the unseen world and other essays-第64节

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　to　sink　into　the　background　of　consciousness；　and　in　a　very　complex　and　busied　life　the　number　of　sensations　or　states　of　consciousness　which　can　struggle　up　to　the　front　and　get　attended　to；　is　comparatively　small　It　is　thus　that　the　days　seem　so　short　when　we　are　busy　about　every…day　matters；　and　that　they　get　blurred　together；　and　as　it　were　individually　annihilated　in　recollection。　When　we　travel；　a　comparatively　large　number　of　fresh　sensations　occupy　attention；　there　is　a　maximum　of　consciousness；　and　a　distinct　image　is　left　to　loom　up　in　memory。　For　the　same　reason　the　weeks　and　years　are　much　longer　to　the　child　than　to　the　grown　man。　The　life　is　simpler　and　less　hurried；　so　that　there　is　time　to　attend　to　a　great　many　sensations。　Now　this　fact　lies　at　the　bottom　of　that　keen　enjoyment　of　existence　which　is　the　prerogative　of　childhood　and　early　youth。　The　day　is　not　rushed　through　by　the　automatic　discharge　of　certain　psychical　functions；　but　each　sensation　stays　long　enough　to　make　itself　recognized。　Now　when　once　we　understand　the　psychology　of　this　matter；　it　becomes　evident　that　the　same　contrast　that　holds　between　the　child　and　the　man　must　hold　also　between　the　ancient　and　the　modern。　The　number　of　elements　entering　into　ancient　life　were　so　few　relatively；　that　there　must　have　been　far　more　than　there　is　now　of　that　intense　realization　of　life　which　we　can　observe　in　children　and　remember　of　our　own　childhood。　Space　permitting；　it　would　be　easy　to　show　from　Greek　literature　how　intense　was　this　realization　of　life。　But　my　point　will　already　have　been　sufficiently　apprehended。　Already　we　cannot　fail　to　see　how　difficult　it　is　to　get　more　than　a　minimum　of　conscious　fruition　out　of　a　too　complex　and　rapid　activity。

One　other　point　is　worth　noticing　before　we　close。　How　is　this　turmoil　of　modern　existence　impressing　itself　upon　the　physical　constitutions　of　modern　men　and　women？　When　an　individual　man　engages　in　furious　productive　activity；　his　friends　warn　him　that　he　will　break　down。　Does　the　collective　man　of　our　time　need　some　such　friendly　warning？　Let　us　first　get　a　hint　from　what　foreigners　think　of　us　ultra…modernized　Americans。　Wandering　journalists；　of　an　ethnological　turn　of　mind；　who　visit　these　shores；　profess　to　be　struck　with　the　slenderness；　the　apparent　lack　of　toughness；　the　dyspeptic　look；　of　the　American　physique。　And　from　such　observations　it　has　been　seriously　argued　that　the　stalwart　English　race　is　suffering　inevitable　degeneracy　in　this　foreign　climate。　I　have　even　seen　it　doubted　whether　a　race　of　men　can　ever　become　thoroughly　naturalized　in　a　locality　to　which　it　is　not　indigenous。　To　such　vagaries　it　is　a　sufficient　answer　that　the　English　are　no　more　indigenous　to　England　than　to　America。　They　are　indigenous　to　Central　Asia；　and　as　they　have　survived　the　first　transplantation；　they　may　be　safely　counted　on　to　survive　the　second。　A　more　careful　survey　will　teach　us　that　the　slow　alteration　of　physique　which　is　going　on　in　this　country　is　only　an　exaggeration　of　that　which　modern　civilization　is　tending　to　bring　about　everywhere。　It　is　caused　by　the　premature　and　excessive　strain　upon　the　mental　powers　requisite　to　meet　the　emergencies　of　our　complex　life。　The　progress　of　events　has　thrown　the　work　of　sustaining　life　so　largely　upon　the　brain　that　we　are　beginning　to　sacrifice　the　physical　to　the　intellectual。　We　are　growing　spirituelle　in　appearance　at　the　expense　of　robustness。　Compare　any　typical　Greek　face；　with　its　firm　muscles；　its　symmetry　of　feature；　and　its　serenity　of　expression；　to　a　typical　modern　portrait；　with　its　more　delicate　contour；　its　exaggerated　forehead；　its　thoughtful；　perhaps　jaded　look。　Or　consider　in　what　respects　the　grand　faces　of　the　Plantagenet　monarchs　differ　from　the　refined　countenances　of　the　leading　English　statesmen　of　to…day。　Or　again；　consider　the　familiar　pictures　of　the　Oxford　and　Harvard　crews　which　rowed　a　race　on　the　Thames　in　1869；　and　observe　how　much　less　youthful　are　the　faces　of　the　Americans。　By　contrast　they　almost　look　careworn。　The　summing　up　of　countless　such　facts　is　that　modern　civilization　is　making　us　nervous。　Our　most　formidable　diseases　are　of　nervous　origin。　We　seem　to　have　got　rid　of　the　mediaeval　plague　and　many　of　its　typhoid　congeners；　but　instead　we　have　an　increased　amount　of　insanity；　methomania；　consumption；　dyspepsia；　and　paralysis。　In　this　fact　it　is　plainly　written　that　we　are　suffering　physically　from　the　over…work　and　over…excitement　entailed　by　excessive　hurry。

