flatland-第10部分

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Great　indeed　was　the　peril。　　It　seemed　as　though　the　Priests　had　no　choice　between　submission　and　extermination；　when　suddenly　the　course　of　events　was　completely　changed　by　one　of　those　picturesque　incidents　which　Statesmen　ought　never　to　neglect；　often　to　anticipate；　and　sometimes　perhaps　to　originate；　because　of　the　absurdly　disproportionate　power　with　which　they　appeal　to　the　sympathies　of　the　populace。

It　happened　that　an　Isosceles　of　a　low　type；　with　a　brain　little　if　at　all　above　four　degrees　　accidentally　dabbling　in　the　colours　of　some　Tradesman　whose　shop　he　had　plundered　　painted　himself；　or　caused　himself　to　be　painted　（for　the　story　varies）　with　the　twelve　colours　of　a　Dodecagon。　　Going　into　the　Market　Place　he　accosted　in　a　feigned　voice　a　maiden；　the　orphan　daughter　of　a　noble　Polygon；　whose　affection　in　former　days　he　had　sought　in　vain；　and　by　a　series　of　deceptions　　aided；　on　the　one　side；　by　a　string　of　lucky　accidents　too　long　to　relate；　and　on　the　other；　by　an　almost　inconceivable　fatuity　and　neglect　of　ordinary　precautions　on　the　part　of　the　relations　of　the　bride　　he　succeeded　in　consummating　the　marriage。　　The　unhappy　girl　committed　suicide　on　discovering　the　fraud　to　which　she　had　been　subjected。

When　the　news　of　this　catastrophe　spread　from　State　to　State　the　minds　of　the　Women　were　violently　agitated。　　Sympathy　with　the　miserable　victim　and　anticipations　of　similar　deceptions　for　themselves；　their　sisters；　and　their　daughters；　made　them　now　regard　the　Colour　Bill　in　an　entirely　new　aspect。　Not　a　few　openly　avowed　themselves　converted　to　antagonism；　the　rest　needed　only　a　slight　stimulus　to　make　a　similar　avowal。　Seizing　this　favourable　opportunity；　the　Circles　hastily　convened　an　extraordinary　Assembly　of　the　States；　and　besides　the　usual　guard　of　Convicts；　they　secured　the　attendance　of　a　large　number　of　reactionary　Women。

Amidst　an　unprecedented　concourse；　the　Chief　Circle　of　those　days　　by　name　Pantocyclus　　arose　to　find　himself　hissed　and　hooted　by　a　hundred　and　twenty　thousand　Isosceles。　　But　he　secured　silence　by　declaring　that　henceforth　the　Circles　would　enter　on　a　policy　of　Concession；　yielding　to　the　wishes　of　the　majority；　they　would　accept　the　Colour　Bill。　　The　uproar　being　at　once　converted　to　applause；　he　invited　Chromatistes；　the　leader　of　the　Sedition；　into　the　centre　of　the　hall；　to　receive　in　the　name　of　his　followers　the　submission　of　the　Hierarchy。　　Then　followed　a　speech；　a　masterpiece　of　rhetoric；　which　occupied　nearly　a　day　in　the　delivery；　and　to　which　no　summary　can　do　justice。

With　a　grave　appearance　of　impartiality　he　declared　that　as　they　were　now　finally　committing　themselves　to　Reform　or　Innovation；　it　was　desirable　that　they　should　take　one　last　view　of　the　perimeter　of　the　whole　subject；　its　defects　as　well　as　its　advantages。　Gradually　introducing　the　mention　of　the　dangers　to　the　Tradesmen；　the　Professional　Classes　and　the　Gentlemen；　he　silenced　the　rising　murmurs　of　the　Isosceles　by　reminding　them　that；　in　spite　of　all　these　defects；　he　was　willing　to　accept　the　Bill　if　it　was　approved　by　the　majority。　　But　it　was　manifest　that　all；　except　the　Isosceles；　were　moved　by　his　words　and　were　either　neutral　or　averse　to　the　Bill。

Turning　now　to　the　Workmen　he　asserted　that　their　interests　must　not　be　neglected；　and　that；　if　they　intended　to　accept　the　Colour　Bill；　they　ought　at　least　to　do　so　with　full　view　of　the　consequences。　Many　of　them；　he　said；　were　on　the　point　of　being　admitted　to　the　class　of　the　Regular　Triangles；　others　anticipated　for　their　children　a　distinction　they　could　not　hope　for　themselves。　That　honourable　ambition　would　now　have　to　be　sacrificed。　With　the　universal　adoption　of　Colour；　all　distinctions　would　cease；　Regularity　would　be　confused　with　Irregularity；　development　would　give　place　to　retrogression；　the　Workman　would　in　a　few　generations　be　degraded　to　the　level　of　the　Military；　or　even　the　Convict　Class；　political　power　would　be　in　the　hands　of　the　greatest　number；　that　is　to　say　the　Criminal　Classes；　who　were　already　more　numerous　than　the　Workmen；　and　would　soon　out…number　all　the　other　Classes　put　together　when　the　usual　Compensative　Laws　of　Nature　were　violated。

A　subdued　murmur　of　assent　ran　through　the　ranks　of　the　Artisans；　and　Chromatistes；　in　alarm；　attempted　to　step　forward　and　address　them。　　But　he　found　himself　encompassed　with　guards　and　forced　to　remain　silent　while　the　Chief　Circle　in　a　few　impassioned　words　made　a　final　appeal　to　the　Women；　exclaiming　that；　if　the　Colour　Bill　passed；　no　marriage　would　henceforth　be　safe；　no　woman's　honour　secure；　fraud；　deception；　hypocrisy　would　pervade　every　household；　domestic　bliss　would　share　the　fate　of　the　Constitution　and　pass　to　speedy　perdition。　　〃Sooner　than　this；〃　he　cried；　〃Come　death。〃

