erewhon-第23章

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administered　by　the　gods　of　time　and　space　jointly；　so　that　if　a
flying　stone　and　a　man's　head　attempt　to　outrage　these　gods；　by
〃arrogating　a　right　which　they　do　not　possess〃　（for　so　it　is
written　in　one　of　their　books）；　and　to　occupy　the　same　space
simultaneously；　a　severe　punishment；　sometimes　even　death　itself；
is　sure　to　follow；　without　any　regard　to　whether　the　stone　knew
that　the　man's　head　was　there；　or　the　head　the　stone；　this　at　least
is　their　view　of　the　common　accidents　of　life。　　Moreover；　they　hold
their　deities　to　be　quite　regardless　of　motives。　　With　them　it　is
the　thing　done　which　is　everything；　and　the　motive　goes　for
nothing。

Thus　they　hold　it　strictly　forbidden　for　a　man　to　go　without　common
air　in　his　lungs　for　more　than　a　very　few　minutes；　and　if　by　any
chance　he　gets　into　the　water；　the　air…god　is　very　angry；　and　will
not　suffer　it；　no　matter　whether　the　man　got　into　the　water　by
accident　or　on　purpose；　whether　through　the　attempt　to　save　a　child
or　through　presumptuous　contempt　of　the　air…god；　the　air…god　will
kill　him；　unless　he　keeps　his　head　high　enough　out　of　the　water；
and　thus　gives　the　air…god　his　due。

This　with　regard　to　the　deities　who　manage　physical　affairs。　　Over
and　above　these　they　personify　hope；　fear；　love；　and　so　forth；
giving　them　temples　and　priests；　and　carving　likenesses　of　them　in
stone；　which　they　verily　believe　to　be　faithful　representations　of
living　beings　who　are　only　not　human　in　being　more　than　human。　　If
any　one　denies　the　objective　existence　of　these　divinities；　and
says　that　there　is　really　no　such　being　as　a　beautiful　woman　called
Justice；　with　her　eyes　blinded　and　a　pair　of　scales；　positively
living　and　moving　in　a　remote　and　ethereal　region；　but　that　justice
is　only　the　personified　expression　of　certain　modes　of　human
thought　and　actionthey　say　that　he　denies　the　existence　of
justice　in　denying　her　personality；　and　that　he　is　a　wanton
disturber　of　men's　religious　convictions。　　They　detest　nothing　so
much　as　any　attempt　to　lead　them　to　higher　spiritual　conceptions　of
the　deities　whom　they　profess　to　worship。　　Arowhena　and　I　had　a
pitched　battle　on　this　point；　and　should　have　had　many　more　but　for
my　prudence　in　allowing　her　to　get　the　better　of　me。

I　am　sure　that　in　her　heart　she　was　suspicious　of　her　own　position
for　she　returned　more　than　once　to　the　subject。　　〃Can　you　not　see；〃
I　had　exclaimed；　〃that　the　fact　of　justice　being　admirable　will　not
be　affected　by　the　absence　of　a　belief　in　her　being　also　a　living
agent？　　Can　you　really　think　that　men　will　be　one　whit　less
hopeful；　because　they　no　longer　believe　that　hope　is　an　actual
person？〃　　She　shook　her　head；　and　said　that　with　men's　belief　in
the　personality　all　incentive　to　the　reverence　of　the　thing　itself；
as　justice　or　hope；　would　cease；　men　from　that　hour　would　never　be
either　just　or　hopeful　again。

I　could　not　move　her；　nor；　indeed；　did　I　seriously　wish　to　do　so。
She　deferred　to　me　in　most　things；　but　she　never　shrank　from
maintaining　her　opinions　if　they　were　put　in　question；　nor　does　she
to　this　day　abate　one　jot　of　her　belief　in　the　religion　of　her
childhood；　though　in　compliance　with　my　repeated　entreaties　she　has
allowed　herself　to　be　baptized　into　the　English　Church。　　She　has；
however；　made　a　gloss　upon　her　original　faith　to　the　effect　that
her　baby　and　I　are　the　only　human　beings　exempt　from　the　vengeance
of　the　deities　for　not　believing　in　their　personality。　　She　is
quite　clear　that　we　are　exempted。　　She　should　never　have　so　strong
a　conviction　of　it　otherwise。　　How　it　has　come　about　she　does　not
know；　neither　does　she　wish　to　know；　there　are　things　which　it　is
better　not　to　know　and　this　is　one　of　them；　but　when　I　tell　her
that　I　believe　in　her　deities　as　much　as　she　doesand　that　it　is　a
difference　about　words；　not　things；　she　becomes　silent　with　a
slight　emphasis。

