the new machiavelli-第55章

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go　to　this　land　they　possess；　the　authorities　would　prevent　it。　　If　

Messrs。　Perowne　or　Cook　organised　a　cheap　tour　of　Manchester　

operatives；　it　would　be　stopped。　　No　one　dare　bring　the　average　

English　voter　face　to　face　with　the　reality　of　India；　or　let　the　

Indian　native　have　a　glimpse　of　the　English　voter。　　In　my　time　I　

have　talked　to　English　statesmen；　Indian　officials　and　ex…officials；　

viceroys；　soldiers；　every　one　who　might　be　supposed　to　know　what　

India　signifies；　and　I　have　prayed　them　to　tell　me　what　they　thought　

we　were　up　to　there。　　I　am　not　writing　without　my　book　in　these　

matters。　　And　beyond　a　phrase　or　so　about　〃even…handed　justice〃and　

look　at　our　sedition　trials！they　told　me　nothing。　　Time　after　time　

I　have　heard　of　that　apocryphal　native　ruler　in　the　north…west；　who；　

when　asked　what　would　happen　if　we　left　India；　replied　that　in　a　

week　his　men　would　be　in　the　saddle；　and　in　six　months　not　a　rupee　

nor　a　virgin　would　he　left　in　Lower　Bengal。　　That　is　always　given　as　

our　conclusive　justification。　　But　is　it　our　business　to　preserve　

the　rupees　and　virgins　of　Lower　Bengal　in　a　sort　of　magic　

inconclusiveness？　　Better　plunder　than　paralysis；　better　fire　and　

sword　than　futility。　　Our　flag　is　spread　over　the　peninsula；　without　

plans；　without　intentionsa　vast　preventive。　　The　sum　total　of　our　

policy　is　to　arrest　any　discussion；　any　conferences　that　would　

enable　the　Indians　to　work　out　a　tolerable　scheme　of　the　future　for　

themselves。　　But　that　does　not　arrest　the　resentment　of　men　held　

back　from　life。　　Consider　what　it　must　be　for　the　educated　Indian　

sitting　at　the　feast　of　contemporary　possibilities　with　his　mouth　

gagged　and　his　hands　bound　behind　him！　　The　spirit　of　insurrection　

breaks　out　in　spite　of　espionage　and　seizures。　　Our　conflict　for　

inaction　develops　stupendous　absurdities。　　The　other　day　the　British　

Empire　was　taking　off　and　examining　printed　cotton　stomach　wraps　for　

seditious　emblems　and　inscriptions。　。　。　。



In　some　manner　we　shall　have　to　come　out　of　India。　　We　have　had　our　

chance；　and　we　have　demonstrated　nothing　but　the　appalling　dulness　

of　our　national　imagination。　　We　are　not　good　enough　to　do　anything　

with　India。　　Codger　and　Flack；　and　Gates　and　Dayton；　Cladingbowl　in　

the　club；　and　the　HOME　CHURCHMAN　in　the　home；　cant　about　

〃character；〃　worship　of　strenuous　force　and　contempt　of　truth；　for　

the　sake　of　such　men　and　things　as　these；　we　must　abandon　in　fact；　

if　not　in　appearance；　that　empty　domination。　　Had　we　great　schools　

and　a　powerful　teaching；　could　we　boast　great　men；　had　we　the　spirit　

of　truth　and　creation　in　our　lives；　then　indeed　it　might　be　

different。　　But　a　race　that　bears　a　sceptre　must　carry　gifts　to　

justify　it。



It　does　not　follow　that　we　shall　be　driven　catastrophically　from　

India。　　That　was　my　earlier　mistake。　　We　are　not　proud　enough　in　our　

bones　to　be　ruined　by　India　as　Spain　was　by　her　empire。　　We　may　be　

able　to　abandon　India　with　an　air　of　still　remaining　there。　　It　is　

our　new　method。　　We　train　our　future　rulers　in　the　public　schools　to　

have　a　very　wholesome　respect　for　strength；　and　as　soon　as　a　power　

arises　in　India　in　spite　of　us；　be　it　a　man　or　a　culture；　or　a　

native　state；　we　shall　he　willing　to　deal　with　it。　　We　may　or　may　

not　have　a　war；　but　our　governing　class　will　be　quick　to　learn　when　

we　are　beaten。　　Then　they　will　repeat　our　South　African　diplomacy；　

and　arrange　for　some　settlement　that　will　abandon　the　reality；　such　

as　it　is；　and　preserve　the　semblance　of　power。　　The　conqueror　DE　

