the new machiavelli-第73章

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understanding。　　It　isn't　that　ourSALT　of　three　or　four　thousand　is　

needlessly　rare；　it　is　sustained　by　far　too　small　and　

undifferentiated　a　public。　　Most　of　the　good　men　we　know　are　not　

really　doing　the　very　best　work　of　their　gifts；　nearly　all　are　a　

little　adapted；　most　are　shockingly　adapted　to　some　second…best　use。　　

Now；　I　take　it；　this　is　the　very　centre　and　origin　of　the　muddle；　

futility；　and　unhappiness　that　distresses　us；　it's　the　cardinal　

problem　of　the　stateto　discover；　develop；　and　use　the　exceptional　

gifts　of　men。　　And　I　see　that　best　doneI　drift　more　and　more　away　

from　the　common　stuff　of　legislative　and　administrative　activityby　

a　quite　revolutionary　development　of　the　educational　machinery；　but　

by　a　still　more　unprecedented　attempt　to　keep　science　going；　to　keep　

literature　going；　and　to　keep　what　is　the　necessary　spur　of　all　

science　and　literature；　an　intelligent　and　appreciative　criticism　

going。　　You　know　none　of　these　things　have　ever　been　kept　going　

hitherto；　they've　come　unexpectedly　and　inexplicably。〃



〃Hear；　hear！〃　from　Dayton；　cough；　nodding　of　the　head；　and　an　

expression　of　mystical　profundity。



〃They've　lit　up　a　civilisation　and　vanished；　to　give　place　to　

darkness　again。　　Now　the　modern　state　doesn't　mean　to　go　back　to　

darkness　againand　so　it's　got　to　keep　its　light　burning。〃　　I　went　

on　to　attack　the　present　organisation　of　our　schools　and　

universities；　which　seemed　elaborately　designed　to　turn　the　well…

behaved；　uncritical；　and　uncreative　men　of　each　generation　into　the　

authoritative　leaders　of　the　next；　and　I　suggested　remedies　upon　

lines　that　I　have　already　indicated　in　the　earlier　chapters　of　this　

story。　。　。　。



So　far　I　had　the　substance　of　the　club　with　me；　but　I　opened　new　

ground　and　set　Crupp　agog　by　confessing　my　doubt　from　which　party　or　

combination　of　groups　these　developments　of　science　and　literature　

and　educational　organisation　could　most　reasonably　be　expected。　　I　

looked　up　to　find　Crupp's　dark　little　eye　intent　upon　me。



There　I　left　it　to　them。



We　had　an　astonishingly　good　discussion；　Neal　burst　once；　but　we　

emerged　from　his　flood　after　a　time；　and　Dayton　had　his　interlude。　　

The　rest　was　all　close；　keen　examination　of　my　problem。



I　see　Crupp　now　with　his　arm　bent　before　him　on　the　table　in　a　way　

we　had；　as　though　it　was　jointed　throughout　its　length　like　a　

lobster's　antenna；　his　plump；　short…fingered　hand　crushing　up　a　

walnut　shell　into　smaller　and　smaller　fragments。　　〃Remington；〃　he　

said；　〃has　given　us　the　data　for　a　movement；　a　really　possible　

movement。　　It's　not　only　possible；　but　necessaryurgently　

necessary；　I　think；　if　the　Empire　is　to　go　on。〃



〃We're　working　altogether　too　much　at　the　social　basement　in　

education　and　training；〃　said　Gane。　　〃Remington　is　right　about　our　

neglect　of　the　higher　levels。〃



Britten　made　a　good　contribution　with　an　analysis　of　what　he　called　

the　spirit　of　a　country　and　what　made　it。　　〃The　modern　community　

needs　its　serious　men　to　be　artistic　and　its　artists　to　be　taken　

seriously；〃　I　remember　his　saying。　　〃The　day　has　gone　by　for　either　

dull　responsibility　or　merely　witty　art。〃



I　remember　very　vividly　how　Shoesmith　harped　on　an　idea　I　had　thrown　

out　of　using　some　sort　of　review　or　weekly　to　express　and　elaborate　

these　conceptions　of　a　new；　severer；　aristocratic　culture。



〃It　would　have　to　be　done　amazingly　well；〃　said　Britten；　and　my　mind　

went　back　to　my　school　days　and　that　ancient　enterprise　of　ours；　and　

how　Cossington　had　rushed　it。　　Well；　Cossington　had　too　many　papers　

nowadays　to　interfere　with　us；　and　we　perhaps　had　learnt　some　

defensive　devices。



〃But　this　thing　has　to　be　linked　to　some　political　party；〃　said　

Crupp；　with　his　eye　on　me。　　〃You　can't　get　away　from　that。　　The　

Liberals；〃　he　added；　〃have　never　done　anything　for　research　or　

literature。〃



