erewhon-第24章

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lost　all　faith　in　the　recognised　deities　of　the　country？　　These
they　do　not　openly　disregard；　for　conformity　until　absolutely
intolerable　is　a　law　of　Ydgrun；　yet　they　have　no　real　belief　in　the
objective　existence　of　beings　which　so　readily　explain　themselves
as　abstractions；　and　whose　personality　demands　a　quasi…materialism
which　it　baffles　the　imagination　to　realise。　　They　keep　their
opinions；　however；　greatly　to　themselves；　inasmuch　as　most　of　their
countrymen　feel　strongly　about　the　gods；　and　they　hold　it　wrong　to
give　pain；　unless　for　some　greater　good　than　seems　likely　to　arise
from　their　plain　speaking。

On　the　other　hand；　surely　those　whose　own　minds　are　clear　about　any
given　matter　（even　though　it　be　only　that　there　is　little
certainty）　should　go　so　far　towards　imparting　that　clearness　to
others；　as　to　say　openly　what　they　think　and　why　they　think　it；
whenever　they　can　properly　do　so；　for　they　may　be　sure　that　they
owe　their　own　clearness　almost　entirely　to　the　fact　that　others
have　done　this　by　them：　　after　all；　they　may　be　mistaken；　and　if
so；　it　is　for　their　own　and　the　general　well…being　that　they　should
let　their　error　be　seen　as　distinctly　as　possible；　so　that　it　may
be　more　easily　refuted。　　I　own；　therefore；　that　on　this　one　point　I
disapproved　of　the　practice　even　of　the　highest　Ydgrunites；　and
objected　to　it　all　the　more　because　I　knew　that　I　should　find　my
own　future　task　more　easy　if　the　high　Ydgrunites　had　already
undermined　the　belief　which　is　supposed　to　prevail　at　present。

In　other　respects　they　were　more　like　the　best　class　of　Englishmen
than　any　whom　I　have　seen　in　other　countries。　　I　should　have　liked
to　have　persuaded　half…a…dozen　of　them　to　come　over　to　England　and
go　upon　the　stage；　for　they　had　most　of　them　a　keen　sense　of　humour
and　a　taste　for　acting：　　they　would　be　of　great　use　to　us。　　The
example　of　a　real　gentleman　is；　if　I　may　say　so　without　profanity；
the　best　of　all　gospels；　such　a　man　upon　the　stage　becomes　a　potent
humanising　influence；　an　Ideal　which　all　may　look　upon　for　a
shilling。

I　always　liked　and　admired　these　men；　and　although　I　could　not　help
deeply　regretting　their　certain　ultimate　perdition　（for　they　had　no
sense　of　a　hereafter；　and　their　only　religion　was　that　of　self…
respect　and　consideration　for　other　people）；　I　never　dared　to　take
so　great　a　liberty　with　them　as　to　attempt　to　put　them　in
possession　of　my　own　religious　convictions；　in　spite　of　my　knowing
that　they　were　the　only　ones　which　could　make　them　really　good　and
happy；　either　here　or　hereafter。　　I　did　try　sometimes；　being
impelled　to　do　so　by　a　strong　sense　of　duty；　and　by　my　deep　regret
that　so　much　that　was　admirable　should　be　doomed　to　ages　if　not
eternity　of　torture；　but　the　words　stuck　in　my　throat　as　soon　as　I
began。

Whether　a　professional　missionary　might　have　a　better　chance　I　know
not；　such　persons　must　doubtless　know　more　about　the　science　of
conversion：　　for　myself；　I　could　only　be　thankful　that　I　was　in　the
right　path；　and　was　obliged　to　let　others　take　their　chance　as　yet。
If　the　plan　fails　by　which　I　propose　to　convert　them　myself；　I
would　gladly　contribute　my　mite　towards　the　sending　two　or　three
trained　missionaries；　who　have　been　known　as　successful　converters
of　Jews　and　Mahometans；　but　such　have　seldom　much　to　glory　in　the
flesh；　and　when　I　think　of　the　high　Ydgrunites；　and　of　the　figure
which　a　missionary　would　probably　cut　among　them；　I　cannot　feel
sanguine　that　much　good　would　be　arrived　at。　　Still　the　attempt　is
worth　making；　and　the　worst　danger　to　the　missionaries　themselves
would　be　that　of　being　sent　to　the　hospital　where　Chowbok　would
have　been　sent　had　he　come　with　me　into　Erewhon。

