erewhon-第44节

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their　horse…power；　and　who　divided　them　into　genera；　species；
varieties；　and　subvarieties；　giving　them　names　from　the
hypothetical　language　which　expressed　the　number　of　limbs　which
they　could　command　at　any　moment。　　He　showed　that　men　became　more
highly　and　delicately　organised　the　more　nearly　they　approached　the
summit　of　opulence；　and　that　none　but　millionaires　possessed　the
full　complement　of　limbs　with　which　mankind　could　become
incorporate。

〃Those　mighty　organisms；〃　he　continued；　〃our　leading　bankers　and
merchants；　speak　to　their　congeners　through　the　length　and　breadth
of　the　land　in　a　second　of　time；　their　rich　and　subtle　souls　can
defy　all　material　impediment；　whereas　the　souls　of　the　poor　are
clogged　and　hampered　by　matter；　which　sticks　fast　about　them　as
treacle　to　the　wings　of　a　fly；　or　as　one　struggling　in　a　quicksand：
their　dull　ears　must　take　days　or　weeks　to　hear　what　another　would
tell　them　from　a　distance；　instead　of　hearing　it　in　a　second　as　is
done　by　the　more　highly　organised　classes。　　Who　shall　deny　that　one
who　can　tack　on　a　special　train　to　his　identity；　and　go　wheresoever
he　will　whensoever　he　pleases；　is　more　highly　organised　than　he
who；　should　he　wish　for　the　same　power；　might　wish　for　the　wings　of
a　bird　with　an　equal　chance　of　getting　them；　and　whose　legs　are　his
only　means　of　locomotion？　　That　old　philosophic　enemy；　matter；　the
inherently　and　essentially　evil；　still　hangs　about　the　neck　of　the
poor　and　strangles　him：　　but　to　the　rich；　matter　is　immaterial；　the
elaborate　organisation　of　his　extra…corporeal　system　has　freed　his
soul。

〃This　is　the　secret　of　the　homage　which　we　see　rich　men　receive
from　those　who　are　poorer　than　themselves：　　it　would　be　a　grave
error　to　suppose　that　this　deference　proceeds　from　motives　which　we
need　be　ashamed　of：　　it　is　the　natural　respect　which　all　living
creatures　pay　to　those　whom　they　recognise　as　higher　than
themselves　in　the　scale　of　animal　life；　and　is　analogous　to　the
veneration　which　a　dog　feels　for　man。　　Among　savage　races　it　is
deemed　highly　honourable　to　be　the　possessor　of　a　gun；　and
throughout　all　known　time　there　has　been　a　feeling　that　those　who
are　worth　most　are　the　worthiest。〃

And　so　he　went　on　at　considerable　length；　attempting　to　show　what
changes　in　the　distribution　of　animal　and　vegetable　life　throughout
the　kingdom　had　been　caused　by　this　and　that　of　man's　inventions；
and　in　what　way　each　was　connected　with　the　moral　and　intellectual
development　of　the　human　species：　　he　even　allotted　to　some　the
share　which　they　had　had　in　the　creation　and　modification　of　man's
body；　and　that　which　they　would　hereafter　have　in　its　destruction；
but　the　other　writer　was　considered　to　have　the　best　of　it；　and　in
the　end　succeeded　in　destroying　all　the　inventions　that　had　been
discovered　for　the　preceding　271　years；　a　period　which　was　agreed
upon　by　all　parties　after　several　years　of　wrangling　as　to　whether
a　certain　kind　of　mangle　which　was　much　in　use　among　washerwomen
should　be　saved　or　no。　　It　was　at　last　ruled　to　be　dangerous；　and
was　just　excluded　by　the　limit　of　271　years。　　Then　came　the
reactionary　civil　wars　which　nearly　ruined　the　country；　but　which
it　would　be　beyond　my　present　scope　to　describe。



CHAPTER　XXVI：　　THE　VIEWS　OF　AN　EREWHONIAN　PROPHET　CONCERNING　THE
RIGHTS　OF　ANIMALS



It　will　be　seen　from　the　foregoing　chapters　that　the　Erewhonians
are　a　meek　and　long…suffering　people；　easily　led　by　the　nose；　and
quick　to　offer　up　common　sense　at　the　shrine　of　logic；　when　a
philosopher　arises　among　them；　who　carries　them　away　through　his
reputation　for　especial　learning；　or　by　convincing　them　that　their
existing　institutions　are　not　based　on　the　strictest　principles　of
morality。

The　series　of　revolutions　on　which　I　shall　now　briefly　touch　shows
this　even　more　plainly　than　the　way　（already　dealt　with）　in　which
at　a　later　date　they　cut　their　throats　in　the　matter　of　machinery；
for　if　the　second　of　the　two　reformers　of　whom　I　am　about　to　speak
had　had　his　wayor　rather　the　way　that　he　professed　to　havethe
whole　race　would　have　died　of　starvation　within　a　twelve…month。
Happily　common　sense；　though　she　is　by　nature　the　gentlest　creature
living；　when　she　feels　the　knife　at　her　throat；　is　apt　to　develop
unexpected　powers　of　resistance；　and　to　send　doctrinaires　flying；
even　when　they　have　bound　her　down　and　think　they　have　her　at　their
mercy。　　What　happened；　so　far　as　I　could　collect　it　from　the　best
authorities；　was　as　follows：…

