第19章

havegonetoandfroinLondonincertainregionsconstantlythethoughthasrecurredthisisBladesoverHouse，thisanswerstoBladesoverHouse。Thefinegentrymayhavegone；theyhaveindeedlargelygone，Ithink；richmerchantsmayhavereplacedthem，financialadventurersorwhatnot。Thatdoesnotmatter；

theshapeisstillBladesover。

IammostremindedofBladesoverandEastrybyallthoseregionsroundabouttheWestEndparks；forexample，estateparks，eachmoreorlessinrelationtoapalaceorgroupofgreathouses。

TheroadsandbackwaysofMayfairandallaboutSt。James’sagain，albeitperhapsofalatergrowthinpointoftime，wereoftheveryspiritandarchitecturaltextureoftheBladesoverpassagesandyards；theyhadthesamesmells，thespace，thelargecleanestandalwaysgoingtoandfrowhereonemetunmistakableOlympiansandevenmoreunmistakablevalets，butlers，footmeninmufti。ThereweremomentswhenIseemedtoglimpsedownareasthewhitepanelling，theverychintzofmymother’sroomagain。

IcouldtraceoutnowonamapwhatIwouldcalltheGreat-Houseregion；passingsouth-westwardintoBelgravia，becomingdiffusedandsporadicwestward，findingitslastsystematicoutbreakroundandaboutRegent’sPark。TheDukeofDevonshire’splaceinPiccadilly，inallitsinsolentugliness，pleasesmeparticularly；itisthequintessenceofthething；ApsleyHouseisallinthemannerofmytheory，ParkLanehasitsquitetypicalmansions，andtheyrunalongtheborderoftheGreenParkandSt。James’s。AndIstruckoutatruthonedayinCromwellRoadquitesuddenly，asIlookedovertheNaturalHistoryMuseum“ByJove。”saidI“butthisisthelittleassemblageofcasesofstuffedbirdsandanimalsupontheBladesoverstaircasegrownenormous，andyonderasthecorrespondingthingtotheBladesovercuriosandporcelainistheArtMuseumeandthereinthelittleobservatoriesinExhibitionRoadisoldSirCuthbert’sGregoriantelescopethatIhuntedoutinthestoreroomandputtogether。”AnddivingintotheArtMuseumunderthisinspiration，Icametoalittlereading-roomandfoundasIhadinferred，oldbrownbooks！

ItwasreallyagoodpieceofsocialcomparativeanatomyIdidthatday；allthesemuseumsandlibrariesthataredottedoverLondonbetweenPiccadillyandWestKensington，andindeedthemuseumandlibrarymovementthroughouttheworld，sprangfromtheelegantleisureofthegentlemenoftaste。Theirswerethe。

firstlibraries，thefirsthousesofculture；bymyrat-likeraidsintotheBladesoversaloonIbecame，asitwere，thelastdwindledrepresentativeofsuchamanoflettersasSwift。ButnowthesethingshaveescapedoutoftheGreatHousealtogether，andtakenonastrangeindependentlifeoftheirown。

ItisthisideaofescapingpartsfromtheseventeenthcenturysystemofBladesover，ofproliferatingandovergrowingelementsfromtheEstates，thattothisdayseemstomethebestexplanation，notsimplyofLondon，butofallEngland。EnglandisacountryofgreatRenascencelandedgentlefolkwhohavebeenunconsciouslyoutgrownandovergrown。ThepropershopsforBladesovercustomwerestilltobefoundinRegentStreetandBondStreetinmyearlyLondondaysinthosedaystheyhadbeenbutlightlytouchedbytheAmerican’sprofaninghand——andinPiccadilly。Ifoundthedoctor’shouseofthecountryvillageorcountrytownupanddownHarleyStreet，multipliedbutnototherwisedifferent，andthefamilysolicitor(bythehundred)

furthereastwardintheabandonedhousesofapreviousgenerationofgentlepeople，anddowninWestminster，behindPalladianfronts，thepublicofficesshelteredinlargeBladesoverishroomsandlookedoutonSt。James’sPark。TheParliamentHousesoflordsandgentlemen，theparliamenthousethatwashorrifiedwhenmerchantsandbrewerscamethrustingintoitahundredyearsago，stoodoutuponitsterracegatheringthewholesystemtogetherintoahead。

