the island pharisees-第1章

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The　Island　Pharisees



by　John　Galsworthy










〃But　this　is　a　worshipful　society〃

KING　JOHN







PREFACE



Each　man　born　into　the　world　is　born　like　Shelton　in　this　bookto　go

a　journey；　and　for　the　most　part　he　is　born　on　the　high　road。　　At

first　he　sits　there　in　the　dust；　with　his　little　chubby　hands

reaching　at　nothing；　and　his　little　solemn　eyes　staring　into　space。

As　soon　as　he　can　toddle；　he　moves；　by　the　queer　instinct　we　call　the

love　of　life；　straight　along　this　road；　looking　neither　to　the　right

nor　left；　so　pleased　is　he　to　walk。　　And　he　is　charmed　with

everythingwith　the　nice　flat　road；　all　broad　and　white；　with　his

own　feet；　and　with　the　prospect　he　can　see　on　either　hand。　　The　sun

shines；　and　he　finds　the　road　a　little　hot　and　dusty；　the　rain　falls；

and　he　splashes　through　the　muddy　puddles。　　It　makes　no　matterall

is　pleasant；　his　fathers　went　this　way　before　him；　they　made　this

road　for　him　to　tread；　and；　when　they　bred　him；　passed　into　his　fibre

the　love　of　doing　things　as　they　themselves　had　done　them。　　So　he

walks　on　and　on；　resting　comfortably　at　nights　under　the　roofs　that

have　been　raised　to　shelter　him；　by　those　who　went　before。



Suddenly　one　day；　without　intending　to；　he　notices　a　path　or　opening

in　the　hedge；　leading　to　right　or　left；　and　he　stands；　looking　at　the

undiscovered。　　After　that　he　stops　at　all　the　openings　in　the　hedge；

one　day；　with　a　beating　heart；　he　tries　one。



And　this　is　where　the　fun　begins。



Out　of　ten　of　him　that　try　the　narrow　path；　nine　of　him　come　back　to

the　broad　road；　and；　when　they　pass　the　next　gap　in　the　hedge；　they

say：　〃No；　no；　my　friend；　I　found　you　pleasant　for　a　while；　but　after

that…ah！　after　that！　　The　way　my　fathers　went　is　good　enough　for　me；

and　it　is　obviously　the　proper　one；　for　nine　of　me　came　back；　and

that　poor　silly　tenthI　really　pity　him！〃



And　when　he　comes　to　the　next　inn；　and　snuggles　in　his　well…warmed；

bed；　he　thinks　of　the　wild　waste　of　heather　where　he　might　have　had

to　spend　the　night　alone　beneath　the　stars；　nor　does　it；　I　think；

occur　to　him　that　the　broad　road　he　treads　all　day　was　once　a

trackless　heath　itself。



But　the　poor　silly　tenth　is　faring　on。　　It　is　a　windy　night　that　he

is　travelling　through　a　windy　night；　with　all　things　new　around；　and

nothing　to　help　him　but　his　courage。　　Nine　times　out　of　ten　that

courage　fails；　and　he　goes　down　into　the　bog。　　He　has　seen　the

undiscovered；　andlike　Ferrand　in　this　bookthe　undiscovered　has

engulfed　him；　his　spirit；　tougher　than　the　spirit　of　the　nine　that

burned　back　to　sleep　in　inns；　was　yet　not　tough　enough。　　The　tenth

time　he　wins　across；　and　on　the　traces　he　has　left　others　follow

slowly；　cautiouslya　new　road　is　opened　to　mankind！　　A　true　saying

goes：　Whatever　is；　is　right！　　And　if　all　men　from　the　world's

beginning　had　said　that；　the　world　would　never　have　begunat　all。

Not　even　the　protoplasmic　jelly　could　have　commenced　its　journey；。

there　would　have　been　no　motive　force　to　make　it　start。



And　so；　that　other　saying　had　to　be　devised　before　the　world　could

set　up　business：　Whatever　is；　is　wrong！　　But　since　the　Cosmic　Spirit

found　that　matters　moved　too　fast　if　those　that　felt　〃All　things　that

are；　are　wrong〃　equalled　in　number　those　that　felt　〃All　things　that

are；　are　right；〃　It　solemnly　devised　polygamy　（all；　be　it　said；　in　a

spiritual　way　of　speaking）；　and　to　each　male　spirit　crowing　〃All

things　that　are；　are　wrong〃　It　decreed　nine　female　spirits　clucking

〃All　things　that　are；　are　right。〃　　The　Cosmic　Spirit；　who　was　very

much　an　artist；　knew　its　work；　and　had　previously　devised　a　quality

called　courage；　and　divided　it　in　three；　naming　the　parts　spiritual；

moral；　physical。　　To　all　the　male…bird　spirits；　but　to　no　female

（spiritually；　not　corporeally　speaking）；　It　gave　courage　that　was

spiritual；　to　nearly　all；　both　male　and　female；　It　gave　courage　that

