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    Heretics

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    Heretics

    HereticsG. K. Chesterton

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    THE AUTHOR

    Gilbert Keith Chesterton was born in London, England on the 29thof May, 1874. ho!gh he "onsidered hi#self a #ere $rolli"%ing

    &o!rnalist,' he was a"t!ally a (rolifi" and gifted writer in )irt!ally

    e)ery area of literat!re. * #an of strong o(inions and enor#o!sly

    talented at defending the#, his e+!berant (ersonality ne)ertheless

    allowed hi# to #aintain war# friendshi(s with (eo(les!"h as

    George -ernard haw and /. G. 0ellswith who# he )ehe#ently

    disagreed.

    Chesterton had no diffi"!lty standing !( for what he belie)ed. /e

    was one of the few &o!rnalists to o((ose the -oer 0ar. /is 1922

    $E!geni"s and ther E)ils' atta"%ed what was at that ti#e the

    #ost (rogressi)e of all ideas, the idea that the h!#an ra"e "o!ld

    and sho!ld breed a s!(erior )ersion of itself. n the 3ai

    e+(erien"e, history de#onstrated the wisdo# of his on"e

    $rea"tionary' )iews.

    /is (oetry r!ns the ga#!t fro# the "o#i" 1958 $n 6!nning *fter

    nes /at' to dar% and serio!s ballads. !ring the dar% days of

    1945, when -ritain stood )irt!ally alone against the ar#ed #ight of3ai Ger#any, these lines fro# his 1911 -allad of the 0hite /orse

    were often !oted:

    tell yo! na!ght for yo!r "o#fort,

    ;ea, na!ght for yo!r desire,

    a)e that the s%y grows dar%er yet

    *nd the sea rises higher.

    ho!gh not written for a s"holarly a!dien"e, his biogra(hies of

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    a!thors and histori"al fig!res li%e Charles i"%ens and t. in -ea"onsfield,

    -!"%ingha#shire, England. !ring his life he (!blished >9 boo%s

    and at least another ten based on his writings ha)e been (!blished

    after his death. Many of those boo%s are still in (rint. gnati!s ress

    is syste#ati"ally (!blishing his "olle"ted writings.

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    CONTENTS

    1. ntrod!"tory 6e#ar%s on the #(ortan"e of thodo+y

    2. n the 3egati)e (irit

    =. n Mr. 6!dyard Ki(ling and Ma%ing the 0orld #all

    4. Mr. -ernard hawA. Mr. /. G. 0ells and the Giants

    >. Christ#as and the Esthetes

    7. #ar and the a"red Dine

    8. he Mildness of the ;ellow ress

    9. he Moods of Mr. George Moore

    15. n andals and i#(li"ity

    11. "ien"e and the a)ages12. aganis# and Mr. Lowes i"%inson

    1=. Celts and Celto(hiles

    14. n Certain Modern 0riters and the nstit!tion of the . n Mr. M"Cabe and a i)ine

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    To My Father

    I. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS ON THE

    IMPORTANCE OF ORTHODOXY

    3othing #ore strangely indi"ates an enor#o!s and silent e)il of#odern so"iety than the e+traordinary !se whi"h is #ade

    nowadays of the word $orthodo+.' n for#er days the hereti" was

    (ro!d of not being a hereti". t was the %ingdo#s of the world and

    the (oli"e and the &!dges who were hereti"s. /e was orthodo+. /e

    had no (ride in ha)ing rebelled against the# they had rebelled

    against hi#. he ar#ies with their "r!el se"!rity, the %ings with

    their "old fa"es, the de"oro!s (ro"esses of tate, the reasonable(ro"esses of lawall these li%e shee( had gone astray. he #an

    was (ro!d of being orthodo+, was (ro!d of being right. f he stood

    alone in a howling wilderness he was #ore than a #an he was a

    "h!r"h. /e was the "entre of the !ni)erse it was ro!nd hi# that the

    stars sw!ng. *ll the tort!res torn o!t of forgotten hells "o!ld not

    #a%e hi# ad#it that he was hereti"al. -!t a few #odern (hrasesha)e #ade hi# boast of it. /e says, with a "ons"io!s la!gh, $

    s!((ose a# )ery hereti"al,' and loo%s ro!nd for a((la!se. he

    word $heresy' not only #eans no longer being wrong it (ra"ti"ally

    #eans being "learheaded and "o!rageo!s. he word $orthodo+y'

    not only no longer #eans being right it (ra"ti"ally #eans being

    wrong. *ll this "an #ean one thing, and one thing only. t #eans

    that (eo(le "are less for whether they are (hiloso(hi"ally right.

