MentalEfficiency

ByArnoldBennett

MENTALEFFICIENCY

I

THEAPPEAL

If there is any virtue in advertisements—and a journalist should be the lastpersontosaythatthereisnot—theAmericannationisrapidlyreachingastateofphysicalefficiencyofwhichtheworldhasprobablynotseenthelikesinceSparta. In all theAmerican newspapers and all theAmericanmonthlies areinnumerable illustratedannouncementsof "physical-culture specialists,"whoguarantee tomake all the organs of the body perform their duties with themightyprecisionofa60h.p.motor-carthatneverbreaksdown.Isawabooktheotherdaywrittenbyoneof thesespecialists, toshowhowperfecthealthcouldbeattainedbydevotingaquarterofanhouradaytocertainexercises.The advertisementsmultiply and increase in size. They cost a great deal ofmoney.Thereforetheymustbringinagreatdealofbusiness.Thereforevastnumbersofpeoplemustbeworriedabout thenon-efficiencyof theirbodies,

andonthewaytoachieveefficiency.InourmoremodestBritishfashion,wehave the samephenomenon inEngland.And it isgrowing.Ourmusclesaregrowingalso.Surpriseamaninhisbedroomofamorning,andyouwillfindhimlyingonhisbackonthefloor,orstandingonhishead,orwhirlingclubs,inpursuitofphysicalefficiency.IrememberthatonceI"wentin"forphysicalefficiency myself. I, too, lay on the floor, my delicate epidermis separatedfrom the carpet by only the thinnest of garments, and I contorted myselfaccording to the fifteendiagramsof a large chart (believed tobe themagnacharta of physical efficiency) daily after shaving. In threeweeksmy collarswould not meet round my prize-fighter's neck; my hosier reaped immenseprofits, and I came to the conclusion that I had carried physical efficiencyquitefarenough.Astrangething—wasitnot?—thatIneverhadtheideaofdevotingaquarterofanhouradayaftershavingtothepursuitofmentalefficiency.Theaveragebodyisaprettycomplicatedaffair,sadlyoutoforder,buthappilysusceptibletoculture.Theaveragemindisvastlymorecomplicated,notlesssadlyoutoforder,butperhapsevenmoresusceptibletoculture.Wecompareourarmstothearmsofthegentlemanillustratedinthephysicalefficiencyadvertisement,andwemurmurtoourselvestheclassicphrase:"Thiswillneverdo."Andweset about developing the muscles of our arms until we can show them off(through a frock coat) towomen at afternoon tea. But it does not, perhaps,occurtousthatthemindhasitsmuscles,andalotofapparatusbesides,andthat these invisible, yet paramount,mental organs are far less efficient thantheyoughttobe;thatsomeofthemareatrophied,othersstarved,othersoutofshape,etc.AmanofsedentaryoccupationgoesforaverylongwalkonEasterMonday,andintheeveningissoexhaustedthathecanscarcelyeat.Hewakesup to the inefficiency of his body, caused by his neglect of it, and he is soshockedthathedeterminesonremedialmeasures.Eitherhewillwalk to theoffice,orhewillplaygolf,orhewillexecutethepost-shavingexercises.Butlet the same man after a prolonged sedentary course of newspapers,magazines,andnovels,takehismindoutforastiffclimbamongtherocksofascientific,philosophic,orartisticsubject.Whatwillhedo?Willhestayoutallday,andreturnintheeveningtootiredeventoreadhispaper?Nothe.Itistentoone that, findinghimself puffing for breath after a quarter of anhour, hewon't evenpersist till he gets his secondwind, butwill comeback at once.Willhe remarkwithgenuineconcern thathismind is sadlyoutofconditionand that he really must do something to get it into order? Not he. It is ahundredtoonethathewilltranquillyacceptthestatusquo,withoutshameandwithoutverypoignantregret.DoImakemymeaningclear?I say, without a very poignant regret, because a certain vague regret isindubitably caused by realizing that one is handicapped by a mentalinefficiencywhichmight,without toomuchdifficulty, be cured.Thatvague

regretexudeslikeavapourfromthemorecultivatedsectionofthepublic.Itistobedetectedeverywhere,andespeciallyamongpeoplewhoarenearthehalf-way house of life. They perceive the existence of immense quantities ofknowledge,notthesmallestparticleofwhichwilltheyevermaketheirown.Theystrollforthfromtheirorderlydwellingsonastarlitnight,andfeeldimlythewonderoftheheavens.Butthestillsmallvoiceistellingthemthat,thoughthey have read in a newspaper that there are fifty thousand stars in thePleiades, theycannotevenpoint to thePleiades in thesky.Howtheywouldliketograspthesignificanceofthenebulartheory,themostoverwhelmingofall theories! And the years are passing; and there are twenty-four hours inevery day, out ofwhich theywork only six or seven; and it needs only animpulse, an effort, a system, in order gradually to cure the mind of itsslackness, togive "tone" to itsmuscles, and to enable it tograpplewith thesplendours of knowledge and sensation that await it! But the regret is notpoignantenough.Theydonothing.Theygoondoingnothing.Itisasthoughtheypassedforeveralongthelengthofanendlesstablefilledwithdelicacies,andcouldnotstretchoutahandtoseize.DoIexaggerate?Istherenotdeepintheconsciousnessofmostofusamournfulfeelingthatourmindsareliketheliver of the advertisement—sluggish, and that for the sluggishness of ourmindsthereistheexcuseneitherofincompetence,noroflackoftime,noroflackofopportunity,noroflackofmeans?Whydoes not somemental efficiency specialist come forward and showushowtomakeourmindsdotheworkwhichourmindsarecertainlycapableofdoing? I do not mean a quack. All the physical efficiency specialists whoadvertiselargelyarenotquacks.Someofthemachieveverygenuineresults.Ifacourseoftreatmentcanbedevisedforthebody,acourseoftreatmentcanbedevisedforthemind.Thuswemightrealizesomeoftheambitionswhichallofuscherishinregardtotheutilizationinoursparetimeofthatmagnificentmachinewhichweallow to rustwithinourcraniums.Wehave thedesire toperfectourselves, toroundoffourcareerswith thegracesofknowledgeandtaste.Howmanypeoplewouldnotgladlyundertakesomebranchof seriousstudy,sothattheymightnotdieunderthereproachofhavinglivedanddiedwithout ever really having known anything about anything! It is not theabsenceofdesirethatpreventsthem.It is,first, theabsenceofwill-power—notthewilltobegin,butthewilltocontinue;and,second,amentalapparatuswhich is out of condition, "puffy," "weedy," through sheer neglect. Theremedy, then,divides itself into twoparts, thecultivationofwill-power,andthegettingintoconditionofthementalapparatus.Andthesetwobranchesofthecuremustbeworkedconcurrently.I am sure that the considerationswhich I have presented to youmust havealready presented themselves to tens of thousands of my readers, and thatthousands must have attempted the cure. I doubt not that many have

succeeded. I shall deem it a favour if those readers who have interestedthemselvesinthequestionwillcommunicatetomeatoncetheresultoftheirexperience,whateveritsoutcome.IwillmakesuchuseasIcanofthelettersIreceive,andafterwardsIwillgivemyownexperience.

THEREPLIES

ThecorrespondencewhichIhavereceivedinanswertomyappealshowsthatat any rate I did not overstate the case. There is, among a vast mass ofreflectingpeopleinthiscountry,aclearconsciousnessofbeingmentallylessthan efficient, and a strong (though ineffective) desire that such mentalinefficiencyshouldceasetobe.ThedesireisstrongerthanIhadimagined,butitdoesnotseemtohaveledtomuchhitherto.Andthat"courseof treatmentfor themind," bymeans ofwhichwe are to "realize someof the ambitionswhich all of us cherish in regard to the utilization in our spare time of themagnificent machine which we allow to rust within our craniums"—thatdesideratedcourseof treatmenthasnotapparentlybeendevisedbyanybody.The Sandow of the brain has not yet loomed up above the horizon.On theother hand, there appears to be a general expectancy that I personally amgoingtoplaytherôleoftheSandowofthebrain.Vainthought!Ihavebeenverymuchinterestedintheletters,someofwhich,asastatementof thematter inquestion,areadmirable. It isperhapsnot surprising that thebest of themcome fromwomen—for (genius apart)woman is usuallymoretouchinglylyricalthanmanintheyearningfortheideal.ThemostenthusiasticofallthelettersIhavereceived,however,isfromagentlemanwhosenotionisthat we should be hypnotised into mental efficiency. After advocating theestablishmentof"aninstitutionofpracticalpsychologyfromwhencetherecanbegraduatedfitandproperpeoplewhoseeffortswouldbeinthedirectionofthe subconscious mental mechanism of the child or even the adult," thishypnotist proceeds: "Between the academician, whose specialty is aninconsequentialcobweb,themedicalmanwhohasgotitintohisheadthatheis the logical foster-father for psychonomical matters, and the blatant'professor'whodealswithmonkeytricksonafewsomnambulesonthemusic-hallstage,youareallowingtogounrecognizedoneofthemostpotentfactorsofmentaldevelopment."AmI?Ihavenottheleastideawhatthisgentlemanmeans,butIcanassurehimthatheiswrong.Icanmakemoresenseoutoftheremarks of another correspondent who, utterly despising the things of themind,comparesacertainclassofyoungmento"ahalfpennybloaterwiththeroeout,"andassertsthathehimself"gotoutofthegroove"bydintofhavingtounloadten tonsofcoal in threehoursandahalfeverydayduringseveral

years.Thisisinterestinganditisconstructive,butitisjustalittlebesidethepoint.Alady,whoseoptimismisindicatedbyherpseudonym,"Espérance,"putsherfingeronthespot,or,rather,ononeofthespots,inaverysensibleletter."Itappearstome,"shesays,"thatthegreatcauseofmentalinefficiencyislackofconcentration,perhapsespecially in thecaseofwomen.Icantracemychieffailures to this cause. Concentration, is a talent. It may be in a measurecultivated,butitneedstobeinborn....Thegreaternumberofusareinastateof semi-slumber, with minds which are only exerted to one-half of theircapability."Ithoroughlyagreethatinabilitytoconcentrateisoneofthechiefsymptoms of the mental machine being out of condition. "Espérance's"suggestedcure is ratherdrastic.Shesays:"Perhapsoneof thebestcures formental sedentariness is arithmetic, for there is nothing else which requiresgreaterpowerofconcentration."Perhapsarithmeticmightbeaneffectivecure,but it is not a practical cure, because no one, or scarcely any one, wouldpractise it. Icannot imagine theplainmanwho,havingacoupleofhours tospareofanight,andhavingalsothesinceredesirebutnot thewill-powertoimprovehistasteandknowledge,woulddeliberatelysitdownandworksumsby way of preliminary mental calisthenics. As Ibsen's puppet said: "Peopledon'tdothesethings."Whydotheynot?Theansweris:Simplybecausetheywon't; simply because human nature will not run to it. "Espérance's"suggestionoflearningpoetryisslightlybetter.CertainlythebestletterIhavehadisfromMissH.D.Shesays:"Thisidea[toavoidthereproachof'livinganddyingwithouteverreallyknowinganythingaboutanything']cametomeofitselffromsomewherewhenIwasasmallgirl.AndlookingbackIfancythatthethoughtitselfspurredmetodosomethinginthisworld, toget into linewithpeoplewhodid things—peoplewhopaintedpictures, wrote books, built bridges, or did something beyond the ordinary.This only has seemed to me, all my life since, worth while." Here I mustinterject that such a statement is somewhat sweeping. In fact, it sweeps awholelotoffineandlegitimateambitionsstraightintotherubbishheapoftheNot-worth-while. I think thewriterwouldwish tomodify it. She continues:"Andwhen the day comes inwhich I have not done some serious reading,howeversmallthemeasure,orsomewriting...orIhavebeentoosadordulltonoticethebrightnessofcolourofthesun,ofgrassandflowers,ofthesea,or themoonlight on thewater, I think theday ill-spent. So Imust think theincentivetodoalittleeachdaybeyondtheordinarytowardstherealcultureofthemind, is the beginning of the cure ofmental inefficiency." This is veryingenious and good. Further: "The day comes when the mental habit hasbecomeapartofourlife,andwevaluementalworkforthework'ssake."ButI amnot sure about that. Formyself, I have never valuedwork for its ownsake,andInevershall.AndIonlyvaluesuchmentalworkforthemorefull

andmoreintenseconsciousnessofbeingalivewhichitgivesme.MissH.D.'sremediesarevague.Astolackofwill-power,"thefirststepistorealize yourweakness; the next step is to have ordinary shame that you aredefective." I doubt, I gravely doubt, if these steps would lead to anythingdefinite.Noristhisveryhelpful:"Iwouldadvisereading,observing,writing.Iwould advise the use of every sense and every faculty bywhichwe at lastlearnthesacrednessoflife."Thisisbeggingthequestion.Ifpeople,bymerelywishing todoso,couldregularlyandseriouslyread,observe,write,anduseevery faculty and sense, therewouldbevery littlemental inefficiency. I seethat I shall be driven to construct a programme out of my own bitter andridiculousexperiences.

