小说园

第17章 草草行事的重要性（第2页）

AgainsttherofessionallayerIsaynothing；heisaublicentertainer，likeanyother，andbyhisskillinhisarticularsortheatleastfulfillsthefirstsocialdutyofman—thatofsuortinghimselfandhisfamilybyhisownlegitimateexertions。Butwhatistobesaidofthecrackamateur？Tomeheseemsoneofthemostcontemtibleofmankind。Heearnsnomoney，butdevoteshimself，forthemereselfishleasureofthething，tosomegame，whichhelaysdayindayout；hebreaksdownthesalutarydistinctionbetweentheamateurandtherofessional；eventuallyhisskilldesertshim，andheleavesbehindhimnothingthatisofservicetohisfellowmen—notabricklaid，notanacreloughed，notalinewritten，notevenafamilysuortedandeducatedbyhislabor。

Itistruethathehasrovidedentertainmentforacertainnumberofersons，buthehasneverhadthelucktosubmithimselftothetestbywhichwedemandthateveryentertainershouldjustifyhischoiceofacalling—thedemonstrationofthefactthattheubliciswillingtoayhimforhisentertainment。And，whenhisdayisover，whatisleft，noteventotheworld，buttohimself？Nothingbutanamethatisatonceforgotten，orisrememberedbystoutgentlemeninclubs。

Thelayingofgames，certainly，isathingwhichisnotworthdoingwell。Butthatdoesnotrovethatitisnotworthdoingatall，astheroverbwould，byimlication，ersuadeus。Thereisnothingmoreagreeableandsalutarythanlayingagamewhichonelikes，andthecircumstanceofdoingitbadlyinterfereswiththeleasureofnorealdevoteeofanyastime。Themanwhomindswhetherornothewinsisnotruesortsman—whichobservationistrite，buttheruleitimliesisseldomobserved，andcomarativelyfeweolereallylaygamesforthesheerenjoymentofthelaying。Isthisnotrovedbytherevalenceandoularityofhandicas？Whyshouldweexecttobegivenointsunlessitbethatwewishtowinbymeansotherthanourownskill？

"Ah！but，

"myreadermaysay，

"theweakerlayerwantstoreceiveointsinorderthathemaygivethestrongeroneabettergame。

"Really，Idonotbelievethatthatisso。Possible，sometimes，astrongandvaingloriouslayermaywishtogiveoints，inorderthathisvictorymaybethemorenotable。ButIdonotthinkthateventhisisthetrueexlanation。That，Isusect，wasgiventometheotherdaybythesecretaryofalawn-tennistournament，inwhichIlayed。

"Whyallthisnonsenseofhandicas？Whynotletusbesquarelybeaten，anddonewithit？

"Iaskedhim。

"Because，

"Herelied，

"ifwedidnotgivehandicas，noneofthelessgoodlayerswouldenter。

"Isthatnotaconfessionthatthemajorityofushavebothrealizedthetruevaluedoingatrivialthingbadly，foritsownsake，andmustneedshaveourmindsbuoyedandcheatedintoafalsesenseofexcellence？

Moreoveritisnotonlysuchintrinsicallytrivialthingsasgamesthatareworthdoingbadly。Thisisatruthwhich，oddlyenough，weaccetfreelyofsomethings—butnotofothers—andasathingwhichwearequitecontenttodowillletmeinstanceacting。Acting，atitsbest，canbeagreatart，athingworthdoingsuremelywell，thoughitsworth，likethatofallinterretativearts，islessenedbyitsevanescence。Foritworksintheimermanentmediumofhumanfleshandblood，andthethingthattheactorcreate—forwhatwecallaninterretativeartistisreallyacreativeartistworkinginaerishablemedium—isanimressionuon，anemotionorathoughtarousedin，themindsofanaudience，andisincaableofrecord。

Acting，then，letmeostulate—thoughIhaveonlysketchedeversobrieflytheroofofmybelief—canbeagreatart。Butisanyoneeverdeterredfromtakingartinamateurtheatricalsbytheconsiderationthathecannotactwell？Notabitofit！Andquiterightlynot，foractingisoneofthethingsaboutwhichIamwritingthisessay—thethingsthatareworthdoingbadly。

