heartbreak house-第6节

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some　conspicuous　samples　from　the　first　batch　we　tried　of　these
poor　devils　helped　to　give　the　whole　public　side　of　the　war　an
air　of　monstrous　and　hopeless　farce。　They　proved　not　only　that
they　were　useless　for　public　work；　but　that　in　a　well…ordered
nation　they　would　never　have　been　allowed　to　control　private
enterprise。



How　the　Fools　shouted　the　Wise　Men　down

Thus；　like　a　fertile　country　flooded　with　mud；　England　showed　no
sign　of　her　greatness　in　the　days　when　she　was　putting　forth　all
her　strength　to　save　herself　from　the　worst　consequences　of　her
littleness。　Most　of　the　men　of　action；　occupied　to　the　last　hour
of　their　time　with　urgent　practical　work；　had　to　leave　to　idler
people；　or　to　professional　rhetoricians；　the　presentation　of　the
war　to　the　reason　and　imagination　of　the　country　and　the　world　in
speeches；　poems；　manifestoes；　picture　posters；　and　newspaper
articles。　I　have　had　the　privilege　of　hearing　some　of　our　ablest
commanders　talking　about　their　work；　and　I　have　shared　the　common
lot　of　reading　the　accounts　of　that　work　given　to　the　world　by
the　newspapers。　No　two　experiences　could　be　more　different。　But
in　the　end　the　talkers　obtained　a　dangerous　ascendancy　over　the
rank　and　file　of　the　men　of　action；　for　though　the　great　men　of
action　are　always　inveterate　talkers　and　often　very　clever
writers；　and　therefore　cannot　have　their　minds　formed　for　them　by
others；　the　average　man　of　action；　like　the　average　fighter　with
the　bayonet；　can　give　no　account　of　himself　in　words　even　to
himself；　and　is　apt　to　pick　up　and　accept　what　he　reads　about
himself　and　other　people　in　the　papers；　except　when　the　writer　is
rash　enough　to　commit　himself　on　technical　points。　It　was　not
uncommon　during　the　war　to　hear　a　soldier；　or　a　civilian　engaged
on　war　work；　describing　events　within　his　own　experience　that
reduced　to　utter　absurdity　the　ravings　and　maunderings　of　his
daily　paper；　and　yet　echo　the　opinions　of　that　paper　like　a
parrot。　Thus；　to　escape　from　the　prevailing　confusion　and　folly；
it　was　not　enough　to　seek　the　company　of　the　ordinary　man　of
action：　one　had　to　get　into　contact　with　the　master　spirits。　This
was　a　privilege　which　only　a　handful　of　people　could　enjoy。　For
the　unprivileged　citizen　there　was　no　escape。　To　him　the　whole
country　seemed　mad；　futile；　silly；　incompetent；　with　no　hope　of
victory　except　the　hope　that　the　enemy　might　be　just　as　mad。　Only
by　very　resolute　reflection　and　reasoning　could　he　reassure
himself　that　if　there　was　nothing　more　solid　beneath　their
appalling　appearances　the　war　could　not　possibly　have　gone　on　for
a　single　day　without　a　total　breakdown　of　its　organization。



The　Mad　Election

Happy　were　the　fools　and　the　thoughtless　men　of　action　in　those
days。　The　worst　of　it　was　that　the　fools　　were　very　strongly
represented　in　parliament；　as　fools　not　only　elect　fools；　but　can
persuade　men　of　action　to　elect　them　too。　The　election　that
immediately　followed　the　armistice　was　perhaps　the　maddest　that
has　ever　taken　place。　Soldiers　who　had　done　voluntary　and　heroic
service　in　the　field　were　defeated　by　persons　who　had　apparently
never　run　a　risk　or　spent　a　farthing　that　they　could　avoid；　and
who　even　had　in　the　course　of　the　election　to　apologize　publicly
for　bawling　Pacifist　or　Pro…German　at　their　opponent。　Party
leaders　seek　such　followers；　who　can　always　be　depended　on　to
walk　tamely　into　the　lobby　at　the　party　whip's　orders；　provided
the　leader　will　make　their　seats　safe　for　them　by　the　process
which　was　called；　in　derisive　reference　to　the　war　rationing
system；　〃giving　them　the　coupon。〃　Other　incidents　were　so
grotesque　that　I　cannot　mention　them　without　enabling　the　reader
to　identify　the　parties；　which　would　not　be　fair；　as　they　were　no
more　to　blame　than　thousands　of　others　who　must　necessarily　be
nameless。　The　general　result　was　patently　absurd；　and　the
electorate；　disgusted　at　its　own　work；　instantly　recoiled　to　the
opposite　extreme；　and　cast　out　all　the　coupon　candidates　at　the
earliest　bye…elections　by　equally　silly　majorities。　But　the
mischief　of　the　general　election　could　not　be　undone；　and　the
Government　had　not　only　to　pretend　to　abuse　its　European　victory
as　it　had　promised；　but　actually　to　do　it　by　starving　the　enemies
who　had　thrown　down　their　arms。　It　had；　in　short；　won　the
election　by　pledging　itself　to　be　thriftlessly　wicked；　cruel；　and
vindictive；　and　it　did　not　find　it　as　easy　to　escape　from　this
pledge　as　it　had　from　nobler　ones。　The　end；　as　I　write；　is　not
yet；　but　it　is　clear　that　this　thoughtless　savagery　will　recoil
on　the　heads　of　the　Allies　so　severely　that　we　shall　be　forced　by
the　sternest　necessity　to　take　up　our　share　of　healing　the　Europe
we　have　wounded　almost　to　death　instead　of　attempting　to　complete
her　destruction。



