man and superman-第3章

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had　to　take　some　of　the　jests　of　Mr　W。　S。　Gilbert。　His
scepticism；　once　his　least　tolerated　quality；　has　now　triumphed
so　completely　that　he　can　no　longer　assert　himself　by　witty
negations；　and　must；　to　save　himself　from　cipherdom；　find　an
affirmative　position。　His　thousand　and　three　affairs　of
gallantry；　after　becoming；　at　most；　two　immature　intrigues
leading　to　sordid　and　prolonged　complications　and　humiliations；
have　been　discarded　altogether　as　unworthy　of　his　philosophic
dignity　and　compromising　to　his　newly　acknowledged　position　as
the　founder　of　a　school。　Instead　of　pretending　to　read　Ovid　he
does　actually　read　Schopenhaur　and　Nietzsche；　studies
Westermarck；　and　is　concerned　for　the　future　of　the　race　instead
of　for　the　freedom　of　his　own　instincts。　Thus　his　profligacy　and
his　dare…devil　airs　have　gone　the　way　of　his　sword　and　mandoline
into　the　rag　shop　of　anachronisms　and　superstitions。　In　fact；　he
is　now　more　Hamlet　than　Don　Juan；　for　though　the　lines　put　into
the　actor's　mouth　to　indicate　to　the　pit　that　Hamlet　is　a
philosopher　are　for　the　most　part　mere　harmonious　platitude
which；　with　a　little　debasement　of　the　word…music；　would　be
properer　to　Pecksniff；　yet　if　you　separate　the　real　hero；
inarticulate　and　unintelligible　to　himself　except　in　flashes　of
inspiration；　from　the　performer　who　has　to　talk　at　any　cost
through　five　acts；　and　if　you　also　do　what　you　must　always　do　in
Shakespear's　tragedies：　that　is；　dissect　out　the　absurd
sensational　incidents　and　physical　violences　of　the　borrowed
story　from　the　genuine　Shakespearian　tissue；　you　will　get　a　true
Promethean　foe　of　the　gods；　whose　instinctive　attitude　towards
women　much　resembles　that　to　which　Don　Juan　is　now　driven。　From
this　point　of　view　Hamlet　was　a　developed　Don　Juan　whom
Shakespear　palmed　off　as　a　reputable　man　just　as　he　palmed　poor
Macbeth　off　as　a　murderer。　To…day　the　palming　off　is　no　longer
necessary　（at　least　on　your　plane　and　mine）　because　Don　Juanism
is　no　longer　misunderstood　as　mere　Casanovism。　Don　Juan　himself
is　almost　ascetic　in　his　desire　to　avoid　that　misunderstanding；
and　so　my　attempt　to　bring　him　up　to　date　by　launching　him　as　a
modern　Englishman　into　a　modern　English　environment　has　produced
a　figure　superficially　quite　unlike　the　hero　of　Mozart。

And　yet　I　have　not　the　heart　to　disappoint　you　wholly　of　another
glimpse　of　the　Mozartian　dissoluto　punito　and　his　antagonist　the
statue。　I　feel　sure　you　would　like　to　know　more　of　that　statue
to　draw　him　out　when　he　is　off　duty；　so　to　speak。　To　gratify　you；
I　have　resorted　to　the　trick　of　the　strolling　theatrical　manager
who　advertizes　the　pantomime　of　Sinbad　the　Sailor　with　a　stock　of
second…hand　picture　posters　designed　for　Ali　Baba。　He　simply
thrusts　a　few　oil　jars　into　the　valley　of　diamonds；　and　so
fulfils　the　promise　held　out　by　the　hoardings　to　the　public　eye。
I　have　adapted　this　simple　device　to　our　occasion　by　thrusting
into　my　perfectly　modern　three…act　play　a　totally　extraneous　act
in　which　my　hero；　enchanted　by　the　air　of　the　Sierra；　has　a　dream
in　which　his　Mozartian　ancestor　appears　and　philosophizes　at
great　length　in　a　Shavio…Socratic　dialogue　with　the　lady；　the
statue；　and　the　devil。

But　this　pleasantry　is　not　the　essence　of　the　play。　Over　this
essence　I　have　no　control。　You　propound　a　certain　social
substance；　sexual　attraction　to　wit；　for　dramatic　distillation；
and　I　distil　it　for　you。　I　do　not　adulterate　the　product　with
aphrodisiacs　nor　dilute　it　with　romance　and　water；　for　I　am
merely　executing　your　commission；　not　producing　a　popular　play
for　the　market。　You　must　therefore　（unless；　like　most　wise　men；
you　read　the　play　first　and　the　preface　afterwards）　prepare
yourself　to　face　a　trumpery　story　of　modern　London　life；　a　life
in　which；　as　you　know；　the　ordinary　man's　main　business　is　to　get
means　to　keep　up　the　position　and　habits　of　a　gentleman；　and　the
ordinary　woman's　business　is　to　get　married。　In　9；999　cases　out
of　10；000；　you　can　count　on　their　doing　nothing；　whether　noble
or　base；　that　conflicts　with　these　ends；　and　that　assurance　is
what　you　rely　on　as　their　religion；　their　morality；　their
principles；　their　patriotism；　their　reputation；　their　honor　and
so　forth。

