the coming race-第9节

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　power　over　that　mysterious　fluid　or　agency　which　　contains　the　element　of　destruction；　with　a　larger　portion　of　　that　sagacity　which　comprehends　dissimulation。　　Thus　they　cannot　　only　defend　themselves　against　all　aggressions　from　the　males；　　but　could；　at　any　moment　when　he　least　expected　his　danger；　　terminate　the　existence　of　an　offending　spouse。　　To　the　credit　　of　the　Gy…ei　no　instance　of　their　abuse　of　this　awful　　superiority　in　the　art　of　destruction　is　on　record　for　several　　ages。　　The　last　that　occurred　in　the　community　I　speak　of　　appears　（according　to　their　chronology）　to　have　been　about　two　　thousand　years　ago。　　A　Gy；　then；　in　a　fit　of　jealousy；　slew　her　　husband；　and　this　abominable　act　inspired　such　terror　among　the　　males　that　they　emigrated　in　a　body　and　left　all　the　Gy…ei　to　　themselves。　　The　history　runs　that　the　widowed　Gy…ei；　thus　　reduced　to　despair；　fell　upon　the　murderess　when　in　her　sleep　　（and　therefore　unarmed）；　and　killed　her；　and　then　entered　into　a　　solemn　obligation　amongst　themselves　to　abrogate　forever　the　　exercise　of　their　extreme　conjugal　powers；　and　to　inculcate　the　　same　obligation　for　ever　and　ever　on　their　female　children。　　By　　this　conciliatory　process；　a　deputation　despatched　to　the　　fugitive　consorts　succeeded　in　persuading　many　to　return；　but　　those　who　did　return　were　mostly　the　elder　ones。　　The　younger；　　either　from　too　craven　a　doubt　of　their　consorts；　or　too　high　an　　estimate　of　their　own　merits；　rejected　all　overtures；　and；　　remaining　in　other　communities；　were　caught　up　there　by　other　　mates；　with　whom　perhaps　they　were　no　better　off。　　But　the　loss　　43of　so　large　a　portion　of　the　male　youth　operated　as　a　salutary　　warning　on　the　Gy…ei；　and　confirmed　them　in　the　pious　resolution　　to　which　they　pledged　themselves。　　Indeed　it　is　now　popularly　　considered　that；　by　long　hereditary　disuse；　the　Gy…ei　have　lost　　both　the　aggressive　and　defensive　superiority　over　the　Ana　which　　they　once　possessed；　just　as　in　the　inferior　animals　above　the　　earth　many　peculiarities　in　their　original　formation；　intended　　by　nature　for　their　protection；　gradually　fade　or　become　　inoperative　when　not　needed　under　altered　circumstances。　I　　should　be　sorry；　however；　for　any　An　who　induced　a　Gy　to　make　　the　experiment　whether　he　or　she　were　the　stronger。　

》From　the　incident　I　have　narrated；　the　Ana　date　certain　alterations　in　the　marriage　customs；　tending；　perhaps；　somewhat　to　the　advantage　of　the　male。　　They　now　bind　themselves　in　wedlock　only　for　three　years；　at　the　end　of　each　third　year　either　male　or　female　can　divorce　the　other　and　is　free　to　marry　again。　　At　the　end　of　ten　years　the　An　has　the　privilege

of　taking　a　second　wife；　allowing　the　first　to　retire　if　she　so　please。　　These　regulations　are　for　the　most　part　a　dead　letter；　divorces　and　polygamy　are　extremely　rare；　and　the　marriage　state　now　seems　singularly　happy　and　serene　among　this　astonishing　people；…　the　Gy…ei；　notwithstanding　their　boastful　superiority　in　physical　strength　and　intellectual　abilities；　being　much　curbed　into　gentle　manners　by　the　dread　of　separation　or　of　a　second　wife；　and　the　Ana　being　very　much　the　creatures　of　custom；　and　not；　except　under　great　aggravation；　likely　to　exchange　for　hazardous　novelties　faces　and　manners　to　which　they　are　reconciled　by　habit。　　But　there　is　one　privilege　the　Gy…ei　carefully　retain；　and　the　desire　for　which　perhaps　forms　the　secret　motive　of　most　lady　asserters　of　woman　rights　above　ground。　　They　claim　the　privilege；　here　usurped　by　men；　of　proclaiming　their　love　and　urging　their　suit；　in　other　words；　of　being　the　wooing　party　rather　than　the　wooed。　　Such　a　44phenomenon　as　an　old　maid　does　not　exist　among　the　Gy…ei。　　Indeed　it　is　very　seldom　that　a　Gy　does　not　secure　any　An　upon　whom　she　sets　her　heart；　if　his　affections　be　not　strongly　engaged　elsewhere。　　However　coy；　reluctant；　and　prudish；　the　male　she　courts　may　prove　at　first；　yet　her　perseverance；　her　ardour；　her　persuasive　powers；　her　command　over　the　mystic　agencies　of　vril；　are　pretty　sure　to　run　down　his　neck　into　what　we　call　〃the　fatal　noose。〃　　Their　argument　for　the　reversal　of　that　relationship　of　the　sexes　which　the　blind　tyranny　of　man　has　established　on　the　surface　of　the　earth；　appears　cogent；　and　is　advanced　with　a　frankness　which　might　well　be　commended　to　impartial　consideration。　　They　say；　that　of　the　two　the　female　is　by　nature　of　a　more　loving　disposition　than　the　male…　that　love　occupies　a　larger　space　in　her　thoughts；　and　is　more　essential　to　her　happiness；　and　that　therefore　she　ought　to　be　the　wooing　party；　that　otherwise　the　male　is　a　shy　and　dubitant　creature…　that　he　has　often　a　selfish　predilection　for　the　single　state…　that　he　often　pretends　to　misunderstand　tender　glances　and　delicate　hints…　that；　in　short；　he　must　be　resolutely　pursued　and　captured。　　They　add；　moreover；　that　unless　the　Gy　can　secure　the　An　of　her　choice；　and　one　whom　she　would　not　select　out　of　the　whole　world　becomes　her　mate；　she　is　not　only　less　happy　than　she　otherwise　would　be；　but　she　is　not　so　good　a　being；　that　her　qualities　of　heart　are　not　sufficiently　developed；　whereas　the　An　is　a　creature　that　less　　lastingly　concentrates　his　affections　on　one　object；　that　if　he　　cannot　get　the　Gy　whom　he　prefers　he　easily　reconciles　himself　　to　another　Gy；　and；　finally；　that　at　the　worst；　if　he　is　loved　　and　taken　care　of；　it　is　less　necessary　to　the　welfare　of　his　　existence　that　he　should　love　as　well　as　be　loved；　he　grows　　contented　with　his　creature　comforts；　and　the　many　occupations　　of　thought　which　he　creates　for　himself。　

