第 65 节
作者:
青涩春天 更新:2021-02-27 02:38 字数:9321
appreciably more than the homiletical university executives
alluded to above; and their understudies; while it is also not
strictly inclusive of all these executives。 There is indeed a
fairly obvious contingent comes in from among those minor
politicians and clergymen who crave the benefit of an inoffensive
notoriety; and who are at the same time solicitous to keep their
fellow…men in mind of the unforgotten commonplaces。 One will
necessarily have misgivings about putting forward a new technical
term for adoption into a vocabulary that is already top…heavy
with technical innovations。 〃Philandropist〃 has been suggested。
It is not a large innovation; and it has the merit of being
obviously self…explanatory。 At the same time its phonetic
resemblance to an older term; already well accepted in the
language; should recommend it to the members of the craft whom it
is designed to signalize; and with whom phonetic considerations
are habitually allowed weight。 The purists will doubtless find
〃philandropist〃 a barbarism; but that is an infirmity that has
attached to many technical designations at their inception;
without permanently hindering their acceptance and
serviceability; it is also not wholly unfitting that the term
chosen should be of such a character。
8。 〃The time has come; the walrus said;
To talk of many things。〃
Within the last few years one of the more illustrious and fluent
of the captains of erudition hit upon the expedient of having a
trusted locum tenens appointed to take over the functions of the
home office for a term of years; while the captain himself 〃takes
the road〃 on an appreciably augmented salary to speak his
mind eloquently on many topics。 The device can; however; scarcely
yet be said to have passed the experimental phase。 This
illustrious exponent of philandropism commands an extraordinary
range of homily and is a raconteur of quite exceptional merit;
and a device that commends itself in this special case;
therefore; may or may not prove a feasible plan in general and
ordinary usage。 But in any case it indicates a felt need of some
measure of relief; such as will enable the run of presidential
speech to gain a little something in amplitude and frequency。
9。 So; e。g。; a certain notably self…possessed and energetic
captain of erudition has been in the habit of repeating (〃on the
spur of the moment〃) a homily on one of the staple Christian
virtues。
10。 These resulting canons of blameless anility will react on the
character of the academic personnel in a two…fold way: negatively
and by indirection they work out in an (uncertain but effectual)
selective elimination of such persons as are worth while in point
of scholarship and initiative; while positively and by direct
incitement it results that the tribe of Lo Basswood has been
elected to fill the staff with vacancy。
At the same time the case is not unknown; nor is it
altogether a chance occurrence; where such an executive with
plenary powers; driven to uncommonly fatuous lengths by this
calculus of expedient notoriety; and intent on putting a needed
patch on the seat of his honour; has endeavoured to save some
remnant of good…will among his academic acquaintance by
protesting; in strict and confidential privacy; that his course
of action taken in conformity with these canons was taken for the
sake of popular effect; and not because he did not know better。
apparently having by familiar use come to the persuasion that a
knave is more to be esteemed than a fool; and overlooking the
great ease with which he has been able to combine the two
characters。
11。 In all fairness it should be noted; as a caution against
hasty conclusions; that in both of these cases this initial
scholarly intention has been questioned or denied by men
well informed as to the later state of things in either of the
two universities in question。 And it may as well be admitted
without much reservation that the later state of things has
carried no broad hint of an initial phase in the life…history of
these schools; in which ideals of scholarship were given first
consideration。 Yet it is to be taken as unequivocal fact that
such was the case; in both instances; this is known as an assured
matter of memory by men competent to speak from familiar
acquaintance with the relevant facts at the time。 In both cases;
it is only in the outcome; only after the pressure of
circumstances has had time to act; that a rounded meretricious
policy has taken effect。 What has misled hasty and late…come
observers in this matter is the relatively very brief
inconspicuously brief time interval during which it was found
practicable to let the academic policy be guided primarily by
scholarly ideals。
12。 As a commentary on the force of circumstances and the
academic value of the executive office; it is worth noting that;
in the case cited; an administration guided by a forceful;
ingenious and intrepid personality; initially imbued with
scholarly ideals of a sort; has run a course of scarcely
interrupted academic decay; while the succeeding reign of astute
vacuity and quietism as touches all matters of scholarship and
science has; on the whole; and to date; left the university in an
increasingly hopeful posture as a seminary of the higher
learning。 All of which would appear to suggest a parallel with
the classic instance of King Stork and King Log; Indeed; at the
period of the succession alluded to; the case of these fabled
majesties was specifically called to mind by one and another of
the academic staff。 It would appear that the academic staff will
take care of its ostensible work with better effect the less
effectually its members are interfered with and suborned by an
enterprising captain of erudition。
13。 There is a word to add; as to the measure of success achieved
by these enterprises along their chosen lines of endeavour。 Both
of the establishments spoken of are schools of some value in many
directions; and both have also achieved a large reputation among
the laity。 Indeed; the captains under whose management the two
schools have perforce carried on their work; are commonly held in
considerable esteem as having achieved great things。 There is no
desire here to understate the case; but it should be worth
noting; as bearing on the use and academic value of the
presidential office; that the disposal of very large means
means of unexampled magnitude has gone to this achievement。 A
consideration of these results; whether in point of scholarship
or of notoriety; as compared with the means which the captains
have disposed of; will leave one in doubt。 It should seem
doubtful if the results could have been less excellent or less
striking; given the free disposal of an endowment of 20 or 30
millions; and upward; even under the undistinguished and
uneventful management of commonplace honesty and academic
traditions without the guidance of a 〃strong man。〃 It is; indeed;
not easy to believe that less could have been achieved without
the captain's help。 There is also evidence to hand that the loss
of the 〃strong man〃 has entailed no sensible loss either in the
efficiency or in the good repute of the academic establishment;
rather the reverse。
14。 Within the precincts; it is not unusual to meet with a
harsher and more personal note of appraisal of what are rated as
the frailties of the executive。 There are many expressions to be
met with; touching this matter; of a colloquial turn。 These will
commonly have something of an underbred air; as may happen in
unguarded colloquial speech; but if it be kept in mind that their
personal incidence is duly to be read out of them; their tenor
may yet be instructive; and their scant elegance may be
over…looked for once; in view of that certain candour that is
scarcely to be had without a colloquial turn。 They should serve
better than many elaborate phrases to throw into relief the kind
and measure of esteem accorded these mature incumbents of
executive office by the men who assist behind the scenes。 So; in
bold but intelligible metaphor; one hears; 〃He is a large person
full of small potatoes;〃 〃The only white thing about him is his
liver;〃 〃Half…a…peck of pusillanimity;〃 〃A four…flusher。〃
Something after this kind is this aphoristic wisdom current in
the academic