penguin island-第5节

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his　'Philosophical；　Political；　and　Critical　History　of　Christianity。'　It　will　be　an　arduous　question　to　decide　on　the　validity　of　such　baptisms；　for　even　if　in　my　sacred　writings　I　tolerate　a　Greek　less　elegant　than　Plato's　and　a　scarcely　Ciceronian　Latin；　I　cannot　possibly　admit　a　piece　of　pure　patois　as　a　liturgical　formula。　And　one　shudders　when　one　thinks　that　millions　of　new…born　babes　will　be　baptized　by　this　method。　But　let　us　return　to　our　penguins。〃

〃Your　divine　words；　Lord；　have　already　led　us　back　to　them；〃　said　St。　Gal。　〃In　the　signs　of　religion　and　the　laws　of　salvation　form　necessarily　prevails　over　essence；　and　the　validity　of　a　sacrament　solely　depends　upon　its　form。　The　whole　question　is　whether　the　penguins　have　been　baptized　with　the　proper　forms。　Now　there　is　no　doubt　about　the　answer。〃

The　fathers　and　the　doctors　agreed；　and　their　perplexity　became　only　the　more　cruel。

〃The　Christian　state；〃　said　St。　Cornelius；　〃is　not　without　serious　inconveniences　for　a　penguin。　In　it　the　birds　are　obliged　to　work　out　their　own　salvation。　How　can　they　succeed？　The　habits　of　birds　are；　in　many　points；　contrary　to　the　commandments　of　the　Church；　and　the　penguins　have　no　reason　for　changing　theirs。　I　mean　that　they　are　not　intelligent　enough　to　give　up　their　present　habits　and　assume　better。〃

〃They　cannot；〃　said　the　Lord；　〃my　decrees　prevent　them。〃

〃Nevertheless；〃　resumed　St。　Cornelius；　〃in　virtue　of　their　baptism　their　actions　no　longer　remain　indifferent。　Henceforth　they　will　be　good　or　bad；　susceptible　of　merit　or　of　demerit。〃

〃That　is　precisely　the　question　we　have　to　deal　with；〃　said　the　Lord。

〃I　see　only　one　solution；〃　said　St。　Augustine。　〃The　penguins　will　go　to　hell。〃

〃But　they　have　no　soul；〃　observed　St。　Irenaeus。

〃It　is　a　pity〃〃　sighed　Tertullian。　

〃It　is　indeed；〃　resumed　St。　Gal。　〃And　I　admit　that　my　disciple；　the　holy　Mael；　has；　in　his　blind　zeal；　created　great　theological　difficulties　for　the　Holy　Spirit　and　introduced　disorder　into　the　economy　of　mysteries。〃

〃He　is　an　old　blunderer；〃　cried　St。　Adjutor　of　Alsace；　shrugging　his　shoulders。

But　the　Lord　cast　a　reproachful　look　on　Adjutor。

〃Allow　me　to　speak；〃　said　he；　〃the　holy　Mael　has　not　intuitive　knowledge　like　you；　my　blessed　ones。　He　does　not　see　me。　He　is　an　old　man　burdened　by　infirmities；　he　is　half　deaf　and　three　parts　blind。　You　are　too　severe　on　him。　However；　I　recognise　that　the　situation　is　an　embarrassing　one。〃

〃Luckily　it　is　but　a　passing　disorder；〃　said　St。　Irenaeus。　〃The　penguins　are　baptized；　but　their　eggs　are　not；　and　the　evil　will　stop　with　the　present　generation。〃

〃Do　not　speak　thus；　Irenaeus　my　son；〃　said　the　Lord。　〃There　are　exceptions　to　the　laws　that　men　of　science　lay　down　on　the　earth　because　they　are　imperfect　and　have　not　an　exact　application　to　nature。　But　the　laws　that　I　establish　are　perfect　and　suffer　no　exception。　We　must　decide　the　fate　of　the　baptized　penguins　without　violating　any　divine　law；　and　in　a　manner　conformable　to　the　decalogue　as　well　as　to　the　commandments　of　my　Church。〃

