the new machiavelli-第20章

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invincible　air　of　being　out　of　his　element。　　He　sat　with　his　stout　

boots　tucked　up　under　his　chair；　and　clung　to　a　teacup　and　saucer　

and　looked　away　from　us　into　the　fire；　and　we　all　sat　about　on　

tables　and　chair…arms　and　windowsills　and　boxes　and　anywhere　except　

upon　chairs　after　the　manner　of　young　men。　　The　only　other　chair　

whose　seat　was　occupied　was　the　one　containing　his　knitted　woollen　

comforter　and　his　picturesque　old　beach…photographer's　hat。　　We　were　

all　shy　and　didn't　know　how　to　take　hold　of　him　now　we　had　got　him；　

and；　which　was　disconcertingly　unanticipated；　he　was　manifestly　

having　the　same　difficulty　with　us。　　We　had　expected　to　be　gripped。



〃I'll　not　be　knowing　what　to　say　to　these　Chaps；〃　he　repeated　with　a　

north…country　quality　in　his　speech。



We　made　reassuring　noises。



The　Ambassador　of　the　Workers　stirred　his　tea　earnestly　through　an　

uncomfortable　pause。



〃I'd　best　tell　'em　something　of　how　things　are　in　Lancashire；　what　

with　the　new　machines　and　all　that；〃　he　speculated　at　last　with　red　

reflections　in　his　thoughtful　eyes。



We　had　an　inexcusable　dread　that　perhaps　he　would　make　a　mess　of　the　

meeting。



But　when　he　was　no　longer　in　the　unaccustomed　meshes　of　refined　

conversation；　but　speaking　with　an　audience　before　him；　he　became　a　

different　man。　　He　declared　he　would　explain　to　us　just　exactly　what　

socialism　was；　and　went　on　at　once　to　an　impassioned　contrast　of　

social　conditions。　　〃You　young　men；〃　he　said　〃come　from　homes　of　

luxury；　every　need　you　feel　is　supplied〃



We　sat　and　stood　and　sprawled　about　him；　occupying　every　inch　of　

Redmayne's　floor　space　except　the　hearthrug…platform；　and　we　

listened　to　him　and　thought　him　over。　　He　was　the　voice　of　wrongs　

that　made　us　indignant　and　eager。　　We　forgot　for　a　time　that　he　had　

been　shy　and　seemed　not　a　little　incompetent；　his　provincial　accent　

became　a　beauty　of　his　earnest　speech；　we　were　carried　away　by　his　

indignations。　　We　looked　with　shining　eyes　at　one　another　and　at　the　

various　dons　who　had　dropped　in　and　were　striving　to　maintain　a　

front　of　judicious　severity。　　We　felt　more　and　more　that　social　

injustice　must　cease；　and　cease　forthwith。　　We　felt　we　could　not　

sleep　upon　it。　　At　the　end　we　clapped　and　murmured　our　applause　and　

wanted　badly　to　cheer。



Then　like　a　lancet　stuck　into　a　bladder　came　the　heckling。　　Denson；　

that　indolent；　liberal…minded　sceptic；　did　most　of　the　questioning。　　

He　lay　contorted　in　a　chair；　with　his　ugly　head　very　low；　his　legs　

crossed　and　his　left　boot　very　high；　and　he　pointed　his　remarks　with　

a　long　thin　hand　and　occasionally　adjusted　the　unstable　glasses　that　

hid　his　watery　eyes。　　〃I　don't　want　to　carp；〃　he　began。　　〃The　

present　system；　I　admit；　stands　condemned。　　Every　present　system　

always　HAS　stood　condemned　in　the　minds　of　intelligent　men。　　But　

where　it　seems　to　me　you　get　thin；　is　just　where　everybody　has　been　

thin；　and　that's　when　you　come　to　the　remedy。〃



〃Socialism；〃　said　Chris　Robinson；　as　if　it　answered　everything；　and　

Hatherleigh　said　〃Hear！　Hear！〃　very　resolutely。



〃I　suppose　I　OUGHT　to　take　that　as　an　answer；〃　said　Denson；　getting　

his　shoulder…blades　well　down　to　the　seat　of　his　chair；　〃but　I　

don't。　　I　don't；　you　know。　　It's　rather　a　shame　to　cross…examine　you　

after　this　fine　address　of　yours〃Chris　Robinson　on　the　hearthrug　

made　acquiescent　and　inviting　noises〃but　the　real　question　

remains　how　exactly　are　you　going　to　end　all　these　wrongs？　　There　

are　the　admimstrative　questions。　　If　you　abolish　the　private　owner；　

