my discovery of england-第11章

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　got　as　much；　or　nearly　as　much；　out　of　the　lectures　at　college　as　out　of　athletics　or　the　Greek　letter　society　or　the　Banjo　and　Mandolin　Club。　In　short；　with　us　the　lectures　form　a　real　part　of　the　college　life。　At　Oxford　it　is　not　so。　The　lectures；　I　understand；　are　given　and　may　even　be　taken。　But　they　are　quite　worthless　and　are　not　supposed　to　have　anything　much　to　do　with　the　development　of　the；　student's　mind。　〃The　lectures　here；〃　said　a　Canadian　student　to　me；　〃are　punk。〃　I　appealed　to　another　student　to　know　if　this　was　so。　〃I　don't　know　whether　I'd　call　them　exactly　punk；〃　he　answered；　〃but　they're　certainly　rotten。〃　Other　judgments　were　that　the　lectures　were　of　no　importance：　that　nobody　took　them：　that　they　don't　matter：　that　you　can　take　them　if　you　like：　that　they　do　you　no　harm。

It　appears　further　that　the　professors　themselves　are　not　keen　on　their　lectures。　If　the　lectures　are　called　for　they　give　them；　if　not；　the　professor's　feelings　are　not　hurt。　He　merely　waits　and　rests　his　brain　until　in　some　later　year　the　students　call　for　his　lectures。　There　are　men　at　Oxford　who　have　rested　their　brains　this　way　for　over　thirty　years：　the　accumulated　brain　power　thus　dammed　up　is　said　to　be　colossal。

I　understand　that　the　key　to　this　mystery　is　found　in　the　operations　of　the　person　called　the　tutor。　It　is　from　him；　or　rather　with　him；　that　the　students　learn　all　that　they　know：　one　and　all　are　agreed　on　that。　Yet　it　is　a　little　odd　to　know　just　how　he　does　it。　〃We　go　over　to　his　rooms；〃　said　one　student；　〃and　he　just　lights　a　pipe　and　talks　to　us。〃　〃We　sit　round　with　him；〃　said　another；　〃and　he　simply　smokes　and　goes　over　our　exercises　with　us。〃　From　this　and　other　evidence　I　gather　that　what　an　Oxford　tutor　does　is　to　get　a　little　group　of　students　together　and　smoke　at　them。　Men　who　have　been　systematically　smoked　at　for　four　years　turn　into　ripe　scholars。　　If　anybody　doubts　this；　let　him　go　to　Oxford　and　he　can　see　the　thing　actually　in　operation。　A　well…smoked　man　speaks；　and　writes　English　with　a　grace　that　can　be　acquired　in　no　other　way。

In　what　was　said　above；　I　seem　to　have　been　directing　criticism　against　the　Oxford　professors　as　such：　but　I　have　no　intention　of　doing　so。　For　the　Oxford　professor　and　his　whole　manner　of　being　I　have　nothing　but　a　profound　respect。　There　is　indeed　the　greatest　difference　between　the　modern　up…to…date　American　idea　of　a　professor　and　the　English　type。　But　even　with　us　in　older　days；　in　the　bygone　time　when　such　people　as　Henry　Wadsworth　Longfellow　were　professors；　one　found　the　English　idea；　a　professor　was　supposed　to　be　a　venerable　kind　of　person；　with　snow…white　whiskers　reaching　to　his　stomach。　He　was　expected　to　moon　around　the　campus　oblivious　of　the　world　around　him。　If　you　nodded　to　him　he　failed　to　see　you。　Of　money　he　knew　nothing；　of　business；　far　less。　He　was；　as　his　trustees　were　proud　to　say　of　him；　〃a　child。〃

On　the　other　hand　he　contained　within　him　a　reservoir　of　learning　of　such　depth　as　to　be　practically　bottomless。　None　of　this　learning　was　supposed　to　be　of　any　material　or　commercial　benefit　to　anybody。　Its　use　was　in　saving　the　soul　and　enlarging　the　mind。

At　the　head　of　such　a　group　of　professors　was　one　whose　beard　was　even　whiter　and　longer；　whose　absence　of　mind　was　even　still　greater；　and　whose　knowledge　of　money；　business；　and　practical　affairs　was　below　zero。　Him　they　made　the　president。

All　this　is　changed　in　America。　A　university　professor　is　now　a　busy；　hustling　person；　approximating　as　closely　to　a　business　man　as　he　can　do　it。　It　is　on　the　business　man　that　he　models　himself。　He　has　a　little　place　that　he　calls　his　〃office；〃　with　a　typewriter　machine　and　a　stenographer。　Here　he　sits　and　dictates　letters；　beginning　after　the　best　business　models；　〃in　re　yours　of　the　eighth　ult。；　would　say；　etc。；　etc。〃　He　writes　these　letters　to　students；　to　his　fellow　professors；　to　the　president；　indeed　to　any　people　who　will　let　him　write　to　them。　The　number　of　letters　that　he　writes　each　month　is　duly　counted　and　set　to　his　credit。　If　he　writes　enough　he　will　get　a　reputation　as　an　〃executive；〃　and　big　things　may　happen　to　him。　He　may　even　be　asked　to　step　out　of　the　college　and　take　a　post　as　an　〃executive〃　in　a　soap　company　or　an　advertising　firm。　The　man；　in　short；　is　a　〃hustler；〃　an　〃advertiser〃　whose　highest　aim　is　to　be　a　〃live…wire。〃　If　he　is　not；　he　will　presently　be　dismissed；　or；　to　use　the　business　term；　be　〃let　go；〃　by　a　board　of　trustees　who　are　themselves　hustlers　and　live…wires。　As　to　the　professor's　soul；　he　no　longer　needs　to　think　of　it　as　it　has　been　handed　over　along　with　all　the　others　to　a　Board　of　Censors。