FACTO　will　become　the　new　〃loyal　Briton；〃　and　the　democracy　at　home　

will　be　invited　to　celebrate　our　recessiontriumphantly。　　I　am　no　

believer　in　the　imminent　dissolution　of　our　Empire；　I　am　less　and　

less　inclined　to　see　in　either　India　or　Germany　the　probability　of　

an　abrupt　truncation　of　those　slow　intellectual　and　moral　

constructions　which　are　the　essentials　of　statecraft。







6





I　sit　writing　in　this　little　loggia　to　the　sound　of　dripping　water

this　morning　we　had　rain；　and　the　roof　of　our　little　casa　is　still　

not　dry；　there　are　pools　in　the　rocks　under　the　sweet　chestnuts；　and　

the　torrent　that　crosses　the　salita　is　full　and　boastful；and　I　try　

to　recall　the　order　of　my　impressions　during　that　watching；　dubious　

time；　before　I　went　over　to　the　Conservative　Party。　　I　was　trying

chaotic　taskto　gauge　the　possibilities　inherent　in　the　quality　of　

the　British　aristocracy。　　There　comes　a　broad　spectacular　effect　of　

wide　parks；　diversified　by　woods　and　bracken　valleys；　and　dappled　

with　deer；　of　great　smooth　lawns　shaded　by　ancient　trees；　of　big　

facades　of　sunlit　buildings　dominating　the　country　side；　of　large　

fine　rooms　full　of　handsome；　easy…mannered　people。　　As　a　sort　of　

representative　picture　to　set　off　against　those　other　pictures　of　

Liberals　and　of　Socialists　I　have　given；　I　recall　one　of　those　huge　

assemblies　the　Duchess　of　Clynes　inaugurated　at　Stamford　House。　　The　

place　itself　is　one　of　the　vastest　private　houses　in　London；　a　huge　

clustering　mass　of　white　and　gold　saloons　with　polished　floors　and　

wonderful　pictures；　and　staircases　and　galleries　on　a　Gargantuan　

scale。　　And　there　she　sought　to　gather　all　that　was　most　

representative　of　English　activities；　and　did；　in　fact；　in　those　

brilliant　nocturnal　crowds；　get　samples　of　nearly　every　section　of　

our　social　and　intellectual　life；　with　a　marked　predominance　upon　

the　political　and　social　side。



I　remember　sitting　in　one　of　the　recesses　at　the　end　of　the　big　

saloon　with　Mrs。　Redmondson；　one　of　those　sharp…minded；　beautiful　

rich　women　one　meets　so　often　in　London；　who　seem　to　have　done　

nothing　and　to　be　capable　of　everything；　and　we　watched　the　crowd

uniforms　and　splendours　were　streaming　in　from　a　State　balland　

exchanged　information。　　I　told　her　about　the　politicians　and　

intellectuals；　and　she　told　me　about　the　aristocrats；　and　we　

sharpened　our　wit　on　them　and　counted　the　percentage　of　beautiful　

people　among　the　latter；　and　wondered　if　the　general　effect　of　

tallness　was　or　was　not　an　illusion。



They　were；　we　agreed；　for　the　most　part　bigger　than　the　average　of　

people　in　London；　and　a　handsome　lot；　even　when　they　were　not　subtly　

individualised。　　〃They　look　so　well　nurtured；〃　I　said；　〃well　cared　

for。　　I　like　their　quiet；　well…trained　movements；　their　pleasant　

consideration　for　each　other。〃



〃Kindly；　good　tempered；　and　at　bottom　utterly　selfish；〃　she　said；　

〃like　big；　rather　carefully　trained；　rather　pampered　children。　　What　

else　can　you　expect　from　them？〃



〃They　are　good　tempered；　anyhow；〃　I　witnessed；　〃and　that's　an　

achievement。　　I　don't　think　I　could　ever　be　content　under　a　bad…

tempered；　sentimentalism；　strenuous　Government。　　That's　why　I　

couldn't　stand　the　Roosevelt　REGIME　in　America。　　One's　chief　

surprise　when　one　comes　across　these　big　people　for　the　first　time　

is　their　admirable　easiness　and　a　real　personal　modesty。　　I　confess　

I　admire　them。　　Oh！　I　like　them。　　I　wouldn't　at　all　mind；　I　believe；　

giving　over　the　country　to　this　aristocracygiven　SOMETHING〃



〃Which　they　haven't　got。〃



〃Which　they　haven't　gotor　they'd　be　the　finest　sort　of　people　in　