AndthemoreIhaveparalleledthesethingswithmyBladesover-Eastrymodel，themoreevidentithasbecometomethatthebalanceisnotthesame，andthemoreevidentisthepresenceofgreatnewforces，blindforcesofinvasion，ofgrowth。TherailwayterminionthenorthsideofLondonhavebeenkeptasremoteasEastryhadkepttherailway-stationfromWimblehurst，theystopontheveryoutskirtsoftheestates，butfromthesouth，theSouthEasternrailwayhadbutteditsgreatstupidrustyironheadofCharingCrossstation，thatgreatheadthatcamesmashingdownin1905——cleanacrosstheriver，betweenSomersetHouseandWhitehall。Thesouthsidehadnoprotectingestate。FactorychimneyssmokerightoveragainstWestminsterwithanairofcarelesslynothavingpermission，andthewholeeffectofindustrialLondonandofallLondoneastofTempleBarandofthehugedingyimmensityofLondonportistomeofsomethingdisproportionatelylarge，somethingmorbidlyexpanded，withoutplanorintention，darkandsinistertowardthecleanclearsocialassuranceoftheWestEnd。AndsouthofthiscentralLondon，south-east，south-west，farwest，north-west，allroundthenorthernhills，aresimilardisproportionategrowths，endlessstreetsofundistinguishedhouses，undistinguishedindustries，shabbyfamilies，second-rateshops，inexplicablepeoplewhoinaoncefashionablephrasedonot“exist。”Alltheseaspectshavesuggestedtomymindattimes，dosuggesttothisday，theunorganised，abundantsubstanceofsometumorousgrowth-process，aprocesswhichindeedburstsalltheoutlinesoftheaffectedcarcassandprotrudessuchmassesasignoblecomfortableCroydon，astragicimpoverishedWestHam。TothisdayIaskmyselfwillthosemasseseverbecomestructural，willtheyindeedshapeintoanythingnewwhatever，oristhatcancerousimagetheirtrueandultimatediagnosis？。

Moreover，togetherwiththishypertrophythereisanimmigrationofelementsthathaveneverunderstoodandneverwillunderstandthegreattradition，wedgesofforeignsettlementembeddedintheheartofthisyeastyEnglishexpansion。OnedayIrememberwanderingeastwardoutofpurecuriosity——itmusthavebeeninmyearlystudentdays——anddiscoveringashabbilybrightforeignquarter，shopsdisplayingHebrewplacardsandweird，unfamiliarcommoditiesandaconcourseofbright-eyed，eagle-nosedpeopletalkingsomeincomprehensiblegibberishbetweentheshopsandthebarrows。AndsoonIbecamequitefamiliarwiththedevious。

vicious，dirtily-pleasanteroticismofSoho。IfoundthosecrowdedstreetsavastrelieffromthedullgreyexteriorofBromptonwhereIlodgedandlivedmydailylife。InSoho，indeed，IgotmyfirstinklingofthefactorofreplacementthatissoimportantinboththeEnglishandtheAmericanprocess。

EvenintheWestEnd，inMayfairandthesquare，aboutPallMall，Ewartwaspresentlytoremindmethefaceoftheoldaristocraticdignitywasfairerthanitssubstance；herewereactorsandactresses，heremoneylendersandJews，hereboldfinancialadventurers，andIthoughtofmyuncle’sfrayedcuffashepointedoutthishouseinParkLaneandthat。Thatwassoandso’swhomadeacornerinborax，andthatpalacebelongedtothatheroamongmodernadventurers，Barmentrude，whousedtobeanI。D。B。，——anillicitdiamondbuyerthatistosay。AcityofBladesovers，thecapitalofakingdomofBladesovers，allmuchshakenandmanyaltogetherindecay，parasiticallyoccupied，insidiouslyreplacedbyalien，unsympatheticandirresponsibleelements；andwitharulinganadventitiousandmiscellaneousempireofaquarterofthisdaedalearthcomplexlaws，intricatesocialnecessities，disturbinginsatiablesuggestions，followedfromthis。SuchwastheworldintowhichIhadcome，intowhichIhadinsomewaytothrustmyselfandfitmyproblem，mytemptations，myefforts，mypatrioticinstinct，allmymoralinstincts，myphysicalappetites，mydreamsandmysanity。

