erewhon-第16章

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were　absent　for　about　ten　minutes；　and　on　their　return　the　foreman
pronounced　the　prisoner　guilty。　　There　was　a　faint　murmur　of
applause；　but　it　was　instantly　repressed。　　The　judge　then　proceeded
to　pronounce　sentence　in　words　which　I　can　never　forget；　and　which
I　copied　out　into　a　note…book　next　day　from　the　report　that　was
published　in　the　leading　newspaper。　　I　must　condense　it　somewhat；
and　nothing　which　I　could　say　would　give　more　than　a　faint　idea　of
the　solemn；　not　to　say　majestic；　severity　with　which　it　was
delivered。　　The　sentence　was　as　follows：…

〃Prisoner　at　the　bar；　you　have　been　accused　of　the　great　crime　of
labouring　under　pulmonary　consumption；　and　after　an　impartial　trial
before　a　jury　of　your　countrymen；　you　have　been　found　guilty。
Against　the　justice　of　the　verdict　I　can　say　nothing：　　the　evidence
against　you　was　conclusive；　and　it　only　remains　for　me　to　pass　such
a　sentence　upon　you；　as　shall　satisfy　the　ends　of　the　law。　　That
sentence　must　be　a　very　severe　one。　　It　pains　me　much　to　see　one
who　is　yet　so　young；　and　whose　prospects　in　life　were　otherwise　so
excellent；　brought　to　this　distressing　condition　by　a　constitution
which　I　can　only　regard　as　radically　vicious；　but　yours　is　no　case
for　compassion：　　this　is　not　your　first　offence：　　you　have　led　a
career　of　crime；　and　have　only　profited　by　the　leniency　shown　you
upon　past　occasions；　to　offend　yet　more　seriously　against　the　laws
and　institutions　of　your　country。　　You　were　convicted　of　aggravated
bronchitis　last　year：　　and　I　find　that　though　you　are　now　only
twenty…three　years　old；　you　have　been　imprisoned　on　no　less　than
fourteen　occasions　for　illnesses　of　a　more　or　less　hateful
character；　in　fact；　it　is　not　too　much　to　say　that　you　have　spent
the　greater　part　of　your　life　in　a　jail。

〃It　is　all　very　well　for　you　to　say　that　you　came　of　unhealthy
parents；　and　had　a　severe　accident　in　your　childhood　which
permanently　undermined　your　constitution；　excuses　such　as　these　are
the　ordinary　refuge　of　the　criminal；　but　they　cannot　for　one　moment
be　listened　to　by　the　ear　of　justice。　　I　am　not　here　to　enter　upon
curious　metaphysical　questions　as　to　the　origin　of　this　or　that
questions　to　which　there　would　be　no　end　were　their　introduction
once　tolerated；　and　which　would　result　in　throwing　the　only　guilt
on　the　tissues　of　the　primordial　cell；　or　on　the　elementary　gases。
There　is　no　question　of　how　you　came　to　be　wicked；　but　only　this
namely；　are　you　wicked　or　not？　　This　has　been　decided　in　the
affirmative；　neither　can　I　hesitate　for　a　single　moment　to　say　that
it　has　been　decided　justly。　　You　are　a　bad　and　dangerous　person；
and　stand　branded　in　the　eyes　of　your　fellow…countrymen　with　one　of
the　most　heinous　known　offences。

〃It　is　not　my　business　to　justify　the　law：　　the　law　may　in　some
cases　have　its　inevitable　hardships；　and　I　may　feel　regret　at　times
that　I　have　not　the　option　of　passing　a　less　severe　sentence　than　I
am　compelled　to　do。　　But　yours　is　no　such　case；　on　the　contrary；
had　not　the　capital　punishment　for　consumption　been　abolished；　I
should　certainly　inflict　it　now。

〃It　is　intolerable　that　an　example　of　such　terrible　enormity　should
be　allowed　to　go　at　large　unpunished。　　Your　presence　in　the　society
of　respectable　people　would　lead　the　less　able…bodied　to　think　more
lightly　of　all　forms　of　illness；　neither　can　it　be　permitted　that
you　should　have　the　chance　of　corrupting　unborn　beings　who　might
hereafter　pester　you。　　The　unborn　must　not　be　allowed　to　come　near
you：　　and　this　not　so　much　for　their　protection　（for　they　are　our
natural　enemies）；　as　for　our　own；　for　since　they　will　not　be
utterly　gainsaid；　it　must　be　seen　to　that　they　shall　be　quartered
upon　those　who　are　least　likely　to　corrupt　them。

