the new machiavelli-第58部分

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excessive　egotism；　because　my　essay　was　no　solitary　man's　

production；　it　was　my　reaction　to　forces　that　had　come　to　me　very　

large　through　my　fellow…members；　its　quick　reception　by　them　showed　

that　I　was；　so　to　speak；　merely　the　first　of　the　chestnuts　to　pop。　　

The　atmospheric　quality　of　the　evening　stands　out　very　vividly　in　my　

memory。　　The　night；　I　remember；　was　warmly　foggy　when　after　midnight　

we　went　to　finish　our　talk　at　my　house。



We　had　recently　changed　the　rules　of　the　club　to　admit　visitors；　and　

so　it　happened　that　I　had　brought　Britten；　and　Crupp　introduced　

Arnold　Shoesmith；　my　former　schoolfellow　at　City　Merchants；　and　now　

the　wealthy　successor　of　his　father　and　elder　brother。　　I　remember　

his　heavy；　inexpressively　handsome　face　lighting　to　his　rare　smile　

at　the　sight　of　me；　and　how　little　I　dreamt　of　the　tragic　

entanglement　that　was　destined　to　involve　us　both。　　Gane　was　

present；　and　Esmeer；　a　newly…added　member；　but　I　think　Bailey　was　

absent。　　Either　he　was　absent；　or　he　said　something　so　entirely　

characteristic　and　undistinguished　that　it　has　left　no　impression　on　

my　mind。



I　had　broken　a　little　from　the　traditions　of　the　club　even　in　my　

title；　which　was　deliberately　a　challenge　to　the　liberal　idea：　it　

was；　〃The　World　Exists　for　Exceptional　People。〃　　It　is　not　the　title　

I　should　choose　nowfor　since　that　time　I　have　got　my　phrase　of　

〃mental　hinterlander〃　into　journalistic　use。　　I　should　say　now；　〃The　

World　Exists　for　Mental　Hinterland。〃



The　notes　I　made　of　that　opening　have　long　since　vanished　with　a　

thousand　other　papers；　but　some　odd　chance　has　preserved　and　brought　

with　me　to　Italy　the　menu　for　the　evening；　its　back　black　with　the　

scrawled　notes　I　made　of　the　discussion　for　my　reply。　　I　found　it　

the　other　day　among　some　letters　from　Margaret　and　a　copy　of　the　

1909　Report　of　the　Poor　Law　Commission；　also　rich　with　pencilled　

marginalia。



My　opening　was　a　criticism　of　the　democratic　idea　and　method；　upon　

lines　such　as　I　have　already　sufficiently　indicated　in　the　preceding　

sections。　　I　remember　how　old　Dayton　fretted　in　his　chair；　and　

tushed　and　pished　at　that；　even　as　I　gave　it；　and　afterwards　we　were　

treated　to　one　of　his　platitudinous　harangues；　he　sitting　back　in　

his　chair　with　that　small　obstinate　eye　of　his　fixed　on　the　ceiling；　

and　a　sort　of　cadaverous　glow　upon　his　face；　repeatingquite　

regardless　of　all　my　reasoning　and　all　that　had　been　said　by　others　

in　the　debatethe　sacred　empty　phrases　that　were　his　soul's　refuge　

from　reality。　　〃You　may　think　it　very　clever；〃　he　said　with　a　nod　of　

his　head　to　mark　his　sense　of　his　point；　〃not　to　Trust　in　the　

People。　　I　do。〃　　And　so　on。　　Nothing　in　his　life　or　work　had　ever　

shown　that　he　did　trust　in　the　people；　but　that　was　beside　the　mark。　　

He　was　the　party　Liberal；　and　these　were　the　party　incantations。



After　my　preliminary　attack　on　vague　democracy　I　went　on　to　show　

that　all　human　life　was　virtually　aristocratic；　people　must　either　

recognise　aristocracy　in　general　or　else　follow　leaders；　which　is　

aristocracy　in　particular；　and　so　I　came　to　my　point　that　the　

reality　of　human　progress　lay　necessarily　through　the　establishment　

of　freedoms　for　the　human　best　and　a　collective　receptivity　and　

