my discovery of england-第22部分

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artillery　men　tell　of　〃bracketing〃　the　object　fired　at；　and　then　landing　fairly　on　it。

In　what　I　have　just　written　about　audiences　I　have　purposely　been　using　the　word　English　and　not　British；　for　it　does　not　in　the　least　apply　to　the　Scotch。　There　is；　for　a　humorous　lecturer；　no　better　audience　in　the　world　than　a　Scotch　audience。　The　old　standing　joke　about　the　Scotch　sense　of　humour　is　mere　nonsense。　Yet　one　finds　it　everywhere。

〃So　you're　going　to　try　to　take　humour　up　to　Scotland；〃　the　most　eminent　author　in　England　said　to　me。　〃Well；　the　Lord　help　you。　You'd　better　take　an　axe　with　you　to　open　their　skulls；　there　is　no　other　way。〃　How　this　legend　started　I　don't　know；　but　I　think　it　is　because　the　English　are　jealous　of　the　Scotch。　They　got　into　the　Union　with　them　in　1707　and　they　can't　get　out。　The　Scotch　don't　want　Home　Rule；　or　Swa　Raj；　or　Dominion　status；　or　anything；　they　just　want　the　English。　When　they　want　money　they　go　to　London　and　make　it；　if　they　want　literary　fame　they　sell　their　books　to　the　English；　and　to　prevent　any　kind　of　political　trouble　they　take　care　to　keep　the　Cabinet　well　filled　with　Scotchmen。　The　English　for　shame's　sake　can't　get　out　of　the　Union；　so　they　retaliate　by　saying　that　the　Scotch　have　no　sense　of　humour。　But　there's　nothing　in　it。　One　has　only　to　ask　any　of　the　theatrical　people　and　they　will　tell　you　that　the　audiences　in　Glasgow　and　Edinburgh　are　the　best　in　the　British　Islespossess　the　best　taste　and　the　best　ability　to　recognise　what　is　really　good。

The　reason　for　this　lies；　I　think；　in　the　well…known　fact　that　the　Scotch　are　a　truly　educated　people；　not　educated　in　the　mere　sense　of　having　been　made　to　go　to　school；　but　in　the　higher　sense　of　having　acquired　an　interest　in　books　and　a　respect　for　learning。　In　England　the　higher　classes　alone　possess　this；　the　working　class　as　a　whole　know　nothing　of　it。　But　in　Scotland　the　attitude　is　universal。　And　the　more　I　reflect　upon　the　subject；　the　more　I　believe　that　what　counts　most　in　the　appreciation　of　humour　is　not　nationality；　but　the　degree　of　education　enjoyed　by　the　individual　concerned。　I　do　not　think　that　there　is　any　doubt　that　educated　people　possess　a　far　wider　range　of　humour　than　the　uneducated　class。　Some　people；　of　course；　get　overeducated　and　become　hopelessly　academic。　The　word　〃highbrow〃　has　been　invented　exactly　to　fit　the　case。　The　sense　of　humour　in　the　highbrow　has　become　atrophied；　or；　to　vary　the　metaphor；　it　is　submerged　or　buried　under　the　accumulated　strata　of　his　education；　on　the　top　soil　of　which　flourishes　a　fine　growth　of　conceit。　But　even　in　the　highbrow　the　educated　appreciation　of　humour　is　thereaway　down。　Generally；　if　one　attempts　to　amuse　a　highbrow　he　will　resent　it　as　if　the　process　were　beneath　him；　or　perhaps　the　intellectual　jealousy　and　touchiness　with　which　he　is　always　overcharged　will　lead　him　to　retaliate　with　a　pointless　story　from　Plato。　But　if　the　highbrow　is　right　off　his　guard　and　has　no　jealousy　in　his　mind；　you　may　find　him　roaring　with　laughter　and　wiping　his　spectacles；　with　his　sides　shaking；　and　see　him　converted　as　by　magic　into　the　merry；　clever　little　school…boy　that　he　was　thirty　years　ago；　before　his　education　ossified　him。

