erewhon revisited-第27节

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all　those　present　shared　my　own　temporary　blindness；　the　whole
action　from　the　moment　when　the　balloon　left　the　earth；　moved　so
rapidly；　that　we　were　flustered；　and　hardly　knew　what　it　was　that
we　were　really　seeing。　　It　was　not　till　two　or　three　years　later
that　I　found　the　scene　presenting　itself　to　my　soul's　imaginary
sight　in　the　full　splendour　which　was　no　doubt　witnessed；　but　not
apprehended；　by　my　bodily　vision。〃

〃There；〃　said　my　father；　〃you　confirm　an　opinion　that　I　have　long
held。Nothing　is　so　misleading　as　the　testimony　of　eye…witnesses。〃

〃A　spiritual　enlightenment　from　within；〃　returned　Mr。　Balmy；　〃is
more　to　be　relied　on　than　any　merely　physical　affluence　from
external　objects。　　Now；　when　I　shut　my　eyes；　I　see　the　balloon
ascend　a　little　way；　but　almost　immediately　the　heavens　open；　the
horses　descend；　the　balloon　is　transformed；　and　the　glorious
pageant　careers　onward　till　it　vanishes　into　the　heaven　of　heavens。
Hundreds　with　whom　I　have　conversed　assure　me　that　their　experience
has　been　the　same　as　mine。　　Has　yours　been　different？〃

〃Oh　no；　not　at　all；　but　I　always　see　some　storks　circling　round　the
balloon　before　I　see　any　horses。〃

〃How　strange！　　I　have　heard　others　also　say　that　they　saw　the
storks　you　mention；　but　let　me　do　my　utmost　I　cannot　force　them
into　my　mental　image　of　the　scene。　　This　shows；　as　you　were　saying
just　now；　how　incomplete　the　testimony　of　an　eye…witness　often　is。
It　is　quite　possible　that　the　storks　were　there；　but　the　horses　and
the　chariot　have　impressed　themselves　more　vividly　on　my　mind　than
anything　else　has。〃

〃Quite　so；　and　I　am　not　without　hope　that　even　at　this　late　hour
some　further　details　may　yet　be　revealed　to　us。〃

〃It　is　possible；　but　we　should　be　as　cautious　in　accepting　any
fresh　details　as　in　rejecting　them。　　Should　some　heresy　obtain　wide
acceptance；　visions　will　perhaps　be　granted　to　us　that　may　be
useful　in　refuting　it；　but　otherwise　I　expect　nothing　more。〃

〃Neither　do　I；　but　I　have　heard　people　say　that　inasmuch　as　the
Sunchild　said　he　was　going　to　interview　the　air…god　in　order　to
send　us　rain；　he　was　more　probably　son　to　the　air…god　than　to　the
sun。　　Now　here　is　a　heresy　which〃

〃But；　my　dear　sir；〃　said　Mr。　Balmy；　interrupting　him　with　great
warmth；　〃he　spoke　of　his　father　in　heaven　as　endowed　with
attributes　far　exceeding　any　that　can　be　conceivably　ascribed　to
the　air…god。　　The　power　of　the　air…god　does　not　extend　beyond　our
own　atmosphere。〃

〃Pray　believe　me；〃　said　my　father；　who　saw　by　the　ecstatic　gleam　in
his　companion's　eye　that　there　was　nothing　to　be　done　but　to　agree
with　him；　〃that　I　accept〃

〃Hear　me　to　the　end；〃　replied　Mr。　Balmy。　　〃Who　ever　heard　the
Sunchild　claim　relationship　with　the　air…god？　　He　could　command　the
air…god；　and　evidently　did　so；　halting　no　doubt　for　this　beneficent
purpose　on　his　journey　towards　his　ultimate　destination。　　Can　we
suppose　that　the　air…god；　who　had　evidently　intended　withholding
the　rain　from　us　for　an　indefinite　period；　should　have　so
immediately　relinquished　his　designs　against　us　at　the　intervention
of　any　less　exalted　personage　than　the　sun's　own　offspring？
Impossible！〃

〃I　quite　agree　with　you；〃　exclaimed　my　father；　〃it　is　out　of　the〃

〃Let　me　finish　what　I　have　to　say。　　When　the　rain　came　so　copiously
for　days；　even　those　who　had　not　seen　the　miraculous　ascent　found
its　consequences　come　so　directly　home　to　them；　that　they　had　no
difficulty　in　accepting　the　report　of　others。　　There　was　not　a
farmer　or　cottager　in　the　land　but　heaved　a　sigh　of　relief　at
rescue　from　impending　ruin；　and　they　all　knew　it　was　the　Sunchild
who　had　promised　the　King　that　he　would　make　the　air…god　send　it。
So　abundantly；　you　will　remember；　did　it　come；　that　we　had　to　pray
to　him　to　stop　it；　which　in　his　own　good　time　he　was　pleased　to
do。〃

〃I　remember；〃　said　my　father；　who　was　at　last　able　to　edge　in　a
word；　〃that　it　nearly　flooded　me　out　of　house　and　home。　　And　yet；
in　spite　of　all　this；　I　hear　that　there　are　many　at　Bridgeford　who
are　still　hardened　unbelievers。〃

〃Alas！　you　speak　too　truly。　　Bridgeford　and　the　Musical　Banks　for
the　first　three　years　fought　tooth　and　nail　to　blind　those　whom　it
was　their　first　duty　to　enlighten。　　I　was　a　Professor　of　the
hypothetical　language；　and　you　may　perhaps　remember　how　I　was
driven　from　my　chair　on　account　of　the　fearlessness　with　which　I
expounded　the　deeper　mysteries　of　Sunchildism。〃

〃Yes；　I　remember　well　how　cruelly〃　but　my　father　was　not　allowed
to　get　beyond　〃cruelly。〃