I　own　that　she　very　nearly　conquered　me　once；　for　she　asked　me　what
I　should　think　if　she　were　to　tell　me　that　my　God；　whose　nature　and
attributes　I　had　been　explaining　to　her；　was　but　the　expression　for
man's　highest　conception　of　goodness；　wisdom；　and　power；　that　in
order　to　generate　a　more　vivid　conception　of　so　great　and　glorious
a　thought；　man　had　personified　it　and　called　it　by　a　name；　that　it
was　an　unworthy　conception　of　the　Deity　to　hold　Him　personal；
inasmuch　as　escape　from　human　contingencies　became　thus　impossible；
that　the　real　thing　men　should　worship　was　the　Divine；
whereinsoever　they　could　find　it；　that　〃God〃　was　but　man's　way　of
expressing　his　sense　of　the　Divine；　that　as　justice；　hope；　wisdom；
&c。；　were　all　parts　of　goodness；　so　God　was　the　expression　which
embraced　all　goodness　and　all　good　power；　that　people　would　no　more
cease　to　love　God　on　ceasing　to　believe　in　His　objective
personality；　than　they　had　ceased　to　love　justice　on　discovering
that　she　was　not　really　personal；　nay；　that　they　would　never　truly
love　Him　till　they　saw　Him　thus。

She　said　all　this　in　her　artless　way；　and　with　none　of　the
coherence　with　which　I　have　here　written　it；　her　face　kindled；　and
she　felt　sure　that　she　had　convinced　me　that　I　was　wrong；　and　that
justice　was　a　living　person。　　Indeed　I　did　wince　a　little；　but　I
recovered　myself　immediately；　and　pointed　out　to　her　that　we　had
books　whose　genuineness　was　beyond　all　possibility　of　doubt；　as
they　were　certainly　none　of　them　less　than　1800　years　old；　that　in
these　there　were　the　most　authentic　accounts　of　men　who　had　been
spoken　to　by　the　Deity　Himself；　and　of　one　prophet　who　had　been
allowed　to　see　the　back　parts　of　God　through　the　hand　that　was　laid
over　his　face。

This　was　conclusive；　and　I　spoke　with　such　solemnity　that　she　was　a
little　frightened；　and　only　answered　that　they　too　had　their　books；
in　which　their　ancestors　had　seen　the　gods；　on　which　I　saw　that
further　argument　was　not　at　all　likely　to　convince　her；　and　fearing
that　she　might　tell　her　mother　what　I　had　been　saying；　and　that　I
might　lose　the　hold　upon　her　affections　which　I　was　beginning　to
feel　pretty　sure　that　I　was　obtaining；　I　began　to　let　her　have　her
own　way；　and　to　convince　me；　neither　till　after　we　were　safely
married　did　I　show　the　cloven　hoof　again。

Nevertheless；　her　remarks　have　haunted　me；　and　I　have　since　met
with　many　very　godly　people　who　have　had　a　great　knowledge　of
divinity；　but　no　sense　of　the　divine：　　and　again；　I　have　seen　a
radiance　upon　the　face　of　those　who　were　worshipping　the　divine
either　in　art　or　naturein　picture　or　statuein　field　or　cloud　or
seain　man；　woman；　or　childwhich　I　have　never　seen　kindled　by
any　talking　about　the　nature　and　attributes　of　God。　　Mention　but
the　word　divinity；　and　our　sense　of　the　divine　is　clouded。



CHAPTER　XVII：　　YDGRUN　AND　THE　YDGRUNITES



In　spite　of　all　the　to…do　they　make　about　their　idols；　and　the
temples　they　build；　and　the　priests　and　priestesses　whom　they
support；　I　could　never　think　that　their　professed　religion　was　more
than　skin…deep；　but　they　had　another　which　they　carried　with　them
into　all　their　actions；　and　although　no　one　from　the　outside　of
things　would　suspect　it　to　have　any　existence　at　all；　it　was　in
reality　their　great　guide；　the　mariner's　compass　of　their　lives；　so
that　there　were　very　few　things　which　they　ever　either　did；　or
refrained　from　doing；　without　reference　to　its　precepts。