THECURE

"ButtasksinhoursofinsightwilledCanbethroughhoursofgloomfulfilled."The above lines from Matthew Arnold are quoted by one of my verynumerous correspondents to support a certain optimism in this matter of asystematic attempt to improve themind. They form part of a beautiful andinspiring poem, but I gravely fear that they run counter to the vastmass ofearthlyexperience.MoreoftenthannotIhavefoundthatataskwilledinsomehourofinsightcannotbefulfilledthroughhoursofgloom.No,no,andno!Towill iseasy: itneedsbut themomentarybrightcontagionofastrongerspiritthan one's own. To fulfil, morning aftermorning, or evening after evening,throughmonthsandyears—thisistheverydickens,andthereisnotoneofmyreaders thatwillnotagreewithme.Yet such is theelasticqualityofhumannature thatmostofmycorrespondentsarequite ready to ignore thesad factandtodemandatonce:"whatshallwewill?Telluswhatwemustwill."Someseemto think that theyhavesolved thedifficultywhen theyhaveadvocatedcertain systems of memory and mind-training. Such systems may be inthemselvesusefuloruseless—theevidencefurnishedtomeiscontradictory—but were they perfect systems, a man cannot be intellectually born againmerely by joining a memory-class. The best system depends utterly on theman'spowerofresolution.Andwhatreallycounts isnot thesystem,but thespiritinwhichthemanhandlesit.Now,theproperspiritcanonlybeinducedby a careful consideration and realization of the man's conditions—thelimitations of his temperament, the strength of adverse influences, and thelessonsofhispast.Let me take an average case. Let me take your case, Oman or woman ofthirty,livingincomfort,withsomecares,andsomeresponsibilities,andsomepretty hard daily work, but not too much of any! The question of mental

efficiencyisintheair.Itinterestsyou.Ittouchesyounearly.Yourconsciencetellsyouthatyourmindislessactiveandlessinformedthanitmightbe.Yousuddenlyspringupfromthegarden-seat,andyousaytoyourselfthatyouwilltakeyourmindinhandanddosomethingwithit.Waitamoment.Besogoodastosinkbackintothatgarden-seatandclutchthattennisracketalittlelonger.Youhavehadthese"hoursofinsight"before,youknow.Youhavenotarrivedat the ageof thirtywithout having tried to carryout noble resolutions—andfailed.Whatprecautionsareyougoing to takeagainst failure this time?Foryour will is probably no stronger now than it was aforetime. You haveadmittedandacceptedfailureinthepast.Andnowoundismorecrueltothespirit of resolve than that dealt by failure.You fancy thewound closed, butjust at the criticalmoment itmay reopen andmortally bleed you.What areyourprecautions?Haveyouthoughtofthem?No.Youhavenot.Ihavenotthepleasureofyouracquaintance.ButIknowyoubecauseIknowmyself.Yourfailureinthepastwasduetooneormoreofthreecauses.Andthe firstwas that you undertook toomuch at the beginning.You started offwith amagnificent programme.You are something of an expert in physicalexercises—youwouldbeashamednot tobe, in thesephysicaldays—andsoyou would never attempt a hurdle race or an uninterrupted hour's club-whirling without some preparation. The analogy between the body and themind ought to have struck you. This time, please do not form an elaborateprogramme. Do not form any programme. Simply content yourself with apreliminarycanter,aridiculouslyeasypreliminarycanter.Forexample(andIgivethismerelyasanexample),youmightsaytoyourself:"WithinonemonthfromthisdateIwillreadtwiceHerbertSpencer'slittlebookon'Education'—sixpence—andwillmakenotes inpencil inside thebackcoverof the thingsthatparticularlystrikeme."Youremarkthatthatisnothing,thatyoucandoit"onyourhead,"andsoon.Well,do it.When it isdoneyouwillatanyratepossessthesatisfactionofhavingresolvedtodosomethingandhavingdoneit.Yourmindwillhavegainedtoneandhealthypride.Youwillbeevenjustifiedin setting yourself some kind of a simple programme to extend over threemonths.Andyouwill haveacquired somegeneralprinciplesby the lightofwhich to construct the programme. But best of all, you will have avoidedfailure,thatdangerouswound.Thesecondpossiblecauseofpreviousfailurewasthedisintegratingeffectonthewill-poweroftheironic,superiorsmileoffriends.Wheneveraman"turnsoveranew leaf"hehas this inanegiggle to face.Thedrunkardmaybe lessashamed of getting drunk than of breaking to a crony the news that he hassignedthepledge.Strange,buttrue!Andhumannaturemustbecountedwith.Ofcourse,onafewsternspiritstheeffectofthatsmileismerelytohardentheresolution.Butonthemajorityitsinfluenceisdeleterious.Thereforedon'tgoand nail your flag to the mast. Don't raise any flag. Say nothing.Work as

unobtrusivelyasyoucan.Whenyouhavewonabattleortwoyoucanbegintowave the banner, and then you will find that that miserable, pitiful, ironic,superiorsmilewilldieawayereitisborn.The third possible causewas that you did not rearrange your day. Idler andtime-waster though you have been, still you had done somethingduring thetwenty-fourhours.Youwenttoworkwithakindofdimideathatthereweretwenty-sixhoursineveryday.Somethinglargeanddefinitehastobedropped.Somespaceintherankjungleof thedayhastobeclearedandsweptupforthenewoperations.Robbingyourself of sleepwon't helpyou, nor trying to"squeezein"atimeforstudybetweentwoothertimes.Usetheknife,anduseitfreely.Ifyoumeantoreadorthinkhalfanhouraday,arrangeforanhour.Ahundredpercent.marginisnottoomuchforabeginner.Doyouaskmewheretheknifeistobeused?Ishouldsaythatinninecasesoutoftentheritesofthecultofthebodymightbeabbreviated.Irecentlyspentaweek-endinaLondonsuburb, and I was staggered by the wholesale attention given to physicalrecreationinallitsforms.Itwasagiganticdebauchofthemusclesoneveryside.Itshockedme."Poorwitheringmind!"Ithought."Cricket,andfootball,and boating, and golf, and tennis have their 'seasons,' but not thou!" Theseconsiderationsaregeneralandprefatory.NowImustcometodetail.

MENTALCALISTHENICS

Ihavedealtwiththestateofmindinwhichoneshouldbeginaseriousefforttowards mental efficiency, and also with the probable causes of failure inprevious efforts. We come now to what I may call the calisthenics of thebusiness,exerciseswhichmayberoughlycomparedtothetechnicalexercisesnecessaryinlearningtoplayamusicalinstrument.Itiscuriousthatapersonstudying a musical instrument will have no false shame whatever in doingmereexercisesfor thefingersandwristswhileapersonwhois tryingtogethismind into orderwill almost certainly experience a false shame in goingthroughperformanceswhichareundoubtedlygoodforhim.Hereinliesoneofthe great obstacles to mental efficiency. Tell a man that he should join amemoryclass,andhewillhumandhaw,andsay,asIhavealreadyremarked,thatmemory isn't everything; and, in short, hewon't join thememory class,partlyfromindolence,Igrant,butmorefromfalseshame.(Isnot this true?)Hewillevenhesitateaboutlearningthingsbyheart.Yettherearefewmentalexercises better than learning great poetry or prose by heart.Twenty lines aweekforsixmonths:whata"cure" fordebility!Thechief,butnot theonly,merit of learning by heart as an exercise is that it compels the mind toconcentrate. And themost important preliminary to self-development is the

facultyofconcentratingatwill.Anotherexcellentexerciseistoreadapageofno-matter-what,andthenimmediatelytowritedown—inone'sownwordsorin the author's—one's full recollectionof it.Aquarterof anhour aday!Nomore!Anditworkslikemagic.Thisbringsmetothedepartmentofwriting.Iamawriterbyprofession;butIdonotthinkIhaveanyprejudicesinfavouroftheexerciseofwriting.Indeed,IsaytomyselfeverymorningthatifthereisoneexerciseintheworldwhichIhate, it is the exercise of writing. But I must assert that inmy opinion theexercise of writing is an indispensable part of any genuine effort towardsmentalefficiency.Idon'tcaremuchwhatyouwrite,solongasyoucomposesentences and achieve continuity. There are forty ways of writing in anunprofessionalmanner,andtheyareallgood.Youmaykeep"afulldiary,"asMr.Arthur Christopher Benson says he does. This is one of the least goodways.Diaries,saveinexperiencedhandslikethoseofMr.Benson,areapttogetthemselvesdonewiththeveryminimumofmentaleffort.Theyalsotendto an exaggeration of egotism, and if they are left lying about they tend tostrife.Further,oneneverknowswhenonemaynotbecompelled toproducethem in a court of law. A journal is better. Do not ask me to define thedifference between a journal and a diary. I will not and I cannot. It is adifference thatonefeels instinctively.Adiary treatsexclusivelyofone'sselfandone'sdoings;ajournalroamswider,andnoteswhateveronehasobservedofinterest.Adiaryrelatesthatonehadlobstermayonnaisefordinnerandrosethenextmorningwith aheadache,doubtless attributable tomental strain.Ajournal relates thatMrs.——,whomone took intodinner, hadbrowneyes,andanagreeabletrickofthrowingbackherheadafteraskingaquestion,andgives her account of her husband's strange adventures in Colorado, etc. AdiaryisAllI,I,I,I,itselfI(toquotealineofthetranscendentalpoetryofMaryBakerG.Eddy).Ajournalisthelargespectacleoflife.Ajournalmaybespecialorgeneral.Iknowamanwhokeepsajournalofallcasesofcurrentsuperstitionwhichheactuallyencounters.Hebeganitwithouttheslightestsuspicionthathewasbeginningadocumentofastoundinginterestandrealscientificvalue;butsuchwasthefact.Indefaultofadiaryorajournal,onemaywriteessays(providedonehasthemoralcourage);oronemaysimplymakenotesonthebook one reads. Or onemay construct anthologies of passages which havemade an individual and particular appeal to one's tastes. Anthologyconstruction is one of the pleasantest hobbies that a personwho is notmadaboutgolfandbridge—that is to say,a thinkingperson—canpossiblyhave;andIrecommendittothosewho,discreetlymistrustingtheirpowertokeepupa fastpace fromstart to finish, areanxious tobegin their intellectualcoursegentlyandmildly.Inanyevent,writing—theactofwriting—isvitaltoalmostanyscheme.Iwouldsayitwasvitaltoeveryscheme,withoutexception,were

Inotsurethatsomekindcorrespondentwouldinstantlypointoutaschemetowhichwritingwasobviouslynotvital.After writing comes thinking. (The sequencemay be considered odd, but Iadhere to it.) In this connexion I cannot do better than quote an admirableletterwhich I have received froma correspondentwhowishes to be knownonlyas"AnOxfordLecturer."The italics(except the last)aremine,nothis.Hesays:"Tillamanhasgothisphysicalbraincompletelyunderhiscontrol—suppressing its too-great receptivity, its tendencies to reproduce idly thethoughtsofothers,andtobeswayedbyeverypassinggustofemotion—Iholdthat he cannot do a tenth part of the work that he would then be able toperformwithlittleornoeffort.Moreover,workapart,hehasnotentereduponhiskingdom,andunlimitedpossibilitiesof futuredevelopmentarebarred tohim.Mentalefficiencycanbegainedbyconstantpracticeinmeditation—i.e.,by concentrating themind, say, for but tenminutes daily, butwith absoluteregularity,onsomeofthehighestthoughtsofwhichitiscapable.Failureswillbe frequent, but theymustbe regardedwith simple indifferenceanddoggedperseveranceinthepathchosen.Ifthatpathbefollowedwithoutintermissionevenforafewweekstheresultswillspeakforthemselves."Ithoroughlyagreewithwhatthiscorrespondentsays,andamobligedtohimforhavingsoablystated thecase.But I regardsuchapracticeofmeditationashe indicatesasbeingratheran"advanced"exerciseforabeginner.Afterthebeginnerhasgotunder way, and gained a little confidence in his strength of purpose, andacquiredtheskilltodefinehisthoughtssufficientlytowritethemdown—thenitwouldbetimeenough,inmyview,toundertakewhat"AnOxfordLecturer"suggests. By the way, he highly recommends Mrs. Annie Besant'sbook,ThoughtPower:ItsControlandCulture.Hesaysthatittreatsthesubjectwithscientificclearness,andgivesapracticalmethodoftrainingthemind,Iendorsethelatterpartofthestatement.Somuchforthemoreorlesstechnicalprocessesofstirringthemindfromitsslothandmakingitexactlyobedienttotheaspirationsofthesoul.AndhereIclose.Numerouscorrespondentshaveaskedmetooutlineacourseofreadingfor them. In other words, they have askedme to particularize for them theaspirationsoftheirsouls.Mysubject,however,wasnotself-developmentMysubjectwasmentalefficiencyasameanstoself-development.Ofcourse,onecan only acquiremental efficiency in the actual effort of self-development.ButIwasconcerned,notwiththechoiceofroute;ratherwiththemanneroffollowing the route. You say tome that I am busyingmyselfwith the bestmethodofwalking,andrefusing todiscusswhere togo.Precisely.Onemancannottellanothermanwheretheothermanwantstogo.Ifhecan'thimselfdecideonagoalhemayaswellcurlupandexpire,fortherootofthematterisnotinhim.Iwillcontentmyselfwithpointingoutthatthe

entire universe is open for inspection. Too many people fancy that self-developmentmeansliterature.Theyassociatethehigherlifewithanintimateknowledge of the life of Charlotte Brontë, or the order of the plays ofShakespeare. The higher life may just as well be butterflies, or funeralcustoms,orcountyboundaries,orstreetnames,ormosses,orstars,orslugs,asCharlotteBrontëorShakespeare.Choosewhatinterestsyou.Lotsoffinely-organized,mentally-efficientpersonscan'treadShakespeareatanyprice,andif you asked themwhowas the author of TheTenant ofWildfellHall theymightproudlyanswerEmilyBrontë,iftheydidn'tsaytheyneverheardofit.Anaccurateknowledgeofanysubject,coupledwithacarefullynurturedsenseof the relativity of that subject to other subjects, implies an enormous self-development.WiththishintIconclude.

IIEXPRESSINGONE'SINDIVIDUALITY

A most curious and useful thing to realize is that one never knows theimpression one is creating on other people. One may often guess prettyaccurately whether it is good, bad, or indifferent—some people render itunnecessaryforonetoguess,theypracticallyinformone—butthatisnotwhatImean.Imeanmuchmorethanthat.Imeanthatonehasone'sselfnomentalpicturecorrespondingtothementalpicturewhichone'spersonalityleavesinthemindsof one's friends.Has it ever struckyou that there is amysteriousindividualgoingaround,walkingthestreets,callingathousesfortea,chatting,laughing, grumbling, arguing, and that all your friends know him and havelong since added him up and come to a definite conclusion about him—withoutsayingmorethanachance,cautiouswordtoyou;andthatthatpersonisyou?Supposingthatyoucameintoadrawing-roomwhereyouwerehavingtea, do you think youwould recognize yourself as an individuality? I thinknot. You would be apt to say to yourself, as guests do when disturbed indrawing-roomsbyotherguests:"Who'sthischap?Seemsratherqueer,Ihopehewon'tbeabore."Andyourfirsttellingwouldbeslightlyhostile.Why,evenwhenyoumeetyourselfinanunsuspectedmirrorintheveryclothesthatyouhaveputonthatverydayandthatyouknowbyheart,youarealmostalwaysshockedbytherealizationthatyouareyou.Andnowandthen,whenyouhavegone to the glass to arrange your hair in the full sobriety of earlymorning,haveyounotlookedonanabsolutestranger,andhasnotthatstrangerpiquedyourcuriosity?Andifit isthuswithpreciseexternaldetailsofform,colour,and movement, what may it not be with the vague complex effect of thementalandmoralindividuality?

