man and superman-第37章

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childless　laborer　is　more　tormented　by　his　wife's　idleness　and
her　constant　demands　for　amusement　and　distraction　than　he　could
be　by　twenty　children；　and　his　wife　is　more　wretched　than　he。　I
have　had　my　share　of　vanity；　for　as　a　young　man　I　was　admired　by
women；　and　as　a　statue　I　am　praised　by　art　critics。　But　I　confess
that　had　I　found　nothing　to　do　in　the　world　but　wallow　in　these
delights　I　should　have　cut　my　throat。　When　I　married　Ana's
motheror　perhaps；　to　be　strictly　correct；　I　should　rather　say
when　I　at　last　gave　in　and　allowed　Ana's　mother　to　marry　meI
knew　that　I　was　planting　thorns　in　my　pillow；　and　that　marriage
for　me；　a　swaggering　young　officer　thitherto　unvanquished；　meant
defeat　and　capture。

ANA。　＇scandalized＇　Father！

THE　STATUE。　I　am　sorry　to　shock　you；　my　love；　but　since　Juan　has
stripped　every　rag　of　decency　from　the　discussion　I　may　as　well
tell　the　frozen　truth。

ANA。　Hmf！　I　suppose　I　was　one　of　the　thorns。

THE　STATUE。　By　no　means：　you　were　often　a　rose。　You　see；　your
mother　had　most　of　the　trouble　you　gave。

DON　JUAN。　Then　may　I　ask；　Commander；　why　you　have　left　Heaven　to
come　here　and　wallow；　as　you　express　it；　in　sentimental
beatitudes　which　you　confess　would　once　have　driven　you　to　cut
your　throat？

THE　STATUE。　＇struck　by　this＇　Egad；　that's　true。

THE　DEVIL。　＇alarmed＇　What！　You　are　going　back　from　your　word。　＇To
Don　Juan＇　And　all　your　philosophizing　has　been　nothing　but　a　mask
for　proselytizing！　＇To　the　Statue＇　Have　you　forgotten　already　the
hideous　dulness　from　which　I　am　offering　you　a　refuge　here？　＇To
Don　Juan＇　And　does　your　demonstration　of　the　approaching
sterilization　and　extinction　of　mankind　lead　to　anything　better
than　making　the　most　of　those　pleasures　of　art　and　love　which　you
yourself　admit　refined　you；　elevated　you；　developed　you？

DON　JUAN。　I　never　demonstrated　the　extinction　of　mankind。　Life
cannot　will　its　own　extinction　either　in　its　blind　amorphous
state　or　in　any　of　the　forms　into　which　it　has　organized　itself。
I　had　not　finished　when　His　Excellency　interrupted　me。

THE　STATUE。　I　begin　to　doubt　whether　you　ever　will　finish；　my
friend。　You　are　extremely　fond　of　hearing　yourself　talk。

DON　JUAN。　True；　but　since　you　have　endured　so　much。　you　may　as
well　endure　to　the　end。　Long　before　this　sterilization　which　I
described　becomes　more　than　a　clearly　foreseen　possibility；　the
reaction　will　begin。　The　great　central　purpose　of　breeding　the
race；　ay；　breeding　it　to　heights　now　deemed　superhuman：　that
purpose　which　is　now　hidden　in　a　mephitic　cloud　of　love　and
romance　and　prudery　and　fastidiousness；　will　break　through　into
clear　sunlight　as　a　purpose　no　longer　to　be　confused　with　the
gratification　of　personal　fancies；　the　impossible　realization　of
boys'　and　girls'　dreams　of　bliss；　or　the　need　of　older　people　for
companionship　or　money。　The　plain…spoken　marriage　services　of　the
vernacular　Churches　will　no　longer　be　abbreviated　and　half
suppressed　as　indelicate。　The　sober　decency；　earnestness　and
authority　of　their　declaration　of　the　real　purpose　of　marriage
will　be　honored　and　accepted；　whilst　their　romantic　vowings　and
pledgings　and　until…death…do…us…partings　and　the　like　will　be
expunged　as　unbearable　frivolities。　Do　my　sex　the　justice　to
admit；　Senora；　that　we　have　always　recognized　that　the　sex
relation　is　not　a　personal　or　friendly　relation　at　all。

ANA。　Not　a　personal　or　friendly　relation！　What　relation　is　more
personal？　more　sacred？　more　holy？

DON　JUAN。　Sacred　and　holy；　if　you　like；　Ana；　but　not　personally
friendly。　Your　relation　to　God　is　sacred　and　holy：　dare　you　call
it　personally　friendly？　In　the　sex　relation　the　universal
creative　energy；　of　which　the　parties　are　both　the　helpless
agents；　over…rides　and　sweeps　away　all　personal　considerations
and　dispenses　with　all　personal　relations。　The　pair　may　be　utter
strangers　to　one　another；　speaking　different　languages；　differing
in　race　and　color；　in　age　and　disposition；　with　no　bond　between
them　but　a　possibility　of　that　fecundity　for　the　sake　of　which
the　Life　Force　throws　them　into　one　another's　arms　at　the
exchange　of　a　glance。　Do　we　not　recognize　this　by　allowing
marriages　to　be　made　by　parents　without　consulting　the　woman？
Have　you　not　often　expressed　your　disgust　at　the　immorality　of
the　English　nation；　in　which　women　and　men　of　noble　birth　become
acquainted　and　court　each　other　like　peasants？　And　how　much　does
even　the　peasant　know　of　his　bride　or　she　of　him　before　he
engages　himself？　Why；　you　would　not　make　a　man　your　lawyer　or
your　family　doctor　on　so　slight　an　acquaintance　as　you　would　fall
in　love　with　and　marry　him！