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    hi#self on his orthodo+y. he dyna#iter, laying a bo#b, o!ght to

    feel that, whate)er else he is, at least he is orthodo+.

    t is foolish, generally s(ea%ing, for a (hiloso(her to set fire to

    another (hiloso(her in #ithfield Mar%et be"a!se they do not

    agree in their theory of the !ni)erse. hat was done )ery fre!ently

    in the last de"aden"e of the Middle *ges, and it failed altogether in

    its ob&e"t. -!t there is one thing that is infinitely #ore abs!rd and

    !n(ra"ti"al than b!rning a #an for his (hiloso(hy. his is the habit

    of saying that his (hiloso(hy does not #atter, and this is done!ni)ersally in the twentieth "ent!ry, in the de"aden"e of the great

    re)ol!tionary (eriod. General theories are e)erywhere "onte#ned

    the do"trine of the 6ights of Man is dis#issed with the do"trine of

    the

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    (ossibly ha)e any serio!s effe"t on the #an or on the world. *nd

    yet if that !tteran"e were really belie)ed, the world wo!ld stand on

    its head. M!rderers wo!ld be gi)en #edals for sa)ing #en fro#life fire#en wo!ld be deno!n"ed for %ee(ing #en fro# death

    (oisons wo!ld be !sed as #edi"ines do"tors wo!ld be "alled in

    when (eo(le were well the 6oyal /!#ane o"iety wo!ld be

    rooted o!t li%e a horde of assassins. ;et we ne)er s(e"!late as to

    whether the "on)ersational (essi#ist will strengthen or disorganie

    so"iety for we are "on)in"ed that theories do not #atter.

    his was "ertainly not the idea of those who introd!"ed o!r

    freedo#. 0hen the old Liberals re#o)ed the gags fro# all the

    heresies, their idea was that religio!s and (hiloso(hi"al dis"o)eries

    #ight th!s be #ade. heir )iew was that "os#i" tr!th was so

    i#(ortant that e)ery one o!ght to bear inde(endent testi#ony. he

    #odern idea is that "os#i" tr!th is so !ni#(ortant that it "annot

    #atter what any one says. he for#er freed in!iry as #en loose a

    noble ho!nd the latter frees in!iry as #en fling ba"% into the sea a

    fish !nfit for eating. 3e)er has there been so little dis"!ssion abo!t

    the nat!re of #en as now, when, for the first ti#e, any one "an

    dis"!ss it. he old restri"tion #eant that only the orthodo+ were

    allowed to dis"!ss religion. Modern liberty #eans that nobody is

    allowed to dis"!ss it. Good taste, the last and )ilest of h!#ans!(erstitions, has s!""eeded in silen"ing !s where all the rest ha)e

    failed. i+ty years ago it was bad taste to be an a)owed atheist.

    hen "a#e the -radla!ghites, the last religio!s #en, the last #en

    who "ared abo!t God b!t they "o!ld not alter it. t is still bad taste

    to be an a)owed atheist. -!t their agony has a"hie)ed &!st this

    that now it is e!ally bad taste to be an a)owed Christian.

    E#an"i(ation has only lo"%ed the saint in the sa#e tower of silen"eas the heresiar"h. hen we tal% abo!t Lord *nglesey and the

    weather, and "all it the "o#(lete liberty of all the "reeds.

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    -!t there are so#e (eo(le, ne)erthelessand a# one of the#

    who thin% that the #ost (ra"ti"al and i#(ortant thing abo!t a #anis still his )iew of the !ni)erse. 0e thin% that for a landlady

    "onsidering a lodger, it is i#(ortant to %now his in"o#e, b!t still

    #ore i#(ortant to %now his (hiloso(hy. 0e thin% that for a general

    abo!t to fight an ene#y, it is i#(ortant to %now the ene#ys

    n!#bers, b!t still #ore i#(ortant to %now the ene#ys (hiloso(hy.

    0e thin% the !estion is not whether the theory of the "os#os

    affe"ts #atters, b!t whether in the long r!n, anything else affe"tsthe#. n the fifteenth "ent!ry #en "rosse+a#ined and tor#ented a

    #an be"a!se he (rea"hed so#e i##oral attit!de in the nineteenth

    "ent!ry we feted and flattered s"ar 0ilde be"a!se he (rea"hed

    s!"h an attit!de, and then bro%e his heart in (enal ser)it!de

    be"a!se he "arried it o!t. t #ay be a !estion whi"h of the two

    #ethods was the #ore "r!el there "an be no %ind of !estion

    whi"h was the #ore l!di"ro!s. he age of the n!isition has not at

    least the disgra"e of ha)ing (rod!"ed a so"iety whi"h #ade an idol

    of the )ery sa#e #an for (rea"hing the )ery sa#e things whi"h it

    #ade hi# a "on)i"t for (ra"tising.