Amanhonestlytriestomakeagoodimpression.Whatistheresult?Theresultmerelyisthathisfriends,intheprivacyoftheirminds,sethimdownasamanwhotriestomakeagoodimpression.Ifmuchdependsontheresultofasingleinterview,oracoupleofinterviews,amanmayconceivablyforceanothertoaccept an impression of himself which he would like to convey. But if thereceiveroftheimpressionistohavetimeathisdisposal,thenthegiveroftheimpressionmay just aswell sit down and put his hands in his pockets, fornothingthathecandowillmodifyorinfluenceinanywaytheimpressionthathewillultimatelygive.Thereal impress is, in theend,givenunconsciously,notconsciously;and further, it is receivedunconsciously,notconsciously. Itdependspartlyonbothpersons.Anditisimmutablyfixedbeforehand.Therecanbenofinaldeception.Take theextremecase, thatof themotherandherson. One hears that the son hoodwinks his mother. Not he! If he is cruel,neglectful,overbearing,sheisperfectlyawareofit.Hedoesnotdeceiveher,andshedoesnotdeceiveherself.Ihaveoftenthought:Ifasoncouldlookintoamother'sheart,whataneye-openerhewouldhave!"What!"hewouldcry."Thiscold,impartialjudgment,thiskeenvisionformyfaults,thisimplacablememoryoflittleslights,andinjustices,andcallousnessescommittedlongago,inthebreastofmymother!"Yes,myfriend,inthebreastofyourmother.Theonlydifferencebetweenyourmotherandanotherpersonisthatshetakesyouasyouare,andlovesyouforwhatyouare.Sheisn'tblind:donotimagineit.Themarvelis,notthatpeoplearesuchbadjudgesofcharacter,butthattheyaresuchgoodjudges,especiallyofwhatImaycallfundamentalcharacter.Thewiliest person cannot for ever conceal his fundamental character from thesimplest.Andpeopleareverysternjudges,too.Thinkofyourbestfriends—are you oblivious of their defects? On the contrary, you are perhaps tooconsciousofthem.Whenyousummonthembeforeyourmind'seye,it isnoideal creation that you see.When youmeet them and talk to them you areconstantly making reservations in their disfavour—unless, of course, youhappentobeaschoolgirlgushingover likeafountainwithenthusiasm.It iswell,whenone is judginga friend, to remember thathe is judgingyouwiththesamegodlikeandsuperiorimpartiality.Itiswelltograspthefactthatyouaregoingthroughlifeunderthescrutinyofabandofacquaintanceswhoaresubjecttoveryfewillusionsaboutyou,whoseviewsofyouare,indeed,apttobeharshandevencruel.Aboveall it isadvisable tocomprehendthoroughlythat the things in your individualitywhich annoy your friendsmost are thethings of which you are completely unconscious. It is not until years havepassedthatonebeginstobeabletoformadimideaofwhatonehaslookedliketoone'sfriends.Atfortyonegoesbacktenyears,andonesayssadly,butwithacertainamusement:"Imusthavebeenprettyblatantthen.IcanseehowImusthaveexasperated 'em.Andyet Ihadn't the faintestnotionof itat thetime.My intentionswereof thebest.Only I didn't knowenough."Andone

recollectssomeparticularlycrudeaction,andkicksone'sself....Yes,thatisallvery well; and the enlightenment which has come with increasing age isexceedinglysatisfactory.Butyouarefortynow.Whatshallyoubesayingofyourself at fifty? Such reflections foster humility, and they foster also areluctance, which it is impossible to praise too highly, to tread on otherpeople'stoes.AmomentagoIusedthephrase"fundamentalcharacter."ItisareminiscenceofStevenson'sphrase"fundamentaldecency."Anditisthefinaltestbywhichonejudgesone'sfriends."Afterall,he'sadecentfellow."Wemustbeabletousethatformulaconcerningourfriends.Kindlinessofheartisnotthegreatestofhumanqualities—anditsgeneraleffectontheprogressoftheworldisnotentirelybeneficent—butitisthegreatestofhumanqualitiesinfriendship.Itisthe least dispensable quality. We come back to it with relief from morebrilliantqualities.Andithasthegreatadvantageofalwaysgoingwithabroadmind.Narrow-mindedpeopleareneverkind-hearted.Youmaybeinclinedtodisputethisstatement:pleasethinkitover;Iaminclinedtoupholdit.We can forgive the absence of any quality except kindliness of heart. Andwhen aman lacks that,we blame him,wewill not forgive him.This is, ofcourse,scandalous.Amanisbornashe isborn.Andhecanaseasilyaddacubittohisstatureasaddkindlinesstohisheart.Thefeatneverhasbeendone,andneverwillbedone.Andyetweblamethosewhohavenotkindliness.Wehavetheincredible,insufferable,andodiousaudacitytoblamethem.Wethinkof them as though they had nothing to do but go into a shop and buykindliness.Ihearyousaythatkindlinessofheartcanbe"cultivated."Well,Ihate to have even the appearance of contradicting you, but it can only becultivated in the botanical sense. You can't cultivate violets on a nettle. Aphilosopher has enjoined us to suffer fools gladly. He had more usefullyenjoined us to suffer ill-natured persons gladly.... I see that in a fit ofabsentmindednessIhavestrayedintothepulpit.Idescend.

IIIBREAKINGWITHTHEPAST

Onthatdarkmorningwewokeup,anditinstantlyoccurredtous—oratanyratetothoseofuswhohavepreservedsomeofourillusionsandournaïveté—that we had something to be cheerful about, some cause for a gay andstrenuousvivacity;andthenwerememberedthatitwasNewYear'sDay,andtherewere thoseResolutions to put into force!Of course,we all smile in asuperiormannerat theverymentionofNewYear'sResolutions;wepretendtheyaretoysforchildren,andthatwehavelongsinceceasedtoregardthem

seriously as a possible aid to conduct. But we are such deceivers, suchmiserable,moralcowards,insuchterrorofappearingnaïve,thatIforoneamnottobetakeninbythatsmileandthatpretence.TheindividualwhoscoffsatNewYear'sResolutionsresemblesthewomanwhosaysshedoesn'tlookunderthebedatnights;thetruthisnotinhim,andintheverymomentofhislying,could his cranium suddenly become transparent, we should see Resolutionsburning brightly in his brain like lamps in Trafalgar Square. Of this I amconvinced,thatnineteen-twentiethsofusgotoutofbedthatmorninganimatedbythatspecialfeelingofgayandstrenuousvivacitywhichResolutionsalonecan produce. And nineteen-twentieths of us were also conscious of a highvirtue, forgetting that it isnot themakingofResolutions,but thekeepingofthem,whichrenderspardonabletheconsciousnessofvirtue.And at this hour, while the activity of the Resolution is yet in full blast, Iwouldwishtoinsistonthetruism,obviousperhaps,butapttobeoverlooked,thatamancannotgoforwardandstandstillatthesametime.Justasmoralistshaveoftenanimadvertedupon the tendency to live in the future, so Iwouldanimadvertuponthetendencytoliveinthepast.BecauseallaroundmeIseemen carefully tying themselves with an unbreakable rope to an immovablepostatthebottomofahillandthenstrugglingtoclimbthehill.IfthereisoneResolutionmoreimportantthananotheritistheResolutiontobreakwiththepast. If life isnotacontinualdenialof thepast, thenit isnothing.Thismayseemahardandcallousdoctrine,butyouknowthereareaspectsofcommonsensewhichdecidedlyarehardandcallous.Andonefindsconstantlyinplaincommon-sense persons (O rare and select band!) a surprising quality ofruthlessnessmingledwith softer traits.Haveyounot noticed it?Thepast isabsolutely intractable. One can't do anything with it. And an exaggeratedattention to it is like an exaggerated attention to sepulchres—a sign ofbarbarism. Moreover, the past is usually the enemy of cheerfulness, andcheerfulnessisamostpreciousattainment.Personally, Icouldevengosofaras toexhibithostility towardsgrief,andamarkedhostilitytowardsremorse—twostatesofmindwhichfeedonthepastinsteadofonthepresent.Remorse,whichisnotthesamethingasrepentance,servesnopurposethatIhaveeverbeenabletodiscover.Whatonehasdone,onehasdone,and there'sanendof it.Asagreatprelateunforgettably said,"Things arewhat they are, and the consequences of themwill bewhat theywill be. Why, then, attempt to deceive ourselves"—that remorse forwickednessisausefulandpraiseworthyexercise?Muchbettertoforget.Asamatteroffact,people"indulge"inremorse;itisasomewhatviciousformofspiritual pleasure.Grief, of course, is different, and itmust behandledwithdelicateconsideration.Nevertheless,whenIsee,asonedoessee,amanorawomandedicatingexistencetosorrowforthelossofabelovedcreature,andtheworldtacitlyapplauding,myfeelingiscertainlyinimical.Tomyidea,that

man or woman is not honouring, but dishonouring, the memory of thedeparted; society suffers, the individual suffers, and no earthly or heavenlygood is achieved. Grief is of the past; it mars the present; it is a form ofindulgence,anditoughttobebridledmuchmorethanitoftenis.Thehumanheart is so large thatmere remembrance should not be allowed to tyrannizeovereverypartofit.Butcasesofremorseandabsorbinggriefarecomparativelyrare.Whatisnotrareisthatmisguidedloyaltytothepastwhichdominatesthelivesofsomanyofus.Idonotspeakofleadingprinciples,whicharenotlikelytoincommodeusbychanging;Ispeakofsecondaryyetstillimportantthings.Wewillnotdoso-and-sobecausewehaveneverdoneit—asifthatwasareason!Orwehavealwaysdoneso-and-so,thereforewemustalwaysdoit—asifthatwaslogic!ThisdispositiontoanirrationalToryismiscuriouslydiscoverableinadvancedRadicals,anditwillshowitselfintheveriesttrifles.Iremembersuchamanwhosewifeobjectedtohisformofhat(notthatIwouldcallsocrowninganaffairasahatatrifle!)."Mydear,"heprotested,"Ihavealwayswornthissortof hat. Itmay not suitme, but it is absolutely impossible forme to alter itnow." However, she took him by means of an omnibus to a hat shop andboughthimanotherhatandputitonhishead,andmadeapresentoftheoldonetotheshopassistant,andmarchedhimoutoftheshop."There!"shesaid,"youseehow impossible it is."This is aparable.And Iwillnot insultyourintelligencebyapplyingit.Thefacultythatwechieflyneedwhenweareintheresolution-makingmoodisthefacultyofimagination,thefacultyoflookingatourlivesasthoughwehadneverlookedatthembefore—freshly,withaneweye.Supposingthatyouhadbeenbornmatureandfullofexperience,andthatyesterdayhadbeenthefirstdayofyourlife,youwouldregarditto-dayasanexperiment,youwouldchallenge each act in it, and you would probably arrange to-morrow in amanner that showed a healthy disrespect for yesterday.You certainlywouldnotsay:"Ihavedoneso-and-soonce,thereforeImustkeepondoingit."Thepastisnevermorethananexperiment.AgenuineappreciationofthisfactwillmakeournewResolutionsmorevaluableanddrasticthantheyusuallyare.IhaveadimnotionthatthemostusefulResolutionformostofuswouldbetobreak quite fifty per cent. of all the vows we have ever made. "Do notaccustomyourselftoenchainyourvolatilitywithvows....Takethiswarning;itisofgreatimportance."(ThewisdomisJohnson's,butIflattermyselfontheitalics.)

IVSETTLINGDOWNINLIFE

Theotherdayawell-knownEnglishnovelistaskedmehowoldIthoughtshewas,really."Well,"Isaidtomyself,"sinceshehasaskedforit,sheshallhaveit; Iwill be as true to life as her novels."So I replied audaciously: "Thirty-eight."IfanciedIwaserringifatall,onthesideof"really,"andItrembled.She laughed triumphantly. "I am forty-three," she said. The incident mighthavepassedoffentirelytomysatisfactionhadshenotproceeded:"Andnowtellmehowoldyouare."Thatwaslikeawoman.Womenimaginethatmenhavenoreticences,noprettylittlevanities.Whatanerror!OfcourseIcouldnotbebeatenincandourbyawoman.Ihadtooffermyselfaburntsacrificetohercuriosity,andIdidit,bravelybutnotunflinchingly.Andthenafterwardsthefactofmyageremainedwithme,worriedme,obsessedme.Isawmoreclearlythaneverbeforethatagewastellingonme.Icouldnotbeblindtothedeliberationofmymovementsinclimbingstairsandindressing.Onceuponatime the majority of persons I met in the street seemed much older thanmyself. It is different now. The change has come unperceived. There is ageneration younger than mine that smokes cigars and falls in love.Astounding! Once I could play left-wing forward for an hour and a halfwithout dropping down dead. Once I could swim a hundred and fifty feetsubmergedatthebottomofaswimming-bath.Incredible!Simplyincredible!...CanitbethatIhavealreadylived?And lo! I, at the ageofnearly forty, amputting tomyself theoldquestionsconcerningthe intrinsicvalueof life, thefundamentally importantquestions:WhathaveIgotoutofit?WhatamIlikelytogetoutofit?Inaword,what'sitworth? If a man can ask himself a question more momentous, radical, andcritical than these questions, I would like to know what it is. Innumerablephilosophers have tried to answer these questions in a general way for theaverage individual, andpossibly theyhave succeededprettywell.Possibly Imightderivebenefitfromaperusaloftheiranswers.ButdoyousupposeIamgoingtoreadthem?NotI!DoyousupposethatIcanrecallthewisdomthatIhappenalreadytohaveread?NotI!Mymindisaperfectblankatthismomentinregardtothewisdomofothersontheessentialquestion.Strange,isitnot?But quite a common experience, I believe. Besides, I don't actually caretwopencewhatanyotherphilosopherhasrepliedtomyquestion.Inthis,eachmanmustbehisownphilosopher.Thereisaninstinctintheprofoundegoismofhumannaturewhichpreventsusfromacceptingsuchready-madeanswers.Whatisit touswhatPlatothought?Nothing.Andthusthequestionremainsever new, and ever unanswered, and ever of dramatic interest.The singular,thehighlysingularthingis—andhereIarriveatmypoint—thatsofewpeopleputthequestiontothemselvesintime,thatsomanyputittoolate,orevendiewithoutputtingit.I am firmly convinced that an immense proportion ofmy instructed fellow-

