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he　sufferer　was　of　decent　appearance；　and；　with　ordinary　self…　mand；　might　have　taken　his　meal　in　the　restaurant　like　any　one　else；　quite　unnoticed。　But　he　belonged　to　a　class　which；　among　all　classes　in　the　world；　is　distinguished　by　native　clownishness　and　by　unpliability　to　novel　circumstance。　The　English　lower　ranks　had　need　be　marked　by　certain　peculiar　virtues　to　atone　for　their　deficiencies　in　other　respects。

XVIII

It　is　easy　to　understand　that　mon　judgment　of　foreigners　regarding　the　English　people。　Go　about　in　England　as　a　stranger；　travel　by　rail；　live　at　hotels；　see　nothing　but　the　broadly　public　aspect　of　things；　and　the　impression　left　upon　you　will　be　one　of　hard　egoism；　of　gruffness　and　sullenness；　in　a　word；　of　everything　that　contrasts　most　strongly　with　the　ideal　of　social　and　civic　life。　And　yet；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　no　nation　possesses　in　so　high　a　degree　the　social　and　civic　virtues。　The　unsociable　Englishman；　quotha？　Why；　what　country　in　the　world　can　show　such　multifarious；　vigorous　and　cordial　co…operation；　in　all　ranks；　but　especially；　of　course；　among　the　intelligent；　for　ends　which　concern　the　mon　good？　Unsociable！　Why；　go　where　you　will　in　England　you　can　hardly　find　a　man……nowadays；　indeed；　scarce　an　educated　woman……who　does　not　belong　to　some　alliance；　for　study　or　sport；　for　municipal　or　national　benefit；　and　who　will　not　be　seen；　in　leisure　time；　doing　his　best　as　a　social　being。　Take　the　so…called　sleepy　market…town；　it　is　bubbling　with　all　manner　of　associated　activities；　and　these　of　the　quite　voluntary　kind；　forms　of　zealously　united　effort　such　as　are　never　dreamt　of　in　the　countries　supposed　to　be　eminently　〃social。〃　Sociability　does　not　consist　in　a　readiness　to　talk　at　large　with　the　first　er。　It　is　not　dependent　upon　natural　grace　and　suavity；　it　is　patible；　indeed；　with　thoroughly　awkward　and　all　but　brutal　manners。　The　English　have　never　（at　all　events；　for　some　two　centuries　past）　inclined　to　the　purely　ceremonial　or　mirthful　forms　of　sociability；　but　as　regards　every　prime　interest　of　the　munity……health　and　fort；　well…being　of　body　and　of　soul……their　social　instinct　is　supreme。

Yet　it　is　so　difficult　to　reconcile　this　indisputable　fact　with　that　other　fact；　no　less　obvious；　that　your　mon　Englishman　seems　to　have　no　geniality。　From　the　one　point　of　view；　I　admire　and　laud　my　fellow　countryman；　from　the　other；　I　heartily　dislike　him　and　wish　to　see　as　little　of　him　as　possible。　One　is　wont　to　think　of　the　English　as　a　genial　folk。　Have　they　lost　in　this　respect？　Has　the　century　of　science　and　money…making　sensibly　affected　the　national　character？　I　think　always　of　my　experience　at　the　English　inn；　where　it　is　impossible　not　to　feel　a　brutal　indifference　to　the　humane　features　of　life；　where　food　is　bolted　without　attention；　liquor　swallowed　out　of　mere　habit；　where　even　good…natured　accost　is　a　thing　so　rare　as　to　be　remarkable。

Two　things　have　to　be　borne　in　mind：　the　extraordinary　difference　of　demeanour　which　exists　between　the　refined　and　the　vulgar　English；　and　the　natural　difficulty　of　an　Englishman　in　revealing　his　true　self　save　under　the　most　favourable　circumstances。

So　striking　is　the　difference　of　manner　between　class　and　class　that　the　hasty　observer　might　well　imagine　a　corresponding　and　radical　difference　of　mind　and　character。　In　Russia；　I　suppose；　the　social　extremities　are　seen　to　be　pretty　far　apart；　but；　with　that　possible　exception；　I　should　think　no　European　country　can　show　such　a　gap　as　yawns　to　the　eye　between　the　English　gentleman　and　the　English　boor。　The　boor；　of　course；　is　the　multitude；　the　boor　impresses　himself　upon　the　traveller。　When　relieved　from　his　presence；　one　can　be　just　to　him；　one　can　remember　that　his　virtues……though　elementary；　and　strictly　in　need　of　direction……are　the　same；　to　a　great　extent；　as　those　of　the　well…bred　man。　He　does　not　represent……though　seeming　to　do　so……a　nation　apart。　To　understand　this　multitude；　you　must　get　below　its　insufferable　manners；　and　learn　that　very　fine　civic　qualities　can　consist　with　a　personal　bearing　almost　wholly　repellent。

