heartbreak house-第3部分

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blinded　by　the　doltish　materialism　of　the　laboratories　as　the
uncultured　world　outside。　But　being　an　idle　house　it　was　a
hypochondriacal　house；　always　running　after　cures。　It　would　stop
eating　meat；　not　on　valid　Shelleyan　grounds；　but　in　order　to　get
rid　of　a　bogey　called　Uric　Acid；　and　it　would　actually　let　you
pull　all　its　teeth　out　to　exorcise　another　demon　named　Pyorrhea。
It　was　superstitious；　and　addicted　to　table…rapping；
materialization　seances；　clairvoyance；　palmistry；　crystal…gazing
and　the　like　to　such　an　extent　that　it　may　be　doubted　whether
ever　before　in　the　history　of　the　world　did　soothsayers；
astrologers；　and　unregistered　therapeutic　specialists　of　all
sorts　flourish　as　they　did　during　this　half　century　of　the　drift
to　the　abyss。　The　registered　doctors　and　surgeons　were　hard　put
to　it　to　compete　with　the　unregistered。　They　were　not　clever
enough　to　appeal　to　the　imagination　and　sociability　of　the
Heartbreakers　by　the　arts　of　the　actor；　the　orator；　the　poet；　the
winning　conversationalist。　They　had　to　fall　back　coarsely　on　the
terror　of　infection　and　death。　They　prescribed　inoculations　and
operations。　Whatever　part　of　a　human　being　could　be　cut　out
without　necessarily　killing　him　they　cut　out；　and　he　often　died
（unnecessarily　of　course）　in　consequence。　From　such　trifles　as
uvulas　and　tonsils　they　went　on　to　ovaries　and　appendices　until
at　last　no　one's　inside　was　safe。　They　explained　that　the　human
intestine　was　too　long；　and　that　nothing　could　make　a　child　of
Adam　healthy　except　short　circuiting　the　pylorus　by　cutting　a
length　out　of　the　lower　intestine　and　fastening　it　directly　to
the　stomach。　As　their　mechanist　theory　taught　them　that　medicine
was　the　business　of　the　chemist's　laboratory；　and　surgery　of　the
carpenter's　shop；　and　also　that　Science　（by　which　they　meant
their　practices）　was　so　important　that　no　consideration　for　the
interests　of　any　individual　creature；　whether　frog　or
philosopher；　much　less　the　vulgar　commonplaces　of　sentimental
ethics；　could　weigh　for　a　moment　against　the　remotest　off…chance
of　an　addition　to　the　body　of　scientific　knowledge；　they　operated
and　vivisected　and　inoculated　and　lied　on　a　stupendous　scale；
clamoring　for　and　actually　acquiring　such　legal　powers　over　the
bodies　of　their　fellow…citizens　as　neither　king；　pope；　nor
parliament　dare　ever　have　claimed。　The　Inquisition　itself　was　a
Liberal　institution　compared　to　the　General　Medical　Council。



Those　who　do　not　know　how　to　live　must　make　a　Merit　of　Dying

Heartbreak　House　was　far　too　lazy　and　shallow　to　extricate　itself
from　this　palace　of　evil　enchantment。　It　rhapsodized　about　love；
but　it　believed　in　cruelty。　It　was　afraid　of　the　cruel　people；
and　it　saw　that　cruelty　was　at　least　effective。　Cruelty　did
things　that　made　money；　whereas　Love　did　nothing　but　prove　the
soundness　of　Larochefoucauld's　saying　that　very　few　people　would
fall　in　love　if　they　had　never　read　about　it。　Heartbreak　House；
in　short；　did　not　know　how　to　live；　at　which　point　all　that　was
left　to　it　was　the　boast　that　at　least　it　knew　how　to　die：　a
melancholy　accomplishment　which　the　outbreak　of　war　presently
gave　it　practically　unlimited　opportunities　of　displaying。　Thus
were　the　firstborn　of　Heartbreak　House　smitten；　and　the　young；
the　innocent；　the　hopeful；　expiated　the　folly　and　worthlessness
of　their　elders。


