rasselas, prince of abyssinia-第26章

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　he　should　omit　some　of　the　mortifications　　which　are　practised　in　the　cloister；　and　allow　himself　such　　harmless　delights　as　his　condition　may　place　within　his　reach？〃
〃This；〃　said　Imlac；　〃is　a　question　which　has　long　divided　the　wise　　and　perplexed　the　good。　　I　am　afraid　to　decide　on　either　part。　　He　　that　lives　well　in　the　world　is　better　than　he　that　lives　well　in　a　　monastery。　　But　perhaps　everyone　is　not　able　to　stem　the　　temptations　of　public　life；　and　if　he　cannot　conquer　he　may　　properly　retreat。　　Some　have　little　power　to　do　good；　and　have　　likewise　little　strength　to　resist　evil。　　Many　are　weary　of　the　　conflicts　with　adversity；　and　are　willing　to　eject　those　passions　　which　have　long　busied　them　in　vain。　　And　many　are　dismissed　by　age　　and　diseases　from　the　more　laborious　duties　of　society。　　In　　monasteries　the　weak　and　timorous　may　be　happily　sheltered；　the　　weary　may　repose；　and　the　penitent　may　meditate。　　Those　retreats　of　　prayer　and　contemplation　have　something　so　congenial　to　the　mind　of　　man；　that　perhaps　there　is　scarcely　one　that　does　not　purpose　to　　close　his　life　in　pious　abstraction；　with　a　few　associates　serious　　as　himself。〃
〃Such；〃　said　Pekuah；　〃has　often　been　my　wish；　and　I　have　heard　the　　Princess　declare　that　she　should　not　willingly　die　in　a　crowd。〃
〃The　liberty　of　using　harmless　pleasures；〃　proceeded　Imlac；　〃will　　not　be　disputed；　but　it　is　still　to　be　examined　what　pleasures　are　　harmless。　　The　evil　of　any　pleasure　that　Nekayah　can　image　is　not　　in　the　act　itself　but　in　its　consequences。　　Pleasure　in　itself　　harmless　may　become　mischievous　by　endearing　to　us　a　state　which　we　　know　to　be　transient　and　probatory；　and　withdrawing　our　thoughts　　from　that　of　which　every　hour　brings　us　nearer　to　the　beginning；　　and　of　which　no　length　of　time　will　bring　us　to　the　end。　　　Mortification　is　not　virtuous　in　itself；　nor　has　any　other　use　but　　that　it　disengages　us　from　the　allurements　of　sense。　　In　the　state　　of　future　perfection　to　which　we　all　aspire　there　will　be　pleasure　　without　danger　and　security　without　restraint。〃
The　Princess　was　silent；　and　Rasselas；　turning　to　the　astronomer；　　asked　him　whether　he　could　not　delay　her　retreat　by　showing　her　　something　which　she　had　not　seen　before。
〃Your　curiosity；〃　said　the　sage；　〃has　been　so　general；　and　your　　pursuit　of　knowledge　so　vigorous；　that　novelties　are　not　now　very　　easily　to　be　found；　but　what　you　can　no　longer　procure　from　the　　living　may　be　given　by　the　dead。　　Among　the　wonders　of　this　country　　are　the　catacombs；　or　the　ancient　repositories　in　which　the　bodies　　of　the　earliest　generations　were　lodged；　and　where；　by　the　virtue　　of　the　gums　which　embalmed　them；　they　yet　remain　without　　corruption。〃
〃I　know　not；〃　said　Rasselas；　〃what　pleasure　the　sight　of　the　　catacombs　can　afford；　but；　since　nothing　else　is　offered；　I　am　　resolved　to　view　them；　and　shall　place　this　with　my　other　things　　which　I　have　done　because　I　would　do　something。〃
They　hired　a　guard　of　horsemen；　and　the　next　day　visited　the　　catacombs。　　When　they　were　about　to　descend　into　the　sepulchral　　caves；　〃Pekuah；〃　said　the　Princess；　〃we　are　now　again　invading　the　　habitations　of　the　dead；　I　know　that　you　will　stay　behind。　　Let　me　　find　you　safe　when　I　return。〃　　〃No；　I　will　not　be　left；〃　answered　　Pekuah；　〃I　will　go　down　between　you　and　the　Prince。〃
They　then　all　descended；　and　roved　with　wonder　through　the　　labyrinth　of　subterraneous　passages；　where　the　bodies　were　laid　in　　rows　on　either　side。