I　admit　you　abolish　a　very　complex　and　clumsy　way　of　getting　

businesses　run；　land　controlled　and　things　in　general　administered；　

but　you　don't　get　rid　of　the　need　of　administration；　you　know。〃



〃Democracy；〃　said　Chris　Robinson。



〃Organised　somehow；〃　said　Denson。　　〃And　it's　just　the　How　perplexes　

me。　　I　can　quite　easily　imagine　a　socialist　state　administered　in　a　

sort　of　scrambling　tumult　that　would　be　worse　than　anything　we　have　

got　now。



〃Nothing　could　be　worse　than　things　are　now；〃　said　Chris　Robinson。　　

〃I　have　seen　little　children〃



〃I　submit　life　on　an　ill…provisioned　raft；　for　example；　could　easily　

be　worseor　life　in　a　beleagured　town。〃



Murmurs。



They　wrangled　for　some　time；　and　it　had　the　effect　upon　me　of　coming　

out　from　the　glow　of　a　good　matinee　performance　into　the　cold　

daylight　of　late　afternoon。　　Chris　Robinson　did　not　shine　in　

conflict　with　Denson；　he　was　an　orator　and　not　a　dialectician；　and　

he　missed　Denson's　points　and　displayed　a　disposition　to　plunge　into　

untimely　pathos　and　indignation。　　And　Denson　hit　me　curiously　hard　

with　one　of　his　shafts。　　〃Suppose；〃　he　said；　〃you　found　yourself　

prime　minister〃



I　looked　at　Chris　Robinson；　bright…eyed　and　his　hair　a　little　

ruffled　and　his　whole　being　rhetorical；　and　measured　him　against　the　

huge　machine　of　government　muddled　and　mysterious。　　Oh！　but　I　was　

perplexed！



And　then　we　took　him　back　to　Hatherleigh's　rooms　and　drank　beer　and　

smoked　about　him　while　he　nursed　his　knee　with　hairy　wristed　hands　

that　protruded　from　his　flannel　shirt；　and　drank　lemonade　under　the　

cartoon　of　that　emancipated　Worker；　and　we　had　a　great　discursive　

talk　with　him。



〃Eh！　you　should　see　our　big　meetings　up　north？〃　he　said。



Denson　had　ruffled　him　and　worried　him　a　good　deal；　and　ever　and　

again　he　came　back　to　that　discussion。　　〃It's　all　very　easy　for　your　

learned　men　to　sit　and　pick　holes；〃　he　said；　〃while　the　children　

suffer　and　die。　　They　don't　pick　holes　up　north。　　They　mean　

business。〃



He　talked；　and　that　was　the　most　interesting　part　of　it　all；　of　his　

going　to　work　in　a　factory　when　he　was　twelve〃　when　you　Chaps　were　

all　with　your　mammies　〃and　how　he　had　educated　himself　of　nights　

until　he　would　fall　asleep　at　his　reading。



〃It's　made　many　of　us　keen　for　all　our　lives；〃　he　remarked；　〃all　

that　clemming　for　education。　　Why！　I　longed　all　through　one　winter　

to　read　a　bit　of　Darwin。　　I　must　know　about　this　Darwin　if　I　die　for　

it；　I　said。　　And　I　couldno'　get　the　book。〃



Hatherleigh　made　an　enthusiastic　noise　and　drank　beer　at　him　with　

round　eyes　over　the　mug。



〃Well；　anyhow　I　wasted　no　time　on　Greek　and　Latin；〃　said　Chris　

Robinson。　　〃And　one　learns　to　go　straight　at　a　thing　without　

splitting　straws。　　One　gets　hold　of　the　Elementals。〃



（Well；　did　they？　　That　was　the　gist　of　my　perplexity。）



〃One　doesn't　quibble；〃　he　said；　returning　to　his　rankling　memory　of　

Denson；　〃while　men　decay　and　starve。〃



〃But　suppose；〃　I　said；　suddenly　dropping　into　opposition；　〃the　

alternatve　is　to　risk　a　worse　disasteror　do　something　patently　

futile。〃



〃I　don't　follow　that；〃　said　Chris　Robinson。　　〃We　don't　propose　

anything　futile；　so　far　as　I　can　see。〃





6





The　prevailing　force　in　my　undergraduate　days　was　not　Socialism　but　

Kiplingism。　　Our　set　was　quite　exceptional　in　its　socialistic　

professions。　　And　we　were　all；　you　must　understand；　very　distinctly　

Imperialists　also；　and　professed　a　vivid　sense　of　the　〃White　Man's　

Burden。〃



It　is　a　little　difficult　now　to　get　back　to　the　feelings　of　that　

period；　Kipling　has　since　been　so　mercilessly　and　exhaustively　

