the new machiavelli-第14章

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

been　recognised　as　appendicitis。　　This　led　to　a　considerable　change　

in　my　circumstances；　the　house　at　Penge　was　given　up；　and　my　

Staffordshire　uncle　arranged　for　me　to　lodge　during　school　terms　

with　a　needy　solicitor　and　his　wife　in　Vicars　Street；　S。　W。；　about　a　

mile　and　a　half　from　the　school。　　So　it　was　I　came　right　into　

London；　I　had　almost　two　years　of　London　before　I　went　to　Cambridge。



Tehose　were　our　great　days　together。　　Afterwards　we　were　torn　apart；　

Britten　went　to　Oxford；　and　our　circumstances　never　afterwards　threw　

us　continuously　together　until　the　days　of　the　BLUE　WEEKLY。



As　boys；　we　walked　together；　read　and　discussed　the　same　books；　

pursued　the　same　enquiries。　　We　got　a　reputation　as　inseparables　and　

the　nickname　of　the　Rose　and　the　Lily；　for　Britten　was　short　and　

thick…set　with　dark　close　curling　hair　and　a　ruddy　Irish　type　of　

face；　I　was　lean　and　fair…haired　and　some　inches　taller　than　he。　　

Our　talk　ranged　widely　and　yet　had　certain　very　definite　

limitations。　　We　were　amazingly　free　with　politics　and　religion；　we　

went　to　that　little　meeting…house　of　William　Morris's　at　Hammersmith　

and　worked　out　the　principles　of　Socialism　pretty　thoroughly；　and　we　

got　up　the　Darwinian　theory　with　the　help　of　Britten's　medical…

student　brother　and　the　galleries　of　the　Natural　History　Museum　in　

Cromwell　Road。　　Those　wonderful　cases　on　the　ground　floor　

illustrating　mimicry；　dimorphism　and　so　forth；　were　new　in　our　

times；　and　we　went　through　them　with　earnest　industry　and　tried　over　

our　Darwinism　in　the　light　of　that。　　Such　topics　we　did　

exhaustively。　　But　on　the　other　hand　I　do　not　remember　any　

discussion　whatever　of　human　sex　or　sexual　relationships。　　There；　in　

spite　of　intense　secret　curiosities；　our　lips　were　sealed　by　a　

peculiar　shyness。　　And　I　do　not　believe　we　ever　had　occasion　either　

of　us　to　use　the　word　〃love。〃　　It　was　not　only　that　we　were　

instinctively　shy　of　the　subject；　but　that　we　were　mightily　ashamed　

of　the　extent　of　our　ignorance　and　uncertainty　in　these　matters。　　We　

evaded　them　elaborately　with　an　assumption　of　exhaustive　knowledge。



We　certainly　had　no　shyness　about　theology。　　We　marked　the　

emancipation　of　our　spirits　from　the　frightful　teachings　that　had　

oppressed　our　boyhood；　by　much　indulgence　in　blasphemous　wit。　　We　

had　a　secret　literature　of　irreverent　rhymes；　and　a　secret　art　of　

theological　caricature。　　Britten's　father　had　delighted　his　family　

by　reading　aloud　from　Dr。　Richard　Garnett's　TWILIGHT　OF　THE　GODS；　

and　Britten　conveyed　the　precious　volume　to　me。　　That　and　the　BAB　

BALLADS　were　the　inspiration　of　some　of　our　earliest　lucubrations。



For　an　imaginative　boy　the　first　experience　of　writing　is　like　a　

tiger's　first　taste　of　blood；　and　our　literary　flowerings　led　very　

directly　to　the　revival　of　the　school　magazine；　which　had　been　

comatose　for　some　years。　　But　there　we　came　upon　a　disappointment。





8



In　that　revival　we　associated　certain　other　of　the　Sixth　Form　boys；　

and　notably　one　for　whom　our　enterprise　was　to　lay　the　foundations　

of　a　career　that　has　ended　in　the　House　of　Lords；　Arthur　Cossington；　

now　Lord　Paddockhurst。　　Cossington　was　at　that　time　a　rather　heavy；　

rather　good…looking　boy　who　was　chiefly　eminent　in　cricket；　an　

outsider　even　as　we　were　and　preoccupied　no　doubt；　had　we　been　

sufficiently　detached　to　observe　him；　with　private　imaginings　very　

much　of　the　same　quality　and　spirit　as　our　own。　　He　was；　we　were　

inclined　to　think；　rather　a　sentimentalist；　rather　a　poseur；　he　

