lay morals-第20部分

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s　the　ant；　but　　generations　of　advisers　have　in　vain　recommended　him　the　　ant's　example。　　Of　those　who　are　found　truly　indefatigable　in　　business；　some　are　misers；　some　are　the　practisers　of　　delightful　industries；　like　gardening；　some　are　students；　　artists；　inventors；　or　discoverers；　men　lured　forward　by　　successive　hopes；　and　the　rest　are　those　who　live　by　games　of　　skill　or　hazard　…　financiers；　billiard…players；　gamblers；　and　　the　like。　　But　in　unloved　toils；　even　under　the　prick　of　　necessity；　no　man　is　continually　sedulous。　　Once　eliminate　　the　fear　of　starvation；　once　eliminate　or　bound　the　hope　of　　riches；　and　we　shall　see　plenty　of　skulking　and　malingering。　　　Society　will　then　be　something　not　wholly　unlike　a　cotton　　plantation　in　the　old　days；　with　cheerful；　careless；　　demoralised　slaves；　with　elected　overseers；　and；　instead　of　　the　planter；　a　chaotic　popular　assembly。　　If　the　blood　be　　purposeful　and　the　soil　strong；　such　a　plantation　may　　succeed；　and　be；　indeed；　a　busy　ant…heap；　with　full　granaries　　and　long　hours　of　leisure。　　But　even　then　I　think　the　whip　　will　be　in　the　overseer's　hands；　and　not　in　vain。　　For；　when　　it　comes　to　be　a　question　of　each　man　doing　his　own　share　or　　the　rest　doing　more；　prettiness　of　sentiment　will　be　　forgotten。　　To　dock　the　skulker's　food　is　not　enough；　many　　will　rather　eat　haws　and　starve　on　petty　pilferings　than　put　　their　shoulder　to　the　wheel　for　one　hour　daily。　　For　such　as　　these；　then；　the　whip　will　be　in　the　overseer's　hand；　and　his　　own　sense　of　justice　and　the　superintendence　of　a　chaotic　　popular　assembly　will　be　the　only　checks　on　its　employment。　　　Now；　you　may　be　an　industrious　man　and　a　good　citizen；　and　　yet　not　love；　nor　yet　be　loved　by；　Dr。　Fell　the　inspector。　　　It　is　admitted　by　private　soldiers　that　the　disfavour　of　a　　sergeant　is　an　evil　not　to　be　combated；　offend　the　sergeant；　　they　say；　and　in　a　brief　while　you　will　either　be　disgraced　　or　have　deserted。　　And　the　sergeant　can　no　longer　appeal　to　　the　lash。　　But　if　these　things　go　on；　we　shall　see；　or　our　　sons　shall　see；　what　it　is　to　have　offended　an　inspector。

This　for　the　unfortunate。　　But　with　the　fortunate　also；　even　　those　whom　the　inspector　loves；　it　may　not　be　altogether　　well。　　It　is　concluded　that　in　such　a　state　of　society；　　supposing　it　to　be　financially　sound；　the　level　of　comfort　　will　be　high。　　It　does　not　follow：　there　are　strange　depths　　of　idleness　in　man；　a　too…easily…got　sufficiency；　as　in　the　　case　of　the　sago…eaters；　often　quenching　the　desire　for　all　　besides；　and　it　is　possible　that　the　men　of　the　richest　ant…　heaps　may　sink　even　into　squalor。　　But　suppose　they　do　not；　　suppose　our　tricksy　instrument　of　human　nature；　when　we　play　　upon　it　this　new　tune；　should　respond　kindly；　suppose　no　one　　to　be　damped　and　none　exasperated　by　the　new　conditions；　the　　whole　enterprise　to　be　financially　sound　…　a　vaulting　　supposition　…　and　all　the　inhabitants　to　dwell　together　in　a　　golden　mean　of　comfort：　we　have　yet　to　ask　ourselves　if　this　　be　what　man　desire；　or　if　it　be　what　man　will　even　deign　to　　accept　for　a　continuance。　　