erewhon-第21节

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prisoners　were　put　to　the　severest　labour　in　all　sorts　of　weather；
so　that　most　of　them　soon　succumbed　to　the　extreme　hardships　which
they　suffered；　this　was　supposed　to　be　beneficial　in　some　ways；
inasmuch　as　it　put　the　country　to　less　expense　for　the　maintenance
of　its　criminal　class；　but　the　growth　of　luxury　had　induced　a
relaxation　of　the　old　severity；　and　a　sensitive　age　would　no　longer
tolerate　what　appeared　to　be　an　excess　of　rigour；　even　towards　the
most　guilty；　moreover；　it　was　found　that　juries　were　less　willing
to　convict；　and　justice　was　often　cheated　because　there　was　no
alternative　between　virtually　condemning　a　man　to　death　and　letting
him　go　free；　it　was　also　held　that　the　country　paid　in　recommittals
for　its　over…severity；　for　those　who　had　been　imprisoned　even　for
trifling　ailments　were　often　permanently　disabled　by　their
imprisonment；　and　when　a　man　had　been　once　convicted；　it　was
probable　that　he　would　seldom　afterwards　be　off　the　hands　of　the
country。

These　evils　had　long　been　apparent　and　recognised；　yet　people　were
too　indolent；　and　too　indifferent　to　suffering　not　their　own；　to
bestir　themselves　about　putting　an　end　to　them；　until　at　last　a
benevolent　reformer　devoted　his　whole　life　to　effecting　the
necessary　changes。　　He　divided　all　illnesses　into　three　classes
those　affecting　the　head；　the　trunk；　and　the　lower　limbsand
obtained　an　enactment　that　all　diseases　of　the　head；　whether
internal　or　external；　should　be　treated　with　laudanum；　those　of　the
body　with　castor…oil；　and　those　of　the　lower　limbs　with　an
embrocation　of　strong　sulphuric　acid　and　water。

It　may　be　said　that　the　classification　was　not　sufficiently
careful；　and　that　the　remedies　were　ill　chosen；　but　it　is　a　hard
thing　to　initiate　any　reform；　and　it　was　necessary　to　familiarise
the　public　mind　with　the　principle；　by　inserting　the　thin　end　of
the　wedge　first：　　it　is　not；　therefore；　to　be　wondered　at　that
among　so　practical　a　people　there　should　still　be　some　room　for
improvement。　　The　mass　of　the　nation　are　well　pleased　with　existing
arrangements；　and　believe　that　their　treatment　of　criminals　leaves
little　or　nothing　to　be　desired；　but　there　is　an　energetic　minority
who　hold　what　are　considered　to　be　extreme　opinions；　and　who　are
not　at　all　disposed　to　rest　contented　until　the　principle　lately
admitted　has　been　carried　further。

I　was　at　some　pains　to　discover　the　opinions　of　these　men；　and
their　reasons　for　entertaining　them。　　They　are　held　in　great　odium
by　the　generality　of　the　public；　and　are　considered　as　subverters
of　all　morality　whatever。　　The　malcontents；　on　the　other　hand；
assert　that　illness　is　the　inevitable　result　of　certain　antecedent
causes；　which；　in　the　great　majority　of　cases；　were　beyond　the
control　of　the　individual；　and　that　therefore　a　man　is　only　guilty
for　being　in　a　consumption　in　the　same　way　as　rotten　fruit　is
guilty　for　having　gone　rotten。　　True；　the　fruit　must　be　thrown　on
one　side　as　unfit　for　man's　use；　and　the　man　in　a　consumption　must
be　put　in　prison　for　the　protection　of　his　fellow…citizens；　but
these　radicals　would　not　punish　him　further　than　by　loss　of　liberty
and　a　strict　surveillance。　　So　long　as　he　was　prevented　from
injuring　society；　they　would　allow　him　to　make　himself　useful　by
supplying　whatever　of　society's　wants　he　could　supply。　　If　he
succeeded　in　thus　earning　money；　they　would　have　him　made　as
comfortable　in　prison　as　possible；　and　would　in　no　way　interfere
with　his　liberty　more　than　was　necessary　to　prevent　him　from
escaping；　or　from　becoming　more　severely　indisposed　within　the
prison　walls；　but　they　would　deduct　from　his　earnings　the　expenses
of　his　board；　lodging；　surveillance；　and　half　those　of　his
conviction。　　If　he　was　too　ill　to　do　anything　for　his　support　in
prison；　they　would　allow　him　nothing　but　bread　and　water；　and　very
little　of　that。

They　say　that　society　is　foolish　in　refusing　to　allow　itself　to　be
benefited　by　a　man　merely　because　he　has　done　it　harm　hitherto；　and
that　objection　to　the　labour　of　the　diseased　classes　is　only
protection　in　another　form。　　It　is　an　attempt　to　raise　the　natural
price　of　a　commodity　by　saying　that　such　and　such　persons；　who　are
able　and　willing　to　produce　it；　shall　not　do　so；　whereby　every　one
has　to　pay　more　for　it。

