erewhon-第23章

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shall　limit　the　right　of　society　except　society　itself？　　And　what
consideration　for　the　individual　is　tolerable　unless　society　be　the
gainer　thereby？　　Wherefore　should　a　man　be　so　richly　rewarded　for
having　been　son　to　a　millionaire；　were　it　not　clearly　provable　that
the　common　welfare　is　thus　better　furthered？　　We　cannot　seriously
detract　from　a　man's　merit　in　having　been　the　son　of　a　rich　father
without　imperilling　our　own　tenure　of　things　which　we　do　not　wish
to　jeopardise；　if　this　were　otherwise　we　should　not　let　him　keep
his　money　for　a　single　hour；　we　would　have　it　ourselves　at　once。
For　property　is　robbery；　but　then；　we　are　all　robbers　or　would…be
robbers　together；　and　have　found　it　essential　to　organise　our
thieving；　as　we　have　found　it　necessary　to　organise　our　lust　and
our　revenge。　　Property；　marriage；　the　law；　as　the　bed　to　the　river；
so　rule　and　convention　to　the　instinct；　and　woe　to　him　who　tampers
with　the　banks　while　the　flood　is　flowing。

But　to　return。　　Even　in　England　a　man　on　board　a　ship　with　yellow
fever　is　held　responsible　for　his　mischance；　no　matter　what　his
being　kept　in　quarantine　may　cost　him。　　He　may　catch　the　fever　and
die；　we　cannot　help　it；　he　must　take　his　chance　as　other　people　do；
but　surely　it　would　be　desperate　unkindness　to　add　contumely　to　our
self…protection；　unless；　indeed；　we　believe　that　contumely　is　one
of　our　best　means　of　self…protection。　　Again；　take　the　case　of
maniacs。　　We　say　that　they　are　irresponsible　for　their　actions；　but
we　take　good　care；　or　ought　to　take　good　care；　that　they　shall
answer　to　us　for　their　insanity；　and　we　imprison　them　in　what　we
call　an　asylum　（that　modern　sanctuary！）　if　we　do　not　like　their
answers。　　This　is　a　strange　kind　of　irresponsibility。　　What　we
ought　to　say　is　that　we　can　afford　to　be　satisfied　with　a　less
satisfactory　answer　from　a　lunatic　than　from　one　who　is　not　mad；
because　lunacy　is　less　infectious　than　crime。

We　kill　a　serpent　if　we　go　in　danger　by　it；　simply　for　being　such
and　such　a　serpent　in　such　and　such　a　place；　but　we　never　say　that
the　serpent　has　only　itself　to　blame　for　not　having　been　a　harmless
creature。　　Its　crime　is　that　of　being　the　thing　which　it　is：　　but
this　is　a　capital　offence；　and　we　are　right　in　killing　it　out　of
the　way；　unless　we　think　it　more　danger　to　do　so　than　to　let　it
escape；　nevertheless　we　pity　the　creature；　even　though　we　kill　it。

But　in　the　case　of　him　whose　trial　I　have　described　above；　it　was
impossible　that　any　one　in　the　court　should　not　have　known　that　it
was　but　by　an　accident　of　birth　and　circumstances　that　he　was　not
himself　also　in　a　consumption；　and　yet　none　thought　that　it
disgraced　them　to　hear　the　judge　give　vent　to　the　most　cruel
truisms　about　him。　　The　judge　himself　was　a　kind　and　thoughtful
person。　　He　was　a　man　of　magnificent　and　benign　presence。　　He　was
evidently　of　an　iron　constitution；　and　his　face　wore　an　expression
of　the　maturest　wisdom　and　experience；　yet　for　all　this；　old　and
learned　as　he　was；　he　could　not　see　things　which　one　would　have
thought　would　have　been　apparent　even　to　a　child。　　He　could　not
emancipate　himself　from；　nay；　it　did　not　even　occur　to　him　to　feel；
the　bondage　of　the　ideas　in　which　he　had　been　born　and　bred。

So　was　it　also　with　the　jury　and　bystanders；　andmost　wonderful　of
allso　was　it　even　with　the　prisoner。　　Throughout　he　seemed　fully
impressed　with　the　notion　that　he　was　being　dealt　with　justly：　　he
saw　nothing　wanton　in　his　being　told　by　the　judge　that　he　was　to　be
punished；　not　so　much　as　a　necessary　protection　to　society
（although　this　was　not　entirely　lost　sight　of）；　as　because　he　had
not　been　better　born　and　bred　than　he　was。　　But　this　led　me　to　hope
that　he　suffered　less　than　he　would　have　done　if　he　had　seen　the
matter　in　the　same　light　that　I　did。　　And；　after　all；　justice　is
relative。

