man of property-第1章

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Man　of　Property

by　John　Galsworthy


TO　MY　WIFE：　I　DEDICATE　THE　FORSYTE　SAGA　IN　ITS　ENTIRETY；　BELIEVING　IT　TO　BE　OF　ALL　MY　WORKS　THE　LEAST　UNWORTHY　OF　ONE　　WITHOUT　WHOSE　ENCOURAGEMENT；　SYMPATHY　AND　CRITICISM　COULD　NEVER　HAVE　BECOME　EVEN　SUCH　A　WRITER　AS　I　AM。




PREFACE：

〃The　Forsyte　Saga〃　was　the　title　originally　destined　for　that　part　of　it　which　is　called　〃The　Man　of　Property〃；　and　to　adopt　it　for　the　collected　chronicles　of　the　Forsyte　family　has　indulged　the　Forsytean　tenacity　that　is　in　all　of　us。　　The　word　Saga　might　be　objected　to　on　the　ground　that　it　connotes　the　heroic　and　that　there　is　little　heroism　in　these　pages。　　But　it　is　used　with　a　suitable　irony；　and；　after　all；　this　long　tale；　though　it　may　deal　with　folk　in　frock　coats；　furbelows；　and　a　gilt…edged　period；　is　not　devoid　of　the　essential　beat　of　conflict。　Discounting　for　the　gigantic　stature　and　blood…thirstiness　of　old　days；　as　they　have　come　down　to　us　in　fairy…tale　and　legend；　the　folk　of　the　old　Sagas　were　Forsytes；　assuredly；　in　their　possessive　instincts；　and　as　little　proof　against　the　inroads　of　beauty　and　passion　as　Swithin；　Soames；　or　even　Young　Jolyon。　　And　if　heroic　figures；　in　days　that　never　were；　seem　to　startle　out　from　their　surroundings　in　fashion　unbecoming　to　a　Forsyte　of　the　Victorian　era；　we　may　be　sure　that　tribal　instinct　was　even　then　the　prime　force；　and　that　〃family〃　and　the　sense　of　home　and　property　counted　as　they　do　to　this　day；　for　all　the　recent　efforts　to　〃talk　them　out。〃

So　many　people　have　written　and　claimed　that　their　families　were　the　originals　of　the　Forsytes　that　one　has　been　almost　encouraged　to　believe　in　the　typicality　of　an　imagined　species。　　Manners　change　and　modes　evolve；　and　〃Timothy's　on　the　Bayswater　Road〃　becomes　a　nest　of　the　unbelievable　in　all　except　essentials；　we　shall　not　look　upon　its　like　again；　nor　perhaps　on　such　a　one　as　James　or　Old　Jolyon。　　And　yet　the　figures　of　Insurance　Societies　and　the　utterances　of　Judges　reassure　us　daily　that　our　earthly　paradise　is　still　a　rich　preserve；　where　the　wild　raiders；　Beauty　and　Passion；　come　stealing　in；　filching　security　from　beneath　our　noses。　　As　surely　as　a　dog　will　bark　at　a　brass　band；　so　will　the　essential　Soames　in　human　nature　ever　rise　up　uneasily　against　the　dissolution　which　hovers　round　the　folds　of　ownership。

〃Let　the　dead　Past　bury　its　dead〃　would　be　a　better　saying　if　the　Past　ever　died。　　The　persistence　of　the　Past　is　one　of　those　tragi…comic　blessings　which　each　new　age　denies；　coming　cocksure　on　to　the　stage　to　mouth　its　claim　to　a　perfect　novelty。

But　no　Age　is　so　new　as　that！　　Human　Nature；　under　its　changing　pretensions　and　clothes；　is　and　ever　will　be　very　much　of　a　Forsyte；　and　might；　after　all；　be　a　much　worse　animal。

Looking　back　on　the　Victorian　era；　whose　ripeness；　decline；　and　'fall…of'　is　in　some　sort　pictured　in　〃The　Forsyte　Saga；〃　we　see　now　that　we　have　but　jumped　out　of　a　frying…pan　into　a　fire。　　It　would　be　difficult　to　substantiate　a　claim　that　the　case　of　England　was　better　in　1913　than　it　was　in　1886；　when　the　Forsytes　assembled　at　Old　Jolyon's　to　celebrate　the　engagement　of　June　to　Philip　Bosinney。　　And　in　1920；　when　again　the　clan　gathered　to　bless　the　marriage　of　Fleur　with　Michael　Mont；　the　state　of　England　is　as　surely　too　molten　and　bankrupt　as　in　the　eighties　it　was　too　congealed　and　low…percented。　　If　these　chronicles　had

been　a　really　scientific　study　of　transition　one　would　have　dwelt　probably　on　such　factors　as　the　invention　of　bicycle；　motor…car；　and　flying…machine；　the　arrival　of　a　cheap　Press；　the　decline　of　country　life　and　increase　of　the　towns；　the　birth　of　the　Cinema。　Men　are；　in　fact；　quite　unable　to　control　their　own　inventions；　they　at　best　develop　adaptability　to　the　new　conditions　those　inventions　create。

