the way of all flesh-第20部分

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enjoy　it　any　more　than　is　good　for　us。　　If　Mr　Pontifex　is　to　be
blamed　it　is　for　not　having　eaten　and　drunk　less　and　thus　suffered
less　from　his　liver；　and　lived　perhaps　a　year　or　two　longer。

Goodness　is　naught　unless　it　tends　towards　old　age　and　sufficiency
of　means。　　I　speak　broadly　and　exceptis　excipiendis。　　So　the
psalmist　says；　〃The　righteous　shall　not　lack　anything　that　is　good。〃
Either　this　is　mere　poetical　license；　or　it　follows　that　he　who
lacks　anything　that　is　good　is　not　righteous；　there　is　a　presumption
also　that　he　who　has　passed　a　long　life　without　lacking　anything
that　is　good　has　himself　also　been　good　enough　for　practical
purposes。

Mr　Pontifex　never　lacked　anything　he　much　cared　about。　　True；　he
might　have　been　happier　than　he　was　if　he　had　cared　about　things
which　he　did　not　care　for；　but　the　gist　of　this　lies　in　the　〃if　he
had　cared。〃　　We　have　all　sinned　and　come　short　of　the　glory　of
making　ourselves　as　comfortable　as　we　easily　might　have　done；　but　in
this　particular　case　Mr　Pontifex　did　not　care；　and　would　not　have
gained　much　by　getting　what　he　did　not　want。

There　is　no　casting　of　swine's　meat　before　men　worse　than　that　which
would　flatter　virtue　as　though　her　true　origin　were　not　good　enough
for　her；　but　she　must　have　a　lineage；　deduced　as　it　were　by
spiritual　heralds；　from　some　stock　with　which　she　has　nothing　to　do。
Virtue's　true　lineage　is　older　and　more　respectable　than　any　that
can　be　invented　for　her。　　She　springs　from　man's　experience
concerning　his　own　well…beingand　this；　though　not　infallible；　is
still　the　least　fallible　thing　we　have。　　A　system　which　cannot　stand
without　a　better　foundation　than　this　must　have　something　so
unstable　within　itself　that　it　will　topple　over　on　whatever　pedestal
we　place　it。

The　world　has　long　ago　settled　that　morality　and　virtue　are　what
bring　men　peace　at　the　last。　　〃Be　virtuous；〃　says　the　copy…book；
〃and　you　will　be　happy。〃　　Surely　if　a　reputed　virtue　fails　often　in
this　respect　it　is　only　an　insidious　form　of　vice；　and　if　a　reputed
vice　brings　no　very　serious　mischief　on　a　man's　later　years　it　is
not　so　bad　a　vice　as　it　is　said　to　be。　　Unfortunately　though　we　are
all　of　a　mind　about　the　main　opinion　that　virtue　is　what　tends　to
happiness；　and　vice　what　ends　in　sorrow；　we　are　not　so　unanimous
about　detailsthat　is　to　say　as　to　whether　any　given　course；　such；
we　will　say；　as　smoking；　has　a　tendency　to　happiness　or　the　reverse。

I　submit　it　as　the　result　of　my　own　poor　observation；　that　a　good
deal　of　unkindness　and　selfishness　on　the　part　of　parents　towards
children　is　not　generally　followed　by　ill　consequences　to　the
parents　themselves。　　They　may　cast　a　gloom　over　their　children's
lives　for　many　years　without　having　to　suffer　anything　that　will
hurt　them。　　I　should　say；　then；　that　it　shows　no　great　moral
obliquity　on　the　part　of　parents　if　within　certain　limits　they　make
their　children's　lives　a　burden　to　them。

Granted　that　Mr　Pontifex's　was　not　a　very　exalted　character；
ordinary　men　are　not　required　to　have　very　exalted　characters。　　It
is　enough　if　we　are　of　the　same　moral　and　mental　stature　as　the
〃main〃　or　〃mean〃　part　of　menthat　is　to　say　as　the　average。

It　is　involved　in　the　very　essence　of　things　that　rich　men　who　die
old　shall　have　been　mean。　　The　greatest　and　wisest　of　mankind　will
be　almost　always　found　to　be　the　meanestthe　ones　who　have　kept　the
〃mean〃　best　between　excess　either　of　virtue　or　vice。　　They　hardly
ever　have　been　prosperous　if　they　have　not　done　this；　and；
considering　how　many　miscarry　altogether；　it　is　no　small　feather　in
a　man's　cap　if　he　has　been　no　worse　than　his　neighbours。　　Homer
tells　us　about　some　one　who　made　it　his　business　＇Greek　text＇
always　to　excel　and　to　stand　higher　than　other　people。　　What　an
uncompanionable　disagreeable　person　he　must　have　been！　　Homer's
heroes　generally　came　to　a　bad　end；　and　I　doubt　not　that　this
gentleman；　whoever　he　was；　did　so　sooner　or　later。

A　very　high　standard；　again；　involves　the　possession　of　rare
virtues；　and　rare　virtues　are　like　rare　plants　or　animals；　things
that　have　not　been　able　to　hold　their　own　in　the　world。　　A　virtue　to
be　serviceable　must；　like　gold；　be　alloyed　with　some　commoner　but
more　durable　metal。

