erewhon-第32章

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feel　pretty　sure　that　I　was　obtaining；　I　began　to　let　her　have　her
own　way；　and　to　convince　me；　neither　till　after　we　were　safely
married　did　I　show　the　cloven　hoof　again。

Nevertheless；　her　remarks　have　haunted　me；　and　I　have　since　met
with　many　very　godly　people　who　have　had　a　great　knowledge　of
divinity；　but　no　sense　of　the　divine：　　and　again；　I　have　seen　a
radiance　upon　the　face　of　those　who　were　worshipping　the　divine
either　in　art　or　naturein　picture　or　statuein　field　or　cloud　or
seain　man；　woman；　or　childwhich　I　have　never　seen　kindled　by
any　talking　about　the　nature　and　attributes　of　God。　　Mention　but
the　word　divinity；　and　our　sense　of　the　divine　is　clouded。



CHAPTER　XVII：　　YDGRUN　AND　THE　YDGRUNITES



In　spite　of　all　the　to…do　they　make　about　their　idols；　and　the
temples　they　build；　and　the　priests　and　priestesses　whom　they
support；　I　could　never　think　that　their　professed　religion　was　more
than　skin…deep；　but　they　had　another　which　they　carried　with　them
into　all　their　actions；　and　although　no　one　from　the　outside　of
things　would　suspect　it　to　have　any　existence　at　all；　it　was　in
reality　their　great　guide；　the　mariner's　compass　of　their　lives；　so
that　there　were　very　few　things　which　they　ever　either　did；　or
refrained　from　doing；　without　reference　to　its　precepts。

Now　I　suspected　that　their　professed　faith　had　no　great　hold　upon
themfirstly；　because　I　often　heard　the　priests　complain　of　the
prevailing　indifference；　and　they　would　hardly　have　done　so　without
reason；　secondly；　because　of　the　show　which　was　made；　for　there　was
none　of　this　about　the　worship　of　the　goddess　Ydgrun；　in　whom　they
really　did　believe；　thirdly；　because　though　the　priests　were
constantly　abusing　Ydgrun　as　being　the　great　enemy　of　the　gods；　it
was　well　known　that　she　had　no　more　devoted　worshippers　in　the
whole　country　than　these　very　persons；　who　were　often　priests　of
Ydgrun　rather　than　of　their　own　deities。　　Neither　am　I　by　any　means
sure　that　these　were　not　the　best　of　the　priests。

Ydgrun　certainly　occupied　a　very　anomalous　position；　she　was　held
to　be　both　omnipresent　and　omnipotent；　but　she　was　not　an　elevated
conception；　and　was　sometimes　both　cruel　and　absurd。　　Even　her　most
devoted　worshippers　were　a　little　ashamed　of　her；　and　served　her
more　with　heart　and　in　deed　than　with　their　tongues。　　Theirs　was　no
lip　service；　on　the　contrary；　even　when　worshipping　her　most
devoutly；　they　would　often　deny　her。　　Take　her　all　in　all；　however；
she　was　a　beneficent　and　useful　deity；　who　did　not　care　how　much
she　was　denied　so　long　as　she　was　obeyed　and　feared；　and　who　kept
hundreds　of　thousands　in　those　paths　which　make　life　tolerably
happy；　who　would　never　have　been　kept　there　otherwise；　and　over
whom　a　higher　and　more　spiritual　ideal　would　have　had　no　power。

I　greatly　doubt　whether　the　Erewhonians　are　yet　prepared　for　any
better　religion；　and　though　（considering　my　gradually　strengthened
conviction　that　they　were　the　representatives　of　the　lost　tribes　of
Israel）　I　would　have　set　about　converting　them　at　all　hazards　had　I
seen　the　remotest　prospect　of　success；　I　could　hardly　contemplate
the　displacement　of　Ydgrun　as　the　great　central　object　of　their
regard　without　admitting　that　it　would　be　attended　with　frightful
consequences；　in　fact　were　I　a　mere　philosopher；　I　should　say　that
the　gradual　raising　of　the　popular　conception　of　Ydgrun　would　be
the　greatest　spiritual　boon　which　could　be　conferred　upon　them；　and
that　nothing　could　effect　this　except　example。　　I　generally　found
that　those　who　complained　most　loudly　that　Ydgrun　was　not　high
enough　for　them　had　hardly　as　yet　come　up　to　the　Ydgrun　standard；
and　I　often　met　with　a　class　of　men　whom　I　called　to　myself　〃high
Ydgrunites〃　（the　rest　being　Ydgrunites；　and　low　Ydgrunites）；　who；
in　the　matter　of　human　conduct　and　the　affairs　of　life；　appeared　to
me　to　have　got　about　as　far　as　it　is　in　the　right　nature　of　man　to
go。