London！Icameuptoit，youngandwithoutadvisers，ratherpriggish，ratherdangerouslyopen-mindedandveryopen-eyed，andwithsomething——itis，Ithink，thecommongiftofimaginativeyouth，andIclaimitunblushingly——fineinme，finerthantheworldandseekingfineresponses。Ididnotwantsimplytoliveorsimplytolivehappilyorwell；Iwantedtoserveanddoandmake——withsomenobility。Itwasinme。Itisinhalftheyouthoftheworld。

IhadcometoLondonasascholar。IhadtakentheVincentBradleyscholarshipofthePharmaceuticalSociety，butIthrewthisupwhenIfoundthatmyworkoftheScienceandArtDepartmentinmathematics，physicsandchemistryhadgivenmeoneoftheminorTechnicalBoardScholarshipsattheConsolidatedTechnicalSchoolsatSouthKensington。Thislatterwasinmechanicsandmetallurgy；andIhesitatedbetweenthetwo。TheVincentBradleygavemeL70ayearandquitethebeststart-offapharmaceuticalchemistcouldhave；theSouthKensingtonthingwasworthabouttwenty-twoshillingsaweek，andtheprospectsitopenedwerevague。Butitmeantfarmorescientificworkthantheformer，andIwasstillundertheimpulseofthatgreatintellectualappetitethatispartoftheadolescenceofmenofmytype。Moreoveritseemedtoleadtowardsengineering，inwhichIimagined——Iimaginetothisday——myparticularuseistobefound。Itookitsgreateruncertaintyasafairrisk。Icameupverykeen，notdoubtingthatthereallyhardandsteadyindustrythathadcarriedmethroughWimblehurstwouldgoonstillinthenewsurroundings。

Onlyfromtheveryfirstitdidn’t。

WhenIlookbacknowatmyWimblehurstdays，Istillfindmyselfsurprisedattheamountofsteadygrindingstudy，ofstrenuousself-disciplinethatImaintainedthroughoutmyapprenticeship。

InmanywaysIthinkthattimewasthemosthonourableperiodinmylife。IwishIcouldsaywithacertainmindthatmymotivesinworkingsowellwerelargeandhonourabletoo。Toacertainextenttheywereso；therewasafinesincerecuriosity，adesireforthestrengthandpowerofscientificknowledgeandapassionforintellectualexercise；butIdonotthinkthoseforcesalonewouldhavekeptmeatitsogrimlyandcloselyifWimblehursthadnotbeensodull，solimitedandsoobservant。DirectlyI

cameintotheLondonatmosphere，tastingfreedom，tastingirresponsibilityandthepullofnewforcesaltogether，mydisciplinefellfrommelikeagarment。Wimblehursttoayoungsterinmypositionofferednotemptationsworthcounting，nointereststoconflictwithstudy，novices——suchvicesasitofferedwerecoarselystrippedofanyimaginativeglamourfulldrunkenness，clumsyleeringshamefullust，nosocialintercourseeventowasteone’stime，andontheotherhanditwouldministergreatlytotheself-esteemofaconspicuouslyindustriousstudent。Onewasmarkedas“clever。”oneplayeduptothepart，andone’slittleaccomplishmentstoodoutfinelyinone’sprivatereckoningagainstthesunlitsmallignoranceofthatagreeableplace。Onewentwithanintentrushacrossthemarketsquare，onetookone’sexercisewithasdramaticasenseofanordereddayasanOxforddon，oneburntthemidnightoilquiteconsciouslyattherarerespectful，benightedpasser-by。Andonestoodoutfinelyinthelocalpaperwithone’sunapproachableyearlyharvestofcertificates。ThusIwasnotonlyagenuinelykeenstudent，butalsoalittleofaprigandposeurinthosedays——andthelatterkepttheformeratit，asLondonmadeclear。

MoreoverWimblehursthadgivenmenooutletinanyotherdirection。

ButIdidnotrealiseallthiswhenIcametoLondon，didnotperceivehowthechangeofatmospherebeganatoncetowarpanddistributemyenergies。InthefirstplaceIbecameinvisible。