my discovery of england-第5部分

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ver；　〃I　think　it　is　something　of　the　sort；　sir；〃　he　said。　I　hesitated。　〃Drive　me；〃　I　said；　〃to　where　I　can　buy　safety　razor　blades。〃

After　that　I　was　able　to　drive　past　the　Museum　with　the　quiet　assurance　of　a　Londoner；　and　to　take　part　in　dinner　table　discussions　as　to　whether　the　British　Museum　or　the　Louvre　contains　the　greater　treasures。　It　is　quite　easy　any　way。　All　you　have　to　do　is　to　remember　that　The　Winged　Victory　of　Samothrace　is　in　the　Louvre　and　the　papyrus　of　Thotmes　II　（or　some　such　document）　is　in　the　Museum。

The　Abbey；　I　admit；　is　indeed　majestic。　I　did　not　intend　to　miss　going　into　it。　But　I　felt；　as　so　many　tourists　have；　that　I　wanted　to　enter　it　in　the　proper　frame　of　mind。　I　never　got　into　the　frame　of　mind；　at　least　not　when　near　the　Abbey　itself。　I　have　been　in　exactly　that　frame　of　mind　when　on　State　Street；　Chicago；　or　on　King　Street；　Toronto；　or　anywhere　three　thousand　miles　away　from　the　Abbey。　But　by　bad　luck　I　never　struck　both　the　frame　of　mind　and　the　Abbey　at　the　same　time。

But　the　Londoners；　after　all；　in　not　seeing　their　own　wonders；　are　only　like　the　rest　of　the　world。　The　people　who　live　in　Buffalo　never　go　to　see　Niagara　Falls；　people　in　Cleveland　don't　know　which　is　Mr。　Rockefeller's　house；　and　people　live　and　even　die　in　New　York　without　going　up　to　the　top　of　the　Woolworth　Building。　And　anyway　the　past　is　remote　and　the　present　is　near。　I　know　a　cab　driver　in　the　city　of　Quebec　whose　business　in　life　it　is　to　drive　people　up　to　see　the　Plains　of　Abraham；　but　unless　they　bother　him　to　do　it；　he　doesn't　show　them　the　spot　where　Wolfe　fell：　what　ho　does　point　out　with　real　zest　is　the　place　where　the　Mayor　and　the　City　Council　sat　on　the　wooden　platform　that　they　put　up　for　the　municipal　celebration　last　summer。

No　description　of　London　would　be　complete　without　a　reference；　however　brief；　to　the　singular　salubrity　and　charm　of　the　London　climate。　This　is　seen　at　its　best　during　the　autumn　and　winter　months。　The　climate　of　London　and　indeed　of　England　generally　is　due　to　the　influence　of　the　Gulf　Stream。　The　way　it　works　is　thus：　　The　Gulf　Stream；　as　it　nears　the　shores　of　the　British　Isles　and　feels　the　propinquity　of　Ireland；　rises　into　the　air；　turns　into　soup；　and　comes　down　on　London。　At　times　the　soup　is　thin　and　is　in　fact　little　more　than　a　mist：　at　other　times　it　has　the　consistency　of　a　thick　Potage　St。　Germain。　London　people　are　a　little　sensitive　on　the　point　and　flatter　their　atmosphere　by　calling　it　a　fog：　but　it　is　not：　it　is　soup。　The　notion　that　no　sunlight　ever　gets　through　and　that　in　the　London　winter　people　never　see　the　sun　is　of　course　a　ridiculous　error；　circulated　no　doubt　by　the　jealousy　of　foreign　nations。　I　have　myself　seen　the　sun　plainly　visible　in　London；　without　the　aid　of　glasses；　on　a　November　day　in　broad　daylight；　and　again　one　night　about　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　I　saw　the　sun　distinctly　appear　through　the　clouds。　The　whole　subject　of　daylight　in　the　London　winter　is；　however；　one　which　belongs　rather　to　the　technique　of　astronomy　than　to　a　book　of　description。　In　practice　daylight　is　but　little　used。　Electric　lights　are　burned　all　the　time　in　all　houses；　buildings；　railway　stations　and　clubs。　This　practice　which　is　now　universally　observed　is　called　Daylight　Saving。

