Great Britain -- Social conditions -- 19th century; Social problems
Not on Ilion's or Latium's plains; on far other plains and
places henceforth can noble deeds be now done. Not on Ilion's
plains; how much less in Mayfair's drawingrooms! Not in victory
over poor brother French or Phrygians; but in victory over
Frost-jotuns, Marsh-giants, over demons of Discord, Idleness,
Injustice, Unreason, and Chaos come again. None of the old Epics
is longer possible. The Epic of French and Phrygians was
comparatively a small Epic: but that of Flirts and Fribbles,
what is that? A thing that vanishes at cock-crowing,--that
already begins to scent the morning air! Game-preserving
Aristocracies, let them 'bush' never so effectually, cannot
escape the Subtle Fowler. Game seasons will be excellent, and
again will be indifferent, and by and by they will not be at all.
The Last Partridge of England, of an England where millions of
men can get no corn to eat, will be shot and ended.
Aristocracies with beards on their chins will find other work to
do than amuse themselves with trundling-hoops.
But it is to you, ye Workers, who do already work, and are as
grown men, noble and honourable in a sort, that the whole world
calls for new work and nobleness. Subdue mutiny, discord,
widespread despair, by manfulness, justice, mercy and wisdom.
Chaos is dark, deep as Hell; let light be, and there is instead
a green flowery World. O, it is great, and there is no other
greatness. To make some nook of God's Creation a little
fruitfuler, better, more worthy of God; to make some human
hearts a little wiser, manfuler, happier,--more blessed, less
accursed! It is work for a God. Sooty Hell of mutiny and
savagery and despair can, by man's energy, be made a kind of
Heaven; cleared of its soot, of its mutiny, of its need to
mutiny; the everlasting arch of Heaven's azure overspanning _it_
too, and its cunning mechanisms and tall chimney-steeples, as a
birth of Heaven; God and all men looking on it well pleased.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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