erewhon-第46节

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of　Duty；　so　grave；　but　yet　so　kindly；　and　it　cut　him　to　the　heart
that　from　time　to　time　he　should　see　her　turn　pitying　away　from　him
as　he　followed　after　her　rival。

The　poor　boy　continually　thought　of　the　better　class　of　his　fellow…
students；　and　tried　to　model　his　conduct　on　what　he　thought　was
theirs。　　〃They；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃eat　a　beefsteak？　　Never。〃
But　they　most　of　them　ate　one　now　and　again；　unless　it　was　a　mutton
chop　that　tempted　them。　　And　they　used　him　for　a　model　much　as　he
did　them。　　〃He；〃　they　would　say　to　themselves；　〃eat　a　mutton　chop？
Never。〃　　One　night；　however；　he　was　followed　by　one　of　the
authorities；　who　was　always　prowling　about　in　search　of　law…
breakers；　and　was　caught　coming　out　of　the　den　with　half　a　shoulder
of　mutton　concealed　about　his　person。　　On　this；　even　though　he　had
not　been　put　in　prison；　he　would　have　been　sent　away　with　his
prospects　in　life　irretrievably　ruined；　he　therefore　hanged　himself
as　soon　as　he　got　home。



CHAPTER　XXVII：　　THE　VIEWS　OF　AN　EREWHONIAN　PHILOSOPHER　CONCERNING
THE　RIGHTS　OF　VEGETABLES



Let　me　leave　this　unhappy　story；　and　return　to　the　course　of　events
among　the　Erewhonians　at　large。　　No　matter　how　many　laws　they
passed　increasing　the　severity　of　the　punishments　inflicted　on
those　who　ate　meat　in　secret；　the　people　found　means　of　setting
them　aside　as　fast　as　they　were　made。　　At　times；　indeed；　they　would
become　almost　obsolete；　but　when　they　were　on　the　point　of　being
repealed；　some　national　disaster　or　the　preaching　of　some　fanatic
would　reawaken　the　conscience　of　the　nation；　and　people　were
imprisoned　by　the　thousand　for　illicitly　selling　and　buying　animal
food。

About　six　or　seven　hundred　years；　however；　after　the　death　of　the
old　prophet；　a　philosopher　appeared；　who；　though　he　did　not　claim
to　have　any　communication　with　an　unseen　power；　laid　down　the　law
with　as　much　confidence　as　if　such　a　power　had　inspired　him。　　Many
think　that　this　philosopher　did　not　believe　his　own　teaching；　and；
being　in　secret　a　great　meat…eater；　had　no　other　end　in　view　than
reducing　the　prohibition　against　eating　animal　food　to　an
absurdity；　greater　even　than　an　Erewhonian　Puritan　would　be　able　to
stand。

Those　who　take　this　view　hold　that　he　knew　how　impossible　it　would
be　to　get　the　nation　to　accept　legislation　that　it　held　to　be
sinful；　he　knew　also　how　hopeless　it　would　be　to　convince　people
that　it　was　not　wicked　to　kill　a　sheep　and　eat　it；　unless　he　could
show　them　that　they　must　either　sin　to　a　certain　extent；　or　die。
He；　therefore；　it　is　believed；　made　the　monstrous　proposals　of
which　I　will　now　speak。

He　began　by　paying　a　tribute　of　profound　respect　to　the　old
prophet；　whose　advocacy　of　the　rights　of　animals；　he　admitted；　had
done　much　to　soften　the　national　character；　and　enlarge　its　views
about　the　sanctity　of　life　in　general。　　But　he　urged　that　times　had
now　changed；　the　lesson　of　which　the　country　had　stood　in　need　had
been　sufficiently　learnt；　while　as　regards　vegetables　much　had
become　known　that　was　not　even　suspected　formerly；　and　which；　if
the　nation　was　to　persevere　in　that　strict　adherence　to　the　highest
moral　principles　which　had　been　the　secret　of　its　prosperity
hitherto；　must　necessitate　a　radical　change　in　its　attitude　towards
them。

It　was　indeed　true　that　much　was　now　known　that　had　not　been
suspected　formerly；　for　the　people　had　had　no　foreign　enemies；　and；
being　both　quick…witted　and　inquisitive　into　the　mysteries　of
nature；　had　made　extraordinary　progress　in　all　the　many　branches　of
art　and　science。　　In　the　chief　Erewhonian　museum　I　was　shown　a
microscope　of　considerable　power；　that　was　ascribed　by　the
authorities　to　a　date　much　about　that　of　the　philosopher　of　whom　I
am　now　speaking；　and　was　even　supposed　by　some　to　have　been　the
instrument　with　which　he　had　actually　worked。

This　philosopher　was　Professor　of　botany　in　the　chief　seat　of
learning　then　in　Erewhon；　and　whether　with　the　help　of　the
microscope　still　preserved；　or　with　another；　had　arrived　at　a
conclusion　now　universally　accepted　among　ourselvesI　mean；　that
all；　both　animals　and　plants；　have　had　a　common　ancestry；　and　that
hence　the　second　should　be　deemed　as　much　alive　as　the　first。　　He
contended；　therefore；　that　animals　and　plants　were　cousins；　and
would　have　been　seen　to　be　so；　all　along；　if　people　had　not　made　an
arbitrary　and　unreasonable　division　between　what　they　chose　to　call
the　animal　and　vegetable　kingdoms。