Whatever　may　be　said　as　to　this　reasoning；　the　system　works　well　for　the　male；　for　being　thus　sure　that　he　is　truly　and　ardently　loved；　and　that　the　more　coy　and　reluctant　he　shows　45himself；　the　more　determination　to　secure　him　increases；　he　generally　contrives　to　make　his　consent　dependent　on　such　conditions　as　he　thinks　the　best　calculated　to　insure；　if　not　a　blissful；　at　least　a　peaceful　life。　　Each　individual　An　has　his　own　hobbies；　his　own　ways；　his　own　predilections；　and；　whatever　they　may　be；　he　demands　a　promise　of　full　and　unrestrained　concession　to　them。　　This；　in　the　pursuit　of　her　object；　the　Gy　readily　promises；　and　as　the　characteristic　of　this　extraordinary　people　is　an　implicit　veneration　for　truth；　and　her　word　once　given　is　never　broken　even　by　the　giddiest　Gy；

the　conditions　stipulated　for　are　religiously　observed。　　In　fact；　notwithstanding　all　their　abstract　rights　and　powers；　the　Gy…ei　are　the　most　amiable；　conciliatory；　and　submissive　wives　I　have　ever　seen　even　in　the　happiest　households　above　ground。　　It　is　an　aphorism　among　them；　that　〃where　a　Gy　loves　it　is　her　pleasure　to　obey。〃　　It　will　be　observed　that　in　the　relationship　of　the　sexes　I　have　spoken　only　of　marriage；　for　such　is　the　moral　perfection　to　which　this　community　has　attained；　that　any　　illicit　connection　is　as　little　possible　amongst　them　as　it　　would　be　to　a　couple　of　linnets　during　the　time　they　agree　to　　live　in　pairs。　


Chapter　XI。


Nothing　had　more　perplexed　me　in　seeking　to　reconcile　my　sense　to　the　existence　of　regions　extending　below　the　surface　of　the　earth；　and　habitable　by　beings；　if　dissimilar　from；　still；　in　all　material　points　of　organism；　akin　to　those　in　the　upper　world；　than　the　contradiction　thus　presented　to　the　doctrine　in　which；　I　believe；　most　geologists　and　philosophers　concur…　viz。；　that　though　with　us　the　sun　is　the　great　source　of　heat；　yet　the　deeper　we　go　beneath　the　crust　of　the　earth；　the　greater　is　the　increasing　heat；　being；　it　is　said；　found　in　the　46ratio　of　a　degree　for　every　foot；　commencing　from　fifty　feet　below　the　surface。　　But　though　the　domains　of　the　tribe　I　speak　of　were；　on　the　higher　ground；　so　comparatively　near　to　the　surface；　that　I　could　account　for　a　temperature；　therein；　suitable　to　organic　life；　yet　even　the　ravines　and　valleys　of　　that　realm　were　much　less　hot　than　philosophers　would　deem　　possible　at　such　a　depth…　certainly　not　warmer　than　the　south　of　　France；　or　at　least　of　Italy。　　And　according　to　all　the　accounts　　I　received；　vast　tracts　immeasurably　deeper　beneath　the　surface；　　and　in　which　one　might　have　thought　only　salamanders　could　　exist；　were　inhabited　by　innumerable　races　organised　like　　ourselves；　I　cannot　pretend　in　any　way　to　account　for　a　fact　　which　is　so　at　variance　with　the　recognised　laws　of　science；　nor　　could　Zee　much　help　me　towards　a　solution　of　it。　　She　did　but　　conjecture　that　sufficient　allowance　had　not　been　made　by　our　　philosophers　for　the　extreme　porousness　of　the　interior　earth…　　the　vastness　of　its　cavities　and　irregularities；　which　served　to　　create　free　currents　of　air　and　frequent　winds…　and　for　the　　various　modes　in　which　heat　is　evaporated　and　thrown　off。　　She　　allowed；　however；　that　there　was　a　depth　at　which　the　heat　was　　deemed　to　be　intolerable　to　such　organised　life　as　was　known　to　　the　experience　of　the　Vril…ya；　though　their　philosophers　　believed　that　even　in　such　places　life　of　some　kind；　life　　sentient；　life　intellectual；　would　be　found　abundant　and　　thriving；　could　the　philosophers　penetrate　to　it。　　〃Wherever　the　　All…Good　builds；〃　said　she；　〃there；　be　sure；　He　places　　inhabitants。　　He　loves　not　empty　dwellings。〃　　She　added