〃They　had　a　Royal　Commission　on　the　Dramatic　Censorship；〃　said　

Thorns；　with　a　note　of　minute　fairness。　　〃It　shows　what　they　were　

made　of；〃　he　added。



〃It's　what　I've　told　Remington　again　and　again；〃　said　Crupp；　〃we've　

got　to　pick　up　the　tradition　of　aristocracy；　reorganise　it；　and　make　

it　work。　　But　he's　certainly　suggested　a　method。〃



〃There　won't　be　much　aristocracy　to　pick　up；〃　said　Dayton；　darkly　to　

the　ceiling；　〃if　the　House　of　Lords　throws　out　the　Budget。〃



〃All　the　more　reason　for　picking　it　up；〃　said　Neal。　　〃For　we　can't　

do　without　it。〃



〃Will　they　go　to　the　bad；　or　will　they　rise　from　the　ashes；　

aristocrats　indeedif　the　Liberals　come　in　overwhelmingly？〃　said　

Britten。



〃It's　we　who　might　decide　that；〃　said　Crupp；　insidiously。



〃I　agree；〃　said　Gane。



〃No　one　can　tell；〃　said　Thorns。　　〃I　doubt　if　they　will　get　beaten。〃



It　was　an　odd；　fragmentary　discussion　that　night。　　We　were　all　with　

ideas　in　our　minds　at　once　fine　and　imperfect。　　We　threw　out　

suggestions　that　showed　themselves　at　once　far　inadequate；　and　we　

tried　to　qualify　them　by　minor　self…contradictions。　　Britten；　I　

think；　got　more　said　than　any　one。　　〃You　all　seem　to　think　you　want　

to　organise　people；　particular　groups　and　classes　of　individuals；〃　

he　insisted。　　〃It　isn't　that。　　That's　the　standing　error　of　

politicians。　　You　want　to　organise　a　culture。　　Civilisation　isn't　a　

matter　of　concrete　groupings；　it's　a　matter　of　prevailing　ideas。　　

The　problem　is　how　to　make　bold；　clear　ideas　prevail。　　The　question　

for　Remington　and　us　is　just　what　groups　of　people　will　most　help　

this　culture　forward。〃



〃Yes；　but　how　are　the　Lords　going　to　behave？〃　said　Crupp。　　〃You　

yourself　were　asking　that　a　little　while　ago。〃



〃If　they　win　or　if　they　lose；〃　Gane　maintained；　〃there　will　be　a　

movement　to　reorganise　aristocracyReform　of　the　House　of　Lords；　

they'll　call　the　political　form　of　it。〃



〃Bailey　thinks　that；〃　said　some　one。



〃The　labour　people　want　abolition；〃　said　some　one。　　〃Let　'em；〃　said　

Thorns。



He　became　audible；　sketching　a　possibility　of　action。



〃Suppose　all　of　us　were　able　to　work　together。　　It's　just　one　of　

those　indeterminate；　confused；　eventful　times　ahead　when　a　steady　

jet　of　ideas　might　produce　enormous　results。〃



〃Leave　me　out　of　it；〃　said　Dayton；　〃IF　you　please。〃



〃We　should；〃　said　Thorns　under　his　breath。



I　took　up　Crupp's　initiative；　I　remember；　and　expanded　it。



〃I　believe　we　could　doextensive　things；〃　I　insisted。



〃Revivals　and　revisions　of　Toryism　have　been　tried　so　often；〃　said　

Thorns；　〃from　the　Young　England　movement　onward。〃



〃Not　one　but　has　produced　its　enduring　effects；〃　I　said。　　〃It's　the　

peculiarity　of　English　conservatism　that　it's　persistently　

progressive　and　rejuvenescent。〃



I　think　it　must　have　been　about　that　point　that　Dayton　fled　our　

presence；　after　some　clumsy　sentence　that　I　decided　upon　reflection　

was　intended　to　remind　me　of　my　duty　to　my　party。



Then　I　remember　Thorns　firing　doubts　at　me　obliquely　across　the　

table。　　〃You　can't　run　a　country　through　its　spoilt　children；〃　he　

said。　　〃What　you　call　aristocrats　are　really　spoilt　children。　　

They've　had　too　much　of　everything；　except　bracing　experience。〃



〃Children　can　always　be　educated；〃　said　Crupp。



〃I　said　SPOILT　children；〃　said　Thorns。



〃Look　here；　Thorns！〃　said　I。　　〃If　this　Budget　row　leads　to　a　storm；　

and　these　big　people　get　their　power　clipped；　what's　going　to　

happen？　　Have　you　thought　of　that？　　When　they　go　out　lock；　stock；　

and　barrel；　who　comes　in？〃



〃Nature　abhors　a　Vacuum；〃　said　Crupp；　supporting　me。



〃Bailey's　trained　officials；〃　suggested　Gane。



〃Quacks　with　a　certificate　of　approval　from　Altiora；〃　said　Thorns。　　

〃I　admit　the　horrors　of　the　alternative。　　There'd　be　a　massacre　in　

three　years。〃



〃One　may　go　on　trying　possibilities　for　ever；〃　I　said。　　〃One　thing　

emerges。　　Whatever　accidents　happen；　our　civilisation　needs；　and　

almost　consciously　needs；　a　culture　of　fine　cre