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when it went out。 His dividends did not quarrel among themselves；
nor was he under any uneasiness lest his mortgages should become
extravagant on reaching manhood and run him up debts which sooner or
later he should have to pay。 There were tendencies in John which
made him very uneasy； and Theobald； his second son； was idle and at
times far from truthful。 His children might； perhaps； have
answered； had they known what was in their father's mind； that he
did not knock his money about as he not infrequently knocked his
children。 He never dealt hastily or pettishly with his money； and
that was perhaps why he and it got on so well together。
It must be remembered that at the beginning of the nineteenth
century the relations between parents and children were still far
from satisfactory。 The violent type of father； as described by
Fielding； Richardson； Smollett and Sheridan； is now hardly more
likely to find a place in literature than the original advertisement
of Messrs。 Fairlie & Pontifex's 〃Pious Country Parishioner；〃 but the
type was much too persistent not to have been drawn from nature
closely。 The parents in Miss Austen's novels are less like savage
wild beasts than those of her predecessors； but she evidently looks
upon them with suspicion； and an uneasy feeling that le pere de
famille est capable de tout makes itself sufficiently apparent
throughout the greater part of her writings。 In the Elizabethan
time the relations between parents and children seem on the whole to
have been more kindly。 The fathers and the sons are for the most
part friends in Shakespeare； nor does the evil appear to have
reached its full abomination till a long course of Puritanism had
familiarised men's minds with Jewish ideals as those which we should
endeavour to reproduce in our everyday life。 What precedents did
not Abraham； Jephthah and Jonadab the son of Rechab offer？ How easy
was it to quote and follow them in an age when few reasonable men or
women doubted that every syllable of the Old Testament was taken
down verbatim from the mouth of God。 Moreover； Puritanism
restricted natural pleasures； it substituted the Jeremiad for the
Paean； and it forgot that the poor abuses of all times want
countenance。
Mr Pontifex may have been a little sterner with his children than
some of his neighbours； but not much。 He thrashed his boys two or
three times a week and some weeks a good deal oftener； but in those
days fathers were always thrashing their boys。 It is easy to have
juster views when everyone else has them； but fortunately or
unfortunately results have nothing whatever to do with the moral
guilt or blamelessness of him who brings them about； they depend
solely upon the thing done； whatever it may happen to be。 The moral
guilt or blamelessness in like manner has nothing to do with the
result； it turns upon the question whether a sufficient number of
reasonable people placed as the actor was placed would have done as
the actor has done。 At that time it was universally admitted that
to spare the rod was to spoil the child； and St Paul had placed
disobedience to parents in very ugly company。 If his children did
anything which Mr Pontifex disliked they were clearly disobedient to
their father。 In this case there was obviously only one course for
a sensible man to take。 It consisted in checking the first signs of
self…will while his children were too young to offer serious
resistance。 If their wills were 〃well broken〃 in childhood； to use
an expression then much in vogue； they would acquire habits of
obedience which they would not venture to break through till they
were over twenty…one years old。 Then they might please themselves；
he should know how to protect himself； till then he and his money
were more at their mercy than he liked。
How little do we know our thoughtsour reflex actions indeed； yes；
but our reflex reflections！ Man； forsooth； prides himself on his
consciousness！ We boast that we differ from the winds and waves and
falling stones and plants； which grow they know not why； and from
the wandering creatures which go up and down after their prey； as we
are pleased to say without the help of reason。 We know so well what
we are doing ourselves and why we do it； do we not？ I fancy that
there is some truth in the view which is being put forward nowadays；
that it is our less conscious thoughts and our less conscious
actions which mainly mould our lives and the lives of those who
spring from us。
CHAPTER VI
Mr Pontifex was not the man to trouble himself much about his
motives。 People were not so introspective then as we are now； they
lived more according to a rule of thumb。 Dr Arnold had not yet sown
that crop of earnest thinkers which we are now harvesting； and men
did not see why they should not have their own way if no evil
consequences to themselves seemed likely to follow upon their doing
so。 Then as now； however； they sometimes let themselves in for more
evil consequences than they had bargained for。
Like other rich men at the beginning of this century he ate and
drank a good deal more than was enough to keep him in health。 Even
his excellent constitution was not proof against a prolonged course
of overfeeding and what we should now consider overdrinking。 His
liver would not unfrequently get out of order； and he would come
down to breakfast looking yellow about the eyes。 Then the young
people knew that they had better look out。 It is not as a general
rule the eating of sour grapes that causes the children's teeth to
be set on edge。 Well…to…do parents seldom eat many sour grapes； the
danger to the children lies in the parents eating too many sweet
ones。
I grant that at first sight it seems very unjust； that the parents
should have the fun and the children be punished for it； but young
people should remember that for many years they were part and parcel
of their parents and therefore had a good deal of the fun in the
person of their parents。 If they have forgotten the fun now； that
is no more than people do who have a headache after having been
tipsy overnight。 The man with a headache does not pretend to be a
different person from the man who got drunk； and claim that it is
his self of the preceding night and not his self of this morning who
should be punished； no more should offspring complain of the
headache which it has earned when in the person of its parents； for
the continuation of identity； though not so immediately apparent； is
just as real in one case as in the other。 What is really hard is
when the parents have the fun after the children have been born； and
the children are punished for this。
On these； his black days； he would take very gloomy views of things
and say to himself that in spite of all his goodness to them his
children did not love him。 But who can love any man whose liver is
out of order？ How base； he would exclaim to himself； was such
ingratitude！ How especially hard upon himself； who had been such a
model son； and always honoured and obeyed his parents though they
had not spent one hundredth part of the money upon him which he had
lavished upon his own chi