large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_19_belloc_64kb_5
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_19_belloc_64kb
English
7264
Can any one conceive the men who were just leaving the University five or six years ago returning from the war and still taking the House of Commons seriously? I cannot conceive it. As undergraduates they would already have heard of its breakdown; as young men they knew that the expression of this truth was annoying to their elders, and they always felt when they expressed it  perhaps they enjoyed feeling  that there was something impertinent and odd, and possibly exaggerated in their attitude. But when they are men between 30 and 40 they will take so simple a truth for granted. CAN ANYONE CONCEIVE THE MEN WHO WERE JUST LEAVING THE UNIVERSITY FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO RETURNING FROM THE WAR AND STILL TAKING THE HOUSE OF COMMONS SERIOUSLY I CANNOT CONCEIVE IT AS UNDERGRADUATES THEY WOULD ALREADY HAVE HEARD OF ITS BREAK DOWN AS YOUNG MEN THEY KNEW THAT THE EXPRESSION OF THIS TRUTH WAS ANNOYING TO THEIR ELDERS AND THEY ALWAYS FELT WHEN THEY EXPRESSED IT PERHAPS THEY ENJOYED FEELING THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING IMPERTINENT AND ODD AND POSSIBLY EXAGGERATED IN THEIR ATTITUDE BUT WHEN THEY ARE MEN BETWEEN THIRTY AND FORTY THEY WILL TAKE SO SIMPLE A TRUTH FOR GRANTED
 thought an eccentric. "A" cannot help recognizing the new note and admiring it, but he is a little ashamed of what may turn out to be an immature opinion, and he holds his tongue, "B" is too busy in middle life and already too hardened to feel the force of the new note and the authority he has over "A" renders "A" still more doubtful of his own judgment. "C" is frankly contemptuous of the new note. He has sunk into the groove of old age. Now let twenty years pass, and things will have changed in this fashion. "C" is dead. "B" has grown old, and is of less effect as an authority. "A" is himself in middle age, and is sure of his own taste and not prepared to take that of elders. He has already long expressed his admiration for the new poet, who is, indeed, not a "new poet" any longer, but, perhaps, already an established classic. We are all witnesses to this phenomenon in the realm of literature. I believe that the same thing goes on with even more force in the realm of political ideas. C SIXTY A NEW POET APPEARS AND IS PERHAPS THOUGHT AN ECCENTRIC A CANNOT HELP RECOGNIZING THE NEW NOTE AND ADMIRING IT BUT HE IS A LITTLE ASHAMED OF WHAT MAY TURN OUT TO BE AN IMMATURE OPINION AND HE HOLDS HIS TONGUE B IS TOO BUSY IN MIDDLE LIFE AND ALREADY TOO HARDENED TO FEEL THE FORCE OF THE NEW NOTE AND THE AUTHORITY HE HAS OVER A RENDERS A STILL MORE DOUBTFUL OF HIS OWN JUDGMENT C IS FRANKLY CONTEMPTUOUS OF THE NEW NOTE HE HAS SUNK INTO THE GROOVE OF OLD AGE NOW LET TWENTY YEARS PASS AND THINGS WILL HAVE CHANGED IN THIS FASHION C IS DEAD B HAS GROWN OLD AND IS OF LESS EFFECT AS AN AUTHORITY A IS HIMSELF IN MIDDLE AGE AND IS SURE OF HIS OWN TASTE AND NOT PREPARED TO TAKE THAT OF ELDERS HE HAS ALREADY LONG EXPRESSED HIS ADMIRATION FOR THE NEW POET WHO IS INDEED NOT A NEW POET ANY LONGER BUT PERHAPS ALREADY AN ESTABLISHED CLASSIC WE ARE ALL WITNESSES TO THIS PHENOMENON IN THE REALM OF LITERATURE I BELIEVE THAT THE SAME THING GOES ON WITH EVEN MORE FORCE IN THE REALM OF POLITICAL IDEAS
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