erewhon-第19部分

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nearest　relations。　　His　father　had　been　long　dead；　and　it　was　for
this　reason　that　his　offence　came　on　for　trial　in　the　Personal
Bereavement　Court。　　The　lad；　who　was　undefended；　pleaded　that　he
was　young；　inexperienced；　greatly　in　awe　of　his　guardian；　and
without　independent　professional　advice。　　〃Young　man；〃　said　the
judge　sternly；　〃do　not　talk　nonsense。　　People　have　no　right　to　be
young；　inexperienced；　greatly　in　awe　of　their　guardians；　and
without　independent　professional　advice。　　If　by　such　indiscretions
they　outrage　the　moral　sense　of　their　friends；　they　must　expect　to
suffer　accordingly。〃　　He　then　ordered　the　prisoner　to　apologise　to
his　guardian；　and　to　receive　twelve　strokes　with　a　cat…of…nine…
tails。

But　I　shall　perhaps　best　convey　to　the　reader　an　idea　of　the　entire
perversion　of　thought　which　exists　among　this　extraordinary　people；
by　describing　the　public　trial　of　a　man　who　was　accused　of
pulmonary　consumptionan　offence　which　was　punished　with　death
until　quite　recently。　　It　did　not　occur　till　I　had　been　some　months
in　the　country；　and　I　am　deviating　from　chronological　order　in
giving　it　here；　but　I　had　perhaps　better　do　so　in　order　that　I　may
exhaust　this　subject　before　proceeding　to　others。　　Moreover　I
should　never　come　to　an　end　were　I　to　keep　to　a　strictly　narrative
form；　and　detail　the　infinite　absurdities　with　which　I　daily　came
in　contact。

The　prisoner　was　placed　in　the　dock；　and　the　jury　were　sworn　much
as　in　Europe；　almost　all　our　own　modes　of　procedure　were
reproduced；　even　to　the　requiring　the　prisoner　to　plead　guilty　or
not　guilty。　　He　pleaded　not　guilty；　and　the　case　proceeded。　　The
evidence　for　the　prosecution　was　very　strong；　but　I　must　do　the
court　the　justice　to　observe　that　the　trial　was　absolutely
impartial。　　Counsel　for　the　prisoner　was　allowed　to　urge　everything
that　could　be　said　in　his　defence：　　the　line　taken　was　that　the
prisoner　was　simulating　consumption　in　order　to　defraud　an
insurance　company；　from　which　he　was　about　to　buy　an　annuity；　and
that　he　hoped　thus　to　obtain　it　on　more　advantageous　terms。　　If
this　could　have　been　shown　to　be　the　case　he　would　have　escaped　a
criminal　prosecution；　and　been　sent　to　a　hospital　as　for　a　moral
ailment。　　The　view；　however；　was　one　which　could　not　be　reasonably
sustained；　in　spite　of　all　the　ingenuity　and　eloquence　of　one　of
the　most　celebrated　advocates　of　the　country。　　The　case　was　only
too　clear；　for　the　prisoner　was　almost　at　the　point　of　death；　and
it　was　astonishing　that　he　had　not　been　tried　and　convicted　long
previously。　　His　coughing　was　incessant　during　the　whole　trial；　and
it　was　all　that　the　two　jailors　in　charge　of　him　could　do　to　keep
him　on　his　legs　until　it　was　over。

The　summing　up　of　the　judge　was　admirable。　　He　dwelt　upon　every
point　that　could　be　construed　in　favour　of　the　prisoner；　but　as　he
proceeded　it　became　clear　that　the　evidence　was　too　convincing　to
admit　of　doubt；　and　there　was　but　one　opinion　in　the　court　as　to
the　impending　verdict　when　the　jury　retired　from　the　box。　　They
were　absent　for　about　ten　minutes；　and　on　their　return　the　foreman
pronounced　the　prisoner　guilty。　　There　was　a　faint　murmur　of
applause；　but　it　was　instantly　repressed。　　The　judge　then　proceeded
to　pronounce　sentence　in　words　which　I　can　never　forget；　and　which
I　copied　out　into　a　note…book　next　day　from　the　report　that　was
published　in　the　leading　newspaper。　　I　must　condense　it　somewhat；
and　nothing　which　I　could　say　would　give　more　than　a　faint　idea　of
the　solemn；　not　to　say　majestic；　severity　with　which　it　was
delivered。　　The　sentence　was　as　follows：…

〃Prisoner　at　the　bar；　you　have　been　accused　of　the　great　crime　of
labouring　under　pulmonary　consumption；　and　after　an　impartial　trial
before　a　jury　of　your　countrymen；　you　have　been　found　guilty。
Against　the　justice　of　the　verdict　I　can　say　nothing：　　the　evidence
against　you　was　conclusive；　and　it　only　remains　for　me　to　pass　such
a　sentence　upon　you；　as　shall　satisfy　the　ends　of　the　law。　　That
sentence　must　be　a　very　severe　one。　　It　pains　me　much　to　see　one
who　is　yet　so　young；　and　whose　prospects　in　life　were　otherwise　so
excellent；　brought　to　this　distressing　condition　by　a　constitution
which　I　can　only　regard　as　radically　vicious；　but　yours　is　no　case
for　compassion：　　this　is　not　your　first　offence：　　you　have　led　a
career　of　crime；　and　have　only　profited　by　the　leniency　shown　you
upon　past　occasions；　to　offend　yet　more　seriously　against　the　laws
and　institutions　of　your　country。　　You　were　convicted　of　aggravated
bronchitis　last　year：　　and　I　find　that　though　you　are　now　only
twenty…three　years　old；　you　have　been　imprisoned　on　no　less　than
fourteen　occasions　for　illnesses　of　a　more　or　less　hateful
character；　in　fact；　it　is　not　too　much　to　say　that　you　have　spent
the　greater　part　of　your　life　in　a　jail。

