Show L I Brighten the Corner Where You Are 4 I By ny G. G 1 IC K CHESTERTON LONDON March 3 I 1 I confess that while I want to brighten London I am so eccentric as to want to brighten It for lor Londoners The argument for the foreigner does not so much appeal to me I am v very ry fond of Americans but I would respectfully respect respect- tull fully suggest that they should brighten America I altogether see why wo we si keep a sort of ot provincial Gay Paree for them If It they will vIlI not take the I trouble to establish ordinary human liberty in their r own country I suppose sup sun nt pose It will be said t that the pr presence s or ot American patronage does a great deal of ot to London in a financial sense I confess it Is not the tho sort of glory lory that tha t I should especially desire I to ahert Bh 1 on th thE thE- national capital I I o Being a patriot I am naturally prone to be a atT tT Englander I am very fond of ot small rations nations I should not particularly particularly mind l if England were a small na na- na- na tion so long as It was an independent nation But 1 I do not regard Ula state staten of l a as the most dignified nation In n the world But the real case for brightening brightening bright bright- ening London is conservative that than London revolutionary It is not mer merely rather ly ought to be a brighter liter la in the future but that great deal I London Jondon tho actually ino past rast was And n a It great only deal dC will be W brighter brighter In S I II n the future upon the living tn traditions that na maae it e brighter In the do no past We Ve atit to make malte it a modern 1 pleas leas pleasUre leasure ure lire resort To use tUpi flippancy ancy which surely a undred l humorists used by must ha ham ham-c e now w we do not want Brighton London to KING lUNG LUD LUll AND THE PHIl DE DEAN DE VA Brighton only dates from J King ICing George IV Lon London dates from Lud And though his historical ICing personality personality per per- is not now either vivid or subtle subtle sub sub- tle I feel sure ho he was much mitch more moie of ot merr merry monarch than either a KIng Kin George or King ICing Charl Charles S Some such euch historical tradition is clearly attested by his still sUll presiding over a public house In so Important a position a as the extreme end ot of Fleet street There is something symbolical about having th the m merry rry monarch at the bottom of ot hill lull and the glo gloomy my dean at the the p of It D top But the gaiety of King ICing Lud is at least a great deal older thin than the of Dean Inge And the whole gloom o ot thIs point about the past could be by such illustrated illus ilius I a symbol i litoral sense by such or i in the a sign The rhe or Inn signs Institution in In- In institution would alone irate what was illustrate Illus illus- meant by Merry England En- En gland Independently Sd of ot any moS archs There are merry monarchs non mon some it-PiT who you ou that our fathers will tell escutcheons blazoned hung o OUt Wooden ins ons and red lions merely with green drag drag- benighted because the populace had read not learned They are the to pIe who Would tell same sort ot of epo- epo yoU Angelos Angelo's Sole motive in that MIchael Moses was to Instruct carving the Ignorant wh were not allowed Italians Testament to read the 01 Old 1 JOY OY 01 or COLOR COLOn They would be saYing that Shakespeare equally capable ot of I Henry only Y V wrote because no his there ory text were books me men un- un un 1 tor 1 I schools Such people are perfectly In incapable In- In capable of understanding the Inspiration i tion of or an any art whatever and above all tho time noble arid and exalted art of ot public house signs It would ham ha been as easy to recognize a gray dragon as a Green creen one it would have been easi easier r still slIU to recognize a black zig-zag zig line a square or an oblong They painted lined fantastic animals In flaming colors be beCause because be- be cause they were Jolly people and they wore were VJ Jolly People because of a number of fn things which I have no space to de de- j de-j n taU tail J here herS herS' a at that th they y had a religion and that taught men to do good prentices Wr Work and could coula enjoy enjoy It U- U and most of the apprentices apprentices apprentices ap- ap look forward to being masters in their own shops and dage e slaves not In ln somebody else's And as taverns still carry carryon on the tradition of this true democracy it is natural enough that the modern democrats should want to destroy them IN IX TIlE THE irn SPOTTED nOG lic lie There Is always a a. potentiality of ot public pub pub- opinion in public houses There is no public opinion possible in their more lore modern substitutes If It you jou ou doubt this try to start a patriotic chorus In tho the refreshment department at the stores as you might start it at the Spotted Dog Jn In a village ru Or im int which of ot the teashops In the Strand Is Fabian Socialist and which h is Guild So So- So ot of the Inns as Pe people PIc le used to inquire was Whig an antI and 1 VT u which TOry Ton Much more moro night be said on the p r but v T side aide the tho de about h how w to brighten Lo Jo i practical matter is to doii f rhey those who Want to darken Lor o-i o Y are generally ens easy to are Puritan and have hae no religion they thoy are and know no history they wh are at war with all human things |