多多读书

手机浏览器扫描二维码访问

第64部分（第1页）

such　folk　were　supposed　to　haunt　this　very　desert　of　which　I　was　writing。

Imagine；　therefore；　my　astonishment　when；　in　a　copy　of　his　“Notes　de　Voyage”　for　1909　which　Sir　Gaston　Maspero　kindly　sent　me　—　“The　Way　of　the　Spirit”　was　written　in　1905　—　I　found　the　following　passage：

Ces　quatre…la　sont…ils　allies　aux　quatre　afrites　musiciens；　deux　joueurs　de　flute　et　deux　joueurs　de　tambourin　ou　de　darabouka；　qui　hantent　le　desert　dans　les　memes　parages？　Ils　jouent　sur　le　passage　des　voyageurs　et　c’est　toujours　un　mauvais　presage　que　de　les　rencontrer：　si　on　s’eloigne　vite　sans　leur　adresser　la　parole　et；　autant　que　possible；　sans　les　regarder；　on　a　quelque　chance　d’echapper　au　mauvais　sort；　sinon　l’on　est　perdu。

It　will　be　observed　that　here　everything　is　the　same；　mise　en　scene；　misfortune；　all。　There　is　but　one　difference。　Of　Sir　Gaston’s　afrites；　or　musical　ghosts；　there　were　four；　of　my　wandering　players；　five。　I　have　added　a　third　flutist　by　way　of　interest　on　the　capital　of　the　true　legend。

Perhaps　these　examples　of　literary　coincidence　in　my　own　books　may　suffice；　though　I　think　there　are　more。　Indeed　I　recall　two　in　connection　with　“Heart　of　the　World”　and　“Ayesha”　respectively；　which　are　curious　enough　in　their　way。　Also　as　I　write　it　es　back　to　me　that　there　are　yet　two　others　which；　as　I　am　on　the　subject；　I　may　as　well　state　quite　briefly。

The　first　of　these　is　to　be　found　in　“Montezuma’s　Daughter。”　Here　the　hero；　a　certain　Thomas　Wingfield；　is　stated　to　have　lived　near　Bungay　in　the　reign　of　Elizabeth；　and　to　have　been　a　doctor　by　trade；　having　learned　his　business　from　another　leech　in　this　immediate　neighbourhood。　After　many　adventures　he　dies　here　a　rich　man　and　leaves　charities　to　the　poor。　Certainly　I　did　think　it　strange　when；　subsequent　to　the　writing　of　the　book；　I　discovered　from　Mr。　Herbert　Hartcup；　the　lawyer；　who　is　a　trustee　of　the　Bungay　Charities；　that　a　man　called　Thomas　Wingfield　did　live　and　die　at　that　exact　time；　that　he　was　a　doctor　who　served　his　apprenticeship　with　another　local　leech；　that　in　some　way　or　other　he　did　accumulate　wealth　of　which　he　bequeathed　a　portion　to　the　poor　that　they　enjoy　to　this　day；　and　that　his　will；　which　I　have　since　seen；　was　just　such　a　one　as　might　have　been　written　by　the　imaginary　Thomas。　Almost　am　I　tempted　to　believe　that　the　true　Wingfield　must　have　visited　Mexico　in　the　days　of　Cortes；　and　that；　if　one　were　to　dig　up　his　bones；　among　them　would　be　found　the　necklace　of　great　emeralds　which　was　given　to　him　by　Guatemoc　in　the　hiding…place　of　Montezuma’s　treasure。

The　last　specimen　is　very　simple。　While　visiting　an　old　church　in　Suffolk　I　conceived　the　idea　of　my　novel；　“Joan　Haste；”　of　which　it　is　unnecessary　to　set　out　the　plot。　After　reading　it　a　connection　of　mine　remarked　that　he　had　been　much　interested　by　the　book；　though　he　did　not　think　that　the　A。…Z。‘s；　whom　he　knew　well；　would　altogether　appreciate　such　an　accurate　report　of　a　passage　in　their　family　history　whereof　they　did　not　often　speak。　Also　he　was　nervous　lest　it　should　be　supposed　by　them　that　he　had　told　me　a　story　which　was　municated　to　him　in　confidence。　On　further　investigation　it　transpired　that　these　A。…Z。‘s　were　buried　in　the　very　churchyard　where　I　had　imagined　my　tale；　and　that　their　family　owned　and　still　own　all　the　land　by　which　it　is　surrounded。

It　needs　no　great　stretch　of　fancy　to　believe　that　in　some　subtle　way　the　bones　beneath　the　soil　of　that　churchyard　had　imparted　some　of　their　history　to　my　mind　while；　touched　by　the　place；　I　stood　there　evolving　the　material　for　another　book。

