utopia of usurers and other essays-第1部分

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Utopia　of　Usurers　and　other　Essays

by　Gilbert　Keith　Chesterton





CONTENTS

A　Song　of　Swords

Utopia　of　Usurers
　I。　Art　and　Advertisement
　II。　Letters　and　the　New　Laureates
　III。　Unbusinesslike　Business
　IV。　The　War　on　Holidays
　V。　The　Church　of　the　Servile　State
　VI。　Science　and　the　Eugenists
　VII。　The　Evolution　of　the　Prison
　VIII。　The　Lash　for　Labour
　IX。　The　Mask　of　Socialism


The　Escape
The　New　Raid
The　New　Name
A　Workman's　History　of　England
The　French　Revolution　and　the　Irish
Liberalism：　A　Sample
The　Fatigue　of　Fleet　Street
The　Amnesty　for　Aggression
Revive　the　Court　Jester
The　Art　of　Missing　the　Point
The　Servile　State　Again
The　Empire　of　the　Ignorant
The　Symbolism　of　Krupp
The　Tower　of　Bebel
A　Real　Dancer
The　Dregs　of　Puritanism
The　Tyranny　of　Bad　Journalism
The　Poetry　of　the　Revolution



A　SONG　OF　SWORDS

〃A　drove　of　cattle　came　into　a　village　called　Swords；
and　was　stopped　by　the　rioters。〃Daily　Paper。

In　the　place　called　Swords　on　the　Irish　road
It　is　told　for　a　new　renown
How　we　held　the　horns　of　the　cattle；　and　how
We　will　hold　the　horns　of　the　devils　now
Ere　the　lord　of　hell　with　the　horn　on　his　brow
Is　crowned　in　Dublin　town。

Light　in　the　East　and　light　in　the　West；
And　light　on　the　cruel　lords；
On　the　souls　that　suddenly　all　men　knew；
And　the　green　flag　flew　and　the　red　flag　flew；
And　many　a　wheel　of　the　world　stopped；　too；
When　the　cattle　were　stopped　at　Swords。

Be　they　sinners　or　less　than　saints
That　smite　in　the　street　for　rage；
We　know　where　the　shame　shines　bright；　we　know
You　that　they　smite　at；　you　their　foe；
Lords　of　the　lawless　wage　and　low；
This　is　your　lawful　wage。

You　pinched　a　child　to　a　torture　price
That　you　dared　not　name　in　words；
So　black　a　jest　was　the　silver　bit
That　your　own　speech　shook　for　the　shame　of　it；
And　the　coward　was　plain　as　a　cow　they　hit
When　the　cattle　have　strayed　at　Swords。

The　wheel　of　the　torrent　of　wives　went　round
To　break　men's　brotherhood；
You　gave　the　good　Irish　blood　to　grease
The　clubs　of　your　country's　enemies；
you　saw　the　brave　man　beat　to　the　knees：
And　you　saw　that　it　was　good。

The　rope　of　the　rich　is　long　and　long
The　longest　of　hangmen's　cords；
But　the　kings　and　crowds　are　holding　their　breath；
In　a　giant　shadow　o'er　all　beneath
Where　God　stands　holding　the　scales　of　Death
Between　the　cattle　and　Swords。

Haply　the　lords　that　hire　and　lend
The　lowest　of　all　men's　lords；
Who　sell　their　kind　like　kine　at　a　fair；
Will　find　no　head　of　their　cattle　there；
But　faces　of　men　where　cattle　were：
Faces　of　menand　Swords。



