man and superman-第27部分

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friend；　is　that　you　have　always　been　a　gull：　you　take　Man　at　his
own　valuation。　Nothing　would　flatter　him　more　than　your　opinion
of　him。　He　loves　to　think　of　himself　as　bold　and　bad。　He　is
neither　one　nor　the　other：　he　is　only　a　coward。　Call　him　tyrant；
murderer；　pirate；　bully；　and　he　will　adore　you；　and　swagger　about
with　the　consciousness　of　having　the　blood　of　the　old　sea　kings
in　his　veins。　Call　him　liar　and　thief；　and　he　will　only　take　an
action　against　you　for　libel。　But　call　him　coward；　and　he　will　go
mad　with　rage：　he　will　face　death　to　outface　that　stinging　truth。
Man　gives　every　reason　for　his　conduct　save　one；　every　excuse　for
his　crimes　save　one；　every　plea　for　his　safety　save　one；　and　that
one　is　his　cowardice。　Yet　all　his　civilization　is　founded　on　his
cowardice；　on　his　abject　tameness；　which　he　calls　his
respectability。　There　are　limits　to　what　a　mule　or　an　ass　will
stand；　but　Man　will　suffer　himself　to　be　degraded　until　his
vileness　becomes　so　loathsome　to　his　oppressors　that　they
themselves　are　forced　to　reform　it。

THE　DEVIL。　Precisely。　And　these　are　the　creatures　in　whom　you
discover　what　you　call　a　Life　Force！

DON　JUAN。　Yes；　for　now　comes　the　most　surprising　part　of　the
whole　business。

THE　STATUE。　What's　that？

DON　JUAN。　Why；　that　you　can　make　any　of　these　cowards　brave　by
simply　putting　an　idea　into　his　head。

THE　STATUE。　Stuff！　As　an　old　soldier　I　admit　the　cowardice：　it's
as　universal　as　sea　sickness；　and　matters　just　as　little。　But
that　about　putting　an　idea　into　a　man's　head　is　stuff　and
nonsense。　In　a　battle　all　you　need　to　make　you　fight　is　a　little
hot　blood　and　the　knowledge　that　it's　more　dangerous　to　lose　than
to　win。

DON　JUAN。　That　is　perhaps　why　battles　are　so　useless。　But　men
never　really　overcome　fear　until　they　imagine　they　are　fighting
to　further　a　universal　purposefighting　for　an　idea；　as　they
call　it。　Why　was　the　Crusader　braver　than　the　pirate？　Because　he
fought；　not　for　himself；　but　for　the　Cross。　What　force　was　it
that　met　him　with　a　valor　as　reckless　as　his　own？　The　force　of
men　who　fought；　not　for　themselves；　but　for　Islam。　They　took
Spain　from　us；　though　we　were　fighting　for　our　very　hearths　and
homes；　but　when　we；　too；　fought　for　that　mighty　idea；　a　Catholic
Church；　we　swept　them　back　to　Africa。

THE　DEVIL。　＇ironically＇　What！　you　a　Catholic；　Senor　Don　Juan！　A
devotee！　My　congratulations。

THE　STATUE。　＇seriously＇　Come　come！　as　a　soldier；　I　can　listen　to
nothing　against　the　Church。

DON　JUAN。　Have　no　fear；　Commander：　this　idea　of　a　Catholic　Church
will　survive　Islam；　will　survive　the　Cross；　will　survive　even
that　vulgar　pageant　of　incompetent　schoolboyish　gladiators　which
you　call　the　Army。

THE　STATUE。　Juan：　you　will　force　me　to　call　you　to　account　for
this。

DON　JUAN。　Useless：　I　cannot　fence。　Every　idea　for　which　Man　will
die　will　be　a　Catholic　idea。　When　the　Spaniard　learns　at　last
that　he　is　no　better　than　the　Saracen；　and　his　prophet　no　better
than　Mahomet；　he　will　arise；　more　Catholic　than　ever；　and　die　on
a　barricade　across　the　filthy　slum　he　starves　in；　for　universal
liberty　and　equality。

THE　STATUE。　Bosh！

DON　JUAN。　What　you　call　bosh　is　the　only　thing　men　dare　die　for。
Later　on；　Liberty　will　not　be　Catholic　enough：　men　will　die　for
human　perfection；　to　which　they　will　sacrifice　all　their　liberty
gladly。

