man and superman-第6章

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character　that　is　too　timid　to　face　the　full　stringency　of　a
thoroughly　competitive　struggle　for　existence　and　too　lazy　and
petty　to　organize　the　commonwealth　co…operatively。　Being　cowards；
we　defeat　natural　selection　under　cover　of　philanthropy：　being
sluggards；　we　neglect　artificial　selection　under　cover　of
delicacy　and　morality。

Yet　we　must　get　an　electorate　of　capable　critics　or　collapse　as
Rome　and　Egypt　collapsed。　At　this　moment　the　Roman　decadent　phase
of　panem　et　circenses　is　being　inaugurated　under　our　eyes。　Our
newspapers　and　melodramas　are　blustering　about　our　imperial
destiny；　but　our　eyes　and　hearts　turn　eagerly　to　the　American
millionaire。　As　his　hand　goes　down　to　his　pocket；　our　fingers　go
up　to　the　brims　of　our　hats　by　instinct。　Our　ideal　prosperity　is
not　the　prosperity　of　the　industrial　north；　but　the　prosperity　of
the　Isle　of　Wight；　of　Folkestone　and　Ramsgate；　of　Nice　and　Monte
Carlo。　That　is　the　only　prosperity　you　see　on　the　stage；　where
the　workers　are　all　footmen；　parlourmaids；　comic　lodging…letters
and　fashionable　professional　men；　whilst　the　heroes　and　heroines
are　miraculously　provided　with　unlimited　dividends；　and　eat
gratuitously；　like　the　knights　in　Don　Quixote's　books　of
chivalry。

The　city　papers　prate　of　the　competition　of　Bombay　with
Manchester　and　the　like。　The　real　competition　is　the　competition
of　Regent　Street　with　the　Rue　de　Rivoli；　of　Brighton　and　the
south　coast　with　the　Riviera；　for　the　spending　money　of　the
American　Trusts。　What　is　all　this　growing　love　of　pageantry；　this
effusive　loyalty；　this　officious　rising　and　uncovering　at　a　wave
from　a　flag　or　a　blast　from　a　brass　band？　Imperialism：　Not　a　bit
of　it。　Obsequiousness；　servility；　cupidity　roused　by　the
prevailing　smell　of　money。　When　Mr　Carnegie　rattled　his　millions
in　his　pockets　all　England　became　one　rapacious　cringe。　Only；
when　Rhodes　（who　had　probably　been　reading　my　Socialism　for
Millionaires）　left　word　that　no　idler　was　to　inherit　his　estate；
the　bent　backs　straightened　mistrustfully　for　a　moment。　Could　it
be　that　the　Diamond　King　was　no　gentleman　after　all？　However；　it
was　easy　to　ignore　a　rich　man's　solecism。　The　ungentlemanly
clause　was　not　mentioned　again；　and　the　backs　soon　bowed
themselves　back　into　their　natural　shape。

But　I　hear　you　asking　me　in　alarm　whether　I　have　actually　put　all
this　tub　thumping　into　a　Don　Juan　comedy。　I　have　not。　I　have　only
made　my　Don　Juan　a　political　pamphleteer；　and　given　you　his
pamphlet　in　full　by　way　of　appendix。　You　will　find　it　at　the　end
of　the　book。　I　am　sorry　to　say　that　it　is　a　common　practice　with
romancers　to　announce　their　hero　as　a　man　of　extraordinary
genius；　and　to　leave　his　works　entirely　to　the　reader's
imagination；　so　that　at　the　end　of　the　book　you　whisper　to
yourself　ruefully　that　but　for　the　author's　solemn　preliminary
assurance　you　should　hardly　have　given　the　gentleman　credit　for
ordinary　good　sense。　You　cannot　accuse　me　of　this　pitiable
barrenness；　this　feeble　evasion。　I　not　only　tell　you　that　my　hero
wrote　a　revolutionists'　handbook：　I　give　you　the　handbook　at　full
length　for　your　edification　if　you　care　to　read　it。　And　in　that
handbook　you　will　find　the　politics　of　the　sex　question　as　I
conceive　Don　Juan's　descendant　to　understand　them。　Not　that　I
disclaim　the　fullest　responsibility　for　his　opinions　and　for
those　of　all　my　characters；　pleasant　and　unpleasant。　They　are　all
right　from　their　several　points　of　view；　and　their　points　of　view
are；　for　the　dramatic　moment；　mine　also。　This　may　puzzle　the
people　who　believe　that　there　is　such　a　thing　as　an　absolutely
right　point　of　view；　usually　their　own。　It　may　seem　to　them　that
nobody　who　doubts　this　can　be　in　a　state　of　grace。　However　that
may　be；　it　is　certainly　true　that　nobody　who　agrees　with　them　can
possibly　be　a　dramatist；　or　indeed　anything　else　that　turns　upon
a　knowledge　of　mankind。　Hence　it　has　been　pointed　out　that
Shakespear　had　no　conscience。　Neither　have　I；　in　that　sense。