It　is　certain　that　man　loves　to　　eat；　it　is　not　certain　that　he　loves　that　only　or　that　best。　　　He　is　supposed　to　love　comfort；　it　is　not　a　love；　at　least；　　that　he　is　faithful　to。　　He　is　supposed　to　love　happiness；　it　　is　my　contention　that　he　rather　loves　excitement。　　Danger；　　enterprise；　hope；　the　novel；　the　aleatory；　are　dearer　to　man　　than　regular　meals。　　He　does　not　think　so　when　he　is　hungry；　　but　he　thinks　so　again　as　soon　as　he　is　fed；　and　on　the　　hypothesis　of　a　successful　ant…heap；　he　would　never　go　　hungry。　　It　would　be　always　after　dinner　in　that　society；　as；　　in　the　land　of　the　Lotos…eaters；　it　was　always　afternoon；　and　　food；　which；　when　we　have　it　not；　seems　all…important；　drops　　in　our　esteem；　as　soon　as　we　have　it；　to　a　mere　prerequisite　　of　living。

That　for　which　man　lives　is　not　the　same　thing　for　all　　individuals　nor　in　all　ages；　yet　it　has　a　common　base；　what　　he　seeks　and　what　he　must　have　is　that　which　will　seize　and　　hold　his　attention。　　Regular　meals　and　weatherproof　lodgings　　will　not　do　this　long。　　Play　in　its　wide　sense；　as　the　　artificial　induction　of　sensation；　including　all　games　and　　all　arts；　will；　indeed；　go　far　to　keep　him　conscious　of　　himself；　but　in　the　end　he　wearies　for　realities。　　Study　or　　experiment；　to　some　rare　natures；　is　the　unbroken　pastime　of　　a　life。　　These　are　enviable　natures；　people　shut　in　the　house　　by　sickness　often　bitterly　envy　them；　but　the　commoner　man　　cannot　continue　to　exist　upon　such　altitudes：　his　feet　itch　　for　physical　adventure；　his　blood　boils　for　physical　dangers；　　pleasures；　and　triumphs；　his　fancy；　the　looker　after　new　　things；　cannot　continue　to　look　for　them　in　books　and　　crucibles；　but　must　seek　them　on　the　breathing　stage　of　life。　　　Pinches；　buffets；　the　glow　of　hope；　the　shock　of　　disappointment；　furious　contention　with　obstacles：　these　are　　the　true　elixir　for　all　vital　spirits；　these　are　what　they　　seek　alike　in　their　romantic　enterprises　and　their　unromantic　　dissipations。　　When　they　are　taken　in　some　pinch　closer　than　　the　common；　they　cry；　'Catch　me　here　again！'　and　sure　enough　　you　catch　them　there　again　…　perhaps　before　the　week　is　out。　　　It　is　as　old　as　ROBINSON　CRUSOE；　as　old　as　man。　　Our　race　has　　not　been　strained　for　all　these　ages　through　that　sieve　of　　dangers　that　we　call　Natural　Selection；　to　sit　down　with　　patience　in　the　tedium　of　safety；　the　voices　of　its　fathers　　call　it　forth。　　Already　in　our　society　as　it　exists；　the　　bourgeois　is　too　much　cottoned　about　for　any　zest　in　living；　　he　sits　in　his　parlour　out　of　reach　of　any　danger；　often　out　　of　reach　of　any　vicissitude　but　one　of　health；　and　there　he　　yawns。　　If　the　people　in　the　next　villa　took　pot…shots　at　　him；　he　might　be　killed　indeed；　but　so　long　as　he　escaped　he　　would　find　his　blood　oxygenated　and　his　views　of　the　world　　brighter。　　If　Mr。　Mallock；　on　his　way　to　the　publishers；　　should　have　his　skirts　pinned　to　a　wall　by　a　javelin；　it　　would　not　occur　to　him　…　at　least　for　several　hours　…　to　ask　　if　life　were　worth　living；　and　if　such　peril　were　a　daily　　matter；　he　would　ask　it　never　more；　he　would　have　other　　things　to　think　about；　he　would　be　living　indeed　…　not　lying　　in　a　box　with　cotton；　safe；　but　immeasurably　dull。　　