THE　DEVIL。　Ay：　they　will　never　be　at　a　loss　for　an　excuse　for
killing　one　another。

DON　JUAN。　What　of　that？　It　is　not　death　that　matters；　but　the
fear　of　death。　It　is　not　killing　and　dying　that　degrade　us；　but
base　living；　and　accepting　the　wages　and　profits　of　degradation。
Better　ten　dead　men　than　one　live　slave　or　his　master。　Men　shall
yet　rise　up；　father　against　son　and　brother　against　brother；　and
kill　one　another　for　the　great　Catholic　idea　of　abolishing
slavery。

THE　DEVIL。　Yes；　when　the　Liberty　and　Equality　of　which　you　prate
shall　have　made　free　white　Christians　cheaper　in　the　labor　market
than　by　auction　at　the　block。

DON　JUAN。　Never　fear！　the　white　laborer　shall　have　his　turn　too。
But　I　am　not　now　defending　the　illusory　forms　the　great　ideas
take。　I　am　giving　you　examples　of　the　fact　that　this　creature
Man；　who　in　his　own　selfish　affairs　is　a　coward　to　the　backbone；
will　fight　for　an　idea　like　a　hero。　He　may　be　abject　as　a
citizen；　but　he　is　dangerous　as　a　fanatic。　He　can　only　be
enslaved　whilst　he　is　spiritually　weak　enough　to　listen　to
reason。　I　tell　you；　gentlemen；　if　you　can　show　a　man　a　piece　of
what　he　now　calls　God's　work　to　do；　and　what　he　will　later　on
call　by　many　new　names；　you　can　make　him　entirely　reckless　of　the
consequences　to　himself　personally。

ANA。　Yes：　he　shirks　all　his　responsibilities；　and　leaves　his　wife
to　grapple　with　them。

THE　STATUE。　Well　said；　daughter。　Do　not　let　him　talk　you　out　of
your　common　sense。

THE　DEVIL。　Alas！　Senor　Commander；　now　that　we　have　got　on　to　the
subject　of　Woman；　he　will　talk　more　than　ever。　However；　I　confess
it　is　for　me　the　one　supremely　interesting　subject。

DON　JUAN。　To　a　woman；　Senora；　man's　duties　and　responsibilities
begin　and　end　with　the　task　of　getting　bread　for　her　children。　To
her；　Man　is　only　a　means　to　the　end　of　getting　children　and
rearing　them。

ANA。　Is　that　your　idea　of　a　woman's　mind？　I　call　it　cynical　and
disgusting　materialism。

DON　JUAN。　Pardon　me；　Ana：　I　said　nothing　about　a　woman's　whole
mind。　I　spoke　of　her　view　of　Man　as　a　separate　sex。　It　is　no　more
cynical　than　her　view　of　herself　as　above　all　things　a　Mother。
Sexually；　Woman　is　Nature's　contrivance　for　perpetuating　its
highest　achievement。　Sexually；　Man　is　Woman's　contrivance　for
fulfilling　Nature's　behest　in　the　most　economical　way。　She　knows
by　instinct　that　far　back　in　the　evolutional　process　she　invented
him；　differentiated　him；　created　him　in　order　to　produce
something　better　than　the　single…sexed　process　can　produce。
Whilst　he　fulfils　the　purpose　for　which　she　made　him；　he　is
welcome　to　his　dreams；　his　follies；　his　ideals；　his　heroisms；
provided　that　the　keystone　of　them　all　is　the　worship　of　woman；
of　motherhood；　of　the　family；　of　the　hearth。　But　how　rash　and
dangerous　it　was　to　invent　a　separate　creature　whose　sole
function　was　her　own　impregnation！　For　mark　what　has　happened。
First；　Man　has　multiplied　on　her　hands　until　there　are　as　many
men　as　women；　so　that　she　has　been　unable　to　employ　for　her
purposes　more　than　a　fraction　of　the　immense　energy　she　has　left
at　his　disposal　by　saving　him　the　exhausting　labor　of　gestation。
This　superfluous　energy　has　gone　to　his　brain　and　to　his　muscle。
He　has　become　too　strong　to　be　controlled　by　her　bodily；　and　too
imaginative　and　mentally　vigorous　to　be　content　with　mere　self…
reproduction。　He　has　created　civilization　without　consulting　her；
taking　her　domestic　labor　for　granted　as　the　foundation　of　it。