〃It　was　I　who　explained　why　the　Sunchild　had　represented　himself　as
belonging　to　a　people　in　many　respects　analogous　to　our　own；　when
no　such　people　can　have　existed。　　It　was　I　who　detected　that　the
supposed　nation　spoken　of　by　the　Sunchild　was　an　invention　designed
in　order　to　give　us　instruction　by　the　light　of　which　we　might　more
easily　remodel　our　institutions。　　I　have　sometimes　thought　that　my
gift　of　interpretation　was　vouchsafed　to　me　in　recognition　of　the
humble　services　that　I　was　hereby　allowed　to　render。　　By　the　way；
you　have　received　no　illumination　this　morning；　have　you？〃

〃I　never　do；　sir；　when　I　am　in　the　company　of　one　whose
conversation　I　find　supremely　interesting。　　But　you　were　telling　me
about　Bridgeford：　　I　live　hundreds　of　miles　from　Bridgeford；　and
have　never　understood　the　suddenness；　and　completeness；　with　which
men　like　Professors　Hanky　and　Panky　and　Dr。　Downie　changed　front。
Do　they　believe　as　you　and　I　do；　or　did　they　merely　go　with　the
times？　　I　spent　a　couple　of　hours　with　Hanky　and　Panky　only　two
evenings　ago；　and　was　not　so　much　impressed　as　I　could　have　wished
with　the　depth　of　their　religious　fervour。〃

〃They　are　sincere　nowmore　especially　Hankybut　I　cannot　think　I
am　judging　them　harshly；　if　I　say　that　they　were　not　so　at　first。
Even　now；　I　fear；　that　they　are　more　carnally　than　spiritually
minded。　　See　how　they　have　fought　for　the　aggrandisement　of　their
own　order。　　It　is　mainly　their　doing　that　the　Musical　Banks　have
usurped　the　spiritual　authority　formerly　exercised　by　the
straighteners。〃

〃But　the　straighteners；〃　said　my　father；　〃could　not　co…exist　with
Sunchildism；　and　it　is　hard　to　see　how　the　claims　of　the　Banks　can
be　reasonably　gainsaid。〃

〃Perhaps；　and　after　all　the　Banks　are　our　main　bulwark　against　the
evils　that　I　fear　will　follow　from　the　repeal　of　the　laws　against
machinery。　　This　has　already　led　to　the　development　of　a
materialism　which　minimizes　the　miraculous　element　in　the
Sunchild's　ascent；　as　our　own　people　minimize　the　material　means
that　were　the　necessary　prologue　to　the　miraculous。〃

Thus　did　they　converse；　but　I　will　not　pursue　their　conversation
further。　　It　will　be　enough　to　say　that　in　further　floods　of　talk
Mr。　Balmy　confirmed　what　George　had　said　about　the　Banks　having
lost　their　hold　upon　the　masses。　　That　hold　was　weak　even　in　the
time　of　my　father's　first　visit；　but　when　the　people　saw　the
hostility　of　the　Banks　to　a　movement　which　far　the　greater　number
of　them　accepted；　it　seemed　as　though　both　Bridgeford　and　the　Banks
were　doomed；　for　Bridgeford　was　heart　and　soul　with　the　Banks。
Hanky；　it　appeared；　though　under　thirty；　and　not　yet　a　Professor；
grasped　the　situation；　and　saw　that　Bridgeford　must　either　move
with　the　times；　or　go。　　He　consulted　some　of　the　most　sagacious
Heads　of　Houses　and　Professors；　with　the　result　that　a　committee　of
enquiry　was　appointed；　which　in　due　course　reported　that　the
evidence　for　the　Sunchild's　having　been　the　only　child　of　the　sun
was　conclusive。　　It　was　about　this　timethat　is　to　say　some　three
years　after　his　ascentthat　〃Higgsism；〃　as　it　had　been　hitherto
called；　became　〃Sunchildism；〃　and　〃Higgs〃　the　〃Sunchild。〃

My　father　also　learned　the　King's　fury　at　his　escape　（for　he　would
call　it　nothing　else）　with　my　mother。　　This　was　so　great　that
though　he　had　hitherto　been；　and　had　ever　since　proved　himself　to
be；　a　humane　ruler；　he　ordered　the　instant　execution　of　all　who　had
been　concerned　in　making　either　the　gas　or　the　balloon；　and　his
cruel　orders　were　carried　out　within　a　couple　of　hours。　　At　the
same　time　he　ordered　the　destruction　by　fire　of　the　Queen's
workshops；　and　of　all　remnants　of　any　materials　used　in　making　the
balloon。　　It　is　said　the　Queen　was　so　much　grieved　and　outraged
（for　it　was　her　doing　that　the　material　ground…work；　so　to　speak；
had　been　provided　for　the　miracle）　that　she　wept　night　and　day
without　ceasing　three　whole　months；　and　never　again　allowed　her
husband　to　embrace　her；　till　he　had　also　embraced　Sunchildism。

When　the　rain　came；　public　indignation　at　the　King's　action　was
raised　almost　to　revolution　pitch；　and　the　King　was　frightened　at
once　by　the　arrival　of　the　promised　downfall　and　the　displeasure　of
his　subjects。　　But　he　still　held　out；　and　it　was　only　after
concessions　on　the　part　of　the　Bridgeford　committee；　that　he　at
last　consented　to　the　absorption　of　Sunchildism　into　the　Musical
Bank　system；　and　to　its　establishment　as　the　religion　of　the
country。　　The　far…reaching　changes　in　Erewhonian　institutions　with
which　the　reader　is　already　acquainted　followed　as　a　matter　of
course。

〃I　know　the　difficulty；〃　said　my　father　prese