erewhon revisited-第21节

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apt　to　be　too　unintelligent；　too　far　from　variation　and　quick
change　to　rank　as　true　vicarious　action；　indeed　it　is　not　rarely
found　to　effect　the　very　opposite　of　what　the　person　who　made　the
settlement　or　will　desired。　　They　are　meant　to　apply　to　that　more
intelligent　and　versatile　action　engendered　by　affectionate
remembrance。　　Nevertheless；　even　the　compulsory　vicarious　action
taken　in　consequence　of　a　will；　and　indeed　the　very　name　〃will〃
itself；　shews　that　though　we　cannot　take　either　flesh　or　money　with
us；　we　can　leave　our　will…power　behind　us　in　very　efficient
operation。

〃This　vicarious　life　（on　which　I　have　insisted；　I　fear　at
unnecessary　length；　for　it　is　so　obvious　that　none　can　have　failed
to　realise　it）　is　lived　by　every　one　of　us　before　death　as　well　as
after　it；　and　is　little　less　important　to　us　than　that　of　which　we
are　to　some　extent　conscious　in　our　own　persons。　　A　man；　we　will
say；　has　written　a　book　which　delights　or　displeases　thousands　of
whom　he　knows　nothing；　and　who　know　nothing　of　him。　　The　book；　we
will　suppose；　has　considerable；　or　at　any　rate　some　influence　on
the　action　of　these　people。　　Let　us　suppose　the　writer　fast　asleep
while　others　are　enjoying　his　work；　and　acting　in　consequence　of
it；　perhaps　at　long　distances　from　him。　　Which　is　his　truest　life
the　one　he　is　leading　in　them；　or　that　equally　unconscious　life
residing　in　his　own　sleeping　body？　　Can　there　be　a　doubt　that　the
vicarious　life　is　the　more　efficient？

〃Or　when　we　are　waking；　how　powerfully　does　not　the　life　we　are
living　in　others　pain　or　delight　us；　according　as　others　think　ill
or　well　of　us？　　How　truly　do　we　not　recognise　it　as　part　of　our　own
existence；　and　how　great　an　influence　does　not　the　fear　of　a
present　hell　in　men's　bad　thoughts；　and　the　hope　of　a　present
heaven　in　their　good　ones；　influence　our　own　conduct？　　Have　we　not
here　a　true　heaven　and　a　true　hell；　as　compared　with　the　efficiency
of　which　these　gross　material　ones　so　falsely　engrafted　on　to　the
Sunchild's　teaching　are　but　as　the　flint　implements　of　a
prehistoric　race？　　'If　a　man；'　said　the　Sunchild；　'fear　not　man；
whom　he　hath　seen；　neither　will　he　fear　God；　whom　he　hath　not
seen。'〃

My　father　again　assures　me　that　he　never　said　this。　　Returning　to
Dr。　Gurgoyle；　he　continued：…　〃It　may　be　urged　that　on　a　man's　death
one　of　the　great　factors　of　his　life　is　so　annihilated　that　no　kind
of　true　life　can　be　any　further　conceded　to　him。　　For　to　live　is　to
be　influenced；　as　well　as　to　influence；　and　when　a　man　is　dead　how
can　he　be　influenced？　　He　can　haunt；　but　he　cannot　any　more　be
haunted。　　He　can　come　to　us；　but　we　cannot　go　to　him。　　On　ceasing；
therefore；　to　be　impressionable；　so　great　a　part　of　that　wherein
his　life　consisted　is　removed；　that　no　true　life　can　be　conceded　to
him。

〃I　do　not　pretend　that　a　man　is　as　fully　alive　after　his　so…called
death　as　before　it。　　He　is　not。　　All　I　contend　for　is；　that　a
considerable　amount　of　efficient　life　still　remains　to　some　of　us；
and　that　a　little　life　remains　to　all　of　us；　after　what　we　commonly
regard　as　the　complete　cessation　of　life。　　In　answer；　then；　to
those　who　have　just　urged　that　the　destruction　of　one　of　the　two
great　factors　of　life　destroys　life　altogether；　I　reply　that　the
same　must　hold　good　as　regards　death。

〃If　to　live　is　to　be　influenced　and　to　influence；　and　if　a　man
cannot　be　held　as　living　when　he　can　no　longer　be　influenced；
surely　to　die　is　to　be　no　longer　able　either　to　influence　or　be
influenced；　and　a　man　cannot　be　held　dead　until　both　these　two
factors　of　death　are　present。　　If　failure　of　the　power　to　be
influenced　vitiates　life；　presence　of　the　power　to　influence
vitiates　death。　　And　no　one　will　deny　that　a　man　can　influence　for
many　a　long　year　after　he　is　vulgarly　reputed　as　dead。

〃It　seems；　then；　that　there　is　no　such　thing　as　either　absolute
life　without　any　alloy　of　death；　nor　absolute　death　without　any
alloy　of　life；　until；　that　is　to　say；　all　posthumous　power　to
influence　has　faded　away。　　And　this；　perhaps；　is　what　the　Sunchild
meant　by　saying　that　in　the　midst　of　life　we　are　in　death；　and　so
also　that　in　the　midst　of　death　we　are　in　life。

〃And　there　is　this；　too。　　No　man　can　influence　fully　until　he　can
no　more　be　influencedthat　is　to　say；　till　after　his　so…called
death。　　Till　then；　his　'he'　is　still　unsettled。　　We　know　not　what
other　influences　may　not　be　brought　to　bear　upon　him　that　may
change　the　character　of　the　influence　he　will　exert　on　ourselves。
Therefore；　he　is　not　fully　living　till　he　is　no　longer　living。　　He
is　an　incomplete　work；　which　cannot　have　full　effect　till　finished。
And　as　for　his　vicarious　lifewhich　we　have　seen　to　be　very　real
this　can　be；　and　is；　influenced　by　just　appreciation；　undue　praise
or　calumny；　and　is　subject；　it　may　be；　to　secular　vicissitudes　of
good　and　evil　fortune。