People　divide　off　vice　and　virtue　as　though　they　were　two　things；
neither　of　which　had　with　it　anything　of　the　other。　　This　is　not　so。
There　is　no　useful　virtue　which　has　not　some　alloy　of　vice；　and
hardly　any　vice；　if　any；　which　carries　not　with　it　a　little　dash　of
virtue；　virtue　and　vice　are　like　life　and　death；　or　mind　and　matter…
…things　which　cannot　exist　without　being　qualified　by　their
opposite。　　The　most　absolute　life　contains　death；　and　the　corpse　is
still　in　many　respects　living；　so　also　it　has　been　said；　〃If　thou；
Lord；　wilt　be　extreme　to　mark　what　is　done　amiss；〃　which　shows　that
even　the　highest　ideal　we　can　conceive　will　yet　admit　so　much
compromise　with　vice　as　shall　countenance　the　poor　abuses　of　the
time；　if　they　are　not　too　outrageous。　　That　vice　pays　homage　to
virtue　is　notorious；　we　call　this　hypocrisy；　there　should　be　a　word
found　for　the　homage　which　virtue　not　unfrequently　pays；　or　at　any
rate　would　be　wise　in　paying；　to　vice。

I　grant　that　some　men　will　find　happiness　in　having　what　we　all　feel
to　be　a　higher　moral　standard　than　others。　　If　they　go　in　for　this；
however；　they　must　be　content　with　virtue　as　her　own　reward；　and　not
grumble　if　they　find　lofty　Quixotism　an　expensive　luxury；　whose
rewards　belong　to　a　kingdom　that　is　not　of　this　world。　　They　must
not　wonder　if　they　cut　a　poor　figure　in　trying　to　make　the　most　of
both　worlds。　　Disbelieve　as　we　may　the　details　of　the　accounts　which
record　the　growth　of　the　Christian　religion；　yet　a　great　part　of
Christian　teaching　will　remain　as　true　as　though　we　accepted　the
details。　　We　cannot　serve　God　and　Mammon；　strait　is　the　way　and
narrow　is　the　gate　which　leads　to　what　those　who　live　by　faith　hold
to　be　best　worth　having；　and　there　is　no　way　of　saying　this　better
than　the　Bible　has　done。　　It　is　well　there　should　be　some　who　think
thus；　as　it　is　well　there　should　be　speculators　in　commerce；　who
will　often　burn　their　fingersbut　it　is　not　well　that　the　majority
should　leave　the　〃mean〃　and　beaten　path。

For　most　men；　and　most　circumstances；　pleasuretangible　material
prosperity　in　this　worldis　the　safest　test　of　virtue。　　Progress
has　ever　been　through　the　pleasures　rather　than　through　the　extreme
sharp　virtues；　and　the　most　virtuous　have　leaned　to　excess　rather
than　to　asceticism。　　To　use　a　commercial　metaphor；　competition　is　so
keen；　and　the　margin　of　profits　has　been　cut　down　so　closely　that
virtue　cannot　afford　to　throw　any　bona　fide　chance　away；　and　must
base　her　action　rather　on　the　actual　moneying　out　of　conduct　than　on
a　flattering　prospectus。　　She　will　not　therefore　neglectas　some　do
who　are　prudent　and　economical　enough　in　other　mattersthe
important　factor　of　our　chance　of　escaping　detection；　or　at　any　rate
of　our　dying　first。　　A　reasonable　virtue　will　give　this　chance　its
due　value；　neither　more　nor　less。

Pleasure；　after　all；　is　a　safer　guide　than　either　right　or　duty。
For　hard　as　it　is　to　know　what　gives　us　pleasure；　right　and　duty　are
often　still　harder　to　distinguish　and；　if　we　go　wrong　with　them；
will　lead　us　into　just　as　sorry　a　plight　as　a　mistaken　opinion
concerning　pleasure。　　When　men　burn　their　fingers　through　following
after　pleasure　they　find　out　their　mistake　and　get　to　see　where　they
have　gone　wrong　more　easily　than　when　they　have　burnt　them　through
following　after　a　fancied　duty；　or　a　fancied　idea　concerning　right
virtue。　　The　devil；　in　fact；　when　he　dresses　himself　in　angel's
clothes；　can　only　be　detected　by　experts　of　exceptional　skill；　and
so　often　does　he　adopt　this　disguise　that　it　is　hardly　safe　to　be
seen　talking　to　an　angel　at　all；　and　prudent　people　will　follow
after　pleasure　as　a　more　homely　but　more　respectable　and　on　the
whole　much　more　trustworthy　guide。

Returning　to　Mr　Pontifex；　over　and　above　his　having　lived　long　and
prosperously；　he　left　numerous　offspring；　to　all　of　whom　he
communicated　not　only　his　physical　and　mental　characteristics；　with
no　more　than　the　usual　amount　of　modification；　but　also　no　small
share　of　characteristics　which　are　less　easily　transmittedI　mean
his　pecuniary　characteristics。　　It　may　be　said　that　he　acquired
these　by　sitting　still　and　letting　money　run；　as　it　were；　right　up
against　him；　but　against　how　many　does　not　money　run　who　do　not　take
it　when　it　does；　or　who；　even　if　they　hold　it　for　a　little　while；
cannot　so　incorporate　it　with　themselves　that　it　shall　descend
through　them　to　their　offspring？　　Mr　Pontifex　did　this。　　He　kept
what　he　may　be　said　to　have　made；　and　money　is　like　a　reputation　for
abilitymore　easily　made　than　kept。

Take　him；　then；　for　all　in　all；　I　am　not　inclined　to　be　so　severe
upon　him　as　my　father　was。　　Judge　him　according　to　any　very　lofty
standard；　and　he　is　nowhere。　　Judge　him　according　to　a　fair　average
standard；　and　there　is　not　much　fault　to　be　found　with　him。　　I　have
said　what　I　have　said　in　the　foregoing　chapter　once　for　all；　and
shall　not　break　my　thread　to　repeat　it。　　I