That is why, if I could be more of ahighbrow I
would.
Will you not, sir, read apronouncement of an
authoritative nature from Broadcasting House? Why words dothis, how they do it, how
to prevent them from doing it nobody knows. And, in writing of Victoria, Lytton
Stracheysubmitted to the conditions. But the whole ofElizabeths life was lived
behind a far thicker veil than the last yearsof Victoria. And it is the nature of
words to mean manythings.
The penalty for that is twenty pounds or a broken
neck. They are neither one thing nor the other.
This proves, if it needs proving, how very little
natural gift words havefor being useful.
But there is,it would appear, some obstacle in the
way, some hindrance to the teachingof words. Take the simple sentence Passing
Russell Square. Lowbrows need highbrows and honour them just as much as highbrows
needlowbrows and honour them. Ilook up and, behold, the moon is under
eclipse.
I take that book in my swollen right hand and toss
it gently over thehedge into the field. And by fact in biography we mean facts that
canbe verified by other people besides the artist.
And yet from all this diversity it will bring out,
not ariot of confusion, but a richer unity. This happily needs little proving, for
we areall aware of it.
Let us then take for our starting point the
statementthat words are not useful.
This proves, if it needs proving, how very little
natural gift words havefor being useful.
Anger and laughter mixed; and editions multiplied.