In　view　of　these　various　but　nearly　related　points　of　difference　between　ancient　and　modern　life　as　studied　in　their　extreme　manifestations；　it　cannot　be　denied　that　while　we　have　gained　much；　we　have　also　lost　a　good　deal　that　is　valuable；　in　our　progress。　We　cannot　but　suspect　that　we　are　not　in　all　points　more　highly　favoured　than　the　ancients。　And　it　becomes　probable　that　Athens；　at　all　events；　which　I　have　chosen　as　my　example；　may　have　exhibited　an　adumbration　of　a　state　of　things　which；　for　the　world　at　large；　is　still　in　the　future；still　to　be　remotely　hoped　for。　The　rich　complexity　of　modern　social　achievement　is　attained　at　the　cost　of　individual　many…sidedness。　As　Tennyson　puts　it；　〃The　individual　withers　and　the　world　is　more　and　more。〃　Yet　the　individual　does　not　exist　for　the　sake　of　society；　as　the　positivists　would　have　us　believe；　but　society　exists　for　the　sake　of　the　individual。　And　the　test　of　complete　social　life　is　the　opportunity　which　it　affords　for　complete　individual　life。　Tried　by　this　test；　our　contemporary　civilization　will　appear　seriously　defective；excellent　only　as　a　preparation　for　something　better。

This　is　the　true　light　in　which　to　regard　it。　This　incessant　turmoil；　this　rage　for　accumulation　of　wealth；　this　crowding；　jostling；　and　trampling　upon　one　another；　cannot　be　regarded　as　permanent；　or　as　anything　more　than　the　accompaniment　of　a　transitional　stage　of　civilization。　There　must　be　a　limit　to　the　extent　to　which　the　standard　of　comfortable　living　can　be　raised。　The　industrial　organization　of　society；　which　is　now　but　beginning；　must　culminate　in　a　state　of　things　in　which　the　means　of　expense　will　exceed　the　demand　for　expense；　in　which　the　human　race　will　have　some　surplus　capital。　The　incessant　manual　labour　which　the　ancients　relegated　to　slaves　will　in　course　of　time　be　more　and　more　largely　performed　by　inanimate　machinery。　Unskilled　labour　will　for　the　most　part　disappear。　Skilled　labour　will　consist　in　the　guiding　of　implements　contrived　with　versatile　cunning　for　the　relief　of　human　nerve　and　muscle。　Ultimately　there　will　be　no　unsettled　land　to　fill；　no　frontier　life；　no　savage　races　to　be　assimilated　or　extirpated；　no　extensive　migration。　Thus　life　will　again　become　comparatively　stationary。　The　chances　for　making　great　fortunes　quickly　will　be　diminished；　while　the　facilities　for　acquiring　a　competence　by　steady　labour　will　be　increased。　When　every　one　is　able　to　reach　the　normal　standard　of　comfortable　living；　we　must　suppose　that　the　exaggerated　appetite　for　wealth　and　display　will　gradually　disappear。　We　shall　be　more　easily　satisfied；　and　thus　enjoy　more　leisure。　It　may　be　that　there　will　ultimately　exist；　over　the　civilized　world；　conditions　as　favourable　to　the　complete　fruition　of　life　as　those　which　formerly　existed　within　the　narrow　circuit　of　Attika；　save　that　the　part　once　played　by　enslaved　human　brain　and　muscle　will　finally　be　played　by　the　enslaved　forces　of　insentient　nature。　Society　will　at　last　bear　the　test　of　providing　for　the　complete　development　of　its　individual　members。

So；　at　least；　we　may　hope；　such　is　the　probability　which　the　progress　of　events；　when　carefully　questioned；　sketches　out　for　us。　〃Need　we　fear；〃　asks　Mr。　Greg；　〃that　the　world　would　stagnate　under　such　a　change？　Need　we　guard　ourselves　against　the　misconstruction　of　being　held　to　recommend　a　life　of　complacent　and　inglorious　inaction？　We　think　not。　We　would　only　substitute　a　nobler　for　a　meaner　strife；a　rational　for　an　excessive　toil；an　enjoyment　that　springs　from　serenity；　for　one　that　springs　from　excitement　only。　。　。　。　。　To　each　time　its　own　preacher；　to　each　excess　its　own　counteraction。　In　an　age　of　dissipation；　languor；　and　stagnation；　we　should　join　with　Mr。　Carlyle　in　preaching　the　'Evangel　of　Work；'　and　say　with　him；　'Blessed　is　the　man　who　has　found　his　work；let　him　ask　no　other　blessedness。'　In　an　age　of　strenuous；　frenzied；　。。。。　and　often　utterly　irrational　and　objectless　exertion；　we　join　Mr。　Mill　in　preaching　the　milder　and　more　needed　'Evangel　of　Leisure。'　〃

Bearing　all　these　things　in　mind；　we　may　understand　the　remark　of　the　supremely　cultivated　Goethe；　when　asked　who　were　his　masters：　Die　Griechen；　die　Griechen；　und　immer　die　Griechen。　We　may　appreciate　the　significance　of　Mr。　Mill's　argument　in　favour　of　the　study　of　antiquity；　that　it　preserves　the　tradition　of　an　era　of　individual　completeness。　There　is　a　disposition　growing　among　us　to　remodel　our　methods　of　education　in　conformity　with　the　temporary　requirements　of　the　age　in　which　we　live。　In　this　endeavour　there　is　much　that　is　wise　and　practical；　but　in　so　far　as　it　tends　to　the　neglect　of　antiquity；　I　cannot　think　it　well…timed。　Our　ed