erewhon-第26章

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they　never　diethe　only　form　of　death　in　the　unborn　world　being
the　leaving　it　for　our　own。　　They　are　believed　to　be　extremely
numerous；　far　more　so　than　mankind。　　They　arrive　from　unknown
planets；　full　grown；　in　large　batches　at　a　time；　but　they　can　only
leave　the　unborn　world　by　taking　the　steps　necessary　for　their
arrival　herewhich　is；　in　fact；　by　suicide。

They　ought　to　be　an　exceedingly　happy　people；　for　they　have　no
extremes　of　good　or　ill　fortune；　never　marrying；　but　living　in　a
state　much　like　that　fabled　by　the　poets　as　the　primitive　condition
of　mankind。　　In　spite　of　this；　however；　they　are　incessantly
complaining；　they　know　that　we　in　this　world　have　bodies；　and
indeed　they　know　everything　else　about　us；　for　they　move　among　us
whithersoever　they　will；　and　can　read　our　thoughts；　as　well　as
survey　our　actions　at　pleasure。　　One　would　think　that　this　should
be　enough　for　them；　and　most　of　them　are　indeed　alive　to　the
desperate　risk　which　they　will　run　by　indulging　themselves　in　that
body　with　〃sensible　warm　motion〃　which　they　so　much　desire；
nevertheless；　there　are　some　to　whom　the　ennui　of　a　disembodied
existence　is　so　intolerable　that　they　will　venture　anything　for　a
change；　so　they　resolve　to　quit。　　The　conditions　which　they　must
accept　are　so　uncertain；　that　none　but　the　most　foolish　of　the
unborn　will　consent　to　them；　and　it　is　from　these；　and　these　only；
that　our　own　ranks　are　recruited。

When　they　have　finally　made　up　their　minds　to　leave；　they　must　go
before　the　magistrate　of　the　nearest　town；　and　sign　an　affidavit　of
their　desire　to　quit　their　then　existence。　　On　their　having　done
this；　the　magistrate　reads　them　the　conditions　which　they　must
accept；　and　which　are　so　long　that　I　can　only　extract　some　of　the
principal　points；　which　are　mainly　the　following：…

First；　they　must　take　a　potion　which　will　destroy　their　memory　and
sense　of　identity；　they　must　go　into　the　world　helpless；　and
without　a　will　of　their　own；　they　must　draw　lots　for　their
dispositions　before　they　go；　and　take　them；　such　as　they　are；　for
better　or　worseneither　are　they　to　be　allowed　any　choice　in　the
matter　of　the　body　which　they　so　much　desire；　they　are　simply
allotted　by　chance；　and　without　appeal；　to　two　people　whom　it　is
their　business　to　find　and　pester　until　they　adopt　them。　　Who　these
are　to　be；　whether　rich　or　poor；　kind　or　unkind；　healthy　or
diseased；　there　is　no　knowing；　they　have；　in　fact；　to　entrust
themselves　for　many　years　to　the　care　of　those　for　whose　good
constitution　and　good　sense　they　have　no　sort　of　guarantee。

It　is　curious　to　read　the　lectures　which　the　wiser　heads　give　to
those　who　are　meditating　a　change。　　They　talk　with　them　as　we　talk
with　a　spendthrift；　and　with　about　as　much　success。

〃To　be　born；〃　they　say；　〃is　a　felonyit　is　a　capital　crime；　for
which　sentence　may　be　executed　at　any　moment　after　the　commission
of　the　offence。　　You　may　perhaps　happen　to　live　for　some　seventy　or
eighty　years；　but　what　is　that；　compared　with　the　eternity　you　now
enjoy？　　And　even　though　the　sentence　were　commuted；　and　you　were
allowed　to　live　on　for　ever；　you　would　in　time　become　so　terribly
weary　of　life　that　execution　would　be　the　greatest　mercy　to　you。

〃Consider　the　infinite　risk；　to　be　born　of　wicked　parents　and
trained　in　vice！　to　be　born　of　silly　parents；　and　trained　to
unrealities！　of　parents　who　regard　you　as　a　sort　of　chattel　or
property；　belonging　more　to　them　than　to　yourself！　　Again；　you　may
draw　utterly　unsympathetic　parents；　who　will　never　be　able　to
understand　you；　and　who　will　do　their　best　to　thwart　you　（as　a　hen
when　she　has　hatched　a　duckling）；　and　then　call　you　ungrateful
because　you　do　not　love　them；　or；　again；　you　may　draw　parents　who
look　upon　you　as　a　thing　to　be　cowed　while　it　is　still　young；　lest
it　should　give　them　trouble　hereafter　by　having　wishes　and　feelings
of　its　own。

