erewhon-第1部分

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Erewhon　（Revised　Edition）

by　Samuel　Butler





OR　OVER　THE　RANGE




PREFACE　TO　THE　FIRST　EDITION



The　Author　wishes　it　to　be　understood　that　Erewhon　is　pronounced　as
a　word　of　three　syllables；　all　shortthus；　E…re…whon。



PREFACE　TO　SECOND　EDITION



Having　been　enabled　by　the　kindness　of　the　public　to　get　through　an
unusually　large　edition　of　〃Erewhon〃　in　a　very　short　time；　I　have
taken　the　opportunity　of　a　second　edition　to　make　some　necessary
corrections；　and　to　add　a　few　passages　where　it　struck　me　that　they
would　be　appropriately　introduced；　the　passages　are　few；　and　it　is
my　fixed　intention　never　to　touch　the　work　again。

I　may　perhaps　be　allowed　to　say　a　word　or　two　here　in　reference　to
〃The　Coming　Race；〃　to　the　success　of　which　book　〃Erewhon〃　has　been
very　generally　set　down　as　due。　　This　is　a　mistake；　though　a
perfectly　natural　one。　　The　fact　is　that　〃Erewhon〃　was　finished；
with　the　exception　of　the　last　twenty　pages　and　a　sentence　or　two
inserted　from　time　to　time　here　and　there　throughout　the　book；
before　the　first　advertisement　of　〃The　Coming　Race〃　appeared。　　A
friend　having　called　my　attention　to　one　of　the　first　of　these
advertisements；　and　suggesting　that　it　probably　referred　to　a　work
of　similar　character　to　my　own；　I　took　〃Erewhon〃　to　a　well…known
firm　of　publishers　on　the　1st　of　May　1871；　and　left　it　in　their
hands　for　consideration。　　I　then　went　abroad；　and　on　learning　that
the　publishers　alluded　to　declined　the　MS。；　I　let　it　alone　for　six
or　seven　months；　and；　being　in　an　out…of…the…way　part　of　Italy；
never　saw　a　single　review　of　〃The　Coming　Race；〃　nor　a　copy　of　the
work。　　On　my　return；　I　purposely　avoided　looking　into　it　until　I
had　sent　back　my　last　revises　to　the　printer。　　Then　I　had　much
pleasure　in　reading　it；　but　was　indeed　surprised　at　the　many　little
points　of　similarity　between　the　two　books；　in　spite　of　their
entire　independence　to　one　another。

I　regret　that　reviewers　have　in　some　cases　been　inclined　to　treat
the　chapters　on　Machines　as　an　attempt　to　reduce　Mr。　Darwin's
theory　to　an　absurdity。　　　Nothing　could　be　further　from　my
intention；　and　few　things　would　be　more　distasteful　to　me　than　any
attempt　to　laugh　at　Mr。　Darwin；　but　I　must　own　that　I　have　myself
to　thank　for　the　misconception；　for　I　felt　sure　that　my　intention
would　be　missed；　but　preferred　not　to　weaken　the　chapters　by
explanation；　and　knew　very　well　that　Mr。　Darwin's　theory　would　take
no　harm。　　The　only　question　in　my　mind　was　how　far　I　could　afford
to　be　misrepresented　as　laughing　at　that　for　which　I　have　the　most
profound　admiration。　　I　am　surprised；　however；　that　the　book　at
which　such　an　example　of　the　specious　misuse　of　analogy　would　seem
most　naturally　levelled　should　have　occurred　to　no　reviewer；
neither　shall　I　mention　the　name　of　the　book　here；　though　I　should
fancy　that　the　hint　given　will　suffice。

I　have　been　held　by　some　whose　opinions　I　respect　to　have　denied
men's　responsibility　for　their　actions。　　　He　who　does　this　is　an
enemy　who　deserves　no　quarter。　　I　should　have　imagined　that　I　had
been　sufficiently　explicit；　but　have　made　a　few　additions　to　the
chapter　on　Malcontents；　which　will；　I　think；　serve　to　render
further　mistake　impossible。

An　anonymous　correspondent　（by　the　hand…writing　presumably　a
clergyman）　tells　me　that　in　quoting　from　the　Latin　grammar　I　should
at　any　rate　have　done　so　correctly；　and　that　I　should　have　written
〃agricolas〃　instead　of　〃agricolae〃。　　He　added　something　about　any
boy　in　the　fourth　form；　&c。；　&c。；　which　I　shall　not　quote；　but
which　made　me　very　uncomfortable。　　It　may　be　said　that　I　must　have
misquoted　from　design；　from　ignorance；　or　by　a　slip　of　the　pen；　but
surely　in　these　days　it　will　be　recognised　as　harsh　to　assign
limits　to　the　all…embracing　boundlessness　of　truth；　and　it　will　be
more　reasonably　assumed　that　EACH　of　the　three　possible　causes　of
misquotation　must　have　had　its　share　in　the　apparent　blunder。　　The
art　of　writing　things　that　shall　sound　right　and　yet　be　wrong　has
made　so　many　reputations；　and　affords　comfort　to　such　a　large
number　of　readers；　that　I　could　not　venture　to　neglect　it；　the
Latin　grammar；　however；　is　a　subject　on　which　some　of　the　younger
members　of　the　community　feel　strongly；　so　I　have　now　written
〃agricolas〃。　　I　have　also　parted　with　the　word　〃infortuniam〃
（though　not　without　regret）；　but　have　not　dared　to　meddle　with
other　similar　inaccuracies。