the　world。〃



〃That　something？〃　she　inquired。



〃I　don't　know。　　I've　been　puzzling　my　wits　to　know。　　They've　done　

all　sorts　of　things〃



〃That's　Lord　Wrassleton；〃　she　interrupted；　〃whose　leg　was　broken

you　remember？at　Spion　Kop。〃



〃It's　healed　very　well。　　I　like　the　gold　lace　and　the　white　glove　

resting；　with　quite　a　nice　awkwardness；　on　the　sword。　　When　I　was　a　

little　boy　I　wanted　to　wear　clothes　like　that。　　And　the　stars！　　He's　

got　the　V。　C。　　Most　of　these　people　here　have　at　any　rate　shown　

pluck；　you　knowbrought　something　off。〃



〃Not　quite　enough；〃　she　suggested。



〃I　think　that's　it；〃　I　said。　　〃Not　quite　enoughnot　quite　hard　

enough；〃　I　added。



She　laughed　and　looked　at　me。　　〃You'd　like　to　make　us；〃　she　said。



〃What？〃



〃Hard。〃



〃I　don't　think　you'll　go　on　if　you　don't　get　hard。〃



〃We　shan't　be　so　pleasant　if　we　do。〃



〃Well；　there　my　puzzled　wits　come　in　again。　　I　don't　see　why　an　

aristocracy　shouldn't　be　rather　hard　trained；　and　yet　kindly。　　I'm　

not　convinced　that　the　resources　of　education　are　exhausted。　　I　want　

to　better　this；　because　it　already　looks　so　good。〃



〃How　are　we　to　do　it？〃　asked　Mrs。　Redmondson。



〃Oh；　there　you　have　me！　　I've　been　spending　my　time　lately　in　trying　

to　answer　that！　　It　makes　me　quarrel　with〃I　held　up　my　fingers　and　

ticked　the　items　off〃the　public　schools；　the　private　tutors；　the　

army　exams；　the　Universities；　the　Church；　the　general　attitude　of　

the　country　towards　science　and　literature〃



〃We　all　do；〃　said　Mrs。　Redmondson。　　〃We　can't　begin　again　at　the　

beginning；〃　she　added。



〃Couldn't　one；〃　I　nodded　at　the　assembly　in　general；　start　a　

movement？



〃There's　the　Confederates；〃　she　said；　with　a　faint　smile　that　masked　

a　gleam　of　curiosity。　。　。　。　　〃You　want；〃　she　said；　〃to　say　to　the　

aristocracy；　'Be　aristocrats。　　NOBLESSE　OBLIGE。'　　Do　you　remember　

what　happened　to　the　monarch　who　was　told　to　'Be　a　King'？〃



〃Well；〃　I　said；　〃I　want　an　aristocracy。〃



〃This；〃　she　said；　smiling；　〃is　the　pick　of　them。　　The　backwoodsmen　

are　off　the　stage。　　These　are　the　brilliant　onesthe　smart　and　the　

blues。　。　。　。　　They　cost　a　lot　of　money；　you　know。〃



So　far　Mrs。　Redmondson；　but　the　picture　remained　full　of　things　not　

stated　in　our　speech。　　They　were　on　the　whole　handsome　people；　

charitable　minded；　happy；　and　easy。　　They　led　spacious　lives；　and　

there　was　something　free　and　fearless　about　their　bearing　that　I　

liked　extremely。　　The　women　particularly　were　wide…reading；　fine…

thinking。　　Mrs。　Redmondson　talked　as　fully　and　widely　and　boldly　as　

a　man；　and　with　those　flashes　of　intuition；　those　startling；　sudden　

delicacies　of　perception　few　men　display。　　I　liked；　too；　the　

relations　that　held　between　women　and　men；　their　general　tolerance；　

their　antagonism　to　the　harsh　jealousies　that　are　the　essence　of　the　

middle…class　order。　。　。　。



After　all；　if　one's　aim　resolved　itself　into　the　development　of　a　

type　and　culture　of　men；　why　shouldn't　one　begin　at　this　end？



It　is　very　easy　indeed　to　generalise　about　a　class　or　human　beings；　

but　much　harder　to　produce　a　sample。　　Was　old　Lady　Forthundred；　for　

instance；　fairly　a　sample？　　I　remember　her　as　a　smiling；　magnificent　

presence；　a　towering　accumulation　of　figure　and　wonderful　shimmering　

blue　silk　and　black　lace　and　black　hair；　and　small　fine　features　and　

chins　and　chins　and　chins；　disposed　in　a　big　cane　chair　with　wraps　

and　cushions　upon　the　great　terrace　of　Champneys。　　Her　eye　was　blue　

and　hard；　and　her　accent　and　intonation　were　exactly　what　you　would　

expect　from　a　rather　commonplace　dressmaker　pretending　to　be　

aristocratic。　　I　was；　I　a