erewhon-第36章

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against　you　for　errors　of　judgement　into　which　you　may　have　fallen；
though　you　had　hoped　that　such　had　been　long　since　atoned　for。
Ingratitude　such　as　this　is　not　uncommon；　yet　fancy　what　it　must　be
to　bear！　　It　is　hard　upon　the　duckling　to　have　been　hatched　by　a
hen；　but　is　it　not　also　hard　upon　the　hen　to　have　hatched　the
duckling？

〃Consider　it　again；　we　pray　you；　not　for　our　sake　but　for　your　own。
Your　initial　character　you　must　draw　by　lot；　but　whatever　it　is；　it
can　only　come　to　a　tolerably　successful　development　after　long
training；　remember　that　over　that　training　you　will　have　no
control。　　It　is　possible；　and　even　probable；　that　whatever　you　may
get　in　after　life　which　is　of　real　pleasure　and　service　to　you；
will　have　to　be　won　in　spite　of；　rather　than　by　the　help　of；　those
whom　you　are　now　about　to　pester；　and　that　you　will　only　win　your
freedom　after　years　of　a　painful　struggle　in　which　it　will　be　hard
to　say　whether　you　have　suffered　most　injury；　or　inflicted　it。

〃Remember　also；　that　if　you　go　into　the　world　you　will　have　free
will；　that　you　will　be　obliged　to　have　it；　that　there　is　no
escaping　it；　that　you　will　be　fettered　to　it　during　your　whole
life；　and　must　on　every　occasion　do　that　which　on　the　whole　seems
best　to　you　at　any　given　time；　no　matter　whether　you　are　right　or
wrong　in　choosing　it。　　Your　mind　will　be　a　balance　for
considerations；　and　your　action　will　go　with　the　heavier　scale。
How　it　shall　fall　will　depend　upon　the　kind　of　scales　which　you　may
have　drawn　at　birth；　the　bias　which　they　will　have　obtained　by　use；
and　the　weight　of　the　immediate　considerations。　　If　the　scales　were
good　to　start　with；　and　if　they　have　not　been　outrageously　tampered
with　in　childhood；　and　if　the　combinations　into　which　you　enter　are
average　ones；　you　may　come　off　well；　but　there　are　too　many　'ifs'
in　this；　and　with　the　failure　of　any　one　of　them　your　misery　is
assured。　　Reflect　on　this；　and　remember　that　should　the　ill　come
upon　you；　you　will　have　yourself　to　thank；　for　it　is　your　own
choice　to　be　born；　and　there　is　no　compulsion　in　the　matter。

〃Not　that　we　deny　the　existence　of　pleasures　among　mankind；　there
is　a　certain　show　of　sundry　phases　of　contentment　which　may　even
amount　to　very　considerable　happiness；　but　mark　how　they　are
distributed　over　a　man's　life；　belonging；　all　the　keenest　of　them；
to　the　fore　part；　and　few　indeed　to　the　after。　　Can　there　be　any
pleasure　worth　purchasing　with　the　miseries　of　a　decrepit　age？　　If
you　are　good；　strong；　and　handsome；　you　have　a　fine　fortune　indeed
at　twenty；　but　how　much　of　it　will　be　left　at　sixty？　　For　you　must
live　on　your　capital；　there　is　no　investing　your　powers　so　that　you
may　get　a　small　annuity　of　life　for　ever：　　you　must　eat　up　your
principal　bit　by　bit；　and　be　tortured　by　seeing　it　grow　continually
smaller　and　smaller；　even　though　you　happen　to　escape　being　rudely
robbed　of　it　by　crime　or　casualty。

〃Remember；　too；　that　there　never　yet　was　a　man　of　forty　who　would
not　come　back　into　the　world　of　the　unborn　if　he　could　do　so　with
decency　and　honour。　　Being　in　the　world　he　will　as　a　general　rule
stay　till　he　is　forced　to　go；　but　do　you　think　that　he　would
consent　to　be　born　again；　and　re…live　his　life；　if　he　had　the　offer
of　doing　so？　　Do　not　think　it。　　If　he　could　so　alter　the　past　as
that　he　should　never　have　come　into　being　at　all；　do　you　not　think
that　he　would　do　it　very　gladly？

〃What　was　it　that　one　of　their　own　poets　meant；　if　it　was　not　this；
when　he　cried　out　upon　the　day　in　which　he　was　born；　and　the　night
in　which　it　was　said　there　is　a　man　child　conceived？　　'For　now；'　he
says；　'I　should　have　lain　still　and　been　quiet；　I　should　have
slept；　then　had　I　been　at　rest　with　kings　and　counsellors　of　the
earth；　which　built　desolate　places　for　themselves；　or　with　princes
that　had　gold；　who　filled　their　houses　with　silver；　or　as　an　hidden
untimely　birth；　I　had　not　been；　as　infants　which　never　saw　light。
There　the　wicked　cease　from　troubling；　and　the　weary　are　at　rest。'
Be　very　sure　that　the　guilt　of　being　born　carries　this　punishment
at　times　to　all　men；　but　how　can　they　ask　for　pity；　or　complain　of
any　mischief　that　may　befall　them；　having　entered　open…eyed　into
the　snare？