Now　I　suspected　that　their　professed　faith　had　no　great　hold　upon
themfirstly；　because　I　often　heard　the　priests　complain　of　the
prevailing　indifference；　and　they　would　hardly　have　done　so　without
reason；　secondly；　because　of　the　show　which　was　made；　for　there　was
none　of　this　about　the　worship　of　the　goddess　Ydgrun；　in　whom　they
really　did　believe；　thirdly；　because　though　the　priests　were
constantly　abusing　Ydgrun　as　being　the　great　enemy　of　the　gods；　it
was　well　known　that　she　had　no　more　devoted　worshippers　in　the
whole　country　than　these　very　persons；　who　were　often　priests　of
Ydgrun　rather　than　of　their　own　deities。　　Neither　am　I　by　any　means
sure　that　these　were　not　the　best　of　the　priests。

Ydgrun　certainly　occupied　a　very　anomalous　position；　she　was　held
to　be　both　omnipresent　and　omnipotent；　but　she　was　not　an　elevated
conception；　and　was　sometimes　both　cruel　and　absurd。　　Even　her　most
devoted　worshippers　were　a　little　ashamed　of　her；　and　served　her
more　with　heart　and　in　deed　than　with　their　tongues。　　Theirs　was　no
lip　service；　on　the　contrary；　even　when　worshipping　her　most
devoutly；　they　would　often　deny　her。　　Take　her　all　in　all；　however；
she　was　a　beneficent　and　useful　deity；　who　did　not　care　how　much
she　was　denied　so　long　as　she　was　obeyed　and　feared；　and　who　kept
hundreds　of　thousands　in　those　paths　which　make　life　tolerably
happy；　who　would　never　have　been　kept　there　otherwise；　and　over
whom　a　higher　and　more　spiritual　ideal　would　have　had　no　power。

I　greatly　doubt　whether　the　Erewhonians　are　yet　prepared　for　any
better　religion；　and　though　（considering　my　gradually　strengthened
conviction　that　they　were　the　representatives　of　the　lost　tribes　of
Israel）　I　would　have　set　about　converting　them　at　all　hazards　had　I
seen　the　remotest　prospect　of　success；　I　could　hardly　contemplate
the　displacement　of　Ydgrun　as　the　great　central　object　of　their
regard　without　admitting　that　it　would　be　attended　with　frightful
consequences；　in　fact　were　I　a　mere　philosopher；　I　should　say　that
the　gradual　raising　of　the　popular　conception　of　Ydgrun　would　be
the　greatest　spiritual　boon　which　could　be　conferred　upon　them；　and
that　nothing　could　effect　this　except　example。　　I　generally　found
that　those　who　complained　most　loudly　that　Ydgrun　was　not　high
enough　for　them　had　hardly　as　yet　come　up　to　the　Ydgrun　standard；
and　I　often　met　with　a　class　of　men　whom　I　called　to　myself　〃high
Ydgrunites〃　（the　rest　being　Ydgrunites；　and　low　Ydgrunites）；　who；
in　the　matter　of　human　conduct　and　the　affairs　of　life；　appeared　to
me　to　have　got　about　as　far　as　it　is　in　the　right　nature　of　man　to
go。

They　were　gentlemen　in　the　full　sense　of　the　word；　and　what　has　one
not　said　in　saying　this？　　They　seldom　spoke　of　Ydgrun；　or　even
alluded　to　her；　but　would　never　run　counter　to　her　dictates　without
ample　reason　for　doing　so：　　in　such　cases　they　would　override　her
with　due　self…reliance；　and　the　goddess　seldom　punished　them；　for
they　are　brave；　and　Ydgrun　is　not。　　They　had　most　of　them　a
smattering　of　the　hypothetical　language；　and　some　few　more　than
this；　but　only　a　few。　　I　do　not　think　that　this　language　has　had
much　hand　in　making　them　what　they　are；　but　rather　that　the　fact　of
their　being　generally　possessed　of　its　rudiments　was　one　great
reason　for　the　reverence　paid　to　the　hypothetical　language　itself。

Being　inured　from　youth　to　exercises　and　athletics　of　all　sorts；
and　living　fearlessly　under　the　eye　of　their　peers；　among　whom
there　exists　a　high　standard　of　courage；　generosity；　honour；　and
every　good　and　manly　qualitywhat　wonder　that　they　should　have
become；　so　to　speak；　a　law　unto　themselves；　and；　while　taking　an
elevated　view　of　the　goddess　Ydgrun；　they　should　have　gradually
lost　all　faith　in　the　recognised　deities　of　the　country？　　These
they　do　not　openly　disregard；　for　conformity　until　absolutely
intoler