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fulness of burglars is that their principles are contrary to burglary。 If they
genuinely believed in the moral excellence of burglary； penal servitude would
simply mean so many happy years for them； all martyrs are happy years for
them； all martyrs are happy； because their conduct and their principles agree。
As for reason （which makes conduct； and is not unconnected with the making
of principles）； it plays a far smaller part in our lives than we fancy。 We are
supposed to be reasonable but we are much more instinctive than reasonable。
And the less we reflect； the less reasonable we shall be。 The next time you
get cross with the waiter because your steak is over…cooked； ask reason to
step into the cabinet…room of your mind； and consult her。 She will probably
tell you that the waiter did not cook the steak； and had no control over the
cooking of the steak； and that even if he alone was to blame； you accomplished
nothing good by getting cross； you merely lost your dignity； looked a fool in
the eyes of sensible men； and soured the waiter； while producing no effect
whatever on the steak。
The result of this consultation with reason （for which she makes no charge）
will be that when once more your steak is over…cooked you will treat the
waiter as a fellow…creature； remain quite calm in a kindly spirit； and politely
insist on having a fresh steak。 The gain will be obvious and solid。
In the formation or modification of principles； and the practice of conduct；
much help can be derived from printed books （issued at sixpence each and
upwards）。 I mentioned in my last chapter Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus。
Certain even more widely known works will occur at once to the memory。
I may also mention Pascal； La Bruyere； and Emerson。 For myself； you do
not catch me travelling without my Marcus Aurelius。 Yes； books are
valuable。 But not reading of books will take the place of a daily； candid；
honest examination of what one has recently done； and what one is about
to doof a steady looking at one's self in the face （disconcerting though
the sight may be）。
When shall this important business be accomplished？ The solitude of the
evening journey home appears to me to be suitable for it。 A reflective
mood naturally follows the exertion of having earned the day's living。
Of course if； instead of attending to an elementary and profoundly important
duty； you prefer to read the paper （which you might just as well read while
waiting for your dinner） I have nothing to say。 But attend to it at some time
of the day you must。 I now come to the evening hours。
IX
INTEREST IN THE ARTS
Many people pursue a regular and uninterrupted course of idleness in
the evenings because they think that there is no alternative to idleness
but the study of literature； and they do not happen to have a taste for
literature。 This is a great mistake。
Of course it is impossible； or at any rate very difficult； properly to study
anything whatever without the aid of printed books。 But if you desire to
understand the deeper depths of bridge or of boat…sailing you would not
be deterred by your lack of interest in literature from reading the best
books on bridge or boat…sailing。 We must； therefore； distinguish between
literature； and books treating of subjects not literary。 I shall come to
literature in due course。
Let me now remark to those who have never read Meredith； and who are
capable of being unmoved by a discussion as to whether Mr。 Stephen
Phillips is or is not a true poet； that they are perfectly within their rights。
It is not a crime not to love literature。 It is not a sign of imbecility。 The
mandarins of literature will order out to instant execution the unfortunate
individual who does not comprehend； say； the influence of Wordsworth on
Tennyson。 But that is only their impudence。 Where would they be； I wonder；
if requested to explain the influences that went to make Tschaikowsky's
〃Pathetic Symphony〃？
There are enormous fields of knowledge quite outside literature which
will yield magnificent results to cultivators。 For example （since I have
just mentioned the most popular piece of high…class music in England
to…day）； I am reminded that the Promenade Concerts begin in August。
You go to them。 You smoke your cigar or cigarette （and I regret to say
that you strike your matches during the soft bars of the 〃Lohengrin〃
overture）； and you enjoy the music。 But you say you cannot play the
piano or the fiddle； or even the banjo； that you know nothing of music。
What does that matter？ That you have a genuine taste for music is
proved by the fact that； in order to fill his hall with you and your peers；
the conductor is obliged to provide programmes from which bad music
is almost entirely excluded （a change from the old Covent Garden days！）。
Now surely your inability to perform 〃The Maiden's Prayer〃 on a piano
need not prevent you from making yourself familiar with the construction
of the orchestra to which you listen a couple of nights a week during a
couple of months！ As things are； you probably think of the orchestra as a
heterogeneous mass of instruments producing a confused agreeable mass
of sound。 You do not listen for details because you have never trained
your ears to listen to details。
If you were asked to name the instruments which play the great theme at
the beginning of the C minor symphony you could not name them for your
life's sake。 Yet you admire the C minor symphony。 It has thrilled you。 It
will thrill you again。 You have even talked about it； in an expansive mood；
to that ladyyou know whom I mean。 And all you can positively state
about the C minor symphony is that Beethoven composed it and that it is
a 〃jolly fine thing。〃
Now； if you have read； say； Mr。 Krehbiel's 〃How to Listen to Music〃 （which
can be got at any bookseller's for less than the price of a stall at the Alhambra；
and which contains photographs of all the orchestral instruments and plans of
the arrangement of orchestras） you would next go to a promenade concert with
an astonishing intensification of interest in it。 Instead of a confused mass； the
orchestra would appear to you as what it isa marvellously balanced organism
whose various groups of members each have a different and an indispensable
function。 You would spy out the instruments； and listen for their respective
sounds。 You would know the gulf that separates a French horn from an English
horn； and you would perceive why a player of the hautboy gets higher wages
than a fiddler； though the fiddle is the more difficult instrument。 You would
*live* at a promenade concert； whereas previously you had merely existed
there in a state of beatific coma； like a baby gazing at a bright object。
The foundations of a genuine； systematic knowledge of music might be laid。
You might specialise your inquiries either on a particular form of music （such
as the symphony）； or on the works of a particular composer。 At the end of a
year of forty…eight