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criminal；　I　answer　that　it　is　your　crime　to　be　unfortunate。

〃Lastly；　I　should　point　out　that　even　though　the　jury　had　acquitted
youa　supposition　that　I　cannot　seriously　entertainI　should　have
felt　it　my　duty　to　inflict　a　sentence　hardly　less　severe　than　that
which　I　must　pass　at　present；　for　the　more　you　had　been　found
guiltless　of　the　crime　imputed　to　you；　the　more　you　would　have　been
found　guilty　of　one　hardly　less　heinousI　mean　the　crime　of　having
been　maligned　unjustly。

〃I　do　not　hesitate　therefore　to　sentence　you　to　imprisonment；　with
hard　labour；　for　the　rest　of　your　miserable　existence。　　During　that
period　I　would　earnestly　entreat　you　to　repent　of　the　wrongs　you
have　done　already；　and　to　entirely　reform　the　constitution　of　your
whole　body。　　I　entertain　but　little　hope　that　you　will　pay
attention　to　my　advice；　you　are　already　far　too　abandoned。　　Did　it
rest　with　myself；　I　should　add　nothing　in　mitigation　of　the
sentence　which　I　have　passed；　but　it　is　the　merciful　provision　of
the　law　that　even　the　most　hardened　criminal　shall　be　allowed　some
one　of　the　three　official　remedies；　which　is　to　be　prescribed　at
the　time　of　his　conviction。　　I　shall　therefore　order　that　you
receive　two　tablespoonfuls　of　castor　oil　daily；　until　the　pleasure
of　the　court　be　further　known。〃

When　the　sentence　was　concluded　the　prisoner　acknowledged　in　a　few
scarcely　audible　words　that　he　was　justly　punished；　and　that　he　had
had　a　fair　trial。　　He　was　then　removed　to　the　prison　from　which　he
was　never　to　return。　　There　was　a　second　attempt　at　applause　when
the　judge　had　finished　speaking；　but　as　before　it　was　at　once
repressed；　and　though　the　feeling　of　the　court　was　strongly　against
the　prisoner；　there　was　no　show　of　any　violence　against　him；　if　one
may　except　a　little　hooting　from　the　bystanders　when　he　was　being
removed　in　the　prisoners'　van。　　Indeed；　nothing　struck　me　more
during　my　whole　sojourn　in　the　country；　than　the　general　respect
for　law　and　order。



CHAPTER　XII：　　MALCONTENTS



I　confess　that　I　felt　rather　unhappy　when　I　got　home；　and　thought
more　closely　over　the　trial　that　I　had　just　witnessed。　　For　the
time　I　was　carried　away　by　the　opinion　of　those　among　whom　I　was。
They　had　no　misgivings　about　what　they　were　doing。　　There　did　not
seem　to　be　a　person　in　the　whole　court　who　had　the　smallest　doubt
but　that　all　was　exactly　as　it　should　be。　　This　universal
unsuspecting　confidence　was　imparted　by　sympathy　to　myself；　in
spite　of　all　my　training　in　opinions　so　widely　different。　　So　it　is
with　most　of　us：　　that　which　we　observe　to　be　taken　as　a　matter　of
course　by　those　around　us；　we　take　as　a　matter　of　course　ourselves。
And　after　all；　it　is　our　duty　to　do　this；　save　upon　grave　occasion。

But　when　I　was　alone；　and　began　to　think　the　trial　over；　it
certainly　did　strike　me　as　betraying　a　strange　and　untenable
position。　　Had　the　judge　said　that　he　acknowledged　the　probable
truth；　namely；　that　the　prisoner　was　born　of　unhealthy　parents；　or
had　been　starved　in　infancy；　or　had　met　with　some　accidents　which
had　developed　consumption；　and　had　he　then　gone　on　to　say　that
though　he　knew　all　this；　and　bitterly　regretted　that　the　protection
of　society　obliged　him　to　inflict　additional　pain　on　one　who　had
suffered　so　much　already；　yet　that　there　was　no　help　for　it；　I
could　have　understood　the　position；　however　mistaken　I　might　have
thought　it。　　The　judge　was　fully　persuaded　that　the　infliction　of
pain　upon　the　weak　and　sickly　was　the　only　means　of　preventing
weakness　and　sickliness　from　spreading；　and　that　ten　times　the
suffering　now　inflicted　upon　the　accused　was　eventually　warded　off
from　others　by　the　present　apparent　severity。　　I　could　therefore
perfectly　understand　his　inflicting　whatever　pain　he　might　consider
necessary　in　order　to　prevent　so　bad　an　example　from　spreading
further　and　lowering　the　Erewhonian　standard；　but　it　seemed　almost
childish　to　tell　the　prisoner　that　he　could　have　been　in　good
health；　if　he　had　been　more　fortunate　in　his　constitution；　and　been
exposed　to　less　hardships　when　he　was　a　boy。

I　write　with　great　diffidence；　but　it　seems　to　me　that　there　is　no
unfairness　in　punishing　people　for　their　misfortunes；　or　rewarding
them　for　their　sheer　good　luck：　　it　is　the　normal　condition　of
human　life　that　this　should　be　done；　and　no　right…minded　person
will　complain　of　being　subjected　to　the　common　treatment。　　There　is
no　alternative　open　to　us。　　It　is　idle　to　say　that　men　are　not
responsible　for　their　misfortunes。　　What　is　responsibility？　　Surely
to　be　responsible　means　to　be　liable　to　have　to　give　an　answer
should　it　be　demanded；　and　all　things　which　live　are　responsible
for　their　lives　and　actions　should　society　see　fit　to　question　them
through　the　mouth　of　its　authorised　agent。