    3ow, in o!r ti#e, (hiloso(hy or religion, o!r theory, that is, abo!t

    !lti#ate things, has been dri)en o!t, #ore or less si#!ltaneo!sly,fro# two fields whi"h it !sed to o""!(y. General ideals !sed to

    do#inate literat!re. hey ha)e been dri)en o!t by the "ry of $art

    for arts sa%e.' General ideals !sed to do#inate (oliti"s. hey ha)e

    been dri)en o!t by the "ry of $effi"ien"y,' whi"h #ay ro!ghly be

    translated as $(oliti"s for (oliti"sF sa%e.' ersistently for the last

    twenty years the ideals of order or liberty ha)e dwindled in o!rboo%s the a#bitions of wit and elo!en"e ha)e dwindled in o!r

    (arlia#ents. Literat!re has (!r(osely be"o#e less (oliti"al (oliti"s

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    ha)e (!r(osely be"o#e less literary. General theories of the relation

    of things ha)e th!s been e+tr!ded fro# both and we are in a

    (osition to as%, $0hat ha)e we gained or lost by this e+tr!sion sliterat!re better, is (oliti"s better, for ha)ing dis"arded the #oralist

    and the (hiloso(her'

    0hen e)erything abo!t a (eo(le is for the ti#e growing wea% and

    ineffe"ti)e, it begins to tal% abo!t effi"ien"y. o it is that when a

    #ans body is a wre"% he begins, for the first ti#e, to tal% abo!t

    health. Digoro!s organis#s tal% not abo!t their (ro"esses, b!t

    abo!t their ai#s. here "annot be any better (roof of the (hysi"al

    effi"ien"y of a #an than that he tal%s "heerf!lly of a &o!rney to the

    end of the world. *nd there "annot be any better (roof of the

    (ra"ti"al effi"ien"y of a nation than that it tal%s "onstantly of a

    &o!rney to the end of the world, a &o!rney to the B!dg#ent ay and

    the 3ew Ber!sale#. here "an be no stronger sign of a "oarse#aterial health than the tenden"y to r!n after high and wild ideals

    it is in the first e+!beran"e of infan"y that we "ry for the #oon.

    3one of the strong #en in the strong ages wo!ld ha)e !nderstood

    what yo! #eant by wor%ing for effi"ien"y. /ildebrand wo!ld ha)e

    said that he was wor%ing not for effi"ien"y, b!t for the Catholi"

    Ch!r"h. anton wo!ld ha)e said that he was wor%ing not for

    effi"ien"y, b!t for liberty, e!ality, and fraternity. E)en if the ideal ofs!"h #en were si#(ly the ideal of %i"%ing a #an downstairs, they

    tho!ght of the end li%e #en, not of the (ro"ess li%e (aralyti"s. hey

    did not say, $Effi"iently ele)ating #y right leg, !sing, yo! will

    noti"e, the #!s"les of the thigh and "alf, whi"h are in e+"ellent

    order, ' heir feeling was !ite different. hey were so filled

    with the bea!tif!l )ision of the #an lying flat at the foot of thestair"ase that in that e"stasy the rest followed in a flash. n (ra"ti"e,

    the habit of generaliing and idealiing did not by any #eans #ean

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    worldly wea%ness. he ti#e of big theories was the ti#e of big

    res!lts. n the era of senti#ent and fine words, at the end of the

    eighteenth "ent!ry, #en were really rob!st and effe"ti)e. hesenti#entalists "on!ered 3a(oleon. he "yni"s "o!ld not "at"h e

    0et. * h!ndred years ago o!r affairs for good or e)il were wielded

    tri!#(hantly by rhetori"ians. 3ow o!r affairs are ho(elessly

    #!ddled by strong, silent #en. *nd &!st as this re(!diation of big

    words and big )isions has bro!ght forth a ra"e of s#all #en in

    (oliti"s, so it has bro!ght forth a ra"e of s#all #en in the arts. !r

    #odern (oliti"ians "lai# the "olossal li"ense of Caesar and the!(er#an, "lai# that they are too (ra"ti"al to be (!re and too

    (atrioti" to be #oral b!t the !(shot of it all is that a #edio"rity is

    Chan"ellor of the E+"he!er. !r new artisti" (hiloso(hers "all for

    the sa#e #oral li"ense, for a freedo# to wre"% hea)en and earth

    with their energy b!t the !(shot of it all is that a #edio"rity is oet

    La!reate. do not say that there are no stronger #en than these b!t

    will any one say that there are any #en stronger than those #en of

    old who were do#inated by their (hiloso(hy and stee(ed in their

    religion 0hether bondage be better than freedo# #ay be

    dis"!ssed. -!t that their bondage "a#e to #ore than o!r freedo# it

    will be diffi"!lt for any one to deny.

    he theory of the !n#orality of art has established itself fir#ly in

    the stri"tly artisti" "lasses. hey are free to (rod!"e anything theyli%e. hey are free to write a $aradise Lost' in whi"h atan shall

    "on!er God. hey are free to write a $i)ine Co#edy' in whi"h

    hea)en shall be !nder the floor of hell. *nd what ha)e they done

    /a)e they (rod!"ed in their !ni)ersality anything grander or #ore

    bea!tif!l than the things !ttered by the fier"e Ghibbeline Catholi",

    by the rigid !ritan s"hool#aster 0e %now that they ha)e(rod!"ed only a few ro!ndels. Milton does not #erely beat the# at

    his (iety, he beats the# at their own irre)eren"e. n all their little

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    boo%s of )erse yo! will not find a finer defian"e of God than

    atans. 3or will yo! find the grande!r of (aganis# felt as that

    fiery Christian felt it who des"ribed

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    dis"!ss theories. see that the #en who %illed ea"h other abo!t the

    orthodo+y of the /o#oo!sion were far #ore sensible than the

    (eo(le who are !arrelling abo!t the Ed!"ation *"t.

