lect08-第4节

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and　chess…playing；　and　instruction　to　their　daughters　in　sewing；


cutting　out；　and　embroidery　　the　Brehon　trained　his　foster…sons


in　learning　of　the　highest　dignity；　the　lore　of　the　chief


literary　profession。　He　took　payment；　but　it　was　the　law　which


settled　it　for　him。　It　was　part　of　his　status；　and　not　the　result


of　a　bargain。


　　　　There　are　some　faint　traces　of　Fosterage　in　the　Hindoo　law；


but　substantially　it　has　dropped　out　of　the　system。　The　vestiges


of　Literary　Fosterage　are；　however；　tolerably　abundant　and　very


plain。　According　to　the　general　custom　of　India；　the　Brahmin


teacher　of　Brahmin　pupils　receives　no　payment　for　his　services；


but　the　Hindoo　law　repeatedly　reserves　to　him　a　remote　succession


to　their　property。　In　each　of　four　Brahminical　law…tracts　of


great　authority；　the　Vyavahara　Mayukha；　the　Daya…Bhaga；　the


Mitakshara；　and　the　Daya…Krama…Sangraha；　the　same　ancient　text　is


quoted　（sometimes　but　not　always　attributed　to　Manu）；　which　is　to


the　effect　that　'If　there　be　no　male　issue　the　nearest　kinsman


inherits；　or　in　default　of　kindred；　the　preceptor；　or　failing　him


the　disciple。'　One　commentator　explains　that　the　preceptor　is　the


instructor　in　the　Vedas；　and　another　describes　him　as　the　person


who　affords　religious　instruction　to　his　pupil　after　investing


him　with　the　Brahminical　thread。　These　writers　add　that　if


neither　teacher　nor　pupil　have　survived　the　deceased　his


fellow…student　will　succeed。　Modern　cases　turning　on　these


peculiar　rules　of　succession　may　be　found　in　the　Anglo…Indian　Law


Reports。


　　　　We　are　thus　brought　face　to　face　with　a　problem　which


possesses　interest　in　proportion　to　its　difficulty　　the　problem


of　the　origin　of　Castes。　I　cannot　profess　to　do　more　than


approach　it；　but　the　opportunity　of　throwing　even　the　least　light


on　a　subject　so　dark　ought　not　to　be　neglected。　First　let　me　say


that；　among　the　comparatively　few　English　writers　who　have


noticed　the　Brehon　lawyers；　some　have　loosely　described　them　as　a


caste。　But　this　is　an　improper　use　of　the　word；　though　it　is　one


not　uncommon　in　India。　As　regards　the　position　of　the　Brehons　in


very　early　times；　the　evidence　of　the　Irish　records　is　consistent


with　the　testimony　of　Caesar　as　to　the　literary　class　of　the


Gallic　Celts；　and　seems　to　show　that　anyone　who　went　through　a


particular　training　might　become　a　Brehon。　When；　however；　Ireland


began　to　be　examined　by　English　observers；　it　is　plain　that　the


art　and　knowledge　of　the　Brehon　had　become　hereditary　in　certain


families　who　were　attached　to　or　dependent　on　the　Chiefs　of


particular　tribes。　There　is　nothing　remarkable　in　this　change；


which　has　obviously　occurred　with　a　vast　number　of　trades　and


professions　in　India；　now　popularly　called　castes。　In　societies


of　an　archaic　type；　a　particular　craft　or　kind　of　knowledge


becomes　in　time　an　hereditary　profession　of　families；　almost　as　a


matter　of　course。　The　difficulty　with　a　native　of　India；


unsophisticated　by　English　ideas；　is　not　to　find　a　reason　why　a


son　should　succeed　to　the　learning　of　his　father；　and


consequently　to　his　office　and　duties；　his　difficulty　would


rather　be　to　explain　to　himself　why　it　should　not　be　so；　and　how


the　public　interests　could　be　consulted　by　any　other　arrangement。


The　States　governed　by　native　Indian　Princes　are　becoming　a　good


deal　Anglicised；　but　still　in　them　it　is　the　practically


universal　rule　that　office　is　hereditary。　We　do　not；　however；


thus　arrive　at　a　complete　account　of　the　growth　of　those　castes


which　are　definite　sections　of　great　populations　one　only　of


these　castes　really　survives　in　India；　that　of　the　Brahmins；　and


it　is　strongly　suspected　that　the　whole　literary　theory　of　Caste；


which　is　of　Brahmin　origin；　is　based　on　the　existence　of　the


Brahmin　caste　atone。　Now；　the　tendency　of　knowledge　to　become


hereditary　is；　by　itself；　consistent　with　a　great　variety　of


religious　and　literary　cultivation；　but；　as　a　fact；　the　Brahmins


of　India　are　a　remarkably　homogeneous　class；　admitting　（though　no


doubt　with　considerable　local　qualifications）　a　general


brotherhood　of　all　members　of　the　order。


　　　　While；　then；　I　cannot　say　that　our　scanty　information


respecting　changes　in　the　status　of　the　Brehon　lawyers　helps　us


