erewhon-第34章

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breeders；　whose　function　it　is　to　breed　that　part；　and　that　only；
while　the　combination　of　the　parts　into　a　whole　forms　another
department　of　the　mechanical　reproductive　system；　which　is　at
present　exceedingly　complex　and　difficult　to　see　in　its　entirety。

〃Complex　now；　but　how　much　simpler　and　more　intelligibly　organised
may　it　not　become　in　another　hundred　thousand　years？　or　in　twenty
thousand？　　For　man　at　present　believes　that　his　interest　lies　in
that　direction；　he　spends　an　incalculable　amount　of　labour　and　time
and　thought　in　making　machines　breed　always　better　and　better；　he
has　already　succeeded　in　effecting　much　that　at　one　time　appeared
impossible；　and　there　seem　no　limits　to　the　results　of　accumulated
improvements　if　they　are　allowed　to　descend　with　modification　from
generation　to　generation。　　It　must　always　be　remembered　that　man's
body　is　what　it　is　through　having　been　moulded　into　its　present
shape　by　the　chances　and　changes　of　many　millions　of　years；　but
that　his　organisation　never　advanced　with　anything　like　the
rapidity　with　which　that　of　the　machines　is　advancing。　　This　is　the
most　alarming　feature　in　the　case；　and　I　must　be　pardoned　for
insisting　on　it　so　frequently。〃



CHAPTER　XXV：　　THE　MACHINESconcluded



Here　followed　a　very　long　and　untranslatable　digression　about　the
different　races　and　families　of　the　then　existing　machines。　　The
writer　attempted　to　support　his　theory　by　pointing　out　the
similarities　existing　between　many　machines　of　a　widely　different
character；　which　served　to　show　descent　from　a　common　ancestor。　　He
divided　machines　into　their　genera；　subgenera；　species；　varieties；
subvarieties；　and　so　forth。　　He　proved　the　existence　of　connecting
links　between　machines　that　seemed　to　have　very　little　in　common；
and　showed　that　many　more　such　links　had　existed；　but　had　now
perished。　　He　pointed　out　tendencies　to　reversion；　and　the　presence
of　rudimentary　organs　which　existed　in　many　machines　feebly
developed　and　perfectly　useless；　yet　serving　to　mark　descent　from
an　ancestor　to　whom　the　function　was　actually　useful。

I　left　the　translation　of　this　part　of　the　treatise；　which；　by　the
way；　was　far　longer　than　all　that　I　have　given　here；　for　a　later
opportunity。　　Unfortunately；　I　left　Erewhon　before　I　could　return
to　the　subject；　and　though　I　saved　my　translation　and　other　papers
at　the　hazard　of　my　life；　I　was　a　obliged　to　sacrifice　the　original
work。　　It　went　to　my　heart　to　do　so；　but　I　thus　gained　ten　minutes
of　invaluable　time；　without　which　both　Arowhena　and　myself　must
have　certainly　perished。

I　remember　one　incident　which　bears　upon　this　part　of　the　treatise。
The　gentleman　who　gave　it　to　me　had　asked　to　see　my　tobacco…pipe；
he　examined　it　carefully；　and　when　he　came　to　the　little
protuberance　at　the　bottom　of　the　bowl　he　seemed　much　delighted；
and　exclaimed　that　it　must　be　rudimentary。　　I　asked　him　what　he
meant。

〃Sir；〃　he　answered；　〃this　organ　is　identical　with　the　rim　at　the
bottom　of　a　cup；　it　is　but　another　form　of　the　same　function。　　Its
purpose　must　have　been　to　keep　the　heat　of　the　pipe　from　marking
the　table　upon　which　it　rested。　　You　would　find；　if　you　were　to
look　up　the　history　of　tobacco…pipes；　that　in　early　specimens　this
protuberance　was　of　a　different　shape　to　what　it　is　now。　　It　will
have　been　broad　at　the　bottom；　and　flat；　so　that　while　the　pipe　was
being　smoked　the　bowl　might　rest　upon　the　table　without　marking　it。
Use　and　disuse　must　have　come　into　play　and　reduced　the　function　to
its　present　rudimentary　condition。　　I　should　not　be　surprised；
sir；〃　he　continued；　〃if；　in　the　course　of　time；　it　were　to　become
modified　still　farther；　and　to　assume　the　form　of　an　ornamental
leaf　or　scroll；　or　even　a　butterfly；　while；　in　some　cases；　it　will
become　extinct。〃

