the coming race-第7节

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When　what　we　should　term　the　historical　age　emerged　from　the　twilight　of　tradition；　the　Ana　were　already　established　in　different　communities；　and　had　attained　to　a　degree　of　civilisation　very　analogous　to　that　which　the　more　advanced　nations　above　the　earth　now　enjoy。　　They　were　familiar　with　most　of　our　mechanical　inventions；　including　the　application　of　steam　as　well　as　gas。　　The　communities　were　in　fierce　competition　with　each　other。　　They　had　their　rich　and　their　poor；　they　had　orators　and　conquerors；　they　made　war　either　for　a　domain　or　an　idea。　　Though　the　various　states　acknowledged　various　forms　of　government；　free　institutions　were　beginning　to　preponderate；　popular　assemblies　increased　in　power；　republics　soon　became　general；　the　democracy　to　which　the　most　enlightened　European　politicians　look　forward　as　the　extreme　goal　of　political　advancement；　and　which　still　prevailed　among　other　subterranean　races；　whom　they　despised　as　barbarians；　the　loftier　family　of　Ana；　to　which　belonged　the　tribe　I　was　visiting；　looked　back　to　as　one　of　the　crude　and　ignorant　experiments　which　belong　to　the　infancy　of　political　science。　　It　was　the　age　of　envy　and　hate；　of　fierce　passions；　of　34constant　social　changes　more　or　less　violent；　of　strife　between　classes；　of　war　between　state　and　state。　　This　phase　of　society　lasted；　however；　for　some　ages；　and　was　finally　brought　to　a　close；　at　least　among　the　nobler　and　more　intellectual　populations；　by　the　gradual　discovery　of　the　latent　powers　stored　in　the　all…permeating　fluid　which　they　denominate　Vril。

According　to　the　account　I　received　from　Zee；　who；　as　an　erudite　professor　of　the　College　of　Sages；　had　studied　such　matters　more　diligently　than　any　other　member　of　my　host's　family；　this　fluid　is　capable　of　being　raised　and　disciplined　into　the　mightiest　agency　over　all　forms　of　matter；　animate　or　inanimate。　　It　can　destroy　like　the　flash　of　lightning；　yet；　differently　applied；　it　can　replenish　or　invigorate　life；　heal；　and　preserve；　and　on　it　they　chiefly　rely　for　the　cure　of　disease；　or　rather　for　enabling　the　physical　organisation　to　re…establish　the　due　equilibrium　of　its　natural　powers；　and　thereby　to　cure　itself。　　By　this　agency　they　rend　way　through　the　most　solid　substances；　and　open　valleys　for　culture　through　the　rocks　of　their　subterranean　wilderness。　　From　it　they　extract　the　light　which　supplies　their　lamps；　finding　it　steadier；　softer；　and　healthier　than　the　other　inflammable　materials　they　had　formerly　used。

But　the　effects　of　the　alleged　discovery　of　the　means　to　direct　the　more　terrible　force　of　vril　were　chiefly　remarkable　in　their　influence　upon　social　polity。　　As　these　effects　became　familiarly　known　and　skillfully　administered；　war　between　the　vril…discoverers　ceased；　for　they　brought　the　art　of　destruction　to　such　perfection　as　to　annul　all　superiority　in　numbers；　discipline；　or　military　skill。　　The　fire　lodged　in　the　hollow　of　a　rod　directed　by　the　hand　of　a　child　could　shatter　the　strongest　fortress；　or　cleave　its　burning　way　from　the　van　to　the　rear　of　an　embattled　host。　　If　army　met　army；　and　both　had　command　of　this　agency；　it　could　be　but　to　the　annihilation　of　each。　　The　age　of　war　was　therefore　gone；　but　with　the　35cessation　of　war　other　effects　bearing　upon　the　social　state　soon　became　apparent。　　Man　was　so　completely　at　the　mercy　of　man；　each　whom　he　encountered　being　able；　if　so　willing；　to　slay　him　on　the　instant；　that　all　notions　of　government　by　force　gradually　vanished　from　political　systems　and　forms　of　law。　　It　is　only　by　force　that　vast　communities；　dispersed　through　great　distances　of　space；　can　be　kept　together；　but　now　there　was　no　longer　either　the　necessity　of　self…preservation　or　the　pride　of　aggrandisement　to　make　one　state　desire　to　preponderate　in　population　over　another。

The　Vril…discoverers　thus；　in　the　course　of　a　few　generations；　peacefully　split　into　communities　of　moderate　size。　　The　tribe　amongst　which　I　had　fallen　was　limited　to　12；000　families。　　Each　tribe　occupied　a　territory　sufficient　for　all　its　wants；　and　at　stated　periods　the　surplus　population　departed　to　seek　a　realm　of　its　own。　　There　appeared　no　necessity　for　any　arbitrary　selection　of　these　emigrants；　there　was　always　a　sufficient　number　who　volunteered　to　depart。

These　subdivided　states；　petty　if　we　regard　either　territory　or　population；…　all　appertained　to　one　vast　general　family。　　They　spoke　the　same　language；　though　the　dialects　might　slightly　differ。　　They　intermarried；　They　maintained　the　same　general　laws　and　customs；　and　so　important　a　bond　between　these　several　communities　was　the　knowledge　of　vril　and　the　practice　of　its　agencies；　that　the　word　A…Vril　was　synonymous　with　civilisation；　and　Vril…ya；　signifying　〃The　Civilised　Nations；〃　was　the　common　name　by　which　the　communities　employing　the　uses　of　vril　distinguished　themselves　from　such　of　the　Ana　as　were　yet　in　a　state　of　barbarism。