creatures do notmerely omit to strike the balance-sheet of their lives, theyomiteventhepreliminaryoperationoftakingstock.Theygoon,andon,andon,buyingandsellingtheyknownotwhat,atunascertainedprices,droppingmoneyinto the tillandtakingitout.Theydon'tknowwhatgoodsare in theshop,norwhatamountisinthetill,buttheyhaveaclearimpressionthattheliving-room behind the shop is by no means as luxurious and as well-ventilatedas theywould like it tobe.And theyearspass, and thatbeautifulfurniture and that systemof ventilation are not achieved.And then one daytheydie,andfriendscometo thefuneralandremark:"Dearme!Howstuffythis room is, and the shop's practically full of trash!" Or, some little timebefore theyaredead, theystaylater thanusual in theshoponeevening,andmakeup theirminds to takestockandcount the till,and thedisillusion laysthemlow,andtheystruggle into the living-roomandmurmur:"Ishallneverhavethatbeautifulfurniture,andIshallneverhavethatsystemofventilation.IfIhadknownearlier,Iwouldhaveatleastgotafewinexpensivecushionstogoonwith,andIwouldhaveputmyfistthroughapaneinthewindow.Butit's too late now. I'm used toWindsor chairs, and I should feel the draughthorribly."IfIwereapreacher,andifIhadn'tgotmorethanenoughtodoinmindingmyownaffairs, and if I could lookanyone in the faceanddeny that I toohadpursuedfornearlyfortyyearsthegreatBritishpolicyofmuddlingthroughandhopingforthebest—inshort,ifthingswerenotwhattheyare,IwouldhiretheAlhambra Theatre or Exeter Hall of a Sunday night—preferably theAlhambra, because more people would come to my entertainment—and Iwouldinviteallmenandwomenovertwenty-six.Iwouldsupplytheseethingcrowdwithwhattheydesiredinthewayofbodilyrefreshment(exceptspirits—Iwoulddraw the lineatpoisons), andhavinggot themandmyself intoaniceamiableexpansiveframeofmind,Iwouldthusaddressthem—ofcourseinringingeloquencethatJohnBrightmighthaveenvied:Menandwomen(Iwouldsay),companionsintheuniversalpastimeofhidingone's head in the sand,—I am about to impart to you the very essence ofhuman wisdom. It is not abstract. It is a principle of daily application,affectingthedailyroundinitsentirety,fromthestraphangingontheDistrictRailway in themorning to thestraphangingon theDistrictRailway thenextmorning.Bewareofhope,andbewareofambition!Eachisexcellentlytonic,like German competition, in moderation. But all of you are suffering fromself-indulgence in the first, and very many of you are ruining yourconstitutions with the second. Be it known unto you, my dear men andwomen, that existence rightly considered is a fair compromise between twoinstincts—theinstinctofhopingonedayto live,andtheinstinct to livehereandnow.Inmostofyouthefirstinstincthassimplygottheotherbythethroatandisthrottlingit.Preparetolivebyallmeans,butforheaven'ssakedonot

forget to live.Youwillneverhaveabetterchance thanyouhaveatpresent.Youmay think youwill have, but you aremistaken. Pardon this bluntness.Surelyyouarenotsonaïveastoimaginethattheroadontheothersideofthathill thereismorebeautiful thanthepieceyouarenowtraversing!Hopesarenever realized; for in the act of realization they become something else.Ambitionsmaybeattained,butambitionsattainedarerather likeburntcoal,ninetypercent.oftheheatgeneratedhasgoneupthechimneyinsteadofintothe room. Nevertheless, indulge in hopes and ambitions, which, thoughdeceiving,areagreeabledeceptions; let themcheatyoua little,a lot.Butdonotletthemcheatyoutoomuch.Thisthatyouarelivingnowislifeitself—itismuchmorelifeitselfthanthatwhichyouwillbelivingtwentyyearshence.Graspthattruth.Dwellonit.Absorbit.Letit influenceyourconduct, totheend that neither the present nor the future be neglected. You search forhappiness? Happiness is chiefly a matter of temperament. It is exceedinglyimprobablethatyouwillbystrugglinggainmorehappinessthanyoualreadypossess.Infine,settledownatonceintolife.(Loudcheers.)Thecheerswouldofcoursebefortherefreshments.There is no doubt that themass of the audience would consider that I hadmissedmyvocation,andought tohavebeenacaterer insteadofapreacher.But,oncestarted,Iwouldnotbediscouraged.Iwouldkeepon,SundaynightafterSundaynight.Ourleadingadvertisershaverichlyprovedthatthepublicwill believe anything if they are told of it often enough. I would practiseiteration, always with refreshments. In the result, it would dawn upon thecorporatemindthattherewassomeglimmeringofsenseinmydoctrine,andpeoplewould at last begin to perceive the folly of neglecting to savour thepresent,thefollyofassumingthatthefuturecanbeessentiallydifferentfromthepresent,thefatuityofdyingbeforetheyhavebeguntolive.

VMARRIAGE

THEDUTYOFIT

Everynowandthenitbecomesnecessarytodealfaithfullywiththatimmortaltypeofperson,thepraiserofthepastattheexpenseofthepresent.IwillnotquoteHorace,asbyallthetraditionsoflettersIoughttodo,becauseHorace,liketheincurabletrimmerthathewas,"hedged"onthisquestion;andIdonotadmirehimmucheither.Thepraiserofthepasthasbeenveryrifelately.Hehastoldusthatpauperismandlunacyaremightilyincreasing,andthoughthe

exactoppositehasbeenprovedtobethecaseandhehasapologized,hewillhave forgotten thecorrection ina fewmonths,andwillbreakoutagain intorenewedlamentation.Hehastoldusthatwearephysicallydeteriorating,andin suchawful tones thatwehave shuddered, andmanyofushavebelieved.Andconsidering that thedeath-rate isdecreasing, that slumsaredecreasing,thatdiseaseisdecreasing,thattheagriculturallabourereatsmorethaneverhedid,ourcredencedoesnotdomuchcredittoourreasoningpowers,doesit?Ofcourse, there is that terrible "influx" into the towns, but I for one shouldbemuchinterestedtoknowwhereintheexistenceoftherusticintimespastwashealthier than the existence of the town-dwellers of to-day. The personalappearanceof agricultural veteransdoesnot helpme; they resemble starved'bus-driverstwistedoutofshapebylightning.But the pièce de résistance of the praiser of the past is nowmarriage,withdiscreethints about thebirth-rate.Thepraiserof thepast isgoing tohaveamagnificent time with the subject of marriage. The first moanings of thetempest have alreadybeenheard.Bishopshave looked askance at thebirth-rate, and have mentioned their displeasure. The matter is serious. As thephrasegoes,"itstrikesattheroot."Wearemarryinglater,myfriends.Someofus,inthehurryandpre-occupationofbusiness,arequiteforgettingtomarry.Itisthedutyofthecitizentomarryandhavechildren,andweareneglectingourduty,wearegrowingselfish!Nolongerareproducedtheglorious"quiverfuls"of old times! Our fathersmarried at twenty; wemarry at thirty-five.Why?Becauseagrossandenervatingluxuryhasovertakenus.WhatwillbecomeofEnglandifthiscontinues?TherewillbenoEngland!Hencewemustlooktoit!Andsoon,inthesamestrain.I should like to ask all those who have raised andwill raise such outcries.Haveyouread"X"?Now,thebookthatIrefertoas"X"isamysteriouswork,written rather more than a hundred years ago by an English curate. It is aclassicofEnglishscience;indeed,itisoneofthegreatscientificbooksoftheworld.Ithasimmenselyinfluencedallthescientificthoughtofthenineteenthcentury, especially Darwin's. Mr. H.G. Wells, as cited in "Chambers'sCyclopædiaofEnglishLiterature,"describesitas"themost 'shattering'bookthateverhasorwillbewritten."IfImaymakeapersonalreference,IwouldsaythatitaffectedmemoredeeplythananyotherscientificbookthatIhaveread.Although it is perfectly easy to understand, andfree from the slightesttechnicality, it is themostmisunderstood book in English literature, simplybecauseitisnotread.Thecurrentnotionaboutitisutterlyfalse.Itmightbeapowerfulinstrumentofeducation,generalandsociological,butpublisherswillnotreprintit—atleast,theydonot.AndyetitisfortytimesmoreinterestingandfourhundredtimesmoreeducationalthanGilbertWhite'sremarksonthebirdsofSelborne.Iwill leaveyoutoguesswhat"X"is,butIdonotofferaprize for the solutionof a problemwhich a vast numberofmy readerswill

certainlysolveatonce.If those who are worrying themselves about the change in our system ofmarriagewouldread"X,"theywouldprobablyceasefromworrying.Fortheywouldperceivethattheyhadbeenputtingthecartbeforethehorse;thattheyhadelevatedtothedignityoffundamentalprinciplescertainaveragerulesofconduct which had sprung solely from certain average instincts in certainaverageconditions,andthattheywerenowfrightenedbecause,theconditionshavingchanged,therulesofconducthadchangedwiththem.Oneofthetruthsthat "X" makes clear is that conduct conforms to conditions, and notconditionstoconduct.Thepaymentoftaxesisadutywhichthecitizenowestothestate.Marriage,withthebegettingofchildren,isnotadutywhichthecitizenowestothestate.Marriage, with its consequences, is a matter of personal inclination andconvenience. It never has been anything else, and it neverwill be anythingelse. How could it be otherwise? If a man goes against inclination andconvenienceinamatterwhereinclinationis"oftheessenceofthecontract,"he merely presents the state with a discontented citizen (if not two) inexchange for a contented one! The happiness of the state is the sum of thehappiness of all its citizens; to decrease one's own happiness, then, is asingular way of doing one's duty to the state! Do you imagine that whenpeoplemarriedearlyandmuchtheydidsofromasenseofdutytothestate—asense of duty which our "modern luxury" has weakened? I imagine theymarriedsimplybecauseitsuited'em.Theymarriedfromsheerselfishness,asall decent people do marry. And do those who clatter about the duty ofmarriagekissthegirlsoftheirheartswithaneyetothegeneralwelfare?Icanfancythemsaying,"Myangel,Iloveyou—fromasenseofdutytothestate.Let us rear innumerable progeny—from a sense of duty to the state." Howcharmedthegirlswouldbe!Ifthemarryingagechanges,ifthebirth-rateshowsasympathetictendencytofollow the death-rate (as it must—see "X"), no one need be alarmed.Elementaryprinciplesofrightandwrongarenottremblingontheirbases.Thehuman conscience is not silenced. The nation is not going to the dogs.Conduct isadjusting itself tonewconditions,and that isall.Wemaynotbeable to see exactly how conditions are changing; that is a detail; ourdescendantswillseeexactly;meanwhilethechangeinourconductaffordsussome clew. And although certain nervous persons do get alarmed, and dopreach,anddo"takemeasures," therestofusmayremainplacid in thesurefaith that "measures"will availnothingwhatever. If thereare two things sethigh above legislation, "movements," crusades, and preaching, one is themarrying age and the other is the birth-rate. For there the supreme instinctcomes along and stamps ruthlessly on all insincere reasonings and sham

altruisms;stampsoneverything,infact,andblandlyremarks:"Ishallsuitmyownconvenience,andnoonebutNatureherself(withabig,bigN)shalltalkto me. Don't pester me with Right andWrong. I am Right andWrong...."Havingthusattemptedtoclearthegroundalittleoffudge,Iproposenexttoofferafewsimpleremarksonmarriage.

THEADVENTUREOFIT

Havingendeavoured toshowthatmendonot,andshouldnot,marryfromasenseofdutytothestateortomankind,butsimplyandsolelyfromanegoisticinclinationtomarry,Inowproceedto the individualcaseof themanwhois"inapositiontomarry"andwhoseaffectionsarenotemployed.Ofcourse,ifhehasfalleninlove,unlesshehappenstobeapersonofextremelypowerfulwill,hewillnotweigh theprosandconsofmarriage;hewillmerelymarry,andfortythousandconswillnotpreventhim.Andhewillbeabsolutelyrightandjustified,justasthestrawasitrushesdownthecurrentisabsolutelyrightandjustified.Buttheprivilegeoffallinginloveisnotgiventoeverybody,andthe inestimableprivilegeof fallingdeeply in love isgiven to few.However,themanwhomcircumstancespermittomarrybutwhoisnotinlove,orisonlyslightlyamorous,willstillthinkofmarriage.Howwillhethinkofit?Iwilltellyou.Inthefirstplace,ifhehasreachedtheageofthirtyunscathedbyAphrodite,hewillreflectthatthatpeculiarfeelingofromanticexpectationwithwhichhegetsupeverymorningwouldceasetoexistaftermarriage—andit is a highly agreeable feeling! In its stead, in moments of depression, hewould have the feeling of having done something irremediable, of havingdefinitely closed an avenue for the outlet of his individuality. (KindlyrememberthatIamnotdescribingwhatthishumanmanoughttothink.Iamdescribingwhathedoesthink.)Inthesecondplace,hewillreflectthat,aftermarriage,hecouldnolongerexpectthecharmingwelcomeswhichbachelorssooftenreceivefromwomen;hewouldbe"donewith"asapossibility,andhedoes not relish the prospect of being done with as a possibility. Suchconsiderations, all connected more or less with the loss of "freedom" (oh,mysteriousand thrillingword!),willaffecthis theoreticalattitude.Andbe itknownthateventhefreedomtobelonelyandmelancholyisstillfreedom.Otherideaswillsuggestthemselves.Onemorningwhilebrushinghishairhewillseeagrayhair,and,howeveryounghemaybe,theanticipationofoldagewillcome tohim.Asolitaryoldage!Asenilitydependent for its socialanddomestic requirementson condescendingnephews andnieces, or evenmoredistantrelations!Awful!Unthinkable!Andhisfirstmovement,especiallyifhehas read that terriblenovel, "Fort comme laMort,"ofDeMaupassant, is to

rushoutintothestreetandproposetothefirstgirlheencounters,inordertoavoidthisdreadfulnightmareofasolitaryoldage.Butbeforehehasgotasfarasthedoorstephereflectsfurther.Supposehemarries,andaftertwentyyearshiswifediesandleaveshimawidower!Hewillstillhaveasolitaryoldage,andavastlymoretragicalonethanifhehadremainedsingle.Marriageisnot,therefore, a sure remedy for a solitary old age; it may intensify the evil.Children? But suppose he doesn't have any children! Suppose, there beingchildren, theydie—what anguish!Supposemerely that theyare seriously illand recover—what an ageing experience! Suppose they prove adisappointment—whatendlessregret!Supposethey"turnoutbadly"(childrendo)—whatshame!Supposehefinallybecomesdependentuponthegrudgingkindnessofanungratefulchild—whatasupremehumiliation!Allthesethingsare occurring constantly everywhere. Suppose his wife, having loved him,ceased to lovehim,orsupposeheceased to lovehiswife!Ceschosesnesecommandent pas—these things do not command themselves. Personally, Ishouldestimate that innotoneper cent. evenof romanticmarriagesare thehusbandandwifecapableofpassionforeachotherafterthreeyears.Sobriefis theviolenceoflove!Inperhapsthirty-threepercent.passionsettlesdownintoa tranquilaffection—which is ideal. In fiftypercent. it sinks intosheerindifference,andonebecomesusedtoone'swifeorone'shusbandastoone'sotherhabits.Andintheremainingsixteenpercent.itdevelopsintodislikeordetestation. Do you think my percentages are wrong, you who have beenmarriedalongtimeandknowwhattheworldis?Well,youmaymodifythemalittle—youwon'twanttomodifythemmuch.The risk of finding one's self ultimately among the sixteen per cent. can beavoidedbythesimpleexpedientofnotmarrying.Andbythesameexpedientthe other risks can be avoided, together with yet others that I have notmentioned.Itisentirelyobvious,then(infact,Ibegpardonformentioningit),thattheattitudetowardsmarriageoftheheart-freebachelormustbeatbestahighlycautiousattitude.Heknowsheisalreadyinthefrying-pan(noneknowsbetter),but,consideringthepropinquityofthefire,hedoubtswhetherhehadnot better stay where he is. His life will be calmer, more like that of ahibernatingsnake;hissensibilitieswillbedulled;butthechancesofpoignantsufferingwillbeverymateriallyreduced.Sothatthebachelorinapositiontomarrybutnotinlovewillassuredlydecideintheoryagainstmarriage—thatistosay,ifheistimid,ifheprefersfrying-pans,ifheislackingininitiative,ifhehasthesoulofarat,ifhewantstoliveaslittleaspossible,ifhehateshiskind,ifhisegoismisofthemiserablesortthatdaresnotminglewithanother's.Butifhehasbeenmorehappilygiftedhewill decide that the magnificent adventure is worth plunging into; theineradicableandfinegamblinginstinctinhimwillurgehimtotake,atthefirstchance, a ticket in the only lottery permitted by the British Government.

