flatland-第22章

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And　besides　this；　there　is　the　Argument　from　Analogy　of　Figures。

SPHERE。　　Analogy！　　Nonsense：　　what　analogy？

I。　　Your　Lordship　tempts　his　servant　to　see　whether　he　remembers　the　revelations　imparted　to　him。　　Trifle　not　with　me；　my　Lord；　I　crave；　I　thirst；　for　more　knowledge。　　Doubtless　we　cannot　SEE　that　other　higher　Spaceland　now；　because　we　we　have　no　eye　in　our　stomachs。　　But；　just　as　there　WAS　the　realm　of　Flatland；　though　that　poor　puny　Lineland　Monarch　could　neither　turn　to　left　nor　right　to　discern　it；　and　just　as　there　WAS　close　at　hand；　and　touching　my　frame；　the　land　of　Three　Dimensions；　though　I；　blind　senseless　wretch；　had　no　power　to　touch　it；　no　eye　in　my　interior　to　discern　it；　so　of　a　surety　there　is　a　Fourth　Dimension；　which　my　Lord　perceives　with　the　inner　eye　of　thought。　　And　that　it　must　exist　my　Lord　himself　has　taught　me。　Or　can　he　have　forgotten　what　he　himself　imparted　to　his　servant？

In　One　Dimension；　did　not　a　moving　Point　produce　a　Line　with　TWO　terminal　points？

In　Two　Dimensions；　did　not　a　moving　Line　produce　a　Square　with　FOUR　terminal　points？

In　Three　Dimensions；　did　not　a　moving　Square　produce　　did　not　this　eye　of　mine　behold　it　　that　blessed　Being；　a　Cube；　with　EIGHT　terminal　points？

And　in　Four　Dimensions　shall　not　a　moving　Cube　　alas；　for　Analogy；　and　alas　for　the　Progress　of　Truth；　if　it　be　not　so　　shall　not；　I　say；　the　motion　of　a　divine　Cube　result　in　a　still　more　divine　Organization　with　SIXTEEN　terminal　points？

Behold　the　infallible　confirmation　of　the　Series；　2；　4；　8；　16：　is　not　this　a　Geometrical　Progression？　　Is　not　this　　if　I　might　quote　my　Lord's　own　words　　〃strictly　according　to　Analogy〃？

Again；　was　I　not　taught　by　my　Lord　that　as　in　a　Line　there　are　TWO　bounding　Points；　and　in　a　Square　there　are　FOUR　bounding　Lines；　so　in　a　Cube　there　must　be　SIX　bounding　Squares？　Behold　once　more　the　confirming　Series；　2；　4；　6：　　is　not　this　an　Arithmetical　Progression？　　And　consequently　does　it　not　of　necessity　follow　that　the　more　divine　offspring　of　the　divine　Cube　in　the　Land　of　Four　Dimensions；　must　have　8　bounding　Cubes：　and　is　not　this　also；　as　my　Lord　has　taught　me　to　believe；　〃strictly　according　to　Analogy〃？

O；　my　Lord；　my　Lord；　behold；　I　cast　myself　in　faith　upon　conjecture；　not　knowing　the　facts；　and　I　appeal　to　your　Lordship　to　confirm　or　deny　my　logical　anticipations。　　If　I　am　wrong；　I　yield；　and　will　no　longer　demand　a　fourth　Dimension；　but；　if　I　am　right；　my　Lord　will　listen　to　reason。

I　ask　therefore；　is　it；　or　is　it　not；　the　fact；　that　ere　now　your　countrymen　also　have　witnessed　the　descent　of　Beings　of　a　higher　order　than　their　own；　entering　closed　rooms；　even　as　your　Lordship　entered　mine；　without　the　opening　of　doors　or　windows；　and　appearing　and　vanishing　at　will？　　On　the　reply　to　this　question　I　am　ready　to　stake　everything。　　Deny　it；　and　I　am　henceforth　silent。　　Only　vouchsafe　an　answer。

SPHERE。　　（AFTER　A　PAUSE）。　　It　is　reported　so。　　But　men　are　divided　in　opinion　as　to　the　facts。　　And　even　granting　the　facts；　they　explain　them　in　different　ways。　　And　in　any　case；　however　great　may　be　the　number　of　different　explanations；　no　one　has　adopted　or　suggested　the　theory　of　a　Fourth　Dimension。　Therefore；　pray　have　done　with　this　trifling；　and　let　us　return　to　business。

I。　　I　was　certain　of　it。　　I　was　certain　that　my　anticipations　would　be　fulfilled。　　And　now　have　patience　with　me　and　answer　me　yet　one　more　question；　best　of　Teachers！　　Those　who　have　thus　appeared　　no　one　knows　whence　　and　have　returned　　no　one　knows　whither　　have　they　also　contracted　their　sections　and　vanished　somehow　into　that　more　Spacious　Space；　whither　I　now　entreat　you　to　conduct　me？

SPHERE　（MOODILY）。　　They　have　vanished；　certainly　　if　they　ever　appeared。　　But　most　people　say　that　these　visions　arose　from　the　thought　　you　will　not　understand　me　　from　the　brain；　from　the　perturbed　angularity　of　the　Seer。

