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organisation　mostly）；　and　by　vitiating　one　of　their　most　sacred
instincts。

The　Professor；　who　was　a　delightful　person；　seemed　greatly
surprised　at　the　view　which　I　took；　but　it　had　no　influence　with
him　whatsoever。　　No　one；　he　answered；　expected　that　the　boy　either
would　or　could　know　all　that　he　said　he　knew；　but　the　world　was
full　of　compromises；　and　there　was　hardly　any　affirmation　which
would　bear　being　interpreted　literally。　　Human　language　was　too
gross　a　vehicle　of　thoughtthought　being　incapable　of　absolute
translation。　　He　added；　that　as　there　can　be　no　translation　from
one　language　into　another　which　shall　not　scant　the　meaning
somewhat；　or　enlarge　upon　it；　so　there　is　no　language　which　can
render　thought　without　a　jarring　and　a　harshness　somewhereand　so
forth；　all　of　which　seemed　to　come　to　this　in　the　end；　that　it　was
the　custom　of　the　country；　and　that　the　Erewhonians　were　a
conservative　people；　that　the　boy　would　have　to　begin　compromising
sooner　or　later；　and　this　was　part　of　his　education　in　the　art。　　It
was　perhaps　to　be　regretted　that　compromise　should　be　as　necessary
as　it　was；　still　it　was　necessary；　and　the　sooner　the　boy　got　to
understand　it　the　better　for　himself。　　But　they　never　tell　this　to
the　boy。

From　the　book　of　their　mythology　about　the　unborn　I　made　the
extracts　which　will　form　the　following　chapter。



CHAPTER　XIX：　　THE　WORLD　OF　THE　UNBORN



The　Erewhonians　say　that　we　are　drawn　through　life　backwards；　or
again；　that　we　go　onwards　into　the　future　as　into　a　dark　corridor。
Time　walks　beside　us　and　flings　back　shutters　as　we　advance；　but
the　light　thus　given　often　dazzles　us；　and　deepens　the　darkness
which　is　in　front。　　We　can　see　but　little　at　a　time；　and　heed　that
little　far　less　than　our　apprehension　of　what　we　shall　see　next；
ever　peering　curiously　through　the　glare　of　the　present　into　the
gloom　of　the　future；　we　presage　the　leading　lines　of　that　which　is
before　us；　by　faintly　reflected　lights　from　dull　mirrors　that　are
behind；　and　stumble　on　as　we　may　till　the　trap…door　opens　beneath
us　and　we　are　gone。

They　say　at　other　times　that　the　future　and　the　past　are　as　a
panorama　upon　two　rollers；　that　which　is　on　the　roller　of　the
future　unwraps　itself　on　to　the　roller　of　the　past；　we　cannot
hasten　it；　and　we　may　not　stay　it；　we　must　see　all　that　is　unfolded
to　us　whether　it　be　good　or　ill；　and　what　we　have　seen　once　we　may
see　again　no　more。　　It　is　ever　unwinding　and　being　wound；　we　catch
it　in　transition　for　a　moment；　and　call　it　present；　our　flustered
senses　gather　what　impression　they　can；　and　we　guess　at　what　is
coming　by　the　tenor　of　that　which　we　have　seen。　　The　same　hand　has
painted　the　whole　picture；　and　the　incidents　vary　littlerivers；
woods；　plains；　mountains；　towns　and　peoples；　love；　sorrow；　and
death：　　yet　the　interest　never　flags；　and　we　look　hopefully　for
some　good　fortune；　or　fearfully　lest　our　own　faces　be　shown　us　as
figuring　in　something　terrible。　　When　the　scene　is　past　we　think　we
know　it；　though　there　is　so　much　to　see；　and　so　little　time　to　see
it；　that　our　conceit　of　knowledge　as　regards　the　past　is　for　the
most　part　poorly　founded；　neither　do　we　care　about　it　greatly；　save
in　so　far　as　it　may　affect　the　future；　wherein　our　interest　mainly
lies。

The　Erewhonians　say　it　was　by　chance　only　that　the　earth　and　stars
and　all　the　heavenly　worlds　began　to　roll　from　east　to　west；　and
not　from　west　to　east；　and　in　like　manner　they　say　it　is　by　chance
that　man　is　drawn　through　life　with　his　face　to　the　past　instead　of
to　the　future。　　For　the　future　is　there　as　much　as　the　past；　only
that　we　may　not　see　it。　　Is　it　not　in　the　loins　of　the　past；　and
must　not　the　past　alter　before　the　future　can　do　so？

Sometimes；　again；　they　say　that　there　was　a　race　of　men　tried　upon
the　earth　once；　who　knew　the　future　better　than　the　past；　but　that
they　died　in　a　twelvemonth　from　the　misery　which　their　knowledge
caused　them；　and　if　any　were　to　be　born　too　prescient　now；　he　would
be　culled　out　by　natural　selection；　before　he　had　time　to　transmit
so　peace…destroying　a　faculty　to　his　descendants。

Strange　fate　for　man！　　He　must　perish　if　he　get　that；　which　he　must
perish　if　he　strive　not　after。　　If　he　strive　not　after　it　he　is　no
better　than　the　brutes；　if　he　get　it　he　is　more　miserable　than　the
devils。