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    (oint he is so#ewhat e+"!sably %no"%ed down. *ll the (eo(le

    #a%e a r!sh for the la#( (ost, the la#((ost is down in ten

    #in!tes, and they go abo!t "ongrat!lating ea"h other on their!n#ediae)al (ra"ti"ality. -!t as things go on they do not wor% o!t

    so easily. o#e (eo(le ha)e (!lled the la#((ost down be"a!se

    they wanted the ele"tri" light so#e be"a!se they wanted old iron

    so#e be"a!se they wanted dar%ness, be"a!se their deeds were e)il.

    o#e tho!ght it not eno!gh of a la#((ost, so#e too #!"h so#e

    a"ted be"a!se they wanted to s#ash #!ni"i(al #a"hinery so#e

    be"a!se they wanted to s#ash so#ething. *nd there is war in thenight, no #an %nowing who# he stri%es. o, grad!ally and

    ine)itably, today, to#orrow, or the ne+t day, there "o#es ba"% the

    "on)i"tion that the #on% was right after all, and that all de(ends on

    what is the (hiloso(hy of Light. nly what we #ight ha)e

    dis"!ssed !nder the gasla#(, we now #!st dis"!ss in the dar%.

    II. ON THE NEGATIVE SPIRIT

    M!"h has been said, and said tr!ly, of the #on%ish #orbidity, of

    the hysteria whi"h as often gone with the )isions of her#its or

    n!ns. -!t let !s ne)er forget that this )isionary religion is, in one

    sense, ne"essarily #ore wholeso#e than o!r #odern andreasonable #orality. t is #ore wholeso#e for this reason, that it

    "an "onte#(late the idea of s!""ess or tri!#(h in the ho(eless fight

    towards the ethi"al ideal, in what te)enson "alled, with his !s!al

    startling feli"ity, $the lost fight of )irt!e.' * #odern #orality, on

    the other hand, "an only (oint with absol!te "on)i"tion to the

    horrors that follow brea"hes of law its only "ertainty is a "ertainty

    of ill. t "an only (oint to i#(erfe"tion. t has no (erfe"tion to (ointto. -!t the #on% #editating !(on Christ or -!ddha has in his

    #ind an i#age of (erfe"t health, a thing of "lear "olo!rs and "lean

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    air. /e #ay "onte#(late this ideal wholeness and ha((iness far

    #ore than he o!ght he #ay "onte#(late it to the negle"t of

    e+"l!sion of essential /3G he #ay "onte#(late it !ntil he hasbe"o#e a drea#er or a dri)eller b!t still it is wholeness and

    ha((iness that he is "onte#(lating. /e #ay e)en go #ad b!t he is

    going #ad for the lo)e of sanity. -!t the #odern st!dent of ethi"s,

    e)en if he re#ains sane, re#ains sane fro# an insane dread of

    insanity.

    he an"horite rolling on the stones in a freny of s!b#ission is ahealthier (erson f!nda#entally than #any a sober #an in a sil% hat

    who is wal%ing down Chea(side.

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    whi"h Mr.

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    idealis#. trong and gen!ine religio!s senti#ent has ne)er had

    any ob&e"tion to realis# on the "ontrary, religion was the realisti"

    thing, the br!tal thing, the thing that "alled na#es. his is the greatdifferen"e between so#e re"ent de)elo(#ents of 3on"onfor#ity

    and the great !ritanis# of the se)enteenth "ent!ry. t was the

    whole (oint of the !ritans that they "ared nothing for de"en"y.

    Modern 3on"onfor#ist news(a(ers disting!ish the#sel)es by

    s!((ressing (re"isely those no!ns and ad&e"ti)es whi"h the

    fo!nders of 3on"onfor#ity disting!ished the#sel)es by flinging at

    %ings and !eens. -!t if it was a "hief "lai# of religion that it s(o%e(lainly abo!t e)il, it was the "hief "lai# of all that it s(o%e (lainly

    abo!t good. he thing whi"h is resented, and, as thin%, rightly

    resented, in that great #odern literat!re of whi"h bsen is ty(i"al, is

    that while the eye that "an (er"ei)e what are the wrong things

    in"reases in an !n"anny and de)o!ring "larity, the eye whi"h sees

    what things are right is growing #istier and #istier e)ery #o#ent,

    till it goes al#ost blind with do!bt. f we "o#(are, let !s say, the

    #orality of the D3E CME; with the #orality of bsens

    G/, we shall see all that #odern ethi"s ha)e really done. 3o

    one, i#agine, will a""!se the a!thor of the 3

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    (eo(le dis#iss these #oral dangers as they dis#iss the (ossibility

    of bo#bs or #i"robes. Modern realists are indeed errorists, li%e

    the dyna#iters and they fail &!st as #!"h in their effort to "reate athrill. -oth realists and dyna#iters are well #eaning (eo(le

    engaged in the tas%, so ob)io!sly !lti#ately ho(eless, of !sing

    s"ien"e to (ro#ote #orality.

