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against the poverty and pestilence through which they themselves
daily walk。 I could give you a thousand instances； but they all
come to the same thing： the power that governs the earth is not
the power of Life but of Death； and the inner need that has
nerved Life to the effort of organizing itself into the human
being is not the need for higher life but for a more efficient
engine of destruction。 The plague； the famine； the earthquake；
the tempest were too spasmodic in their action； the tiger and
crocodile were too easily satiated and not cruel enough：
something more constantly； more ruthlessly； more ingeniously
destructive was needed； and that something was Man； the inventor
of the rack； the stake； the gallows； and the electrocutor； of the
sword and gun； above all； of justice； duty； patriotism and all
the other isms by which even those who are clever enough to be
humanely disposed are persuaded to become the most destructive of
all the destroyers。
DON JUAN。 Pshaw！ all this is old。 Your weak side； my diabolic
friend； is that you have always been a gull： you take Man at his
own valuation。 Nothing would flatter him more than your opinion
of him。 He loves to think of himself as bold and bad。 He is
neither one nor the other： he is only a coward。 Call him tyrant；
murderer； pirate； bully； and he will adore you； and swagger about
with the consciousness of having the blood of the old sea kings
in his veins。 Call him liar and thief； and he will only take an
action against you for libel。 But call him coward； and he will go
mad with rage： he will face death to outface that stinging truth。
Man gives every reason for his conduct save one； every excuse for
his crimes save one； every plea for his safety save one； and that
one is his cowardice。 Yet all his civilization is founded on his
cowardice； on his abject tameness； which he calls his
respectability。 There are limits to what a mule or an ass will
stand； but Man will suffer himself to be degraded until his
vileness becomes so loathsome to his oppressors that they
themselves are forced to reform it。
THE DEVIL。 Precisely。 And these are the creatures in whom you
discover what you call a Life Force！
DON JUAN。 Yes； for now comes the most surprising part of the
whole business。
THE STATUE。 What's that？
DON JUAN。 Why； that you can make any of these cowards brave by
simply putting an idea into his head。
THE STATUE。 Stuff！ As an old soldier I admit the cowardice： it's
as universal as sea sickness； and matters just as little。 But
that about putting an idea into a man's head is stuff and
nonsense。 In a battle all you need to make you fight is a little
hot blood and the knowledge that it's more dangerous to lose than
to win。
DON JUAN。 That is perhaps why battles are so useless。 But men
never really overcome fear until they imagine they are fighting
to further a universal purposefighting for an idea； as they
call it。 Why was the Crusader braver than the pirate？ Because he
fought； not for himself； but for the Cross。 What force was it
that met him with a valor as reckless as his own？ The force of
men who fought； not for themselves； but for Islam。 They took
Spain from us； though we were fighting for our very hearths and
homes； but when we； too； fought for that mighty idea； a Catholic
Church； we swept them back to Africa。
THE DEVIL。 ＇ironically＇ What！ you a Catholic； Senor Don Juan！ A
devotee！ My congratulations。
THE STATUE。 ＇seriously＇ Come come！ as a soldier； I can listen to
nothing against the Church。
DON JUAN。 Have no fear； Commander： this idea of a Catholic Church
will survive Islam； will survive the Cross； will survive even
that vulgar pageant of incompetent schoolboyish gladiators which
you call the Army。
THE STATUE。 Juan： you will force me to call you to account for
this。
DON JUAN。 Useless： I cannot fence。 Every idea for which Man will
die will be a Catholic idea。 When the Spaniard learns at last
that he is no better than the Saracen； and his prophet no better
than Mahomet； he will arise； more Catholic than ever； and die on
a barricade across the filthy slum he starves in； for universal
liberty and equality。
THE STATUE。 Bosh！
DON JUAN。 What you call bosh is the only thing men dare die for。
Later on； Liberty will not be Catholic enough： men will die for
human perfection； to which they will sacrifice all their liberty
gladly。
THE DEVIL。 Ay： they will never be at a loss for an excuse for
killing one another。
DON JUAN。 What of that？ It is not death that matters； but the
fear of death。 It is not killing and dying that degrade us； but
base living； and accepting the wages and profits of degradation。
Better ten dead men than one live slave or his master。 Men shall
yet rise up； father against son and brother against brother； and
kill one another for the great Catholic idea of abolishing
slavery。
THE DEVIL。 Yes； when the Liberty and Equality of which you prate
shall have made free white Christians cheaper in the labor market
than by auction at the block。
DON JUAN。 Never fear！ the white laborer shall have his turn too。
But I am not now defending the illusory forms the great ideas
take。 I am giving you examples of the fact that this creature
Man； who in his own selfish affairs is a coward to the backbone；
will fight for an idea like a hero。 He may be abject as a
citizen； but he is dangerous as a fanatic。 He can only be
enslaved whilst he is spiritually weak enough to listen to
reason。 I tell you； gentlemen； if you can show a man a piece of
what he now calls God's work to do； and what he will later on
call by many new names； you can make him entirely reckless of the
consequences to himself personally。
ANA。 Yes： he shirks all his responsibilities； and leaves his wife
to grapple with them。
THE STATUE。 Well said； daughter。 Do not let him talk you out of
your common sense。
THE DEVIL。 Alas！ Senor Commander； now that we have got on to the
subject of Woman； he will talk more than ever。 However； I confess
it is for me the one supremely interesting subject。
DON JUAN。 To a woman； Senora； man's duties and responsibilities
begin and end with the task of getting bread for her children。 To
her； Man is only a means to the end of getting children and
rearing them。
ANA。 Is that your idea of a woman's mind？ I call it cynical and
disgusting materialism。
DON JUAN。 Pardon me； Ana： I said nothing about a woman's whole
mind。 I spoke of her view of Man as a separate sex。 It is no more
cynical than her view of herself as above all things a Mother。
Sexually； Woman is Nature's contrivance for perpetuating its
highest achievement。 Sexually； Man is Woman's contrivance for
fulfilling Nature's behest in the most economical way。 She knows
by instinct that far back in the evolutional process she invented
him； differentiated him； created him in order to produce
something better than the single…sexed process can produce。
Whilst he fulfils the purpose for which she made him； he is
welcome to his dreams； his follies； his ideals； his heroisms；
provided that the keystone of them all is the worship of woman；
of motherhood； of the family； of the hearth。 But how rash and
dangerous it