Because,afterall, themutualsenseofownershipfeltbythenormalhusbandandthenormalwifeissomethingunique,somethingthelikeofwhichcannotbeobtainedwithoutmarriage. I sawamanandawomanat a sale theotherday; Iwas too faroff tohear them,but Icouldperceive theywerehavingamostlivelyargument—perhapsitwasonlyaboutinitialsonpillowcases;theywereabsorbedinthemselves;theworlddidnotexistforthem.AndIthought:"What miraculous exquisite Force is it that brings together that strange,sombre, laconicorganism in a silkhat and a loose, blackovercoat, and thatstrange, bright, vivacious, querulous, irrational organism in brilliant fur andfeathers?"Andwhen theymoved away themost interesting phenomenon inthe universemoved away.And I thought: "Just as no beer is bad, but somebeer is better than other beer, so nomarriage is bad." The chief reward ofmarriage is something which marriage is bound to give—companionshipwhosemysteriousinterestingnessnothingcanstale.Amanmayhatehiswifesothatshecan't threadaneedlewithoutannoyinghim,butwhenhedies,orshe dies, he will say: "Well, I was interested." And one always is. Said abachelorofforty-sixtometheothernight:"Anythingisbetterthanthevoid."

THETWOWAYSOFIT

Sabineandothersummarymethodsofmarryingbeingnowabandonedbyallnicepeople,thereremaintwobroadgeneralways.ThefirstistheEnglishway.Weletnaturetakehercourse.Wegiveheedtotheheart'scry.When,amidthehazards and accidents of theworld, two souls "find eachother,"we rejoice.Our instinctive wish is that they shall marry, if the matter can anyhow bearranged. We frankly recognise the claim of romance in life, and we arepreparedtomakesacrificestoit.Weseeayoungcoupleatthealtar;theyarein love.Good!Theyarepoor.Somuch theworse!Butneverthelesswe feelthatlovewillpullthemthrough.TherevoltingFrenchsystemofbargainandbarter is the one thing that we can neither comprehend nor pardon in thecustomsofourgreatneighbours.Weendeavourtobepoliteaboutthatsystem;we simply cannot. It shocksour finest, tenderest feelings. It is soobviouslycontrarytonature.Thesecond is theFrenchway, just alluded toasbargainandbarter.Now, ifthere is one thing a Frenchman can neither comprehend nor pardon in thecustomsof a race somarvellouslypractical and sagaciousasourselves, it isthe English marriage system. He endeavours to be polite about it, and hesucceeds.But it shocks his finest, tenderest feelings.He admits that it is inaccordance with nature; but he is apt to argue that the whole progress ofcivilisationhasbeen the result of an effort toget away fromnature. "What!

Leavethemostimportantrelationintowhichamancanentertothemercyofchance,whenameregesturemayarousepassion,or thecolourofacorsageinducedesire!No, youEnglish, youwho are so self-controlled, you are notgoing seriously todefend that!You talkof loveas though it lasted for ever.You talk of sacrificing to love; but what you really sacrifice, or risksacrificing,isthewholeofthelatterpartofmarriedexistenceforthesakeofthefirsttwoorthreeyears.Marriageisnotonelonghoneymoon.Wewishitwere.When you agree to amarriage you fix your eyes on the honeymoon.Whenweagree to amarriagewe try to see it as itwillbe fiveor tenyearshence.Weassertthat,intheaverageinstance,fiveyearsaftertheweddingitdoesn't matter whether or not the parties were in love on the wedding-day.Hencewewillnotyieldtothegustsofthemoment.Yoursystemis,moreover,ifwemaybepermittedtheobservation,apremiumonimprovidence;itis,tosome extent, the result of improvidence. You can marry your daughterswithoutdowries,andtheabilitytodosotemptsyoutoneglectyourplaindutyto your daughters, and you do not always resist the temptation. Do yourmarriages of 'romance' turn out better than our marriages of prudence, ofcarefulthought,oflongforesight?Wedonotthinktheydo."Somuch for the twoways. Patriotism being the last refuge of a scoundrel,accordingtoDoctorJohnson,Ihavenointentionofjudgingbetweenthem,asmyheartpromptsmetodo,lestIshouldbeaccusedofit.Nevertheless,Imayhintthat,whileperfectlyconvincedbytheadmirablelogicoftheFrench,Iamstill, with the charming illogicalness of the English, in favour of romanticmarriages (it being, of course, understood that dowriesought to be farmoreplentifulthantheyareinEngland).IfaFrenchmanaccusesmeofbeingreadytorisksacrificingthewholeofthelatterpartofmarriedlifeforthesakeofthefirsttwoorthreeyears,Iwouldunhesitatinglyreply:"Yes,Iamreadytoriskthatsacrifice.Ireckonthefirsttwoorthreeyearsareworthit."But,then,IamEnglish, and therefore romantic by nature.Look atLondon, that citywhoseoutstanding quality is its romantic quality; and look at the Englishwomengoingtheirwaysin thewonderfulstreets thereof!Theirveryeyesarefullofromance.Theymay,theydo,lackchic,buttheyareheroinesofdrama.ThenlookatParis;thereislittleromanceinthefinerightlinesofParis.LookattheParisiennes.Theyare themostastoundingandadorablewomenyet inventedbynature.Buttheyaren'tromantic,youknow.Theydon'tknowwhatromanceis.Theyaresomatter-of-factthatwhenyouthinkoftheirmatter-of-factnessitgivesyouashiverinthesmallofyourback.Toreturn.Onemayviewthetwowaysinanotherlight.Perhapsthedifferencebetween them is, fundamentally, less a difference between the ideas of tworacesthanadifferencebetweentheideasoftwo"timesoflife";andinFrancethe elderly attitude predominates. As people get on in years, even Englishpeople,theyaremoreandmoreinfavourofthemarriageofreasonasagainst

themarriageofromance.Youngpeople,evenFrenchpeople,objectstronglytothetheoryandpracticeofthemarriageofreason.Butwiththemtheuniqueandpreciousecstasyofyouthisnotpast,whereastheireldershaveforgottenitssavour.Whichisright?Noonewilleverbeabletodecide.Butneithertheonesystemnortheotherwillapplyitselfwelltoallornearlyallcases.TherehavebeenthousandsofromanticmarriagesinEnglandofwhichitmaybesaidthatitwouldhavebeenbetterhadtheFrenchsystembeeninforcetopreventtheirexistence.And,equally, thousandsofpossible romanticmarriageshavebeen prevented in France which, had the English system prevailed there,would have turned out excellently. The prevalence of dowries in EnglandwouldnotrendertheEnglishsystemperfect(foritmustberememberedthatmoneyisonlyoneofseveralingredientsintheFrenchmarriage),butitwouldconsiderablyimproveit.However,wearenotaprovidentrace,andwearenotlikely to become one. So our youngmenmust reconcile themselves to thecontinuedabsenceofdowries.ThereadermaybeexcusedforimaginingthatIamattheendofmyremarks.Iam not. All that precedes is amere preliminary to what follows. I want toregardthecaseof themanwhohasgiventheEnglishsystemafair trialandfounditfutile.Thus,wewaitonchanceinEngland.Wewaitforlovetoarrive.Suppose itdoesn't arrive?Where is theEnglish system then?Assume that amaninapositiontomarryreachesthirty-fiveorfortywithouthavingfalleninlove.WhyshouldhenottrytheFrenchsystemforachange?Anymarriageisbetterthannoneatall.Naturally,inEngland,hecouldn'tgouptotheChosenFairandannounce:"Iamnotprecisely in lovewithyou,butwillyoumarryme?" He would put it differently. And she would understand. And do youthinkshewouldrefuse?

VIBOOKS

THEPHYSICALSIDE

Thechief interestofmanyofmyreaders isavowedlybooks; theymay, theyprobably do, profess other interests, but they are primarily "bookmen," andwhen one is a bookman one is a bookman during about twenty-three andthree-quarterhoursineveryday.Now,bookmenarecapableofunderstandingthings about bookswhich cannot be put intowords; they are not likemeresubscriberstocirculatinglibraries;forthemabookisnotjustabook—itisabook. If these lines should happen to catch the eye of any persons notbookmen, suchpersonsmay imagine that I amwritingnonsense; but I trustthat the bookmenwill comprehendme.And I venture, then, to offer a few

reflectionsuponanaspectofmodernbookishnessthatisbecomingmoreandmore "actual" as the enterprise of publishers and the beneficent effects ofeducationgrowandincreasetogether.Ireferto"populareditions"ofclassics.Now,Iamverygratefultothedevisersofcheapandhandyeditions.Thefirstbook I ever bought was the first volume of the first modern series ofpresentableandreallycheapreprints,namely,Macaulay's"WarrenHastings,"in"Cassell'sNationalLibrary" (sixpence, incloth).That foundationstoneofmylibraryhasunfortunatelydisappearedbeneaththesuccessivedeposits,butanothervolumeof the same series,F.T.Palgrave's "VisionsofEngland" (anotherwise scarce book), still remains to me through the vicissitudes ofseventeenyearsofsale,purchase,andexchange,andIwouldnotcaretopartwithit.Ihaveovertwohundredvolumesofthatinestimableandincomparableseries, "The Temple Classics," besides several hundred assorted volumes ofvarious other series. And when I heard of the new "Everyman's Library,"projectedbythatbenefactorofbookmen,Mr.J.M.Dent,myfirstimpassionedactwas to sit down andwrite a postcard tomy bookseller orderingGeorgeFinlay's "The Byzantine Empire," a work which has waited sixty years forpopularrecognition.SothatIcannotbesaidtobereallyantagonistictocheapreprints.Stronginthisconsciousness,Ibegtostatethatcheapandhandyreprintsare"allverywellintheirway"—whichisamannerofsayingthattheyarenottheAlphaandOmegaofbookishness.Byexpending£20yearlyduring thenextfiveyearsamanmightcollect,incheapandhandyreprints,allthatwasworthhaving in classic English literature. But I for one would not be willing toregardsuchalibraryasareallibrary.Iwouldregarditasonlyacheapeditionof a library. Therewould be something about it that would arouse inme acertain benevolent disdain, even though every volume was well printed ongoodpaperandinoffensivelybound.Why?Well,althoughitismyprofessioninlifetosaywhatIfeelinplainwords,IdonotknowthatinthisconnectionIcan say what I feel in plain words. I have to rely on a sympatheticcomprehensionofmyattitudeinthebookishbreastsofmyreaders.In the firstplace, Ihavean instinctiveantipathy toa "series." Idonotwant"TheGoldenLegend"and"TheEssaysofElia"uniformedalikeinaregimentof books. Itmakesme think of conscription and barracks. Even the noblestseriesof reprintseverplanned(notatallcheap,either,norheterogeneous inmatter),theTudorTranslations,faintlyannoysmeinthemass.Itsappearancesinaseriesseemstometorobabookofsomethingverydelicateandsubtleinthearomaofitsindividuality—somethingwhich,itbeinginexplicable,Iwillnottrytoexplain.In the second place,most cheap and handy reprints are small in size. Theymaybetypographicallyexcellent,withlargetypeandopaquepaper;theymay

beconvenienttohandle;theymaybesurpassinglysuitableforthepocketandthevery thing for travel; theymay saveprecious spacewhere shelf-room islimited;but theyaresmall insize.Andthere is,asregardsmost literature,adistinctmoralvalueinsize.DoIcarrymyaudiencewithme?Ihopeso.Let"ParadiseLost"besoproduced thatyoucanput it inyourwaistcoatpocket,and it is no more "Paradise Lost." Milton needs a solid octavo form, withstoutish paper and longprimer type. I have "Walpole'sLetters" inNewnes's"ThinPaperClassics,"amarvellousvolumeofnearninehundredpages,withaportraitandagoodindexandabeautifulbinding,forthreeandsix,andIamexceedinglyindebtedtoMessrs.Newnesforcreatingthatvolume.Itwassheergeniusontheirparttodoso.Igetcharmingsensationsfromit,butsensationsnotsocharmingasIshouldgetfromMrs.PagetToynbee'smany-volumedandgrandioseedition,evenasidefromMrs.Toynbee'seruditenotesandtheextraletterswhich she has been able to print. The same letter inMrs. Toynbee'sedition would have a higher æsthetic and moral value for me than in the"editionlet" of Messrs. Newnes. The one cheap series which satisfies mydesire forsize isMacmillan's"LibraryofEnglishClassics," inwhich Ihavethe"Travels"ofthatmythicalpersonage,SirJohnMandeville.Butitisonlyinpaying for it that you know this edition to be cheap, for it measures nineinchesbysixinchesbytwoinches.Andinthethirdplace,whenonebuysseries,oneonlypartiallychoosesone'sbooks;theyaremainlychosenforonebythepublisher.Andeveniftheyarenotchosenforonebythepublisher,theyaresuggestedtoonebythepublisher.Not so does the genuine bookman form his library. The genuine bookmanbeginsbyhavingspecificdesires.Hisstudyofauthoritiesgiveshimademand,andthedemandforceshimtofindthesupply.Hedoesnotletthesupplycreatethedemand.Suchastateofaffairswouldbealmosthumiliating,almost liketheparvenuwhocallsinthewholesalefurnisheranddecoratortoprovidehimwith a home. A library must be, primarily, the expression of the owner'spersonality.Letme assert again that I am strongly in favour of cheap series of reprints.Theirinfluencethoughnottheveryfinest, isundisputablygood.Theyareasgreataboonascheapbread.Theyareindispensablewheremoneyorspaceislimited,andintravelling.Theydecidedlyhelptoeducateatasteforbooksthatareneithercheapnorhandy;andthemostluxuriouscollectorsmaynotaffordto ignore them entirely.But they have their limitations, their disadvantages.They cannot form the backbone of a "proper" library.Theymake, however,admirableembroiderytoa library.Myownwouldlookratherplain if itwasstrippedofthem.