    do not wish the reader to "onf!se #e for a #o#ent with those

    )ag!e (ersons who i#agine that bsen is what they "all a (essi#ist.

    here are (lenty of wholeso#e (eo(le in bsen, (lenty of good

    (eo(le, (lenty of ha((y (eo(le, (lenty of e+a#(les of #en a"ting

    wisely and things ending well. hat is not #y #eaning. My

    #eaning is that bsen has thro!gho!t, and does not disg!ise, a

    "ertain )ag!eness and a "hanging attit!de as well as a do!bting

    attit!de towards what is really wisdo# and )irt!e in this life a

    )ag!eness whi"h "ontrasts )ery re#ar%ably with the de"isi)eness

    with whi"h he (o!n"es on so#ething whi"h he (er"ei)es to be aroot of e)il, so#e "on)ention, so#e de"e(tion, so#e ignoran"e. 0e

    %now that the hero of G/ is #ad, and we %now why he is

    #ad. 0e do also %now that r. to"%#an is sane b!t we do not

    %now why he is sane. bsen does not (rofess to %now how )irt!e

    and ha((iness are bro!ght abo!t, in the sense that he (rofesses to

    %now how o!r #odern se+!al tragedies are bro!ght abo!t.

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    $3either in religion nor #orality, #y friend, lie the ho(es of the

    ra"e, b!t in ed!"ation.' his, "learly e+(ressed, #eans, $0e "annot

    de"ide what is good, b!t let !s gi)e it to o!r "hildren.'

    Mr. /.G. 0ells, that e+"eedingly "learsighted #an, has (ointed o!t

    in a re"ent wor% that this has ha((ened in "onne"tion with

    e"ono#i" !estions. he old e"ono#ists, he says, #ade

    generaliations, and they were ?in Mr. 0ellss )iew@ #ostly wrong.

    -!t the new e"ono#ists, he says, see# to ha)e lost the (ower of

    #a%ing any generaliations at all. *nd they "o)er this in"a(a"itywith a general "lai# to be, in s(e"ifi" "ases, regarded as $e+(erts',

    a "lai# $(ro(er eno!gh in a hairdresser or a fashionable (hysi"ian,

    b!t inde"ent in a (hiloso(her or a #an of s"ien"e.' -!t in s(ite of

    the refreshing rationality with whi"h Mr. 0ells has indi"ated this, it

    #!st also be said that he hi#self has fallen into the sa#e enor#o!s

    #odern error. n the o(ening (ages of that e+"ellent boo%

    M*3K3 3 /E M*K3G, he dis#isses the ideals of art,

    religion, abstra"t #orality, and the rest, and says that he is going to

    "onsider #en in their "hief f!n"tion, the f!n"tion of (arenthood. /e

    is going to dis"!ss life as a $tiss!e of births.' /e is not going to as%

    what will (rod!"e satisfa"tory saints or satisfa"tory heroes, b!t

    what will (rod!"e satisfa"tory fathers and #others. he whole is

    set forward so sensibly that it is a few #o#ents at least before thereader realises that it is another e+a#(le of !n"ons"io!s shir%ing.

    0hat is the good of begetting a #an !ntil we ha)e settled what is

    the good of being a #an ;o! are #erely handing on to hi# a

    (roble# yo! dare not settle yo!rself. t is as if a #an were as%ed,

    $0hat is the !se of a ha##er' and answered, $o #a%e

    ha##ers' and when as%ed, $*nd of those ha##ers, what is the

    !se' answered, $o #a%e ha##ers again'. B!st as s!"h a #anwo!ld be (er(et!ally (!tting off the !estion of the !lti#ate !se of

    "ar(entry, so Mr. 0ells and all the rest of !s are by these (hrases

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    Heretics

    s!""essf!lly (!tting off the !estion of the !lti#ate )al!e of the

    h!#an life.

    he "ase of the general tal% of $(rogress' is, indeed, an e+tre#eone. *s en!n"iated today, $(rogress' is si#(ly a "o#(arati)e of

    whi"h we ha)e not settled the s!(erlati)e. 0e #eet e)ery ideal of

    religion, (atriotis#, bea!ty, or br!te (leas!re with the alternati)e

    ideal of (rogressthat is to say, we #eet e)ery (ro(osal of getting

    so#ething that we %now abo!t, with an alternati)e (ro(osal of

    getting a great deal #ore of nobody %nows what. rogress,

    (ro(erly !nderstood, has, indeed, a #ost dignified and legiti#ate

    #eaning. -!t as !sed in o((osition to (re"ise #oral ideals, it is

    l!di"ro!s. o far fro# it being the tr!th that the ideal of (rogress is

    to be set against that of ethi"al or religio!s finality, the re)erse is the

    tr!th. 3obody has any b!siness to !se the word $(rogress' !nless

    he has a definite "reed and a "astiron "ode of #orals. 3obody "an

    be (rogressi)e witho!t being do"trinal #ight al#ost say thatnobody "an be (rogressi)e witho!t being infallible at any rate,

    witho!t belie)ing in so#e infallibility.

