the unseen world and other essays-第71章

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nd　inefficiency；　the　incentives　to　dishonourable　conduct　are　overpowering。　The　result　in　our　own　political　life　is　that　the　best　men　are　driven　in　disgust　from　politics；　and　thus　one　of　the　noblest　fields　for　the　culture　of　the　whole　man　is　given　over　to　be　worked　by　swindlers　and　charlatans。　To　an　Athenian　such　a　severance　of　the　highest　culture　from　political　life　would　have　been　utterly　inconceivable。　Obviously　the　deepest　explanation　of　all　this　lies　in　our　lack　of　belief　in　the　necessity　for　high　and　thorough　training。　We　do　not　value　culture　enough　to　keep　it　in　our　employ　or　to　pay　it　for　its　services；　and　what　is　this　short…sighted　negligence　but　the　outcome　of　the　universal　shiftlessness　begotten　of　the　habit　of　doing　everything　in　a　hurry？　On　every　hand　we　may　see　the　fruits　of　this　shiftlessness；　from　buildings　that　tumble　in；　switches　that　are　misplaced；　furnaces　that　are　ill…protected；　fire…brigades　that　are　without　discipline；　up　to　unauthorized　meddlings　with　the　currency；　and　revenue　laws　which　defeat　their　own　purpose。

I　said　above　that　the　attributes　of　American　life　which　we　should　find　it　necessary　for　our　purpose　to　signalize　are　simply　the　attributes　of　modern　life　in　their　most　exaggerated　phase。　Is　there　not　a　certain　sense　in　which　all　modern　handiwork　is　hastily　and　imperfectly　done？　To　begin　with　common　household　arts；　does　not　every　one　know　that　old　things　are　more　durable　than　new　things？　Our　grandfathers　wore　better　shoes　than　we　wear；　because　there　was　leisure　enough　to　cure　the　leather　properly。　In　old　times　a　chair　was　made　of　seasoned　wood；　and　its　joints　carefully　fitted；　its　maker　had　leisure　to　see　that　it　was　well　put　together。　Now　a　thousand　are　turned　off　at　once　by　machinery；　out　of　green　wood；　and；　with　their　backs　glued　on；　are　hurried　off　to　their　evil　fate；destined　to　drop　in　pieces　if　they　happen　to　stand　near　the　fireplace；　and　liable　to　collapse　under　the　weight　of　a　heavy　man。　Some　of　us　still　preserve；　as　heirlooms；　old　tables　and　bedsteads　of　Cromwellian　times：　in　the　twenty…first　century　what　will　have　become　of　our　machine…made　bedsteads　and　tables？

Perhaps　it　may　seem　odd　to　talk　about　tanning　and　joinery　in　connection　with　culture；　but　indeed　there　is　a　subtle　bond　of　union　holding　together　all　these　things。　Any　phase　of　life　can　be　understood　only　by　associating　with　it　some　different　phase。　Sokrates　himself　has　taught　us　how　the　homely　things　illustrate　the　grand　things。　If　we　turn　to　the　art　of　musical　composition　and　inquire　into　some　of　the　differences　between　our　recent　music　and　that　of　Handel's　time；　we　shall　alight　upon　the　very　criticism　which　Mr。　Mill　somewhere　makes　in　comparing　ancient　with　modern　literature：　the　substance　has　improved；　but　the　form　has　in　some　respects　deteriorated。　The　modern　music　expresses　the　results　of　a　richer　and　more　varied　emotional　experience；　and　in　wealth　of　harmonic　resources；　to　say　nothing　of　increased　skill　in　orchestration；　it　is　notably　superior　to　the　old　music。　Along　with　this　advance；　however；　there　is　a　perceptible　falling　off　in　symmetry　and　completeness　of　design；　and　in　what　I　would　call　spontaneousness　of　composition。　I　believe　that　this　is　because　modern　composers；　as　a　rule；　do　not　drudge　patiently　enough　upon　counterpoint。　They　do　not　get　that　absolute　mastery　over　technical　difficulties　of　figuration　which　was　the　great　secret　of　the　incredible　facility　and　spontaneity　of　composition　displayed　by　Handel　and　Bach。　Among　recent　musicians　Mendelssohn　is　the　most　thoroughly　disciplined　in　the　elements　of　counterpoint；　and　it　is　this　perfect　mastery　of　the　technique　of　his　art　which　has　enabled　him　to　outrank　Schubert　and　Schumann；　neither　of　whom　would　one　venture　to　pronounce　inferior　to　him　in　native　wealth　of　musical　ideas。　May　we　not　partly　attribute　to　rudimentary　deficiency　in　counterpoint　the　irregularity　of　structure　which　so　often　disfigures　the　works　of　the　great　Wagner　and　the　lesser　Liszt；　and　which　the　more　ardent　admirers　of　these　composers　are　inclined　to　regard　as　a　symptom　of　progress？