understanding。　　There　was　a　disgusted　grunt　from　Dayton；　〃Superman　

rubbishNietzsche。　　Shaw！　　Ugh！〃　　I　sailed　on　over　him　to　my　next　

propositions。　　The　prime　essential　in　a　progressive　civilisation　was　

the　establishment　of　a　more　effective　selective　process　for　the　

privilege　of　higher　education；　and　the　very　highest　educational　

opportunity　for　the　educable。　　We　were　too　apt　to　patronise　

scholarship　winners；　as　though　a　scholarship　was　toffee　given　as　a　

reward　for　virtue。　　It　wasn't　any　reward　at　all；　it　was　an　

invitation　to　capacity。　　We　had　no　more　right　to　drag　in　virtue；　or　

any　merit　but　quality；　than　we　had　to　involve　it　in　a　search　for　the　

tallest　man。　　We　didn't　want　a　mere　process　for　the　selection　of　

good　as　distinguished　from　gifted　and　able　boys〃No；　you　DON'T；〃　

from　Daytonwe　wanted　all　the　brilliant　stuff　in　the　world　

concentrated　upon　the　development　of　the　world。　　Just　to　exasperate　

Dayton　further　I　put　in　a　plea　for　gifts　as　against　character　in　

educational；　artistic；　and　legislative　work。　　〃Good　teaching；〃　I　

said；　〃is　better　than　good　conduct。　　We　are　becoming　idiotic　about　

character。〃



Dayton　was　too　moved　to　speak。　　He　slewed　round　upon　me　an　eye　of　

agonised　aversion。



I　expatiated　on　the　small　proportion　of　the　available　ability　that　

is　really　serving　humanity　to…day。　　〃I　suppose　to…day　all　the　

thought；　all　the　art；　all　the　increments　of　knowledge　that　matter；　

are　supplied　so　far　as　the　English…speaking　community　is　concerned　

byhow　many？by　three　or　four　thousand　individuals。　　（'Less；'　said　

Thorns。）　　To　be　more　precise；　by　the　mental　hinterlands　of　three　or　

four　thousand　individuals。　　We　who　know　some　of　the　band　entertain　

no　illusions　as　to　their　innate　rarity。　　We　know　that　they　are　just　

the　few　out　of　many；　the　few　who　got　in　our　world　of　chance　and　

confusion；　the　timely　stimulus；　the　apt　suggestion　at　the　fortunate　

moment；　the　needed　training；　the　leisure。　　The　rest　are　lost　in　the　

crowd；　fail　through　the　defects　of　their　qualities；　become　

commonplace　workmen　and　second…rate　professional　men；　marry　

commonplace　wives；　are　as　much　waste　as　the　driftage　of　superfluous　

pollen　in　a　pine　forest　is　waste。〃



〃Decent　honest　lives！〃　said　Dayton　to　his　bread…crumbs；　with　his　

chin　in　his　necktie。　　〃WASTE！〃



〃And　the　people　who　do　get　what　we　call　opportunity　get　it　usually　

in　extremely　limited　and　cramping　forms。　　No　man　lives　a　life　of　

intellectual　productivity　alone；　he　needs　not　only　material　and　

opportunity；　but　helpers；　resonators。　　Round　and　about　what　I　might　

call　the　REAL　men；　you　want　the　sympathetic　cooperators；　who　help　by　

understanding。　　It　isn't　that　ourSALT　of　three　or　four　thousand　is　

needlessly　rare；　it　is　sustained　by　far　too　small　and　

undifferentiated　a　public。　　Most　of　the　good　men　we　know　are　not　

really　doing　the　very　best　work　of　their　gifts；　nearly　all　are　a　

little　adapted；　most　are　shockingly　adapted　to　some　second…best　use。　　

Now；　I　take　it；　this　is　the　very　centre　and　origin　of　the　muddle；　

futility；　and　unhappiness　that　distresses　us；　it's　the　cardinal　

problem　of　the　stateto　discover；　develop；　and　use　the　exceptional　

gifts　of　men。　　And　I　see　that　best　doneI　drift　more　and　more　away　

from　the　common　stuff　of　legislative　and　administrative　activityby　

