erewhon-第31章

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not　yield　at　once；　I　enjoyed　the　process　of　being　argued　with　too
keenly　to　lose　it　by　a　prompt　concession；　besides；　a　little
hesitation　rendered　the　concession　itself　more　valuable。　　It　was　in
the　course　of　conversations　on　this　subject　that　I　learned　the　more
defined　religious　opinions　of　the　Erewhonians；　that　coexist　with
the　Musical　Bank　system；　but　are　not　recognised　by　those　curious
institutions。　　I　will　describe　them　as　briefly　as　possible　in　the
following　chapters　before　I　return　to　the　personal　adventures　of
Arowhena　and　myself。

They　were　idolaters；　though　of　a　comparatively　enlightened　kind；
but　here；　as　in　other　things；　there　was　a　discrepancy　between　their
professed　and　actual　belief；　for　they　had　a　genuine　and　potent
faith　which　existed　without　recognition　alongside　of　their　idol
worship。

The　gods　whom　they　worship　openly　are　personifications　of　human
qualities；　as　justice；　strength；　hope；　fear；　love；　&c。；　&c。　　The
people　think　that　prototypes　of　these　have　a　real　objective
existence　in　a　region　far　beyond　the　clouds；　holding；　as　did　the
ancients；　that　they　are　like　men　and　women　both　in　body　and
passion；　except　that　they　are　even　comelier　and　more　powerful；　and
also　that　they　can　render　themselves　invisible　to　human　eyesight。
They　are　capable　of　being　propitiated　by　mankind　and　of　coming　to
the　assistance　of　those　who　ask　their　aid。　　Their　interest　in　human
affairs　is　keen；　and　on　the　whole　beneficent；　but　they　become　very
angry　if　neglected；　and　punish　rather　the　first　they　come　upon；
than　the　actual　person　who　has　offended　them；　their　fury　being
blind　when　it　is　raised；　though　never　raised　without　reason。　　They
will　not　punish　with　any　less　severity　when　people　sin　against　them
from　ignorance；　and　without　the　chance　of　having　had　knowledge；
they　will　take　no　excuses　of　this　kind；　but　are　even　as　the　English
law；　which　assumes　itself　to　be　known　to　every　one。

Thus　they　have　a　law　that　two　pieces　of　matter　may　not　occupy　the
same　space　at　the　same　moment；　which　law　is　presided　over　and
administered　by　the　gods　of　time　and　space　jointly；　so　that　if　a
flying　stone　and　a　man's　head　attempt　to　outrage　these　gods；　by
〃arrogating　a　right　which　they　do　not　possess〃　（for　so　it　is
written　in　one　of　their　books）；　and　to　occupy　the　same　space
simultaneously；　a　severe　punishment；　sometimes　even　death　itself；
is　sure　to　follow；　without　any　regard　to　whether　the　stone　knew
that　the　man's　head　was　there；　or　the　head　the　stone；　this　at　least
is　their　view　of　the　common　accidents　of　life。　　Moreover；　they　hold
their　deities　to　be　quite　regardless　of　motives。　　With　them　it　is
the　thing　done　which　is　everything；　and　the　motive　goes　for
nothing。

Thus　they　hold　it　strictly　forbidden　for　a　man　to　go　without　common
air　in　his　lungs　for　more　than　a　very　few　minutes；　and　if　by　any
chance　he　gets　into　the　water；　the　air…god　is　very　angry；　and　will
not　suffer　it；　no　matter　whether　the　man　got　into　the　water　by
accident　or　on　purpose；　whether　through　the　attempt　to　save　a　child
or　through　presumptuous　contempt　of　the　air…god；　the　air…god　will
kill　him；　unless　he　keeps　his　head　high　enough　out　of　the　water；
and　thus　gives　the　air…god　his　due。

This　with　regard　to　the　deities　who　manage　physical　affairs。　　Over
and　above　these　they　personify　hope；　fear；　love；　and　so　forth；
giving　them　temples　and　priests；　and　carving　likenesses　of　them　in
stone；　which　they　verily　believe　to　be　faithful　representations　of
living　beings　who　are　only　not　human　in　being　more　than　human。　　If
any　one　denies　the　objective　existence　of　these　divinities；　and
says　that　there　is　really　no　such　being　as　a　beautiful　woman　called
Justice；　with　her　eyes　blinded　and　a　pair　of　scales；　positively
living　and　moving　in　a　remote　and　ethereal　region；　but　that　justice
is　only　the　personified　expression　of　certain　modes　of　human
thought　and　actionthey　say　that　he　denies　the　existence　of
justice　in　denying　her　personality；　and　that　he　is　a　wanton
disturber　of　men's　religious　convictions。　　They　detest　nothing　so
much　as　any　attempt　to　lead　them　to　higher　spiritual　conceptions　of
the　deities　whom　they　profess　to　worship。　　Arowhena　and　I　had　a
pitched　battle　on　this　point；　and　should　have　had　many　more　but　for
my　prudence　in　allowing　her　to　get　the　better　of　me。