He　declared；　and　demonstrated　to　the　satisfaction　of　all　those　who
were　able　to　form　an　opinion　upon　the　subject；　that　there　is　no
difference　appreciable　either　by　the　eye；　or　by　any　other　test；
between　a　germ　that　will　develop　into　an　oak；　a　vine；　a　rose；　and
one　that　（given　its　accustomed　surroundings）　will　become　a　mouse；
an　elephant；　or　a　man。

He　contended　that　the　course　of　any　germ's　development　was　dictated
by　the　habits　of　the　germs　from　which　it　was　descended　and　of　whose
identity　it　had　once　formed　part。　　If　a　germ　found　itself　placed　as
the　germs　in　the　line　of　its　ancestry　were　placed；　it　would　do　as
its　ancestors　had　done；　and　grow　up　into　the　same　kind　of　organism
as　theirs。　　If　it　found　the　circumstances　only　a　little　different；
it　would　make　shift　（successfully　or　unsuccessfully）　to　modify　its
development　accordingly；　if　the　circumstances　were　widely
different；　it　would　die；　probably　without　an　effort　at　self…
adaptation。　　This；　he　argued；　applied　equally　to　the　germs　of
plants　and　of　animals。

He　therefore　connected　all；　both　animal　and　vegetable　development；
with　intelligence；　either　spent　and　now　unconscious；　or　still
unspent　and　conscious；　and　in　support　of　his　view　as　regards
vegetable　life；　he　pointed　to　the　way　in　which　all　plants　have
adapted　themselves　to　their　habitual　environment。　　Granting　that
vegetable　intelligence　at　first　sight　appears　to　differ　materially
from　animal；　yet；　he　urged；　it　is　like　it　in　the　one　essential　fact
that　though　it　has　evidently　busied　itself　about　matters　that　are
vital　to　the　well…being　of　the　organism　that　possesses　it；　it　has
never　shown　the　slightest　tendency　to　occupy　itself　with　anything
else。　　This；　he　insisted；　is　as　great　a　proof　of　intelligence　as
any　living　being　can　give。

〃Plants；〃　said　he；　〃show　no　sign　of　interesting　themselves　in　human
affairs。　　We　shall　never　get　a　rose　to　understand　that　five　times
seven　are　thirty…five；　and　there　is　no　use　in　talking　to　an　oak
about　fluctuations　in　the　price　of　stocks。　　Hence　we　say　that　the
oak　and　the　rose　are　unintelligent；　and　on　finding　that　they　do　not
understand　our　business　conclude　that　they　do　not　understand　their
own。　　But　what　can　a　creature　who　talks　in　this　way　know　about
intelligence？　　Which　shows　greater　signs　of　intelligence？　　He；　or
the　rose　and　oak？

〃And　when　we　call　plants　stupid　for　not　understanding　our　business；
how　capable　do　we　show　ourselves　of　understanding　theirs？　　Can　we
form　even　the　faintest　conception　of　the　way　in　which　a　seed　from　a
rose…tree　turns　earth；　air；　warmth　and　water　into　a　rose　full…
blown？　　Where　does　it　get　its　colour　from？　　From　the　earth；　air；
&c。？　　Yesbut　how？　　Those　petals　of　such　ineffable　texturethat
hue　that　outvies　the　cheek　of　a　childthat　scent　again？　　Look　at
earth；　air；　and　waterthese　are　all　the　raw　material　that　the　rose
has　got　to　work　with；　does　it　show　any　sign　of　want　of　intelligence
in　the　alchemy　with　which　it　turns　mud　into　rose…leaves？　　What
chemist　can　do　anything　comparable？　　Why　does　no　one　try？　　Simply
because　every　one　knows　that　no　human　intelligence　is　equal　to　the
task。　　We　give　it　up。　　It　is　the　rose's　department；　let　the　rose
attend　to　itand　be　dubbed　unintelligent　because　it　baffles　us　by
the　miracles　it　works；　and　the　unconcerned　business…like　way　in
which　it　works　them。

〃See　what　pains；　again；　plants　take　to　protect　themselves　against
their　enemies。　　They　scratch；　cut；　sting；　make　bad　smells；　secrete
the　most　dreadful　poisons　（which　Heaven　only　knows　how　they
contrive　to　make）；　cover　their　precious　seeds　with　spines　like
those　of　a　hedgehog；　frighten　insects　with　delicate　nervous　systems
by　assuming　portentous　shapes；　hide　themselves；　grow　in
inaccessible　places；　and　tell　lies　so　plausibly　as　to　deceive　even
their　subtlest　foes。

〃They　lay　traps　smeared　with　bird…lime；　to　catch　insects；　and
persuade　them　to　drown　themselves　in　pitchers　which　they　have　made
of　their　leaves；　and　fill　with　water；　others　make　themselves；　as　it
were；　into　living　rat…traps；　which　close　with　a　spring　on　any
insect　that　settles　upon　them；　others　make　their　flowers　into　the
shape　of　a　certain　fly　that　is　a　great　pillager　of　honey；　so　that
when　the　real　fly　comes　it　thinks　that　the　flowers　are　bespoke；　and
goes　on　elsewhere。　　Some　are　so　clever　as　even　to　overreach
themselves；　like　the　horse…radish；　which　gets　pulled　up　and　eaten
for　the　sake　of　that　pungency　with　which　it　protects　itself　against
underground　enemies。　　If；　on　the　other　hand；　they　think　that　any
insect　can　be　of　service　to　them；　see　how　pretty　they　make
themselves。

〃What　is　to　be　intelligent　if　to　know　how　to　do　what　one　wants　to
do；　and　to　do　it　repeatedly；　is　not　to　be　intelligent？　　Som