〃Lord；〃　said　St。　Gregory　Nazianzen；　〃give　them　an　immortal　soul。〃

〃Alas！　Lord；　what　would　they　do　with　it；〃　sighed　Lactantius。　〃They　have　not　tuneful　voices　to　sing　your　praises。　They　would　not　be　able　to　celebrate　your　mysteries。〃

〃Without　doubt；〃　said　St。　Augustine；　〃they　would　not　observe　the　divine　law。〃

〃They　could　not；〃　said　the　Lord。

〃They　could　not；〃　continued　St。　Augustine。　〃And　if；　Lord；　in　your　wisdom；　you　pour　an　immortal　soul　into　them；　they　will　burn　eternally　in　hell　in　virtue　of　your　adorable　decrees。　Thus　will　the　transcendent　order；　that　this　old　Welshman　has　disturbed；　be　re…established。〃

〃You　propose　a　correct　solution　to　me；　son　of　Monica；〃　said　the　Lord；　〃and　one　that　accords　with　my　wisdom。　But　it　does　not　satisfy　my　mercy。　And；　although　in　my　essence　I　am　immutable；　the　longer　I　endure；　the　more　I　incline　to　mildness。　This　change　of　character　is　evident　to　anyone　who　reads　my　two　Testaments。〃

As　the　discussion　continued　without　much　light　being　thrown　upon　the　matter　and　as　the　blessed　showed　a　disposition　to　keep　repeating　the　same　thing；　it　was　decided　to　consult　St。　Catherine　of　Alexandria。　This　is　what　was　usually　done　in　such　cases。　St。　Catherine　while　on　earth　had　confounded　fifty　very　learned　doctors。　She　knew　Plato's　philosophy　in　addition　to　the　Holy　Scriptures；　and　she　also　possessed　a　knowledge　of　rhetoric。



VII。　AN　ASSEMBLY　IN　PARADISE　（Continuation　and　End）

St。　Catherine　entered　the　assembly；　her　head　encircled　by　a　crown　of　emeralds；　sapphires；　and　pearls；　and　she　was　clad　in　a　robe　of　cloth　of　gold。　She　carried　at　her　side　a　blazing　wheel；　the　image　of　the　one　whose　fragments　had　struck　her　persecutors。

The　Lord　having　invited　her　to　speak；　she　expressed　herself　in　these　terms：

〃Lord；　in　order　to　solve　the　problem　you　deign　to　submit　to　me　I　shall　not　study　the　habits　of　animals　in　general　nor　those　of　birds　in　particular。　I　shall　only　remark　to　the　doctors；　confessors；　and　pontiffs　gathered　in　this　assembly　that　the　separation　between　man　and　animal　is　not　complete　since　there　are　monsters　who　proceed　from　both。　Such　are　chimerashalf　nymphs　and　half　serpents；　such　are　the　three　Gorgons　and　the　Capripeds；　such　are　the　Scyllas　and　the　Sirens　who　sing　in　the　sea。　These　have　a　woman's　breast　and　a　fish's　tail。　Such　also　are　the　Centaurs；　men　down　to　the　waist　and　the　remainder　horses。　They　are　a　noble　race　of　monsters。　One　of　them；　as　you　know；　was　able；　guided　by　the　light　of　reason　alone；　to　direct　his　steps　towards　eternal　blessedness；　and　you　sometimes　see　his　heroic　bosom　prancing　on　the　clouds。　Chiron；　the　Centaur；　deserved　for　his　works　on　the　earth　to　share　the　abode　of　the　blessed；　he　it　was　who　gave　Achilles　his　education；　and　that　young　hero；　when　he　left　the　Centaur's　hands；　lived　for　two　years；　dressed　as　a　young　girl；　among　the　daughters　of　King　Lycomedes。　He　shared　their　games　and　their　bed　without　allowing　any　suspicion　to　arise　that　he　was　not　a　young　virgin　like　them。　Chiron；　who　taught　him　such　good　morals；　is；　with　the　Emperor　Trajan；　the　only　righteous　man　who　obtained　celestial　glory　by　following　the　law　of　nature。　And　yet　he　was　but　half　human。

