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thing he would have told a lie about。
When I think of Codger I am reminded of an inscription I saw on some
occasion in Regent's Park above two eyes scarcely more limpidly
innocent than his〃Born in the Menagerie。〃 Never once since Codger
began to display the early promise of scholarship at the age of
eight or more； had he been outside the bars。 His utmost travel had
been to lecture here and lecture there。 His student phase had
culminated in papers of quite exceptional brilliance； and he had
gone on to lecture with a cheerful combination of wit and mannerism
that had made him a success from the beginning。 He has lectured
ever since。 He lectures still。 Year by year he has become plumper；
more rubicund and more and more of an item for the intelligent
visitor to see。 Even in my time he was pointed out to people as
part of our innumerable enrichments； and obviously he knew it。 He
has become now almost the leading Character in a little donnish
world of much too intensely appreciated Characters。
He boasted he took no exercise； and also of his knowledge of port
wine。 Of other wines he confessed quite frankly he had no 〃special
knowledge。〃 Beyond these things he had little pride except that he
claimed to have read every novel by a woman writer that had ever
entered the Union Library。 This； however； he held to be remarkable
rather than ennobling； and such boasts as he made of it were tinged
with playfulness。 Certainly he had a scholar's knowledge of the
works of Miss Marie Corelli； Miss Braddon； Miss Elizabeth Glyn and
Madame Sarah Grand that would have astonished and flattered those
ladies enormously； and he loved nothing so much in his hours of
relaxation as to propound and answer difficult questions upon their
books。 Tusher of King's was his ineffectual rival in this field；
their bouts were memorable and rarely other than glorious for
Codger； but then Tusher spread himself too much； he also undertook
to rehearse whole pages out of Bradshaw； and tell you with all the
changes how to get from any station to any station in Great Britain
by the nearest and cheapest routes。 。 。 。
Codger lodged with a little deaf innocent old lady； Mrs。 Araminta
Mergle； who was understood to be herself a very redoubtable
Character in the Gyp…Bedder class； about her he related quietly
absurd anecdotes。 He displayed a marvellous invention in ascribing
to her plausible expressions of opinion entirely identical in import
with those of the Oxford and Harvard Pragmatists； against whom he
waged a fierce obscure war。 。 。 。
It was Codger's function to teach me philosophy； philosophy！ the
intimate wisdom of things。 He dealt in a variety of Hegelian stuff
like nothing else in the world； but marvellously consistent with
itself。 It was a wonderful web he spun out of that queer big active
childish brain that had never lusted nor hated nor grieved nor
feared nor passionately loved；a web of iridescent threads。 He had
luminous final theories about Love and Death and Immortality； odd
matters they seemed for him to think about！ and all his woven
thoughts lay across my perception of the realities of things； as
flimsy and irrelevant and clever and beautiful； oh！as a dew…wet
spider's web slung in the morning sunshine across the black mouth of
a gun。 。 。 。
4
All through those years of development I perceive now there must
have been growing in me； slowly； irregularly； assimilating to itself
all the phrases and forms of patriotism； diverting my religious
impulses； utilising my esthetic tendencies； my dominating idea； the
statesman's idea； that idea of social service which is the
protagonist of my story； that real though complex passion for
Making； making widely and greatly； cities； national order；
civilisation； whose interplay with all those other factors in life I
have set out to present。 It was growing in meas one's bones grow；
no man intending it。
I have tried to show how； quite early in my life； the fact of
disorderliness； the conception of social life as being a
multitudinous confusion out of hand； came to me。 One always of
course simplifies these things in the telling； but I do not think I
ever saw the world at large in any other terms。 I never at any
stage entertamed the idea which sustained my mother； and which
sustains so many people in the world；the idea that the universe；
whatever superficial discords it may present； is as a matter of fact
〃all right；〃 is being steered to definite ends by a serene and
unquestionable God。 My mother thought that Order prevailed； and
that disorder was just incidental and foredoomed rebellion； I feel
and have always felt that order rebels against and struggles against
disorder； that order has an up…hill job； in gardens； experiments；
suburbs； everything alike； from the very beginnings of my experience
I discovered hostility to order； a constant escaping from control。
The current of living and contemporary ideas in which my mind was
presently swimming made all in the same direction； in place of my
mother's attentive； meticulous but occasionally extremely irascible
Providence； the talk was all of the Struggle for Existenc and the
survival not of the Bestthat was nonsense； but of the fittest to
survive。
The attempts to rehabilitate Faith in the form of the
Individualist's LAISSEZ FAIRE never won upon me。 I disliked Herbert
Spencer all my life until I read his autobiography； and then I
laughed a little and loved him。 I remember as early as the City
Merchants' days how Britten and I scoffed at that pompous question…
begging word 〃Evolution；〃 having； so to speak； found it out。
Evolution； some illuminating talker had remarked at the Britten
lunch table； had led not only to man； but to the liver…fluke and
skunk； obviously it might lead anywhere； order came into things only
through the struggling mind of man。 That lit things wonderfully for
us。 When I went up to Cambridge I was perfectly clear that life was
a various and splendid disorder of forces that the spirit of man
sets itself to tame。 I have never since fallen away from that
persuasion。
I do not think I was exceptionally precocious in reaching these
conclusions and a sort of religious finality for myself by eighteen
or nineteen。 I know men and women vary very much in these matters；
just as children do in learning to talk。 Some will chatter at
eighteen months and some will hardly speak until three； and the
thing has very little to do with their subsequent mental quality。
So it is with young people； some will begin their religious； their
social； their sexual interests at fourteen； some not until far on in
the twenties。 Britten and I belonged to one of the precocious
types； and Cossington very probably to another。 It wasn't that
there was anything priggish about any of us； we should have been
prigs to have concealed our spontaneous interests and ape the
theoretical boy。
The world of man centred for my imagination in London； it still
centres there； the real and present world； that is to say； as
distinguished from the wonder…lands of atomic and microscopic
science and the stars and future time。 I had travelled scarcely at
all； I had never crossed the Channel； but I had read copiously and I
had formed a very good working idea of this round globe with its
mountains and wildernesses and forests and all the sorts and
conditions of human life that were scattered over its surface。 It
was all alive； I felt； and changing every day； how it was changing；
and the changes men might bring about； fascinated my mind beyond
measure。
I used to find a charm in old maps that showed The World as Known to
the Ancients； and I wish I could now without any suspicion of self…
deception write down compactly the world as it was known to me at
nineteen。 So far as