The　American　professor　deals　with　his　students　according　to　his　lights。　It　is　his　business　to　chase　them　along　over　a　prescribed　ground　at　a　prescribed　pace　like　a　flock　of　sheep。　They　all　go　humping　together　over　the　hurdles　with　the　professor　chasing　them　with　a　set　of　〃tests〃　and　〃recitations；〃　〃marks〃　and　〃attendances；〃　the　whole　apparatus　obviously　copied　from　the　time…clock　of　the　business　man's　factory。　This　process　is　what　is　called　〃showing　results。〃　The　pace　set　is　necessarily　that　of　the　slowest；　and　thus　results　in　what　I　have　heard　Mr。　Edward　Beatty　describe　as　the　〃convoy　system　of　education。〃

In　my　own　opinion；　reached　after　fifty…two　years　of　profound　reflection；　this　system　contains　in　itself　the　seeds　of　destruction。　It　puts　a　premium　on　dulness　and　a　penalty　on　genius。　It　circumscribes　that　latitude　of　mind　which　is　the　real　spirit　of　learning。　If　we　persist　in　it　we　shall　presently　find　that　true　learning　will　fly　away　from　our　universities　and　will　take　rest　wherever　some　individual　and　enquiring　mind　can　mark　out　its　path　for　itself。

Now　the　principal　reason　why　I　am　led　to　admire　Oxford　is　that　the　place　is　little　touched　as　yet　by　the　measuring　of　〃results；〃　and　by　this　passion　for　visible　and　provable　〃efficiency。〃　The　whole　system　at　Oxford　is　such　as　to　put　a　premium　on　genius　and　to　let　mediocrity　and　dulness　go　their　way。　On　the　dull　student　Oxford；　after　a　proper　lapse　of　time；　confers　a　degree　which　means　nothing　more　than　that　he　lived　and　breathed　at　Oxford　and　kept　out　of　jail。　This　for　many　students　is　as　much　as　society　can　expect。　But　for　the　gifted　students　Oxford　offers　great　opportunities。　There　is　no　question　of　his　hanging　back　till　the　last　sheep　has　jumped　over　the　fence。　He　need　wait　for　no　one。　He　may　move　forward　as　fast　as　he　likes；　following　the　bent　of　his　genius。　If　he　has　in　him　any　ability　beyond　that　of　the　common　herd；　his　tutor；　interested　in　his　studies；　will　smoke　at　him　until　he　kindles　him　into　a　flame。　　For　the　tutor's　soul　is　not　harassed　by　herding　dull　students；　with　dismissal　hanging　by　a　thread　over　his　head　in　the　class　room。　The　American　professor　has　no　time　to　be　interested　in　a　clever　student。　He　has　time　to　be　interested　in　his　〃deportment；〃　his　letter…writing；　his　executive　work；　and　his　organising　ability　and　his　hope　of　promotion　to　a　soap　factory。　But　with　that　his　mind　is　exhausted。　The　student　of　genius　merely　means　to　him　a　student　who　gives　no　trouble；　who　passes　all　his　〃tests；〃　and　is　present　at　all　his　〃recitations。〃　Such　a　student　also；　if　he　can　be　trained　to　be　a　hustler　and　an　advertiser；　will　undoubtedly　〃make　good。〃　But　beyond　that　the　professor　does　not　think　of　him。　The　everlasting　principle　of　equality　has　inserted　itself　in　a　place　where　it　has　no　right　to　be；　and　where　inequality　is　the　breath　of　life。

American　or　Canadian　college　trustees　would　be　horrified　at　the　notion　of　professors　who　apparently　do　no　work；　give　few　or　no　lectures　and　draw　their　pay　merely　for　existing。　Yet　these　are　really　the　only　kind　of　professors　worth　having；I　mean；　men　who　can　be　trusted　with　a　vague　general　mission　in　life；　with　a　salary　guaranteed　at　least　till　their　death；　and　a　sphere　of　duties　entrusted　solely　to　their　own　consciences　and　the　promptings　of　their　own　desires。　Such　men　are　rare；　but　a　single　one　of　them；　when　found；　is　worth　ten　〃executives〃　and　a　dozen　〃organisers。〃

The　excellence　of　Oxford；　then；　as　I　see　it；　lies　in　the　peculiar　vagueness　of　the　organisation　of　its　work。　It　starts　from　the　assumption　that　the　prof