a　quite　revolutionary　development　of　the　educational　machinery；　but　

by　a　still　more　unprecedented　attempt　to　keep　science　going；　to　keep　

literature　going；　and　to　keep　what　is　the　necessary　spur　of　all　

science　and　literature；　an　intelligent　and　appreciative　criticism　

going。　　You　know　none　of　these　things　have　ever　been　kept　going　

hitherto；　they've　come　unexpectedly　and　inexplicably。〃



〃Hear；　hear！〃　from　Dayton；　cough；　nodding　of　the　head；　and　an　

expression　of　mystical　profundity。



〃They've　lit　up　a　civilisation　and　vanished；　to　give　place　to　

darkness　again。　　Now　the　modern　state　doesn't　mean　to　go　back　to　

darkness　againand　so　it's　got　to　keep　its　light　burning。〃　　I　went　

on　to　attack　the　present　organisation　of　our　schools　and　

universities；　which　seemed　elaborately　designed　to　turn　the　well…

behaved；　uncritical；　and　uncreative　men　of　each　generation　into　the　

authoritative　leaders　of　the　next；　and　I　suggested　remedies　upon　

lines　that　I　have　already　indicated　in　the　earlier　chapters　of　this　

story。　。　。　。



So　far　I　had　the　substance　of　the　club　with　me；　but　I　opened　new　

ground　and　set　Crupp　agog　by　confessing　my　doubt　from　which　party　or　

combination　of　groups　these　developments　of　science　and　literature　

and　educational　organisation　could　most　reasonably　be　expected。　　I　

looked　up　to　find　Crupp's　dark　little　eye　intent　upon　me。



There　I　left　it　to　them。



We　had　an　astonishingly　good　discussion；　Neal　burst　once；　but　we　

emerged　from　his　flood　after　a　time；　and　Dayton　had　his　interlude。　　

The　rest　was　all　close；　keen　examination　of　my　problem。



I　see　Crupp　now　with　his　arm　bent　before　him　on　the　table　in　a　way　

we　had；　as　though　it　was　jointed　throughout　its　length　like　a　

lobster's　antenna；　his　plump；　short…fingered　hand　crushing　up　a　

walnut　shell　into　smaller　and　smaller　fragments。　　〃Remington；〃　he　

said；　〃has　given　us　the　data　for　a　movement；　a　really　possible　

movement。　　It's　not　only　possible；　but　necessaryurgently　

necessary；　I　think；　if　the　Empire　is　to　go　on。〃



〃We're　working　altogether　too　much　at　the　social　basement　in　

education　and　training；〃　said　Gane。　　〃Remington　is　right　about　our　

neglect　of　the　higher　levels。〃



Britten　made　a　good　contribution　with　an　analysis　of　what　he　called　

the　spirit　of　a　country　and　what　made　it。　　〃The　modern　community　

needs　its　serious　men　to　be　artistic　and　its　artists　to　be　taken　

seriously；〃　I　remember　his　saying。　　〃The　day　has　gone　by　for　either　

dull　responsibility　or　merely　witty　art。〃



I　remember　very　vividly　how　Shoesmith　harped　on　an　idea　I　had　thrown　

out　of　using　some　sort　of　review　or　weekly　to　express　and　elaborate　

these　conceptions　of　a　new；　severer；　aristocratic　culture。



〃It　would　have　to　be　done　amazingly　well；〃　said　Britten；　and　my　mind　

went　back　to　my　school　days　and　that　ancient　enterprise　of　ours；　and　

how　Cossington　had　rushed　it。　　Well；　Cossington　had　too　many　papers　

nowadays　to　interfere　with　us；　and　we　perhaps　had　learnt　some　

defensive　devices。



〃But　this　thing　has　to　be　linked　to　some　political　party；〃　said　

Crupp；　with　his　eye　on　me。　　〃You　can't　get　away　from　that。　　The　

Liberals；〃　he　added；　〃have　never　done　anything　for　research　or　

literature。〃



〃They　had　a　Royal　Commission　on　the　Dramatic　Censorship；〃　said　

Thorns；　with　a　note