Having　waded　through　many　chapters　like　the　above；　I　came　at　last
to　the　unborn　themselves；　and　found　that　they　were　held　to　be　souls
pure　and　simple；　having　no　actual　bodies；　but　living　in　a　sort　of
gaseous　yet　more　or　less　anthropomorphic　existence；　like　that　of　a
ghost；　they　have　thus　neither　flesh　nor　blood　nor　warmth。
Nevertheless　they　are　supposed　to　have　local　habitations　and　cities
wherein　they　dwell；　though　these　are　as　unsubstantial　as　their
inhabitants；　they　are　even　thought　to　eat　and　drink　some　thin
ambrosial　sustenance；　and　generally　to　be　capable　of　doing　whatever
mankind　can　do；　only　after　a　visionary　ghostly　fashion　as　in　a
dream。　　On　the　other　hand；　as　long　as　they　remain　where　they　are
they　never　diethe　only　form　of　death　in　the　unborn　world　being
the　leaving　it　for　our　own。　　They　are　believed　to　be　extremely
numerous；　far　more　so　than　mankind。　　They　arrive　from　unknown
planets；　full　grown；　in　large　batches　at　a　time；　but　they　can　only
leave　the　unborn　world　by　taking　the　steps　necessary　for　their
arrival　herewhich　is；　in　fact；　by　suicide。

They　ought　to　be　an　exceedingly　happy　people；　for　they　have　no
extremes　of　good　or　ill　fortune；　never　marrying；　but　living　in　a
state　much　like　that　fabled　by　the　poets　as　the　primitive　condition
of　mankind。　　In　spite　of　this；　however；　they　are　incessantly
complaining；　they　know　that　we　in　this　world　have　bodies；　and
indeed　they　know　everything　else　about　us；　for　they　move　among　us
whithersoever　they　will；　and　can　read　our　thoughts；　as　well　as
survey　our　actions　at　pleasure。　　One　would　think　that　this　should
be　enough　for　them；　and　most　of　them　are　indeed　alive　to　the
desperate　risk　which　they　will　run　by　indulging　themselves　in　that
body　with　〃sensible　warm　motion〃　which　they　so　much　desire；
nevertheless；　there　are　some　to　whom　the　ennui　of　a　disembodied
existence　is　so　intolerable　that　they　will　venture　anything　for　a
change；　so　they　resolve　to　quit。　　The　conditions　which　they　must
accept　are　so　uncertain；　that　none　but　the　most　foolish　of　the
unborn　will　consent　to　them；　and　it　is　from　these；　and　these　only；
that　our　own　ranks　are　recruited。

When　they　have　finally　made　up　their　minds　to　leave；　they　must　go
before　the　magistrate　of　the　nearest　town；　and　sign　an　affidavit　of
their　desire　to　quit　their　then　existence。　　On　their　having　done
this；　the　magistrate　reads　them　the　conditions　which　they　must
accept；　and　which　are　so　long　that　I　can　only　extract　some　of　the
principal　points；　which　are　mainly　the　following：…

First；　they　must　take　a　potion　which　will　destroy　their　memory　and
sense　of　identity；　they　must　go　into　the　world　helpless；　and
without　a　will　of　their　own；　they　must　draw　lots　for　their
dispositions　before　they　go；　and　take　them；　such　as　they　are；　for
better　or　worseneither　are　they　to　be　allowed　any　choice　in　the
matter　of　the　body　which　they　so　much　desire；　they　are　simply
allotted　by　chance；　and　without　appeal；　to　two　people　whom　it　is
their　business　to　find　and　pester　until　they　adopt　them。　　Who　these
are　to　be；　whether　rich　or　poor；　kind　or　unkind；　healthy　or
diseased；　there　is　no　knowing；　they　have；　in　fact；　to　entrust
themselves　for　many　years　to　the　care　of　those　for　whose　good
constitution　and　good　sense　they　have　no　sort　of　guarantee。

It　is　curious　to　read　the　lectures　which　the　wiser　heads　give　to
those　who　are　meditating　a　change。　　They　talk　with　them　as　we　talk
with　a　spendthrift；　and　with　about　as　much　success。

〃To　be　born；〃　they　say；　〃is　a　felonyit　is　a　capital　crime；　for
which　sentence　may　be　executed　at　any　moment　after　the　commission
of　the　offence。　　You　may　perhaps　happen　to　live　for　some　seventy　or
eighty　years；　but　what　is　that；　compared　with　the　eternity　you　now
enjoy？　　And　even　though　the　sentence　were　commuted；　and　you　were
allowed　to　live　on　for　ever；　you　would　in　time　become　so　terribly
weary　of　life　that　execution　would　be　the　greatest　mercy　to　you。

〃Consider　the　infinite　risk；　to　be　born　of　wicked　parents　and
trained　in　vice！　to　be　born　of　silly　parents；　and　trained　to
unrealities！　of　parents　who　regard　you　as　a　sort　of　chattel　or
property；　belonging　more　to　them　than　to　yourself！　　Again；　you　may
draw　utterly　unsympathetic　parents；　who　will　never　be　able　to
understand　you；　and　who　will　do　their　best　to　thwart　you　（as　a　hen
when　she　has　hatched　a　duckling）；　and　then　call　you　ungrateful
because　you　do　not　love　them；　or；　again；　you　may　draw　parents　who
look　upon　you　as　a　thing　to　be　cowed　while　it　is　still　young；　lest
it　should　give　them　trouble　hereafter　by　having　wishes　and　feelings
of　its　own。

〃In　later　life；　when　you　have　been　finally　allowed　to　pass　muster
as　a　full　member　of　the　world；　you　will　yourself　become　liable　to
the　pesterings　of　the　unbornand　a　very　happy　life　you　may　be　led
in　consequence！　　For　we　solicit　so　strongly　that　a　few　onlynor