affected　a　concise　emphatic　styl；　played　chess　very　well；　betrayed　

a　belief　in　will…power；　and　earned　Britten's　secret　hostility；　

Britten　being　a　sloven；　by　the　invariable　neatness　of　his　collars　

and　ties。　　He　came　into　our　magazine　with　a　vigour　that　we　found　

extremely　surprising　and　unwelcome。



Britten　and　I　had　wanted　to　write。　　We　had　indeed　figured　our　

project　modestly　as　a　manuscript　magazine　of　satirical；　liberal　and　

brilliant　literature　by　which　in　some　rather　inexplicable　way　the　

vague　tumult　of　ideas　that　teemed　within　us　was　to　find　form　and　

expression；　Cossington；　it　was　manifest　from　the　outset；　wanted　

neither　to　write　nor　writing；　but　a　magazine。　　I　remember　the　

inaugural　meeting　in　Shoesmith　major's　studywe　had　had　great　

trouble　in　getting　it　togetherand　how　effectually　Cossington　

bolted　with　the　proposal。



〃I　think　we　fellows　ought　to　run　a　magazine；〃　said　Cossington。　　〃The　

school　used　to　have　one。　　A　school　like　this　ought　to　have　a　

magazine。〃



〃The　last　one　died　in　'84；〃　said　Shoesmith　from　the　hearthrug。　　

〃Called　the　OBSERVER。　　Rot　rather。〃



〃Bad　title；〃　said　Cossington。



〃There　was　a　TATLER　before　that；〃　said　Britten；　sitting　on　the　

writing　table　at　the　window　that　was　closed　to　deaden　the　cries　of　

the　Lower　School　at　play；　and　clashing　his　boots　together。



〃We　want　something　suggestive　of　City　Merchants。〃



〃CITY　MERCHANDIZE；〃　said　Britten。



〃Too　fanciful。　　What　of　ARVONIAN？　　Richard　Arvon　was　our　founder；　

and　it　seems　almost　a　duty〃



〃They　call　them　all　…usians　or　…onians；〃　said　Britten。



〃I　like　CITY　MERCHANDIZE；〃　I　said。　　〃We　could　probably　find　a　

quotation　to　suggestoh！　mixed　good　things。〃



Cossington　regarded　me　abstractedly。



Don't　want　to　put　the　accent　on　the　City；　do　we？〃　said　Shoesmith；　

who　had　a　feeling　for　county　families；　and　Naylor　supported　him　by　a　

murmur　of　approval。



〃We　ought　to　call　it　the　ARVONIAN；〃　decided　Cossington；　〃and　we　

might　very　well　have　underneath；　'With　which　is　incorporated　the　

OBSERVER。'　　That　picks　up　the　old　traditions；　makes　an　appeal　to　old　

boys　and　all　that；　and　it　gives　us　something　to　print　under　the　

title。〃



I　still　held　out　for　CITY　MERCHANDIZE；　which　had　taken　my　fancy。　　

〃Some　of　the　chaps'　people　won't　like　it；〃　said　Naylor；　〃certain　not　

to。　　And　it　sounds　Rum。〃



〃Sounds　Weird；〃　said　a　boy　who　had　not　hitherto　spoken。



〃We　aren't　going　to　do　anything　Queer；〃　said　Shoesmith；　pointedly　

not　looking　at　Britten。



The　question　of　the　title　had　manifestly　gone　against　us。　　〃Oh！　HAVE　

it　ARVONIAN；〃　I　said。



〃And　next；　what　size　shall　we　have？〃　said　Cossington。



〃Something　like　MACMILLAN'S　MAGAZINEor　LONGMANS'；　LONGMANS'　is　

better　because　it　has　a　whole　page；　not　columns。　　It　makes　no　end　of　

difference　to　one's　effects。〃



〃What　effects？〃　asked　Shoesmith　abruptly。



〃Oh！　a　pause　or　a　white　line　or　anything。　　You've　got　to　write　

closer　for　a　double　column。　　It's　nuggetty。　　You　can't　get　a　swing　

on　your　prose。〃　　I　had　discussed　this　thoroughly　with　Britten。



〃If　the　fellows　are　going　to　write〃　began　Britten。



〃We　ought　to　keep　off　fine　writing；〃　said　Shoesmith。　　〃It's　cheek。　　

I　vote　we　don't　have　any。〃



〃We　sha'n't　get　any；〃　said　Cossington；　and　then　as　an　olive　branch　

to　me；　〃unless　Remington　does　a　bit。　　Or　Britten。　　But　it's　no　good　

making　too　much　space　for　it。〃



〃We　ought　to　be　very　careful　about　the　writing；〃　said　Shoesmith。　　　

〃We　don't　want　to　give　ourselves　away。〃



〃I　vote　we　ask　old　Topham　to　see　us　through；〃　said　Naylor。



Britten　groaned　aloud　and　every　one　regarded　him。　　〃Greek　epigrams　