I　am　told　that　a　similar　illustration　might　be　drawn　from　the　modern　history　of　painting；　that；　however　noble　the　conceptions　of　the　great　painters　of　the　present　century；　there　are　none　who　have　gained　such　a　complete　mastery　over　the　technicalities　of　drawing　and　the　handling　of　the　brush　as　was　required　in　the　times　of　Raphael；　Titian；　and　Rubens。　But　on　this　point　I　can　only　speak　from　hearsay；　and　am　quite　willing　to　end　here　my　series　of　illustrations；　fearing　that　I　may　already　have　been　wrongly　set　down　as　a　lavulator　temporis　acti。　Not　the　idle　praising　of　times　gone　by；　but　the　getting　a　lesson　from　them　which　may　be　of　use　to　us；　has　been　my　object。　And　I　believe　enough　has　been　said　to　show　that　the　great　complexity　of　modern　life；　with　its　multiplicity　of　demands　upon　our　energy；　has　got　us　into　a　state　of　chronic　hurry；　the　results　of　which　are　everywhere　to　be　seen　in　the　shape　of　less　thorough　workmanship　and　less　rounded　culture。

For　one　moment　let　me　stop　to　note　a　further　source　of　the　relative　imperfection　of　modern　culture；　which　is　best　illustrated　in　the　case　of　literature。　I　allude　to　the　immense；　unorganized　mass　of　literature　in　all　departments；　representing　the　accumulated　acquisitions　of　past　ages；　which　must　form　the　basis　of　our　own　achievement；　but　with　which　our　present　methods　of　education　seem　inadequate　to　deal　properly。　Speaking　roughly；　modern　literature　may　be　said　to　be　getting　into　the　state　which　Roman　jurisprudence　was　in　before　it　was　reformed　by　Justinian。　Philosophic　criticism　has　not　yet　reached　the　point　at　which　it　may　serve　as　a　natural　codifier。　We　must　read　laboriously　and　expend　a　disproportionate　amount　of　time　and　pains　in　winnowing　the　chaff　from　the　wheat。　This　tends　to　make　us　〃digs〃　or　literary　drudges；　but　I　doubt　if　the　〃dig〃　is　a　thoroughly　developed　man。　Goethe；　with　all　his　boundless　knowledge；　his　universal　curiosity；　and　his　admirable　capacity　for　work；　was　not　a　〃dig。〃　But　this　matter　can　only　be　hinted　at：　it　is　too　large　to　be　well　discussed　at　the　fag　end　of　an　essay　while　other　points　are　pressing　for　consideration。

A　state　of　chronic　hurry　not　only　directly　hinders　the　performance　of　thorough　work；　but　it　has　an　indirect　tendency　to　blunt　the　enjoyment　of　life。　Let　us　consider　for　a　moment　one　of　the　psychological　consequences　entailed　by　the　strain　of　a　too　complex　and　rapid　activity。　Every　one　must　have　observed　that　in　going　off　for　a　vacation　of　two　or　three　weeks；　or　in　getting　freed　in　any　way　from　the　ruts　of　every…day　life；　time　slackens　its　gait　somewhat；　and　the　events　which　occur　are　apt　a　few　years　later　to　cover　a　disproportionately　large　area　in　our　recollections。　This　is　because　the　human　organism　is　a　natural　timepiece　in　which　the　ticks　are　conscious　sensations。　The　greater　the　number　of　sensations　which　occupy　the　foreground　of　consciousness　during　the　day；　the　longer　the　day　seems　in　the　retrospect。　But　the　various　groups　of　sensations　which　accompany　our　daily　work　tend　to　become　automatic　from　continual　repetition；　and　to　sink　into　the　background　of　consciousness；　and　in　a　very　complex　and　busied　life　the　number　of　sensations　or　states　of　consciousness　which　can　struggle　up　to　the　front　and　get　attended　to；　is　comparatively　small　It　is　thus　that　the　days　seem　so　short　when　we　are　busy　about　every…day　matters；　and　that　they　get　blurred　together；　and　as　it　were　individually　annihilated　in　recollection。　When　we　travel；　a　comparatively　large　number　of　fresh　sensations　occupy　attention；　there　is　a　maximum　of　consciousness；　and　a　distinct　image　is　left　to　loom　up　in　memory。　For　the　same　reason　the　weeks　and　years　are　much　longer　to　the　child　than　to　the　grown　man。　The　life　is　simpler　and　less　hurried；　so　that　there　is　time　to　attend　to　a　great　many　sensations。　Now　this　fact　lies　at　the　bottom　of　that　keen　enjoyment　of　existence　which　is　the　prerogative　of　childhood　and　early　youth。　The　day　is　not　rushed　through　by　the　automatic　discharge　of　certain　psychical　functions；　but　each　sensation　stays　long　enough　to　make　itself　recognized。　Now　when　once　we　understand　the　psychology　of　this　matter；　it　becomes　evident　that　the　same　cont