

soul！　to　the　power　of　the　sword。　。　。　。



I　wish　I　could；　in　some　measure　and　without　tediousness；　convey　the　

effect　of　his　discourses　to　General　Assembly　in　Big　Hall。　　But　that　

is　like　trying　to　draw　the　obverse　and　reverse　of　a　sixpence　worn　to　

complete　illegibility。　　His　tall　fine　figure　stood　high　on　the　days；　

his　thoughtful　tenor　filled　the　air　as　he　steered　his　hazardous　way　

through　sentences　that　dragged　inconclusive　tails　and　dropped　

redundant　prepositions。　　And　he　pleaded　ever　so　urgently；　ever　so　

finely；　that　what　we　all　knew　for　Sin　was　sinful；　and　on　the　whole　

best　avoided　altogether；　and　so　went　on　with　deepening　notes　and　

even　with　short　arresting　gestures　of　the　right　arm　and　hand；　to　

stir　and　exhort　us　towards　goodness；　towards　that　modern；　

unsectarian　goodness；　goodness　in　general　and　nothing　in　particular；　

which　the　Zeitgeist　seemed　to　indicate　in　those　transitional　years。





7



The　school　never　quite　got　hold　of　me。　　Partly　I　think　that　was　

because　I　was　a　day…boy　and　so　freer　than　most　of　the　boys；　partly　

because　of　a　temperamental　disposition　to　see　things　in　my　own　way　

and　have　my　private　dreams；　partly　because　I　was　a　little　

antagonised　by　the　family　traditions　that　ran　through　the　school。　　I　

was　made　to　feel　at　first　that　I　was　a　rank　outsider；　and　I　never　

quite　forgot　it。　　I　suffered　very　little　bullying；　and　I　never　had　a　

fightin　all　my　time　there　were　only　three　fightsbut　I　followed　

my　own　curiosities。　　I　was　already　a　very　keen　theologian　and　

politician　before　I　was　fifteen。　　I　was　also　intensely　interested　in　

modern　warfare。　　I　read　the　morning　papers　in　the　Reading　Room　

during　the　midday　recess；　never　missed　the　illustrated　weeklies；　and　

often　when　I　could　afford　it　I　bought　a　PALL　MALL　GAZETTE　on　my　way　

home。



I　do　not　think　that　I　was　very　exceptional　in　that；　most　intelligent　

boys；　I　believe；　want　naturally　to　be　men；　and　are　keenly　interested　

in　men's　affairs。　　There　is　not　the　universal　passion　for　a　

magnified　puerility　among　them　it　is　customary　to　assume。　　I　was　

indeed　a　voracious　reader　of　everything　but　boys'　bookswhich　I　

detestedand　fiction。　　I　read　histories；　travel；　popular　science　

and　controversy　with　particular　zest；　and　I　loved　maps。　　School　work　

and　school　games　were　quite　subordinate　affairs　for　me。　　I　worked　

well　and　made　a　passable　figure　at　games；　and　I　do　not　think　I　was　

abnormally　insensitive　to　the　fine　quality　of　our　school；　to　the　

charm　of　its　mediaeval　nucleus；　its　Gothic　cloisters；　its　scraps　of　

Palladian　and　its　dignified　Georgian　extensions；　the　contrast　of　the　

old　quiet；　that　in　spite　of　our　presence　pervaded　it　everywhere；　

with　the　rushing　and　impending　London　all　about　it；　was　indeed　a　

continual　pleasure　to　me。　　But　these　things　were　certainly　not　the　

living　and　central　interests　of　my　life。



I　had　to　conceal　my　wider　outlook　to　a　certain　extentfrom　the　

masters　even　more　than　from　the　boys。　　Indeed　I　only　let　myself　go　

freely　with　one　boy；　Britten；　my　especial　chum；　the　son　of　the　

Agent…General　for　East　Australia。　　We　two　discovered　in　a　chance　

conversation　A　PROPOS　of　a　map　in　the　library　that　we　were　both　of　

us　curious　why　there　were　Malays　in　Madagascar；　and　how　the　Mecca　

pilgrims　came　from　the　East　Indies　before　steamships　were　available。　　

Neither　of　us　had　suspected　that　there　was　any　one　at　all　in　the　

school　who　knew　or　cared　a　rap　about　the　Indian　Ocean；　except　as　

water　on　the　way　to　India。　　But　Britten　had　come　up　through　the　Suez　

Canal；　and　his　ship　had　spoken　a　pilgrim　ship　on　the　way。　　It　gave　

him　a　startling　quality　of　living　knowledge。　　From　these　pilgrims　we　

got　to　a　comparative　treatment　of　religions；　and　from　that；　by　a　

sudden　plunge；　to　entirely　sceptical　and　disrespectful　confessions　

concerning　Gates'　last　outbreak　of　simple　piety　in　School　Assembly。　　

We　became　congenial　intimates　from　that　hour。



The　discovery　of　Britten　happened　to　me　when　we　were　both　in　the　

Lower　Fifth。　　Previously　there　had　been　a　watertight　compartment　

