heretics-第17章
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But of its philosophical； ethical； and religious influence which has
been almost as great as its brilliancy； I should like to say a word；
and that word； I confess； one of uncompromising hostility。
There are a great many things which might be said against
the spirit of the Rubaiyat； and against its prodigious influence。
But one matter of indictment towers ominously above the rest
a genuine disgrace to it； a genuine calamity to us。 This is the terrible
blow that this great poem has struck against sociability and the joy
of life。 Some one called Omar 〃the sad； glad old Persian。〃
Sad he is； glad he is not； in any sense of the word whatever。
He has been a worse foe to gladness than the Puritans。
A pensive and graceful Oriental lies under the rose…tree
with his wine…pot and his scroll of poems。 It may seem strange
that any one's thoughts should； at the moment of regarding him；
fly back to the dark bedside where the doctor doles out brandy。
It may seem stranger still that they should go back
to the grey wastrel shaking with gin in Houndsditch。
But a great philosophical unity links the three in an evil bond。
Omar Khayyam's wine…bibbing is bad； not because it is wine…bibbing。
It is bad； and very bad； because it is medical wine…bibbing。 It
is the drinking of a man who drinks because he is not happy。
His is the wine that shuts out the universe； not the wine that reveals it。
It is not poetical drinking； which is joyous and instinctive；
it is rational drinking； which is as prosaic as an investment；
as unsavoury as a dose of camomile。 Whole heavens above it；
from the point of view of sentiment； though not of style；
rises the splendour of some old English drinking…song
〃Then pass the bowl； my comrades all；
And let the zider vlow。〃
For this song was caught up by happy men to express the worth
of truly worthy things； of brotherhood and garrulity； and the brief
and kindly leisure of the poor。 Of course； the great part of
the more stolid reproaches directed against the Omarite morality
are as false and babyish as such reproaches usually are。 One critic；
whose work I have read； had the incredible foolishness to call Omar
an atheist and a materialist。 It is almost impossible for an Oriental
to be either； the East understands metaphysics too well for that。
Of course； the real objection which a philosophical Christian
would bring against the religion of Omar； is not that he gives
no place to God； it is that he gives too much place to God。
His is that terrible theism which can imagine nothing else but deity；
and which denies altogether the outlines of human personality
and human will。
〃The ball no question makes of Ayes or Noes；
But Here or There as strikes the Player goes；
And He that tossed you down into the field；
He knows about it allhe knowshe knows。〃
A Christian thinker such as Augustine or Dante would object to this
because it ignores free…will； which is the valour and dignity of the soul。
The quarrel of the highest Christianity with this scepticism is
not in the least that the scepticism denies the existence of God；
it is that it denies the existence of man。
In this cult of the pessimistic pleasure…seeker the Rubaiyat
stands first in our time； but it does not stand alone。
Many of the most brilliant intellects of our time have urged
us to the same self…conscious snatching at a rare delight。
Walter Pater said that we were all under sentence of death；
and the only course was to enjoy exquisite moments simply
for those moments' sake。 The same lesson was taught by the
very powerful and very desolate philosophy of Oscar Wilde。
It is the carpe diem religion； but the carpe diem religion is
not the religion of happy people； but of very unhappy people。
Great joy does； not gather the rosebuds while it may；
its eyes are fixed on the immortal rose which Dante saw。
Great joy has in it the sense of immortality； the very splendour
of youth is the sense that it has all space to stretch its legs in。
In all great comic literature； in 〃Tristram Shandy〃
or 〃Pickwick〃； there is this sense of space and incorruptibility；
we feel the characters are deathless people in an endless tale。
It is true enough； of course； that a pungent happiness comes chiefly
in certain passing moments； but it is not true that we should think
of them as passing； or enjoy them simply 〃for those moments' sake。〃
To do this is to rationalize the happiness； and therefore to destroy it。
Happiness is a mystery like religion； and should never be rationalized。
Suppose a man experiences a really splendid moment of pleasure。
I do not mean something connected with a bit of enamel； I mean
something with a violent happiness in itan almost painful happiness。
A man may have； for instance； a moment of ecstasy in first love；
or a moment of victory in battle。 The lover enjoys the moment；
but precisely not for the moment's sake。 He enjoys it for the
woman's sake； or his own sake。 The warrior enjoys the moment； but not
for the sake of the moment； he enjoys it for the sake of the flag。
The cause which the flag stands for may be foolish and fleeting；
the love may be calf…love； and last a week。 But the patriot thinks
of the flag as eternal； the lover thinks of his love as something
that cannot end。 These moments are filled with eternity；
these moments are joyful because they do not seem momentary。
Once look at them as moments after Pater's manner； and they become
as cold as Pater and his style。 Man cannot love mortal things。
He can only love immortal things for an instant。
Pater's mistake is revealed in his most famous phrase。
He asks us to burn with a hard； gem…like flame。 Flames are never
hard and never gem…likethey cannot be handled or arranged。
So human emotions are never hard and never gem…like； they are
always dangerous； like flames； to touch or even to examine。
There is only one way in which our passions can become hard
and gem…like； and that is by becoming as cold as gems。
No blow then has ever been struck at the natural loves and laughter
of men so sterilizing as this carpe diem of the aesthetes。
For any kind of pleasure a totally different spirit is required；
a certain shyness； a certain indeterminate hope； a certain
boyish expectation。 Purity and simplicity are essential to passions
yes even to evil passions。 Even vice demands a sort of virginity。
Omar's （or Fitzgerald's） effect upon the other world we may let go；
his hand upon this world has been heavy and paralyzing。
The Puritans； as I have said； are far jollier than he。
The new ascetics who follow Thoreau or Tolstoy are much livelier company；
for； though the surrender of strong drink and such luxuries may
strike us as an idle negation； it may leave a man with innumerable
natural pleasures； and； above all； with man's natural power of happiness。
Thoreau could enjoy the sunrise without a cup of coffee。 If Tolstoy
cannot admire marriage； at least he is healthy enough to admire mud。
Nature can be enjoyed without even the most natural luxuries。
A good bush needs no wine。 But neither nature nor wine nor anything
else can be enjoyed if we have the wrong attitude towards happiness；
and Omar （or Fitzgerald） did have the wrong attitude towards happiness。
He and those he has influenced do not see that if we are to be truly gay；
we must believe that there is some eternal gaiety in the nature of things。
We cannot enjoy thoroughly even a pas…de…quatre
