按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
taken his degree； but would follow out the bent of his own
inclinations。 This was well enough； but who could give him his
fourteen years back again？
I sometimes wondered how it was that the mischief done was not more
clearly perceptible； and that the young men and women grew up as
sensible and goodly as they did； in spite of the attempts almost
deliberately made to warp and stunt their growth。 Some doubtless
received damage； from which they suffered to their life's end； but
many seemed little or none the worse； and some； almost the better。
The reason would seem to be that the natural instinct of the lads
in most cases so absolutely rebelled against their training； that
do what the teachers might they could never get them to pay serious
heed to it。 The consequence was that the boys only lost their
time； and not so much of this as might have been expected； for in
their hours of leisure they were actively engaged in exercises and
sports which developed their physical nature； and made them at any
rate strong and healthy。
Moreover those who had any special tastes could not be restrained
from developing them： they would learn what they wanted to learn
and liked； in spite of obstacles which seemed rather to urge them
on than to discourage them； while for those who had no special
capacity； the loss of time was of comparatively little moment； but
in spite of these alleviations of the mischief； I am sure that much
harm was done to the children of the sub…wealthy classes； by the
system which passes current among the Erewhonians as education。
The poorest children suffered leastif destruction and death have
heard the sound of wisdom； to a certain extent poverty has done so
also。
And yet perhaps； after all； it is better for a country that its
seats of learning should do more to suppress mental growth than to
encourage it。 Were it not for a certain priggishness which these
places infuse into so great a number of their alumni； genuine work
would become dangerously common。 It is essential that by far the
greater part of what is said or done in the world should be so
ephemeral as to take itself away quickly； it should keep good for
twenty…four hours； or even twice as long； but it should not be good
enough a week hence to prevent people from going on to something
else。 No doubt the marvellous development of journalism in
England； as also the fact that our seats of learning aim rather at
fostering mediocrity than anything higher； is due to our
subconscious recognition of the fact that it is even more necessary
to check exuberance of mental development than to encourage it。
There can be no doubt that this is what our academic bodies do； and
they do it the more effectually because they do it only
subconsciously。 They think they are advancing healthy mental
assimilation and digestion； whereas in reality they are little
better than cancer in the stomach。
Let me return； however； to the Erewhonians。 Nothing surprised me
more than to see the occasional flashes of common sense with which
one branch of study or another was lit up； while not a single ray
fell upon so many others。 I was particularly struck with this on
strolling into the Art School of the University。 Here I found that
the course of study was divided into two branchesthe practical
and the commercialno student being permitted to continue his
studies in the actual practice of the art he had taken up； unless
he made equal progress in its commercial history。
Thus those who were studying painting were examined at frequent
intervals in the prices which all the leading pictures of the last
fifty or a hundred years had realised； and in the fluctuations in
their values when （as often happened） they had been sold and resold
three or four times。 The artist； they contend； is a dealer in
pictures； and it is as important for him to learn how to adapt his
wares to the market； and to know approximately what kind of a
picture will fetch how much； as it is for him to be able to paint
the picture。 This； I suppose； is what the French mean by laying so
much stress upon 〃values。〃
As regards the city itself； the more I saw the more enchanted I
became。 I dare not trust myself with any description of the
exquisite beauty of the different colleges； and their walks and
gardens。 Truly in these things alone there must be a hallowing and
refining influence which is in itself half an education； and which
no amount of error can wholly spoil。 I was introduced to many of
the Professors； who showed me every hospitality and kindness；
nevertheless I could hardly avoid a sort of suspicion that some of
those whom I was taken to see had been so long engrossed in their
own study of hypothetics that they had become the exact antitheses
of the Athenians in the days of St。 Paul； for whereas the Athenians
spent their lives in nothing save to see and to hear some new
thing； there were some here who seemed to devote themselves to the
avoidance of every opinion with which they were not perfectly
familiar； and regarded their own brains as a sort of sanctuary； to
which if an opinion had once resorted； none other was to attack it。
I should warn the reader； however； that I was rarely sure what the
men whom I met while staying with Mr。 Thims really meant； for there
was no getting anything out of them if they scented even a
suspicion that they might be what they call 〃giving themselves
away。〃 As there is hardly any subject on which this suspicion
cannot arise； I found it difficult to get definite opinions from
any of them； except on such subjects as the weather； eating and
drinking； holiday excursions； or games of skill。
If they cannot wriggle out of expressing an opinion of some sort；
they will commonly retail those of some one who has already written
upon the subject； and conclude by saying that though they quite
admit that there is an element of truth in what the writer has
said； there are many points on which they are unable to agree with
him。 Which these points were； I invariably found myself unable to
determine； indeed； it seemed to be counted the perfection of
scholarship and good breeding among them not to havemuch less to
expressan opinion on any subject on which it might prove later
that they had been mistaken。 The art of sitting gracefully on a
fence has never； I should think； been brought to greater perfection
than at the Erewhonian Colleges of Unreason。
Even when； wriggle as they may； they find themselves pinned down to
some expression of definite opinion； as often as not they will
argue in support of what they perfectly well know to be untrue。 I
repeatedly met with reviews and articles even in their best
journals； between the lines of which I had little difficulty in
detecting a sense exactly contrary to the one ostensibly put
forward。 So well is this understood； that a man must be a mere
tyro in the arts of Erewhonian polite society； unless he
instinctively suspects a hidden 〃yea〃 in every 〃nay〃 that meets
him。 Granted that it comes to much the same in the end； for it
does not matter whether 〃yea〃 is called 〃yea〃 or 〃nay；〃 so long as
it is understood which it is to be； but our own mo