〃In　later　life；　when　you　have　been　finally　allowed　to　pass　muster
as　a　full　member　of　the　world；　you　will　yourself　become　liable　to
the　pesterings　of　the　unbornand　a　very　happy　life　you　may　be　led
in　consequence！　　For　we　solicit　so　strongly　that　a　few　onlynor
these　the　bestcan　refuse　us；　and　yet　not　to　refuse　is　much　the
same　as　going　into　partnership　with　half…a…dozen　different　people
about　whom　one　can　know　absolutely　nothing　beforehandnot　even
whether　one　is　going　into　partnership　with　men　or　women；　nor　with
how　many　of　either。　　Delude　not　yourself　with　thinking　that　you
will　be　wiser　than　your　parents。　　You　may　be　an　age　in　advance　of
those　whom　you　have　pestered；　but　unless　you　are　one　of　the　great
ones　you　will　still　be　an　age　behind　those　who　will　in　their　turn
pester　you。

〃Imagine　what　it　must　be　to　have　an　unborn　quartered　upon　you；　who
is　of　an　entirely　different　temperament　and　disposition　to　your
own；　nay；　half…a…dozen　such；　who　will　not　love　you　though　you　have
stinted　yourself　in　a　thousand　ways　to　provide　for　their　comfort
and　well…being；who　will　forget　all　your　self…sacrifice；　and　of
whom　you　may　never　be　sure　that　they　are　not　bearing　a　grudge
against　you　for　errors　of　judgement　into　which　you　may　have　fallen；
though　you　had　hoped　that　such　had　been　long　since　atoned　for。
Ingratitude　such　as　this　is　not　uncommon；　yet　fancy　what　it　must　be
to　bear！　　It　is　hard　upon　the　duckling　to　have　been　hatched　by　a
hen；　but　is　it　not　also　hard　upon　the　hen　to　have　hatched　the
duckling？

〃Consider　it　again；　we　pray　you；　not　for　our　sake　but　for　your　own。
Your　initial　character　you　must　draw　by　lot；　but　whatever　it　is；　it
can　only　come　to　a　tolerably　successful　development　after　long
training；　remember　that　over　that　training　you　will　have　no
control。　　It　is　possible；　and　even　probable；　that　whatever　you　may
get　in　after　life　which　is　of　real　pleasure　and　service　to　you；
will　have　to　be　won　in　spite　of；　rather　than　by　the　help　of；　those
whom　you　are　now　about　to　pester；　and　that　you　will　only　win　your
freedom　after　years　of　a　painful　struggle　in　which　it　will　be　hard
to　say　whether　you　have　suffered　most　injury；　or　inflicted　it。

〃Remember　also；　that　if　you　go　into　the　world　you　will　have　free
will；　that　you　will　be　obliged　to　have　it；　that　there　is　no
escaping　it；　that　you　will　be　fettered　to　it　during　your　whole
life；　and　must　on　every　occasion　do　that　which　on　the　whole　seems
best　to　you　at　any　given　time；　no　matter　whether　you　are　right　or
wrong　in　choosing　it。　　Your　mind　will　be　a　balance　for
considerations；　and　your　action　will　go　with　the　heavier　scale。
How　it　shall　fall　will　depend　upon　the　kind　of　scales　which　you　may
have　drawn　at　birth；　the　bias　which　they　will　have　obtained　by　use；
and　the　weight　of　the　immediate　considerations。　　If　the　scales　were
good　to　start　with；　and　if　they　have　not　been　outrageously　tampered
with　in　childhood；　and　if　the　combinations　into　which　you　enter　are
average　ones；　you　may　come　off　well；　but　there　are　too　many　'ifs'
in　this；　and　with　the　failure　of　any　one　of　them　your　misery　is
assured。　　Reflect　on　this；　and　remember　that　should　the　ill　come
upon　you；　you　will　have　yourself　to　thank；　for　it　is　your　own
choice　to　be　born；　and　there　is　no　compulsion　in　the　matter。