much　towards　a　comprehension　of　the　beginnings　of　Caste　in　the


true　sense；　I　certainly　think　that　we　learn　something　more　than


we　knew　before　from　the　references　in　the　Brehon　tracts　to


Literary　Fosterage。　They　appear　to　me　to　give　a　new　emphasis　and


point　to　the　rules　of　Hindoo　Law　respecting　the　remote　succession


of　the　'spiritual　preceptor'　to　the　property　of　families。　It


seems　as　if　in　the　most　ancient　state　of　both　systems　Literary　or


Religious　fatherhood　had　been　closely　assimilated　to　actual


fatherhood。　Under　these　circumstances；　if　great　schools　of　Vedaic


learning　existed　in　India　in　very　ancient　times；　as　we　have


strong　reason　to　think　they　did；　the　relation　between　Teacher　and


Pupil　would　closely　follow　and　imitate　the　relation　between


father　and　son。　A　great　profession　would　thus　be　formed；　with


stores　of　common　knowledge；　but　the　tie　between　the　members　would


not　be　purely　intellectual；　it　would　from　the　first　be　conceived


as　of　the　nature　of　kinship。　Such　a　system；　as　the　old　ideas


decayed；　would　tend　infallibly　to　become　one　of　real


consanguinity。　The　aptitude　for　sacred　know　ledge　would　come　to


be　thought　to　run　in　the　blood　of　sons　whose　fathers　had　been


instructed　in　it；　and　none　but　such　sons　would　be　received　into


the　schools。　A　Caste　would　thus　be　formed；　in　the　eyes　of　its


members　the　type　of　all　Castes。


　　　　We　have　thus　strong　reason　for　thinking　that　societies　still


under　the　influence　of　primitive　thought　labour　under　a　certain


incapacity　for　regarding　men；　grouped　together　by　virtue　of　any


institutions　whatsoever；　as　connected　otherwise　than　through


blood…relationship。　We　find　that；　through　this　barrenness　of


conception；　they　are　apt　to　extend　the　notion　of　consanguinity


and　the　language　beginning　in　it　to　institutions　of　their　own　not


really　founded　on　community　of　blood；　and　even　to　institutions　of


foreign　origin。　We　find　also　that　the　association　between


institutions　arising　from　true　kinship　and　institutions　based　on


artificial　kinship　is　sometimes　so　strong；　that　the　emotions


which　they　respectively　call　forth　are　practically


indistinguishable。　These　phenomena　of　early　thought　and　feeling


appear　to　me　amply　to　account　for　some　facts　of　Irish　history


which　nearly　all　English　writers　on　Ireland　have　noticed　with


extreme　surprise　or　indignation。　The　expressions　of　Sir　John


Davis；　while　stating　that　many　of　the　early　Anglo…Norman


adventurers　settled　in　Ireland　became　in　time　pure　Irish


chieftains；　reflect　the　violent　astonishment　and　anger　which　the


transformation　excited　in　Englishmen。　'The　English　Colonists　did


embrace　and　use　the　Irish　custom；　after　they　had　rejected　the


Civil　and　Honourable　Laws　and　Customs　of　England；　whereby　they


became　degenerate　and　metamorphosed　like　Nebuchadnezzar；　who；


although　he　had　the　face　of　a　man；　had　the　heart　of　a　beast；　or


like　those　who　had　drunk　of　Circe's　cup　and　were　turned　into　very


beasts；　and　yet　took　such　pleasure　in　their　beastly　manner　of


life　as　they　would　not　return　to　their　shape　of　men　again；


insomuch　as　within　less　time　than　the　age　of　a　man；　they　had　no


marks　or　difference　left　among　them　of　that　noble　nation　from


which　they　were　descended。'　The　fact；　stated　in　this　bitter


language；　is　not　especially　marvellous。　We　have　seen　the　general


complexion　of　Irish　society　giving　its　colour　to　institutions　of


all　sorts　　associations　of　kinsmen　shading　off　into　assemblages


of　partners　and　guild…brothers　　foster　parentage；　spiritual


parentage；　and　preceptorship　taking　their　hue　from　natural


paternity　　ecclesiastical　organisation　blending　with　tribal


organisation。　The　Anglo…Norman　captain　who　had　thought　to　conquer


for　himself　an　Irish　signory　passed　insensibly　in　the　same　way


into　the　chieftain　of　an　Irish　tribe。　The　dependants　who


surrounded　him　did　not　possibly　draw　any　clear　distinction


between　the　actual　depositary　of　power　and　the　natural　depositary


of　power；　and；　as　the　contagiousness　of　ideas　is　in　proportion　to


their　fewness；　it　is　intelligible　that　he　too　was　affected　by　the


mental　atmosphere　in　which　he　lived。　Nor　were　other　motives


wanting。　The　extreme　poverty　and　constant　distractions　of　Ireland


did　not　prevent　an　extraordinary　amount　of　the　pride　of


authority；　of　the　pride　of　birth；　and　even　of　the　pride　of　wealth


from　centring　in　the　dignity　of　an　Irish　Chief。