heretics- 第14部分

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　at　a　subscription　dance



unless　we　believe　that　the　stars　are　dancing　to　the　same　tune。　　No　one　can



be　really　hilarious　but　the　serious　man。　　〃Wine；〃　says　the　Scripture；



〃maketh　glad　the　heart　of　man；〃　but　only　of　the　man　who　has　a　heart。



The　thing　called　high　spirits　is　possible　only　to　the　spiritual。



Ultimately　a　man　cannot　rejoice　in　anything　except　the　nature　of　things。



Ultimately　a　man　can　enjoy　nothing　except　religion。　　Once　in　the　world's



history　men　did　believe　that　the　stars　were　dancing　to　the　tune



of　their　temples；　and　they　danced　as　men　have　never　danced　since。



With　this　old　pagan　eudaemonism　the　sage　of　the　Rubaiyat　has



quite　as　little　to　do　as　he　has　with　any　Christian　variety。



He　is　no　more　a　Bacchanal　than　he　is　a　saint。　　Dionysus　and　his　church



was　grounded　on　a　serious　joie…de…vivre　like　that　of　Walt　Whitman。



Dionysus　made　wine；　not　a　medicine；　but　a　sacrament。



Jesus　Christ　also　made　wine；　not　a　medicine；　but　a　sacrament。



But　Omar　makes　it；　not　a　sacrament；　but　a　medicine。　　He　feasts



because　life　is　not　joyful；　he　revels　because　he　is　not　glad。



〃Drink；〃　he　says；　〃for　you　know　not　whence　you　come　nor　why。



Drink；　for　you　know　not　when　you　go　nor　where。　　Drink；　because　the



stars　are　cruel　and　the　world　as　idle　as　a　humming…top。　Drink；



because　there　is　nothing　worth　trusting；　nothing　worth　fighting　for。



Drink；　because　all　things　are　lapsed　in　a　base　equality　and　an



evil　peace。〃　　So　he　stands　offering　us　the　cup　in　his　hand。



And　at　the　high　altar　of　Christianity　stands　another　figure；　in　whose



hand　also　is　the　cup　of　the　vine。　　〃Drink〃　he　says　〃for　the　whole



world　is　as　red　as　this　wine；　with　the　crimson　of　the　love　and　wrath



of　God。　　Drink；　for　the　trumpets　are　blowing　for　battle　and　this



is　the　stirrup…cup。　Drink；　for　this　my　blood　of　the　new　testament



that　is　shed　for　you。　　Drink；　for　I　know　of　whence　you　come　and　why。



Drink；　for　I　know　of　when　you　go　and　where。〃















VIII。　　The　Mildness　of　the　Yellow　Press











There　is　a　great　deal　of　protest　made　from　one　quarter　or　another



nowadays　against　the　influence　of　that　new　journalism　which　is



associated　with　the　names　of　Sir　Alfred　Harmsworth　and　Mr。　Pearson。



But　almost　everybody　who　attacks　it　attacks　on　the　ground　that　it



is　very　sensational；　very　violent　and　vulgar　and　startling。



I　am　speaking　in　no　affected　contrariety；　but　in　the　simplicity



of　a　genuine　personal　impression；　when　I　say　that　this　journalism



offends　as　being　not　sensational　or　violent　enough。　　The　real　vice



is　not　that　it　is　startling；　but　that　it　is　quite　insupportably　tame。



The　whole　object　is　to　keep　carefully　along　a　certain　level　of　the



expected　and　the　commonplace；　it　may　be　low；　but　it　must　take　care



also　to　be　flat。　　Never　by　any　chance　in　it　is　there　any　of　that　real



plebeian　pungency　which　can　be　heard　from　the　ordinary　cabman　in



the　ordinary　street。　　We　have　heard　of　a　certain　standard　of　decorum



which　demands　that　things　should　be　funny　without　being　vulgar；



but　the　standard　of　this　decorum　demands　that　if　things　are　vulgar



they　shall　be　vulgar　without　being　funny。　　This　journalism　does



not　merely　fail　to　exaggerate　lifeit　positively　underrates　it；



and　it　has　to　do　so　because　it　is　intended　for　the　faint　and　languid



recreation　of　men　whom　the　fierceness　of　modern　life　has　fatigued。



This　press　is　not　the　yellow　press　at　all；　it　is　the　drab　press。



Sir　Alfred　Harmsworth　must　not　address　to　the　tired　clerk



any　observation　more　witty　than　the　tired　clerk　might　be　able



to　address　to　Sir　Alfred　Harmsworth。　　It　must　not　expose　anybody



（anybody　who　is　powerful；　that　is）；　it　must　not　offend　anybody；



it　must　not　even　please　anybody；　too　much。　　A　general　vague　idea



that　in