a treatise on parents and children-第22部分

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not　stand　between　a　good　and　a　bad　angel：　　what　it　has　to　deal　with　is

a　middling　angel　who；　in　normal　healthy　cases；　wants　to　be　a　good

angel　as　fast　as　it　can　without　killing　itself　in　the　process；　which

is　a　dangerous　one。



Therefore　there　is　no　question　of　providing　the　child　with　a　carefully

regulated　access　to　good　art。　　There　is　no　good　art；　any　more　than

there　is　good　anything　else　in　the　absolute　sense。　　Art　that　is　too

good　for　the　child　will　either　teach　it　nothing　or　drive　it　mad；　as

the　Bible　has　driven　many　people　mad　who　might　have　kept　their　sanity

had　they　been　allowed　to　read　much　lower　forms　of　literature。　　The

practical　moral　is　that　we　must　read　whatever　stories；　see　whatever

pictures；　hear　whatever　songs　and　symphonies；　go　to　whatever　plays　we

like。　　We　shall　not　like　those　which　have　nothing　to　say　to　us；　and

though　everyone　has　a　right　to　bias　our　choice；　no　one　has　a　right　to

deprive　us　of　it　by　keeping　us　from　any　work　of　art　or　any　work　of　art

from　us。



I　may　now　say　without　danger　of　being　misunderstood　that　the　popular

English　compromise　called　Cowper　Templeism　（unsectarian　Bible

education）　is　not　so　silly　as　it　looks。　　It　is　true　that　the　Bible

inculcates　half　a　dozen　religions：　　some　of　them　barbarous；　some

cynical　and　pessimistic；　some　amoristic　and　romantic；　some　sceptical

and　challenging；　some　kindly；　simple；　and　intuitional；　some

sophistical　and　intellectual；　none　suited　to　the　character　and

conditions　of　western　civilization　unless　it　be　the　Christianity　which

was　finally　suppressed　by　the　Crucifixion；　and　has　never　been　put　into

practice　by　any　State　before　or　since。　　But　the　Bible　contains　the

ancient　literature　of　a　very　remarkable　Oriental　race；　and　the

imposition　of　this　literature；　on　whatever　false　pretences；　on　our

children　left　them　more　literate　than　if　they　knew　no　literature　at

all；　which　was　the　practical　alternative。　　And　as　our　Authorized

Version　is　a　great　work　of　art　as　well；　to　know　it　was　better　than

knowing　no　art；　which　also　was　the　practical　alternative。　　It　is　at

least　not　a　school　book；　and　it　is　not　a　bad　story　book；　horrible　as

some　of　the　stories　are。　　Therefore　as　between　the　Bible　and　the　blank

represented　by　secular　education；　the　choice　is　with　the　Bible。







The　Bible



But　the　Bible　is　not　sufficient。　　The　real　Bible　of　modern　Europe　is

the　whole　body　of　great　literature　in　which　the　inspiration　and

revelation　of　Hebrew　Scripture　has　been　continued　to　the　present　day。

Nietzsche's　Thus　Spake　Zoroaster　is　less　comforting　to　the　ill　and

unhappy　than　the　Psalms；　but　it　is　much　truer；　subtler；　and　more

edifying。　　The　pleasure　we　get　from　the　rhetoric　of　the　book　of　Job

and　its　tragic　picture　of　a　bewildered　soul　cannot　disguise　the

ignoble　irrelevance　of　the　retort　of　God　with　which　it　closes；　or

supply　the　need　of　such　modern　revelations　as　Shelley's　Prometheus　or

The　Niblung's　Ring　of　Richard　Wagner。　　There　is　nothing　in　the　Bible

greater　in　inspiration　than　Beethoven's　ninth　symphony；　and　the　power

of　modern　music　to　convey　that　inspiration　to　a　modern　man　is　far

greater　than　that　of　Elizabethan　English；　which　is；　except　for　people

steeped　in　the　Bible　from　childhood　like　Sir　Walter　Scott　and　Ruskin；