For　the　inconsistencies　in　the　book；　and　I　am　aware　that　there　are
not　a　few；　I　must　ask　the　indulgence　of　the　reader。　　The　blame；
however；　lies　chiefly　with　the　Erewhonians　themselves；　for　they
were　really　a　very　difficult　people　to　understand。　　The　most
glaring　anomalies　seemed　to　afford　them　no　intellectual
inconvenience；　neither；　provided　they　did　not　actually　see　the
money　dropping　out　of　their　pockets；　nor　suffer　immediate　physical
pain；　would　they　listen　to　any　arguments　as　to　the　waste　of　money
and　happiness　which　their　folly　caused　them。　　But　this　had　an
effect　of　which　I　have　little　reason　to　complain；　for　I　was　allowed
almost　to　call　them　life…long　self…deceivers　to　their　faces；　and
they　said　it　was　quite　true；　but　that　it　did　not　matter。

I　must　not　conclude　without　expressing　my　most　sincere　thanks　to　my
critics　and　to　the　public　for　the　leniency　and　consideration　with
which　they　have　treated　my　adventures。

June　9；　1872



PREFACE　TO　THE　REVISED　EDITION



My　publisher　wishes　me　to　say　a　few　words　about　the　genesis　of　the
work；　a　revised　and　enlarged　edition　of　which　he　is　herewith　laying
before　the　public。　　I　therefore　place　on　record　as　much　as　I　can
remember　on　this　head　after　a　lapse　of　more　than　thirty　years。

The　first　part　of　〃Erewhon〃　written　was　an　article　headed　〃Darwin
among　the　Machines；〃　and　signed　Cellarius。　　It　was　written　in　the
Upper　Rangitata　district　of　the　Canterbury　Province　（as　it　then
was）　of　New　Zealand；　and　appeared　at　Christchurch　in　the　Press
Newspaper；　June　13；　1863。　　A　copy　of　this　article　is　indexed　under
my　books　in　the　British　Museum　catalogue。　　In　passing；　I　may　say
that　the　opening　chapters　of　〃Erewhon〃　were　also　drawn　from　the
Upper　Rangitata　district；　with　such　modifications　as　I　found
convenient。

A　second　article　on　the　same　subject　as　the　one　just　referred　to
appeared　in　the　Press　shortly　after　the　first；　but　I　have　no　copy。
It　treated　Machines　from　a　different　point　of　view；　and　was　the
basis　of　pp。　270…274　of　the　present　edition　of　〃Erewhon。〃　｛1｝　This
view　ultimately　led　me　to　the　theory　I　put　forward　in　〃Life　and
Habit；〃　published　in　November　1877。　　I　have　put　a　bare　outline　of
this　theory　（which　I　believe　to　be　quite　sound）　into　the　mouth　of
an　Erewhonian　philosopher　in　Chapter　XXVII。　of　this　book。

In　1865　I　rewrote　and　enlarged　〃Darwin　among　the　Machines〃　for　the
Reasoner；　a　paper　published　in　London　by　Mr。　G。　J。　Holyoake。　　It
appeared　July　1；　1865；　under　the　heading；　〃The　Mechanical
Creation；〃　and　can　be　seen　in　the　British　Museum。　　I　again　rewrote
and　enlarged　it；　till　it　assumed　the　form　in　which　it　appeared　in
the　first　edition　of　〃Erewhon。〃

The　next　part　of　〃Erewhon〃　that　I　wrote　was　the　〃World　of　the
Unborn；〃　a　preliminary　form　of　which　was　sent　to　Mr。　Holyoake's
paper；　but　as　I　cannot　find　it　among　those　copies　of　the　Reasoner
that　are　in　the　British　Museum；　I　conclude　that　it　was　not
accepted。　　I　have；　however；　rather　a　strong　fancy　that　it　appeared
in　some　London　paper　of　the　same　character　as　the　Reasoner；　not
very　long　after　July　1；　1865；　but　I　have　no　copy。

I　also　wrote　about　this　time　the　substance　of　what　ultimately
became　the　Musical　Banks；　and　the　trial　of　a　man　for　being　in　a
consumption。　　These　four　detached　papers　were；　I　believe；　all　that
was　written　of　〃Erewhon〃　before　1870。　　Between　1865　and　1870　I
wrote　hardly　anything；　being　hopeful　of　attaining　that　success　as　a
painter　which　it　has　not　been　vouchsafed　me　to　attain；　but　in　the
autumn　of　1870；　just　as　I　was　beginning　to　get　occasionally　hung　at
Royal　Academy　exhibitions；　my　friend；　the　late　Sir　F。　N。　（then　Mr。）
Broome；　suggested　to　me　that　I　should　add　somewhat　to　the　articles
I　had　already　written；　and　string　them　together　into　a　book。　　I　was
rather　fired　by　the　idea；　but　as　I　only　worked　at　the　MS。　on
Sundays　it　was　some　months　before　I　had　completed　it。

I　see　from　my　second　Preface　that　I　took　the　book　to　Messrs。
Chapman　&　Hall　May　1；　1871；　and　on　their　rejection　of　it；　under　the
advice　of　one　who　has　attained　the　highest　rank　among　living
writers；　I　let　it　sleep；　till　I　took　it　to　Mr。　Trubner　early　in
1872。　　As　regards　its　rejection　by　Messrs。　Chapman　&　Hall；　I
believe　their　reader　advised　them　quite　wisely。　　They　told　me　he
reported　that　it　was　a　philosophical　work；　little　likely　to　be
popular　with　a　large　circle　of　readers。　　I　hope　that　if　I　had　been
their　reader；　and　the　book　had　been　submitted　to　myself；　I　should
have　advised　them　to　the　same　effect。

〃Erewhon〃　appeared　with　the　last　day　or　two　of　March　1872。　　I
attribute　its　unlooked…for　success　mainly　to　two　early　favourable
reviewsthe　first　in　the　Pall　Mall　Gazette　of　April　12；　and　the
second　in　the　Spectator　of　April　20。　　There　was　al