I really, really love Mr. Gilbert Keith Chesterton, who is unfortunately deceased, having died in 1936, which I consider to be the biggest crime he ever committed. What business had he to die? Bah. He should have lived at least another hundred years to keep on writing.
At any rate, I've been reading Man Alive and came across these particular gems which beamed brightly from the pages and so delighted me that I not only had to read them several times, but also had to (willingly) maim my book with a pencil to make them stand out all the more. But I'll shut up and let my dear friend speak.
It is the fashion to talk of institutions as cold and cramping things. The truth is that when people are in exceptionally high spirits, really wild with freedom and invention, they always must, and they always do, create institutions. When men are weary they fall into anarchy; but while they are gay and vigorous they invariably make rules. This, which is true of all the churches and republics of history, is also true of the most trivial parlour game or the most unsophisticated meadow romp. We are never free until some institution frees us; and liberty cannot exist till it is declared by authority.
Ah, what beauty! What brilliance! What poetry! What insight!
Why isn't Chesterton taught in my English classes? Eh?
I suspect it's because he's TOO great. They wouldn't do him justice, that's what.
But I'm probably biased *grin*.
I think it's because he's too dang sexy.
ReplyDeleteBwahahaha, Joy, I agree.
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