〃It　is　all　very　well　for　you　to　say　that　you　came　of　unhealthy
parents；　and　had　a　severe　accident　in　your　childhood　which
permanently　undermined　your　constitution；　excuses　such　as　these　are
the　ordinary　refuge　of　the　criminal；　but　they　cannot　for　one　moment
be　listened　to　by　the　ear　of　justice。　　I　am　not　here　to　enter　upon
curious　metaphysical　questions　as　to　the　origin　of　this　or　that
questions　to　which　there　would　be　no　end　were　their　introduction
once　tolerated；　and　which　would　result　in　throwing　the　only　guilt
on　the　tissues　of　the　primordial　cell；　or　on　the　elementary　gases。
There　is　no　question　of　how　you　came　to　be　wicked；　but　only　this
namely；　are　you　wicked　or　not？　　This　has　been　decided　in　the
affirmative；　neither　can　I　hesitate　for　a　single　moment　to　say　that
it　has　been　decided　justly。　　You　are　a　bad　and　dangerous　person；
and　stand　branded　in　the　eyes　of　your　fellow…countrymen　with　one　of
the　most　heinous　known　offences。

〃It　is　not　my　business　to　justify　the　law：　　the　law　may　in　some
cases　have　its　inevitable　hardships；　and　I　may　feel　regret　at　times
that　I　have　not　the　option　of　passing　a　less　severe　sentence　than　I
am　compelled　to　do。　　But　yours　is　no　such　case；　on　the　contrary；
had　not　the　capital　punishment　for　consumption　been　abolished；　I
should　certainly　inflict　it　now。

〃It　is　intolerable　that　an　example　of　such　terrible　enormity　should
be　allowed　to　go　at　large　unpunished。　　Your　presence　in　the　society
of　respectable　people　would　lead　the　less　able…bodied　to　think　more
lightly　of　all　forms　of　illness；　neither　can　it　be　permitted　that
you　should　have　the　chance　of　corrupting　unborn　beings　who　might
hereafter　pester　you。　　The　unborn　must　not　be　allowed　to　come　near
you：　　and　this　not　so　much　for　their　protection　（for　they　are　our
natural　enemies）；　as　for　our　own；　for　since　they　will　not　be
utterly　gainsaid；　it　must　be　seen　to　that　they　shall　be　quartered
upon　those　who　are　least　likely　to　corrupt　them。

〃But　independently　of　this　consideration；　and　independently　of　the
physical　guilt　which　attaches　itself　to　a　crime　so　great　as　yours；
there　is　yet　another　reason　why　we　should　be　unable　to　show　you
mercy；　even　if　we　were　inclined　to　do　so。　　I　refer　to　the　existence
of　a　class　of　men　who　lie　hidden　among　us；　and　who　are　called
physicians。　　Were　the　severity　of　the　law　or　the　current　feeling　of
the　country　to　be　relaxed　never　so　slightly；　these　abandoned
persons；　who　are　now　compelled　to　practise　secretly　and　who　can　be
consulted　only　at　the　greatest　risk；　would　become　frequent　visitors
in　every　household；　their　organisation　and　their　intimate
acquaintance　with　all　family　secrets　would　give　them　a　power；　both
social　and　political；　which　nothing　could　resist。　　The　head　of　the
household　would　become　subordinate　to　the　family　doctor；　who　would
interfere　between　man　and　wife；　between　master　and　servant；　until
the　doctors　should　be　the　only　depositaries　of　power　in　the　nation；
and　have　all　that　we　hold　precious　at　their　mercy。　　A　time　of
universal　dephysicalisation　would　ensue；　medicine…vendors　of　all
kinds　would　abound　in　our　streets　and　advertise　in　all　our
newspapers。　　There　is　one　remedy　for　this；　and　one　only。　　It　is
that　which　the　laws　of　this　country　have　long　received　and　acted
upon；　and　consists　in　the　sternest　repression　of　all　diseases
whatsoever；　as　soon　as　their　existence　is　made　manifest　to　the　eye
of　the　law。　　Would　that　that　eye　were　far　more　piercing　than　it　is。

〃But　I　will　enlarge　no　further　upon　things　that　are　themselves　so
obvious。　　You　may　say　that　it　is　not　your　fault。　　The　answer　is
ready　enough　at　hand；　and　it　amounts　to　thisthat　if　you　had　been
born　of　healthy　and　well…to…do　parents；　and　been　well　taken　care　of
when　you　were　a　child；　you　would　never　have　offended　against　the
laws　of　your　country；　nor　found　yourself　in　your　present
disgraceful　position。　　If　you　tell　me　that　you　had　no　hand　in　your
parentage　and　education；　and　that　it　is　therefore　unjust　to　lay
these　things　to　your　charge；　I　answer　that　whether　your　being　in　a
consumption　is　your　fault　or　no；　it　is　a　fault　in　you；　and　it　is　my
duty　to　see　that　against　such　faults　as　this　the　commonwealth　shall
be　protected。　　You　may　say　that　it　is　your　misfortune　to　be
criminal；　I　answer　that　it　is　your　crime　to　be　unfortunate。

〃Lastly；　I　should　point　out　that　even　though