UTOPIA　OF　USURERS


I。　Art　and　Advertisement

I　propose；　subject　to　the　patience　of　the　reader；　to　devote　two　or　three
articles　to　prophecy。　　Like　all　healthy…minded　prophets；　sacred　and
profane；　I　can　only　prophesy　when　I　am　in　a　rage　and　think　things　look
ugly　for　everybody。　　And　like　all　healthy…minded　prophets；　I　prophesy　in
the　hope　that　my　prophecy　may　not　come　true。　　For　the　prediction　made　by
the　true　soothsayer　is　like　the　warning　given　by　a　good　doctor。　　And　the
doctor　has　really　triumphed　when　the　patient　he　condemned　to　death　has
revived　to　life。　　The　threat　is　justified　at　the　very　moment　when　it　is
falsified。　　Now　I　have　said　again　and　again　（and　I　shall　continue　to　say
again　and　again　on　all　the　most　inappropriate　occasions）　that　we　must　hit
Capitalism；　and　hit　it　hard；　for　the　plain　and　definite　reason　that　it　is
growing　stronger。　　Most　of　the　excuses　which　serve　the　capitalists　as
masks　are；　of　course；　the　excuses　of　hypocrites。　　They　lie　when　they　claim
philanthropy；　they　no　more　feel　any　particular　love　of　men　than　Albu　felt
an　affection　for　Chinamen。　　They　lie　when　they　say　they　have　reached　their
position　through　their　own　organising　ability。　　They　generally　have　to　pay
men　to　organise　the　mine；　exactly　as　they　pay　men　to　go　down　it。　　They
often　lie　about　the　present　wealth；　as　they　generally　lie　about　their　past
poverty。　　But　when　theysay　that　they　are　going　in　for　a　〃constructive
social　policy；〃　they　do　not　lie。　　They　really　are　going　in　for　a
constructive　social　policy。　　And　we　must　go　in　for　an　equally　destructive
social　policy；　and　destroy；　while　it　is　still　half…constructed；　the
accursed　thing　which　they　construct。


The　Example　of　the　Arts

Now　I　propose　to　take；　one　after　another；　certain　aspects　and　departments
of　modern　life；　and　describe　what　I　think　they　will　be　like　in　this
paradise　of　plutocrats；　this　Utopia　of　gold　and　brass　in　which　the　great
story　of　England　seems　so　likely　to　end。　　I　propose　to　say　what　I　think
our　new　masters；　the　mere　millionaires；　will　do　with　certain　human
interests　and　institutions；　such　as　art；　science；　jurisprudence；　or
religionunless　we　strike　soon　enough　to　prevent　them。　　And　for　the　sake
of　argument　I　will　take　in　this　article　the　example　of　the　arts。

Most　people　have　seen　a　picture　called　〃Bubbles；〃　which　is　used　for　the
advertisement　of　a　celebrated　soap；　a　small　cake　of　which　is　introduced
into　the　pictorial　design。　　And　anybody　with　an　instinct　for　design　（the
caricaturist　of　the　Daily　Herald；　for　instance）；　will　guess　that　it　was
not　originally　a　part　of　the　design。　　He　will　see　that　the　cake　of　soap
destroys　the　picture　as　a　picture；　as　much　as　if　the　cake　of　soap　had　been
used　to　Scrub　off　the　paint。　　Small　as　it　is；　it　breaks　and　confuses　the
whole　balance　of　objects　in　the　composition。　　I　offer　no　judgment　here
upon　Millais's　action　in　the　matter；　in　fact；　I　do　not　know　what　it　was。
The　important　point　for　me　at　the　moment　is　that　the　picture　was　not
painted　for　the　soap；　but　the　soap　added　to　the　picture。　　And　the　spirit
of　the　corrupting　change　which　has　separated　us　from　that　Victorian　epoch
can　be　best　seen　in　this：　that　the　Victorian　atmosphere；　with　all　its
faults；　did　not　permit　such　a　style　of　patronage　to　pass　as　a　matter　of
course。　　Michael　Angelo　may　have　been　proud　to　have　helped　an　emperor　or　a
pope；　though；　indeed；　I　think　he　was　prouder　than　they　were　on　his　own
account。　　I　do　not　believe　Sir　John　Millais　was　proud　of　having　helped　a
soap…boiler。　　I　do　not　say　he　thought　it　wrong；　but　he　was　not　proud　of　it。
And　that　marks　precisely　the　change　from　his　time　to　our　own。　　Our
merchants　have　really　adopted　the　style　of　merchant　princes。　　They　have
begun　openly　to　dominate　the　civilisation　of　the　State；　as　the　emperors
and　popes　openly　dominated　in　Italy。　　In　Millais's　time；　broadly　speaking；
art　was　supposed　to　mean　good　art；　advertisement　was　supposed　to　mean
inferior　art。　　The　head　of　a　black　man；　painted　to　advertise　somebody's
blacking；　could　be　a　rough　symbol；　like　an　inn　sign。　　The　black　man　had
only　to　be　black　enough。　　An　artist　exhibiting　the　picture　of　a　negro　was
expected　to　know　that　a　black　man　is　not　so　black　as　he　is　painted。　　He
was　expected　to　render　a　thousand　tints　of　grey　and　brown　and　violet：　for
there　is　no　such　thing　as　a　black　man　just　as　there　is　no　such　thing　as　a
white　man。　　A　fairly　clear　line　separated　advertisement　from　art。