But　with　the　illiterate　and　the　rustic　no　such　process　is　possible。　His　sense　of　humour　may　be　there　as　a　sense；　but　the　mechanism　for　setting　it　in　operation　is　limited　and　rudimentary。　Only　the　broadest　and　most　elementary　forms　of　joke　can　reach　him。　The　magnificent　mechanism　of　the　art　of　words　is；　quite　literally；　a　sealed　book　to　him。　Here　and　there；　indeed；　a　form　of　fun　is　found　so　elementary　in　its　nature　and　yet　so　excellent　in　execution　that　it　appeals　to　all　alike；　to　the　illiterate　and　to　the　highbrow；　to　the　peasant　and　the　professor。　Such；　for　example；　are　the　antics　of　Mr。　Charles　Chaplin　or　the　depiction　of　Mr。　Jiggs　by　the　pencil　of　George　McManus。　But　such　cases　are　rare。　As　a　rule　the　cheap　fun　that　excites　the　rustic　to　laughter　is　execrable　to　the　man　of　education。

In　the　light　of　what　I　have　said　before　it　follows　that　the　individuals　that　are　findable　in　every　English　or　American　audience　are　much　the　same。　All　those　who　lecture　or　act　are　well　aware　that　there　are　certain　types　of　people　that　are　always　to　be　seen　somewhere　in　the　hall。　Some　of　these　belong　to　the　general　class　of　discouraging　people。　They　listen　in　stolid　silence。　No　light　of　intelligence　ever　gleams　on　their　faces；　no　response　comes　from　their　eyes。

I　find；　for　example；　that　wherever　I　go　there　is　always　seated　in　the　audience；　about　three　seats　from　the　front；　a　silent　man　with　a　big　motionless　face　like　a　melon。　He　is　always　there。　I　have　seen　that　man　in　every　town　or　city　from　Richmond；　Indiana；　to　Bournemouth　in　Hampshire。　He　haunts　me。　I　get　to　expect　him。　I　feel　like　nodding　to　him　from　the　platform。　And　I　find　that　all　other　lecturers　have　the　same　experience。　Wherever　they　go　the　man　with　the　big　face　is　always　there。　He　never　laughs；　no　matter　if　the　people　all　round　him　are　convulsed　with　laughter；　he　sits　there　like　a　rockor；　no；　like　a　toadimmovable。　What　he　thinks　I　don't　know。　Why　he　comes　to　lectures　I　cannot　guess。　Once；　and　once　only；　I　spoke　to　him；　or；　rather；　he　spoke　to　me。　I　was　coming　out　from　the　lecture　and　found　myself　close　to　him　in　the　corridor。　It　had　been　a　rather　gloomy　evening；　the　audience　had　hardly　laughed　at　all；　and　I　know　nothing　sadder　than　a　humorous　lecture　without　laughter。　The　man　with　the　big　face；　finding　himself　beside　me；　turned　and　said；　〃Some　of　them　people　weren't　getting　that　to…night。〃　His　tone　of　sympathy　seemed　to　imply　that　he　had　got　it　all　himself；　if　so；　he　must　have　swallowed　it　whole　without　a　sign。　But　I　have　since　thought　that　this　man　with　the　big　face　may　have　his　own　internal　form　of　appreciation。　This　much；　however；　I　know：　to　look　at　him　from　the　platform　is　fatal。　One　sustained　look　into　his　big；　motionless　face　and　the　lecturer　would　be　lost；　inspiration　would　die　upon　one's　lipsthe　basilisk　isn't　in　it　with　him。

Personally；　I　no　sooner　see　the　man　with　the　big　face　than　instinctively　I　turn　my　eyes　away。　I　look　round　the　hall　for　another　man　that　I　know　is　always　there；　the　opposite　type；　the　little　man　with　the　spectacles。　There　he　sits；　good　soul；　about　twelve　rows　back；　his　large　spectacles　beaming　with　appreciation　and　his　quick　face　anticipating　every　point。　I　imagine　him　to　be　by　trade　a　minor　journalist　or　himself　a　writer　of　sorts；　but　with　not　enough　of　success　to　have　spoiled　him。