between　the　books　I　read　and　the　thoughts　they　begot　on　the　one　hand　

and　human　intercourse　on　the　other。　　Now　I　really　began　my　higher　

education；　and　aired　and　examined　and　developed　in　conversation　the　

doubts；　the　ideas；　the　interpretations　that　had　been　forming　in　my　

mind。　　As　we　were　both　day…boys　with　a　good　deal　of　control　over　our　

time　we　organised　walks　and　expeditions　together；　and　my　habit　of　

solitary　and　rather　vague　prowling　gave　way　to　much　more　definite　

joint　enterprises。　　I　went　several　times　to　his　house；　he　was　the　

youngest　of　several　brothers；　one　of　whom　was　a　medical　student　and　

let　us　assist　at　the　dissection　of　a　cat；　and　once　or　twice　in　

vacation　time　he　came　to　Penge；　and　we　went　with　parcels　of　

provisions　to　do　a　thorough　day　in　the　grounds　and　galleries　of　the　

Crystal　Palace；　ending　with　the　fireworks　at　close　quarters。　　We　

went　in　a　river　steamboat　down　to　Greenwich；　and　fired　by　that　made　

an　excursion　to　Margate　and　back；　we　explored　London　docks　and　

Bethnal　Green　Museum；　Petticoat　Lane　and　all　sorts　of　out…of…the…way　

places　together。



We　confessed　shyly　to　one　another　a　common　secret　vice；　〃Phantom　

warfare。〃　　When　we　walked　alone；　especially　in　the　country；　we　had　

both　developed　the　same　practice　of　fighting　an　imaginary　battle　

about　us　as　we　walked。　　As　we　went　along　we　were　generals；　and　our　

attacks　pushed　along　on　either　side；　crouching　and　gathering　behind　

hedges；　cresting　ridges；　occupying　copses；　rushing　open　spaces；　

fighting　from　house　to　house。　　The　hillsides　about　Penge　were　

honeycombed　in　my　imagination　with　the　pits　and　trenches　I　had　

created　to　cheek　a　victorious　invader　coming　out　of　Surrey。　　For　him　

West　Kensington　was　chiefly　important　as　the　scene　of　a　desperate　

and　successful　last　stand　of　insurrectionary　troops　（who　had　seized　

the　Navy；　the　Bank　and　other　advantages）　against　a　royalist　army

reinforced　by　Germansadvancing　for　reasons　best　known　to　

themselves　by　way　of　Harrow　and　Ealing。　　It　is　a　secret　and　solitary　

game；　as　we　found　when　we　tried　to　play　it　together。　　We　made　a　

success　of　that　only　once。　　All　the　way　down　to　Margate　we　schemed　

defences　and　assailed　and　fought　them　as　we　came　back　against　the　

sunset。　　Afterwards　we　recapitulated　all　that　conflict　by　means　of　a　

large　scale　map　of　the　Thames　and　little　paper　ironclads　in　plan　cut　

out　of　paper。



A　subsequent　revival　of　these　imaginings　was　brought　about　by　

Britten's　luck　in　getting；　through　a　friend　of　his　father's；　

admission　for　us　both　to　the　spectacle　of　volunteer　officers　

fighting　the　war　game　in　Caxton　Hall。　　We　developed　a　war　game　of　

our　own　at　Britten's　home　with　nearly　a　couple　of　hundred　lead　

soldiers；　some　excellent　spring　cannons　that　shot　hard　and　true　at　

six　yards；　hills　of　books　and　a　constantly　elaborated　set　of　rules。　　

For　some　months　that　occupied　an　immense　proportion　of　our　leisure。　　

Some　of　our　battles　lasted　several　days。　　We　kept　the　game　a　

profound　secret　from　the　other　fellows。　　They　would　not　have　

understood。



And　we　also　began；　it　was　certainly　before　we　were　sixteen；　to　

write；　for　the　sake　of　writing。　　We　liked　writing。　　We　had　

discovered　Lamb　and　the　best　of　the　middle　articles　in　such　weeklies　

as　the　SATURDAY　GAZETTE；　and　we　imitated　them。　　Our　minds　were　full　

of　dim　uncertain　things　we　wanted　to　drag　out　into　the　light　of　

expression。　　Britten　had　got　hold　of　IN　MEMORIAM；　and　I　had　

disinterred　Pope's　ESSAY　ON　MAN　and　RABBI　BEN　EZRA；　and　these　things　

had　set　our　theological　and　cosmic　solicitudes　talking。　　I　was　

somewhere　between　sixteen　and　eighteen；　I　know；　when　he　and　I　walked　

along　the　Thames　Embankment　confessing　shamefully　to　one　another　

that　we　had　never　read　Lucretius。　　We　thought　every　one　who　mattered　

had　read　Lucretius。



When　I　was　nearly　sixteen　my　mother　was　taken　ill　very　suddenly；　and　

died　of　some　perplexing　complaint　that　involved　a　post…mortem　

examination；　it　was；　I　think；　the　trouble　that　has　since　those　days　

been　recognised　as　appendicitis。　　This　led　to　a　considerable　change　

in