But　this　long　tale　is　no　scientific　study　of　a　period；　it　is　rather　an　intimate　incarnation　of　the　disturbance　that　Beauty　effects　in　the　lives　of　men。

The　figure　of　Irene；　never；　as　the　reader　may　possibly　have　observed；　present；　except　through　the　senses　of　other　characters；　is　a　concretion　of　disturbing　Beauty　impinging　on　a　possessive　world。

One　has　noticed　that　readers；　as　they　wade　on　through　the　salt　waters　of　the　Saga；　are　inclined　more　and　more　to　pity　Soames；　and　to　think　that　in　doing　so　they　are　in　revolt　against　the　mood　of　his　creator。　　Far　from　it！　　He；　too；　pities　Soames；　the　tragedy　of　whose　life　is　the　very　simple；　uncontrollable　tragedy　of　being　unlovable；　without　quite　a　thick　enough　skin　to　be　thoroughly　unconscious　of　the　fact。　　Not　even　Fleur　loves　Soames　as　he　feels　he　ought　to　be　loved。　　But　in　pitying　Soames；　readers　incline；　perhaps；　to　animus　against　Irene：　After　all；　they　think；　he　wasn't　a　bad　fellow；　it　wasn't　his　fault；　she　ought　to　have　forgiven　him；　and　so　on！

And；　taking　sides；　they　lose　perception　of　the　simple　truth；　which　underlies　the　whole　story；　that　where　sex　attraction　is　utterly　and　definitely　lacking　in　one　partner　to　a　union；　no　amount　of　pity；　or　reason；　or　duty；　or　what　not；　can　overcome　a　repulsion　implicit　in　Nature。　　Whether　it　ought　to；　or　no；　is　beside　the　point；　because　in　fact　it　never　does。　　And　where　Irene　seems　hard　and　cruel；　as　in　the　Bois　de　Boulogne；　or　the　Goupenor　Gallery；　she　is　but　wisely　realisticknowing　that　the　least　concession　is　the　inch　which　precedes　the　impossible；　the　repulsive　ell。

A　criticism　one　might　pass　on　the　last　phase　of　the　Saga　is　the　complaint　that　Irene　and　Jolyon　those　rebels　against　property　claim　spiritual　property　in　their　son　Jon。　　But　it　would　be　hypercriticism；　as　the　tale　is　told。　　No　father　and　mother　could　have　let　the　boy　marry　Fleur　without　knowledge　of　the　facts；　and　the　facts　determine　Jon；　not　the　persuasion　of　his　parents。　Moreover；　Jolyon's　persuasion　is　not　on　his　own　account；　but　on　Irene's；　and　Irene's　persuasion　becomes　a　reiterated：　〃Don't　think　of　me；　think　of　yourself！〃　That　Jon；　knowing　the　facts；　can　realise　his　mother's　feelings；　will　hardly　with　justice　be　held　proof　that　she　is；　after　all；　a　Forsyte。

But　though　the　impingement　of　Beauty　and　the　claims　of　Freedom　on　a　possessive　world　are　the　main　prepossessions　of　the　Forsyte　Saga；　it　cannot　be　absolved　from　the　charge　of　embalming　the　upper…middle　class。　　As　the　old　Egyptians　placed　around　their　mummies　the　necessaries　of　a　future　existence；　so　I　have　endeavoured　to　lay　beside　the；　figures　of　Aunts　Ann　and　Juley　and　Hester；　of　Timothy　and　Swithin；　of　Old　Jolyon　and　James；　and　of　their　sons；　that　which　shall　guarantee　them　a　little　life　here…　after；　a　little　balm　in　the　hurried　Gilead　of　a　dissolving　〃Progress。〃

If　the　upper…middle　class；　with　other　classes；　is　destined　to　〃move　on〃　into　amorphism；　here；　pickled　in　these　pages；　it　lies　under　glass　for　strollers　in　the　wide　and　ill…arranged　museum　of　Letters。　　Here　it　rests；　preserved　in　its　own　juice：　The　Sense　of　Property。