CHAPTER　XLVIII　…　IMLAC　DISCOURSES　ON　THE　NATURE　OF　THE　SOUL。

〃WHAT　reason；〃　said　the　Prince；　〃can　be　given　why　the　Egyptians　　should　thus　expensively　preserve　those　carcases　which　some　nations　　consume　with　fire；　others　lay　to　mingle　with　the　earth；　and　all　　agree　to　remove　from　their　sight　as　soon　as　decent　rites　can　be　　performed？〃
〃The　original　of　ancient　customs；〃　said　Imlac；　〃is　commonly　　unknown；　for　the　practice　often　continues　when　the　cause　has　　ceased；　and　concerning　superstitious　ceremonies　it　is　vain　to　　conjecture；　for　what　reason　did　not　dictate；　reason　cannot　explain。　　　I　have　long　believed　that　the　practice　of　embalming　arose　only　from　　tenderness　to　the　remains　of　relations　or　friends；　and　to　this　　opinion　I　am　more　inclined　because　it　seems　impossible　that　this　　care　should　have　been　general；　had　all　the　dead　been　embalmed；　　their　repositories　must　in　time　have　been　more　spacious　than　the　　dwellings　of　the　living。　　I　suppose　only　the　rich　or　honourable　　were　secured　from　corruption；　and　the　rest　left　to　the　course　of　　nature。
〃But　it　is　commonly　supposed　that　the　Egyptians　believed　the　soul　　to　live　as　long　as　the　body　continued　undissolved；　and　therefore　　tried　this　method　of　eluding　death。〃
〃Could　the　wise　Egyptians；〃　said　Nekayah；　〃think　so　grossly　of　the　　soul？　　If　the　soul　could　once　survive　its　separation；　what　could　it　　afterwards　receive　or　suffer　from　the　body？〃
〃The　Egyptians　would　doubtless　think　erroneously；〃　said　the　　astronomer；　〃in　the　darkness　of　heathenism　and　the　first　dawn　of　　philosophy。　　The　nature　of　the　soul　is　still　disputed　amidst　all　　our　opportunities　of　clearer　knowledge；　some　yet　say　that　it　may　be　　material；　who；　nevertheless；　believe　it　to　be　immortal。〃
〃Some；〃　answered　Imlac；　〃have　indeed　said　that　the　soul　is　　material；　but　I　can　scarcely　believe　that　any　man　has　thought　it　　who　knew　how　to　think；　for　all　the　conclusions　of　reason　enforce　　the　immateriality　of　mind；　and　all　the　notices　of　sense　and　　investigations　of　science　concur　to　prove　the　unconsciousness　of　　matter。
〃It　was　never　supposed　that　cogitation　is　inherent　in　matter；　or　　that　every　particle　is　a　thinking　being。　　Yet　if　any　part　of　matter　　be　devoid　of　thought；　what　part　can　we　suppose　to　think？　　Matter　　can　differ　from　matter　only　in　form；　density；　bulk；　motion；　and　　direction　of　motion。　　To　which　of　these；　however　varied　or　　combined；　can　consciousness　be　annexed？　　To　be　round　or　square；　to　　be　solid　or　fluid；　to　be　great　or　little；　to　be　moved　slowly　or　　swiftly；　one　way　or　another；　are　modes　of　material　existence　all　　equally　alien　from　the　nature　of　cogitation。　　If　matter　be　once　　without　thought；　it　can　only　be　made　to　think　by　some　new　　modification；　but　all　the　modifications　which　it　can　admit　are　　equally　unconnected　with　cogitative　powers。〃
〃But　the　materialists；〃　said　the　astronomer；　〃urge　that　matter　may　　have　qualities　with　which　we　are　unacquainted。〃
〃He　who　will　determine；〃　returned　Imlac；　〃against　that　which　he　　knows　because　there　may　be　something　which　he　knows　not；　he　that　　can　set　hypothetical　possibility　against　acknowledged　certainty；　is　　not　to　be　admitted　among　reasonable　beings。　　All　that　we　know　of　　matter　is；　that　matter　is　inert；　senseless；　and　lifeless；　and　if　　this　conviction　cannot　he　opposed　but　by　referring　us　to　something　　that　we　know　not；　we　have　all　the　evidence　that　human　intellect　can　　admit。　　If　that　which　is　known　may　be　overruled　by　that　which　is　　unknown；　no　being；　not　omniscient；　can　arrive　at　certainty。〃
〃Yet　let　us　not；〃　said　the　astronomer；　〃too　arrogantly　limit　the　　Creator's　power。〃
〃It　is　no　limitation　of　Omnipotence；〃　replied　the　poet；　〃to　suppose　　that　one　thing　is　not　consistent　with　another；　that　the　same　　proposition　cannot　be　at　once　true　and　false；　that　the　same　number　　cannot　be　even　and　odd；　that　cogitation　cannot　be　conferred　on　that　　which　is　created　incapable　of　cogitation。〃
〃I　know　not；〃　said　Nekayah；　〃any　great　use　of　this　question。　　Does　　that　immateriality；　which　in　my　opinion　you　have　sufficiently　　proved；　necessarily　include　eternal　duration？〃
〃Of　immateriality；〃　said　Imlac；　〃our　ideas　are　negative；　and　　therefore　obscure。　　Immateriality　seems　to　imply　a　natural　power　of　　perpetual　duration　as　a　consequence　of　exemption　from　all　causes　of　　decay：　　whatever　perishes　is　destroyed　by　the　solution　of　its　　contexture　and　separation　of　its　parts；　nor　can　we　conceive　how　　that　which　has　no　parts；　and　therefore　admits　no　solution；　can　be　　naturally　corrupted　or　impaired。〃
〃I　know　not；〃　said　Rasselas；　〃how　to　conceive　anything　without　　extension：　　what　is　extended　must　have　parts；　and　you　allow　that　　whatever　has　parts　may　be　destroyed。〃
〃Consider　your　own　conceptions；〃　replied　Imlac；　〃and　the　difficulty