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Creatures That Once Were Men
by Maxim Gorky
Translated from the Russian by J。 M。 SHIRAZI and Others
Introduction by G。 K。 CHESTERTON
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 V
Creatures That Once were Men 。 。 。 。 13
Twenty…Six Men and a Girl 。 。 。 。 。104
Chelkash 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。125
My Fellow…Traveller 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。178
On a Raft 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。229
INTRODUCTION
By G。 K。 CHESTERTON
It is certainly a curious fact that so many of the voices of
what is called our modern religion have come from countries
which are not only simple； but may even be called barbaric。
A nation like Norway has a great realistic drama without
having ever had either a great classical drama or a great
romantic drama。 A nation like Russia makes us feel its modern
fiction when we have never felt its ancient fiction。 It has
produced its Gissing without producing its Scott。 Everything
that is most sad and scientific； everything that is most grim
and analytical； everything that can truly be called most
modern； everything that can without unreasonableness be
called most morbid； comes from these fresh and untried and
unexhausted nationalities。 Out of these infant peoples come
the oldest voices of the earth。
This contradiction； like many other contradictions； is one
which ought first of all to be registered as a mere fact；
long before we attempt to explain why things contradict
themselves； we ought； if we are honest men and good critics；
to register the preliminary truth that things do contradict
themselves。 In this case； as I say； there are many possible
and suggestive explanations。 It may be； to take an example；
that our modern Europe is so exhausted that even the vigorous
expression of that exhaustion is difficult for every one
except the most robust。
vi INTRODUCTION
It may be that all the nations are tired； and it may be that
only the boldest and breeziest are not too tired to say that
they are tired。 It may be that a man like Ibsen in Norway or
a man like Gorky in Russia are the only people left who have
so much faith that they can really believe in scepticism。 It
may be that they are the only people left who have so much
animal spirits that they can really feast high and drink
deep at the ancient banquet of pessimism。 This is one of the
possible hypotheses or explanations in the matter： that all
Europe feels these things and that only have strength to
believe them also。 Many other explanations might； however；
also be offered。 It might be suggested that half…barbaric
countries； like Russia or Norway； which have always lain；
to say the least of it； on the extreme edge of the circle of
our European civilization； have a certain primal melancholy
which belongs to them through all the ages。 It is highly
probable that this sadness； which to us is modern； is to
them eternal。 It is highly probable that what we have
solemnly and suddenly discovered in scientific text…books
and philosophical magazines they absorbed and experienced
thousands of years ago； when they offered human sacrifice
in black and cruel forests and cried to their gods in the
dark。 Their agnosticism is perhaps merely paganism； their
paganism； as in old times； is merely devil…worship。 Certainly；
Schopenhauer could hardly have written his hideous essay on
women except in a country which had once been full of slavery
and the service of fiends。 It may be that these moderns are
tricking us altogether； and are hiding in their current
scientific jargon things that they knew before science or
civilization were。
vii INTRODUCTION
They say that they are determinists； but the truth is；
probably； that they are still worshipping the Norns。 They
say that they describe scenes which are sickening and
dehumanizing in the name of art or in the name of truth； but
it may be that they do it in the name of some deity
indescribable； whom they propitiated with blood and terror
before the beginning of history。
This hypothesis； like the hypothesis mentioned before it；
is highly disputable； and is at best a suggestion。 But there
is one broad truth in the matter which may in any case be
considered as established。 A country like Russia has far
more inherent capacity for producing revolution in
revolutionists than any country of the type of England or
America。 Communities highly civilized and largely urban tend
to a thing which is now called evolution； the most cautious
and the most conservative of all social influences。 The
loyal Russian obeys the Czar because he remembers the Czar
and the Czar's importance。 The disloyal Russian frets
against the Czar because he also remembers the Czar； and
makes a note of the necessity of knifing him。 But the loyal
Englishman obeys the upper classes because he has forgotten
that they are there。 Their operation has become to him like
daylight； or gravitation； or any of the forces of nature。
And there are no disloyal Englishmen； there are no English
revolutionists； because the oligarchic management of England
is so complete as to be invisible。 The thing which can once
get itself forgotten can make itself omnipotent。
viii INTRODUCTION
Gorky is preeminently Russian； in that he is a revolutionist；
not because most Russians are revolutionists （for I imagine
that they are not）； but because most Russiansindeed； nearly
all Russianare in that attitude of mind which makes
revolution possible； and which makes religion possible； an
attitude of primary and dogmatic assertion。 To be a
revolutionist it is first necessary to be a revelationist。
It is necessary to believe in the sufficiency of some theory
of the universe or the State。 But in countries that have
come under the influence of what is called the evolutionary
idea； there has been no dramatic righting of wrongs； and
（unless the evolutionary idea loses its hold） there never
will be。 These countries have no revolution； they have to
put up with an inferior and largely fictitious thing which
they call progress。
The interest of the Gorky tale； like the interest of so many
other Russian masterpieces； consists in this sharp contact
between a simplicity； which we in the West feel to be very
old； and a rebelliousness which we in the West feel to he
very new。 We cannot in our graduated and polite civilization
quite make head or tail of the Russian anarch； we can only
feel in a vague way that his tale is the tale of the Missing
Link； and that his head is the head of the superman。 We hear
his lonely cry of anger。 But we cannot be quite certain
whether his protest is the protest of the first anarchist
against government； or whether it is the protest of the last
savage against civilization。 The cruelty of ages and of
po