太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > the new machiavelli >

第67节

the new machiavelli-第67节

小说: the new machiavelli 字数: 每页4000字

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!




go to this land they possess; the authorities would prevent it。  If 

Messrs。 Perowne or Cook organised a cheap tour of Manchester 

operatives; it would be stopped。  No one dare bring the average 

English voter face to face with the reality of India; or let the 

Indian native have a glimpse of the English voter。  In my time I 

have talked to English statesmen; Indian officials and ex…officials; 

viceroys; soldiers; every one who might be supposed to know what 

India signifies; and I have prayed them to tell me what they thought 

we were up to there。  I am not writing without my book in these 

matters。  And beyond a phrase or so about 〃even…handed justice〃and 

look at our sedition trials!they told me nothing。  Time after time 

I have heard of that apocryphal native ruler in the north…west; who; 

when asked what would happen if we left India; replied that in a 

week his men would be in the saddle; and in six months not a rupee 

nor a virgin would he left in Lower Bengal。  That is always given as 

our conclusive justification。  But is it our business to preserve 

the rupees and virgins of Lower Bengal in a sort of magic 

inconclusiveness?  Better plunder than paralysis; better fire and 

sword than futility。  Our flag is spread over the peninsula; without 

plans; without intentionsa vast preventive。  The sum total of our 

policy is to arrest any discussion; any conferences that would 

enable the Indians to work out a tolerable scheme of the future for 

themselves。  But that does not arrest the resentment of men held 

back from life。  Consider what it must be for the educated Indian 

sitting at the feast of contemporary possibilities with his mouth 

gagged and his hands bound behind him!  The spirit of insurrection 

breaks out in spite of espionage and seizures。  Our conflict for 

inaction develops stupendous absurdities。  The other day the British 

Empire was taking off and examining printed cotton stomach wraps for 

seditious emblems and inscriptions。 。 。 。



In some manner we shall have to come out of India。  We have had our 

chance; and we have demonstrated nothing but the appalling dulness 

of our national imagination。  We are not good enough to do anything 

with India。  Codger and Flack; and Gates and Dayton; Cladingbowl in 

the club; and the HOME CHURCHMAN in the home; cant about 

〃character;〃 worship of strenuous force and contempt of truth; for 

the sake of such men and things as these; we must abandon in fact; 

if not in appearance; that empty domination。  Had we great schools 

and a powerful teaching; could we boast great men; had we the spirit 

of truth and creation in our lives; then indeed it might be 

different。  But a race that bears a sceptre must carry gifts to 

justify it。



It does not follow that we shall be driven catastrophically from 

India。  That was my earlier mistake。  We are not proud enough in our 

bones to be ruined by India as Spain was by her empire。  We may be 

able to abandon India with an air of still remaining there。  It is 

our new method。  We train our future rulers in the public schools to 

have a very wholesome respect for strength; and as soon as a power 

arises in India in spite of us; be it a man or a culture; or a 

native state; we shall he willing to deal with it。  We may or may 

not have a war; but our governing class will be quick to learn when 

we are beaten。  Then they will repeat our South African diplomacy; 