What　is　the　offence　of　a　lamb　that　we　should　rear　it；　and　tend　it；
and　lull　it　into　security；　for　the　express　purpose　of　killing　it？
Its　offence　is　the　misfortune　of　being　something　which　society
wants　to　eat；　and　which　cannot　defend　itself。　　This　is　ample。　　Who
shall　limit　the　right　of　society　except　society　itself？　　And　what
consideration　for　the　individual　is　tolerable　unless　society　be　the
gainer　thereby？　　Wherefore　should　a　man　be　so　richly　rewarded　for
having　been　son　to　a　millionaire；　were　it　not　clearly　provable　that
the　common　welfare　is　thus　better　furthered？　　We　cannot　seriously
detract　from　a　man's　merit　in　having　been　the　son　of　a　rich　father
without　imperilling　our　own　tenure　of　things　which　we　do　not　wish
to　jeopardise；　if　this　were　otherwise　we　should　not　let　him　keep
his　money　for　a　single　hour；　we　would　have　it　ourselves　at　once。
For　property　is　robbery；　but　then；　we　are　all　robbers　or　would…be
robbers　together；　and　have　found　it　essential　to　organise　our
thieving；　as　we　have　found　it　necessary　to　organise　our　lust　and
our　revenge。　　Property；　marriage；　the　law；　as　the　bed　to　the　river；
so　rule　and　convention　to　the　instinct；　and　woe　to　him　who　tampers
with　the　banks　while　the　flood　is　flowing。

But　to　return。　　Even　in　England　a　man　on　board　a　ship　with　yellow
fever　is　held　responsible　for　his　mischance；　no　matter　what　his
being　kept　in　quarantine　may　cost　him。　　He　may　catch　the　fever　and
die；　we　cannot　help　it；　he　must　take　his　chance　as　other　people　do；
but　surely　it　would　be　desperate　unkindness　to　add　contumely　to　our
self…protection；　unless；　indeed；　we　believe　that　contumely　is　one
of　our　best　means　of　self…protection。　　Again；　take　the　case　of
maniacs。　　We　say　that　they　are　irresponsible　for　their　actions；　but
we　take　good　care；　or　ought　to　take　good　care；　that　they　shall
answer　to　us　for　their　insanity；　and　we　imprison　them　in　what　we
call　an　asylum　（that　modern　sanctuary！）　if　we　do　not　like　their
answers。　　This　is　a　strange　kind　of　irresponsibility。　　What　we
ought　to　say　is　that　we　can　afford　to　be　satisfied　with　a　less
satisfactory　answer　from　a　lunatic　than　from　one　who　is　not　mad；
because　lunacy　is　less　infectious　than　crime。

We　kill　a　serpent　if　we　go　in　danger　by　it；　simply　for　being　such
and　such　a　serpent　in　such　and　such　a　place；　but　we　never　say　that
the　serpent　has　only　itself　to　blame　for　not　having　been　a　harmless
creature。　　Its　crime　is　that　of　being　the　thing　which　it　is：　　but
this　is　a　capital　offence；　and　we　are　right　in　killing　it　out　of
the　way；　unless　we　think　it　more　danger　to　do　so　than　to　let　it
escape；　nevertheless　we　pity　the　creature；　even　though　we　kill　it。

But　in　the　case　of　him　whose　trial　I　have　described　above；　it　was
impossible　that　any　one　in　the　court　should　not　have　known　that　it
was　but　by　an　accident　of　birth　and　circumstances　that　he　was　not
himself　also　in　a　consumption；　and　yet　none　thought　that　it
disgraced　them　to　hear　the　judge　give　vent　to　the　most　cruel
truisms　about　him。　　The　judge　himself　was　a　kind　and　thoughtful
person。　　He　was　a　man　of　magnificent　and　benign　presence。　　He　was
evidently　of　an　iron　constitution；　and　his　face　wore　an　expression
of　the　maturest　wisdom　and　experience；　yet　for　all　this；　old　and
learned　as　he　was；　he　could　not　see　things　which　one　would　have
thought　would　have　been　apparent　even　to　a　child。　　He　could　not
emancipate　himself　from；　nay；　it　did　not　even　occur　to　him　to　feel；
the　bondage　of　the　ideas　in　which　he　had　been　born　and　bred。

So　was　it　also　with　the　jury　and　bystanders；　andmost　wonderful　of
allso　was　it　even　with　the　prisoner。　　Throughout　he　seemed　fully
impressed　with　the　notion　that　he　was　being　dealt　with　justly：　　he
saw　nothing　wanton　in　his　being　told　by　the　judge　that　he　was　to　be
punished；　not　so　much　as　a　necessary　protection　to　society
（although　this　was　not　entirely　lost　sight　of）；　as　because　he　had
not　been　better　born　and　bred　than　he　was。　　But　this　led　me　to　hope
that　he　suffered　less　than　he　would　have　done　if　he　had　seen　the
matter　in　the　same　light　that　I　did。　　And；　after　all；　justice　is
relative。

I　may　here　mention　that　only　a　few　years　before　my　arrival　in　the
country；　the　treatment　of　all　convicted　invalids　had　been　much　more
barbarous　than　now；　for　no　physical　remedy　was　provided；　and
prisoners　were　put　to　the　severest　labour　in　all　sorts　of　weather；
so　that　most　of　them　soon　succ