War　Delirium

Only　those　who　have　lived　through　a　first…rate　war；　not　in　the
field；　but　at　home；　and　kept　their　heads；　can　possibly　understand
the　bitterness　of　Shakespeare　and　Swift；　who　both　went　through
this　experience。　The　horror　of　Peer　Gynt　in　the　madhouse；　when
the　lunatics；　exalted　by　illusions　of　splendid　talent　and　visions
of　a　dawning　millennium；　crowned　him　as　their　emperor；　was　tame
in　comparison。　I　do　not　know　whether　anyone　really　kept　his　head
completely　except　those　who　had　to　keep　it　because　they　had　to
conduct　the　war　at　first　hand。　I　should　not　have　kept　my　own　（as
far　as　I　did　keep　it）　if　I　had　not　at　once　understood　that　as　a
scribe　and　speaker　I　too　was　under　the　most　serious　public
obligation　to　keep　my　grip　on　realities；　but　this　did　not　save　me
from　a　considerable　degree　of　hyperaesthesia。　There　were　of
course　some　happy　people　to　whom　the　war　meant　nothing：　all
political　and　general　matters　lying　outside　their　little　circle
of　interest。　But　the　ordinary　war…conscious　civilian　went　mad；
the　main　symptom　being　a　conviction　that　the　whole　order　of
nature　had　been　reversed。　All　foods；　he　felt；　must　now　be
adulterated。　All　schools　must　be　closed。　No　advertisements　must
be　sent　to　the　newspapers；　of　which　new　editions　must　appear　and
be　bought　up　every　ten　minutes。　Travelling　must　be　stopped；　or；
that　being　impossible；　greatly　hindered。　All　pretences　about　fine
art　and　culture　and　the　like　must　be　flung　off　as　an　intolerable
affectation；　and　the　picture　galleries　and　museums　and　schools　at
once　occupied　by　war　workers。　The　British　Museum　itself　was　saved
only　by　a　hair's　breadth。　The　sincerity　of　all　this；　and　of　much
more　which　would　not　be　believed　if　I　chronicled　it；　may　be
established　by　one　conclusive　instance　of　the　general　craziness。
Men　were　seized　with　the　illusion　that　they　could　win　the　war　by
giving　away　money。　And　they　not　only　subscribed　millions　to　Funds
of　all　sorts　with　no　discoverable　object；　and　to　ridiculous
voluntary　organizations　for　doing　what　was　plainly　the　business
of　the　civil　and　military　authorities；　but　actually　handed　out
money　to　any　thief　in　the　street　who　had　the　presence　of　mind　to
pretend　that　he　（or　she）　was　〃collecting〃　it　for　the　annihilation
of　the　enemy。　Swindlers　were　emboldened　to　take　offices；　label
themselves　Anti…Enemy　Leagues；　and　simply　pocket　the　money　that
was　heaped　on　them。　Attractively　dressed　young　women　found　that
they　had　nothing　to　do　but　parade　the　streets；　collecting…box　in
hand；　and　live　gloriously　on　the　profits。　Many　months　elapsed
before；　as　a　first　sign　of　returning　sanity；　the　police　swept　an
Anti…Enemy　secretary　into　prison　pour　encourages　les　autres；　and
the　passionate　penny　collecting　of　the　Flag　Days　was　brought
under　some　sort　of　regulation。



Madness　in　Court

The　demoralization　did　not　spare　the　Law　Courts。　Soldiers　were
acquitted；　even　on　fully　proved　indictments　for　wilful　murder；
until　at　last　the　judges　and　magistrates　had　to　announce　that
what　was　called　the　Unwritten　Law；　which　meant　simply　that　a
soldier　could　do　what　he　liked　with　impunity　in　civil　life；　was
not　the　law　of　the　land；　and　that　a　Victoria　Cross　did　not　carry
with　it　a　perpetual　plenary　indulgence。　Unfortunately　the
insanity　of　the　juries　and　magistrates　did　not　always　manifest
itself　in　indulgence。　No　person　unlucky　enough　to　be　charged　with
any　sort　of　conduct；　however　reasonable　and　salutary；　that　did
not　smack　of　war　delirium；　had　the　slightest　chance　of　acquittal。
There　were　in　the　country；　too；　a　certain　number　of　people　who
had　conscientious　objections　to　war　as　criminal　or　unchristian。
The　Act　of　Parliament　introducing　Compulsory　Military　Service
thoughtlessly　exempted　these　persons；　merely　requiring　them　to
prove　the　genuineness　of　their　convictions。　Those