erewhon-第35节

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criminal　prosecution。　　Oh！　how　I　hated　Erewhon　at　that　time。

I　was　still　received　at　court；　but　my　good　looks　were　beginning　to
fail　me；　and　I　was　not　such　an　adept　at　concealing　the　effects　of
pain　as　the　Erewhonians　are。　　I　could　see　that　my　friends　began　to
look　concerned　about　me；　and　was　obliged　to　take　a　leaf　out　of
Mahaina's　book；　and　pretend　to　have　developed　a　taste　for　drinking。
I　even　consulted　a　straightener　as　though　this　were　so；　and
submitted　to　much　discomfort。　　This　made　matters　better　for　a　time；
but　I　could　see　that　my　friends　thought　less　highly　of　my
constitution　as　my　flesh　began　to　fall　away。

I　was　told　that　the　poor　made　an　outcry　about　my　pension；　and　I　saw
a　stinging　article　in　an　anti…ministerial　paper；　in　which　the
writer　went　so　far　as　to　say　that　my　having　light　hair　reflected
little　credit　upon　me；　inasmuch　as　I　had　been　reported　to　have　said
that　it　was　a　common　thing　in　the　country　from　which　I　came。　　I
have　reason　to　believe　that　Mr。　Nosnibor　himself　inspired　this
article。　　Presently　it　came　round　to　me　that　the　king　had　begun　to
dwell　upon　my　having　been　possessed　of　a　watch；　and　to　say　that　I
ought　to　be　treated　medicinally　for　having　told　him　a　lie　about　the
balloons。　　I　saw　misfortune　gathering　round　me　in　every　direction；
and　felt　that　I　should　have　need　of　all　my　wits　and　a　good　many
more；　if　I　was　to　steer　myself　and　Arowhena　to　a　good　conclusion。

There　were　some　who　continued　to　show　me　kindness；　and　strange　to
say；　I　received　the　most　from　the　very　persons　from　whom　I　should
have　least　expected　itI　mean　from　the　cashiers　of　the　Musical
Banks。　　I　had　made　the　acquaintance　of　several　of　these　persons；
and　now　that　I　frequented　their　bank；　they　were　inclined　to　make　a
good　deal　of　me。　　One　of　them；　seeing　that　I　was　thoroughly　out　of
health；　though　of　course　he　pretended　not　to　notice　it；　suggested
that　I　should　take　a　little　change　of　air　and　go　down　with　him　to
one　of　the　principal　towns；　which　was　some　two　or　three　days'
journey　from　the　metropolis；　and　the　chief　seat　of　the　Colleges　of
Unreason；　he　assured　me　that　I　should　be　delighted　with　what　I　saw；
and　that　I　should　receive　a　most　hospitable　welcome。　　I　determined
therefore　to　accept　the　invitation。

We　started　two　or　three　days　later；　and　after　a　night　on　the　road；
we　arrived　at　our　destination　towards　evening。　　It　was　now　full
spring；　and　as　nearly　as　might　be　ten　months　since　I　had　started
with　Chowbok　on　my　expedition；　but　it　seemed　more　like　ten　years。
The　trees　were　in　their　freshest　beauty；　and　the　air　had　become
warm　without　being　oppressively　hot。　　After　having　lived　so　many
months　in　the　metropolis；　the　sight　of　the　country；　and　the　country
villages　through　which　we　passed　refreshed　me　greatly；　but　I　could
not　forget　my　troubles。　　The　last　five　miles　or　so　were　the　most
beautiful　part　of　the　journey；　for　the　country　became　more
undulating；　and　the　woods　were　more　extensive；　but　the　first　sight
of　the　city　of　the　colleges　itself　was　the　most　delightful　of　all。
I　cannot　imagine　that　there　can　be　any　fairer　in　the　whole　world；
and　I　expressed　my　pleasure　to　my　companion；　and　thanked　him　for
having　brought　me。

We　drove　to　an　inn　in　the　middle　of　the　town；　and　then；　while　it
was　still　light；　my　friend　the　cashier；　whose　name　was　Thims；　took
me　for　a　stroll　in　the　streets　and　in　the　court…yards　of　the
principal　colleges。　　Their　beauty　and　interest　were　extreme；　it　was
impossible　to　see　them　without　being　attracted　towards　them；　and　I
thought　to　myself　that　he　must　be　indeed　an　ill…grained　and
ungrateful　person　who　can　have　been　a　member　of　one　of　these
colleges　without　retaining　an　affectionate　feeling　towards　it　for
the　rest　of　his　life。　　All　my　misgivings　gave　way　at　once　when　I
saw　the　beauty　and　venerable　appearance　of　this　delightful　city。
For　half…an…hour　I　forgot　both　myself　and　Arowhena。

After　supper　Mr。　Thims　told　me　a　good　deal　about　the　system　of
education　which　is　here　practised。　　I　already　knew　a　part　of　what　I
heard；　but　much　was　new　to　me；　and　I　obtained　a　better　idea　of　the
Erewhonian　position　than　I　had　done　hitherto：　　nevertheless　there
were　parts　of　the　scheme　of　which　I　could　not　comprehend　the
fitness；　although　I　fully　admit　that　this　inability　was　probably
the　result　of　my　having　been　trained　so　very　differently；　and　to　my
being　then　much　out　of　sorts。

