erewhon-第47节

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do；　and　to　do　it　repeatedly；　is　not　to　be　intelligent？　　Some　say
that　the　rose…seed　does　not　want　to　grow　into　a　rose…bush。　　Why；
then；　in　the　name　of　all　that　is　reasonable；　does　it　grow？　　Likely
enough　it　is　unaware　of　the　want　that　is　spurring　it　on　to　action。
We　have　no　reason　to　suppose　that　a　human　embryo　knows　that　it
wants　to　grow　into　a　baby；　or　a　baby　into　a　man。　　Nothing　ever
shows　signs　of　knowing　what　it　is　either　wanting　or　doing；　when　its
convictions　both　as　to　what　it　wants；　and　how　to　get　it；　have　been
settled　beyond　further　power　of　question。　　The　less　signs　living
creatures　give　of　knowing　what　they　do；　provided　they　do　it；　and　do
it　repeatedly　and　well；　the　greater　proof　they　give　that　in　reality
they　know　how　to　do　it；　and　have　done　it　already　on　an　infinite
number　of　past　occasions。

〃Some　one　may　say；〃　he　continued；　〃'What　do　you　mean　by　talking
about　an　infinite　number　of　past　occasions？　　When　did　a　rose…seed
make　itself　into　a　rose…bush　on　any　past　occasion？'

〃I　answer　this　question　with　another。　　'Did　the　rose…seed　ever　form
part　of　the　identity　of　the　rose…bush　on　which　it　grew？'　　Who　can
say　that　it　did　not？　　Again　I　ask：　　'Was　this　rose…bush　ever　linked
by　all　those　links　that　we　commonly　consider　as　constituting
personal　identity；　with　the　seed　from　which　it　in　its　turn　grew？'
Who　can　say　that　it　was　not？

〃Then；　if　rose…seed　number　two　is　a　continuation　of　the　personality
of　its　parent　rose…bush；　and　if　that　rose…bush　is　a　continuation　of
the　personality　of　the　rose…seed　from　which　it　sprang；　rose…seed
number　two　must　also　be　a　continuation　of　the　personality　of　the
earlier　rose…seed。　　And　this　rose…seed　must　be　a　continuation　of
the　personality　of　the　preceding　rose…seedand　so　back　and　back　ad
infinitum。　　Hence　it　is　impossible　to　deny　continued　personality
between　any　existing　rose…seed　and　the　earliest　seed　that　can　be
called　a　rose…seed　at　all。

〃The　answer；　then；　to　our　objector　is　not　far　to　seek。　　The　rose…
seed　did　what　it　now　does　in　the　persons　of　its　ancestorsto　whom
it　has　been　so　linked　as　to　be　able　to　remember　what　those
ancestors　did　when　they　were　placed　as　the　rose…seed　now　is。　　Each
stage　of　development　brings　back　the　recollection　of　the　course
taken　in　the　preceding　stage；　and　the　development　has　been　so　often
repeated；　that　all　doubtand　with　all　doubt；　all　consciousness　of
actionis　suspended。

〃But　an　objector　may　still　say；　'Granted　that　the　linking　between
all　successive　generations　has　been　so　close　and　unbroken；　that
each　one　of　them　may　be　conceived　as　able　to　remember　what　it　did
in　the　persons　of　its　ancestorshow　do　you　show　that　it　actually
did　remember？'

〃The　answer　is：　　'By　the　action　which　each　generation　takesan
action　which　repeats　all　the　phenomena　that　we　commonly　associate
with　memorywhich　is　explicable　on　the　supposition　that　it　has
been　guided　by　memoryand　which　has　neither　been　explained；　nor
seems　ever　likely　to　be　explained　on　any　other　theory　than　the
supposition　that　there　is　an　abiding　memory　between　successive
generations。'

〃Will　any　one　bring　an　example　of　any　living　creature　whose　action
we　can　understand；　performing　an　ineffably　difficult　and　intricate
action；　time　after　time；　with　invariable　success；　and　yet　not
knowing　how　to　do　it；　and　never　having　done　it　before？　　Show　me　the
example　and　I　will　say　no　more；　but　until　it　is　shown　me；　I　shall
credit　action　where　I　cannot　watch　it；　with　being　controlled　by　the
same　laws　as　when　it　is　within　our　ken。　　It　will　become　unconscious
as　soon　as　the　skill　that　directs　it　has　become　perfected。　　Neither
rose…seed；　therefore；　nor　embryo　should　be　expected　to　show　signs
of　knowing　that　they　know　what　they　knowif　they　showed　such　signs
the　fact　of　their　knowing　what　they　want；　and　how　to　get　it；　might
more　reasonably　be　doubted。〃

Some　of　the　passages　already　given　in　Chapter　XXIII　were　obviously
inspired　by　the　one　just　quoted。　　As　I　read　it；　in　a　reprint　shown
me　by　a　Professor　who　had　edited　much　of　the　early　literature　on
the　subject；　I　could　not　but　remember　the　one　in　which　our　Lord
tells　His　disciples　to　consider　the　lilies　of　the　field；　who
neither　toil　nor　spin；　but　whose　raiment　surpasses　even　that　of
Solomon　in　all　his　glory。

〃They　toil　not；　neither　do　they　spin？〃　　Is　that　so？　　〃Toil　not？〃
Perhaps　not；　now　that　the　method　of　procedure　is　so　well　known　as
to　admit　of　no　further　questionbut　it　is　not　likely　that　lilies
came　to　make　themselves　so　beautifully　without　having　ever　taken
any　pains　about　the　matter。　　〃Neither　do　they　spin？〃　　Not　with　a
spinning…wheel；　but　is　there　no　textile　fabric　in　a　leaf？