〃One　word　more　and　we　have　done。　　If　any　faint　remembrance；　as　of　a
dream；　flit　in　some　puzzled　moment　across　your　brain；　and　you　shall
feel　that　the　potion　which　is　to　be　given　you　shall　not　have　done
its　work；　and　the　memory　of　this　existence　which　you　are　leaving
endeavours　vainly　to　return；　we　say　in　such　a　moment；　when　you
clutch　at　the　dream　but　it　eludes　your　grasp；　and　you　watch　it；　as
Orpheus　watched　Eurydice；　gliding　back　again　into　the　twilight
kingdom；　flyflyif　you　can　remember　the　adviceto　the　haven　of
your　present　and　immediate　duty；　taking　shelter　incessantly　in　the
work　which　you　have　in　hand。　　This　much　you　may　perhaps　recall；　and
this；　if　you　will　imprint　it　deeply　upon　your　every　faculty；　will
be　most　likely　to　bring　you　safely　and　honourably　home　through　the
trials　that　are　before　you。〃　｛3｝

This　is　the　fashion　in　which　they　reason　with　those　who　would　be
for　leaving　them；　but　it　is　seldom　that　they　do　much　good；　for　none
but　the　unquiet　and　unreasonable　ever　think　of　being　born；　and
those　who　are　foolish　enough　to　think　of　it　are　generally　foolish
enough　to　do　it。　　Finding；　therefore；　that　they　can　do　no　more；　the
friends　follow　weeping　to　the　courthouse　of　the　chief　magistrate；
where　the　one　who　wishes　to　be　born　declares　solemnly　and　openly
that　he　accepts　the　conditions　attached　to　his　decision。　　On　this
he　is　presented　with　a　potion；　which　immediately　destroys　his
memory　and　sense　of　identity；　and　dissipates　the　thin　gaseous
tenement　which　he　has　inhabited：　　he　becomes　a　bare　vital
principle；　not　to　be　perceived　by　human　senses；　nor　to　be　by　any
chemical　test　appreciated。　　He　has　but　one　instinct；　which　is　that
he　is　to　go　to　such　and　such　a　place；　where　he　will　find　two
persons　whom　he　is　to　importune　till　they　consent　to　undertake　him；
but　whether　he　is　to　find　these　persons　among　the　race　of　Chowbok
or　the　Erewhonians　themselves　is　not　for　him　to　choose。



CHAPTER　XX：　　WHAT　THEY　MEAN　BY　IT



I　have　given　the　above　mythology　at　some　length；　but　it　is　only　a
small　part　of　what　they　have　upon　the　subject。　　My　first　feeling　on
reading　it　was　that　any　amount　of　folly　on　the　part　of　the　unborn
in　coming　here　was　justified　by　a　desire　to　escape　from　such
intolerable　prosing。　　The　mythology　is　obviously　an　unfair　and
exaggerated　representation　of　life　and　things；　and　had　its　authors
been　so　minded　they　could　have　easily　drawn　a　picture　which　would
err　as　much　on　the　bright　side　as　this　does　on　the　dark。　　No
Erewhonian　believes　that　the　world　is　as　black　as　it　has　been　here
painted；　but　it　is　one　of　their　peculiarities　that　they　very　often
do　not　believe　or　mean　things　which　they　profess　to　regard　as
indisputable。

In　the　present　instance　their　professed　views　concerning　the　unborn
have　arisen　from　their　desire　to　prove　that　people　have　been
presented　with　the　gloomiest　possible　picture　of　their　own
prospects　before　they　came　here；　otherwise；　they　could　hardly　say
to　one　whom　they　are　going　to　punish　for　an　affection　of　the　heart
or　brain　that　it　is　all　his　own　doing。　　In　practice　they　modify
their　theory　to　a　considerable　extent；　and　seldom　refer　to　the
birth　formula　except　in　extreme　cases；　for　the　force　of　habit；　or
what　not；　gives　many　of　them　a　kindly　interest　even　in　creatures
who　have　so　much　wronged　them　as　the　unborn　have　done；　and　though　a
man　generally　hates　the　unwelcome　little　stranger　for　the　first
twelve　months；　he　is　apt　to　mollify　（according　to　his　lights）　as
time　goes　on；　and　sometimes　he　will　become　inordinately　attached　to
the　beings　whom　he　is　pleased　to　call　his　children。

Of　course；　according　to　Erewhonian　premises；　it　would　serve　people
right　to　be　punished　and　scouted　for　moral　and　intellectual
diseases　as　much　as　for　physical；　and　I　cannot　to　this　day
understand　why　they　should　have　stopped　short　half　way。　　Neither；
again；　can　I　understand　why　their　having　done　so　should　have　been；
as　it　certainly　was；　a　matter