The　　aleatory；　whether　it　touch　life；　or　fortune；　or　renown　…　　whether　we　explore　Africa　or　only　toss　for　halfpence　…　that　　is　what　I　conceive　men　to　love　best；　and　that　is　what　we　are　　seeking　to　exclude　from　men's　existences。　　Of　all　forms　of　　the　aleatory；　that　which　most　commonly　attends　our　working　　men　…　the　danger　of　misery　from　want　of　work　…　is　the　least　　inspiriting：　it　does　not　whip　the　blood；　it　does　not　evoke　　the　glory　of　contest；　it　is　tragic；　but　it　is　passive；　and　　yet；　in　so　far　as　it　is　aleatory；　and　a　peril　sensibly　　touching　them；　it　does　truly　season　the　men's　lives。　　Of　　those　who　fail；　I　do　not　speak　…　despair　should　be　sacred；　　but　to　those　who　even　modestly　succeed；　the　changes　of　their　　life　bring　interest：　a　job　found；　a　shilling　saved；　a　dainty　　earned；　all　these　are　wells　of　pleasure　springing　afresh　for　　the　successful　poor；　and　it　is　not　from　these　but　from　the　　villa…dweller　that　we　hear　complaints　of　the　unworthiness　of　　life。　　Much；　then；　as　the　average　of　the　proletariat　would　　gain　in　this　new　state　of　life；　they　would　also　lose　a　　certain　something；　which　would　not　be　missed　in　the　　beginning；　but　would　be　missed　progressively　and　　progressively　lamented。　　Soon　there　would　be　a　looking　back：　　there　would　be　tales　of　the　old　world　humming　in　young　men's　　ears；　tales　of　the　tramp　and　the　pedlar；　and　the　hopeful　　emigrant。　　And　in　the　stall…fed　life　of　the　successful　ant…　heap　…　with　its　regular　meals；　regular　duties；　regular　　pleasures；　an　even　course　of　life；　and　fear　excluded　…　the　　vicissitudes；　delights；　and　havens　of　to…day　will　seem　of　　epic　breadth。　　This　may　seem　a　shallow　observation；　but　the　　springs　by　which　men　are　moved　lie　much　on　the　surface。　　　Bread；　I　believe；　has　always　been　considered　first；　but　the　　circus　comes　close　upon　its　heels。　　Bread　we　suppose　to　be　　given　amply；　the　cry　for　circuses　will　be　the　louder；　and　if　　the　life　of　our　descendants　be　such　as　we　have　conceived；　　there　are　two　beloved　pleasures　on　which　they　will　be　likely　　to　fall　back：　the　pleasures　of　intrigue　and　of　sedition。

In　all　this　I　have　supposed　the　ant…heap　to　be　financially　　sound。　　I　am　no　economist；　only　a　writer　of　fiction；　but　even　　as　such；　I　know　one　thing　that　bears　on　the　economic　question　　…　I　know　the　imperfection　of　man's　faculty　for　business。　　The　　Anarchists；　who　count　some　rugged　elements　of　common　sense　　among　what　seem　to　me　their　tragic　errors；　have　said　upon　　this　matter　all　that　I　could　wish　to　say；　and　condemned　　beforehand　great　economical　polities。　　So　far　it　is　obvious　　that　they　are　right；　they　may　be　right　also　in　predicting　a　　period　of　communal　independence；　and　they　may　even　be　right　　in　thinking　that　desirable。　　But　the　rise　of　communes　is　none　　the　less　the　end　of　economic　equality；　just　when　we　were　told　　it　was　beginning。　　Communes　will　not　be　all　equal　in　extent；　　nor　in　quality　of　soil；　nor　in　growth　of　population；　nor　will　　the　surplus　produ