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    Heretics

    al#ost )irgin intelle"t!alis# or in a f!ll ani#al freedo# whether

    we sho!ld lo)e e)erybody with olstoy, or s(are nobody with

    3iets"hethese are the things abo!t whi"h we are a"t!allyfighting #ost. t is not #erely tr!e that the age whi"h has settled

    least what is (rogress is this $(rogressi)e' age. t is, #oreo)er, tr!e

    that the (eo(le who ha)e settled least what is (rogress are the #ost

    $(rogressi)e' (eo(le in it. he ordinary #ass, the #en who ha)e

    ne)er tro!bled abo!t (rogress, #ight be tr!sted (erha(s to

    (rogress. he (arti"!lar indi)id!als who tal% abo!t (rogress

    wo!ld "ertainly fly to the fo!r winds of hea)en when the (istolshotstarted the ra"e. do not, therefore, say that the word $(rogress' is

    !n#eaning say it is !n#eaning witho!t the (re)io!s definition

    of a #oral do"trine, and that it "an only be a((lied to gro!(s of

    (ersons who hold that do"trine in "o##on. rogress is not an

    illegiti#ate word, b!t it is logi"ally e)ident that it is illegiti#ate for

    !s. t is a sa"red word, a word whi"h "o!ld only rightly be !sed by

    rigid belie)ers and in the ages of faith.

    III. ON MR. RUDYARD KIPLING AND MAKING

    THE WORLD SMALL

    here is no s!"h thing on earth as an !ninteresting s!b&e"t the onlything that "an e+ist is an !ninterested (erson. 3othing is #ore

    %eenly re!ired than a defen"e of bores. 0hen -yron di)ided

    h!#anity into the bores and bored, he o#itted to noti"e that the

    higher !alities e+ist entirely in the bores, the lower !alities in the

    bored, a#ong who# he "o!nted hi#self. he bore, by his starry

    enth!sias#, his sole#n ha((iness, #ay, in so#e sense, ha)e

    (ro)ed hi#self (oeti"al. he bored has "ertainly (ro)ed hi#self(rosai".

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    Heretics

    0e #ight, no do!bt, find it a n!isan"e to "o!nt all the blades of

    grass or all the lea)es of the trees b!t this wo!ld not be be"a!se ofo!r boldness or gaiety, b!t be"a!se of o!r la"% of boldness and

    gaiety. he bore wo!ld go onward, bold and gay, and find the

    blades of grass as s(lendid as the swords of an ar#y. he bore is

    stronger and #ore &oyo!s than we are he is a de#igodnay, he is

    a god.

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    Heretics

    "reati)e )iolen"e. he br!te re(ose of 3at!re, the (assionate

    "!nning of #an, the strongest of earthly #etals, the wierdest of

    earthly ele#ents, the !n"on!erable iron s!bd!ed by its only"on!eror, the wheel and the (lo!ghshare, the sword and the

    stea#ha##er, the arraying of ar#ies and the whole legend of

    ar#s, all these things are written, briefly indeed, b!t !ite legibly,

    on the )isiting"ard of Mr. #ith. ;et o!r no)elists "all their hero

    $*yl#er Dalen"e,' whi"h #eans nothing, or $Dernon 6ay#ond,'

    whi"h #eans nothing, when it is in their (ower to gi)e hi# this

    sa"red na#e of #iththis na#e #ade of iron and fla#e. t wo!ldbe )ery nat!ral if a "ertain ha!te!r, a "ertain "arriage of the head, a

    "ertain "!rl of the li(, disting!ished e)ery one whose na#e is

    #ith. erha(s it does tr!st so. 0hoe)er else are (ar)en!s, the

    #iths are not (ar)en!s.

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    Heretics

    the#sel)es. hat red t!rret is one of the last of the te#(les. osting

    a letter and getting #arried are a#ong the few things left that are

    entirely ro#anti" for to be entirely ro#anti" a thing #!st beirre)o"able. 0e thin% a (illar bo+ (rosai", be"a!se there is no

    rhy#e to it. 0e thin% a (illarbo+ !n(oeti"al, be"a!se we ha)e ne)er

    seen it in a (oe#. -!t the bold fa"t is entirely on the side of (oetry.

    * signalbo+ is only "alled a signalbo+ it is a ho!se of life and death.