a　dead　language。



Besides；　many　who　have　no　ear　for　literature　or　for　music　are

accessible　to　architecture；　to　pictures；　to　statues；　to　dresses；　and

to　the　arts　of　the　stage。　　Every　device　of　art　should　be　brought　to

bear　on　the　young；　so　that　they　may　discover　some　form　of　it　that

delights　them　naturally；　for　there　will　come　to　all　of　them　that

period　between　dawning　adolescence　and　full　maturity　when　the

pleasures　and　emotions　of　art　will　have　to　satisfy　cravings　which；　if

starved　or　insulted；　may　become　morbid　and　seek　disgraceful

satisfactions；　and；　if　prematurely　gratified　otherwise　than

poetically；　may　destroy　the　stamina　of　the　race。　　And　it　must　be　borne

in　mind　that　the　most　dangerous　art　for　this　necessary　purpose　is　the

art　that　presents　itself　as　religious　ecstasy。　　Young　people　are　ripe

for　love　long　before　they　are　ripe　for　religion。　　Only　a　very　foolish

person　would　substitute　the　Imitation　of　Christ　for　Treasure　Island　as

a　present　for　a　boy　or　girl；　or　for　Byron's　Don　Juan　as　a　present　for

a　swain　or　lass。　　Pickwick　is　the　safest　saint　for　us　in　our　nonage。

Flaubert's　Temptation　of　St　Anthony　is　an　excellent　book　for　a　man　of

fifty；　perhaps　the　best　within　reach　as　a　healthy　study　of　visionary

ecstasy；　but　for　the　purposes　of　a　boy　of　fifteen　Ivanhoe　and　the

Templar　make　a　much　better　saint　and　devil。　　And　the　boy　of　fifteen

will　find　this　out　for　himself　if　he　is　allowed　to　wander　in　a

well…stocked　literary　garden；　and　hear　bands　and　see　pictures　and

spend　his　pennies　on　cinematograph　shows。　　His　choice　may　often　be

rather　disgusting　to　his　elders　when　they　want　him　to　choose　the　best

before　he　is　ready　for　it。　　The　greatest　Protestant　Manifesto　ever

written；　as　far　as　I　know；　is　Houston　Chamberlain's　Foundations　of　the

Nineteenth　Century：　　everybody　capable　of　it　should　read　it。　　Probably

the　History　of　Maria　Monk　is　at　the　opposite　extreme　of　merit　（this　is

a　guess：　　I　have　never　read　it）；　but　it　is　certain　that　a　boy　let

loose　in　a　library　would　go　for　Maria　Monk　and　have　no　use　whatever

for　Mr　Chamberlain。　　I　should　probably　have　read　Maria　Monk　myself　if

I　had　not　had　the　Arabian　Nights　and　their　like　to　occupy　me　better。

In　art；　children；　like　adults；　will　find　their　level　if　they　are　left

free　to　find　it；　and　not　restricted　to　what　adults　think　good　for

them。　　Just　at　present　our　young　people　are　going　mad　over　ragtimes；

apparently　because　syncopated　rhythms　are　new　to　them。　　If　they　had

learnt　what　can　be　done　with　syncopation　from　Beethoven's　third

Leonora　overture；　they　would　enjoy　the　ragtimes　all　the　more；　but　they

would　put　them　in　their　proper　place　as　amusing　vulgarities。







Artist　Idolatry



But　there　are　more　dangerous　influences　than　ragtimes　waiting　for

people　brought　up　in　ignorance　of　fine　art。　　Nothing　is　more　pitiably

ridiculous　than　the　wild　worship　of　artists　by　those　who　have　never

been　seasoned　in　youth　to　the　enchantments　of　art。　　Tenors　and　prima

donnas；　pianists　and　violinists；　actors　and　actresses　enjoy　powers　of

seduction　which　in　the　middle　ages　would　have　exposed　them　to　the　risk

of　being　burnt　for　sorcery。　　But　as　they　exercise　this　power　by

singing；　playing；　and　acting；　no　great　harm　is　done　except　perhaps　to

themselves。　　Far　graver　are　the　powers　enjoyed　by　brilliant　persons

