the research magnificent-第68章

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republic　that　must　replace　the　little　warring　kingdoms　of　the　present；　to　the　conception　of　an　unseen　kingship　ruling　the　whole　globe；　to　his　King　Invisible；　who　is　the　Lord　of　Truth　and　all　sane　loyalty。　　〃There；〃　he　said；　〃is　the　link　of　our　order；　the　new　knighthood；　the　new　aristocracy；　that　must　at　last　rule　the　earth。　　There　is　our　Prince。　He　is　in　me；　he　is　in　you；　he　is　latent　in　all　mankind。　　I　have　worked　this　out　and　tried　it　and　lived　it；　and　I　know　that　outwardly　and　inwardly　this　is　the　way　a　man　must　live；　or　else　be　a　poor　thing　and　a　base　one。　　On　great　occasions　and　small　occasions　I　have　failed　myself　a　thousand　times；　but　no　failure　lasts　if　your　faith　lasts。　　What　I　have　learnt；　what　I　have　thought　out　and　made　sure；　I　want　now　to　tell　the　world。　　Somehow　I　will　tell　it；　as　a　book　I　suppose；　though　I　do　not　know　if　I　shall　ever　be　able　to　make　a　book。　　But　I　have　away　there　in　London　or　with　me　here　all　the　masses　of　notes　I　have　made　in　my　search　for　the　life　that　is　worth　while　living。　。　。　。　　We　who　are　self…appointed　aristocrats；　who　are　not　ashamed　of　kingship；　must　speak　to　one　another。　。　。　。　〃We　can　have　no　organization　because　organizations　corrupt。　。　。　。　〃No　recognition。　。　。　。　〃But　we　can　speak　plainly。　。　。　。〃　（As　he　talked　his　voice　was　for　a　space　drowned　by　the　jingle　and　voices　of　mounted　police　riding　past　the　hotel。）　〃But　on　one　side　your　aristocracy　means　revolution；〃　said　White。　〃It　becomes　a　political　conspiracy。〃　〃Manifestly。　　An　open　conspiracy。　　It　denies　the　king　upon　the　stamps　and　the　flag　upon　the　wall。　　It　is　the　continual　proclamation　of　the　Republic　of　Mankind。〃

15

The　earlier　phases　of　violence　in　the　Rand　outbreak　in　1913　were　manifest　rather　in　the　outskirts　of　Johannesburg　than　at　the　centre。　〃Pulling　out〃　was　going　on　first　at　this　mine　and　then　that；　there　were　riots　in　Benoni；　attacks　on　strike　breakers　and　the　smashing　up　of　a　number　of　houses。　　It　was　not　until　July　the　4th　that；　with　the　suppression　of　a　public　meeting　in　the　market…place；　Johannesburg　itself　became　the　storm　centre。　Benham　and　White　were　present　at　this　marketplace　affair；　a　confused　crowded　occasion；　in　which　a　little　leaven　of　active　men　stirred　throisis　that　the　masters　were　too　incapable　and　too　mean　to　prevent。　〃Oh；　God！〃　cried　Benham；　〃when　will　men　be　princes　and　take　hugh　a　large　uncertain　multitude　of　decently　dressed　onlookers。　The　whole　big　square　was　astir；　a　swaying　crowd　of　men。　　A　ramshackle　platform　improvised　upon　a　trolley　struggled　through　the　swarming　straw　hats　to　a　street　corner；　and　there　was　some　speaking。　At　first　it　seemed　as　though　military　men　were　using　this　platform；　and　then　it　was　manifestly　in　possession　of　an　excited　knot　of　labour　leaders　with　red　rosettes。　　The　military　men　had　said　their　say　and　got　down。　　They　came　close　by　Benham；　pushing　their　way　across　the　square。　　〃We've　warned　them；〃　said　one。　　A　red　flag；　like　some　misunderstood　remark　at　a　tea…party；　was　fitfully　visible　and　incomprehensible　behind　the　platform。　　