At　these　words；　which　were　the　preconcerted　signal　for　action；　the　Isosceles　Convicts　fell　on　and　transfixed　the　wretched　Chromatistes；　the　Regular　Classes；　opening　their　ranks；　made　way　for　a　band　of　Women　who；　under　direction　of　the　Circles；　moved；　back　foremost；　invisibly　and　unerringly　upon　the　unconscious　soldiers；　the　Artisans；　imitating　the　example　of　their　betters；　also　opened　their　ranks。　　Meantime　bands　of　Convicts　occupied　every　entrance　with　an　impenetrable　phalanx。

The　battle；　or　rather　carnage；　was　of　short　duration。　Under　the　skillful　generalship　of　the　Circles　almost　every　Woman's　charge　was　fatal　and　very　many　extracted　their　sting　uninjured；　ready　for　a　second　slaughter。　　But　no　second　blow　was　needed；　the　rabble　of　the　Isosceles　did　the　rest　of　the　business　for　themselves。　　Surprised；　leader…less；　attacked　in　front　by　invisible　foes；　and　finding　egress　cut　off　by　the　Convicts　behind　them；　they　at　once　　after　their　manner　　lost　all　presence　of　mind；　and　raised　the　cry　of　〃treachery〃。　　This　sealed　their　fate。　Every　Isosceles　now　saw　and　felt　a　foe　in　every　other。　In　half　an　hour　not　one　of　that　vast　multitude　was　living；　and　the　fragments　of　seven　score　thousand　of　the　Criminal　Class　slain　by　one　another's　angles　attested　the　triumph　of　Order。

The　Circles　delayed　not　to　push　their　victory　to　the　uttermost。　The　Working　Men　they　spared　but　decimated。　　The　Militia　of　the　Equilaterals　was　at　once　called　out；　and　every　Triangle　suspected　of　Irregularity　on　reasonable　grounds；　was　destroyed　by　Court　Martial；　without　the　formality　of　exact　measurement　by　the　Social　Board。　　The　homes　of　the　Military　and　Artisan　classes　were　inspected　in　a　course　of　visitations　extending　through　upwards　of　a　year；　and　during　that　period　every　town；　village；　and　hamlet　was　systematically　purged　of　that　excess　of　the　lower　orders　which　had　been　brought　about　by　the　neglect　to　pay　the　tribute　of　Criminals　to　the　Schools　and　University；　and　by　the　violation　of　the　other　natural　Laws　of　the　Constitution　of　Flatland。　　Thus　the　balance　of　classes　was　again　restored。

Needless　to　say　that　henceforth　the　use　of　Colour　was　abolished；　and　its　possession　prohibited。　　Even　the　utterance　of　any　word　denoting　Colour；　except　by　the　Circles　or　by　qualified　scientific　teachers；　was　punished　by　a　severe　penalty。　　Only　at　our　University　in　some　of　the　very　highest　and　most　esoteric　classes　　which　I　myself　have　never　been　privileged　to　attend　　it　is　understood　that　the　sparing　use　of　Colour　is　still　sanctioned　for　the　purpose　of　illustrating　some　of　the　deeper　problems　of　mathematics。　　But　of　this　I　can　only　speak　from　hearsay。

Elsewhere　in　Flatland；　Colour　is　now　non…existent。　　The　art　of　making　it　is　known　to　only　one　living　person；　the　Chief　Circle　for　the　time　being；　and　by　him　it　is　handed　down　on　his　death…bed　to　none　but　his　Successor。　　One　manufactory　alone　produces　it；　and；　lest　the　secret　should　be　betrayed；　the　Workmen　are　annually　consumed；　and　fresh　ones　introduced。　　So　great　is　the　terror　with　which　even　now　our　Aristocracy　looks　back　to　the　far…distant　days　of　the　agitation　for　the　Universal　Colour　Bill。




Section　11。　　Concerning　our　Priests



It　is　high　time　that　I　should　pass　from　these　brief　and　discursive　notes　about　things　in　Flatland　to　the　central　event　of　this　book；　my　initiation　into　the　mysteries　of　Space。　　THAT　is　my　subject；　all　that　has　gone　before　is　merely　preface。

For　this　reason　I　must　omit　many　matters　of　which　the　explanation　would　not；　I　flatter　myself；　be　without　interest　for　my　Readers：　as　for　example；　our　method　of　propelling　and　stopping　ourselves；　although　destitute　of　feet；　the　means　by　which　we　give　fixity　to　structures　of　wood；　stone；　or　brick；　although　of　course　we　have　no　hands；　nor　can　we　lay　foundations　as　you　can；　nor　avail　ourselves　of　the　lateral　pressure　of　the　earth；　the　manner　in　which　the　rain　originates　in　the　intervals　between　our　various　zones；　so　that　the　northern　regions　do　not　intercept　the　moisture　from　falling　on　the　southern；　the　nature　of　our　hills　and　mines；　our　trees　and　vegetables；　our　seasons　and　harvests；　our　Alphabet　and　method　of　writing；　adapted　to　our　linear　tablets；　these　and　a　hundred　other　details　of　our　physical　existence　I　must　pass　over；　nor　do　I　mention　them　now　except　to　indicate　to　my　readers　that　their　omission　proceeds　not　from　forgetfulness　on　the　part　of　the　author；　but　from　his　regard　for　the　time　of　the　Re