CRITICS often regard The Plumed Serpent（1926）as theheight of Lawrence's interest in authoritarian politics.lHowever，if this novel represents the most notoriousinstance of Lawrence's proto-fascist leanings，it also ushersin a much-noted moment of vacillation in his politicalthought.Within a year after its publication，Lawrencewrote letters that appear to repudiate his leadership vision.One written to Trigant Burrow on 13 July 1927 refers to the"hero illusion"，while another to Witter Bynner dated 13March 1928 flatly asserts that"The hero is obsolete，andthe leader of men is a back number.After all，at the backof the hero is the militant ideal：and the militant ideal，orthe ideal militant，seems to me also a cold egg.I agree withyou，the leader-cum-follower relationship is a bore，，.2It is the contention of tlus essay that these letters do notinaugurate a new stage in Lawrence's thought but rathercontinue an earlier one.Indeed，lus ambivalence regardingleadership politics emerges prior to the drafting of theseletters and even to the publication of The Plumed Serpent.Itarises during the writing of the novelitself.

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