    * (illarbo+ is only "alled a (illarbo+ it is a san"t!ary of h!#an

    words. f yo! thin% the na#e of $#ith' (rosai", it is not be"a!se

    yo! are (ra"ti"al and sensible it is be"a!se yo! are too #!"haffe"ted with literary refine#ents. he na#e sho!ts (oetry at yo!.

    f yo! thin% of it otherwise, it is be"a!se yo! are stee(ed and

    sodden with )erbal re#inis"en"es, be"a!se yo! re#e#ber

    e)erything in !n"h or Co#i" C!ts abo!t Mr. #ith being dr!n% or

    Mr. #ith being hen(e"%ed. *ll these things were gi)en to yo!

    (oeti"al. t is only by a long and elaborate (ro"ess of literary effort

    that yo! ha)e #ade the# (rosai".

    3ow, the first and fairest thing to say abo!t 6!dyard Ki(ling is that

    he has borne a brilliant (art in th!s re"o)ering the lost (ro)in"es of

    (oetry. /e has not been frightened by that br!tal #aterialisti" air

    whi"h "lings only to words he has (ier"ed thro!gh to the ro#anti",

    i#aginati)e #atter of the things the#sel)es. /e has (er"ei)ed thesignifi"an"e and (hiloso(hy of stea# and of slang. tea# #ay be, if

    yo! li%e, a dirty by(rod!"t of s"ien"e. lang #ay be, if yo! li%e, a

    dirty by(rod!"t of lang!age. -!t at least he has been a#ong the

    few who saw the di)ine (arentage of these things, and %new that

    where there is s#o%e there is firethat is, that where)er there is

    the fo!lest of things, there also is the (!rest. *bo)e all, he has hadso#ething to say, a definite )iew of things to !tter, and that always

    #eans that a #an is fearless and fa"es e)erything.

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    we ha)e a )iew of the !ni)erse, we (ossess it.

    3ow, the #essage of 6!dyard Ki(ling, that !(on whi"h he hasreally "on"entrated, is the only thing worth worrying abo!t in hi#

    or in any other #an. /e has often written bad (oetry, li%e

    0ordsworth. /e has often said silly things, li%e lato. /e has often

    gi)en way to #ere (oliti"al hysteria, li%e Gladstone. -!t no one "an

    reasonably do!bt that he #eans steadily and sin"erely to say

    so#ething, and the only serio!s !estion is, 0hat is that whi"h he

    has tried to say erha(s the best way of stating this fairly will be tobegin with that ele#ent whi"h has been #ost insisted by hi#self

    and by his o((onents #ean his interest in #ilitaris#. -!t when

    we are see%ing for the real #erits of a #an it is !nwise to go to his

    ene#ies, and #!"h #ore foolish to go to hi#self.

    3ow, Mr. Ki(ling is "ertainly wrong in his worshi( of #ilitaris#,b!t his o((onents are, generally s(ea%ing, !ite as wrong as he.

    he e)il of #ilitaris# is not that it shows "ertain #en to be fier"e

    and ha!ghty and e+"essi)ely warli%e. he e)il of #ilitaris# is that

    it shows #ost #en to be ta#e and ti#id and e+"essi)ely (ea"eable.

    he (rofessional soldier gains #ore and #ore (ower as the general

    "o!rage of a "o##!nity de"lines. h!s the retorian g!ard be"a#e

    #ore and #ore i#(ortant in 6o#e as 6o#e be"a#e #ore and#ore l!+!rio!s and feeble. he #ilitary #an gains the "i)il (ower

    in (ro(ortion as the "i)ilian loses the #ilitary )irt!es. *nd as it was

    in an"ient 6o#e so it is in "onte#(orary E!ro(e. here ne)er was a

    ti#e when nations were #ore #ilitarist. here ne)er was a ti#e

    when #en were less bra)e. *ll ages and all e(i"s ha)e s!ng of ar#s

    and the #an b!t we ha)e effe"ted si#!ltaneo!sly the deteriorationof the #an and the fantasti" (erfe"tion of the ar#s. Militaris#

    de#onstrated the de"aden"e of 6o#e, and it de#onstrates the

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    de"aden"e of r!ssia.

    *nd !n"ons"io!sly Mr. Ki(ling has (ro)ed this, and (ro)ed it

    ad#irably.

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    glad that the "ar(enter did not lea)e the legs of it !ngl!ed for a

    &o%e. o far fro# ha)ing #erely (rea"hed that a soldier "leaning his

    sidear# is to be adored be"a!se he is #ilitary, Ki(ling at his bestand "learest has (rea"hed that the ba%er ba%ing loa)es and the

    tailor "!tting "oats is as #ilitary as anybody.