Taking　then　their　religious　opinions　as　a　whole；　I　must　own　that
the　Erewhonians　are　superstitious；　on　account　of　the　views　which
they　hold　of　their　professed　gods；　and　their　entirely　anomalous　and
inexplicable　worship　of　Ydgrun；　a　worship　at　once　the　most
powerful；　yet　most　devoid　of　formalism；　that　I　ever　met　with；　but
in　practice　things　worked　better　than　might　have　been　expected；　and
the　conflicting　claims　of　Ydgrun　and　the　gods　were　arranged　by
unwritten　compromises　（for　the　most　part　in　Ydgrun's　favour）；　which
in　ninety…nine　cases　out　of　a　hundred　were　very　well　understood。

I　could　not　conceive　why　they　should　not　openly　acknowledge　high
Ydgrunism；　and　discard　the　objective　personality　of　hope；　justice；
&c。；　but　whenever　I　so　much　as　hinted　at　this；　I　found　that　I　was
on　dangerous　ground。　　They　would　never　have　it；　returning
constantly　to　the　assertion　that　ages　ago　the　divinities　were
frequently　seen；　and　that　the　moment　their　personality　was
disbelieved　in；　men　would　leave　off　practising　even　those　ordinary
virtues　which　the　common　experience　of　mankind　has　agreed　on　as
being　the　greatest　secret　of　happiness。　　〃Who　ever　heard；〃　they
asked；　indignantly；　〃of　such　things　as　kindly　training；　a　good
example；　and　an　enlightened　regard　to　one's　own　welfare；　being　able
to　keep　men　straight？〃　　In　my　hurry；　forgetting　things　which　I
ought　to　have　remembered；　I　answered　that　if　a　person　could　not　be
kept　straight　by　these　things；　there　was　nothing　that　could
straighten　him；　and　that　if　he　were　not　ruled　by　the　love　and　fear
of　men　whom　he　had　seen；　neither　would　he　be　so　by　that　of　the　gods
whom　he　had　not　seen。

At　one　time　indeed　I　came　upon　a　small　but　growing　sect　who
believed；　after　a　fashion；　in　the　immortality　of　the　soul　and　the
resurrection　from　the　dead；　they　taught　that　those　who　had　been
born　with　feeble　and　diseased　bodies　and　had　passed　their　lives　in
ailing；　would　be　tortured　eternally　hereafter；　but　that　those　who
had　been　born　strong　and　healthy　and　handsome　would　be　rewarded　for
ever　and　ever。　　Of　moral　qualities　or　conduct　they　made　no　mention。

Bad　as　this　was；　it　was　a　step　in　advance；　inasmuch　as　they　did
hold　out　a　future　state　of　some　sort；　and　I　was　shocked　to　find
that　for　the　most　part　they　met　with　opposition；　on　the　score　that
their　doctrine　was　based　upon　no　sort　of　foundation；　also　that　it
was　immoral　in　its　tendency；　and　not　to　be　desired　by　any
reasonable　beings。

When　I　asked　how　it　could　be　immoral；　I　was　answered；　that　if
firmly　held；　it　would　lead　people　to　cheapen　this　present　life；
making　it　appear　to　be　an　affair　of　only　secondary　importance；　that
it　would　thus　distract　men's　minds　from　the　perfecting　of　this
world's　economy；　and　was　an　impatient　cutting；　so　to　speak；　of　the
Gordian　knot　of　life's　problems；　whereby　some　people　might　gain
present　satisfaction　to　themselves　at　the　cost　of　infinite　damage
to　others；　that　the　doctrine　tended　to　encourage　the　poor　in　their
improvidence；　and　in　a　debasing　acquiescence　in　ills　which　they
might　well　remedy；　that　the　rewards　were　illusory　and　the　result；
after　all；　of　luck；　whose　empire　should　be　bounded　by　the　grave；
that　its　terrors　were　enervating　and　unjust；　and　that　even　the　most
blessed　rising　would　be　but　the　disturbing　of　a　still　more　blessed
slumber。

To　all　which　I　could　only　say　that　the　thing　had　been　actually
known　to　happen；　and　that　there　were　several　well…authenticated
instances　of　people　having　died　and　come　to　life　againinstances
which　no　man　in　his　senses　could　doubt。

〃If　this　be　so；〃　said　my　opponent；　〃we　must　bear　it　as　best　we
may。〃

I　then　translated　for　him；　as　well　as　I　could；　the　noble　speech　of
Hamlet　in　which　he　says　that　it　is　the　fear　lest　worse　evils　may
befall　us　after　death　which　alone　prevents　us　from　rushing　into
death's　arms。