They　were　gentlemen　in　the　full　sense　of　the　word；　and　what　has　one
not　said　in　saying　this？　　They　seldom　spoke　of　Ydgrun；　or　even
alluded　to　her；　but　would　never　run　counter　to　her　dictates　without
ample　reason　for　doing　so：　　in　such　cases　they　would　override　her
with　due　self…reliance；　and　the　goddess　seldom　punished　them；　for
they　are　brave；　and　Ydgrun　is　not。　　They　had　most　of　them　a
smattering　of　the　hypothetical　language；　and　some　few　more　than
this；　but　only　a　few。　　I　do　not　think　that　this　language　has　had
much　hand　in　making　them　what　they　are；　but　rather　that　the　fact　of
their　being　generally　possessed　of　its　rudiments　was　one　great
reason　for　the　reverence　paid　to　the　hypothetical　language　itself。

Being　inured　from　youth　to　exercises　and　athletics　of　all　sorts；
and　living　fearlessly　under　the　eye　of　their　peers；　among　whom
there　exists　a　high　standard　of　courage；　generosity；　honour；　and
every　good　and　manly　qualitywhat　wonder　that　they　should　have
become；　so　to　speak；　a　law　unto　themselves；　and；　while　taking　an
elevated　view　of　the　goddess　Ydgrun；　they　should　have　gradually
lost　all　faith　in　the　recognised　deities　of　the　country？　　These
they　do　not　openly　disregard；　for　conformity　until　absolutely
intolerable　is　a　law　of　Ydgrun；　yet　they　have　no　real　belief　in　the
objective　existence　of　beings　which　so　readily　explain　themselves
as　abstractions；　and　whose　personality　demands　a　quasi…materialism
which　it　baffles　the　imagination　to　realise。　　They　keep　their
opinions；　however；　greatly　to　themselves；　inasmuch　as　most　of　their
countrymen　feel　strongly　about　the　gods；　and　they　hold　it　wrong　to
give　pain；　unless　for　some　greater　good　than　seems　likely　to　arise
from　their　plain　speaking。

On　the　other　hand；　surely　those　whose　own　minds　are　clear　about　any
given　matter　（even　though　it　be　only　that　there　is　little
certainty）　should　go　so　far　towards　imparting　that　clearness　to
others；　as　to　say　openly　what　they　think　and　why　they　think　it；
whenever　they　can　properly　do　so；　for　they　may　be　sure　that　they
owe　their　own　clearness　almost　entirely　to　the　fact　that　others
have　done　this　by　them：　　after　all；　they　may　be　mistaken；　and　if
so；　it　is　for　their　own　and　the　general　well…being　that　they　should
let　their　error　be　seen　as　distinctly　as　possible；　so　that　it　may
be　more　easily　refuted。　　I　own；　therefore；　that　on　this　one　point　I
disapproved　of　the　practice　even　of　the　highest　Ydgrunites；　and
objected　to　it　all　the　more　because　I　knew　that　I　should　find　my
own　future　task　more　easy　if　the　high　Ydgrunites　had　already
undermined　the　belief　which　is　supposed　to　prevail　at　present。

In　other　respects　they　were　more　like　the　best　class　of　Englishmen
than　any　whom　I　have　seen　in　other　countries。　　I　should　have　liked
to　have　persuaded　half…a…dozen　of　them　to　come　over　to　England　and
go　upon　the　stage；　for　they　had　most　of　them　a　keen　sense　of　humour
and　a　taste　for　acting：　　they　would　be　of　great　use　to　us。　　The
example　of　a　real　gentleman　is；　if　I　may　say　so　without　profanity；
the　best　of　all　gospels；　such　a　man　upon　the　stage　becomes　a　potent
humanising　influence；　an　Ideal　which　all　may　look　upon　for　a
shilling。

I　always　liked　and　admired　these　men；　and　although　I　could　not　help
deeply　regretting　their　certain　ultimate　perdition　（for　they　had　no
sense　of　a　hereafter；　and　their　only　religion　was　that　of　self…
respect　and　consideration　for　other　people）；　I　never　dared　to　take
so　great　a　liberty　with　them　as　to　attempt　to　put　them　in
possession　of　my　own　religious　convictions；　in　spite　of　my　knowing
that　they　were　the　only　ones　which　could　make　them　really　good　and
happy；　either　here　or　hereafter。　　I　did　try　sometimes；　being
impelled　to　do　so　by　a　strong　sense　of　duty；　and　by　my　deep　regret
that　so　much　that　was　admirable　should　be　doomed　to　ages　if　not
eternity　of　torture；　but　the　words　stuck　in　my　throat　as　soon　as　I
began。

Whether　a　professional　missionary　might　have　a　better　chance　I　know
not；　such　persons　must　doubtless　know　more　about　the　science　of
conversion：　　for　myself；　I　could　only　be　thankful　that　I　was　in　the
right　path；　and　was　obliged　to　let　others　take　their　chance　as　yet。
If　the　plan　fails　by　which　I　propose　to　convert　them　myself；　I
w