the unknown guest-第21章

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not　to　say　more　conveniently；　than　at　those　of　the　past。　Now；　once　this　representation　preexists；　as　we　are　obliged　to　admit　in　the　case　of　certain　number　of　premonitions；　the　riddle　remains　the　same　whether　the　preexistence　be　one　of　a　few　hours；　a　few　years　or　several　centuries。　It　is　therefore　possiblefor；　in　these　matters；　we　must　go　straight　to　extremes　or　else　leave　them　aloneit　is　therefore　possible　that　a　seer　mightier　than　any　of　to…day；　some　god；　demigod　or　demon；　some　unknown；　universal　or　vagrant　intelligence；　saw　that　procession　a　million　years　ago；　at　a　time　when　nothing　existed　of　that　which　composes　and　surrounds　it　and　when　the　very　earth　on　which　it　moves　had　not　yet　risen　from　the　ocean　depths。　And　other　seers；　as　mighty　as　the　first；　who　from　age　to　age　contemplated　the　same　spot　and　the　same　moment；　would　always　have　perceived；　through　the　vicissitudes　and　upheavals　of　seas；　shores　and　forests；　the　same　procession　going　round　the　same　little　church　that　still　lay　slumbering　in　the　oceanic　ooze　and　made　up　of　the　same　persons　sprung　from　a　race　that　was　perhaps　not　yet　represented　on　the　earth。

27

It　is　obviously　difficult　for　us　to　understand　that　the　future　can　thus　precede　chaos；　that　the　present　is　at　the　same　time　the　future　and　the　past；　or　that　that　which　does　not　yet　exists　already　at　the　same　time　at　which　it　is　no　more。　But；　on　the　other　hand；　it　is　just　as　hard　to　conceive　that　the　future　does　not　preexist；　that　there　is　nothing　before　the　present　and　that　everything　is　only　present　or　past。　It　is　very　probable　that；　to　a　more　universal　intelligence　than　ours；　everything　is　but　an　eternal　present；　an　immense　punctum　stans；　as　the　metaphysicians　say；　in　which　all　the　events　are　on　one　plane；　but　it　is　no　less　probable　that　we　ourselves；　so　long　as　we　are　men；　in　order　to　understand　anything　of　this　eternal　present；　will　always　be　obliged　to　divide　it　into　three　parts。　Thus　caught　between　two　mysteries　equally　baffling　to　our　intelligence；　whether　we　deny　or　admit　the　preexistence　of　the　future；　we　are　really　only　wrangling　over　words：　in　the　one　case；　we　give　the　name　of　〃present；〃　from　the　point　of　view　of　a　perfect　intelligence；　to　that　which　to　us　is　the　future；　in　the　other；　we　give　the　name　of　〃future〃　to　that　which；　from　the　point　of　view　of　a　perfect　intelligence；　is　the　present。　But；　after　all；　it　is　incontestable　in　both　cases　that；　at　least　from　our　point　of　view；　the　future　preexists；　since　preexistence　is　the　only　name　by　which　we　can　describe　and　the　only　form　under　which　we　can　conceive　that　which　we　do　not　yet　see　in　the　present。

28

Attempts　have　been　made　to　shed　light　on　the　riddle　by　transferring　it　to　space。　It　is　true　that　it　there　loses　the　greater　part　of　its　obscurity；　but　this　apparently　is　because；　in　changing　its　environment；　it　has　completely　changed　its　nature　and　no　longer　bears　any　relation　to　what　it　was　when　it　was　placed　in　time。　We　are　told；　for　instance；　that　innumerable　cities　distributed　over　the　surface　of　the　earth　are　to　us　as　if　they　were　not；　so　long　as　we　have　not　seen　them；　and　only　begin　to　exist　on　the　day　when　we　visit　them。　That　is　true；　but　space；　outside　all　metaphysical　speculations；　has　realities　for　us　which　time　does　not　possess。　Space；　although　very　mysterious　and　incomprehensible　once　we　pass　certain　limits；　is　nevertheless　not；　like　time；　incomprehensible　and　illusory　in　all　its　parts。　We　are　certainly　quite　able　to　conceive　that　those　towns　which　we　have　never　seen　and　doubtless　never　will　see　indubitably　exist；　whereas　we　find　it　much　more　difficult　to　imagine　that　the　catastrophe　which；　fifty　years　hence；　will　annihilate　one　of　them　already　exists　as　really　as　the　town　itself。　We　are　capable　of　picturing　a　spot　whence；　with　keener　eyes　than　these　which　we　boast　to…day；　we　should　see　in　one　glance　all　the　cities　of　the　earth　and　even　those　of　other　worlds；　but　it　is　much　less　easy　for　us　to　imagine　a　point　in　the　ages　whence　we　should　simultaneously　discover　the　past；　the　present　and　the　future　because　the　past；　the　present　and　the　future　are　three　orders　of　duration　which　cannot　find　room　at　the　same　time　in　our　intelligence　and　which　inevitably　devour　one　other。　How　can　we　picture　to　ourselves；　for　instance；　a　point　in　eternity　at　which　our　little　procession　already　exists；　while　it　is　not　yet　and　although　it　is　no　more？　Add　to　this　the　thought　that　it　is　necessary　and　inevitable；　from　the　millenaries　which　had　no　beginning；　that；　at　a　given　moment；　at　a　given　place；　the　little　procession　should　leave　the　little　church　in　a　given　manner　and　that　no　known　or　imaginable　will　can　change　anything　in　it；　in　the　future　any　more　than　in　the　past；　and　we　begin　to　understand　that　there　is　no　hope　of　understanding。