I　am　sure　that　in　her　heart　she　was　suspicious　of　her　own　position
for　she　returned　more　than　once　to　the　subject。　　〃Can　you　not　see；〃
I　had　exclaimed；　〃that　the　fact　of　justice　being　admirable　will　not
be　affected　by　the　absence　of　a　belief　in　her　being　also　a　living
agent？　　Can　you　really　think　that　men　will　be　one　whit　less
hopeful；　because　they　no　longer　believe　that　hope　is　an　actual
person？〃　　She　shook　her　head；　and　said　that　with　men's　belief　in
the　personality　all　incentive　to　the　reverence　of　the　thing　itself；
as　justice　or　hope；　would　cease；　men　from　that　hour　would　never　be
either　just　or　hopeful　again。

I　could　not　move　her；　nor；　indeed；　did　I　seriously　wish　to　do　so。
She　deferred　to　me　in　most　things；　but　she　never　shrank　from
maintaining　her　opinions　if　they　were　put　in　question；　nor　does　she
to　this　day　abate　one　jot　of　her　belief　in　the　religion　of　her
childhood；　though　in　compliance　with　my　repeated　entreaties　she　has
allowed　herself　to　be　baptized　into　the　English　Church。　　She　has；
however；　made　a　gloss　upon　her　original　faith　to　the　effect　that
her　baby　and　I　are　the　only　human　beings　exempt　from　the　vengeance
of　the　deities　for　not　believing　in　their　personality。　　She　is
quite　clear　that　we　are　exempted。　　She　should　never　have　so　strong
a　conviction　of　it　otherwise。　　How　it　has　come　about　she　does　not
know；　neither　does　she　wish　to　know；　there　are　things　which　it　is
better　not　to　know　and　this　is　one　of　them；　but　when　I　tell　her
that　I　believe　in　her　deities　as　much　as　she　doesand　that　it　is　a
difference　about　words；　not　things；　she　becomes　silent　with　a
slight　emphasis。

I　own　that　she　very　nearly　conquered　me　once；　for　she　asked　me　what
I　should　think　if　she　were　to　tell　me　that　my　God；　whose　nature　and
attributes　I　had　been　explaining　to　her；　was　but　the　expression　for
man's　highest　conception　of　goodness；　wisdom；　and　power；　that　in
order　to　generate　a　more　vivid　conception　of　so　great　and　glorious
a　thought；　man　had　personified　it　and　called　it　by　a　name；　that　it
was　an　unworthy　conception　of　the　Deity　to　hold　Him　personal；
inasmuch　as　escape　from　human　contingencies　became　thus　impossible；
that　the　real　thing　men　should　worship　was　the　Divine；
whereinsoever　they　could　find　it；　that　〃God〃　was　but　man's　way　of
expressing　his　sense　of　the　Divine；　that　as　justice；　hope；　wisdom；
&c。；　were　all　parts　of　goodness；　so　God　was　the　expression　which
embraced　all　goodness　and　all　good　power；　that　people　would　no　more
cease　to　love　God　on　ceasing　to　believe　in　His　objective
personality；　than　they　had　ceased　to　love　justice　on　discovering
that　she　was　not　really　personal；　nay；　that　they　would　never　truly
love　Him　till　they　saw　Him　thus。

She　said　all　this　in　her　artless　way；　and　with　none　of　the
coherence　with　which　I　have　here　written　it；　her　face　kindled；　and
she　felt　sure　that　she　had　convinced　me　that　I　was　wrong；　and　that
justice　was　a　living　person。　　Indeed　I　did　wince　a　little；　but　I
recovered　myself　immediately；　and　pointed　out　to　her　that　we　had
books　whose　genuineness　was　beyond　all　possibility　of　doubt；　as
they　were　certainly　none　of　them　less　than　1800　years　old；　that　in
these　there　were　the　most　authentic　accounts　of　men　who　had　been
spoken　to　by　the　Deity　Himself；　and　of　one　prophet　who　had　been
allowed　to　see　the　back　parts　of　God　through　the　hand　that　was　laid
over　his　face。

This　was　conclusive；　and　I　spoke　with　such　solemnity　that　she　was　a
little　frightened；　and　only　answered　that　they　too　had　their　books；
in　which　their　ancestors　had　seen　the　gods；　on　which　I　saw　that
further　argument　was　not　at　all　likely　to　convince　her；　and　fearing
that　she　might　tell　her　mother　what　I　had　been　saying；　and　that　I
might　lose　the　hold　upon　her　affections　which　I　was　beginning　to
feel　pretty　sure　that　I　was　obtaining；　I　began　to　let　her　have　her
own　way；　and　to　convince　me；　neither　t