ANA。　THAT　is　true；　at　all　events。

THE　DEVIL。　Yes；　and　this　civilization！　what　is　it；　after　all？

DON　JUAN。　After　all；　an　excellent　peg　to　hang　your　cynical
commonplaces　on；　but　BEFORE　all；　it　is　an　attempt　on　Man's　part
to　make　himself　something　more　than　the　mere　instrument　of
Woman's　purpose。　So　far；　the　result　of　Life's　continual　effort
not　only　to　maintain　itself；　but　to　achieve　higher　and　higher
organization　and　completer　self…consciousness；　is　only；　at　best；
a　doubtful　campaign　between　its　forces　and　those　of　Death　and
Degeneration。　The　battles　in　this　campaign　are　mere　blunders；
mostly　won；　like　actual　military　battles；　in　spite　of　the
commanders。

THE　STATUE。　That　is　a　dig　at　me。　No　matter：　go　on；　go　on。

DON　JUAN。　It　is　a　dig　at　a　much　higher　power　than　you；　Commander。
Still；　you　must　have　noticed　in　your　profession　that　even　a
stupid　general　can　win　battles　when　the　enemy's　general　is　a
little　stupider。

THE　STATUE。　＇very　seriously＇　Most　true；　Juan；　most　true。　Some
donkeys　have　amazing　luck。

DON　JUAN。　Well；　the　Life　Force　is　stupid；　but　it　is　not　so　stupid
as　the　forces　of　Death　and　Degeneration。　Besides；　these　are　in
its　pay　all　the　time。　And　so　Life　wins；　after　a　fashion。　What
mere　copiousness　of　fecundity　can　supply　and　mere　greed　preserve；
we　possess。　The　survival　of　whatever　form　of　civilization　can
produce　the　best　rifle　and　the　best　fed　riflemen　is　assured。

THE　DEVIL。　Exactly！　the　survival；　not　of　the　most　effective　means
of　Life　but　of　the　most　effective　means　of　Death。　You　always　come
back　to　my　point；　in　spite　of　your　wrigglings　and　evasions　and
sophistries；　not　to　mention　the　intolerable　length　of　your
speeches。

DON　JUAN。　Oh　come！　who　began　making　long　speeches？　However；　if　I
overtax　your　intellect；　you　can　leave　us　and　seek　the　society　of
love　and　beauty　and　the　rest　of　your　favorite　boredoms。

THE　DEVIL。　＇much　offended＇　This　is　not　fair；　Don　Juan；　and　not
civil。　I　am　also　on　the　intellectual　plane。　Nobody　can　appreciate
it　more　than　I　do。　I　am　arguing　fairly　with　you；　and；　I　think；
utterly　refuting　you。　Let　us　go　on　for　another　hour　if　you　like。

DON　JUAN。　Good：　let　us。

THE　STATUE。　Not　that　I　see　any　prospect　of　your　coming　to　any
point　in　particular；　Juan。　Still；　since　in　this　place；　instead　of
merely　killing　time　we　have　to　kill　eternity；　go　ahead　by　all
means。

DON　JUAN。　＇somewhat　impatiently＇　My　point；　you　marbleheaded　old
masterpiece；　is　only　a　step　ahead　of　you。　Are　we　agreed　that　Life
is　a　force　which　has　made　innumerable　experiments　in　organizing
itself；　that　the　mammoth　and　the　man；　the　mouse　and　the
megatherium；　the　flies　and　the　fleas　and　the　Fathers　of　the
Church；　are　all　more　or　less　successful　attempts　to　build　up　that
raw　force　into　higher　and　higher　individuals；　the　ideal
individual　being　omnipotent；　omniscient；　infallible；　and　withal
completely；　unilludedly　self…conscious：　in　short；　a　god？

THE　DEVIL。　I　agree；　for　the　sake　of　argument。

THE　STATUE。　I　agree；　for　the　sake　of　avoiding　argument。

ANA。　I　most　emphatically　disagree　as　regards　the　Fathers　of　the
Church；　and　I　must　beg　you　not　to　drag　them　into　the　argument。

DON　JUAN。　I　did　so　purely　for　the　sake　of　alliteration；　Ana；　and
I　shall　make　no　further　allusion　to　them。　And　now；　since　we　are；
with　that　exception；　agreed　so　far；　will　you　not　agree　with　me
further　that　Life　has　not　measure