ANA。　Yes；　Juan：　we　know　the　libertine's　philosophy。　Always　ignore
the　consequences　to　the　woman。

DON　JUAN。　The　consequences；　yes：　they　justify　her　fierce　grip　of
the　man。　But　surely　you　do　not　call　that　attachment　a　sentimental
one。　As　well　call　the　policeman's　attachment　to　his　prisoner　a
love　relation。

ANA。　You　see　you　have　to　confess　that　marriage　is　necessary；
though；　according　to　you；　love　is　the　slightest　of　all　the
relations。

DON　JUAN。　How　do　you　know　that　it　is　not　the　greatest　of　all　the
relations？　far　too　great　to　be　a　personal　matter。　Could　your
father　have　served　his　country　if　he　had　refused　to　kill　any
enemy　of　Spain　unless　he　personally　hated　him？　Can　a　woman　serve
her　country　if　she　refuses　to　marry　any　man　she　does　not
personally　love？　You　know　it　is　not　so：　the　woman　of　noble　birth
marries　as　the　man　of　noble　birth　fights；　on　political　and　family
grounds；　not　on　personal　ones。

THE　STATUE。　＇impressed＇　A　very　clever　point　that；　Juan：　I　must
think　it　over。　You　are　really　full　of　ideas。　How　did　you　come　to
think　of　this　one？

DON　JUAN。　I　learnt　it　by　experience。　When　I　was　on　earth；　and
made　those　proposals　to　ladies　which；　though　universally
condemned；　have　made　me　so　interesting　a　hero　of　legend；　I　was
not　infrequently　met　in　some　such　way　as　this。　The　lady　would　say
that　she　would　countenance　my　advances；　provided　they　were
honorable。　On　inquiring　what　that　proviso　meant；　I　found　that　it
meant　that　I　proposed　to　get　possession　of　her　property　if　she
had　any；　or　to　undertake　her　support　for　life　if　she　had　not；
that　I　desired　her　continual　companionship；　counsel　and
conversation　to　the　end　of　my　days；　and　would　bind　myself
under　penalties　to　be　always　enraptured　by　them；　and；　above　all；
that　I　would　turn　my　back　on　all　other　women　for　ever　for　her
sake。　I　did　not　object　to　these　conditions　because　they　were
exorbitant　and　inhuman：　it　was　their　extraordinary　irrelevance
that　prostrated　me。　I　invariably　replied　with　perfect　frankness
that　I　had　never　dreamt　of　any　of　these　things；　that　unless　the
lady's　character　and　intellect　were　equal　or　superior　to　my　own；
her　conversation　must　degrade　and　her　counsel　mislead　me；　tha　t
her　constant　companionship　might；　for　all　I　knew；　become
intolerably　tedious　to　me；　that　I　could　not　answer　for　my
feelings　for　a　week　in　advance；　much　less　to　the　end　of　my　life；
that　to　cut　me　off　from　all　natural　and　unconstrained　relations
with　the　rest　of　my　fellow　creatures　would　narrow　and　warp　me　if
I　submitted　to　it；　and；　if　not；　would　bring　me　under　the　curse　of
clandestinity；　that；　finally；　my　proposals　to　her　were　wholly
unconnected　with　any　of　these　matters；　and　were　the　outcome　of　a
perfectly　simple　impulse　of　my　manhood　towards　her　womanhood。

ANA。　You　mean　that　it　was　an　immoral　impulse。

DON　JUAN。　Nature；　my　dear　lady；　is　what　you　call　immoral。　I　blush
for　it；　but　I　cannot　help　it。　Nature　is　a　pandar；　Time　a　wrecker；
and　Death　a　murderer。　I　have　always　preferred　to　stand　up　to
those　facts　and　build　institutions　on　their　recognition。　You
prefer　to　propitiate　the　three　devils　by　proclaiming　their
chastity；　their　thrift；　and　their　loving　kindness；　and　to　base
your　institutions　on　these　flatteries。　Is　it　any　wonder　that　the
institutions　do　not　work　smoothly？

THE　STATUE。　What　used　the　ladies　to　say；　Juan？

DON　JUAN。　Oh；　come！　Confidence　for　confidence。　First　tell　me　what
you　used　to　say　to　the　ladies。

THE　STATUE。　I！　Oh；　I　swore　that　I　would　be　faithful　to　the　death；
that　I　should　die　if　they　refused　me；　that　n