〃But　independently　of　this　consideration；　and　independently　of　the
physical　guilt　which　attaches　itself　to　a　crime　so　great　as　yours；
there　is　yet　another　reason　why　we　should　be　unable　to　show　you
mercy；　even　if　we　were　inclined　to　do　so。　　I　refer　to　the　existence
of　a　class　of　men　who　lie　hidden　among　us；　and　who　are　called
physicians。　　Were　the　severity　of　the　law　or　the　current　feeling　of
the　country　to　be　relaxed　never　so　slightly；　these　abandoned
persons；　who　are　now　compelled　to　practise　secretly　and　who　can　be
consulted　only　at　the　greatest　risk；　would　become　frequent　visitors
in　every　household；　their　organisation　and　their　intimate
acquaintance　with　all　family　secrets　would　give　them　a　power；　both
social　and　political；　which　nothing　could　resist。　　The　head　of　the
household　would　become　subordinate　to　the　family　doctor；　who　would
interfere　between　man　and　wife；　between　master　and　servant；　until
the　doctors　should　be　the　only　depositaries　of　power　in　the　nation；
and　have　all　that　we　hold　precious　at　their　mercy。　　A　time　of
universal　dephysicalisation　would　ensue；　medicine…vendors　of　all
kinds　would　abound　in　our　streets　and　advertise　in　all　our
newspapers。　　There　is　one　remedy　for　this；　and　one　only。　　It　is
that　which　the　laws　of　this　country　have　long　received　and　acted
upon；　and　consists　in　the　sternest　repression　of　all　diseases
whatsoever；　as　soon　as　their　existence　is　made　manifest　to　the　eye
of　the　law。　　Would　that　that　eye　were　far　more　piercing　than　it　is。

〃But　I　will　enlarge　no　further　upon　things　that　are　themselves　so
obvious。　　You　may　say　that　it　is　not　your　fault。　　The　answer　is
ready　enough　at　hand；　and　it　amounts　to　thisthat　if　you　had　been
born　of　healthy　and　well…to…do　parents；　and　been　well　taken　care　of
when　you　were　a　child；　you　would　never　have　offended　against　the
laws　of　your　country；　nor　found　yourself　in　your　present
disgraceful　position。　　If　you　tell　me　that　you　had　no　hand　in　your
parentage　and　education；　and　that　it　is　therefore　unjust　to　lay
these　things　to　your　charge；　I　answer　that　whether　your　being　in　a
consumption　is　your　fault　or　no；　it　is　a　fault　in　you；　and　it　is　my
duty　to　see　that　against　such　faults　as　this　the　commonwealth　shall
be　protected。　　You　may　say　that　it　is　your　misfortune　to　be
criminal；　I　answer　that　it　is　your　crime　to　be　unfortunate。

〃Lastly；　I　should　point　out　that　even　though　the　jury　had　acquitted
youa　supposition　that　I　cannot　seriously　entertainI　should　have
felt　it　my　duty　to　inflict　a　sentence　hardly　less　severe　than　that
which　I　must　pass　at　present；　for　the　more　you　had　been　found
guiltless　of　the　crime　imputed　to　you；　the　more　you　would　have　been
found　guilty　of　one　hardly　less　heinousI　mean　the　crime　of　having
been　maligned　unjustly。

〃I　do　not　hesitate　therefore　to　sentence　you　to　imprisonment；　with
hard　labour；　for　the　rest　of　your　miserable　existence。　　During　that
period　I　would　earnestly　entreat　you　to　repent　of　the　wrongs　you
have　done　already；　and　to　entirely　reform　the　constitution　of　your
whole　body。　　I　entertain　but　little　hope　that　you　will　pay
attention　to　my　advice；　you　are　already　far　too　abandoned。　　Did　it
rest　with　myself；　I　should　add　nothing　in　mitigation　of　the
sentence　which　I　have　passed；　but　it　is　the　merciful　provision　of
the　law　that　even　the　most　hardened　criminal　shall　be　allowed　some
one　of　the　three　official　remedies；　which　is　to　be　prescribed　at
the　time　of　his　conviction。　　I　shall　therefore　order　that　you
receive　two　tablespoonfuls　of　castor　oil　daily；　until　the　pleasure
of　the　court　be　further　known。〃

