the new machiavelli-第13章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



exclusions。　　Mahometanism　with　its　fierce　proselytism；　has；　I　

suppose；　the　blackest　record　of　uncharitableness；　but　most　of　the　

Christian　sects　are　tainted；　tainted　to　a　degree　beyond　any　of　the　

anterior　paganisms；　with　this　same　hateful　quality。　　It　is　their　

exclusive　claim　that　sends　them　wrong；　the　vain　ambition　that　

inspires　them　all　to　teach　a　uniform　one…sided　God　and　be　the　one　

and　only　gateway　to　salvation。　　Deprecation　of　all　outside　the　

household　of　faith；　an　organised　undervaluation　of　heretical　

goodness　and　lovableness；　follows；　necessarily。　　Every　petty　

difference　is　exaggerated　to　the　quality　of　a　saving　grace　or　a　

damning　defect。　　Elaborate　precautions　are　taken　to　shield　the　

believer's　mind　against　broad　or　amiable　suggestions；　the　faithful　

are　deterred　by　dark　allusions；　by　sinister　warnings；　from　books；　

from　theatres；　from　worldly　conversation；　from　all　the　kindly　

instruments　that　mingle　human　sympathy。　　For　only　by　isolating　its　

flock　can　the　organisation　survive。



Every　month　there　came　to　my　mother　a　little　magazine　called；　if　I　

remember　rightly；　the　HOME　CHURCHMAN；　with　the　combined　authority　of　

print　and　clerical　commendation。　　It　was　the　most　evil　thing　that　

ever　came　into　the　house；　a　very　devil；　a　thin　little　pamphlet　with　

one　woodcut　illustration　on　the　front　page　of　each　number；　now　the　

uninviting　visage　of　some　exponent　of　the　real　and　only　doctrine　and　

attitudes；　now　some　coral　strand　in　act　of　welcoming　the　

missionaries　of　God's　mysterious　preferences；　now　a　new　church　in　

the　Victorian　Gothic。　　The　vile　rag　it　was！　　A　score　of　vices　that　

shun　the　policeman　have　nothing　of　its　subtle　wickedness。　　It　was　an　

outrage　upon　the　natural　kindliness　of　men。　　The　contents　were　all　

admirably　adjusted　to　keep　a　spirit　in　prison。　　Their　force　of　

sustained　suggestion　was　tremendous。　　There　would　be　dreadful　

intimations　of　the　swift　retribution　that　fell　upon　individuals　for　

Sabbath…breaking；　and　upon　nations　for　weakening　towards　Ritualism；　

or　treating　Roman　Catholics　as　tolerable　human　beings；　there　would　

be　great　rejoicings　over　the　conversion　of　alleged　Jews；　and　

terrible　descriptions　of　the　death…beds　of　prominent　infidels　with　

boldly　invented　last　words；the　most　unscrupulous　lying；　there　

would　be　the　appallingly　edifying　careers　of　〃early　piety〃　

lusciously　described；　or　stories　of　condemned　criminals　who　traced　

their　final　ruin　unerringly　to　early　laxities　of　the　kind　that　leads　

people　to　give　up　subscribing　to　the　HOME　CHURCHMAN。



Every　month　that　evil　spirit　brought　about　a　slump　in　our　mutual　

love。　　My　mother　used　to　read　the　thing　and　become　depressed　and　

anxious　for　my　spiritual　welfare；　used　to　be　stirred　to　

unintelligent　pestering。　。　。　。





2



A　few　years　ago　I　met　the　editor　of　this　same　HOME　CHURCHMAN。　　It　

was　at　one　of　the　weekly　dinners　of　that　Fleet　Street　dining　club；　

the　Blackfriars。



I　heard　the　paper's　name　with　a　queer　little　shock　and　surveyed　the　

man　with　interest。　　No　doubt　he　was　only　a　successor　of　the　purveyor　

of　discords　who　darkened　my　boyhood。　　It　was　amazing　to　find　an　

influence　so　terrible　embodied　in　a　creature　so　palpably　petty。　　He　

was　seated　some　way　down　a　table　at　right　angles　to　the　one　at　which　

I　sat；　a　man　of　mean　appearance　with　a　greyish　complexion；　thin；　

with　a　square　nose；　a　heavy　wiry　moustache　and　a　big　Adam's　apple　

sticking　out　between　the　wings　of　his　collar。　　He　ate　with　

considerable　appetite　and　unconcealed　relish；　and　as　his　jaw　was　

underhung；　he　chummed　and　made　the　moustache　wave　like　reeds　in　the　

swell　of　a　steamer。　　It　gave　him　a　conscientious　look。　　After　dinner　

he　a　little　forced　himself　upon　me。　　At　that　time；　though　the　shadow　

of　my　scandal　was　already　upon　me；　I　still　seemed　to　be　shaping　for　

great　successes；　and　he　was　glad　to　be　in　conversation　with　me　and　

anxious　to　intimate　political　sympathy　and　support。　　I　tried　to　make　