But　the　distinction　between　day　and　night　during　the　London　winter　is　still　quite　obvious　to　any　one　of　an　observant　mind。　It　is　indicated　by　various　signs　such　as　the　striking　of　clocks；　the　tolling　of　bells；　the　closing　of　saloons；　and　the　raising　of　taxi　rates。　It　is　much　less　easy　to　distinguish　the　technical　approach　of　night　in　the　other　cities　of　England　that　lie　outside　the　confines；　physical　and　intellectual；　of　London　and　live　in　a　continuous　gloom。　In　such　places　as　the　great　manufacturing　cities；　Buggingham…under…Smoke；　or　Gloomsbury…on…Ooze；　night　may　be　said　to　be　perpetual。

　　　　　　　　　　。　　。　　。　　。　　。

I　had　written　the　whole　of　the　above　chapter　and　looked　on　it　as　finished　when　I　realised　that　I　had　made　a　terrible　omission。　I　neglected　to　say　anything　about　the　Mind　of　London。　This　is　a　thing　that　is　always　put　into　any　book　of　discovery　and　observation　and　I　can　only　apologise　for　not　having　discussed　it　sooner。　I　am　quite　familiar　with　other　people's　chapters　on　〃The　Mind　of　America；〃　and　〃The　Chinese　Mind；〃　and　so　forth。　Indeed；　so　far　as　I　know　it　has　turned　out　that　almost　everybody　all　over　the　world　has　a　mind。　Nobody　nowadays　travels；　even　in　Central　America　or　Thibet；　without　bringing　back　a　chapter　on　〃The　Mind　of　Costa　Rica；〃　or　on　the　〃Psychology　of　the　Mongolian。〃　Even　the　gentler　peoples　such　as　the　Burmese；　the　Siamese；　the　Hawaiians；　and　the　Russians；　though　they　have　no　minds　are　written　up　as　souls。

It　is　quite　obvious　then　that　there　is　such　a　thing　as　the　mind　of　London：　and　it　is　all　the　more　culpable　in　me　to　have　neglected　it　in　as　much　as　my　editorial　friend　in　New　York　had　expressly　mentioned　it　to　me　before　I　sailed。　〃What；〃　said　he；　leaning　far　over　his　desk　after　his　massive　fashion　and　reaching　out　into　the　air；　〃what　is　in　the　minds　of　these　people？　Are　they；〃　he　added；　half　to　himself；　though　I　heard　him；　〃are　they　thinking？　　And；　if　they　think；　what　do　they　think？〃

I　did　therefore；　during　my　stay　in　London；　make　an　accurate　study　of　the　things　that　London　seemed　to　be　thinking　about。　As　a　comparative　basis　for　this　study　I　brought　with　me　a　carefully　selected　list　of　the　things　that　New　York　was　thinking　about　at　the　moment。　These　I　selected　from　the　current　newspapers　in　the　proportions　to　the　amount　of　space　allotted　to　each　topic　and　the　size　of　the　heading　that　announced　it。　Having　thus　a　working　idea　of　what　I　may　call　the　mind　of　New　York；　I　was　able　to　collect　and　set　beside　it　a　list　of　similar　topics；　taken　from　the　London　Press　to　represent　the　mind　of　London。　The　two　placed　side　by　side　make　an　interesting　piece　of　psychological　analysis。　They　read　as　follows：

　　　　THE　MIND　OF　NEW　YORK　　　　　　　　THE　MIND　OF　LONDON　　　　　　What　is　it　thinking？　　　　　　　　What　is　it　thinking？

　　　　1。　Do　chorus　girls　make　　　　　1。　Do　chorus　girls　marry　　　　　　　　　good　wives？　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　well？

　　　　2。　Is　red　hair　a　sign　of　　　　2。　What　is　red　hair　a　　　　　　　　　temperament？　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　sign　of？