The　government　of　the　tribe　of　Vril…ya　I　am　treating　of　was　apparently　very　complicated；　really　very　simple。　　It　was　based　upon　a　principle　recognised　in　theory；　though　little　carried　out　in　practice；　above　ground…　viz。；　that　the　object　of　all　systems　of　philosophical　thought　tends　to　the　attainment　of　unity；　or　the　ascent　through　all　intervening　labyrinths　to　the　simplicity　of　a　single　first　cause　or　principle。　　Thus　in　36politics；　even　republican　writers　have　agreed　that　a　benevolent　autocracy　would　insure　the　best　administration；　if　there　were　any　guarantees　for　its　continuance；　or　against　its　gradual　abuse　of　the　powers　accorded　to　it。　　This　singular　community　elected　therefore　a　single　supreme　magistrate　styled　Tur；　he　held　his　office　nominally　for　life；　but　he　could　seldom　be　induced　to　retain　it　after　the　first　approach　of　old　age。　　There　was　indeed　in　this　society　nothing　to　induce　any　of　its　members　to　covet　the　cares　of　office。　　No　honours；　no　insignia　of　higher　rank；　were　assigned　to　it。　　The　supreme　magistrate　was　not　distinguished　from　the　rest　by　superior　habitation　or　revenue。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　duties　awarded　to　him　were　marvellously　light　and　easy；　requiring　no　preponderant　degree　of　energy　or　intelligence。　　There　being　no　apprehensions　of　war；　there　were　no　armies　to　maintain；　there　being　no　government　of　force；　there　was　no　police　to　appoint　and　direct。　　What　we　call　crime　was　utterly　unknown　to　the　Vril…ya；　and　there　were　no　courts　of　criminal　justice。　　The　rare　instances　of　civil　disputes　were　referred　for　arbitration　to　friends　chosen　by　either　party；　or　decided　by　the　Council　of　Sages；　which　will　be　described　later。　　There　were　no　professional　lawyers；　and　indeed　their　laws　were　but　amicable　conventions；　for　there　was　no　power　to　enforce　laws　against　an　offender　who　carried　in　his　staff　the　power　to　destroy　his　judges。　　There　were　customs　and　regulations　to　compliance　with　which；　for　several　ages；　the　people　had　tacitly　habituated　themselves；　or　if　in　any　instance　an　individual　felt　such　compliance　hard；　he　quitted　the　community　and　went　elsewhere。　　There　was；　in　fact；　quietly　established　amid　this　state；　much　the　same　compact　that　is　found　in　our　private　families；　in　which　we　virtually　say　to　any　independent　grown…up　member　of　the　family　whom　we　receive　to　entertain；　〃Stay　or　go；　according　as　our　habits　and　regulations　suit　or　displease　you。〃　　But　though　there　were　no　laws　such　as　we　call　laws；　no　race　above　ground　is　so　37law…observing。　　Obedience　to　the　rule　adopted　by　the　community　has　become　as　much　an　instinct　as　if　it　were　implanted　by　nature。　　Even　in　every　household　the　head　of　it　makes　a　regulation　for　its　guidance；　which　is　never　resisted　nor　even　cavilled　at　by　those　who　belong　to　the　family。　　They　have　a　proverb；　the　pithiness　of　which　is　much　lost　in　this　paraphrase；　〃No　happiness　without　order；　no　order　without　authority；　no　authority　without　unity。〃　　The　mildness　of　all　government　among　them；　civil　or　domestic；　may　be　signalised　by　their　idiomatic　expressions　for　such　terms　as　illegal　or　forbidden…　viz。；　〃It　is　requested　not　to　do　so　and　so。〃　　Poverty　among　the　Ana　is　as　unknown　as　crime；　not　that　property　is　held　in　common；　or　that　all　are　equals　in　the　extent　of　their　possessions　or　the　size　and　luxury　of　their　habitations：　but　there　being　no　difference　of　rank　or　position　between　the　grades　of　wealth　or　the　choice　of　occupations；　each　pursues　his　own　inclinations　without　creating　envy　or　vying；　some　like　a　modest；　some　a　more　splendid　kind　of　life；　each　makes　himself　happy　in　his　own　way。　　Owing　to　this　absence　of　competition；　and　the　limit　placed　on　the　population；　it　is　difficult　for　a　family　to　fall　into　distress；　there　are　no　hazardous　speculations；　no　emulators　striving　for　superior　wealth　and　rank。　　No　doubt；　in　each　settlement　all　originally　had　the　same　proportions　of　land　dealt　out　to　them；　but　some；　more　adventurous　than　others；　had　extended　their　possessions　farther　into　the　bordering　wilds；　or　had　improved　into　richer　fertility　the　produce　of　their　fields；　or　entered　into　commerce　or　trade。　　Thus；　necessarily；　some　had　grown　richer　than　others；　but　none　had　become　absolutely　poor；　or　wanting　anything　which　their　tastes　desired。　　If　they　did　so；　it　was　always　in　their　power　to　migrate；　or　at　the　worst　to　apply；　witho