Before　I　finally　leave　the　subject　of　romance…writing　I　should　like　to　say　a　few　words　upon　a　certain　point。　I　have　been　a　good　deal　attacked　because　there　is　much　fighting　in　many　of　my　more　imaginative　works；　which　fighting　necessarily　involves　the　death　of　men；　the　inference　being　that　to　write　of　such　things　is　not　desirable。　I　would　ask；　Why　not？　However　painful　the　fact；　it　remains　true　that　man　is　a　fighting　animal；　and　that　from　the　time　of　Homer　down；　and　probably　for　tens　of　thousands　of　years　before　it；　some　of　his　finest　qualities　—　such　as　patriotism；　courage；　obedience　to　authority；　patience　in　disaster；　fidelity　to　friends　and　a　noble　cause；　endurance；　and　so　forth　—　have　been　evolved　in　the　presence　of　war；　as　we　need　go　no　further　than　the　pages　of　the　Old　Testament　to　learn。　Is　it　not　better　to　write　of　hard；　clean；　honest　fighting　than；　for　instance；　of　treacherous　and　sickening　murder？　Will　any　young　man　be　the　worse　for　the　lesson　that　his　hands　were　given　him　to　defend　his　head；　and；　if　need　be；　his　country’s　honour；　with　that　of　all　who　are　dear　to　him？　I　think　not。

It　is　true　that　in　such　a　book　as　“Nada　the　Lily”　there　is　much　slaughter。　But　all　this　is　a　matter　of　history。　A　tale　of　the　days　of　Chaka　which　left　out　his　slayings　and　battles　would　be　false　to　the　facts　and　merely　ludicrous。　Omelets　cannot　be　made　without　the　breaking　of　eggs。　Would　such　critics　then　argue　that　this　tale　and　others　like　it　should　be　left　untold？　If　so；　I　hold　that　they　are　wrong；　since　these　give　a　picture　which；　from　the　circumstances　of　my　youth；　perhaps　I　alone　in　the　world　can　paint；　not　only　of　some　very　remarkable　men；　but　of　a　state　of　savage　society　which　has　now　passed　away　and　may　never　recur。

Further；　is　there　not　some　hypocrisy　in　such　cavilling　in　an　age　when　all　the　great　nations　of　the　world　are　arming　themselves　to　the　teeth　for　that　Armageddon　which　one　day　must　e？　And　do　not　some　of　the　very　papers　in　which　it　appears　fill　their　columns　with　nauseous　and　most　particular　accounts　of　dreadful　and　degrading　crimes；　such　as　the　betrayal　and　butchery　of　a　defenceless　woman；　dilating　on　them　from　day　to　day　till　the　reader　is　sickened？　Of　which　is　it　the　more　harmful　to　read　—　of　a　fight　between　the　splendid　Zulu　impis；　faithful　to　death；　of　old　Umslopogaas　holding　the　stair　against　overpowering　odds；　or；　let　us　say；　of　the　dismemberment　of　a　wife　or　the　massacre　of　little　children　by　some　human　brute　or　lunatic？

Personally　I　hate　war；　and　all　killing；　down　to　the　destruction　of　the　lower　animals　for　the　sake　of　sport；　has　bee　abominable　to　me。　But　while　the　battle…clouds　bank　up　I　do　not　think　that　any　can　be　harmed　by　reading　of　heroic　deeds　or　of　frays　in　which　brave　men　lose　their　lives。

What　I　deem　undesirable　are　the　tales　of　lust；　crime；　and　moral　perversion　with　which　the　bookstalls　are　strewn　by　dozens。

Chapter　17　POLITICS　AND　TOWN　LIFE

H。　R。　H。‘s　political　views　—　Bred　a　Tory　—　Cross…bench　mind　—　Strong　Imperialist　—　Asked　to　stand　for　King’s　Lynn　—　Declined　—　Co…director　of　African　Review　—　Undertook　later　to　contest　East　Norfolk　—　Difficult　constituency　for　Conservative　—　Beaten　by　198　votes　—　Stood　in　the　agricultural　interest　—　Specially　interested　in　S。　African　affairs　—　Cecil　Rhodes　—　Retired　from　African　Review　—　Death　of　H。　R。　H。‘s　father　—　Elected　chairman　of　local　bench　—　Major　Burnham　—　Some　of　his　adventures　—　Major　Cheyne。