Anothersuchthingismusic；butheretheroverbialfallacyagainexertsitsower，asitdoesnot，forsomeobscureandunreasoningdiscrimination，inacting。Mosteoleseemtothinkthatiftheycannotsing，orlaytheiano，fiddle，orsackbut，admirablywell，theymustnotdoanyofthesethingsatall。Thattheyshouldnotindiscriminatelyforcetheirinferiorerformancesuontheublic，orevenuontheiracquaintances，Iadmit。Butthatthereisnolace

"inthehome

"forinferiormusicalerformances，isanuntruththatIflatlydeny。

Howmanysonsanddaughtershavenot，withaverysmalltalent，giventheirarents—andeventhelessfondlyrejudicedearsoftheirfriends—greatleasurewiththesingingofsimlesongs？Thenonedaytherecomestothesingertheserentofdissatisfaction；singinglessonsaretaken，and—iftheuilisofmoderatetalentandmodestdisosition—limitationsarediscovered。Andthen，inninecasesoutoften，thesingingisdroed，likeahotenny。Howmanyfathershavenotbanishedmusicfromtheirhomesbyencouragingtheirdaughterstotakesinginglessons？Yetahomemaybethefresherforsingingthatwoulddeservebrickbatsataarishconcert。

Imayauseheretonoticethecuriousexcetionthateolewhocannotonanyaccountbeersuadedtosinginthedrawing-room，oreveninthebath，willwithouthesitationulifttheirtunelessvoicesatreligiousmeetingsorinchurch。Thereisaerfectlygoodandhonorableexlanationofthis，Ibelieve，butitbelongstotherealmofmetahysicsandisbeyondmyresentscoe。

Thiscursedbelief，thatifathingisworthdoingatall，itisworthdoingwell，isthecauseofagreatimoverishmentinourrivatelife，andalso，tosomeextent，oftheloweringofstandardsinourubliclife。Forthistenetofroverbialfaithhastwoeffectsonsmalltalents：itleadsmodestersonsnottoexercisethematall，andimmodestersonstoattemttodosotoomuchandtoforcethemselvesuontheublic。Itleadstothedecayofletter-writingandofthekeeingofdiaries，and，assurely，itleadstotheublicationofmemoirsanddiariesthatshouldremainlockedinthewritersdesks。

ItleadsMr。Blanknottowriteversesatall—whichhemightverywelldo，forthesakeofhisownhainess，andfortheamusementofhisfriends—anditleadsMissDashtoestertheoverworkededitorsofvariousjournalswithherunsuccessfulimitationsofMr。delaMare，Mr。Yeats，andDr。Bridges。Theresultisthatournationalartisticlifenowsuffersfromtwogreatneeds：Awideramateurracticeofthearts，andahigher，moreexclusive，rofessionalstandard。Untiltheseareachievedweshallnotgetthebestoutofoursouls。

Thetruthis，Iconceive，thatthereisformostofusonlyonething—beyond，ofcourse，ourdutiesofcitizenshiandourersonaldutiesassons，orhusbands，orfathers，daughters，orwives，ormothers—thatisworthdoingwell—thatistosay，withallourenergy。Thatonethingmaybewriting，oritmaybemakingsteam-engines，orlayingbricks。Butafterthattherearehundredsofthingsthatareworthdoingbadly，withonlyartofourenergy，forthesakeoftherelaxationtheybringus，andforthecontactswhichtheygiveuswithourminds。AndthesoonerEnglandrealizesthis，asonceshedid，thehaier，themorecontented，themoregracious，willourlandbe。

Thereareeven，Imaintain，thingsthatareinthemselvesbetterdonebadlythanwell。Considerfishing，whereoneswholeleasureisoftensoiledbyhavingtokillafish。Now，ifonecouldcontrivealwaystotrytocatchafish，andnevertodoso，onemight—butthatisanotherstory。