Then；　as　to　the　dogged　reserve　of　the　educated　man；　why；　I　have　only　to　look　into　myself。　I；　it　is　true；　am　not　quite　a　representative　Englishman；　my　self…consciousness；　my　meditative　habit　of　mind；　rather　dim　my　national　and　social　characteristics；　but　set　me　among　a　few　specimens　of　the　multitude；　and　am　I　not　at　once　aware　of　that　instinctive　antipathy；　that　shrinking　into　myself；　that　something　like　unto　scorn；　of　which　the　Englishman　is　accused　by　foreigners　who　casually　meet　him？　Peculiar　to　me　is　the　effort　to　overe　this　first　impulse……an　effort　which　often　enough　succeeds。　If　I　know　myself　at　all；　I　am　not　an　ungenial　man；　and　yet　I　am　quite　sure　that　many　people　who　have　known　me　casually　would　say　that　my　fault　is　a　lack　of　geniality。　To　show　my　true　self；　I　must　be　in　the　right　mood　and　the　right　circumstances……which；　after　all；　is　merely　as　much　as　saying　that　I　am　decidedly　English。

XIX

On　my　breakfast　table　there　is　a　pot　of　honey。　Not　the　manufactured　stuff　sold　under　that　name　in　shops；　but　honey　of　the　hive；　brought　to　me　by　a　neighbouring　cottager　whose　bees　often　hum　in　my　garden。　It　gives；　I　confess；　more　pleasure　to　my　eye　than　to　my　palate；　but　I　like　to　taste　of　it；　because　it　is　honey。

There　is　as　much　difference；　said　Johnson；　between　a　lettered　and　an　unlettered　man　as　between　the　living　and　the　dead；　and；　in　a　way；　it　was　no　extravagance。　Think　merely　how　ones　view　of　mon　things　is　affected　by　literary　association。　What　were　honey　to　me　if　I　knew　nothing　of　Hymettus　and　Hybla？……if　my　mind　had　no　stores　of　poetry；　no　memories　of　romance？　Suppose　me　town…pent；　the　name　might　bring　with　it　some　pleasantness　of　rustic　odour；　but　of　what　poor　significance　even　that；　if　the　country　were　to　me　mere　grass　and　corn　and　vegetables；　as　to　the　man　who　has　never　read　nor　wished　to　read。　For　the　Poet　is　indeed　a　Maker：　above　the　world　of　sense；　trodden　by　hidebound　humanity；　he　builds　that　world　of　his　own　whereto　is　summoned　the　unfettered　spirit。　Why　does　it　delight　me　to　see　the　bat　flitting　at　dusk　before　my　window；　or　to　hear　the　hoot　of　the　owl　when　all　the　ways　are　dark？　I　might　regard　the　bat　with　disgust；　and　the　owl　either　with　vague　superstition　or　not　heed　it　at　all。　But　these　have　their　place　in　the　poets　world；　and　carry　me　above　this　idle　present。

I　once　passed　a　night　in　a　little　market…town　where　I　had　arrived　tired　and　went　to　bed　early。　I　slept　forthwith；　but　was　presently　awakened　by　I　knew　not　what；　in　the　darkness　there　sounded　a　sort　of　music；　and；　as　my　brain　cleared；　I　was　aware　of　the　soft　chiming　of　church　bells。　Why；　what　hour　could　it　be？　I　struck　a　light　and　looked　at　my　watch。　Midnight。　Then　a　glow　came　over　me。　〃We　have　heard　the　chimes　at　midnight；　Master　Shallow！〃　Never　till　then　had　I　heard　them。　And　the　town　in　which　I　slept　was　Evesham；　but　a　few　miles　from　Stratford…on…Avon。　What　if　those　midnight　bells　had　been　to　me　but　as　any　other；　and　I　had　reviled　them　for　breaking　my　sleep？……Johnson　did　not　much　exaggerate。