was　physical；　to　very　many　hen…bird　spirits　It　gave　moral　courage

too。　　But；　because　It　knew　that　if　all　the　male…bird　spirits　were

complete；　the　proportion　of　male　to　femaleone　to　tenwould　be　too

great；　and　cause　upheavals；　It　so　arranged　that　only　one　in　ten　male…

bird　spirits　should　have　all　three　kinds　of　courage；　so　that　the

other　nine；　having　spiritual　courage；　but　lacking　either　in　moral　or

in　physical；　should　fail　in　their　extensions　of　the　poultry…run。　　And

having　started　them　upon　these　lines；　it　left　them　to　get　along　as

best　they　might。



Thus；　in　the　subdivision　of　the　poultry…run　that　we　call　England；　the

proportion　of　the　others　to　the　complete　male…bird　spirit；　who；　of

course；　is　not　infrequently　a　woman；　is　ninety…nine　to　one；　and　with

every　Island　Pharisee；　when　he　or　she　starts　out　in　life；　the

interesting　question　ought　to　be；　〃Am　I　that　one？〃　　Ninety　very　soon

find　out　that　they　are　not；　and；　having　found　it　out；　lest　others

should　discover；　they　say　they　are。　　Nine　of　the　other　ten；　blinded

by　their　spiritual　courage；　are　harder　to　convince；　but　one　by　one

they　sink；　still　proclaiming　their　virility。　　The　hundredth　Pharisee

alone　sits　out　the　play。



Now；　the　journey　of　this　young　man　Shelton；　who　is　surely　not　the

hundredth　Pharisee；　is　but　a　ragged　effort　to　present　the　working　of

the　truth　〃All　things　that　are；　are　wrong；〃　upon　the　truth　〃All

things　that　are；　are　right。〃



The　Institutions　of　this　country；　like　the　Institutions　of　all　other

countries；　are　but　half…truths；　they　are　the　working　daily　clothing

of　the　nation；　no　more　the　body's　permanent　dress　than　is　a　baby's

frock。　　Slowly　but　surely　they　wear　out；　or　are　outgrown；　and　in

their　fashion　they　are　always　thirty　years　at　least　behind　the

fashions　of　those　spirits　who　are　concerned　with　what　shall　take

their　place。　　The　conditions　that　dictate　our　education；　the

distribution　of　our　property；　our　marriage　laws；　amusements；　worship；

prisons；　and　all　other　things；　change　imperceptibly　from　hour　to

hour；　the　moulds　containing　them；　being　inelastic；　do　not　change；　but

hold　on　to　the　point　of　bursting；　and　then　are　hastily；　often

clumsily；　enlarged。　　The　ninety　desiring　peace　and　comfort　for　their

spirit；　the　ninety　of　the　well…warmed　beds；　will　have　it　that　the

fashions　need　not　change；　that　morality　is　fixed；　that　all　is　ordered

and　immutable；　that　every　one　will　always　marry；　play；　and　worship　in

the　way　that　they　themselves　are　marrying；　playing；　worshipping。

They　have　no　speculation；　and　they　hate　with　a　deep　hatred　those　who

speculate　with　thought。　　This　is　the　function　they　were　made　for。

They　are　the　dough；　and　they　dislike　that　yeasty　stuff　of　life　which

comes　and　works　about　in　them。　　The　Yeasty　Stuffthe　other

tenchafed　by　all　things　that　are；　desirous　ever　of　new　forms　and

moulds；　hate　in　their　turn　the　comfortable　ninety。　　Each　party　has

invented　for　the　other　the　hardest　names　that　it　can　think　of：

Philistines；　Bourgeois；　Mrs。　Grundy；　Rebels；　Anarchists；　and

Ne'er…do…weels。　　So　we　go　on！　　And　so；　as　each　of　us　is　born　to　go

his　journey；　he　finds　himself　in　time　ranged　on　one　side　or　on　the

other；　and　joins　the　choruses　of　name…slingers。



But　now　and　thenah！　very　seldomwe　find　ourselves　so　near　that

thing　which　has　no　breadth；　the　middle　line；　that　we　can　watch　them

both；　and　positively　smile　to　see　the　fun。



When　this　book　was　published　first；　many　of　its　critics　found　that

Shelton　was　the　only　Pharisee；　and　a　most　unsatisfactory　young　man

and　so；　no　doubt；　he　is。　　Belonging　to　the　comfortable　ninety；　they

felt；　in　fact；　the　need　of　slinging　names　at　one　who　obviously　was　of

the　ten。　　Others　of　its　critics；　belonging　to　the　ten；　wielded　their

epithets　upon　Antonia；　and　the　serried　ranks　behind　her；　and　called

them　Pharisees；　as　dull　as　ditch…waterand　so；　I　fear；　they　are。



One　of　the　greatest　charms　of　authorship　is　the　privilege　it　gives

the　author　of　studying　the　secret　springs　of　many　unseen　persons；　of

analysing　human　nature　throug