第6部分(第3/7 頁)

ss　of　that　blossomed　valley。　Near　me；　a　bee　was　humming；　not　far　away；　a　cuckoo　called；　from　the　pasture　of　the　farm　below　came　a　bleating　of　lambs。

XVI

I　am　no　friend　of　the　people。　As　a　force；　by　which　the　tenor　of　the　time　is　conditioned；　they　inspire　me　with　distrust；　with　fear；　as　a　visible　multitude；　they　make　me　shrink　aloof；　and　often　move　me　to　abhorrence。　For　the　greater　part　of　my　life；　the　people　signified　to　me　the　London　crowd；　and　no　phrase　of　temperate　meaning　would　utter　my　thoughts　of　them　under　that　aspect。　The　people　as　country…　folk　are　little　known　to　me；　such　glimpses　as　I　have　had　of　them　do　not　invite　to　nearer　acquaintance。　Every　instinct　of　my　being　is　anti…democratic；　and　I　dread　to　think　of　what　our　England　may　bee　when　Demos　rules　irresistibly。

Right　or　wrong；　this　is　my　temper。　But　he　who　should　argue　from　it　that　I　am　intolerant　of　all　persons　belonging　to　a　lower　social　rank　than　my　own　would　go　far　astray。　Nothing　is　more　rooted　in　my　mind　than　the　vast　distinction　between　the　individual　and　the　class。　Take　a　man　by　himself；　and　there　is　generally　some　reason　to　be　found　in　him；　some　disposition　for　good；　mass　him　with　his　fellows　in　the　social　organism；　and　ten　to　one　he　bees　a　blatant　creature；　without　a　thought　of　his　own；　ready　for　any　evil　to　which　contagion　prompts　him。　It　is　because　nations　tend　to　stupidity　and　baseness　that　mankind　moves　so　slowly；　it　is　because　individuals　have　a　capacity　for　better　things　that　it　moves　at　all。

In　my　youth；　looking　at　this　man　and　that；　I　marvelled　that　humanity　had　made　so　little　progress。　Now；　looking　at　men　in　the　multitude；　I　marvel　that　they　have　advanced　so　far。

Foolishly　arrogant　as　I　was；　I　used　to　judge　the　worth　of　a　person　by　his　intellectual　power