I　may　here　mention　that　only　a　few　years　before　my　arrival　in　the
country；　the　treatment　of　all　convicted　invalids　had　been　much　more
barbarous　than　now；　for　no　physical　remedy　was　provided；　and
prisoners　were　put　to　the　severest　labour　in　all　sorts　of　weather；
so　that　most　of　them　soon　succumbed　to　the　extreme　hardships　which
they　suffered；　this　was　supposed　to　be　beneficial　in　some　ways；
inasmuch　as　it　put　the　country　to　less　expense　for　the　maintenance
of　its　criminal　class；　but　the　growth　of　luxury　had　induced　a
relaxation　of　the　old　severity；　and　a　sensitive　age　would　no　longer
tolerate　what　appeared　to　be　an　excess　of　rigour；　even　towards　the
most　guilty；　moreover；　it　was　found　that　juries　were　less　willing
to　convict；　and　justice　was　often　cheated　because　there　was　no
alternative　between　virtually　condemning　a　man　to　death　and　letting
him　go　free；　it　was　also　held　that　the　country　paid　in　recommittals
for　its　over…severity；　for　those　who　had　been　imprisoned　even　for
trifling　ailments　were　often　permanently　disabled　by　their
imprisonment；　and　when　a　man　had　been　once　convicted；　it　was
probable　that　he　would　seldom　afterwards　be　off　the　hands　of　the
country。

These　evils　had　long　been　apparent　and　recognised；　yet　people　were
too　indolent；　and　too　indifferent　to　suffering　not　their　own；　to
bestir　themselves　about　putting　an　end　to　them；　until　at　last　a
benevolent　reformer　devoted　his　whole　life　to　effecting　the
necessary　changes。　　He　divided　all　illnesses　into　three　classes
those　affecting　the　head；　the　trunk；　and　the　lower　limbsand
obtained　an　enactment　that　all　diseases　of　the　head；　whether
internal　or　external；　should　be　treated　with　laudanum；　those　of　the
body　with　castor…oil；　and　those　of　the　lower　limbs　with　an
embrocation　of　strong　sulphuric　acid　and　water。

It　may　be　said　that　the　classification　was　not　sufficiently
careful；　and　that　the　remedies　were　ill　chosen；　but　it　is　a　hard
thing　to　initiate　any　reform；　and　it　was　necessary　to　familiarise
the　public　mind　with　the　principle；　by　inserting　the　thin　end　of
the　wedge　first：　　it　is　not；　therefore；　to　be　wondered　at　that
among　so　practical　a　people　there　should　still　be　some　room　for
improvement。　　The　mass　of　the　nation　are　well　pleased　with　existing
arrangements；　and　believe　that　their　treatment　of　criminals　leaves
little　or　nothing　to　be　desired；　but　there　is　an　energetic　minority
who　hold　what　are　considered　to　be　extreme　opinions；　and　who　are
not　at　all　disposed　to　rest　contented　until　the　principle　lately
admitted　has　been　carried　further。

I　was　at　some　pains　to　discover　the　opinions　of　these　men；　and
their　reasons　for　entertaining　them。　　They　are　held　in　great　odium
by　the　generality　of　the　public；　and　are　considered　as　subverters
of　all　morality　whatever。　　The　malcontents；　on　the　other　hand；
assert　that　illness　is　the　inevitable　result　of　certain　antecedent
causes；　which；　in　the　great　majority　of　cases；　were　beyond　the
control　of　the　individual；　and　that　therefore　a　man　is　only　guilty
for　being　in　a　consumption　in　the　same　way　as　rotten　fruit　is
guilty　for　having　gone　rotten。　　True；　the　fruit　must　be　thrown　on
one　side　as　unfit　for　man's　use；　and　the　man　in　a　consumption　must
be　put　in　prison　for　the　protection　of　his　fellow…citizens；　but
these　radicals　would　not　punish　him　further　than　by　loss　of　liberty
and　a　strict　surveillance。　　So　long　as　he　was　prevented　from
injuring　society；　they　would　allow　him　to　make　himself　useful　by
supplying　whatever　of　society's　wants　he　could　supply。　　If　he
succeeded　in　thus　earning　money；　they　would　have　him　made　as
comfortable　in　prison　as　possible；　and　would　in　no　way　interfere
with　his　liberty　more　than　was　necessary　to　prevent　him　from
escaping；　or　from　becoming　more　severely　indisposed　within　the
prison　walls；　but　they　would　deduct　from　his　earnings　the　expenses
of　his　board；　lodging；　surveillance；　and　half　those　of　his
conviction。　　If　he　was　too　ill　to　do　anything　for　his　support　in
prison；　they　would　allow　him　nothing　but　bread　and　water；　and　very
little　of　that。

They　say　that　society　is　foolish　in　refusing　to　allow　itself　to　be
benefited　by　a　man　merely　because　he　has　done　it　harm　hitherto；　and
that　objection　to　the　labour　of　the　diseased　classes　is　only
protection　in　another　form。　　It　is　an　attempt　to　raise　the　natural
price　of　a