TheJoysofWriting
溫斯頓·丘吉爾/WinstonChurchill
Thefortunatepeopleintheworld—theonlyreallyfortunatepeopleintheworld,inmymind,—arethosewhoseworkisalsotheirpleasure.Theclassisnotalargeone,notnearlysolargeasitisoftenrepresentedtobe;andauthorsareperhapsoneofthemostimportantelementsinitscomposition.Theyenjoyinthisrespectatleastarealharmonyoflife.Tomymind,tobeabletomakeyourworkyourpleasureistheoneclassdistinctionintheworldworthstrivingfor;andIdonotwonderthatothersareinclinedtoenvythosehappyhumanbeingswhof?indtheirlivelihoodinthegayeffusionsoftheirfancy,towhomeveryhouroflaborisanhourofenjoymenttowhomrepose—howevernecessary—isatiresomeinterlude,andevenaholidayisalmostdeprivation.Whetheramanwriteswellorill,hasmuchtosayorlittle,ifhecaresaboutwritingatall,hewillappreciatethepleasuresofcomposition.Tositatonetableonasunnymorning,withfourclearhoursofuninterruptiblesecurity,plentyofnicewhitepaper,andaSqueezerpen—thatistruehappiness.Thecompleteabsorptionoftheminduponanagreeableoccupation—whatmoreistherethantodesire?Whatdoesitmatterwhathappensoutside?TheHouseofCommonsmaydowhatitlike,andsomaytheHouseofLords.Theheathenmayragefuriouslyineverypartoftheglobe.ThebottommaybeknockedcleanoutoftheAmericanmarket.Consolsmayfallandsuffragettesmayrise.Nevermind,forfourhours,atanyrate,wewillwithdrawourselvesfromacommon-ill-governed,anddisorderlyworld,andwiththekeyoffancyunlockthatcupboardwhereallthegoodthingsoftheinf?initeareputaway.
Andspeakingoffreedomisnottheauthorfree,asfewmenarefree?Ishenotsecure,asfewmenaresecure?Thetoolsofhisindustryaresocommonandsocheapthattheyhavealmostceasedtohavecommercialvalue.Heneedsnobulkypileofrawmaterial,noelaborateapparatus,noserviceofmenoranimals.Heisdependentforhisoccupationuponnoonebuthimself,andnothingoutsidehimthatmatters.Heisthesovereignofanempire,self-supporting,self-contained.Noonecansequestratehisestates.Noonecandeprivehimofhisstockintrade;noonecanforcehimtoexercisehisfacultyagainsthiswill;noonecanpreventhimexercisingitashechooses.Thepenisthegreatliberatorofmenandnations.Nochainscanbind,nopovertycanchoke,notariffcanrestrictthefreeplayofhismind,andeventhe「TimesBookClub」canonlyexertamoderatelydepressinginf?luenceuponhisrewards.Whetherhisworkisgoodorbad,solongashedoeshisbestheishappy.IoftenfortifymyselfamidtheuncertaintiesandvexationsofpoliticallifebybelievingthatIpossessalineofretreatintoapeacefulandfertilecountrywherenorascalcanpursueandwhereoneneedneverbedulloridleoreverwhollywithoutpower.Itisthen,indeed,thatIfeeldevoutlythankfultohavebeenbornfondofwriting.Itisthen,indeed,thatIfeelgratefultoallthebraveandgenerousspiritswho,ineveryageandineveryland,havefoughttoestablishthenowunquestionedfreedomofthepen.
AndwhatanoblemediumtheEnglishlanguageis.Itisnotpossibletowriteapagewithoutexperiencingpositivepleasureattherichnessandvariety,thef?lexibilityandtheprofoundnessofourmother-togue.IfanEnglishwritercannotsaywhathehastosayinEnglish,andinsimpleEnglish,dependuponit—itisprobablynotworthsaying.WhatapityitisthatEnglishisnotmoregenerallystudied.Iamnotgoingtoattackclassicaleducation.NoonewhohastheslightestpretensiontoliterarytastescanbeinsensibletotheattractionofGreeceandRome.ButIconfessourpresenteducationalsystemexcitesinmymindgravemisgivings.Icannotbelievethatasystemisgood,orevenreasonable,whichthrustsuponreluctantanduncomprehendingmultitudesoftreasureswhichcanonlybeappreciatedbytheprivilegedandgiftedfew.Tothevastmajorityofboyswhoattendourpublicschoolsaclassicaleducationisfrombeginningtoendonelonguseless,meaninglessrigmarole.IfIamtoldthatclassesarethebestpreparationforthestudyofEnglish,Ireplythatbyfarthegreaternumberofstudentsf?inishtheireducationwhilethispreparatorystageisstillincompleteandwithoutderivinganyofthebenef?itswhicharepromisedasitsresult.