him　talk　of　the　HOME　CHURCHMAN　and　the　kindred　publications　he　ran；　

but　he　was　manifestly　ashamed　of　his　job　so　far　as　I　was　concerned。



〃One　wants；〃　he　said；　pitching　himself　as　he　supposed　in　my　key；　〃to　

put　constructive　ideas　into　our　readers；　but　they　are　narrow；　you　

know；　very　narrow。　　Very。〃　　He　made　his　moustache　and　lips　express　

judicious　regret。　　〃One　has　to　consider　them　carefully；　one　has　to　

respect　their　attitudes。　　One　dare　not　go　too　far　with　them。　　One　

has　to　feel　one's　way。〃



He　chummed　and　the　moustache　bristled。



A　hireling；　beyond　question；　catering　for　a　demand。　　I　gathered　

there　was　a　home　in　Tufnell　Park；　and　three　boys　to　be　fed　and　

clothed　and　educated。　。　。　。



I　had　the　curiosity　to　buy　a　copy　of　his　magazine　afterwards；　and　it　

seemed　much　the　same　sort　of　thing　that　had　worried　my　mother　in　my　

boyhood。　　There　was　the　usual　Christian　hero；　this　time　with　mutton…

chop　whiskers　and　a　long　bare　upper　lip。　　The　Jesuits；　it　seemed；　

were　still　hard　at　it；　and　Heaven　frightfully　upset　about　the　Sunday　

opening　of　museums　and　the　falling　birth…rate；　and　as　touchy　and　

vindictive　as　ever。　　There　were　two　vigorous　paragraphs　upon　the　

utter　damnableness　of　the　Rev。　R。　J。　Campbell；　a　contagious　

damnableness　I　gathered；　one　wasn't　safe　within　a　mile　of　Holborn　

Viaduct；　and　a　foul…mouthed　attack　on　poor　little　Wilkins　the　

novelistwho　was　being　baited　by　the　moralists　at　that　time　for　

making　one　of　his　big　women　characters；　not　being　in　holy　wedlock；　

desire　a　baby　and　say　so。　。　。　。



The　broadening　of　human　thought　is　a　slow　and　complex　process。　　We　

do　go　on；　we　do　get　on。　　But　when　one　thinks　that　people　are　living　

and　dying　now；　quarrelling　and　sulking；　misled　and　misunderstanding；　

vaguely　fearful；　condemning　and　thwarting　one　another　in　the　close　

darknesses　of　these　narrow　cultsOh；　God！　one　wants　a　gale　out　of　

Heaven；　one　wants　a　great　wind　from　the　sea！





3



While　I　lived　at　Penge　two　little　things　happened　to　me；　trivial　in　

themselves　and　yet　in　their　quality　profoundly　significant。　　They　

had　this　in　common；　that　they　pierced　the　texture　of　the　life　I　was　

quietly　taking　for　granted　and　let　me　see　through　it　into　realities

realities　I　had　indeed　known　about　before　but　never　realised。　　Each　

of　these　experiences　left　me　with　a　sense　of　shock；　with　all　the　

values　in　my　life　perplexingly　altered；　attempting　readjustment。　　

One　of　these　disturbing　and　illuminating　events　was　that　I　was　

robbed　of　a　new　pocket…knife　and　the　other　that　I　fell　in　love。　　It　

was　altogether　surprising　to　me　to　be　robbed。　　You　see；　as　an　only　

child　I　had　always　been　fairly　well　looked　after　and　protected；　and　

the　result　was　an　amazing　confidence　in　the　practical　goodness　of　

the　people　one　met　in　the　world。　　I　knew　there　were　robbers　in　the　

world；　just　as　I　knew　there　were　tigers；　that　I　was　ever　likely　to　

meet　robber　or　tiger　face　to　face　seemed　equally　impossible。



The　knife　as　I　remember　it　was　a　particularly　jolly　one　with　all　

sorts　of　instruments　in　it；　tweezers　and　a　thing　for　getting　a　stone　

out　of　the　hoof　of　a　horse；　and　a　corkscrew；　it　had　cost　me　a　

carefuly　accumulated　half…crown；　and　amounted　indeed　to　a　new　

experience　in　knives。　　I　had　had　it　for　two　or　three　days；　and　then　

one　afternoon　I　dropped　it　through　a　hole　in　my　pocket　on　a　footpath　

crossing　a　field　between　Penge　and　Anerley。　　I　heard　it　fall　in　the　

way　one　does　without　at　the　time　appreciating　what　had　happened；　

then；　later；　before　I　got　home；　when　my　hand　wandered　into　my　pocket　

to　embrace　the　still　dear　new　possession　I　found　it　gone；　and　

instantly　that　memory　of　something　hitting　the　ground　sprang　up　into　

consciousness。　　I　went　back　and　commenced　a　search。　　Almost　

immediately　I　was　accosted　by　the　leader　of　a　little　gang　of　four　or　

five　extremely　dirty　and　ragged　boys　of　assorted　sizes　and　slouching　

carriage　who　were　coming　from　the　Anerley　direction。



〃Lost　anyt