I。　　Say　they　so？　　Oh；　believe　them　not。　　Or　if　it　indeed　be　so；　that　this　other　Space　is　really　Thoughtland；　then　take　me　to　that　blessed　Region　where　I　in　Thought　shall　see　the　insides　of　all　solid　things。　　There；　before　my　ravished　eye；　a　Cube；　moving　in　some　altogether　new　direction；　but　strictly　according　to　Analogy；　so　as　to　make　every　particle　of　his　interior　pass　through　a　new　kind　of　Space；　with　a　wake　of　its　own　　shall　create　a　still　more　perfect　perfection　than　himself；　with　sixteen　terminal　Extra…solid　angles；　and　Eight　solid　Cubes　for　his　Perimeter。　And　once　there；　shall　we　stay　our　upward　course？　　In　that　blessed　region　of　Four　Dimensions；　shall　we　linger　on　the　threshold　of　the　Fifth；　and　not　enter　therein？　　Ah；　no！　　Let　us　rather　resolve　that　our　ambition　shall　soar　with　our　corporal　ascent。　　Then；　yielding　to　our　intellectual　onset；　the　gates　of　the　Sixth　Dimension　shall　fly　open；　after　that　a　Seventh；　and　then　an　Eighth　

How　long　I　should　have　continued　I　know　not。　　In　vain　did　the　Sphere；　in　his　voice　of　thunder；　reiterate　his　command　of　silence；　and　threaten　me　with　the　direst　penalties　if　I　persisted。　Nothing　could　stem　the　flood　of　my　ecstatic　aspirations。　Perhaps　I　was　to　blame；　but　indeed　I　was　intoxicated　with　the　recent　draughts　of　Truth　to　which　he　himself　had　introduced　me。　However；　the　end　was　not　long　in　coming。　　My　words　were　cut　short　by　a　crash　outside；　and　a　simultaneous　crash　inside　me；　which　impelled　me　through　space　with　a　velocity　that　precluded　speech。　Down！　down！　down！　I　was　rapidly　descending；　and　I　knew　that　return　to　Flatland　was　my　doom。　　One　glimpse；　one　last　and　never…to…be…forgotten　glimpse　I　had　of　that　dull　level　wilderness　　which　was　now　to　become　my　Universe　again　　spread　out　before　my　eye。　　Then　a　darkness。　　Then　a　final；　all…consummating　thunder…peal；　and；　when　I　came　to　myself；　I　was　once　more　a　common　creeping　Square；　in　my　Study　at　home；　listening　to　the　Peace…Cry　of　my　approaching　Wife。




Section　20。　　How　the　Sphere　encouraged　me　in　a　Vision



Although　I　had　less　than　a　minute　for　reflection；　I　felt；　by　a　kind　of　instinct；　that　I　must　conceal　my　experiences　from　my　Wife。　Not　that　I　apprehended；　at　the　moment；　any　danger　from　her　divulging　my　secret；　but　I　knew　that　to　any　Woman　in　Flatland　the　narrative　of　my　adventures　must　needs　be　unintelligible。　So　I　endeavoured　to　reassure　her　by　some　story；　invented　for　the　occasion；　that　I　had　accidentally　fallen　through　the　trap…door　of　the　cellar；　and　had　there　lain　stunned。

The　Southward　attraction　in　our　country　is　so　slight　that　even　to　a　Woman　my　tale　necessarily　appeared　extraordinary　and　well…nigh　incredible；　but　my　Wife；　whose　good　sense　far　exceeds　that　of　the　average　of　her　Sex；　and　who　perceived　that　I　was　unusually　excited；　did　not　argue　with　me　on　the　subject；　but　insisted　that　I　was　ill　and　required　repose。　　I　was　glad　of　an　excuse　for　retiring　to　my　chamber　to　think　quietly　over　what　had　happened。　　When　I　was　at　last　by　myself；　a　drowsy　sensation　fell　on　me；　but　before　my　eyes　closed　I　endeavoured　to　reproduce　the　Third　Dimension；　and　especially　the　process　by　which　a　Cube　is　constructed　through　the　motion　of　a　Square。　　It　was　not　so　clear　as　I　could　have　wished；　but　I　remembered　that　it　must　be　〃Upward；　and　yet　not　Northward〃；　and　I　determined　steadfastly　to　retain　these　words　as　the　clue　which；　if　firmly　grasped；　could　not　fail　to　guide　me　to　the　solution。　　So　mechanically　repeating；　like　a　charm；　the　words；　〃Upward；　yet　not　Northward〃；　I　fell　into　a　sound　refreshing　sleep。

During　my　slumber　I　had　a　dream。　　I　thought　I　was　once　more　by　the　side　of　the　Sphere；　whose　lustrous　hue　betokened　that　he　had　exchanged　his　wrath　against　me　for　perfect　placability。　　We　were　moving　together　towards　a　bright　but　infinitesimally　small　Point；　to　which　my　Master　directed　my　attention。　　As　we　approached；　methought　there　issued　from　it　a　slight　humming　noise　as　from　one　of　your　Spaceland　bluebottles；　only　less　resonant　by　far；　so　slight　indeed　that　even　in　the　perfect　stillness　of　the　Vacuum　through　which　we　soared；　the　sound　reached　not　our　ears　till　we　checked　our　flight　at　a　distance　from　it　of　something　under　twenty　human　diagonals。

〃Look　yonder；〃　said　my　Guide；　〃in　Flatland　thou　hast　lived；　of　Lineland　thou　hast　received　a　vision；　thou　hast　soared　with