The　Yahoo　and　the　Angry　Ape

Contemplating　this　picture　of　a　state　of　mankind　so　recent　that
no　denial　of　its　truth　is　possible；　one　understands　Shakespeare
comparing　Man　to　an　angry　ape；　Swift　describing　him　as　a　Yahoo
rebuked　by　the　superior　virtue　of　the　horse；　and　Wellington
declaring　that　the　British　can　behave　themselves　neither　in
victory　nor　defeat。　Yet　none　of　the　three　had　seen　war　as　we　have
seen　it。　Shakespeare　blamed　great　men；　saying　that　〃Could　great
men　thunder　as　Jove　himself　does；　Jove　would　ne'er　be　quiet；　for
every　pelting　petty　officer　would　use　his　heaven　for　thunder：
nothing　but　thunder。〃　What　would　Shakespeare　have　said　if　he　had
seen　something　far　more　destructive　than　thunder　in　the　hand　of
every　village　laborer；　and　found　on　the　Messines　Ridge　the
craters　of　the　nineteen　volcanoes　that　were　let　loose　there　at
the　touch　of　a　finger　that　might　have　been　a　child's　finger
without　the　result　being　a　whit　less　ruinous？　Shakespeare　may
have　seen　a　Stratford　cottage　struck　by　one　of　Jove's
thunderbolts；　and　have　helped　to　extinguish　the　lighted　thatch
and　clear　away　the　bits　of　the　broken　chimney。　What　would　he　have
said　if　he　had　seen　Ypres　as　it　is　now；　or　returned　to　Stratford；
as　French　peasants　are　returning　to　their　homes　to…day；　to　find
the　old　familiar　signpost　inscribed　〃To　Stratford；　1　mile；〃　and
at　the　end　of　the　mile　nothing　but　some　holes　in　the　ground　and　a
fragment　of　a　broken　churn　here　and　there？　Would　not　the
spectacle　of　the　angry　ape　endowed　with　powers　of　destruction
that　Jove　never　pretended　to；　have　beggared　even　his　command　of
words？

And　yet；　what　is　there　to　say　except　that　war　puts　a　strain　on
human　nature　that　breaks　down　the　better　half　of　it；　and　makes
the　worse　half　a　diabolical　virtue？　Better；　for　us　if　it　broke　it
down　altogether；　for　then　the　warlike　way　out　of　our　difficulties
would　be　barred　to　us；　and　we　should　take　greater　care　not　to　get
into　them。　In　truth；　it　is；　as　Byron　said；　〃not　difficult　to
die；〃　and　enormously　difficult　to　live：　that　explains　why；　at
bottom；　peace　is　not　only　better　than　war；　but　infinitely　more
arduous。　Did　any　hero　of　the　war　face　the　glorious　risk　of　death
more　bravely　than　the　traitor　Bolo　faced　the　ignominious
certainty　of　it？　Bolo　taught　us　all　how　to　die：　can　we　say　that
he　taught　us　all　how　to　live？　Hardly　a　week　passes　now　without
some　soldier　who　braved　death　in　the　field　so　recklessly　that　he
was　decorated　or　specially　commended　for　it；　being　haled　before
our　magistrates　for　having　failed　to　resist　the　paltriest
temptations　of　peace；　with　no　better　excuse　than　the　old　one　that
〃a　man　must　live。〃　Strange　that　one　who；　sooner　than　do　honest
work；　will　sell　his　honor　for　a　bottle　of　wine；　a　visit　to　the
theatre；　and　an　hour　with　a　strange　woman；　all　obtained　by
passing　a　worthless　cheque；　could　yet　stake　his　life　on　the　most
desperate　chances　of　the　battle…field！　Does　it　not　seem　as　if；
after　all；　the　glory　of　death　were　cheaper　than　the　glory　of
life？　If　it　is　not　easier　to　attain；　why　do　so　many　more　men
attain　it？　At　all　events　it　is　clear　that　the　kingdom　of　the
Prince　of　Peace　has　not　yet　become　the　kingdom　of　this　world。　His
attempts　at　invasion　have　been　resisted　far　more　fiercely　than
the　Kaiser's。　Successful　as　that　resistance　has　been；　it　has
piled　up　a　sort　of　National　Debt　that　is　not　the　less　oppressive
because　we　have　no　figures　for　it　and　do　not　intend　to　pay　it。　A
blockade　that　cuts　off　〃the　grace　of　our　Lord〃　is　in　the　long　run
less　bearable　than　the　blockades　which　merely　cut　off　raw
materials；　and　against　that　blockade　our　Armada　is　impotent。　In
the　blockader's　house；　he　has　assured　us；　there　are　many
mansions；　but　I　am　afraid　they　do　not　include　either　Heartbreak
House　or　Horseback　Hall。



Plague　on　Both　your　Houses！

Meanwhile　the　Bolshevist　picks　and　petards　are　at　work　on　the
foundations　of　both　buildings；　and　though　the　Bolshevists　may　be
buried　in　the　ruins；　their　deaths　will　not　save　the　edifices。
Unfortunately　they　can　be　built　again。　Like　Doubting　Castle；　they
have　been　demolished　many　times　by　successive　Greathearts；　and
rebuilt　by　Simple；　Sloth；　and　Presumption；　by　Feeble　Mind　and
Much　Afraid；　and　by　all　the　jurymen　of　Vanity　Fair。　Another
generation　of　〃secondary　education〃　at　our　ancient　public　schools
and　the　cheaper　institutions　that　ape　them　will　be　quite
suffic