THEPHILOSOPHYOFBOOK-BUYING

For some considerable time I have been living, as regards books, with theminimumofcomfortanddecency—with,infact,thebarenecessariesoflife,such necessaries being, in my case, sundry dictionaries, Boswell, an atlas,Wordsworth,anencyclopædia,Shakespere,Whitaker,someDeMaupassant,apoeticalanthology,Verlaine,Baudelaire,anaturalhistoryofmynativecounty,an old directory of my native town, Sir Thomas Browne, Poe, Walpole'sLetters,andabookofmemoirs thatIwillnotname.Acuriouslist,youwillsay.Well,nevermind!Wedonotallcaretoeatbeefsteakandchippotatoesoffan oak table, with a foaming quart to the right hand. We have ouridiosyncrasies.ThepointisthatIexistedonthebarenecessariesoflife(veryhealthy—doctors say) for a long time. And then, just lately, I summonedenergy and caused fifteen hundred volumes to be transported to me; and Iarrangedthemonshelves;andIre-arrangedthemonshelves;andIleftthemtoarrangethemselvesonshelves.Well,youknow,thewaythatIwalkupanddowninfrontofthesevolumes,whosefacesIhadhalf-forgotten,isperfectlyinfantile.Itislikethewayofachildatamenagerie.There,initscage,isthat1839editionofShelley,editedbyMrs. Shelley that I once nearly sold to the BritishMuseum because theKeeperofPrintedBooks thoughthehadn’tgotacopy—onlyhehad!Andthere,inacagebyhimself,becauseofhisterriblehugeness,isthe1652Parisedition of Montaigne's Essays. And so I might continue, and so I wouldcontinue,wereitnotessentialthatIcometomyargument.Doyousupposethatthepresenceofthesebooks,afterourlongseparation,ismakingmereadmorethanIdid?DoyousupposeIamengagedinlookingupmyfavouritepassages?Notabit.TheothereveningIhadalongtramjourney,and,beforestarting,Itriedtoselectabooktotakewithme.Icouldn'tfindonetosuitjustthetram-mood.AsIhadtocatchthetramIwasobligedtosettleonsomething, and in the end I went off with nothing more original than"Hamlet,"which I am really too familiarwith.... Then I bought an eveningpaper,and read itall through, includingadvertisements.So I said tomyself:"This isaniceresultofallmytrouble toresumecompanywithsomeofmybooks!"However,asIhavelongsinceceasedtobesurprisedattheeccentricmannerinwhichhumannaturerefusestoactasonewouldhaveexpectedittoact, I was able to keep calm and unashamed during this extraordinaryexperience. And I am still walking up and down in front ofmy books andenjoyingthemwithoutreadingthem.Iwishtoarguethatagreatdealofcantistalked(andwritten)aboutreading.Paperssuchas the"Anthenæum,"whichneverthelessIperusewithjoyfromendtoendeveryweek,canscarcelynoticeaneweditionofaclassicwithout

expressing, in a grieved andpessimistic tone, the fear thatmorepeople buytheseagreeableeditions than read them.And if it is so?What then?Areweonlytobuythebooksthatweread?Thequestionhasmerelytobethusbluntlyput,anditanswersitself.Allimpassionedbookmen,exceptafewwhodevotetheirwholelivestoreading,haverowsofbooksontheirshelveswhichtheyhaveneverread,andwhichtheyneverwillread.IknowthatIhavehundredssuch.MyeyerestsontheworksofBerkeleyinthreevolumes,withaprefaceby the Right Honourable Arthur James Balfour. I cannot conceive thecircumstances under which I shall ever read Berkeley; but I do not regrethavingboughthiminagoodedition,andIwouldbuyhimagainifIhadhimnot;forwhenIlookathimsomeofhisvirtuepassesintome;Iamthebetterforhim.Acertainaromaofphilosophyinformsmysoul,andIamlesscrudethanIshouldotherwisebe.Thisisnotfancy,butfact.TakingBerkeleysimplyasaninstance,Iwillutilisehimalittlefurther.Ioughtto have read Berkeley, you say; just as I ought to have read Spenser, BenJonson,GeorgeEliot,VictorHugo.Notatall.Thereisno"ought"aboutit.Ifthemassofobtainable first-class literaturewere,as itwasperhapsacenturyago,nottoolargetobeassimilatedbyamanofordinarylimitedleisureinhisleisure and during the first half of his life, then possibly theremight be an"ought"aboutit.Butthemasshasgrownunmanageable,evenbythoserobustprofessionalreaderswhocan"grapplewithwhole libraries."AndIamnotaprofessionalreader.Iamawriter,justasImightbeahotel-keeper,asolicitor,adoctor,agrocer,oranearthenwaremanufacturer.Ireadinmyscantysparetime,andIdon'treadinallmysparetime,either.Ihaveotherdistractions.Ireadwhat I feel inclined to read, and I amconscious of no duty to finish abookthatIdon'tcaretofinish.Ireadinmyleisure,notfromasenseofduty,not to improve myself, but solely because it gives me pleasure to read.Sometimesittakesmeamonthtogetthroughonebook.Iexpectmycaseisquiteanaveragecase.ButamIgoingtofettermybuyingtomyreading?Notexactly!IwanttohavelotsofbooksonmyshelvesbecauseIknowtheyaregood,becauseIknowtheywouldamuseme,becauseI like to lookat them,andbecauseonedayImighthaveacapricetoreadthem.(Berkeley,eventhyturnmaycome!) In short, Iwant thembecause Iwant them.And shall Ibedeterred frompossessing themby the fearof some sequesteredand singularperson,somepersonwhohasreadvastlybutwhodoesn'tknowthedifferencebetween a J.S.Muria cigar and anR.P.Muria, strolling in and bullyingmewiththedreadfulquery:"Sir,doyoureadyourbooks?"ThereforeIsay:Inbuyingabook,beinfluencedbytwoconsiderationsonly.Areyoureasonablysurethatitisagoodbook?Haveyouadesiretopossessit? Do not be influenced by the probability or the improbability of yourreadingit.Afterall,onedoesreadacertainproportionofwhatonebuys.Andfurther,instinctcounts.ThemanwhospendshalfacrownonStubbs's"Early

Plantagenets"insteadofgoingintotheGaietypittosee"TheSpringChicken,"willprobablybethesortofmanwhocansuckgoodnessoutofStubbs's"EarlyPlantagenets"yearsbeforehebestirshimselftoreadit.

VIISUCCESS

CANDIDREMARKS

There are times when the whole free and enlightened Press of the UnitedKingdomseemstobecomestrangelyinterestedinthesubjectof"success,"ofgetting on in life.We are passing through such a period now. It would bedifficult to name the prominent journalists who have not lately written, insome formor another, about success.Most singular phenomenon of all,Dr.EmilReichhasleftPlato,duchesses,andClaridge'sHotel,inordertoinstructthemillionreadersofamorningpaperintheprinciplesofsuccess!WhatthemillionreadersthoughtoftheDoctor'sstirringandstrenuoussentencesIwillnot imagine; but I know what I thought, as a plain man. After taking duecognizance of his airy playwith the "constants" and "variables" of success,after watching him treat "energetics" (his wonderful new name for the"science" of success) as though because he had made it end in "ics" itresembled mathematics, I thought that the sublime and venerable art ofmystification could no further go. Ifmy fellow-pilgrim through this vale ofwoe, theaverageyoungmanwhoarrivesatWaterlooat9.40everymorningwith a cigarette in his mouth and a second-class season over his heart andvagueaspirationsinhissoul,washalfasmystifiedasIwas,hehasprobablyerethisdecidedthatthescienceofsuccesshasallthedisadvantagesofalgebrawithoutanyoftheadvantagesofcricket,andthathemayaswellleaveitalonelest evil shouldbefallhim.On theoff-chance thathehascomeasyet tonodecisionaboutthescienceofsuccess,Iamdeterminedtodealwiththesubjectinadisturbinglycandidmanner.Ifeelthatit isasdangeroustotell thetruthabout success as it is to tell the truth about the United States; but beingthoroughly accustomed to the whistle of bullets round my head, I willneverthelesstry.Most writers on success are, through sheer goodness of heart, wickedlydisingenuous.Forthebasisoftheirargumentisthatnearlyanyonewhogiveshismindtoitcanachievesuccess.Thisis, toputitbriefly,untrue.Theverycentral idea of success is separation from the multitude of plain men; it isperhaps the only idea common to all the various sorts of success—differentiationfromthecrowd.Toaddress thepopulationat large,and tell it

howtoseparateitselffromitself,ismerelysilly.Iamnow,ofcourse,usingthewordsuccessinitsordinarysense.Ifhumannatureweremoreperfectthanitis, success in life wouldmean an intimate knowledge of one's self and theachievement of a philosophic inward calm, and such a goal might well bereachedbythemajorityofmortals.Buttoussuccesssignifiessomethingelse.It may be divided into four branches: (1) Distinction in pure or appliedscience.This is the leastgrossofall formsof successaswe regard it, for itfrequentlyimpliespoverty,anditdoesnotbyanymeansalwaysimplyfame.(2) Distinction in the arts. Fame and adulation are usually implied in this,thoughtheydonotcommonlybringricheswiththem.(3)Directinfluenceandpower over the material lives of other men; that is to say, distinction inpolitics, national or local. (4) Success in amassing money. This last is thecommonest and easiest.Most forms of success will fall under one of theseheads.Aretheypossibletothatrenownedandmuch-flatteredperson,themanin the street?They are not, andwell you know it, all you professors of thescienceofsuccess!Onlyasmallminorityofuscanevenbecomerich.Happily,whileitistruethatsuccessinitscommonacceptationis,byitsveryessence, impossible to the majority, there is an accompanying truth whichadjusts thebalance; towit, that themajoritydonotdesiresuccess.Thismayseemaboldsaying,butitisinaccordancewiththefacts.Conceivethemaninthe street suddenly, by somemiracle, investedwith political power, and, ofcourse,undertheobligationtouseit.Hewouldbesoupset,worried,wearied,andexasperatedattheendofaweekthathewouldbereadytogivetheeyesoutofhisheadinordertogetridofit.Asforsuccessinscienceorinart,theaverageperson'sinterestinsuchmattersissoslight,comparedwiththatofthemanofscienceortheartist,thathecannotbesaidtohaveaninterestinthem.Andsupposingthatdistinctioninthemwerethrustuponhimhewouldrapidlylose that distinction by simple indifference and neglect. The average personcertainlywantssomemoney,andtheaveragepersondoesnotusuallyrestuntilhehasgotasmuchasisneededforthesatisfactionofhisinstinctiveneeds.Hewillmove theheavenandearthofhisenvironment toearnsufficientmoneyformarriageinthe"station"towhichhehasbeenaccustomed;andpreciselyatthatpointhisgenuinedesire formoneywill cease tobeactive.Theaveragemanhasthisincommonwiththemostexceptionalgenius,thathiscareerinitsmain contours is governed by his instincts. The averageman flourishes andfindshiseaseinanatmosphereofpeacefulroutine.Mendestinedforsuccessflourishandfindtheireaseinanatmosphereofcollisionanddisturbance.Thetwo temperaments are diverse. Naturally the average man dreams vaguely,uponoccasion;hedreamshowniceitwouldbetobefamousandrich.Wealldreamvaguelyuponsuchthings.Buttodreamvaguelyisnottodesire.Ioftentell myself that I would give anything to be the equal of Cinquevalli, thejuggler,ortobethecaptainofthelargestAtlanticliner.Butthereflectivepart

ofmetellsmethatmyyearningtoemulatetheseastonishingpersonagesisnotagenuinedesire,andthatitsrealizationwouldnotincreasemyhappiness.Toobtainapassablytruenotionofwhathappenstothemassofmankindinitsprogressfromthecradletothegrave,onemustnotattempttosurveyawholenation,norevenagreatmetropolis,norevenaverybigcitylikeManchesterorLiverpool.Thesepanoramasaresoimmenseandconfusingthattheydefeatthe observing eye. It is better to take a small town of, say, twenty or thirtythousand inhabitants—such a town as most of us know, more or lessintimately.The extremely few individualswhose instinctsmark themout totake part in the struggle for success can be identified at once. For the firstthingtheydoistoleavethetown.Theairofthetownisnotbracingenoughforthem.Theirnostrilsdilateforsomethingkeener.Thosewhoareleftformamicrocosmwhichisrepresentativeenoughoftheworldatlarge.Betweentheagesofthirtyandfortytheybegintosortthemselvesout.Intheirownspheretheytaketheirplaces.Adozenorsopoliticiansformthetowncouncilandrulethetown.Halfadozenbusinessmenstandforthetown'scommercialactivityand itswealth.A few others teach science and art, or are locally known asbotanists,geologists,amateursofmusic,oramateursofsomeotherart.Theseare the distinguished, and it will be perceived that they cannot be morenumerousthantheyare.Whatoftherest?Havetheystruggledforsuccessandbeenbeaten?Notthey.Dothey,astheygrowold,resembledisappointedmen?Not they.Theyhavefulfilled themselvesmodestly.Theyhavegotwhat theygenuinely tried to get. They have never even gone near the outskirts of thebattle for success. But they have not failed. The number of failures issurprisinglysmall.Youseeashabby,disappointed,ageingmanflitdownthemain street, and someone replies to your inquiry: "That's So-and-so, one oflife'sfailures,poorfellow!"Andtheverytoneinwhichthewordsareutteredprovestheexcessiverarityof therealfailure.Itgoeswithoutsayingthat thecaseofthehandfulwhohaveleft thetowninsearchoftheSuccesswiththecapitalShasatremendousinterestofcuriosityforthemasswhoremain.Iwillconsiderit.

