Not make
the best criticism inaccessible." He continued to take the lofty and
the noble view. The habit was inveterate. But his last remark started
him on the way of self-justification. "Of course I couldn't go on with
the paper if I hadn't come to see this for myself. The fact is, you
cannot run a leading review on abstract principles."
Rickman forbore to smile at the fulfilment of his prophecy. Jewdwine's
"Absolute" had been obliged to "climb down."
"Not," said Jewdwine, "if that review is really to lead public
opinion."
"And certainly not," said Rickman, "if public opinion is to lead the
review."
"In either case," said Jewdwine nobly, "the principles remain."
"Only they're not applied?"
"They are not applied, because there is nothing to apply them to. In
the present state of literature a review like _The Museion_ has no
reason for its existence."
"I don't know. It was a very useful protest against some forms of
modernity."
"My dear fellow, modernity simply means democracy. And when once
democracy has been forced on us there's no good protesting any
longer."
"All the same, you'll go on protesting, you know."
"As a harmless private person, yes. As a critic I must accept a
certain amount of defeat at the hands of the majority."
"But you don't happen to believe in the majority?"
"I do believe in it," said he, bitterly. "I believe that it has
destroyed criticism by destroying literature.
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