There　are　other　people　always　there；　too。　There　is　the　old　lady　who　thinks　the　lecture　improper；　it　doesn't　matter　how　moral　it　is；　she's　out　for　impropriety　and　she　can　find　it　anywhere。　Then　there　is　another　very　terrible　man　against　whom　all　American　lecturers　in　England　should　be　warnedthe　man　who　is　leaving　on　the　9　P。M。　train。　English　railways　running　into　suburbs　and　near…by　towns　have　a　schedule　which　is　expressly　arranged　to　have　the　principal　train　leave　before　the　lecture　ends。　Hence　the　9…P。M。…train　man。　He　sits　right　near　the　front；　and　at　ten　minutes　to　nine　he　gathers　up　his　hat；　coat；　and　umbrella　very　deliberately；　rises　with　great　calm；　and　walks　firmly　away。　His　air　is　that　of　a　man　who　has　stood　all　that　he　can　and　can　bear　no　more。　Till　one　knows　about　this　man；　and　the　others　who　rise　after　him；　it　is　very　disconcerting；　at　first　I　thought　I　must　have　said　something　to　reflect　upon　the　royal　family。　But　presently　the　lecturer　gets　to　understand　that　it　is　only　the　nine…o'clock　train　and　that　all　the　audience　know　about　it。　Then　it's　all　right。　It's　just　like　the　people　rising　and　stretching　themselves　after　the　seventh　innings　in　baseball。

In　all　that　goes　above　I　have　been　emphasising　the　fact　that　the　British　and　the　American　sense　of　humour　are　essentially　the　same　thing。　But　there　are；　of　course；　peculiar　differences　of　form　and　peculiar　preferences　of　material　that　often　make　them　seem　to　diverge　widely。

By　this　I　mean　that　each　community　has；　within　limits；　its　own　particular　ways　of　being　funny　and　its　own　particular　conception　of　a　joke。　Thus；　a　Scotchman　likes　best　a　joke　which　he　has　all　to　himself　or　which　he　shares　reluctantly　with　a　few；　the　thing　is　too　rich　to　distribute。　The　American　loves　particularly　as　his　line　of　joke　an　anecdote　with　the　point　all　concentrated　at　the　end　and　exploding　in　a　phrase。　The　Englishman　loves　best　as　his　joke　the　narration　of　something　that　actually　did　happen　and　that　depends；　of　course；　for　its　point　on　its　reality。

There　are　plenty　of　minor　differences；　too；　in　point　of　mere　form；　and　very　naturally　each　community　finds　the　particular　form　used　by　the　others　less　pleasing　than　its　own。　In　fact；　for　this　very　reason　each　people　is　apt　to　think　its　own　humour　the　best。

Thus；　on　our　side　of　the　Atlantic；　to　cite　our　own　faults　first；　we　still　cling　to　the　supposed　humour　of　bad　spelling。　We　have；　indeed；　told　ourselves　a　thousand　times　over　that　bad　spelling　is　not　funny；　but　is　very　tiresome。　Yet　it　is　no　sooner　laid　aside　and　buried　than　it　gets　resurrected。　I　suppose　the　real　reason　is　that　it　is　funny；　at　least　to　our　eyes。　When　Bill　Nye　spells　wife　with　〃yph〃　we　can't　help　being　amused。　Now　Bill　Nye's　bad　spelling　had　absolutely　no　point　to　it　except　its　oddity。　At　times　it　was　extremely　funny；　but　as　a　mode　it　led　easily　to　widespread　and　pointless　imitation。　It　was　the　kind　of　thinglike　poetrythat　anybody　can　do　badly。　It　was　most　deservedly　abandoned　with　execration。　No　American　editor　would　print　it　to…day。　But　witness　the　new　and　excellent　effect　produced　with　bad　spelling　by　Mr。　Ring　W。　Lardner。　　Here；　however；　the　case　is　altered；　it　is　not　the　falseness　of　Mr。　　Lardner's　spelling　that　is　the　amusing　feature　of　it；　but　the　truth　of　it。　When　he　writes；　〃dear　friend；　Al；　I　would　of　rote　sooner；〃　etc。；　he　is　truer　to　actual　sound　and　intonation　than　the　lexicon。　　The　mode　is　excellent。　But　the　imitations　will　soon　debase　it　into　such　bad　coin　that　it　will　fail　to　pass　current。　In　England；　however；　the　humour　of　bad　spelling　does　not　and　has　never；　I　believe；　flourished。　Bad　spelling　is　only　used　in　England　as　an　attempt　to　reproduce　phonetically　a　dialect；　it　is　not　intended　that　the　spelling　itself　sh