On　my　return　to　England；　I　looked　up　the　point；　and　found　that　my
friend　was　right。

Returning；　however；　to　the　treatise；　my　translation　recommences　as
follows：…

〃May　we　not　fancy　that　if；　in　the　remotest　geological　period；　some
early　form　of　vegetable　life　had　been　endowed　with　the　power　of
reflecting　upon　the　dawning　life　of　animals　which　was　coming　into
existence　alongside　of　its　own；　it　would　have　thought　itself
exceedingly　acute　if　it　had　surmised　that　animals　would　one　day
become　real　vegetables？　　Yet　would　this　be　more　mistaken　than　it
would　be　on　our　part　to　imagine　that　because　the　life　of　machines
is　a　very　different　one　to　our　own；　there　is　therefore　no　higher
possible　development　of　life　than　ours；　or　that　because　mechanical
life　is　a　very　different　thing　from　ours；　therefore　that　it　is　not
life　at　all？

〃But　I　have　heard　it　said；　'granted　that　this　is　so；　and　that　the
vapour…engine　has　a　strength　of　its　own；　surely　no　one　will　say
that　it　has　a　will　of　its　own？'　　Alas！　if　we　look　more　closely；　we
shall　find　that　this　does　not　make　against　the　supposition　that　the
vapour…engine　is　one　of　the　germs　of　a　new　phase　of　life。　　What　is
there　in　this　whole　world；　or　in　the　worlds　beyond　it；　which　has　a
will　of　its　own？　　The　Unknown　and　Unknowable　only！

〃A　man　is　the　resultant　and　exponent　of　all　the　forces　that　have
been　brought　to　bear　upon　him；　whether　before　his　birth　or
afterwards。　　His　action　at　any　moment　depends　solely　upon　his
constitution；　and　on　the　intensity　and　direction　of　the　various
agencies　to　which　he　is；　and　has　been；　subjected。　　Some　of　these
will　counteract　each　other；　but　as　he　is　by　nature；　and　as　he　has
been　acted　on；　and　is　now　acted　on　from　without；　so　will　he　do；　as
certainly　and　regularly　as　though　he　were　a　machine。

〃We　do　not　generally　admit　this；　because　we　do　not　know　the　whole
nature　of　any　one；　nor　the　whole　of　the　forces　that　act　upon　him。
We　see　but　a　part；　and　being　thus　unable　to　generalise　human
conduct；　except　very　roughly；　we　deny　that　it　is　subject　to　any
fixed　laws　at　all；　and　ascribe　much　both　of　a　man's　character　and
actions　to　chance；　or　luck；　or　fortune；　but　these　are　only　words
whereby　we　escape　the　admission　of　our　own　ignorance；　and　a　little
reflection　will　teach　us　that　the　most　daring　flight　of　the
imagination　or　the　most　subtle　exercise　of　the　reason　is　as　much
the　thing　that　must　arise；　and　the　only　thing　that　can　by　any
possibility　arise；　at　the　moment　of　its　arising；　as　the　falling　of
a　dead　leaf　when　the　wind　shakes　it　from　the　tree。

〃For　the　future　depends　upon　the　present；　and　the　present　（whose
existence　is　only　one　of　those　minor　compromises　of　which　human
life　is　fullfor　it　lives　only　on　sufferance　of　the　past　and
future）　depends　upon　the　past；　and　the　past　is　unalterable。　　The
only　reason　why　we　cannot　see　the　future　as　plainly　as　the　past；　is
because　we　know　too　little　of　the　actual　past　and　actual　present；
these　things　are　too　great　for　us；　otherwise　the　future；　in　its
minutest　details；　would　lie　spread　out　before　our　eyes；　and　we
should　lose　our　sense　of　time　present　by　reason　of　the　clearness
with　which　we　should　see　the　past　and　future；　perhaps　we　should　not
be　even　able　to　distinguish　time　at　all；　but　that　is　foreign。　　What
we　do　know　is；　that　the　more　the　past　and　present　are　known；　the
more　the　future　can　be　predicted；　and　that　no　one　dreams　of
doubting　the　fixity　of　the　future　in　cases　where　he　is　fully
cognisant　of　both　past　and　present；　and　has　had　experience　of　the
consequences　that　followed　from　such　a　past　and　such　a　present　on
previous　occasions。　　He　perfectly　well　knows　what　will　happen；　and
will　stake　his　whole　fortune　thereon。

