WhyaClassicIsaClassicbyArnoldBennettThelargemajorityofourfellow-citizenscareasmuchaboutliteratureastheycareaboutaeroplanesortheprogrammeoftheLegislature.Theydonotignoreit;theyarenotquiteindifferenttoit.Buttheirinterestinitisfaintandperfunctory;or,iftheirinteresthappenstobeviolent,itisspasmodic.Askthetwohundredthousandpersonswhoseenthusiasmmadethevogueofapopularnoveltenyearsagowhattheythinkofthatnovelnow,andyouwillgatherthattheyhaveutterlyforgottenit,andthattheywouldnomoredreamofreadingitagainthanofreadingBishopStubbs’sSelectCharters.Probablyiftheydidreaditagaintheywouldnotenjoyit—notbecausethesaidnovelisawhitworsenowthanitwastenyearsago;notbecausetheirtastehasimproved—butbecausetheyhavenothadsufficientpracticetobeabletorelyontheirtasteasameansofpermanentpleasure.Theysimplydon’tknowfromonedaytothenextwhatwillpleasethem.Inthefaceofthisonemayask:Whydoesthegreatanduniversalfameofclassicalauthorscontinue?Theansweristhatthefameofclassicalauthorsisentirelyindependentofthemajority.DoyousupposethatifthefameofShakespearedependedonthemaninthestreetitwouldsurviveafortnight?Thefameofclassicalauthorsisoriginallymade,anditismaintained,byapassionatefew.Evenwhenafirst-classauthorhasenjoyedimmensesuccessduringhislifetime,themajorityhaveneverappreciatedhimsosincerelyastheyhaveappreciatedsecond-ratemen.Hehasalwaysbeenreinforcedbytheardourofthepassionatefew.Andinthecaseofanauthorwhohasemergedintogloryafterhisdeaththehappysequelhasbeenduesolelytotheobstinateperseveranceofthefew.Theycouldnotleavehimalone;theywouldnot.Theykeptonsavouringhim,andtalkingabouthim,andbuyinghim,andtheygenerallybehavedwithsucheagerzeal,andtheyweresoauthoritativeandsureofthemselves,thatatlastthemajoritygrewaccustomedtothesoundofhisnameandplacidlyagreedtothepropositionthathewasagenius;themajorityreallydidnotcareverymucheitherway.Anditisbythepassionatefewthattherenownofgeniusiskeptalivefromonegenerationtoanother.Thesefewarealwaysatwork.Theyarealwaysrediscoveringgenius.Theircuriosityandenthusiasmareexhaustl