Somebody　was　either　pitched　or　fell　off　the　platform。　　One　could　hear　nothing　from　the　speakers　except　a　minute　bleating。　。　。　。　Then　there　were　shouts　that　the　police　were　charging。　　A　number　of　mounted　men　trotted　into　the　square。　　The　crowd　began　a　series　of　short　rushes　that　opened　lanes　for　the　passage　of　the　mounted　police　as　they　rode　to　and　fro。　　These　men　trotted　through　the　crowd；　scattering　knots　of　people。　　They　carried　pick…handles；　but　they　did　not　seem　to　be　hitting　with　them。　　It　became　clear　that　they　aimed　at　the　capture　of　the　trolley。　　There　was　only　a　feeble　struggle　for　the　trolley；　it　was　captured　and　hauled　through　the　scattered　spectators　in　the　square　to　the　protection　of　a　small　impassive　body　of　regular　cavalry　at　the　opposite　corner。　　Then　quite　a　number　of　people　seemed　to　be　getting　excited　and　fighting。　　They　appeared　to　be　vaguely　fighting　the　foot…police；　and　the　police　seemed　to　be　vaguely　pushing　through　them　and　dispersing　them。　　The　roof　of　a　little　one…story　shop　became　prominent　as　a　centre　of　vigorous　stone…throwing。　It　was　no　sort　of　battle。　　Merely　the　normal　inconsecutiveness　of　human　affairs　had　become　exaggerated　and　pugnacious。　　A　meeting　was　being　prevented；　and　the　police　engaged　in　the　operation　were　being　pelted　or　obstructed。　　Mostly　people　were　just　looking　on。　〃It　amounts　to　nothing；〃　said　Benham。　　〃Even　if　they　held　a　meeting；　what　could　happen？　　Why　does　the　Government　try　to　stop　it？〃　The　drifting　and　charging　and　a　little　booing　went　on　for　some　time。　Every　now　and　then　some　one　clambered　to　a　point　of　vantage；　began　a　speech　and　was　pulled　down　by　policemen。　　And　at　last　across　the　confusion　came　an　idea；　like　a　wind　across　a　pond。　The　strikers　were　to　go　to　the　Power　Station。　That　had　the　effect　of　a　distinct　move　in　the　game。　　The　Power　Station　was　the　centre　of　Johannesburg's　light　and　energy。　　There　if　anywhere　it　would　be　possible　to　express　one's　disapproval　of　the　administration；　one's　desire　to　embarrass　and　confute　it。　　One　could　stop　all　sorts　of　things　from　the　Power　Station。　　At　any　rate　it　was　a　repartee　to　the　suppression　of　the　meeting。　　erything　will　be　soonwhen　one　comes　to　death　then　everything　is　at　one's　fingertipsI　can　feel　that　greater　wback　of　a　number　of　Everybody　seemed　gladdened　by　a　definite　project。　Benham　and　White　went　with　the　crowd。　At　the　intersection　of　two　streets　they　were　held　up　for　a　time；　the　scattered　drift　of　people　became　congested。　　Gliding　slowly　across　the　mass　came　an　electric　tram；　an　entirely　unbattered　tram　with　even　its　glass　undamaged；　and　then　another　and　another。　　Strikers；　with　the　happy　expression　of　men　who　have　found　something　expressive　to　do；　were　escorting　the　trams　off　the　street。　　They　were　being　meticulously　careful　with　them。　　Never　was　there　less　mob　violence　in　a　riot。　　They　walked　by　the　captured　cars　almost　deferentially；　like　rough　men　honoured　by　a　real　lady's　company。　　And　when　White　and　Benham　reached　the　Power　House　the　marvel　grew。　　The　rioters　were　already　in　possession　and　going　freely　over　the　whole　place；　and　they　had　injured　nothing。　　