29

We　find　among　the　cases　collected　by　M。　Bozzano　a　singular　premonition　wherein　the　unknown　factors　of　space　and　time　are　continued　in　a　very　curious　fashion。　In　August；　1910；　Cavalliere　Giovanni　de　Figueroa；　one　of　the　most　famous　fencing　masters　at　Palermo；　dreamt　that　he　was　in　the　country；　going　along　a　road　white　with　dust；　which　brought　him　to　a　broad　ploughed　field。　In　the　middle　of　the　field　stood　a　rustic　building；　with　a　ground…floor　used　for　store…rooms　and　cow…sheds　and　on　the　right　a　rough　hut　made　of　branches　and　a　cart　with　some　harness　lying　in　it。

A　peasant　wearing　dark　trousers；　with　a　black　felt　hat　on　his　head；　came　forward　to　meet　him；　asked　him　to　follow　him　and　took　him　round　behind　the　house。　Through　a　low；　narrow　door　they　entered　a　little　stable　with　a　short；　winding　stone　staircase　leading　to　a　loft　over　the　entrance　to　the　house。　A　mule　fastened　to　a　swinging　manger　was　blocking　the　bottom　step；　and　the　chevalier　had　to　push　it　aside　before　climbing　the　staircase。　On　reaching　the　loft；　he　noticed　that　from　the　ceiling　were　suspended　strings　of　melons；　tomatoes；　onions　and　Indian　corn。　In　this　room　were　two　women　and　a　little　girl；　and　through　a　door　leading　to　another　room　he　caught　sight　of　an　extremely　high　bed；　unlike　any　that　he　had　ever　seen　before。　Here　the　dream　broke　off。　It　seemed　to　him　so　strange　that　he　spoke　of　it　to　several　of　his　friends；　whom　he　mentions　by　name　and　who　are　ready　to　confirm　his　statements。

On　the　12th　of　October　in　the　same　year；　in　order　to　support　a　fellow…townsman　in　a　duel；　he　accompanied　the　seconds；　by　motorcar；　from　Naples　to　Marano；　a　place　which　he　had　never　visited　nor　even　heard　of。　As　soon　as　they　were　some　way　in　the　country；　he　was　curiously　impressed　by　the　white　and　dusty　road。　The　car　pulled　up　at　the　side　of　a　field　which　he　at　once　recognized。　They　lighted；　and　he　remarked　to　one　of　the　seconds：　〃This　is　not　the　first　time　that　I　have　been　here。　There　should　be　a　house　at　the　end　of　this　path　and　on　the　right　a　hut　and　a　cart　with　some　harness　in　it。〃

As　a　matter　of　fact；　everything　was　as　he　described　it。　An　instant　later；　at　the　exact　moment　foreseen　by　the　dream；　the　peasant　in　the　dark　trousers　and　the　black　felt　hat　came　up　and　asked　him　to　follow　him。　But；　instead　of　walking　behind　him；　the　chevalier　went　in　front；　for　he　already　knew　the　way。　He　found　the　stable　and；　exactly　at　the　place　which　it　occupied　two　months　before；　near　its　swinging　manger；　the　mule　blocking　the　way　to　the　staircase。　The　fencing　master　went　up　the　steps　and　once　more　saw　the　loft；　with　the　ceiling　hung　with　melons；　onions　and　tomatoes；　and；　in　a　corner　on　the　right；　the　two　silent　women　and　the　child；　identical　with　the　figures　in　his　dream；　while　in　the　next　room　he　recognized　the　bed　whose　extraordinary　height　had　so　much　impressed　him。

It　really　looks　as　if　the　facts　themselves；　the　extramundane　realities；　the　eternal　verities；　or　whatever　we　may　be　pleased　to　call　them；　have　tried　to　show　us　here　that　time　and　space　are　one　and　the　same　illusion；　one　and　the　same　convention　and　have　no　existence　outside　our　little　day…spanned　understanding；　that　〃everywhere〃　and　〃always〃　are　exactly　synonymous　terms　and　reign　alone　as　soon　as　we　cross　the　narrow　boundaries　of　the　obscure　consciousness　in　which　we　live。　We　are　quite　ready　to　admit　that　Cavaliere　de　Figueroa　may　have　had　by　clairvoyance　an　exact　and　detailed　vision　of　places　which　he　was　not　to　visit