Some　two　thousand　five　hundred　years　ago　the　Erewhonians　were　still
uncivilised；　and　lived　by　hunting；　fishing；　a　rude　system　of
agriculture；　and　plundering　such　few　other　nations　as　they　had　not
yet　completely　conquered。　　They　had　no　schools　or　systems　of
philosophy；　but　by　a　kind　of　dog…knowledge　did　that　which　was　right
in　their　own　eyes　and　in　those　of　their　neighbours；　the　common
sense；　therefore；　of　the　public　being　as　yet　unvitiated；　crime　and
disease　were　looked　upon　much　as　they　are　in　other　countries。

But　with　the　gradual　advance　of　civilisation　and　increase　in
material　prosperity；　people　began　to　ask　questions　about　things
that　they　had　hitherto　taken　as　matters　of　course；　and　one　old
gentleman；　who　had　great　influence　over　them　by　reason　of　the
sanctity　of　his　life；　and　his　supposed　inspiration　by　an　unseen
power；　whose　existence　was　now　beginning　to　be　felt；　took　it　into
his　head　to　disquiet　himself　about　the　rights　of　animalsa
question　that　so　far　had　disturbed　nobody。

All　prophets　are　more　or　less　fussy；　and　this　old　gentleman　seems
to　have　been　one　of　the　more　fussy　ones。　　Being　maintained　at　the
public　expense；　he　had　ample　leisure；　and　not　content　with　limiting
his　attention　to　the　rights　of　animals；　he　wanted　to　reduce　right
and　wrong　to　rules；　to　consider　the　foundations　of　duty　and　of　good
and　evil；　and　otherwise　to　put　all　sorts　of　matters　on　a　logical
basis；　which　people　whose　time　is　money　are　content　to　accept　on　no
basis　at　all。

As　a　matter　of　course；　the　basis　on　which　he　decided　that　duty
could　alone　rest　was　one　that　afforded　no　standing…room　for　many　of
the　old…established　habits　of　the　people。　　These；　he　assured　them；
were　all　wrong；　and　whenever　any　one　ventured　to　differ　from　him；
he　referred　the　matter　to　the　unseen　power　with　which　he　alone　was
in　direct　communication；　and　the　unseen　power　invariably　assured
him　that　he　was　right。　　As　regards　the　rights　of　animals　he　taught
as　follows：…

〃You　know；　he　said；　〃how　wicked　it　is　of　you　to　kill　one　another。
Once　upon　a　time　your　fore…fathers　made　no　scruple　about　not　only
killing；　but　also　eating　their　relations。　　No　one　would　now　go　back
to　such　detestable　practices；　for　it　is　notorious　that　we　have
lived　much　more　happily　since　they　were　abandoned。　　From　this
increased　prosperity　we　may　confidently　deduce　the　maxim　that　we
should　not　kill　and　eat　our　fellow…creatures。　　I　have　consulted　the
higher　power　by　whom　you　know　that　I　am　inspired；　and　he　has
assured　me　that　this　conclusion　is　irrefragable。

〃Now　it　cannot　be　denied　that　sheep；　cattle；　deer；　birds；　and
fishes　are　our　fellow…creatures。　　They　differ　from　us　in　some
respects；　but　those　in　which　they　differ　are　few　and　secondary；
while　those　that　they　have　in　common　with　us　are　many　and
essential。　　My　friends；　if　it　was　wrong　of　you　to　kill　and　eat　your
fellow…men；　it　is　wrong　also　to　kill　and　eat　fish；　flesh；　and　fowl。
Birds；　beasts；　and　fishes；　have　as　full　a　right　to　live　as　long　as
they　can　unmolested　by　man；　as　man　has　to　live　unmolested　by　his
neighbours。　　These　words；　let　me　again　assure　you；　are　not　mine；
but　those　of　the　higher　power　which　inspires　me。

〃I　grant；〃　he　continued；　〃that　animals　molest　one　another；　and　that
some　of　them　go　so　far　as　to　molest　man；　but　I　have　yet　to　learn
that　we　should　model　our　conduct　on　that　of　the　lower　animals。　　We
should　endeavour；　rather；　to　instruct　them；　and　bring　them　to　a
better　mind。　　To　kill　a　tiger；　for　example；　who　has　lived　on　the
flesh　of　men　and　women　whom　he　has　killed；　is　to　reduce　ourselves
to　the　level　of　the　tiger；　and　is　unworthy　of　people　who　seek　to　be
guided　by　the　highest　principles　in　all；　both　their　thoughts　and
actions。

〃The　unseen　power　who　has　revealed　himself　to　me　alone　among　you；
has　told　me　to　tell　you　that　you　ought　by　this　time　to　have
outgrown　the　barbarous　habits　of　your　ancestors。　　If；　as　you
believe；　you　know　better　than　they；　you　should　do　better。　　He
commands　you；　therefore；　to　refrain　from　killing　any　living　being
for　the　sake　of　eating　it。　　The　only　animal　food　that　you　may　eat；
is　the　flesh　of　any　birds；　beasts；　or　fishes　that　you　may　come　upon
as　having　died　a　natural　death；　or　any　that　may　have　been　born
prematurely；　or　so　deformed　that　it　is　a　mercy　to　put　them　out　of
their　pain；　you　may　also　eat　all　such　animals　as　have　committed
suicide。　　As　regards　vegetables　you　may　eat　all　those　that　will　let
you　eat　them　with　impunity。〃

So　wisely　and　so　well　did　the　old　prophet　argue；　and　so　terrible
were　the　threats　he　hurled　at　those　who　should　disobey　him；　that　in
the　end　he　carried　the　more　highly　educated　part　of　the　people　with
him；　and　presently　the　poore