The　main　feature　in　their　system　is　the　prominence　which　they　give
to　a　study　which　I　can　only　translate　by　the　word　〃hypothetics。〃
They　argue　thusthat　to　teach　a　boy　merely　the　nature　of　the
things　which　exist　in　the　world　around　him；　and　about　which　he　will
have　to　be　conversant　during　his　whole　life；　would　be　giving　him
but　a　narrow　and　shallow　conception　of　the　universe；　which　it　is
urged　might　contain　all　manner　of　things　which　are　not　now　to　be
found　therein。　　To　open　his　eyes　to　these　possibilities；　and　so　to
prepare　him　for　all　sorts　of　emergencies；　is　the　object　of　this
system　of　hypothetics。　　To　imagine　a　set　of　utterly　strange　and
impossible　contingencies；　and　require　the　youths　to　give
intelligent　answers　to　the　questions　that　arise　therefrom；　is
reckoned　the　fittest　conceivable　way　of　preparing　them　for　the
actual　conduct　of　their　affairs　in　after　life。

Thus　they　are　taught　what　is　called　the　hypothetical　language　for
many　of　their　best　yearsa　language　which　was　originally　composed
at　a　time　when　the　country　was　in　a　very　different　state　of
civilisation　to　what　it　is　at　present；　a　state　which　has　long　since
disappeared　and　been　superseded。　　Many　valuable　maxims　and　noble
thoughts　which　were　at　one　time　concealed　in　it　have　become　current
in　their　modern　literature；　and　have　been　translated　over　and　over
again　into　the　language　now　spoken。　　Surely　then　it　would　seem
enough　that　the　study　of　the　original　language　should　be　confined
to　the　few　whose　instincts　led　them　naturally　to　pursue　it。

But　the　Erewhonians　think　differently；　the　store　they　set　by　this
hypothetical　language　can　hardly　be　believed；　they　will　even　give
any　one　a　maintenance　for　life　if　he　attains　a　considerable
proficiency　in　the　study　of　it；　nay；　they　will　spend　years　in
learning　to　translate　some　of　their　own　good　poetry　into　the
hypothetical　languageto　do　so　with　fluency　being　reckoned　a
distinguishing　mark　of　a　scholar　and　a　gentleman。　　Heaven　forbid
that　I　should　be　flippant；　but　it　appeared　to　me　to　be　a　wanton
waste　of　good　human　energy　that　men　should　spend　years　and　years　in
the　perfection　of　so　barren　an　exercise；　when　their　own
civilisation　presented　problems　by　the　hundred　which　cried　aloud
for　solution　and　would　have　paid　the　solver　handsomely；　but　people
know　their　own　affairs　best。　　If　the　youths　chose　it　for　themselves
I　should　have　wondered　less；　but　they　do　not　choose　it；　they　have
it　thrust　upon　them；　and　for　the　most　part　are　disinclined　towards
it。　　I　can　only　say　that　all　I　heard　in　defence　of　the　system　was
insufficient　to　make　me　think　very　highly　of　its　advantages。

The　arguments　in　favour　of　the　deliberate　development　of　the
unreasoning　faculties　were　much　more　cogent。　　But　here　they　depart
from　the　principles　on　which　they　justify　their　study　of
hypothetics；　for　they　base　the　importance　which　they　assign　to
hypothetics　upon　the　fact　of　their　being　a　preparation　for　the
extraordinary；　while　their　study　of　Unreason　rests　upon　its
developing　those　faculties　which　are　required　for　the　daily　conduct
of　affairs。　　Hence　their　professorships　of　Inconsistency　and
Evasion；　in　both　of　which　studies　the　youths　are　examined　before
being　allowed　to　proceed　to　their　degree　in　hypothetics。　　The　more
earnest　and　conscientious　students　attain　to　a　proficiency　in　these
subjects　which　is　quite　surprising；　there　is　hardly　any
inconsistency　so　glaring　but　they　soon　learn　to　defend　it；　or
injunction　so　clear　that　they　cannot　find　some　pretext　for
disregarding　it。

Life；　they　urge；　would　be　intolerable　if　men　were　to　be　guided　in
all　they　did　by　reason　and　reason　only。　　Reason　betrays　men　into
the　drawing　of　hard　and　fast　lines；　and　to　the　defining　by
languagelanguage　being　like　the　sun；　which　rears　and　then
scorches。　　Extremes　are　alone　logical；　but　they　are　always　absurd；
the　mean　is　illogical；　but　an　illogical　mean　is　better　than　the
sheer　absurdity　of　an　extreme。　　There　are　no　follies　and　no
unreasonablenesses　so　great　as　those　which　can　apparently　be
irrefragably　defended　by　reason　itself；　and　there　is　hardly　an
error　into　which　men　may　not　easily　be　led　if　they　base　their
conduct　upon　reason　only。

Reason　might　very　possibly　abolish　the　double　currency；　it　might
even　attack　the　personality　of　Hope　and　Justice。　　Besides；　people
have　such　a　strong　natural　bias　towards　it　that　they　will　seek　it
for　themselves　and　act　upon　it　quite　as　much　as　or　more　than　is
good　for　them：　　there　is　no　need　of　encouraging　reason。　　With
unreason　the　case　is　different。　　She　is　the　natural　complement　of
reason；　without　whose　existence　reason　itself　were　non…existent。

If；　then；　reason　would　be　non…existent　were　there　no　such　thing　as
unreason；　surely　it　follows　that　the　more　unreason　there　is；　the
more　reason　there　must　be　also？　　Hence　the　n