tea-table talk(茶桌上的谈话)-第15节
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of speed； what will he be doing？' and so on。 You forget he is swayed by
impulses that can enter into no calculationdrawn hither and thither by
powers that can never be represented in your algebra。 In one generation
Christianity reduced Plato's republic to an absurdity。 The printing…press
has upset the unanswerable conclusions of Machiavelli。〃
〃I disagree with you；〃 said the Minor Poet。
〃The fact does not convince me of my error；〃 retorted the Philosopher。
〃Christianity；〃 continued the Minor Poet； 〃gave merely an added force
to impulses the germs of which were present in the infant race。 The
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printing…press； teaching us to think in communities； has nonplussed to a
certain extent the aims of the individual as opposed to those of humanity。
Without prejudice； without sentiment； cast your eye back over the
panorama of the human race。 What is the picture that presents itself？
Scattered here and there over the wild； voiceless desert； first the holes and
caves； next the rude… built huts； the wigwams； the lake dwellings of
primitive man。 Lonely； solitary； followed by his dam and brood； he creeps
through the tall grass； ever with watchful； terror…haunted eyes； satisfies his
few desires； communicates； by means of a few grunts and signs； his tiny
store of knowledge to his offspring； then； crawling beneath a stone； or into
some tangled corner of the jungle； dies and disappears。 We look again。
A thousand centuries have flashed and faded。 The surface of the earth is
flecked with strange quivering patches： here； where the sun shines on the
wood and sea； close together； almost touching one another； there； among
the shadows； far apart。 The Tribe has formed itself。 The whole tiny
mass moves forward； halts； runs backwards； stirred always by one
common impulse。 Man has learnt the secret of combination； of mutual
help。 The City rises。 From its stone centre spreads its power； the Nation
leaps to life； civilisation springs from leisure； no longer is each man's life
devoted to his mere animal necessities。 The artificer； the thinkerhis
fellows shall protect him。 Socrates dreams； Phidias carves the marble；
while Pericles maintains the law and Leonidas holds the Barbarian at bay。
Europe annexes piece by piece the dark places of the earth； gives to them
her laws。 The Empire swallows the small State； Russia stretches her arm
round Asia。 In London we toast the union of the English…speaking
peoples； in Berlin and Vienna we rub a salamander to the deutscher Bund；
in Paris we whisper of a communion of the Latin races。 In great things
so in small。 The stores； the huge Emporium displaces the small
shopkeeper； the Trust amalgamates a hundred firms； the Union speaks for
the worker。 The limits of country； of language； are found too narrow for
the new Ideas。 German； American； or Englishlet what yard of coloured
cotton you choose float from the mizzenmast； the business of the human
race is their captain。 One hundred and fifty years ago old Sam Johnson
waited in a patron's anteroom； today the entire world invites him to growl
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his table talk the while it takes its dish of tea。 The poet； the novelist；
speak in twenty languages。 Nationalityit is the County Council of the
future。 The world's high roads run turnpike…free from pole to pole。 One
would be blind not to see the goal towards which we are rushing。 At the
outside it is but a generation or two off。 It is one huge murmuring Hive
one universal Hive just the size of the round earth。 The bees have been
before us； they have solved the riddle towards which we in darkness have
been groping。
The Old Maid shuddered visibly。 〃What a terrible idea！〃 she said。
〃To us；〃 replied the Minor Poet； 〃not to those who will come after us。
The child dreads manhood。 To Abraham； roaming the world with his
flocks； the life of your modern City man； chained to his office from ten to
four； would have seemed little better than penal servitude。〃
〃My sympathies are with the Abrahamitical ideal；〃 observed the
Philosopher。
〃Mine also；〃 agreed the Minor Poet。 〃But neither you nor I represent
the tendency of the age。 We are its curiosities。 We； and such as we；
serve as the brake regulating the rate of progress。 The genius of species
shows itself moving in the direction of the organised communityall life
welded together； controlled by one central idea。 The individual worker is
drawn into the factory。 Chippendale today would have been employed
sketching designs； the chair would have been put together by fifty workers；
each one trained to perfection in his own particular department。 Why
does the hotel； with its five hundred servants； its catering for three
thousand mouths； work smoothly； while the desirable family residence；
with its two or three domestics； remains the scene of waste； confusion； and
dispute？ We are losing the talent of living alone； the instinct of living in
communities is driving it out。〃
〃So much the worse for the community；〃 was the comment of the
Philosopher。 〃Man； as Ibsen has said； will always be at his greatest when
he stands alone。 To return to our friend Abraham； surely he； wandering
in the wilderness； talking with his God； was nearer the ideal than the
modern citizen； thinking with his morning paper； applauding silly
shibboleths from a theatre pit； guffawing at coarse jests； one of a music…
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hall crowd？ In the community it is the lowest always leads。 You spoke
just now of all the world inviting Samuel Johnson to its dish of tea。 How
many read him as compared to the number of subscribers to the Ha'penny
Joker？ This 'thinking in communities；' as it is termed； to what does it
lead？ To mafficking and Dreyfus scandals。 What crowd ever evolved a
noble idea？ If Socrates and Galileo； Confucius and Christ had 'thought in
communities；' the world would indeed be the ant…hill you appear to regard
as its destiny。〃
〃In balancing the books of life one must have regard to both sides of
the ledger；〃 responded the Minor Poet。 〃A crowd； I admit； of itself
creates nothing； on the other hand； it receives ideals into its bosom and
gives them needful shelter。 It responds more readily to good than to evil。
What greater stronghold of virtue than your sixpenny gallery？ Your
burglar； arrived fresh from jumping on his mother； finds himself
applauding with the rest stirring appeals to the inborn chivalry of man。
Suggestion that it was right or proper under any circumstances to jump
upon one's mother he would at such moment reject with horror。
'Thinking in communities' is good for him。 The hooligan； whose
patriotism finds expression in squirting dirty water into the face of his
coster sweetheart： the boulevardiere； primed with absinth； shouting
'Conspuez les Juifs！' the motive force stirring them in its origin was an
ideal。 Even into making a fool of itself； a crowd can be moved only by
incitement of its finer instincts。 The service of Prometheus to mankind
must not be judged by the statistics of the insurance office。 The world as
a whole has gained by community； will attain its goal only through
community。 From the nomadic savage by the winding road of citizenship
we have advanced far。 The way winds upward still； hidden from us by
the mists； but along its tortuous course li