They　had　stopped　the　engines；　but　they　had　not　even　disabled　them。　　Here　too　manifestly　a　majority　of　the　people　were；　like　White　and　Benham；　merely　lookers…on。　〃But　this　is　the　most　civilized　rioting；〃　said　Benham。　　〃It　isn't　rioting；　it's　drifting。　　Just　as　things　drifted　in　Moscow。　　Because　nobody　has　the　rudder。　。　。　。　〃What　maddens　me；〃　he　said；　〃is　the　democracy　of　the　whole　thing。　White！　　I　HATE　this　modern　democracy。　　Democracy　and　inequality！　Was　there　ever　an　absurder　combination？　　What　is　the　good　of　a　social　order　in　which　the　men　at　the　top　are　commoner；　meaner　stuff　than　the　men　underneath；　the　same　stuff；　just　spoilt；　spoilt　by　prosperity　and　opportunity　and　the　conceit　that　comes　with　advantage？　　This　trouble　wants　so　little；　just　a　touch　of　aristocracy；　just　a　little　cultivated　magnanimity；　just　an　inkling　of　responsibility；　and　the　place　migold　of　life？　　When　will　the　kingship　in　us　wake　up　and　come　to　its　own？　。　。　。　Look　at　this　place！　　Look　at　this　place！　。　。　。　　The　easy；　accessible　happiness！　　The　manifest　prosperity。　　The　newness　and　the　sunshine。　　And　the　silly　bitterness；　the　rage；　the　mischief　and　miseries！　。　。　。〃　And　then：　〃It's　not　our　quarrel。　。　。　。〃　〃It's　amazing　how　every　human　quarrel　draws　one　in　to　take　sides。　Life　is　one　long　struggle　against　the　incidental。　　I　can　feel　my　anger　gathering　against　the　Government　here　in　spite　of　my　reason。　I　want　to　go　and　expostulate。　　I　have　a　ridiculous　idea　that　I　ought　to　go　off　to　Lord　Glindividuals　into　the　roadway　and　then　a　derisive　shouting。　　Nobody　had　been　hit。　　The　soldiers　had　fired　in　the　air。　〃But　thiadstone　or　Botha　and　expostulate。　。　。　。　　What　good　would　it　do？　　They　move　in　the　magic　circles　of　their　own　limitations；　an　official；　a　politicianhow　would　they　put　it？　‘with　many　things　to　consider。　。　。　。'　〃It's　my　weakness　to　be　drawn　into　quarrels。　　It's　a　thing　I　have　to　guard　against。　。　。　。　〃What　does　it　all　amount　to？　　It　is　like　a　fight　between　navvies　in　a　tunnel　to　settle　the　position　of　the　Pole　star。　　It　doesn't　concern　us。　。　。　。　　Oh！　it　doesn't　indeed　concern　us。　　It's　a　scuffle　in　the　darkness；　and　our　business；　the　business　of　all　brains；　the　only　permanent　good　work　is　to　light　up　the　world。　。　。　。　　There　will　be　mischief　and　hatred　here　and　suppression　and　then　forgetfulness；　and　then　things　will　go　on　again；　a　little　better　or　a　little　worse。　。　。　。〃　〃I'm　tired　of　this　place；　White；　and　of　all　such　places。　　I'm　tired　of　the　shouting　and　running；　the　beating　and　shooting。　　I'm　sick　of　all　the　confusions　of　life's　experience；　which　tells　only　of　one　need　amidst　an　endless　multitude　of　distresses。　　I've　seen　my　fill　of　wars　and　disputes　and　struggles。　　I　see　now　how　a　man　may　grow　weary　at　last　of　life　and　its　disorders；　its　unreal　exacting　disorders；　its　blunders　and　its　remorse。　　No！　　I　want　to　begin　upon　the　realities　I　have　made　for　myself。　　For　they　are　the　realities。　I　want　to　go　now　to　some　quiet　corner　where　I　can　polish　what　I　have　learnt；　sort　out　my　accumulations；　be　undisturbed　by　these　transitory　symptomatic　things。　。　。　。　〃What　was　that　boy　saying？　　They　are　burning　the　STAR　office。　。