    -eing de)oted to this #!ltit!dino!s )ision of d!ty, Mr. Ki(ling is

    nat!rally a "os#o(olitan. /e ha((ens to find his e+a#(les in the

    -ritish E#(ire, b!t al#ost any other e#(ire wo!ld do as well, or,

    indeed, any other highly "i)ilied "o!ntry. hat whi"h he ad#ires

    in the -ritish ar#y he wo!ld find e)en #ore a((arent in the

    Ger#an ar#y that whi"h he desires in the -ritish (oli"e he wo!ld

    find flo!rishing, in the

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    /e ad#its, that is, that his de)otion is the res!lt of a "riti"is#, and

    this is !ite eno!gh to (!t it in another "ategory altogether fro#

    the (atriotis# of the -oers, who# he ho!nded down in o!th*fri"a. n s(ea%ing of the really (atrioti" (eo(les, s!"h as the rish,

    he has so#e diffi"!lty in %ee(ing a shrill irritation o!t of his

    lang!age. he fra#e of #ind whi"h he really des"ribes with bea!ty

    and nobility is the fra#e of #ind of the "os#o(olitan #an who has

    seen #en and "ities.

    $

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    the world si#ilarly, s!((ose that the Ch!r"h was a (art of the

    world, and e)en the lo)ers inhabitants of that orb. -!t they all felt a

    "ertain tr!th the tr!th that the #o#ent yo! lo)e anything theworld be"o#es yo!r foe. h!s Mr. Ki(ling does "ertainly %now the

    world he is a #an of the world, with all the narrowness that

    belongs to those i#(risoned in that (lanet. /e %nows England as

    an intelligent English gentle#an %nows Deni"e. /e has been to

    England a great #any ti#es he has sto((ed there for long )isits.

    -!t he does not belong to it, or to any (la"e and the (roof of it is

    this, that he thin%s of England as a (la"e. he #o#ent we arerooted in a (la"e, the (la"e )anishes. 0e li)e li%e a tree with the

    whole strength of the !ni)erse.

    he globetrotter li)es in a s#aller world than the (easant. /e is

    always breathing, an air of lo"ality. London is a (la"e, to be

    "o#(ared to Chi"ago Chi"ago is a (la"e, to be "o#(ared toi#b!"too. -!t i#b!"too is not a (la"e, sin"e there, at least, li)e

    #en who regard it as the !ni)erse, and breathe, not an air of

    lo"ality, b!t the winds of the world. he #an in the saloon stea#er

    has seen all the ra"es of #en, and he is thin%ing of the things that

    di)ide #endiet, dress, de"or!#, rings in the nose as in *fri"a, or

    in the ears as in E!ro(e, bl!e (aint a#ong the an"ients, or red (aint

    a#ong the #odern -ritons. he #an in the "abbage field has seennothing at all b!t he is thin%ing of the things that !nite #en

    h!nger and babies, and the bea!ty of wo#en, and the (ro#ise or

    #ena"e of the s%y. Mr. Ki(ling, with all his #erits, is the globe

    trotter he has not the (atien"e to be"o#e (art of anything. o great

    and gen!ine a #an is not to be a""!sed of a #erely "yni"al

    "os#o(olitanis# still, his "os#o(olitanis# is his wea%ness. hatwea%ness is s(lendidly e+(ressed in one of his finest (oe#s, $he

    estina of the ra#( 6oyal,' in whi"h a #an de"lares that he "an

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    end!re anything in the way of h!nger or horror, b!t not (er#anent

    (resen"e in one (la"e. n this there is "ertainly danger. he #ore

    dead and dry and d!sty a thing is the #ore it tra)els abo!t d!st isli%e this and the thistle down and the /igh Co##issioner in o!th

    *fri"a.

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    ha)e had large ideas, b!t he was a bad #an. /is friends say that he

    #ay ha)e been a bad #an, b!t he "ertainly had large ideas. he

    tr!th is that he was not a #an essentially bad, he was a #an of#!"h geniality and #any good intentions, b!t a #an with

    sing!larly s#all )iews. here is nothing large abo!t (ainting the

    #a( red it is an inno"ent ga#e for "hildren. t is &!st as easy to

    thin% in "ontinents as to thin% in "obble stones. he diffi"!lty "o#es

    in when we see% to %now the s!bstan"e of either of the#. 6hodesF

    (ro(he"ies abo!t the -oer resistan"e are an ad#irable "o##ent on

    how the $large ideas' (ros(er when it is not a !estion of thin%ingin "ontinents b!t of !nderstanding a few twolegged #en. *nd

    !nder all this )ast ill!sion of the "os#o(olitan (lanet, with its

    e#(ires and its 6e!ters agen"y, the real life of #an goes on

    "on"erned with this tree or that te#(le, with this har)est or that

    drin%ingsong, totally !n"o#(rehended, totally !nto!"hed. *nd it

    wat"hes fro# its s(lendid (aro"hialis#, (ossibly with a s#ile of

    a#!se#ent, #otor"ar "i)iliation going its tri!#(hant way,

    o!tstri((ing ti#e, "ons!#ing s(a"e, seeing all and seeing nothing,

    roaring on at last to the "a(t!re of the solar syste#, only to find the

    s!n "o"%ney and the stars s!b!rban.

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