What　would　the　lilies　of　the　field　say　if　they　heard　one　of　us
declaring　that　they　neither　toil　nor　spin？　　They　would　say；　I　take
it；　much　what　we　should　if　we　were　to　hear　of　their　preaching
humility　on　the　text　of　Solomons；　and　saying；　〃Consider　the
Solomons　in　all　their　glory；　they　toil　not　neither　do　they　spin。〃
We　should　say　that　the　lilies　were　talking　about　things　that　they
did　not　understand；　and　that　though　the　Solomons　do　not　toil　nor
spin；　yet　there　had　been　no　lack　of　either　toiling　or　spinning
before　they　came　to　be　arrayed　so　gorgeously。

Let　me　now　return　to　the　Professor。　　I　have　said　enough　to　show　the
general　drift　of　the　arguments　on　which　he　relied　in　order　to　show
that　vegetables　are　only　animals　under　another　name；　but　have　not
stated　his　case　in　anything　like　the　fullness　with　which　he　laid　it
before　the　public。　　The　conclusion　he　drew；　or　pretended　to　draw；
was　that　if　it　was　sinful　to　kill　and　eat　animals；　it　was　not　less
sinful　to　do　the　like　by　vegetables；　or　their　seeds。　　None　such；　he
said；　should　be　eaten；　save　what　had　died　a　natural　death；　such　as
fruit　that　was　lying　on　the　ground　and　about　to　rot；　or　cabbage…
leaves　that　had　turned　yellow　in　late　autumn。　　These　and　other　like
garbage　he　declared　to　be　the　only　food　that　might　be　eaten　with　a
clear　conscience。　　Even　so　the　eater　must　plant　the　pips　of　any
apples　or　pears　that　he　may　have　eaten；　or　any　plum…stones；　cherry…
stones；　and　the　like；　or　he　would　come　near　to　incurring　the　guilt
of　infanticide。　　The　grain　of　cereals；　according　to　him；　was　out　of
the　question；　for　every　such　grain　had　a　living　soul　as　much　as　man
had；　and　had　as　good　a　right　as　man　to　possess　that　soul　in　peace。

Having　thus　driven　his　fellow　countrymen　into　a　corner　at　the　point
of　a　logical　bayonet　from　which　they　felt　that　there　was　no　escape；
he　proposed　that　the　question　what　was　to　be　done　should　be
referred　to　an　oracle　in　which　the　whole　country　had　the　greatest
confidence；　and　to　which　recourse　was　always　had　in　times　of
special　perplexity。　　It　was　whispered　that　a　near　relation　of　the
philosopher's　was　lady's…maid　to　the　priestess　who　delivered　the
oracle；　and　the　Puritan　party　declared　that　the　strangely
unequivocal　answer　of　the　oracle　was　obtained　by　backstairs
influence；　but　whether　this　was　so　or　no；　the　response　as　nearly　as
I　can　translate　it　was　as　follows：…


〃He　who　sins　aught
Sins　more　than　he　ought；
But　he　who　sins　nought
Has　much　to　be　taught。
Beat　or　be　beaten；
Eat　or　be　eaten；
Be　killed　or　kill；
Choose　which　you　will。〃


It　was　clear　that　this　response　sanctioned　at　any　rate　the
destruction　of　vegetable　life　when　wanted　as　food　by　man；　and　so
forcibly　had　the　philosopher　shown　that　what　was　sauce　for
vegetables　was　so　also　for　animals；　that；　though　the　Puritan　party
made　a　furious　outcry；　the　acts　forbidding　the　use　of　meat　were
repealed　by　a　considerable　majority。　　Thus；　after　several　hundred
years　of　wandering　in　the　wilderness　of　philosophy；　the　country
reached　the　conclusions　that　common　sense　had　long　since　arrived
at。　　Even　the　Puritans　after　a　vain　attempt　to　subsist　on　a　kind　of
jam　made　of　apples　and　yellow　cabbage　leaves；　succumbed　to　the
inevitable；　and　resigned　themselves　to　a　diet　of　roast　beef　and
mutton；　with　all　the　usual　adjuncts　of　a　modern　dinner…table。

One　would　have　thought　that　the　dance　they　had　been　led　by　the　old
prophet；　and　that　still　madder　dance　which　the　Professor　of　botany
had　gravely；　but　as　I　believe　insidiously；　proposed　to　lead　them；
would　have　made　the　Erewhonians　for　a　long　time　suspicious　of
prophets　whether　they　professed　to　have　communications　with　an
unseen　power　or　no；　but　so　engrained　in　the　human　heart　is　the
desire　to　believe　that　some　people　really　do　know　what　they　say
they　know；　and　can　thus　save　them　from　the　trouble　of　thinking　for
themselves；　that　in　a　short　time　would…be　philosophers　and　faddists
became　more　powerful　than　ever；　and　gradually　led　their　countrymen
to　accept　all　those　absurd　views　of　life；　some　account　of　which　I
have　given　in　my　earlier　chapters。　　Indeed　I　can　see　no　hope　for
the　Erewhonians　till　they　have　got　to　understand　that　reason
uncorrected　by　instinct　is　as　bad　as　instinct　uncorrected　by
reason。



CHAPTER　XXVIII：　　ESCAPE



Though　busily　engaged　in　translating　the　extracts　given　in　the　last
five　chapters；　I　was　also　laying　matters　in　train　for　my　escape
with　Arowhena。　　And　indeed　it　was　high　time；　for　I　received　an
intimation　from　one　of　the　cashiers　of　the　Musical　Banks；　that　I