large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_19_belloc_64kb_6
large/7264/free_press_1206_librivox_64kb_mp3/freepress_19_belloc_64kb
English
7264
There will be no elders for them to fear, and they will be in no doubt upon judgments maturely formed. Unless something like a revolution occurs in the habits and personal constitution of the House of Commons it will by that time be a joke and let us hope already a partly innocuous joke. THERE WILL BE NO ELDERS FOR THEM TO FEAR AND THEY WILL BE IN NO DOUBT UPON JUDGMENTS MATURELY FORMED UNLESS SOMETHING LIKE A REVOLUTION OCCURS IN THE HABITS AND PERSONAL CONSTITUTION OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IT WILL BY THAT TIME BE A JOKE AND LET US HOPE ALREADY A PARTLY INNOXIOUS JOKE
 "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. 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. T 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 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
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