〃Not　that　we　deny　the　existence　of　pleasures　among　mankind；　there
is　a　certain　show　of　sundry　phases　of　contentment　which　may　even
amount　to　very　considerable　happiness；　but　mark　how　they　are
distributed　over　a　man's　life；　belonging；　all　the　keenest　of　them；
to　the　fore　part；　and　few　indeed　to　the　after。　　Can　there　be　any
pleasure　worth　purchasing　with　the　miseries　of　a　decrepit　age？　　If
you　are　good；　strong；　and　handsome；　you　have　a　fine　fortune　indeed
at　twenty；　but　how　much　of　it　will　be　left　at　sixty？　　For　you　must
live　on　your　capital；　there　is　no　investing　your　powers　so　that　you
may　get　a　small　annuity　of　life　for　ever：　　you　must　eat　up　your
principal　bit　by　bit；　and　be　tortured　by　seeing　it　grow　continually
smaller　and　smaller；　even　though　you　happen　to　escape　being　rudely
robbed　of　it　by　crime　or　casualty。

〃Remember；　too；　that　there　never　yet　was　a　man　of　forty　who　would
not　come　back　into　the　world　of　the　unborn　if　he　could　do　so　with
decency　and　honour。　　Being　in　the　world　he　will　as　a　general　rule
stay　till　he　is　forced　to　go；　but　do　you　think　that　he　would
consent　to　be　born　again；　and　re…live　his　life；　if　he　had　the　offer
of　doing　so？　　Do　not　think　it。　　If　he　could　so　alter　the　past　as
that　he　should　never　have　come　into　being　at　all；　do　you　not　think
that　he　would　do　it　very　gladly？

〃What　was　it　that　one　of　their　own　poets　meant；　if　it　was　not　this；
when　he　cried　out　upon　the　day　in　which　he　was　born；　and　the　night
in　which　it　was　said　there　is　a　man　child　conceived？　　'For　now；'　he
says；　'I　should　have　lain　still　and　been　quiet；　I　should　have
slept；　then　had　I　been　at　rest　with　kings　and　counsellors　of　the
earth；　which　built　desolate　places　for　themselves；　or　with　princes
that　had　gold；　who　filled　their　houses　with　silver；　or　as　an　hidden
untimely　birth；　I　had　not　been；　as　infants　which　never　saw　light。
There　the　wicked　cease　from　troubling；　and　the　weary　are　at　rest。'
Be　very　sure　that　the　guilt　of　being　born　carries　this　punishment
at　times　to　all　men；　but　how　can　they　ask　for　pity；　or　complain　of
any　mischief　that　may　befall　them；　having　entered　open…eyed　into
the　snare？

〃One　word　more　and　we　have　done。　　If　any　faint　remembrance；　as　of　a
dream；　flit　in　some　puzzled　moment　across　your　brain；　and　you　shall
feel　that　the　potion　which　is　to　be　given　you　shall　not　have　done
its　work；　and　the　memory　of　this　existence　which　you　are　leaving
endeavours　vainly　to　return；　we　say　in　such　a　moment；　when　you
clutch　at　the　dream　but　it　eludes　your　grasp；　and　you　watch　it；　as
Orpheus　watched　Eurydice；　gliding　back　again　into　the　twilight
kingdom；　flyflyif　you　can　remember　the　adviceto　the　haven　of
your　present　and　immediate　duty；　taking　shelter　incessantly　in　the
work　which　you　have　in　hand。　　This　much　you　may　perhaps　recall；　and
this；　if　you　will　imprint　it　deeply　upon　your　every　faculty；　will
be　most　likely　to　bring　you　safely　and　honourably　home　through　the
trials　that　are　before　you。〃　｛3｝

This　is　the　fashion　in　which　they　reason　with　those　who　would　be
for　leaving　them；　but　it　is　seldom　that　they　do　much　good；　for　none
but　the　unquiet　and　unreasonable　ever　think　of　being　born；　and
those　who　are　foolish　enough　to　think　of　it　are　generally　foolish
enough　to　do　it。　　Finding；　therefore；　that　they　can　do　no　more；　the
friends　follow　weeping　to　the　courthouse　of　the　chief　magistrate；
where　the　one　who　wishes　to　be　born　declares　solemnly　and　openly
that　he　accepts　the　conditions　attached　to　his　decision。　　On　this
he　is　presented　with　a　potion；　which　immediately　destroys　his
memory　and　sense　of　identity；　and　dissipates　the　thin　gaseous
tenement　which　he　has　inhabited：　　he　becomes　a　bare　vital
principle；　not　to　be　perceived　by　human　senses；　nor　to　be　by　any
chemical　test　appreciated。　　He　has　but　one　instinct；　which　is　that
he　is　to　go　to　such　and　such　a　place；　where　he　will　find　two
persons　whom　he　is　to　importune　till　they　consent　to　undertake　him；
but　whether　he　is　to　find　these　persons　among　the　race　of　Chowbok
or　the　Erewhonians　themselves　is　not　for　him　to　c