〃If　this　is　not　true；　let　us　have　no　more　talk　about　the
immortality　of　great　men　and　women。　　The　Sunchild　was　never　weary
of　talking　to　us　（as　we　then　sometimes　thought；　a　little　tediously）
about　a　great　poet　of　that　nation　to　which　it　pleased　him　to　feign
that　he　belonged。　　How　plainly　can　we　not　now　see　that　his　words
were　spoken　for　our　learningfor　the　enforcement　of　that　true　view
of　heaven　and　hell　on　which　I　am　feebly　trying　to　insist？　　The
poet's　name；　he　said；　was　Shakespeare。　　Whilst　he　was　alive；　very
few　people　understood　his　greatness；　whereas　now；　after　some　three
hundred　years；　he　is　deemed　the　greatest　poet　that　the　world　has
ever　known。　　'Can　this　man；'　he　asked；　'be　said　to　have　been　truly
born　till　many　a　long　year　after　he　had　been　reputed　as　truly　dead？
While　he　was　in　the　flesh；　was　he　more　than　a　mere　embryo　growing
towards　birth　into　that　life　of　the　world　to　come　in　which　he　now
shines　so　gloriously？　　What　a　small　thing　was　that　flesh　and　blood
life；　of　which　he　was　alone　conscious；　as　compared　with　that
fleshless　life　which　he　lives　but　knows　not　in　the　lives　of
millions；　and　which；　had　it　ever　been　fully　revealed　even　to　his
imagination；　we　may　be　sure　that　he　could　not　have　reached？'

〃These　were　the　Sunchild's　words；　as　repeated　to　me　by　one　of　his
chosen　friends　while　he　was　yet　amongst　us。　　Which；　then；　of　this
man's　two　lives　should　we　deem　best　worth　having；　if　we　could
choose　one　or　other；　but　not　both？　　The　felt　or　the　unfelt？　　Who
would　not　go　cheerfully　to　block　or　stake　if　he　knew　that　by　doing
so　he　could　win　such　life　as　this　poet　lives；　though　he　also　knew
that　on　having　won　it　he　could　know　no　more　about　it？　　Does　not
this　prove　that　in　our　heart　of　hearts　we　deem　an　unfelt　life；　in
the　heaven　of　men's　loving　thoughts；　to　be　better　worth　having　than
any　we　can　reasonably　hope　for　and　still　feel？

〃And　the　converse　of　this　is　true；　many　a　man　has　unhesitatingly
laid　down　his　felt　life　to　escape　unfelt　infamy　in　the　hell　of
men's　hatred　and　contempt。　　As　body　is　the　sacrament；　or　outward
and　visible　sign；　of　mind；　so　is　posterity　the　sacrament　of　those
who　live　after　death。　　Each　is　the　mechanism　through　which　the
other　becomes　effective。

〃I　grant　that　many　live　but　a　short　time　when　the　breath　is　out　of
them。　　Few　seeds　germinate　as　compared　with　those　that　rot　or　are
eaten；　and　most　of　this　world's　denizens　are　little　more　than
still…born　as　regards　the　larger　life；　while　none　are　immortal　to
the　end　of　time。　　But　the　end　of　time　is　not　worth　considering；　not
a　few　live　as　many　centuries　as　either　they　or　we　need　think　about；
and　surely　the　world；　so　far　as　we　can　guess　its　object；　was　made
rather　to　be　enjoyed　than　to　last。　　'Come　and　go'　pervades　all
things　of　which　we　have　knowledge；　and　if　there　was　any　provision
made；　it　seems　to　have　been　for　a　short　life　and　a　merry　one；　with
enough　chance　of　extension　beyond　the　grave　to　be　worth　trying　for；
rather　than　for　the　perpetuity　even　of　the　best　and　noblest。

〃Granted；　again；　that　few　live　after　death　as　long　or　as　fully　as
they　had　hoped　to　do；　while　many；　when　quick；　can　have　had　none　but
the　faintest　idea　of　the　immortality　that　awaited　them；　it　is
nevertheless　true　that　none　are　so　still…born　on　death　as　not　to
enter　into　a　life　of　some　sort；　however　short　and　humble。　　A　short
life　or　a　long　one　can　no　more　be　bargained　for　in　the　unseen　world
than　in　the　seen；　as；　however；　care　on　the　part　of　parents　can　do
much　for　the　longer　life　and　greater　well…being　of　their　offspring
in　this　world；　so　the　conduct　of　that　offspring　in　this　world　does
much　both　to　secure　for　itself　longer　tenure　of　life　in　the　next；
and　to　determine　whether　that　life　shall　be　one　of　reward　or
punishment。

〃'Reward　or　punishment；'　some　reader　will　perhaps　exclaim；　'what
mockery；　when　the　essence　of　reward　and　punishment　lies　in　their
being　felt　by　those　who　have　earned　them。'　　I　can　do　nothing　with
those　who　either　cry　for　the　moon；　or　deny　that　it　has　two　sides；
on　the　ground　that　we　can　see　but　one。　　Here　comes　in　faith；　of
which　the　Sunchild　said；　that　though　we　can　do　little　with　it；　we
can　do　nothing　without　it。　　Faith　does　not　consist；　as　some　have
falsely　urged；　in　believing　things　on　insufficient　evidence；　this
is　not　faith；　but　faithlessness　to　all　that　we　sho