flatland-第9节

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e　scientific　utterance　of　these　modern　days。




Section　9。　　Of　the　Universal　Colour　Bill



But　meanwhile　the　intellectual　Arts　were　fast　decaying。

The　Art　of　Sight　Recognition；　being　no　longer　needed；　was　no　longer　practised；　and　the　studies　of　Geometry；　Statics；　Kinetics；　and　other　kindred　subjects；　came　soon　to　be　considered　superfluous；　and　fell　into　disrespect　and　neglect　even　at　our　University。　　The　inferior　Art　of　Feeling　speedily　experienced　the　same　fate　at　our　Elementary　Schools。　　Then　the　Isosceles　classes；　asserting　that　the　Specimens　were　no　longer　used　nor　needed；　and　refusing　to　pay　the　customary　tribute　from　the　Criminal　classes　to　the　service　of　Education；　waxed　daily　more　numerous　and　more　insolent　on　the　strength　of　their　immunity　from　the　old　burden　which　had　formerly　exercised　the　twofold　wholesome　effect　of　at　once　taming　their　brutal　nature　and　thinning　their　excessive　numbers。

Year　by　year　the　Soldiers　and　Artisans　began　more　vehemently　to　assert　　and　with　increasing　truth　　that　there　was　no　great　difference　between　them　and　the　very　highest　class　of　Polygons；　now　that　they　were　raised　to　an　equality　with　the　latter；　and　enabled　to　grapple　with　all　the　difficulties　and　solve　all　the　problems　of　life；　whether　Statical　or　Kinetical；　by　the　simple　process　of　Colour　Recognition。　　Not　content　with　the　natural　neglect　into　which　Sight　Recognition　was　falling；　they　began　boldly　to　demand　the　legal　prohibition　of　all　〃monopolizing　and　aristocratic　Arts〃　and　the　consequent　abolition　of　all　endowments　for　the　studies　of　Sight　Recognition；　Mathematics；　and　Feeling。　　Soon；　they　began　to　insist　that　inasmuch　as　Colour；　which　was　a　second　Nature；　had　destroyed　the　need　of　aristocratic　distinctions；　the　Law　should　follow　in　the　same　path；　and　that　henceforth　all　individuals　and　all　classes　should　be　recognized　as　absolutely　equal　and　entitled　to　equal　rights。

Finding　the　higher　Orders　wavering　and　undecided；　the　leaders　of　the　Revolution　advanced　still　further　in　their　requirements；　and　at　last　demanded　that　all　classes　alike；　the　Priests　and　the　Women　not　excepted；　should　do　homage　to　Colour　by　submitting　to　be　painted。　When　it　was　objected　that　Priests　and　Women　had　no　sides；　they　retorted　that　Nature　and　Expediency　concurred　in　dictating　that　the　front　half　of　every　human　being　（that　is　to　say；　the　half　containing　his　eye　and　mouth）　should　be　distinguishable　from　his　hinder　half。　　They　therefore　brought　before　a　general　and　extraordinary　Assembly　of　all　the　States　of　Flatland　a　Bill　proposing　that　in　every　Woman　the　half　containing　the　eye　and　mouth　should　be　coloured　red；　and　the　other　half　green。　The　Priests　were　to　be　painted　in　the　same　way；　red　being　applied　to　that　semicircle　in　which　the　eye　and　mouth　formed　the　middle　point；　while　the　other　or　hinder　semicircle　was　to　be　coloured　green。

There　was　no　little　cunning　in　this　proposal；　which　indeed　emanated　not　from　any　Isosceles　　for　no　being　so　degraded　would　have　had　angularity　enough　to　appreciate；　much　less　to　devise；　such　a　model　of　state…craft　　but　from　an　Irregular　Circle　who；　instead　of　being　destroyed　in　his　childhood；　was　reserved　by　a　foolish　indulgence　to　bring　desolation　on　his　country　and　destruction　on　myriads　of　his　followers。

On　the　one　hand　the　proposition　was　calculated　to　bring　the　Women　in　all　classes　over　to　the　side　of　the　Chromatic　Innovation。　For　by　assigning　to　the　Women　the　same　two　colours　as　were　assigned　to　the　Priests；　the　Revolutionists　thereby　ensured　that；　in　certain　positions；　every　Woman　would　appear　like　a　Priest；　and　be　treated　with　corresponding　respect　and　deference　　a　prospect　that　could　not　fail　to　attract　the　Female　Sex　in　a　mass。

But　by　some　of　my　Readers　the　possibility　of　the　identical　appearance　of　Priests　and　Women；　under　the　new　Legislation；　may　not　be　recognized；　if　so；　a　word　or　two　will　make　it　obvious。

Imagine　a　woman　duly　decorated；　according　to　the　new　Code；　with　the　front　half　（i。e。　the　half　containing　eye　and　mouth）　red；　and　with　the　hinder　half　green。　　Look　at　her　from　one　side。　Obviously　you　will　see　a　straight　line；　HALF　RED；　HALF　GREEN。