The　First　Effect

I　should　say　the　first　effect　of　the　triumph　of　the　capitalist　（if　we
allow　him　to　triumph）　will　be　that　that　line　of　demarcation　will　entirely
disappear。　　There　will　be　no　art　that　might　not　just　as　well　be
advertisement。　　I　do　not　necessarily　mean　that　there　will　be　no　good　art；
much　of　it　might　be；　much　of　it　already　is；　very　good　art。　　You　may　put　it；
if　you　please；　in　the　form　that　there　has　been　avast　improvement　in
advertisements。　　Certainly　there　would　be　nothing　surprising　if　the　head
of　a　negro　advertising　Somebody's　Blacking　nowadays‘　were　finished　with　as
careful　and　subtle　colours　as　one　of　the　old　and　superstitious　painters
would　have　wasted　on　the　negro　king　who　brought　gifts　to　Christ。　　But　the
improvement　of　advertisements　is　the　degradation　of　artists。　　It　is　their
degradation　for　this　clear　and　vital　reason：　that　the　artist　will　work；
not　only　to　please　the　rich；　but　only　to　increase　their　riches；　which　is　a
considerable　step　lower。　　After　all；　it　was　as　a　human　being　that　a　pope
took　pleasure　in　a　cartoon　of　Raphael　or　a　prince　took　pleasure　in　a
statuette　of　Cellini。　　The　prince　paid　for　the　statuette；　but　he　did　not
expect　the　statuette　to　pay　him。　　It　is　my　impression　that　no　cake　of　soap
can　be　found　anywhere　in　the　cartoons　which　the　Pope　ordered　of　Raphael。
And　no　one　who　knows　the　small…minded　cynicism　of　our　plutocracy；　its
secrecy；　its　gambling　spirit；　its　contempt　of　conscience；　can　doubt　that
the　artist…advertiser　will　often　be　assisting　enterprises　over　which　he
will　have　no　moral　control；　and　of　which　he　could　feel　no　moral　approval。
He　will　be　working　to　spread　quack　medicines；　queer　investments；　and　will
work　for　Marconi　instead　of　Medici。　　And　to　this　base　ingenuity　he　will
have　to　bend　the　proudest　and　purest　of　the　virtues　of　the　intellect；　the
power　to　attract　his　brethren；　and　the　noble　duty　of　praise。　　For　that
picture　by　Millais　is　a　very　allegorical　picture。　　It　is　almost　a　prophecy
of　what　uses　are　awaiting　the　beauty　of　the　child　unborn。　　The　praise　will
be　of　a　kind　that　may　correctly　be　called　soap；　and　the　enterprises　of　a
kind　that　may　truly　be　described　as　Bubbles。


II。　Letters　and　the　New　Laureates

In　these　articles　I　only　take　two　or　three　examples　of　the　first　and
fundamental　fact　of　our　time。　　I　mean　the　fact　that　the　capitalists　of　our
community　are　becoming　quite　openly　the　kings　of　it。　　In　my　last　（and
first）　article；　I　took　the　case　of　Art　and　advertisement。　　I　pointed　out
that　Art　must　be　growing　worsemerely　because　advertisement　is　growing
better。　　In　those　days　Millais　condescended　to　Pears'　soap；　In　these　days
I　really　think　it　would　be　Pears　who　condescended　to　Millais。　　But　here　I
turn　to　an　art　I　know　more　about；　that　of　journalism。　　Only　in　my　ease　the
art　verges　on　artlessness。

The　great　difficulty　with　the　English　lies　in　the　absence　of　something　one
may　call　democratic　imagination。　　We　find　it　easy　to　realise　an　individual；
but　very　hard　to　realise　that　the　great　masses　consist　of　individuals。
Our　system　has　been　aristocratic：　in　the　special　sense　of　there　being　only
a　few　actors　on　the　stage。　　And　the　back