heretics-第25节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
respected in the Cannibal Islands。 But the poorer a man is the more
likely it is that he will have to use his past life whenever he wants
to get a bed for the night。 Honour is a luxury for aristocrats；
but it is a necessity for hall…porters。 This is a secondary matter；
but it is an example of the general proposition I offer
the proposition that an enormous amount of modern ingenuity is expended
on finding defences for the indefensible conduct of the powerful。
As I have said above； these defences generally exhibit themselves
most emphatically in the form of appeals to physical science。
And of all the forms in which science； or pseudo…science； has come
to the rescue of the rich and stupid； there is none so singular
as the singular invention of the theory of races。
When a wealthy nation like the English discovers the perfectly patent
fact that it is making a ludicrous mess of the government of a poorer
nation like the Irish； it pauses for a moment in consternation；
and then begins to talk about Celts and Teutons。 As far as I can
understand the theory； the Irish are Celts and the English are Teutons。
Of course； the Irish are not Celts any more than the English are Teutons。
I have not followed the ethnological discussion with much energy；
but the last scientific conclusion which I read inclined on the whole
to the summary that the English were mainly Celtic and the Irish
mainly Teutonic。 But no man alive； with even the glimmering of a real
scientific sense； would ever dream of applying the terms 〃Celtic〃
or 〃Teutonic〃 to either of them in any positive or useful sense。
That sort of thing must be left to people who talk about
the Anglo…Saxon race； and extend the expression to America。
How much of the blood of the Angles and Saxons （whoever they were）
there remains in our mixed British； Roman； German； Dane； Norman；
and Picard stock is a matter only interesting to wild antiquaries。
And how much of that diluted blood can possibly remain in that
roaring whirlpool of America into which a cataract of Swedes；
Jews； Germans； Irishmen； and Italians is perpetually pouring；
is a matter only interesting to lunatics。 It would have been wiser
for the English governing class to have called upon some other god。
All other gods； however weak and warring； at least boast of
being constant。 But science boasts of being in a flux for ever；
boasts of being unstable as water。
And England and the English governing class never did call on this
absurd deity of race until it seemed； for an instant； that they had
no other god to call on。 All the most genuine Englishmen in history
would have yawned or laughed in your face if you had begun to talk
about Anglo…Saxons。 If you had attempted to substitute the ideal
of race for the ideal of nationality； I really do not like to think
what they would have said。 I certainly should not like to have
been the officer of Nelson who suddenly discovered his French
blood on the eve of Trafalgar。 I should not like to have been
the Norfolk or Suffolk gentleman who had to expound to Admiral
Blake by what demonstrable ties of genealogy he was irrevocably
bound to the Dutch。 The truth of the whole matter is very simple。
Nationality exists； and has nothing in the world to do with race。
Nationality is a thing like a church or a secret society； it is
a product of the human soul and will； it is a spiritual product。
And there are men in the modern world who would think anything and do
anything rather than admit that anything could be a spiritual product。
A nation； however； as it confronts the modern world； is a purely
spiritual product。 Sometimes it has been born in independence；
like Scotland。 Sometimes it has been born in dependence；
in subjugation； like Ireland。 Sometimes it is a large thing
cohering out of many smaller things； like Italy。 Sometimes it
is a small thing breaking away from larger things； like Poland。
But in each and every case its quality is purely spiritual； or；
if you will； purely psychological。 It is a moment when five men
become a sixth man。 Every one knows it who has ever founded
a club。 It is a moment when five places become one place。
Every one must know it who has ever had to repel an invasion。
Mr。 Timothy Healy； the most serious intellect in the present
House of Commons； summed up nationality to perfection when
he simply called it something for which people will die；
As he excellently said in reply to Lord Hugh Cecil； 〃No one；
not even the noble lord； would die for the meridian of Greenwich。〃
And that is the great tribute to its purely psychological character。
It is idle to ask why Greenwich should not cohere in this spiritual
manner while Athens or Sparta did。 It is like asking why a man
falls in love with one woman and not with another。
Now； of this great spiritual coherence； independent of external
circumstances； or of race； or of any obvious physical thing； Ireland is
the most remarkable example。 Rome conquered nations； but Ireland
has conquered races。 The Norman has gone there and become Irish；
the Scotchman has gone there and become Irish； the Spaniard has gone
there and become Irish； even the bitter soldier of Cromwell has gone
there and become Irish。 Ireland； which did not exist even politically；
has been stronger than all the races that existed scientifically。
The purest Germanic blood； the purest Norman blood； the purest
blood of the passionate Scotch patriot； has not been so attractive
as a nation without a flag。 Ireland； unrecognized and oppressed；
has easily absorbed races； as such trifles are easily absorbed。
She has easily disposed of physical science； as such superstitions
are easily disposed of。 Nationality in its weakness has been
stronger than ethnology in its strength。 Five triumphant races
have been absorbed； have been defeated by a defeated nationality。
This being the true and strange glory of Ireland； it is impossible
to hear without impatience of the attempt so constantly made
among her modern sympathizers to talk about Celts and Celticism。
Who were the Celts？ I defy anybody to say。 Who are the Irish？
I defy any one to be indifferent； or to pretend not to know。
Mr。 W。 B。 Yeats； the great Irish genius who has appeared in our time；
shows his own admirable penetration in discarding altogether the argument
from a Celtic race。 But he does not wholly escape； and his followers
hardly ever escape； the general objection to the Celtic argument。
The tendency of that argument is to represent the Irish or the Celts
as a strange and separate race； as a tribe of eccentrics in
the modern world immersed in dim legends and fruitless dreams。
Its tendency is to exhibit the Irish as odd； because they see
the fairies。 Its trend is to make the Irish seem weird and wild
because they sing old songs and join in strange dances。
But this is quite an error； indeed； it is the opposite of the truth。
It is the English who are odd because they do not see the fairies。
It is the inhabitants of Kensington who are weird and wild
because they do not sing old songs and join in strange dances。
In all this the Irish are not in the least strange and separate；
are not in the least Celtic； as the word is commonly and popularly used。
In all this the Irish are simply an ordinary sensible nation；
living the life of any other ordinary and sensible nation
which has not been either sodden with smoke or oppressed by
money…lenders； or otherwise corrupted with wealth and science。
There is nothing Celtic about having legends。 It is merely human。
The Germans； who are （I suppose） Teutonic； have hundreds of legends；
wherever it happens that the Germans are human。 There is nothing
Celtic about loving poetry； the English loved poetry more； perhaps；
than any other people before they came under the shadow of the
chimney…pot and the shadow of the chimney…pot hat。 It is not Ireland
which is mad and mystic； it is Manchester which is mad and mystic；
which is incredible； which is a wild exception among human things。
Ireland has no need to play the silly game of the science of races；
Ireland has no need to pretend to be a tribe of visionaries apart。
In the matter of visions； Ireland is more than a nation； it is
a model nation。
XIV On Certain Modern Writers and the Institution of the Family
The family may fairly be considered； one would think； an ultimate
huma