〃Nonsense；〃　he　answered；　〃no　man　was　ever　yet　stopped　from　cutting
his　throat　by　any　such　fears　as　your　poet　ascribes　to　himand　your
poet　probably　knew　this　perfectly　well。　　If　a　man　cuts　his　throat
he　is　at　bay；　and　thinks　of　nothing　but　escape；　no　matter　whither；
provided　he　can　shuffle　off　his　present。　　No。　　Men　are　kept　at
their　posts；　not　by　the　fear　that　if　they　quit　them　they　may　quit　a
frying…pan　for　a　fire；　but　by　the　hope　that　if　they　hold　on；　the
fire　may　burn　less　fiercely。　　'The　respect；'　to　quote　your　poet；
'that　makes　calamity　of　so　long　a　life；'　is　the　consideration　that
though　calamity　may　live　long；　the　sufferer　may　live　longer　still。〃

On　this；　seeing　that　there　was　little　probability　of　our　coming　to
an　agreement；　I　let　the　argument　drop；　and　my　opponent　presently
left　me　with　as　much　disapprobation　as　he　could　show　without　being
overtly　rude。



CHAPTER　XVIII：　　BIRTH　FORMULAE



I　heard　what　follows　not　from　Arowhena；　but　from　Mr。　Nosnibor　and
some　of　the　gentlemen　who　occasionally　dined　at　the　house：　　they
told　me　that　the　Erewhonians　believe　in　pre…existence；　and　not　only
this　（of　which　I　will　write　more　fully　in　the　next　chapter）；　but
they　believe　that　it　is　of　their　own　free　act　and　deed　in　a
previous　state　that　they　come　to　be　born　into　this　world　at　all。
They　hold　that　the　unborn　are　perpetually　plaguing　and　tormenting
the　married　of　both　sexes；　fluttering　about　them　incessantly；　and
giving　them　no　peace　either　of　mind　or　body　until　they　have
consented　to　take　them　under　their　protection。　　If　this　were　not　so
（this　at　least　is　what　they　urge）；　it　would　be　a　monstrous　freedom
for　one　man　to　take　with　another；　to　say　that　he　should　undergo　the
chances　and　changes　of　this　mortal　life　without　any　option　in　the
matter。　　No　man　would　have　any　right　to　get　married　at　all；
inasmuch　as　he　can　never　tell　what　frightful　misery　his　doing　so
may　entail　forcibly　upon　a　being　who　cannot　be　unhappy　as　long　as
he　does　not　exist。　　They　feel　this　so　strongly　that　they　are
resolved　to　shift　the　blame　on　to　other　shoulders；　and　have
fashioned　a　long　mythology　as　to　the　world　in　which　the　unborn
people　live；　and　what　they　do；　and　the　arts　and　machinations　to
which　they　have　recourse　in　order　to　get　themselves　into　our　own
world。　　But　of　this　more　anon：　　what　I　would　relate　here　is　their
manner　of　dealing　with　those　who　do　come。

It　is　a　distinguishing　peculiarity　of　the　Erewhonians　that　when
they　profess　themselves　to　be　quite　certain　about　any　matter；　and
avow　it　as　a　base　on　which　they　are　to　build　a　system　of　practice；
they　seldom　quite　believe　in　it。　　If　they　smell　a　rat　about　the
precincts　of　a　cherished　institution；　they　will　always　stop　their
noses　to　it　if　they　can。

This　is　what　most　of　them　did　in　this　matter　of　the　unborn；　for　I
cannot　（and　never　could）　think　that　they　seriously　believed　in
their　mythology　concerning　pre…existence：　　they　did　and　they　did
not；　they　did　not　know　themselves　what　they　believed；　all　they　did
know　was　that　it　was　a　disease　not　to　believe　as　they　did。　　The
only　thing　of　which　they　were　quite　sure　was　that　it　was　the
pestering　of　the　unborn　which　caused　them　to　be　brought　into　this
world；　and　that　they　would　not　have　been　here　if　they　would　have
only　let　peaceable　people　alone。

It　would　be　hard　to　disprove　this　position；　and　they　might　have　a
good　case　if　they　would　only　leave　it　as　it　stands。　　But　this　they
will　not　do；　they　must　have　assurance　doubly　sure；　they　must　have
the　written　word　of　the　child　itself　as　soon　as　it　is　born；　giving
the　parents　indemnity　from　all　responsibility　on　the　score　of　its
birth；　and　asserting　its　own　pre…existence