THESUCCESSFULANDTHEUNSUCCESSFUL

Having boldly stated that success is not, and cannot be,within grasp of themajority, I now proceed to state, as regards the minority, that they do notachieveitinthemannerinwhichtheyarecommonlysupposedtoachieveit.AndImayaddanexpressionofmythankfulnessthattheydonot.ThepopulardelusionisthatsuccessisattainedbywhatImaycallthe"BenjaminFranklin"method. Franklin was a very greatman; he united in his character a set of

splendid qualities as various, in their different ways, as those possessed byLeonardo da Vinci. I have an immense admiration for him. But hisAutobiographydoesmakemeangry.HisAutobiographyisunderstoodtobeaclassic,andifyousayawordagainstitintheUnitedStatesyouareapttogetkilled.Idonot,however,contemplateanimmediatevisittotheUnitedStates,and I shall venture to assert that Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography is adetestablebookandamisleadingbook. I can recallonly twoothervolumeswhichIwouldmorewillinglyrevile.One isSamuelBudgett:TheSuccessfulMerchant,andtheotherisFromLogCabintoWhiteHouse,beingthehistoryofPresidentGarfield.Suchbooksmayimposeonboys,anditisconceivablethattheydonotharmboys(Franklin,bytheway,beganhisAutobiographyinthe form of a letter to his son), but the grownman who can support themwithoutnauseaoughttogoandseeadoctor,forthereissomethingwrongwithhim."Ibegannow,"blandlyremarksFranklin,"tohavesomeacquaintanceamongtheyoungpeopleofthetownthatwereloversofreading,withwhomIspentmyeveningsverypleasantly;andgainedmoneybymyindustryandfrugality."Oragain:"ItwasaboutthistimeIconceivedtheboldandarduousprojectofarrivingatmoralperfection....Imadealittlebook,inwhichIallottedapagefor each of the virtues. I ruled each pagewith red ink, so as to have sevencolumns,oneforeachdayoftheweek....Icrossedthesecolumnswiththirteenredlines,markingthebeginningofeachlinewiththefirstletterofoneofthevirtues;onwhichline,andinitspropercolumn,Imightmark,byalittleblackspot,everyfaultIfounduponexaminationtohavebeencommittedrespectingthatvirtue,uponthatday."ShadeofFranklin,where'erthouart,thisisreallyalittlebitstiff!Amanmaybeexcusedevensuchinfamiesofpriggishness,buttrulyheoughtnottogoandwritethemdown,especiallytohisson.Andwhythedetailaboutredink?IfFranklin'ssonwasnotdriventoevilcoursesbytheperusalofthatmonstrousAutobiography,hemusthavebeenamanalmostasastoundingashisfather.NowFranklincouldonlyhavewrittenhis"immortalclassic" fromoneof threemotives: (1)Sheerconceit.Hewasaprig,buthewasnotconceited. (2)Adesire thatothersshouldprofitbyhismistakes.Henevermadeanymistakes.Nowandagainheemphasizessome triflingerror,butthatis"onlyhisfun."(3)Adesirethatothersshouldprofitbytherecitalofhisvirtuoussagacitytoreachasimilarsuccess.Thelastwasundoubtedlyhisprincipalmotive.Honestfellow,whohappenedtobeagenius!Butthepointisthathissuccesswasinnowaytheresultofhisvirtuoussagacity.Iwouldgofurther,andsaythathisdreadfulvirtuoussagacityoftenhinderedhissuccess.No one is a worse guide to success than your typical successful man. Heseldomunderstandsthereasonsofhisownsuccess;andwhenheisaskedbyapopular magazine to give his experiences for the benefit of the youth of awholenation,itisimpossibleforhimtobenaturalandsincere.Heknowsthe

kindofthingthatisexpectedfromhim,andifhedidn'tcometoLondonwithhalfacrowninhispocketheprobablydidsomethingequallysilly,andheputsthatdown,andthenoteofthearticleorinterviewisstruck,andgood-byetogenuine truth! There recently appeared in a daily paper an autobiographic-didactic article by one of the world's richest men which was the most"inadequate"articleofthesort thatIhaveevercomeacross.Successfulmenforgetsomuchof their lives!Moreover,nothing iseasier than toexplainanaccomplishedfactinanice,agreeable,conventionalway.Theentirebusinessofsuccessisagigantictacitconspiracyonthepartoftheminoritytodeceivethemajority.Aresuccessfulmenmoreindustrious,frugal,andintelligentthanmenwhoarenotsuccessful?Imaintainthattheyarenot,andIhavestudiedsuccessfulmenatclosequarters.Oneofthecommonestcharacteristicsofthesuccessfulmanishisidleness,hisimmensecapacityforwastingtime.Istoutlyassertthatasarule successful men are by habit comparatively idle. As for frugality, it ispracticallyunknownamongthesuccessfulclasses:thisstatementapplieswithparticularforce tofinanciers.Asfor intelligence, Ihaveoverandoveragainbeenstartledbythelackofintelligenceinsuccessfulmen.Theyare, indeed,capableofstupiditiesthatwouldbetheruinofaplainclerk.Andmuchofthetalk in those circles which surround the successful man is devoted to theenumerationofinstancesofhislackofintelligence.Anotherpoint:successfulmen seldom succeed as the result of an ordered arrangement of their lives;theyaretheleastmethodicalofcreatures.Naturallywhentheyhave"arrived"theyamusethemselvesandimpressthemajoritybybeingconvincedthatrightfromthestart,withasteadyeyeonthegoal,theyhadcarefullyplannedeveryfootoftheroute.No! Great success never depends on the practice of the humbler virtues,though itmayoccasionallydependon thepracticeof theproudervices.Useindustry, frugality, and common sense by allmeans, but do not expect thattheywillhelpyoutosuccess.Becausetheywillnot.Ishallnodoubtbetoldthat what I have just written has an immoral tendency, and is a directencouragementtosloth, thriftlessness,etc.Oneofourchiefnationalfaultsisour hypocritical desire to suppress the truth on the pretext that to admit itwouldencouragesin,whereastherealexplanationisthatweareafraidofthetruth. I will not be guilty of that fault. I do like to look a fact in the facewithout blinking. I am fully persuaded that, per head, there is more of thevirtuesintheunsuccessfulmajoritythaninthesuccessfulminority.InLondonalone are there not hundreds of miles of streets crammed with industry,frugality, andprudence?Someof themostbrilliantmen Ihaveknownhavebeenfailures,andnotthroughlackofcharactereither.Andsomeoftheleastgiftedhavebeenmarvellouslysuccessful.Itisimpossibletopointtoasinglebranch of human activity in which success can be explained by the

conventional principles that find general acceptance. I hear you, O reader,murmuring to yourself: "This is all very well, but he is simply beingparadoxicalforhisowndiversion."IwouldthatIcouldpersuadeyouofmyintenseseriousness!Ihaveendeavouredtoshowwhatdoesnotmakesuccess.Iwillnextendeavourtoshowwhatdoesmakeit.Butmyhopeisforlorn.

THEINWARDNESSOFSUCCESS

Ofcourse,onecannomoreexplainsuccessthanonecanexplainBeethoven'sCminorsymphony.Onemaystatewhatkeyitiswrittenin,andmakeexpertreflectionsuponitsform,andcatalogueitsthemes,andrelateittosymphoniesthatprecededitandsymphoniesthatfollowedit,butintheendoneisreducedtosayingthattheCminorsymphonyisbeautiful—becauseitis.Inthesamemanneroneisreducedtosayingthatthesolerealdifferencebetweensuccessandfailureisthatsuccesssucceeds.Thisbeingfranklyadmittedattheoutset,Iwillallowmyself toassert that thereare threesortsofsuccess.SuccessAistheaccidentalsort.It isduetothethingwecallchance,andtonothingelse.We are all of us still very superstitious, and the caprices of chance have asingulareffectuponus.SupposethatIgotoMonteCarloandannouncetoafriendmyfirmconviction that redwill turnupnext time,andIbackredforthemaximumand reddoes turnup;my friend, in spite of his intellect,willvaguely attribute to me a mysterious power. Yet chance alone would beresponsible.IfIdidthatsixtimesrunningalltheplayersatthetablewouldbeinterestedinme.IfIdiditadozentimesalltheplayersintheCasinowouldregard me with awe. Yet chance alone would be responsible. If I did iteighteentimesmynamewouldbeineverynewspaperinEurope.Yetchancealonewouldberesponsible.Ishouldbe,inthatdepartmentofhumanactivity,an extremely successful man, and the vast majority of people wouldinstinctivelycreditmewithgiftsthatIdonotpossess.Ifsuchphenomenaofsuperstitioncanoccurinanaffairwheretheagencyofchanceisopenandavowed,howmuchmoreprobableisitthatpeopleshouldrefusetobesatisfiedwiththeexplanationof"sheeraccident"inaffairswhereitistotheinterestoftheprincipalactorstoconcealtherôleplayedbychance!Nevertheless,therecanbenodoubtinthemindsofpersonswhohaveviewedsuccess at close quarters that a proportion of it is due solely and utterly tochance.Successfulmenflourishto-day,andhaveflourishedin thepast,whohave no qualitywhatever to differentiate them from themultitude. Red hasturned up for them a sufficient number of times, and the universalsuperstitiousinstinctnottobelieveinchancehasaccordinglysurroundedthemwithahalo.Itismerelyridiculoustosay,assomedosay,thatsuccessisnever

duetochancealone.Becausenearlyeverybodyispersonallyacquaintedwithreasonableproof,onagreatorasmallscale,tothecontrary.Thesecondsortofsuccess,B,isthatmadebymenwho,whilenotgiftedwithfirst-classtalents,have,beyonddoubt,thetalenttosucceed.Ishoulddescribethesemenbysayingthat,thoughtheydeservesomething,theydonotdeservethedazzling rewardknownas success.They strikeus asoverpaid.Wemeetthem in all professions and trades, andwedonot really respect them.Theyexciteour curiosity, andperhapsour envy.Theymay riseveryhigh indeed,buttheymustalwaysbeunpleasantlyconsciousofaseriousreservationinourattitude towards them. And if they could read their obituary notices theywouldassuredlydiscernthereinacertainchilliness,howeverkindlyweacteduptoourgreatnationalmottoofDemortuisnilnistbunkum.Itisthisclassofsuccesswhichpuzzlesthesocialstudent.Howcomesitthatmenwithoutanyother talent possess amysterious and indefinable talent to succeed?Well, itseems to me that such men always display certain characteristics. And thechiefofthesecharacteristicsisthecontinual,insatiablewishtosucceed.Theyarepreoccupiedwiththeideaofsucceeding.Weothersarenotsopreoccupied.Wedreamofsuccessatintervals,butwehavenotthepassionforsuccess.Wedon'tlieawakeatnightsponderinguponit.Thesecondcharacteristicof thesemenspringsnaturallyfromthefirst.Theyare always on the look-out. This does notmean that they are industrious. Istated in a previous article my belief that as a rule successful men are notparticularlyindustrious.Amanonaraftwithhisshirtforasignalcannotbetermedindustrious,buthewillkeephiseyesopenforasailonthehorizon.Ifhesimplyliesdownandgoestosleephemaymissthechanceofhislife,inaveryspecialsense.Themanwiththetalenttosucceedisthemanontheraftwhonevergoestosleep.Hisindefatigableorbsweepsthemainfromsunsettosunset.Havingsightedasail,hegetsuponhishindlegsandwavesthatshirtinsodeterminedamannerthattheshipisboundtoseehimandtakehimoff.Occasionally he plunges into the sea, risking sharks and other perils. If hedoesn't "get there," we hear nothing of him. If he does, some person willultimatelymultiplybytenthenumberofsharksthathebraved:thatpersoniscalledabiographer.Letme drop themetaphor. Another characteristic of thesemen is that theyseemtohavetheexactcontraryofwhatisknownascommonsense.Theywillbecomeenamouredofsomeenterprisewhichinfalliblyimpressestheaveragecommon-sense person as a mad and hopeless enterprise. The averagecommon-sense person will demolish the hopes of that enterprise byincontrovertibleargument.Hewillpointoutthatitisfoolishonthefaceofit,that it has never been attempted before, and that it responds to no need ofhumanity.Hewillsaytohimself:"Thisfellowwithhispreciousenterprisehas

a twist in his brain.He can't reply tomy arguments, and yet he obstinatelypersistsingoingon."Andthemandestinedtosuccessdoesgoon.Perhapstheenterprise fails; it often fails; and then the average common-sense personexpendsmuchbreathin"Itoldyouso's."Butthemancontinuestobeonthelook-out. His thirst is unassuaged; his taste for enterprises foredoomed tofailure is incurable. And one day some enterprise foredoomed to failuredevelopsintoasuccess.Weallhearofit.Weallopenourmouthsandgape.Ofthefailureswehaveheardnothing.Oncethemanhasachievedsuccess,thething becomes a habit with him. The difference between a success and afailure isoftensoslight thatareputationforsucceedingwillensuresuccess,andareputationforfailingwillensurefailure.Chanceplaysanimportantpartin such careers, but not a paramount part.One can only say that it ismoreuseful to have luck at the beginning than later on. These "men of success"generally have pliable temperaments. They are not frequently un-moral, buttheyregardaconscienceasagoodservantandabadmaster.Theyliveinanatmosphereofcompromise.There remainsclassCof success—theclassof sheerhighmerit. I amnot apessimist,noramIanoptimist.Itrytoarriveatthetruth,andIshouldsaythatin putting successC at ten per cent. of the sum total of all successes, I ambeinggenerous toclassC.Not that Ibelieve thatvastquantitiesofmeritgounappreciated.MyreasonforgivingtoClassConlyamodestshareisthefactthatthereissolittlesheerhighmerit.Anddoesitnotstandtoreasonthathighmeritmustbeveryexceptional?Thissortofsuccessneedsnoexplanation,noaccountingfor. It is the justificationofoursingularbelief in theprincipleofthe triumph of justice, and it is among natural phenomena perhaps the onlyjustification that can be advanced for that belief. And certainly when webehold the spectacle of genuine distinguished merit gaining, without unduedelayandwithoutthesacrificeofdignityorofconscience,theapplauseofthekind-heartedbutobtuse and insensiblemajorityof thehuman race,wehavefairreasontohugourselves.

