erewhon-第24章

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protection　in　another　form。　　It　is　an　attempt　to　raise　the　natural
price　of　a　commodity　by　saying　that　such　and　such　persons；　who　are
able　and　willing　to　produce　it；　shall　not　do　so；　whereby　every　one
has　to　pay　more　for　it。

Besides；　so　long　as　a　man　has　not　been　actually　killed　he　is　our
fellow…creature；　though　perhaps　a　very　unpleasant　one。　　It　is　in　a
great　degree　the　doing　of　others　that　he　is　what　he　is；　or　in　other
words；　the　society　which　now　condemns　him　is　partly　answerable
concerning　him。　　They　say　that　there　is　no　fear　of　any　increase　of
disease　under　these　circumstances；　for　the　loss　of　liberty；　the
surveillance；　the　considerable　and　compulsory　deduction　from　the
prisoner's　earnings；　the　very　sparing　use　of　stimulants　（of　which
they　would　allow　but　little　to　any；　and　none　to　those　who　did　not
earn　them）；　the　enforced　celibacy；　and　above　all；　the　loss　of
reputation　among　friends；　are　in　their　opinion　as　ample　safeguards
to　society　against　a　general　neglect　of　health　as　those　now
resorted　to。　　A　man；　therefore；　（so　they　say）　should　carry　his
profession　or　trade　into　prison　with　him　if　possible；　if　not；　he
must　earn　his　living　by　the　nearest　thing　to　it　that　he　can；　but　if
he　be　a　gentleman　born　and　bred　to　no　profession；　he　must　pick
oakum；　or　write　art　criticisms　for　a　newspaper。

These　people　say　further；　that　the　greater　part　of　the　illness
which　exists　in　their　country　is　brought　about　by　the　insane　manner
in　which　it　is　treated。

They　believe　that　illness　is　in　many　cases　just　as　curable　as　the
moral　diseases　which　they　see　daily　cured　around　them；　but　that　a
great　reform　is　impossible　till　men　learn　to　take　a　juster　view　of
what　physical　obliquity　proceeds　from。　　Men　will　hide　their
illnesses　as　long　as　they　are　scouted　on　its　becoming　known　that
they　are　ill；　it　is　the　scouting；　not　the　physic；　which　produces
the　concealment；　and　if　a　man　felt　that　the　news　of　his　being　in
ill…health　would　be　received　by　his　neighbours　as　a　deplorable
fact；　but　one　as　much　the　result　of　necessary　antecedent　causes　as
though　he　had　broken　into　a　jeweller's　shop　and　stolen　a　valuable
diamond　necklaceas　a　fact　which　might　just　as　easily　have
happened　to　themselves；　only　that　they　had　the　luck　to　be　better
born　or　reared；　and　if　they　also　felt　that　they　would　not　be　made
more　uncomfortable　in　the　prison　than　the　protection　of　society
against　infection　and　the　proper　treatment　of　their　own　disease
actually　demanded；　men　would　give　themselves　up　to　the　police　as
readily　on　perceiving　that　they　had　taken　small…pox；　as　they　go　now
to　the　straightener　when　they　feel　that　they　are　on　the　point　of
forging　a　will；　or　running　away　with　somebody　else's　wife。

But　the　main　argument　on　which　they　rely　is　that　of　economy：　　for
they　know　that　they　will　sooner　gain　their　end　by　appealing　to
men's　pockets；　in　which　they　have　generally　something　of　their　own；
than　to　their　heads；　which　contain　for　the　most　part　little　but
borrowed　or　stolen　property；　and　also；　they　believe　it　to　be　the
readiest　test　and　the　one　which　has　most　to　show　for　itself。　　If　a
course　of　conduct　can　be　shown　to　cost　a　country　less；　and　this　by
no　dishonourable　saving　and　with　no　indirectly　increased
expenditure　in　other　ways；　they　hold　that　it　requires　a　good　deal
to　upset　the　arguments　in　favour　of　its　being　adopted；　and　whether
rightly　or　wrongly　I　cannot　pretend　to　say；　they　think　that　the
more　medicinal　and　humane　treatment　of　the　diseased　of　which　they
are　the　advocates　would　in　the　long　run　be　much　cheaper　to　the
country：　　but　I　did　not　gather　that　these　reformers　were　opposed　to
meeting　some　of　the　more　violent　forms　of　illness　with　the　cat…of…
nine…tails；　or　with　death；　for　they　saw　no　so　effectual　way　of
checking　them；　they　would　therefore　both　flog　and　hang；　but　they
would　do　so　pitifully。

I　have　perhaps　dwelt　too　long　upon　opinions　which　can　have　no
possible　bearing　upon　our　own；　but　I　have　not　said　the　tenth　part
of　what　these　would…be　reformers　urged　upon　me。　　I　feel；　however；
that　I　have　sufficiently　trespassed　upon　the　attention　of　the
reader。