1922。




THE　MAN　OF　PROPERTY

by　JOHN　GALSWORTHY




〃。。。。。。。。　　You　will　answer　The　slaves　are　ours　。。。。。〃　…Merchant　of　Venice。




TO　EDWARD　GARNETT





PART　I


CHAPTER　I

'AT　HOME'　AT　OLD　JOLYON'S


Those　privileged　to　be　present　at　a　family　festival　of　the　Forsytes　have　seen　that　charming　and　instructive　sightan　upper　middle…class　family　in　full　plumage。　　But　whosoever　of　these　favoured　persons　has　possessed　the　gift　of　psychological　analysis　（a　talent　without　monetary　value　and　properly　ignored　by　the　Forsytes）；　has　witnessed　a　spectacle；　not　only　delightful　in　itself；　but　illustrative　of　an　obscure　human　problem。　　In　plainer　words；　he　has　gleaned　from　a　gathering　of　this　familyno　branch　of　which　had　a　liking　for　the　other；　between　no　three　members　of　whom　existed　anything　worthy　of　the　name　of　sympathyevidence　of　that　mysterious　concrete　tenacity　which　renders　a　family　so　formidable　a　unit　of　society；　so　clear　a　reproduction　of　society　in　miniature。　　He　has　been　admitted　to　a　vision　of　the　dim　roads　of　social　progress；　has　understood　something　of　patriarchal　life；　of　the　swarmings　of　savage　hordes；　of　the　rise　and　fall　of　nations。　　He　is　like　one　who；　having　watched　a　tree　grow　from　its　plantinga　paragon　of　tenacity；　insulation；　and　success；　amidst　the　deaths　of　a　hundred　other　plants　less　fibrous；　sappy；　and　persistentone　day　will　see　it　flourishing　with　bland；　full　foliage；　in　an　almost　repugnant　prosperity；　at　the　summit　of　its　efflorescence。

On　June　15；　eighteen　eighty…six；　about　four　of　the　afternoon；　the　observer　who　chanced　to　be　present　at　the　house　of　old　Jolyon　Forsyte　in　Stanhope　Gate；　might　have　seen　the　highest　efflorescence　of　the　Forsytes。

This　was　the　occasion　of　an　'at　home'　to　celebrate　the　engagement　of　Miss　June　Forsyte；　old　Jolyon's　granddaughter；　to　Mr。　Philip　Bosinney。　　In　the　bravery　of　light　gloves；　buff　waistcoats；　feathers　and　frocks；　the　family　were　present；　even　Aunt　Ann；　who　now　but　seldom　left　the　comer　of　her　brother　Timothy's　green　drawing…room；　where；　under　the　aegis　of　a　plume　of　dyed　pampas　grass　in　a　light　blue　vase；　she　sat　all　day　reading　and　knitting；　surrounded　by　the　effigies　of　three　generations　of　Forsytes。　Even　Aunt　Ann　was　there；　her　inflexible　back；　and　the　dignity　of　her　calm　old　face　personifying　the　rigid　possessiveness　of　the　family　idea。

When　a　Forsyte　was　engaged；　married；　or　born；　the　Forsytes　were　present；　when　a　Forsyte　diedbut　no　Forsyte　had　as　yet　died；　they　did　not　die；　death　being　contrary　to　their　principles；　they　took　precautions　against　it；　the　instinctive　precautions　of　highly　vitalized　persons　who　resent　encroachments　on　their　property。

About　the　Forsytes　mingling　that　day　with　the　crowd　of　other　guests；　there　was　a　more　than　ordinarily　groomed　look；　an　alert；　inquisitive　assurance；　a　brilliant　respectability；　as　though　they　were　attired　in　defiance　of　something。　　The　habitual　sniff　on　the　face　of　Soames　Forsyte　had　spread　through　their　ranks；　they　were　on　their　guard。

The　subconscious　offensiveness　of　their　attitude　has　constituted　old　Jolyon's　'home'　the　psychological　moment　of　the　family　history；　made　it　the　prelude　of　their　drama。

The　Forsytes　were　resentful　of　something；　not　individually；　but　as　a　family；　this　resentment　expressed　itself　in　an　added　perfection　of　raiment；　an　exuberance　of　family　cordiality；　an　exaggeration　of　family　importance；　andthe　sniff。　　Dangerso　indispensable　in　bringing　out　the　fundamental　quality　of　any　society；　group；　or　individualwas　what　the　Forsytes　scented；　the　premonition　of　danger　put　a　burnish　on　their　armour。　　For　the　first　time；　as　a　family；　they　appeared　to　have　an　instinct　of　being　in　contact；　with　some　strange　and　unsafe　thing。

Over　against　the　piano　a　man　of　bulk　and　stature　was　wearing　two　waistcoats　on　his　wide　chest；　two　waistcoats　and　a　ruby　pin；　instead　of　the　single　satin　waistcoat　and　diamond　pin　of；　more　usual　occasions；　and　his　shaven；　square；　old　…face；　the　colour　of　pale　leather；　with　pale　eyes；　had　its　most　dignified　look；　above　his　satin　stock。　　This　was　Swithin　Forsyte。　　Close　to　the　window；　where　he　could　get　more　than　his　fair　share　of　fresh　air；　the　other　twin；　Jamesthe　fat　and　the　lean　of　it；　old　Jolyon　called　these　brotherslike　the　bulky　Swithin；　over　six　feet　in　height；　but　very　lean；　as　though　destined　from　his　birth　to　strike　a　balance　and