〃I　think　I　have　proved　by　this　example　that；　to　reach　eternal　blessedness；　it　is　enough　to　possess　some　parts　of　humanity；　always　on　the　condition　that　they　are　noble。　And　what　Chiron；　the　Centaur；　could　obtain　without　having　been　regenerated　by　baptism；　would　not　the　penguins　deserve　too；　if　they　became　half　penguins　and　half　men？　That　is　why；　Lord；　I　entreat　you　to　give　old　Mael's　penguins　a　human　head　and　breast　so　that　they　can　praise　you　worthily。　And　grant　them　also　an　immortal　soulbut　one　of　small　size。〃

Thus　Catherine　spoke；　and　the　fathers；　doctors；　confessors；　and　pontiffs　heard　her　with　a　murmur　of　approbation。

But　St。　Anthony；　the　Hermit；　arose　and　stretching　two　red　and　knotty　arms　towards　the　Most　High：

〃Do　not　so；　O　Lord　God；〃　he　cried；　〃in　the　name　of　your　holy　Paraclete；　do　not　so！〃

He　spoke　with　such　vehemence　that　his　long　white　beard　shook　on　his　chin　like　the　empty　nose…bag　of　a　hungry　horse。

〃Lord；　do　not　so。　Birds　with　human　heads　exist　already。　St。　Catherine　has　told　us　nothing　new。〃

〃The　imagination　groups　and　compares；　it　never　creates；〃　replied　St。　Catherine　drily。

〃They　exist　already；〃　continued　St。　Antony；　who　would　listen　to　nothing。　〃They　are　called　harpies；　and　they　are　the　most　obscene　animals　in　creation。　One　day　as　I　was　having　supper　in　the　desert　with　the　Abbot　St。　Paul；　I　placed　the　table　outside　my　cabin　under　an　old　sycamore　tree。　The　harpies　came　and　sat　in　its　branches；　they　deafened　us　with　their　shrill　cries　and　cast　their　excrement　over　all　our　food。　The　clamour　of　the　monsters　prevented　me　from　listening　to　the　teaching　of　the　Abbot　St。　Paul；　and　we　ate　birds'　dung　with　our　bread　and　lettuces。　Lord；　it　is　impossible　to　believe　that　harpies　could　give　thee　worthy　praise。

〃Truly　in　my　temptations　I　have　seen　many　hybrid　beings；　not　only　women…serpents　and　women…fishes；　but　beings　still　more　confusedly　formed　such　as　men　whose　bodies　were　made　out　of　a　pot；　a　bell；　a　clock；　a　cupboard　full　of　food　and　crockery；　or　even　out　of　a　house　with　doors　and　windows　through　which　people　engaged　in　their　domestic　tasks　could　be　seen。　Eternity　would　not　suffice　were　I　to　describe　all　the　monsters　that　assailed　me　in　my　solitude；　from　whales　rigged　like　ships　to　a　shower　of　red　insects　which　changed　the　water　of　my　fountain　into　blood。　But　none　were　as　disgusting　as　the　harpies　whose　offal　polluted　the　leaves　of　my　sycamore。〃

〃Harpies；〃　observed　Lactantius；　〃are　female　Monsters　with　birds'　bodies。　They　have　a　woman's　head　and　breast。　Their　forwardness；　their　shamelessness；　and　their　obscenity　proceed　from　their　female　nature　as　the　poet　Virgil　demonstrated　in　his　'Aeneid。'　They　share　the　curse　of　Eve。〃

〃Let　us　not　speak　of　the　curse　of　Eve；〃　said　the　Lord。　〃The　second　Eve　has　redeemed　the　first。〃

Paul　Orosius；　the　author　of　a　universal　history　that　Bossuet　was　to　imitate　in　later　years；　arose　and　prayed　to　the　Lord：

〃Lord；　hear　my　prayer　and　Anthony's。　Do　not　make　any　more　monsters　like　the　Centaurs；　Sirens；　and　Fa