VIIITHEPETTYARTIFICIALITIES

Thephrase"pettyartificialities,"employedbyoneofthecorrespondentsinthegreatSimpleLifeargument,hasstuckinmymind,althoughIgaveitaplainintimationthatitwasnolongerwantedthere.PerhapsitshedsmorelightthanIhadatfirstimaginedonthementalstateofthepersonswhouseitwhentheywish to arraign the conditions of "modern life." A vituperative epithet iscapableofmakingabigshow."Artificialities"isasufficientlyscornfulword,

butwhenyouadd"petty"yousomehowgivethequietustothepretensionsofmodern life. Modern life had better hide its diminished head, after that.Modernlifeissettledanddonefor—intheopinionofthosewhohavethrownthe dart. Only it isn't done for, really, you know. "Petty," after all, meansnothinginthatconnexion.Arethere,then,artificialitieswhicharenot"petty,"whicharenoble,large,andgrand?"Petty"meansmerelythattheusersofthewordarejustalittlecrossandoutoftemper.Whattheythinktheyobjecttoisartificialitiesofanykind,andsotogetridoftheirspleentheyreferto"petty"artificialities.Thedeviceisacommonone,andasbrilliantasitisfutile.Rudeadjectivesarelikeblankcartridge.Theyimpressavainpeople,includingthebirdsoftheair,buttheydonoexecution.Atthesametime,letmeadmitthatIdeeplysympathizewiththeirritatedusersof the impolite phrase "petty artificialities." For it does at any rate show a"divinediscontent";itdoesproveahighdissatisfactionwithconditionswhichatbestarenotthefinalexpressionoftheeternalpurpose.Itdoesmakeforasort of crude and churlish righteousness. I well know that feeling whichinduces one to spit out savagely the phrase "petty artificialities of modernlife."Onehasitusuallyeitherongettinguporongoingtobed.Whatapettyartificialbusinessitis,gettingup,evenforamale!Shaving!Whyshave?Andthengoingtoadrawerandchoosinganecktie.Fancyanimmortalsoul,fancya fragment of the eternal and indestructible energy, which exists fromeverlastingtoeverlasting,deliberatelyexpendingitsactivityonthechoiceofanecktie! Why a necktie? Then one goes downstairs and exchanges banalphrases with other immortals. And one can't start breakfast immediately,becausesomesleepymortalislate.Whybabble?Whywait?Whynot say straight out: "Go to thedeuce, all ofyou!Hereit'snearlyteno'clock,andmeanxioustobeginlivingthehigherlifeatonceinsteadoffiddlingaroundinpettyartificialities.Shutup,everyoneofyou.Givememybaconinstantly,andletmegobbleitdownquickandbeoff.I'msickofyourceremonies!"Thiswouldatanyratenotbeartificial.Itwouldsave time.And ifa similarpolicywerestrictlyapplied through theday,onecouldretiretoawell-earnedreposeinthefullassurancethatthedayhadbeensimplified.The time for living the higher life, the time for pushing forwardthose vast schemes of self-improvement which we all cherish, woulddecidedlyhavebeen increased.Onewouldnothave thatmaddening feeling,whichonesofrequentlydoeshavewhentheshadesofnightarefallingfast,that the day had been "frittered away." And yet—and yet—I gravely doubtwhetherthiswholesalemassacreofthosepoorpettyartificialitieswouldbringusappreciablynearerthemillennium.For there is one thing, and a thing of fundamental importance, which therevolutionistsagainstpettyartificialitiesalwaysfail toappreciate,andthat is

the necessity and the value of convention. I cannot in a paragraph dealeffectivelywiththismostdifficultandcomplexquestion.Icanonlypointthereader to analogous phenomena in the arts. All the arts are aconventionalization,anorderingofnature.Eveninagardenyouputtheplantsinrows,andyousubordinatethewell-beingofonetothegeneralwell-being.The sole difference between a garden and the wild woods is a pettyartificiality.Inwritingasonnetyouactuallycramptheprofoundestemotionalconceptionsintoalengthandanumberoflinesandajinglingoflikesoundsarbitrarilyfixedbeforehand!Wordsworth's"Theworldistoomuchwithus"isasolid,horridmassofpettyartificiality.Whycouldn'tthefellowsaywhathemeantandhavedonewithit,insteadofmaking"powers"rhymewith"ours,"and worrying himself to use exactly a hundred and forty syllables? As formusic,theamountoftimethatmusthavebeendevotedtopettyartificialityintheconstructionofanaffairlikeBach'sChaconneissimplystaggering.Thenlookatpictures,absurdlyconfinedinframes,withtheiringeniouscontrastsoflightandshadeandmassagainstmass.Nothingbutpettyartificiality!Inotherwords,nothingbut"form"—"form"which is thebasisofallbeauty,whethermaterialorotherwise.Now,whatformisinart,conventions(pettyartificialities)areinlife.Justasyoucanhavetoomuchforminart,soyoucanhavetoomuchconventioninlife.Butnoartthatisnotplannedinformisworthconsideration,andnolifethat isnotplanned inconventioncaneverbesatisfactory.Convention isnottheessenceoflife,butitistheprotectinggarmentandpreservativeoflife,anditisalsooneveryvaluablemeansbywhichlifecanexpressitself.Itislargelysymbolic; and symbols, while being expressive, are also great time-savers.The despisers of petty artificialities should think of this. Take the strikinginstance of that pettiest artificiality, leaving cards.Well, searchers after thereal, what would you substitute for it? If you dropped it and substitutednothing,theresultwouldtendtowardsalooseningofthebondsofsociety,anditwould tend towards the diminutionof the number of your friends.And ifyoudroppeditandtriedtosubstitutesomethinglessartificialandmorereal,youwouldaccomplishnomore thanyouaccomplishwith cards,youwouldinconvenienceeverybody,andwasteagooddealofyourowntime.Icannottoostronglyinsistthatthebasisofconventionisasymbolism,primarilymeantto display a regard for the feelings of other people. If you do not display aregardforthefeelingsofotherpeople,youmayaswellgoandliveonherbsinthe desert. And if you are to display such a regard you cannot do it moreexpeditiously,atasmalleroutlayoftimeandbrains,thanbyadoptingthecodeofconventionnowgenerallypractised.Itcomestothis—thatyoucannothaveall theadvantagesof living in thedesertwhileyouare living inasociety. Itwouldbedelightfulforyouifyoucould,butyoucan't.Therearetwofurtherreasonsforthecontinuanceofconventionality.Andone

is the mysterious but indisputable fact that the full beauty of an activity isneverbroughtoutuntilitissubjectedtodisciplineandstrictorderingandnicebalancing.Alifewithoutpettyartificialitywouldbe the lifeofa tiger in theforest.Abeautifullife,perhaps,alifeof"burningbright,"butnotreachingthehighest ideal of beauty! Laws and rules, forms and ceremonies are good inthemselves,fromamerelyæstheticpointofview,apartfromtheirsocialvalueandnecessity.And theother reason is thatonecannotalwaysbeat the full strainof "self-improvement," and "evolutionary progress," and generally beating the bigdrum. Human nature will not stand it. There is, if wewill only be patient,ample time for the "artificial" aswell as for the "real." Those personswhothinkthatthereisn't,oughttoreturntoschoolandlearnarithmetic.Supposingthatall"pettyartificialities"weresuddenlysweptaway,andwewereabletoshow our regard and consideration for our fellow creatures by the swiftprocessesofthoughtalone,weshouldfindourselveswithaterriblelotoftimehangingheavyonourhands.Wecannomorespendallourwakinghoursinconsciously striving towards higher things thanwe can dine exclusively offjam. What frightful prigs we should become if we had nothing to do butcultivate our noblest faculties! I beg the despisers of artificiality to reflectupontheseobservations,howeverincompletetheseobservationsmaybe,andto consider whether they would be quite content if they got what they arecryingoutfor.

IXTHESECRETOFCONTENT

I have said lightly à propos of the conclusion arrived at by severalcorrespondentsandbymyselfthatthecryforthesimplelifewasmerelyanewformoftheoldcryforhappiness,thatIwouldexplainwhatitwasthatmadelifeworth living forme.Thewordhasgone forth, and Imust endeavour toredeemmypromise.ButIdosowithqualmsandwithdiffidence.First,thereis the natural instinct against speaking of thatwhich is in the core of one'smind. Second, there is the fear, nearly amounting to certainty, of beingmisunderstood or not comprehended at all. And third, there is the absurdinsufficiencyofspace.However!...Forme,spiritualcontent(Iwillnotusetheword"happiness,"whichimpliestoomuch)springsessentiallyfromnomentalor physical facts. It springs from the spiritual fact that there is somethinghigher inman than themind, and that that something can control themind.Callthatsomethingthesoul,orwhatyouwill.Mysenseofsecurityamidthecollisionsofexistenceliesinthefirmconsciousnessthatjustasmybodyisthe

servantofmymind,soismymindtheservantofme.Anunrulyservant,butaservant—andpossiblygettinglessunrulyeveryday!OftenhaveIsaidtothatrestivebrain:"Now,Omind,solemeansofcommunicationbetweenthedivineme and all external phenomena, you are not a free agent; you are asubordinate; you are nothing but a piece of machinery; and obey me youshall."The mind can only be conquered by regular meditation, by decidingbeforehand what direction its activity ought to take, and insisting that itsactivity takes that direction; also by never leaving it idle, undirected,masterless, to play at random like a child in the streets after dark. This isextremelydifficult,butitcanbedone,anditismarvellouslywellworthdoing.Thefaultoftheepochistheabsenceofmeditativeness.Asagaciousmanwillstrive to correct in himself the faults of his epoch. In some deep ways thetwelfthcenturyhadadvantagesoverthetwentieth.Itpractisedmeditation.ThetwentiethdoesSandowexercises.Meditation(Ispeakonlyformyself) is theleast dispensable of the day's doings.What do I forcemymind tomeditateupon?Uponvariousthings,butchieflyuponone.Namely,thatForce,Energy,Life—theIncomprehensiblehasmanynames—isindestructible, and that, in the last analysis, there is only one single, uniqueForce,Energy,Life.Scienceisgraduallyreducingallelementstooneelement.Scienceismakingitincreasinglydifficulttoconceivematterapartfromspirit.Everythinglives.Evenmyrazorgets"tired."Andthefatigueofmyrazorisnomore nor less explicable than my fatigue after a passage of arms with mymind.TheForceinit,andinme,hasbeentransformed,notlost.AllForceisthesameforce.Sciencejustnowhasatendencytocallitelectricity;butIamindifferent tosuchbaptisms.ThesameForcepervadesmyrazor,mycowinmy field, and the central mew hich dominatesmymind: the same force indifferentstagesofevolution.AndthatForcepersistsforever.InsuchpathsdoIcompelmymindtowalkdaily.DailyithastorecognizethatthemysteriousEgocontrollingitisapartofthatdivineForcewhichexistsfromeverlastingtoeverlasting,andwhich,initsultimateatoms,nothingcanharm.Bysuchacourseoftraining,eventhemind,thecoarse,practicalmind,atlastperceivesthatworldlyaccidentsdon'tcount."But,"youwillexclaim,"thisisnothingbuttheimmortalityofthesouloveragain!" Well, in a slightly more abstract form, it is. (I never said I haddiscovered anything new.) I do not permitmyself to be dogmatic about thepersistenceofpersonality,orevenofindividualityafterdeath.But, inbasingmyphysicalandmentallifeontheassumptionthatthereissomethinginmewhichisindestructibleandessentiallychangeless,Igonofurtherthansciencepoints.Yes,ifitgivesyoupleasure,letuscallittheimmortalityofthesoul.IfI miss my train, or my tailor disgraces himself, or I lose that earthly

manifestation of Force that happens to be dearest tome, I say tomymind:"Mind, concentrate your powers upon the full realization of the fact that I,yourmaster,amimmortalandbeyondthereachofaccidents."Andmymind,knowing by this time that I am a hardmaster, obediently does so.Am I, aportionoftheInfiniteForcethatexistedbillionsofyearsago,andwhichwillexist billions of years hence, going to allow myself to be worried by anyterrestrial physical ormental event? I amnot.As for the vicissitudes ofmybody,thatservantofmyservant,ithadbetterkeepitsplace,andnotmaketoomuchfuss.Notthatanyfussoccurringineitheroftheseoutwardenvelopesofthe eternal me could really disturbme. The eternal is calm; it has the bestreasonforbeingso.Soyousaytoyourselves:"Hereisamaninapennyweeklypaperadvocatingdailymeditationupontheimmortalityofthesoulasacurefordiscontentandunhappiness! A strange phenomenon!" That it should be strange is anindictment of the epoch.My only reply to you is this: Try it. Of course, Ifreelygrantthatsuchmeditation,whileit"castsoutfear,"slowlykillsdesireandmakesforacertainhighindifference;andthattheextinguishingofdesire,withanaccompanyingindifference,beithighorlow,isbadforyouth.ButIamnotayouth,andto-dayIamwritingforthosewhohavetasteddisillusion:whichyouthhasnot.YetIwouldnothaveyoubelieve thatIscornthebriefjoysofthisworld.MyattitudetowardsthemwouldfainbethatofSocrates,asstatedbytheincomparableMarcusAurelius:"Heknewhowtolack,andhowtoenjoy, those things in the lackwhereofmostmenshow themselvesweak;andinthefruition,intemperate."Besides commanding my mind to dwell upon the indestructibly and finalomnipotenceoftheForcewhichisme,Icommandittodwelluponthelogicalconsequenceof thatunityof forcewhichscience isnowbeginning to teach.Thesameessentialforcethatismeisalsoyou.SaystheIndianproverb:"ImetahundredmenontheroadtoDelhi,andtheywereallmybrothers."Yes,andtheywereallmy twinbrothers, if Imaysoexpress it,anda thousand timesclosertomeeventhanthecommonconceptionoftwinbrothers.Weareallofus the same in essence; what separates us is merely differences in ourrespectivestagesofevolution.Constantreflectionuponthisfactmustproducethatuniversalsympathywhichalonecanproduceapositivecontent.Itmustdoawaywith such ridiculous feelings as blame, irritation, anger, resentment. Itmustestablish in themindanall-embracing tolerance.Until amancan lookupon the drunkard in his drunkenness, and upon the wife-beater in hisbrutality,withpureandcalmcompassion;untilhisheartgoesoutinstinctivelytoeveryothermanifestationoftheuniqueForce;untilheissurchargedwithaneagerandunconquerablebenevolence towardseverything that lives;untilhehasutterlyabandonedthepresumptuouspracticeof judgingandcondemning—hewillneverattainrealcontent."Ah!"youexclaimagain,"hehasnothing

newertotellusthanthat'thegreatestoftheseischarity'!"Ihavenot.Itmaystrikeyouasexcessivelyfunny,butIhavediscoverednothingnewerthanthat.Imerelyremindyouofit.Thusitis,twinsontheroadtoDelhi,bycontinualmeditationupontheindestructibilityofForce,thatItrytocultivatecalm,andby continual meditation upon the oneness of Force that I try to cultivatecharity,beingfullyconvincedthatincalmnessandincharityliesthesecretofaplacidifnotecstatichappiness.Itisoftensaidthatnothinkingpersoncanbehappyinthisworld.Myviewisthatthemoreamanthinksthemorehappyheislikelytobe.Ihavespoken.IamoverwhelminglyawarethatIhavespokencrudely,abruptly,inadequately,confusedly.

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