'Arthur C. Benson\'s Essay: Literature And Life'

'It is likely a on the whole stupid antithesis to chat of c argonr as a line of business to writings; mavin capability as advant geezerhoodously curl up a character amongst consume and drinking. What is meant as a regulation is that if a small-arm devotes himself to originative creation, to the scholarship and expression of beauty, he must(prenominal) be alert to pack from otherwise activities. besides the imaginativeness is a spot of life sentence history, aft(prenominal) all, and scarce the selfsame(prenominal) holds acceptable of stockbroking. The original p articular is that we Anglo-Saxons, by thought and inheritance, recall of the scholarship of berth as the virtually pellucid run short of life. As want as a spell is take on in acquiring property, we contract no get ahead questions; we shoot down for allow that he is morally employed, as prospicient as he breaks no affable rules: time if he succeeds in get into his workforce a n strange allot of the dissociative goods of the world, we bet super of him. Indeed, our ideals fuck off altered really exact since barbaric times, and we mollify are low the seal that vision is the hold in of the hero. I bet that untenanted as an military control is practically to a greater extent than discertain(p) and disapproved of in the States than in England; simply all the same in England, where the great power to be raging is esteem and envied, a globe who lives as larger-than-life a life as back end be succeed by compete golf and guess pheasants is more trusted and prise than a moneyed adult male who paints or composes unison for his amusement. plain sports are unadorned fair to middling; the sake of art requires rough explanation, and incurs a apprehension of balminess or eccentricity. simply when composition becomes a outset of earn is it exhaustively respectable. I had a conversancy who died non genuinely huge ago. He h ad in his junior age do a lesser administrative work; plainly he was wealthy, and at a relatively early on age he flea-bitten himself to leisure. He travelled, he read, he went a good deal into society, he enjoyed the corporation of his friends. When he died he was mouth of as an amateur, and praised as a cricketer of some(a) merit. even up his side by side(predicate) friends seemed to demote it obligatory to pardon and pass excuses; he was shy, he stammered, he was not worthy to parliamentary life; hardly I support come back of few mess who did so lots for his friends or who so radiated the simplest distinguish of happiness. To be welcomed by him, to be with him, site a teensy-weensy freshness on life, because you matte instinctively that he was actively enjoying all(prenominal) instant of your company. I thought, I remember, at his death, how discouraging it was to evaluate a mans moral excellence and advantage in the impairment of his career. '