Besides；　so　long　as　a　man　has　not　been　actually　killed　he　is　our
fellow…creature；　though　perhaps　a　very　unpleasant　one。　　It　is　in　a
great　degree　the　doing　of　others　that　he　is　what　he　is；　or　in　other
words；　the　society　which　now　condemns　him　is　partly　answerable
concerning　him。　　They　say　that　there　is　no　fear　of　any　increase　of
disease　under　these　circumstances；　for　the　loss　of　liberty；　the
surveillance；　the　considerable　and　compulsory　deduction　from　the
prisoner's　earnings；　the　very　sparing　use　of　stimulants　（of　which
they　would　allow　but　little　to　any；　and　none　to　those　who　did　not
earn　them）；　the　enforced　celibacy；　and　above　all；　the　loss　of
reputation　among　friends；　are　in　their　opinion　as　ample　safeguards
to　society　against　a　general　neglect　of　health　as　those　now
resorted　to。　　A　man；　therefore；　（so　they　say）　should　carry　his
profession　or　trade　into　prison　with　him　if　possible；　if　not；　he
must　earn　his　living　by　the　nearest　thing　to　it　that　he　can；　but　if
he　be　a　gentleman　born　and　bred　to　no　profession；　he　must　pick
oakum；　or　write　art　criticisms　for　a　newspaper。

These　people　say　further；　that　the　greater　part　of　the　illness
which　exists　in　their　country　is　brought　about　by　the　insane　manner
in　which　it　is　treated。

They　believe　that　illness　is　in　many　cases　just　as　curable　as　the
moral　diseases　which　they　see　daily　cured　around　them；　but　that　a
great　reform　is　impossible　till　men　learn　to　take　a　juster　view　of
what　physical　obliquity　proceeds　from。　　Men　will　hide　their
illnesses　as　long　as　they　are　scouted　on　its　becoming　known　that
they　are　ill；　it　is　the　scouting；　not　the　physic；　which　produces
the　concealment；　and　if　a　man　felt　that　the　news　of　his　being　in
ill…health　would　be　received　by　his　neighbours　as　a　deplorable
fact；　but　one　as　much　the　result　of　necessary　antecedent　causes　as
though　he　had　broken　into　a　jeweller's　shop　and　stolen　a　valuable
diamond　necklaceas　a　fact　which　might　just　as　easily　have
happened　to　themselves；　only　that　they　had　the　luck　to　be　better
born　or　reared；　and　if　they　also　felt　that　they　would　not　be　made
more　uncomfortable　in　the　prison　than　the　protection　of　society
against　infection　and　the　proper　treatment　of　their　own　disease
actually　demanded；　men　would　give　themselves　up　to　the　police　as
readily　on　perceiving　that　they　had　taken　small…pox；　as　they　go　now
to　the　straightener　when　they　feel　that　they　are　on　the　point　of
forging　a　will；　or　running　away　with　somebody　else's　wife。

But　the　main　argument　on　which　they　rely　is　that　of　economy：　　for
they　know　that　they　will　sooner　gain　their　end　by　appealing　to
men's　pockets；　in　which　they　have　generally　something　of　their　own；
than　to　their　heads；　which　contain　for　the　most　part　little　but
borrowed　or　stolen　property；　and　also；　they　believe　it　to　be　the
readiest　test　and　the　one　which　has　most　to　show　for　itself。　　If　a
course　of　conduct　can　be　shown　to　cost　a　country　less；　and　this　by
no　dishonourable　saving　and　with　no　indirectly　increased
expenditure　in　other　ways；　they　hold　that　it　requires　a　good　deal
to　upset　the　arguments　in　favour　of　its　being　adopted；　and　whether
rightly　or　wrongly　I　cannot　pretend　to　say；　they　think　that　the
more　medicinal　and　humane　treatment　of　the　diseased　of　which　they
are　the　advocates　would　in　the　long　run　be　much　cheaper　to　the
country：　　but　I　did　not　gather　that　these　reformers　were　opposed　to
meeting　some　of　the　more　violent　forms　of　illness　with　the　cat…of…
nine…tails；　or　with　death；　for　they　saw　no　so　effectual　way　of
checking　them；　they　would　therefore　both　flog　and　hang；　but　they
would　do　so　pitifully。

I　have　perhaps　dwelt　too　long　upon　opinions　which　can　have　no
possible　bearing　upon　our　own；　but　I　have　not　said　the　tenth　part
of　what　these　would…be　reformers　urged　upon　me。　　I　feel；　however；
that　I　have　sufficiently　trespassed　upon　the　attention　of　the
reader。



CHAPTER　XIII：　　THE　VIEWS　OF　THE　EREWHONIANS　CONCERNING　DEATH



The　Erewhonians　regard　death　with　less　abhorrence　than　disease。　　If
it　is　an　offence　at　all；　it　is　one　beyond　the　reach　of　the　law；
which　is　therefore　silent　on　the　subject；　but　they　insist　that　the
greater　number　of　those　who　are　commonly　said　to　die；　have　never
yet　been　bornnot；　at　least；　into　that　unseen　world　which　is　alone
worthy　of　consideration。　　As　regards　this　unseen　world　I　understand
them　to　say　that　some　miscarry　in　respect　to　it　before　they　have
even　reached　the　seen；　and　some　after；　while　few　are　ever　truly
born　into　it　at　allthe　greater　part　of　all　the　men　and　women　over
the　whole　country　miscarrying　before　they　reach　it。　　And　they　say
that　this　does　not　matter　so　much　as　we　think　it　does。

As　for　what　we　call　death；　they　argue　that　too　much　has　been　made
of　it。　　The　mere　knowledge　that　we　shall　one　day　die　does　not　make
us　very　unhappy；　no　one　thinks　that　he　or　she　will　escape；　so　that
none　are　disappointed。　　We　do　not