　　　　3。　Can　a　woman　be　in　　　　　　　　3。　Can　a　man　be　in　love　　　　　　　　love　with　two　men？　　　　　　　　　　with　two　women？

　　　　4。　Is　fat　a　sign　of　genius？　4。　Is　genius　a　sign　of　fat？

Looking　over　these　lists；　I　think　it　is　better　to　present　them　without　comment；　I　feel　sure　that　somewhere　or　other　in　them　one　should　detect　the　heart…throbs；　the　pulsations　of　two　great　peoples。　But　I　don't　get　it。　In　fact　the　two　lists　look　to　me　terribly　like　〃the　mind　of　Costa　Rica。〃

The　same　editor　also　advised　me　to　mingle；　at　his　expense；　in　the　brilliant　intellectual　life　of　England。　〃There；〃　he　said；　〃is　a　coterie　of　men；　probably　the　most　brilliant　group　East　of　the　Mississippi。〃　（I　think　he　said　the　Mississippi）。　〃You　will　find　them；〃　he　said　to　me；　〃brilliant；　witty；　filled　with　repartee。〃　He　suggested　that　I　should　send　him　back；　as　far　as　words　could　express　it；　some　of　this　brilliance。　I　was　very　glad　to　be　able　to　do　this；　although　I　fear　that　the　results　were　not　at　all　what　he　had　anticipated。　Still；　I　held　conversations　with　these　people　and　I　gave　him；　in　all　truthfulness；　the　result。　Sir　James　Barrie　said；　〃This　is　really　very　exceptional　weather　for　this　time　of　year。〃　Cyril　Maude　said；　〃And　so　a　Martini　cocktail　is　merely　gin　and　vermouth。〃　Ian　Hay　said；　〃You'll　find　the　underground　ever　so　handy　once　you　understand　it。〃

I　have　a　lot　more　of　these　repartees　that　I　could　insert　here　if　it　was　necessary。　But　somehow　I　feel　that　it　is　not。



IV。　　A　Clear　View　of　the　Government　and　Politics　of　England

A　LOYAL　British　subject　like　myself　in　dealing　with　the　government　of　England　should　necessarily　begin　with　a　discussion　of　the　monarchy。　I　have　never　had　the　pleasure　of　meeting　the　King；except　once　on　the　G。T。R。　platform　in　Orillia；　Ontario；　when　he　was　the　Duke　of　York　and　I　was　one　of　the　welcoming　delegates　of　the　town　council。　No　doubt　he　would　recall　it　in　a　minute。

But　in　England　the　King　is　surrounded　by　formality　and　circumstance。　On　many　mornings　I　waited　round　the　gates　of　Buckingham　Palace　but　I　found　it　quite　impossible　to　meet　the　King　in　the　quiet　sociable　way　in　which　one　met　him　in　Orillia。　The　English；　it　seems；　love　to　make　the　kingship　a　subject　of　great　pomp　and　official　etiquette。　In　Canada　it　is　quite　different。　Perhaps　we　understand　kings　and　princes　better　than　the　English　do。　At　any　rate　we　treat　them　in　a　far　more　human　heart…to…heart　fashion　than　is　the　English　custom；　and　they　respond　to　it　at　once。　I　remember　when　King　Georgehe　was；　as　I　say；　Duke　of　York　thencame　up　to　Orillia；　Ontario；　how　we　all　met　him　in　a　delegation　on　the　platform。　　Bob　CurranBob　was　Mayor　of　the　town　that　yearwent　up　to　him　and　shook　hands　with　him　and　invited　him　to　come　right　on　up　to　the　Orillia　House　where　he　had　a　room　reserved　for　him。　Charlie　Janes　and　Mel　Tudhope　and　the　other　boys　who　were　on　the　town　Council　gathered　round　the　royal　prince　and　shook　hands　and　told　him　that　he　simply　must　stay　over。　George　Rapley；　the　bank　manager；　sa