CHAPTER　XIII：　　THE　VIEWS　OF　THE　EREWHONIANS　CONCERNING　DEATH



The　Erewhonians　regard　death　with　less　abhorrence　than　disease。　　If
it　is　an　offence　at　all；　it　is　one　beyond　the　reach　of　the　law；
which　is　therefore　silent　on　the　subject；　but　they　insist　that　the
greater　number　of　those　who　are　commonly　said　to　die；　have　never
yet　been　bornnot；　at　least；　into　that　unseen　world　which　is　alone
worthy　of　consideration。　　As　regards　this　unseen　world　I　understand
them　to　say　that　some　miscarry　in　respect　to　it　before　they　have
even　reached　the　seen；　and　some　after；　while　few　are　ever　truly
born　into　it　at　allthe　greater　part　of　all　the　men　and　women　over
the　whole　country　miscarrying　before　they　reach　it。　　And　they　say
that　this　does　not　matter　so　much　as　we　think　it　does。

As　for　what　we　call　death；　they　argue　that　too　much　has　been　made
of　it。　　The　mere　knowledge　that　we　shall　one　day　die　does　not　make
us　very　unhappy；　no　one　thinks　that　he　or　she　will　escape；　so　that
none　are　disappointed。　　We　do　not　care　greatly　even　though　we　know
that　we　have　not　long　to　live；　the　only　thing　that　would　seriously
affect　us　would　be　the　knowingor　rather　thinking　that　we　know
the　precise　moment　at　which　the　blow　will　fall。　　Happily　no　one　can
ever　certainly　know　this；　though　many　try　to　make　themselves
miserable　by　endeavouring　to　find　it　out。　　It　seems　as　though　there
were　some　power　somewhere　which　mercifully　stays　us　from　putting
that　sting　into　the　tail　of　death；　which　we　would　put　there　if　we
could；　and　which　ensures　that　though　death　must　always　be　a
bugbear；　it　shall　never　under　any　conceivable　circumstances　be　more
than　a　bugbear。

For　even　though　a　man　is　condemned　to　die　in　a　week's　time　and　is
shut　up　in　a　prison　from　which　it　is　certain　that　he　cannot　escape；
he　will　always　hope　that　a　reprieve　may　come　before　the　week　is
over。　　Besides；　the　prison　may　catch　fire；　and　he　may　be　suffocated
not　with　a　rope；　but　with　common　ordinary　smoke；　or　he　may　be
struck　dead　by　lightning　while　exercising　in　the　prison　yards。
When　the　morning　is　come　on　which　the　poor　wretch　is　to　be　hanged；
he　may　choke　at　his　breakfast；　or　die　from　failure　of　the　heart's
action　before　the　drop　has　fallen；　and　even　though　it　has　fallen；
he　cannot　be　quite　certain　that　he　is　going　to　die；　for　he　cannot
know　this　till　his　death　has　actually　taken　place；　and　it　will　be
too　late　then　for　him　to　discover　that　he　was　going　to　die　at　the
appointed　hour　after　all。　　The　Erewhonians；　therefore；　hold　that
death；　like　life；　is　an　affair　of　being　more　frightened　than　hurt。

They　burn　their　dead；　and　the　ashes　are　presently　scattered　over
any　piece　of　ground　which　the　deceased　may　himself　have　chosen。　　No
one　is　permitted　to　refuse　this　hospitality　to　the　dead：　　people；
therefore；　generally　choose　some　garden　or　orchard　which　they　may
have　known　and　been　fond　of　when　they　were　young。　　The
superstitious　hold　that　those　whose　ashes　are　scattered　over　any
land　become　its　jealous　guardians　from　that　time　forward；　and　the
living　like　to　think　that　they　shall　become　identified　with　this　or
that　locality　where　they　have　once　been　happy。

They　do　not　put　up　monuments；　nor　write　epitaphs；　for　their　dead；
though　in　former　ages　their　practice　was　much　as　ours；　but　they
have　a　custom　which　comes　to　much　the　same　thing；　for　the　instinct
of　preserving　the　name　alive　after　the　death　of　the　body　seems　to
be　common　to　all　mankind。　　They　have　statues　of　themselves　made
while　they　are　still　alive　（those；　that　is；　who　can　afford　it）；　and
write　inscriptions　under　them；　which　are　often　quite　as　untruthful
as　are　our　own　epitaphsonly　in　another　way。　　For　they　do　not
hesitate　to　describe　themselves　as　victims　to　ill　temper；　jealousy；
covetousness；　and　the　like；　but　almost　always　lay　claim　to　personal
beauty；　whether　they　have　it　or　not；　and；　often；　to　the　possession
of　a　large　sum　in　the　funded　debt　of　the　country。　　If　a　person　is
ugly　he　does　not　sit　as　a　model　for　his　own　statue；　although　it
bears　his　name。　　He　gets　the　handsomest　of　his　friends　to　sit　for