who　are　also　connoisseurs　in　art。　　The　influence　they　can　exercise　on

young　people　who　have　been　brought　up　in　the　darkness　and　wretchedness

of　a　home　without　art；　and　in　whom　a　natural　bent　towards　art　has

always　been　baffled　and　snubbed；　is　incredible　to　those　who　have　not

witnessed　and　understood　it。　　He　（or　she）　who　reveals　the　world　of　art

to　them　opens　heaven　to　them。　　They　become　satellites；　disciples；

worshippers　of　the　apostle。　　Now　the　apostle　may　be　a　voluptuary

without　much　conscience。　　Nature　may　have　given　him　enough　virtue　to

suffice　in　a　reasonable　environment。　　But　this　allowance　may　not　be

enough　to　defend　him　against　the　temptation　and　demoralization　of

finding　himself　a　little　god　on　the　strength　of　what　ought　to　be　a

quite　ordinary　culture。　　He　may　find　adorers　in　all　directions　in　our

uncultivated　society　among　people　of　stronger　character　than　himself；

not　one　of　whom；　if　they　had　been　artistically　educated；　would　have

had　anything　to　learn　from　him　or　regarded　him　as　in　any　way

extraordinary　apart　from　his　actual　achievements　as　an　artist。

Tartuffe　is　not　always　a　priest。　　Indeed　he　is　not　always　a　rascal：

he　is　often　a　weak　man　absurdly　credited　with　omniscience　and

perfection；　and　taking　unfair　advantages　only　because　they　are　offered

to　him　and　he　is　too　weak　to　refuse。　　Give　everyone　his　culture；　and

no　one　will　offer　him　more　than　his　due。



In　thus　delivering　our　children　from　the　idolatry　of　the　artist；　we

shall　not　destroy　for　them　the　enchantment　of　art：　　on　the　contrary；

we　shall　teach　them　to　demand　art　everywhere　as　a　condition　attainable

by　cultivating　the　body；　mind；　and　heart。　　Art；　said　Morris；　is　the

expression　of　pleasure　in　work。　　And　certainly；　when　work　is　made

detestable　by　slavery；　there　is　no　art。　　It　is　only　when　learning　is

made　a　slavery　by　tyrannical　teachers　that　art　becomes　loathsome　to

the　pupil。







〃The　Machine〃



When　we　set　to　work　at　a　Constitution　to　secure　freedom　for　children；

we　had　better　bear　in　mind　that　the　children　may　not　be　at　all　obliged

to　us　for　our　pains。　　Rousseau　said　that　men　are　born　free；　and　this

saying；　in　its　proper　bearings；　was　and　is　a　great　and　true　saying；

yet　let　it　not　lead　us　into　the　error　of　supposing　that　all　men　long

for　freedom　and　embrace　it　when　it　is　offered　to　them。　　On　the

contrary；　it　has　to　be　forced　on　them；　and　even　then　they　will　give　it

the　slip　if　it　is　not　religiously　inculcated　and　strongly　safeguarded。



Besides；　men　are　born　docile；　and　must　in　the　nature　of　things　remain

so　with　regard　to　everything　they　do　not　understand。　　Now　political

science　and　the　art　of　govemment　are　among　the　things　they　do　not

understand；　and　indeed　are　not　at　present　allowed　to　understand。　　They

can　be　enslaved　by　a　system；　as　we　are　at　present；　because　it　happens

to　be　there；　and　nobody　understands　it。　　An　intelligently　worked

Capitalist　system；　as　Comte　saw；　would　give　us　all　that　most　of　us　are

intelligent　enough　to　want。　　What　makes　it　produce　such　unspeakably

vile　results　is　that　it　is　an　automatic　system　which　is　as　little

understood　by　those　who　profit　by　it　in　money　as　by　those　who　are

starved　and　degraded　by　it：　　our　millionaires　and　statesmen　are

manifestly　no　more　〃captains　of　industry〃　or　scientific　politicians

than　our　bookmakers　are　mathematicians。　　For　some　time　past