〃And　this　is　a　great　blessing；　for　it　is　the　foundation　on　which
morality　and　science　are　built。　　The　assurance　that　the　future　is
no　arbitrary　and　changeable　thing；　but　that　like　futures　will
invariably　follow　like　presents；　is　the　groundwork　on　which　we　lay
all　our　plansthe　faith　on　which　we　do　every　conscious　action　of
our　lives。　　If　this　were　not　so　we　should　be　without　a　guide；　we
should　have　no　confidence　in　acting；　and　hence　we　should　never　act；
for　there　would　be　no　knowing　that　the　results　which　will　follow
now　will　be　the　same　as　those　which　followed　before。

〃Who　would　plough　or　sow　if　he　disbelieved　in　the　fixity　of　the
future？　　Who　would　throw　water　on　a　blazing　house　if　the　action　of
water　upon　fire　were　uncertain？　　Men　will　only　do　their　utmost　when
they　feel　certain　that　the　future　will　discover　itself　against　them
if　their　utmost　has　not　been　done。　　The　feeling　of　such　a　certainty
is　a　constituent　part　of　the　sum　of　the　forces　at　work　upon　them；
and　will　act　most　powerfully　on　the　best　and　most　moral　men。　　Those
who　are　most　firmly　persuaded　that　the　future　is　immutably　bound　up
with　the　present　in　which　their　work　is　lying；　will　best　husband
their　present；　and　till　it　with　the　greatest　care。　　The　future　must
be　a　lottery　to　those　who　think　that　the　same　combinations　can
sometimes　precede　one　set　of　results；　and　sometimes　another。　　If
their　belief　is　sincere　they　will　speculate　instead　of　working：
these　ought　to　be　the　immoral　men；　the　others　have　the　strongest
spur　to　exertion　and　morality；　if　their　belief　is　a　living　one。

〃The　bearing　of　all　this　upon　the　machines　is　not　immediately
apparent；　but　will　become　so　presently。　　In　the　meantime　I　must
deal　with　friends　who　tell　me　that；　though　the　future　is　fixed　as
regards　inorganic　matter；　and　in　some　respects　with　regard　to　man；
yet　that　there　are　many　ways　in　which　it　cannot　be　considered　as
fixed。　　Thus；　they　say　that　fire　applied　to　dry　shavings；　and　well
fed　with　oxygen　gas；　will　always　produce　a　blaze；　but　that　a　coward
brought　into　contact　with　a　terrifying　object　will　not　always
result　in　a　man　running　away。　　Nevertheless；　if　there　be　two
cowards　perfectly　similar　in　every　respect；　and　if　they　be
subjected　in　a　perfectly　similar　way　to　two　terrifying　agents；
which　are　themselves　perfectly　similar；　there　are　few　who　will　not
expect　a　perfect　similarity　in　the　running　away；　even　though　a
thousand　years　intervene　between　the　original　combination　and　its
being　repeated。

〃The　apparently　greater　regularity　in　the　results　of　chemical　than
of　human　combinations　arises　from　our　inability　to　perceive　the
subtle　differences　in　human　combinationscombinations　which　are
never　identically　repeated。　　Fire　we　know；　and　shavings　we　know；
but　no　two　men　ever　were　or　ever　will　be　exactly　alike；　and　the
smallest　difference　may　change　the　whole　conditions　of　the　problem。
Our　registry　of　results　must　be　infinite　before　we　could　arrive　at
a　full　forecast　of　future　combinations；　the　wonder　is　that　there　is
as　much　certainty　concerning　human　action　as　there　is；　and
assuredly　the　older　we　grow　the　more　certain　we　feel　as　to　what
such　and　such　a　kind　of　person　will　do　in　given　circumstances；　but
this　could　never　be　the　case　unless　human　conduct　were　under　the
influence　of　laws；　with　the　working　of　which　we　become　more　and
more　familiar　through　experience。

〃If　the　above　is　sound；　it　follows　that　the　regularity　with　which
machinery　acts　is　no　proof　of　the　absence　of　vitality；　or　at　least
of　germs　which　may　be　developed　into　a　new　phase　of　life。　　At　first
sight　it　would　indeed　appear　that　a　vapour…engine　cannot　help　going
when　set　upon　a　line　of　rails　with　the　steam　up　and　the　machinery
in