Ever　since　I　came　to　manhood　I　have　taken　an　interest　in　politics；　though　at　first　it　was　the　foreign　branch　of　the　subject　that　attracted　me　most。　Like　most　country　squires　my　father　was　a　Tory　to　the　backbone；　and；　although　one　of　them　broke　away；　all　his　sons　were　brought　up　in　the　strictest　sect　of　that　somewhat　fossilised　creed。　People　generally　remain　in　the　political　fold　wherein　they　chance　to　be　born；　much　as　they　generally　remain　Protestants　or　Roman　Catholics；　or　Wesleyans　or　Unitarians；　according　to　the　faith　of　their　fathers。　Now　I　understand　that　I　never　was　a　real　Tory　—　that；　in　short；　as　a　party　man　I　am　the　most　miserable　failure。　As　a　politician　I　should　have　been　useless　from　any　whip’s　point　of　view。　He　would　—　well；　have　struck　me　off　his　list　as　neither　hot　nor　cold；　as　a　dangerous　and　undesirable　individual　who；　refusing　to　swallow　the　shibboleths　of　his　tribe　with　shut　eyes；　actually　dared　to　think　for　himself　and　to　possess　that　hateful　thing；　“a　cross…bench　mind。”

I　believe　in　conscription。　I　think　it　would　be　the　grandest　gift　that　Heaven　could　give　to　Britain；　that　it　would　lighten　the　terrible　burden　of　anxiety　which　haunts　many　of　us26　by　at　least　one…half；　that　it　would　make　men　of　tens　of　thousands　among　us　who　are　now　but　loafers　without　ambition；　without　prospects；　save　such　as　the　relief　that　State　or　private　charity　may　afford；　that　it　would　inculcate　patriotism　and　the　sense　of　discipline；　lacking　which　every　country　must　in　time　e　to　an　inglorious　end。　Indeed　my　greatest　grudge　against　Mr。　Balfour　and　his　colleagues　is　that　they　did　not　take　the　opportunity　given　to　them　during　the　dark　days　of　the　South　African　War　to　introduce　this　reform；　which　would　then；　I　believe；　have　been　passed　without　a　murmur。　Of　course　I　understand　that　they　feared　lest　a　bold　step　of　the　sort　should　tell　against　them　at　the　polls。　How　superfluous　were　their　fears　was　shown　by　the　ultimate　disaster　to　which　their　do…nothing　policy　led　the　party　at　last。　At　the　best；　failure　was　in　front　of　them；　and　it　would　have　been　better　to　fail　with　something　done；　if　such　should　prove　their　fate；　leaving　a　great　name　behind　them　which　ere　long　their　country　would　have　crowned　with　the　honour　it　deserved。

25　Written　in　1912。

These　are　sentiments　which；　however　much　they　were　disapproved　of　by　the　party　manager　on　the　hunt　for　votes；　would；　if　adequately　presented；　probably　provoke　a　cheer　from　a　Conservative　audience。　But　suppose　that　I　were　the　speaker　on　such　an　occasion；　and　followed　that　up　by　stating　that　I　had　grave　misgivings　as　to　the　authorised　programme　of　Protection；　alias　Tariff　Reform？　Suppose　I　pointed　out　that　in　my　view；　which　is　possibly　quite　erroneous；　duties　on　food…stuffs　are　scarcely　practicable　in　this　land　of　city…dwellers；　who　not　unnaturally　object　to　paying　more　for　the　necessaries　of　life；　as；　however　moderate　those　duties　might　be；　the　British　middle…man　would　be　careful　to　see　they　did？　Suppose；　further；　that　I　showed　what　I　take　to　be　an　unanswerable　fact；　that　any　scheme　of　Tariff　Reform　which　omitted　duties　on　food…stuffs　would　result　in　the　final　ruin　of　British　agriculture；　and　in　the　consequent　progressive　deterioration　of　the　race；　what　would　the　Conservative　Party　say　then？　That　they　had　no　use　for　me；　I　imagine！

In　the　same　way；　what　place　is　there　in　politics　for　a　man　like　myself　who　has　the　most　earnest　sympathies　with　the　poor　and　who　desires　to　advance　their　lot　in　every　reasonable　way；　but　who　loathes　and　detests　the　Radical　method　of　attempting　to　set　class　against　class；　and　of　aiming　all　their　artillery　at　the　middle　section　of　society　—　the　real　prop　of　the　race　—　for　the　reason　that　it　is　Conservative　in　its　instincts　and　votes　against　them　at　the　polls？　Again；　what　would　be　thought　of　one　who；　posing　as　a　member　of　the　Tory　party；　yet　earnestly　advocated　the　division　of　the　land　amongst　about　ten　times　as　many　as　hold　it　at　present；　thereby　spoiling　a　great　many　great　estates；　and　often　enough　interfering　with　the　interests　and　pleasures　of　those　who　shoot　and　hunt；　or　who　seek　this　road　to　social　success？　Assuredly　for　such　a　one　there　is　no　standing…room　upon　any　of　our　political　platforms。　“Away　with　him！”　would　be　the　cry。