father before him. But if there really be anything of the nature
of progress, it must mean, above all things, the careful study
and assumption of the whole of the past. I accuse Mr. Lowes
Dickinson and his school of reaction in the only real sense.
If he likes, let him ignore these great historic mysteries--
the mystery of charity, the mystery of chivalry, the mystery of faith.
If he likes, let him ignore the plough or the printing-press.
But if we do revive and pursue the pagan ideal of a simple and
rational self-completion we shall end--where Paganism ended.
I do not mean that we shall end in destruction. I mean that we
shall end in Christianity.



XIII. Celts and Celtophiles


Science in the modern world has many uses; its chief use, however,
is to provide long words to cover the errors of the rich.
The word "kleptomania" is a vulgar example of what I mean.
It is on a par with that strange theory, always advanced when a wealthy
or prominent person is in the dock, that exposure is more of a punishment
for the rich than for the poor. Of course, the very reverse is the truth.
Exposure is more of a punishment for the poor than for the rich.
The richer a man is the easier it is for him to be a tramp.
The richer a man is the easier it is for him to be popular and generally
respected in the Cannibal Islands. But the poorer a man is the more
likely it is that he will have to use his past life whenever he wants
to get a bed for the night. Honour is a luxury for aristocrats,
but it is a necessity for hall-porters. This is a secondary matter,