You　may；　however；　remind　me　that　this　digression　of　mine　into
politics　was　preceded　by　a　very　convincing　demonstration　that　the
artist　never　catches　the　point　of　view　of　the　common　man　on　the
question　of　sex；　because　he　is　not　in　the　same　predicament。　I
first　prove　that　anything　I　write　on　the　relation　of　the　sexes　is
sure　to　be　misleading；　and　then　I　proceed　to　write　a　Don　Juan
play。　Well；　if　you　insist　on　asking　me　why　I　behave　in　this
absurd　way；　I　can　only　reply　that　you　asked　me　to；　and　that　in
any　case　my　treatment　of　the　subject　may　be　valid　for　the　artist；
amusing　to　the　amateur；　and　at　least　intelligible　and　therefore
possibly　suggestive　to　the　Philistine。　Every　man　who　records　his
illusions　is　providing　data　for　the　genuinely　scientific
psychology　which　the　world　still　waits　for。　I　plank　down　my　view
of　the　existing　relations　of　men　to　women　in　the　most　highly
civilized　society　for　what　it　is　worth。　It　is　a　view　like　any
other　view　and　no　more；　neither　true　nor　false；　but；　I　hope；　a
way　of　looking　at　the　subject　which　throws　into　the　familiar
order　of　cause　and　effect　a　sufficient　body　of　fact　and
experience　to　be　interesting　to　you；　if　not　to　the　play…going
public　of　London。　I　have　certainly　shown　little　consideration　for
that　public　in　this　enterprise；　but　I　know　that　it　has　the
friendliest　disposition　towards　you　and　me　as　far　as　it　has　any
consciousness　of　our　existence；　and　quite　understands　that　what　I
write　for　you　must　pass　at　a　considerable　height　over　its　simple
romantic　head。　It　will　take　my　books　as　read　and　my　genius　for
granted；　trusting　me　to　put　forth　work　of　such　quality　as　shall
bear　out　its　verdict。　So　we　may　disport　ourselves　on　our　own
plane　to　the　top　of　our　bent；　and　if　any　gentleman　points　out
that　neither　this　epistle　dedicatory　nor　the　dream　of　Don　Juan　in
the　third　act　of　the　ensuing　comedy　is　suitable　for　immediate
production　at　a　popular　theatre　we　need　not　contradict　him。
Napoleon　provided　Talma　with　a　pit　of　kings；　with　what　effect　on
Talma's　acting　is　not　recorded。　As　for　me；　what　I　have　always
wanted　is　a　pit　of　philosophers；　and　this　is　a　play　for　such　a
pit。

I　should　make　formal　acknowledgment　to　the　authors　whom　I　have
pillaged　in　the　following　pages　if　I　could　recollect　them　a11。
The　theft　of　the　brigand…poetaster　from　Sir　Arthur　Conan　Doyle　is
deliberate；　and　the　metamorphosis　of　Leporello　into　Enry　Straker；
motor　engineer　and　New　Man；　is　an　intentional　dramatic　sketch　for
the　contemporary　embryo　of　Mr　H。　G。　Wells's　anticipation　of　the
efficient　engineering　class　which　will；　he　hopes；　finally　sweep
the　jabberers　out　of　the　way　of　civilization。　Mr　Barrio　has　also；
whilst　I　am　correcting　my　proofs；　delighted　London　with　a　servant
who　knows　more　than　his　masters。　The　conception　of　Mendoza
Limited　I　trace　back　to　a　certain　West　Indian　colonial　secretary；
who；　at　a　period　when　he　and　I　and　Mr　Sidney　Webb　were　sowing　our
political　wild　oats　as　a　sort　of　Fabian　Three　Musketeers；　without
any　prevision　of　the　surprising　respectability　of　the　crop　that
followed；　recommended　Webb；　the　encyclopedic　and　inexhaustible；
to　form　himself　into　a　company　for　the　benefit　of　the
shareholders。　Octavius　I　take　over　unaltered　from　Mozart；　and　I
hereby　authorize　any　actor　who　impersonates　him；　to　sing　〃Dalla
sua　pace〃　（if　he　can）　at　any　convenient　moment　during　the
representation。　Ann　was　suggested　to　me　by　the　fifteenth　century
Dutch　morality　called　Everyman；　which　Mr　William　Poel　has　lately
resuscitated　so　triumphantly。　I　trust　he　will　work　that　vein
further；　and　recognize　that　Elizabethan　Renascence　fustian　is　no
more　bearable　after　medieval　poesy　than　Scribe　after　Ibsen。　As　I
sat　watching　Everyman　at　the　Charterhouse；　I　said　to　myself　Why
not　Everywoman？　Ann　was　the　result：　every　woman　is　not　Ann；　but
Ann　is　Everywoman。

That　the　author　of　Everyman　was　no　mere　artist；　but　an
artist…philosopher；　and　that　the　artist…philosophers　are　the　only
sort　of　artists　I　take　quite　seriously；　will　be　no　news　to　you。
Even　Plato　and　Boswell；　as　the　dramatists　who　invented　Socrates
and　Dr　Johnson；　impress　me　more　deeply　than　the　romantic
playwrights。　Ever　since；　as　a　boy；　I　first　breathed　the　air　o