mocked；　criticised　and　torn　to　shreds；never　was　a　man　so　violently　

exalted　and　then；　himself　assisting；　so　relentlessly　called　down。　　

But　in　the　middle　nineties　this　spectacled　and　moustached　little　

figure　with　its　heavy　chin　and　its　general　effect　of　vehement　

gesticulation；　its　wild　shouts　of　boyish　enthusiasm　for　effective　

force；　its　lyric　delight　in　the　sounds　and　colours；　in　the　very　

odours　of　empire；　its　wonderful　discovery　of　machinery　and　cotton　

waste　and　the　under　officer　and　the　engineer；　and　〃shop〃　as　a　poetic　

dialect；　became　almost　a　national　symbol。　　He　got　hold　of　us　

wonderfully；　he　filled　us　with　tinkling　and　haunting　quotations；　he　

stirred　Britten　and　myself　to　futile　imitations；　he　coloured　the　

very　idiom　of　our　conversation。　　He　rose　to　his　climax　with　his　

〃Recessional；〃　while　I　was　still　an　undergraduate。



What　did　he　give　me　exactly？



He　helped　to　broaden　my　geographical　sense　immensely；　and　he　

provided　phrases　for　just　that　desire　for　discipline　and　devotion　

and　organised　effort　the　Socialism　of　our　time　failed　to　express；　

that　the　current　socialist　movement　still　fails；　I　think；　to　

express。　　The　sort　of　thing　that　follows；　for　example；　tore　

something　out　of　my　inmost　nature　and　gave　it　a　shape；　and　I　took　it　

back　from　him　shaped　and　let　much　of　the　rest　of　him；　the　tumult　and　

the　bullying；　the　hysteria　and　the　impatience；　the　incoherence　and　

inconsistency；　go　uncriticised　for　the　sake　of　it：





〃Keep　ye　the　Lawbe　swift　in　all　obedience

Clear　the　land　of　evil；　drive　the　road　and　bridge　the　ford；

Make　ye　sure　to　each　his　own

That　he　reap　where　he　hath　sown；

By　the　peace　among　Our　peoples　let　men　know　we　serve　the　Lord！〃





And　then　again；　and　for　all　our　later　criticism；　this　sticks　in　my　

mind；　sticks　there　now　as　quintessential　wisdom：





The　'eathen　in　'is　blindness　bows　down　to　wood　an'　stone；

'E　don't　obey　no　orders　unless　they　is　'is　own；

'E　keeps　'is　side…arms　awful：　'e　leaves　'em　all　about

An'　then　comes　up　the　regiment　an'　pokes　the　'eathen　out。

　　　　　All　along　o'　dirtiness；　all　along　o'　mess；

　　　　　All　along　o'　doin'　things　rather…more…or…less；

　　　　　All　along　of　abby…nay；　kul；　an'　hazar…ho；

　　　　　Mind　you　keep　your　rifle　an'　yourself　jus'　so！〃





It　is　after　all　a　secondary　matter　that　Kipling；　not　having　been　

born　and　brought　up　in　Bromstead　and　Penge；　and　the　war　in　South　

Africa　being　yet　in　the　womb　of　time；　could　quite　honestly　entertain　

the　now　remarkable　delusion　that　England　had　her　side…arms　at　that　

time　kept　anything　but　〃awful。〃　　He　learnt　better；　and　we　all　learnt　

with　him　in　the　dark　years　of　exasperating　and　humiliating　struggle　

that　followed；　and　I　do　not　see　that　we　fellow　learners　are　

justified　in　turning　resentfully　upon　him　for　a　common　ignorance　and　

assumption。　。　。　。



South　Africa　seems　always　painted　on　the　back　cloth　of　my　Cambridge　

memories。　　How　immense　those　disasters　seemed　at　the　time；　disasters　

our　facile　English　world　has　long　since　contrived　in　any　edifying　or　

profitable　sense　to　forget！　　How　we　thrilled　to　the　shouting　

newspaper　sellers　as　the　first　false　flush　of　victory　gave　place　to　

the　realisation　of　defeat。　　Far　away　there　our　army　showed　itself　

human；　mortal　and　human　in　the　sight　of　all　the　world；　the　pleasant　

officers　we　had　imagined　would　change　to　wonderful　heroes　at　the　

first　crackling　of　rifles；　remained　the　pleasant；　rather　incompetent　

men　they　had　always　been；　failing　to　imagine；　failing　to　plan　and　

co…operate；　failing　to　grip。　　And　the　common　soldiers；　too；　they　

were　just　what　our　streets　and　country…side　had　ma