XX

It　is　the　second　Jubilee。　Bonfires　blaze　upon　the　hills；　making　one　think　of　the　watchman　on　Agamemnons　citadel。　（It　were　more　germane　to　the　matter　to　think　of　Queen　Elizabeth　and　the　Armada。）　Though　wishing　the　uproar　happily　over；　I　can　see　the　good　in　it　as　well　as　another　man。　English　monarchy；　as　we　know　it；　is　a　triumph　of　English　mon　sense。　Grant　that　men　cannot　do　without　an　overlord；　how　to　make　that　over…lordship　consist　with　the　largest　practical　measure　of　national　and　individual　liberty？　We；　at　all　events；　have　for　a　time　solved　the　question。　For　a　time　only；　of　course；　but　consider　the　history　of　Europe；　and　our　jubilation　is　perhaps　justified。

For　sixty　years　has　the　British　Republic　held　on　its　way　under　one　President。　It　is　wide　of　the　mark　to　object　that　other　Republics；　which　change　their　President　more　frequently；　support　the　semblance　of　over…lordship　at　considerably　less　cost　to　the　people。　Britons　are　minded　for　the　present　that　the　Head　of　their　State　shall　be　called　King　or　Queen；　the　name　is　pleasant　to　them；　it　corresponds　to　a　popular　sentiment；　vaguely　understood；　but　still　operative；　which　is　called　loyalty。　The　majority　thinking　thus；　and　the　system　being　found　to　work　more　than　tolerably　well；　what　purpose　could　be　served　by　an　attempt　at　novas　res？　The　nation　is　content　to　pay　the　price；　it　is　the　nations　affair。　Moreover；　who　can　feel　the　least　assurance　that　a　change　to　one　of　the　mon　forms　of　Republicanism　would　be　for　the　general　advantage？　Do　we　find　that　countries　which　have　made　the　experiment　are　so　very　much　better　off　than　our　own　in　point　of　stable；　quiet　government　and　of　national　welfare？　The　theorist　scoffs　at　forms　which　have　survived　their　meaning；　at　privilege　which　will　bear　no　examination；　at　promises　which　sound　ludicrous；　at　submissions　which　seem　contemptible；　but　let　him　put　forward　his　practical　scheme　for　making　all　men　rational；　consistent；　just。　Englishmen；　I　imagine；　are　not　endowed　with　these　qualities　in　any　extraordinary　degree。　Their　strength；　politically　speaking；　lies　in　a　recognition　of　expediency；　plemented　by　respect　for　the　established　fact。　One　of　the　facts　particularly　clear　to　them　is　the　suitability　to　their　minds；　their　tempers；　their　habits；　of　a　system　of　polity　which　has　been　established　by　the　slow　effort　of　generations　within　this　sea…girt　realm。　They　have　nothing　to　do　with　ideals：　they　never　trouble　themselves　to　think　about　the　Rights　of　Man。　If　you　talk　to　them　（long　enough）　about　the　rights　of　the　shopman；　or　the　ploughman；　or　the　cats…　meat…man；　they　will　lend　ear；　and；　when　the　facts　of　any　such　case　have　been　examined；　they　will　find　a　way　of　dealing　with　them。　This　characteristic　of　theirs　they　call　mon　Sense。　To　them；　all　things　considered；　it　has　been　of　vast　service；　one　may　even　say　that　the　rest　of　the　world　has　profited　by　it　not　a　little。　That　Unmon　Sense　might　now　and　then　have　stood　them　even　in　better　stead　is　nothing　to　the　point。　The　Englishman　deals　with　things　as　they　are；　and　first　and　foremost　accepts　his　own　being。

This　Jubilee　declares　a　legitimate　triumph　of　the　average　man。　Look　back　for　threescore　years；　and　who　shall　affect　to　doubt　that　the　time　has　been　marked　by　many　improvements　in　the　material　life　of　the　English　people？　Often　have　they　been　at　loggerheads　among　themselves；　but　they　have　never　flown　at　each　others　throats；　and　from　every　grave　dispute　has　resulted　some　substantial　gain。　They　are　a　cleaner　people　and　a　more　sober；　in　every　class　there　is　a　diminution　of　brutality；　education……stand　for　what　it　may……has　notably　extended；　certain　forms　of　tyranny　have　been　abolished；　certain　forms　of　suffering；　due　to　heedlessness　or　ignorance；　have　been　abated。　True；　these　are　mere　details；　whether　they　indicate　a　solid　advance　in　civilization　cannot　yet　be　determined。　But　assuredly　the　average　Briton　has　cause　to　jubilate；　for　the　progressive　features　of　the　epoch　are　such　as　he　can　understand　and　approve；　whereas　the　doubt　which　may　be　cast　upon　its　ethical　plexion　is　for　him　either　non…existent　or　unintelligible。　So　let　cressets　flare　into　the　night　from　all　the　hills！　It　is　no　purchased　exultation；　no　ser

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