and arrange for some settlement that will abandon the reality; such 

as it is; and preserve the semblance of power。  The conqueror DE 

FACTO will become the new 〃loyal Briton;〃 and the democracy at home 

will be invited to celebrate our recessiontriumphantly。  I am no 

believer in the imminent dissolution of our Empire; I am less and 

less inclined to see in either India or Germany the probability of 

an abrupt truncation of those slow intellectual and moral 

constructions which are the essentials of statecraft。







6





I sit writing in this little loggia to the sound of dripping water

this morning we had rain; and the roof of our little casa is still 

not dry; there are pools in the rocks under the sweet chestnuts; and 

the torrent that crosses the salita is full and boastful;and I try 

to recall the order of my impressions during that watching; dubious 

time; before I went over to the Conservative Party。  I was trying

chaotic taskto gauge the possibilities inherent in the quality of 

the British aristocracy。  There comes a broad spectacular effect of 

wide parks; diversified by woods and bracken valleys; and dappled 

with deer; of great smooth lawns shaded by ancient trees; of big 

facades of sunlit buildings dominating the country side; of large 

fine rooms full of handsome; easy…mannered people。  As a sort of 

representative picture to set off against those other pictures of 

Liberals and of Socialists I have given; I recall one of those huge 

assemblies the Duchess of Clynes inaugurated at Stamford House。  The 

place itself is one of the vastest private houses in London; a huge 

clustering mass of white and gold saloons with polished floors and 

wonderful pictures; and staircases and galleries on a Gargantuan 

scale。  And there she sought to gather all that was most 

representative of English activities; and did; in fact; in those 

brilliant nocturnal crowds; get samples of nearly every section of 

our social and intellectual life; with a marked predominance upon 

the political and social side。



I remember sitting in one of the recesses at the end of the big 

saloon with Mrs。 Redmondson; one of those sharp…minded; beautiful 

rich women one meets so often in London; who seem to have done 

nothing and to be capable of everything; and we watched the crowd

uniforms and splendours were streaming in from a State balland 

exchanged information。  I told her about the politicians and 

intellectuals; and she told me about the aristocrats; and we 

sharpened our wit on them and counted the percentage of beautiful 

people among the latter; and wondered if the general effect of 

tallness was or was not an illusion。



They were; we agreed; for the most part bigger than the average of 

people in London; and a handsome lot; even when they were not subtly 

individualised。  〃They look so well nurtured;〃 I said; 〃well cared 

for。  I like their quiet; well…trained movements; their pleasant 

consideration for each other。〃



〃Kindly; good tempered; and at bottom utterly selfish;〃 she said; 

〃like big; rather carefully trained; rather pampered children。  What 

else can you expect from them?〃



〃They are good tempered; anyhow;〃 I witnessed; 〃and that's an 

achievement。  I don't think I could ever be content under a bad…

tempered; sentimentalism; strenuous Government。  That's why I 

couldn't stand the Roosevelt REGIME in America。  One's chief 

surprise when one comes across these big people for the first time 

is their admirable easiness and a real personal modesty。  I confess 

I admire them。  Oh! I like them。  I wouldn't at all mind; I believe; 

giving over the country to this aristocracygiven SOMETHING〃



〃Which they haven't got。〃



〃Which they haven't gotor they'd be the finest sort of people in 

the world。〃



〃That something?〃 she inquired。



〃I don't know。  I've been puzzling my wits to know。  They've done 

all sorts of things〃



〃That's Lord Wrassleton;〃 she interrupted; 〃whose leg was broken

you remember?at Spion Kop。〃



〃It's healed very well。  I like the gold lace and the white glove 

resting; with quite a nice awkwardness; on the sword。  When I was a 

little boy I wanted to wear clothes like that。  And the stars!  He's 

got the V。 C。  Most of these people here have at any rate shown 

pluck; you knowbrought something off。〃



〃Not quite enough;〃 she suggested。



〃I think that's it;〃 I said。  〃Not quite enoughnot quite hard 

enough;〃 I added。



She laughed and looked at me。  〃You'd like to make us;〃 she said。



〃What?〃



〃Hard。〃



〃I don't think you'll go on if you don't get hard。〃



〃We shan't be so pleasant if we do。〃



〃Well; there my puzzled wits come in again。  I don't see why an 

aristocracy shouldn't be rather hard trained; and yet kindly。  I'm 

not convinced that the resources of education are exhausted。  I want 

to better this; because it already looks so good。〃



〃How are we to do it?〃 asked Mrs。 Redmondson。



〃Oh; there you have me!  I've been spending my time lately in trying 

to answer that!  It makes me quarrel with〃I held up my fingers and 

ticked the items off〃the public schools; the private tutors; the 

army exams; the Universities; the Church; the general attitude of 

the country towards science and literature〃



〃We all do;〃 said Mrs。 Redmondson。  〃We can't begin again at the 

beginning;〃 she added。



〃Couldn't one;〃 I nodded at the assembly in general; start a 

movement?



〃There's the Confed

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的