On　the　whole；　this　is　a　sensible　and　satisfactory　foundation　for
society。　Money　means　nourishment　and　marriage　means　children；　and
that　men　should　put　nourishment　first　and　women　children　first
is；　broadly　speaking；　the　law　of　Nature　and　not　the　dictate　of
personal　ambition。　The　secret　of　the　prosaic　man's　success；　such
as　it　is；　is　the　simplicity　with　which　he　pursues　these　ends：　the
secret　of　the　artistic　man's　failure；　such　as　that　is；　is　the
versatility　with　which　he　strays　in　all　directions　after
secondary　ideals。　The　artist　is　either　a　poet　or　a　scallawag：　as
poet；　he　cannot　see；　as　the　prosaic　man　does；　that　chivalry　is　at
bottom　only　romantic　suicide：　as　scallawag；　he　cannot　see　that　it
does　not　pay　to　spunge　and　beg　and　lie　and　brag　and　neglect　his
person。　Therefore　do　not　misunderstand　my　plain　statement　of　the
fundamental　constitution　of　London　society　as　an　Irishman's
reproach　to　your　nation。　From　the　day　I　first　set　foot　on　this
foreign　soil　I　knew　the　value　of　the　prosaic　qualities　of　which
Irishmen　teach　Englishmen　to　be　ashamed　as　well　as　I　knew　the
vanity　of　the　poetic　qualities　of　which　Englishmen　teach　Irishmen
to　be　proud。　For　the　Irishman　instinctively　disparages　the
quality　which　makes　the　Englishman　dangerous　to　him；　and　the
Englishman　instinctively　flatters　the　fault　that　makes　the
Irishman　harmless　and　amusing　to　him。　What　is　wrong　with　the
prosaic　Englishman　is　what　is　wrong　with　the　prosaic　men　of　all
countries：　stupidity。　The　vitality　which　places　nourishment　and
children　first；　heaven　and　hell　a　somewhat　remote　second；　and　the
health　of　society　as　an　organic　whole　nowhere；　may　muddle
successfully　through　the　comparatively　tribal　stages　of
gregariousness；　but　in　nineteenth　century　nations　and　twentieth
century　empires　the　determination　of　every　man　to　be　rich　at　all
costs；　and　of　every　woman　to　be　married　at　all　costs；　must；
without　a　highly　scientific　social　organization；　produce　a
ruinous　development　of　poverty；　celibacy；　prostitution；　infant
mortality；　adult　degeneracy；　and　everything　that　wise　men　most
dread。　In　short；　there　is　no　future　for　men；　however　brimming
with　crude　vitality；　who　are　neither　intelligent　nor　politically
educated　enough　to　be　Socialists。　So　do　not　misunderstand　me　in
the　other　direction　either：　if　I　appreciate　the　vital　qualities
of　the　Englishman　as　I　appreciate　the　vital　qualities　of　the　bee；
I　do　not　guarantee　the　Englishman　against　being；　like　the　bee　（or
the　Canaanite）　smoked　out　and　unloaded　of　his　honey　by　beings
inferior　to　himself　in　simple　acquisitiveness；　combativeness；　and
fecundity；　but　superior　to　him　in　imagination　and　cunning。

The　Don　Juan　play；　however；　is　to　deal　with　sexual　attraction；
and　not　with　nutrition；　and　to　deal　with　it　in　a　society　in　which
the　serious　business　of　sex　is　left　by　men　to　women；　as　the
serious　business　of　nutrition　is　left　by　women　to　men。　That　the
men；　to　protect　themselves　against　a　too　aggressive　prosecution
of　the　women's　business；　have　set　up　a　feeble　romantic　convention
that　the　initiative　in　sex　business　must　always　come　from　the
man；　is　true；　but　the　pretence　is　so　shallow　that　even　in　the
theatre；　that　last　sanctuary　of　unreality；　it　imposes　only　on　the
inexperienced。　In　Shakespear's　plays　the　woman　always　takes　the
initiative。　In　his　problem　plays　and　his　popular　plays　alike　the
love　interest　is　the　interest　of　seeing　the　woman　hunt　the　man
down。　She　may　do　it　by　blandishment；　like　Rosalind；　or　by
stratagem；　like　Mariana；　but　in　every　case　the　relation　between
the　woman　and　the　man　is　the　same：　she　is　the　pursuer　and
contriver；　he　the　pursued　and　disposed　of。　　When　she　is　baffled；
like　Ophelia；　she　goes　mad　and　commits　suicide；　and　the　man　goes
straight　from　her　funeral　to　a　fencing　match。　No　doubt　Nature；
with　very　young　creatures；　may　save　the　woman　the　trouble　of
scheming：　Prospero　knows　that　he　has　only　to　throw　Ferdinand　and
Miranda　together　and　they　will　mate　like　a