on　the　fellows'　names；〃　he　said。　　〃　Small　beer　in　ancient　bottles。　　

Let's　get　a　stuffed　broody　hen　to　SIT　on　the　magazine。〃



〃We　might　do　worse　than　a　Greek　epigram；〃　said　Cossington。　　〃One　in　

each　number。　　Itit　impresses　parents　and　keeps　up　our　classieal　

tradition。　　And　the　masters　CAN　help。　　We　don't　want　to　antagonise　

them。　　Of　coursewe've　got　to　dcpartmentalise。　　Writing　is　only　one　

section　of　the　thing。　　The　ARVONIAN　has　to　stand　for　the　school。　　

There's　questions　of　space　and　questions　of　expense。　　We　can't　turn　

out　a　great　chunk　of　printed　prose　likelike　wet　cold　toast　and　

call　it　a　magazine。〃



Britten　writhed；　appreciating　the　image。



〃There's　to　be　a　section　of　sports。　　YOU　must　do　that。〃



〃I'm　not　going　to　do　any　fine　writing；〃　said　Shoesmith。



〃What　you've　got　to　do　is　just　to　list　all　the　chaps　and　put　a　note　

to　their　play：'Naylor　minor　must　pass　more。　　Football　isn't　the　

place　for　extreme　individualism。'　　'Ammersham　shapes　well　as　half…

back。'　　Things　like　that。〃



〃I　could　do　that　all　right；〃　said　Shoesmith；　brightening　and　

manifestly　hecoming　pregnant　with　judgments。



〃One　great　thing　about　a　magazine　of　this　sort；〃　said　Cossington；　

〃is　to　mention　just　as　many　names　as　you　can　in　each　number。　　It　

keeps　the　interest　alive。　　Chaps　will　turn　it　over　looking　for　their　

own　little　bit。　　Then　it　all　lights　up　for　them。〃



〃Do　you　want　any　reports　of　matches？〃　Shoesmith　broke　from　his　

meditation。



〃Rather。　　With　comments。〃



〃Naylor　surpassed　himself　and　negotiated　the　lemon　safely　home；〃　

said　Shoesmith。



〃Shut　it；〃　said　Naylor　modestly。



〃Exactly；〃　said　Cossington。　　〃That　gives　us　three　features；〃　

touching　them　off　on　his　fingers；　〃Epigram；　Literary　Section；　

Sports。　　Then　we　want　a　section　to　shove　anything　into；　a　joke；　a　

notice　of　anything　that's　going　on。　　So　on。　　Our　Note　Book。〃



〃Oh；　Hell！〃　said　Britten；　and　clashed　his　boots；　to　the　silent　

disapproval　of　every　one。



〃Then　we　want　an　editorial。〃



〃A　WHAT？〃　cried　Britten；　with　a　note　of　real　terror　in　his　voice。



〃Well；　don't　we？　　Unless　we　have　our　Note　Book　to　begin　on　the　front　

page。　　It　gives　a　scrappy　effect　to　do　that。　　We　want　something　

manly　and　straightforward　and　a　bit　thoughtful；　about　Patriotism；　

say；　or　ESPRIT　DE　CORPS；　or　After…Life。〃



I　looked　at　Britten。　　Hitherto　we　had　not　considered　Cossington　

mattered　very　much　in　the　world。



He　went　over　us　as　a　motor…car　goes　over　a　dog。　　There　was　a　sort　of　

energy　about　him；　a　new　sort　of　energy　to　us；　we　had　never　realised　

that　anything　of　the　sort　existed　in　the　world。　　We　were　hopelessly　

at　a　disadvantage。　　Almost　instantly　we　had　developed　a　clear　and　

detailed　vision　of　a　magazine　made　up　of　everything　that　was　most　

acceptable　in　the　magazines　that　flourished　in　the　adult　world　about　

us；　and　had　determined　to　make　it　a　success。　　He　had　by　a　kind　of　

instinct；　as　it　were；　synthetically　plagiarised　every　successful　

magazine　and　breathed　into　this　dusty　mixture　the　breath　of　life。　　

He　was　elected　at　his　own　suggestion　managing　director；　with　the　

earnest　support　of　Shoesmith　and　Naylor；　and　conducted　the　magazine　

so　successfully　and　brilliantly　that　he　even　got　a　whole　back　page　

of　advertisements　from　the　big　sports　shop　in　Holborn；　and　made　the　

printers　pay　at　the　same　rate　for　a　notice　of　certain　books　of　their　

own　which　they　said　they　had　inserted　by　inadvertency　to　fill　up　

space。　　The　only　literary　contribution　in　the　first　number　was　a　

column　by　Topham　in　faultless　stereotyped　English　in　depreciation　of