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！
some isolated or arbitrary record。 The man who quotes some German
historian against the tradition of the Catholic Church； for instance；
is strictly appealing to aristocracy。 He is appealing to the
superiority of one expert against the awful authority of a mob。
It is quite easy to see why a legend is treated； and ought to be treated；
more respectfully than a book of history。 The legend is generally
made by the majority of people in the village； who are sane。
The book is generally written by the one man in the village who is mad。
Those who urge against tradition that men in the past were ignorant
may go and urge it at the Carlton Club； along with the statement
that voters in the slums are ignorant。 It will not do for us。
If we attach great importance to the opinion of ordinary men in great
unanimity when we are dealing with daily matters； there is no reason
why we should disregard it when we are dealing with history or fable。
Tradition may be defined as an extension of the franchise。
Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes；
our ancestors。 It is the democracy of the dead。 Tradition refuses
to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely
happen to be walking about。 All democrats object to men being
disqualified by the accident of birth； tradition objects to their
being disqualified by the accident of death。 Democracy tells us
not to neglect a good man's opinion； even if he is our groom；
tradition asks us not to neglect a good man's opinion； even if he is
our father。 I； at any rate； cannot separate the two ideas of democracy
and tradition； it seems evident to me that they are the same idea。
We will have the dead at our councils。 The ancient Greeks voted
by stones； these shall vote by tombstones。 It is all quite regular
and official； for most tombstones； like most ballot papers； are marked
with a cross。
I have first to say； therefore； that if I have had a bias； it was
always a bias in favour of democracy； and therefore of tradition。
Before we come to any theoretic or logical beginnings I am content
to allow for that personal equation； I have always been more
inclined to believe the ruck of hard…working people than to believe
that special and troublesome literary class to which I belong。
I prefer even the fancies and prejudices of the people who see
life from the inside to the clearest demonstrations of the people
who see life from the outside。 I would always trust the old wives'
fables against the old maids' facts。 As long as wit is mother wit it
can be as wild as it pleases。
Now； I have to put together a general position； and I pretend
to no training in such things。 I propose to do it； therefore；
by writing down one after another the three or four fundamental
ideas which I have found for myself； pretty much in the way
that I found them。 Then I shall roughly synthesise them；
summing up my personal philosophy or natural religion； then I
shall describe my startling discovery that the whole thing had
been discovered before。 It had been discovered by Christianity。
But of these profound persuasions which I have to recount in order；
the earliest was concerned with this element of popular tradition。
And without the foregoing explanation touching tradition and
democracy I could hardly make my mental experience clear。 As it is；
I do not know whether I can make it clear； but I now propose to try。
My first and last philosophy； that which I believe in with
unbroken certainty； I learnt in the nursery。 I generally learnt it
from a nurse； that is； from the solemn and star…appointed priestess
at once of democracy and tradition。 The things I believed most then；
the things I believe most now； are the things called fairy tales。
They seem to me to be the entirely reasonable things。 They are
not fantasies： compared with them other things are fantastic。
Compared with them religion and rationalism are both abnormal；
though religion is abnormally right and rationalism abnormally wrong。
Fairyland is nothing but the sunny country of common sense。
It is not earth that judges heaven； but heaven that judges earth；
so for me at least it was not earth that criticised elfland；
but elfland that criticised the earth。 I knew the magic beanstalk
before I had tasted beans； I was sure of the Man in the Moon before I
was certain of the moon。 This was at one with all popular tradition。
Modern minor poets are naturalists； and talk about the bush or the brook；
but the singers of the old epics and fables were supernaturalists；
and talked about the gods of brook and bush。 That is what the moderns
mean when they say that the ancients did not 〃appreciate Nature；〃
because they said that Nature was divine。 Old nurses do not
tell children about the grass； but about the fairies that dance
on the grass； and the old Greeks could not see the trees for
the dryads。
But I deal here with what ethic and philosophy come from being
fed on fairy tales。 If I were describing them in detail I could
note many noble and healthy principles that arise from them。
There is the chivalrous lesson of 〃Jack the Giant Killer〃； that giants
should be killed because they are gigantic。 It is a manly mutiny
against pride as such。 For the rebel is older than all the kingdoms；
and the Jacobin has more tradition than the Jacobite。 There is the
lesson of 〃Cinderella；〃 which is the same as that of the Magnificat
EXALTAVIT HUMILES。 There is the great lesson of 〃Beauty and the Beast〃；
that a thing must be loved BEFORE it is loveable。 There is the
terrible allegory of the 〃Sleeping Beauty；〃 which tells how the human
creature was blessed with all birthday gifts； yet cursed with death；
and how death also may perhaps be softened to a sleep。 But I am
not concerned with any of the separate statutes of elfland； but with
the whole spirit of its law； which I learnt before I could speak；
and shall retain when I cannot write。 I am concerned with a certain
way of looking at life； which was created in me by the fairy tales；
but has since been meekly ratified by the mere facts。
It might be stated this way。 There are certain sequences
or developments （cases of one thing following another）； which are；
in the true sense of the word； reasonable。 They are； in the true
sense of the word； necessary。 Such are mathematical and merely
logical sequences。 We in fairyland （who are the most reasonable
of all creatures） admit that reason and that necessity。
For instance； if the Ugly Sisters are olde