When　the　sentence　was　concluded　the　prisoner　acknowledged　in　a　few
scarcely　audible　words　that　he　was　justly　punished；　and　that　he　had
had　a　fair　trial。　　He　was　then　removed　to　the　prison　from　which　he
was　never　to　return。　　There　was　a　second　attempt　at　applause　when
the　judge　had　finished　speaking；　but　as　before　it　was　at　once
repressed；　and　though　the　feeling　of　the　court　was　strongly　against
the　prisoner；　there　was　no　show　of　any　violence　against　him；　if　one
may　except　a　little　hooting　from　the　bystanders　when　he　was　being
removed　in　the　prisoners'　van。　　Indeed；　nothing　struck　me　more
during　my　whole　sojourn　in　the　country；　than　the　general　respect
for　law　and　order。



CHAPTER　XII：　　MALCONTENTS



I　confess　that　I　felt　rather　unhappy　when　I　got　home；　and　thought
more　closely　over　the　trial　that　I　had　just　witnessed。　　For　the
time　I　was　carried　away　by　the　opinion　of　those　among　whom　I　was。
They　had　no　misgivings　about　what　they　were　doing。　　There　did　not
seem　to　be　a　person　in　the　whole　court　who　had　the　smallest　doubt
but　that　all　was　exactly　as　it　should　be。　　This　universal
unsuspecting　confidence　was　imparted　by　sympathy　to　myself；　in
spite　of　all　my　training　in　opinions　so　widely　different。　　So　it　is
with　most　of　us：　　that　which　we　observe　to　be　taken　as　a　matter　of
course　by　those　around　us；　we　take　as　a　matter　of　course　ourselves。
And　after　all；　it　is　our　duty　to　do　this；　save　upon　grave　occasion。

But　when　I　was　alone；　and　began　to　think　the　trial　over；　it
certainly　did　strike　me　as　betraying　a　strange　and　untenable
position。　　Had　the　judge　said　that　he　acknowledged　the　probable
truth；　namely；　that　the　prisoner　was　born　of　unhealthy　parents；　or
had　been　starved　in　infancy；　or　had　met　with　some　accidents　which
had　developed　consumption；　and　had　he　then　gone　on　to　say　that
though　he　knew　all　this；　and　bitterly　regretted　that　the　protection
of　society　obliged　him　to　inflict　additional　pain　on　one　who　had
suffered　so　much　already；　yet　that　there　was　no　help　for　it；　I
could　have　understood　the　position；　however　mistaken　I　might　have
thought　it。　　The　judge　was　fully　persuaded　that　the　infliction　of
pain　upon　the　weak　and　sickly　was　the　only　means　of　preventing
weakness　and　sickliness　from　spreading；　and　that　ten　times　the
suffering　now　inflicted　upon　the　accused　was　eventually　warded　off
from　others　by　the　present　apparent　severity。　　I　could　therefore
perfectly　understand　his　inflicting　whatever　pain　he　might　consider
necessary　in　order　to　prevent　so　bad　an　example　from　spreading
further　and　lowering　the　Erewhonian　standard；　but　it　seemed　almost
childish　to　tell　the　prisoner　that　he　could　have　been　in　good
health；　if　he　had　been　more　fortunate　in　his　constitution；　and　been
exposed　to　less　hardships　when　he　was　a　boy。

I　write　with　great　diffidence；　but　it　seems　to　me　that　there　is　no
unfairness　in　punishing　people　for　their　misfortunes；　or　rewarding
them　for　their　sheer　good　luck：　　it　is　the　normal　condition　of
human　life　that　this　should　be　done；　and　no　right…minded　person
will　complain　of　being　subjected　to　the　common　treatment。　　There　is
no　alternative　open　to　us。　　It　is　idle　to　say　that　men　are　not
responsible　for　their　misfortunes。　　What　is　responsibility？　　Surely
to　be　responsible　means　to　be　liable　to　have　to　give　an　answer
should　it　be　demanded；　and　all　things　which　live　are　responsible
for　their　lives　and　actions　should　society　see　fit　to　question　them
through　the　mouth　of　its　authorised　agent。

What　is　the　offence　of　a　lamb　that　we　should　rear　it；　and　tend　it；
and　lull　it　into　security；　for　the　express　purpose　of　killing　it？
Its　offence　is　the　misfortune　of　being　something　which　society
wants　to　eat；　and　which　cannot　defend　itself。　　This　is　ample。　　Who
shall　limit　the　right　of　society　except　society　itself？　　And　what
consideration　for　the　individual　is　tolerable　unless　s