erewhon-第37部分

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would　become　dangerously　common。　　It　is　essential　that　by　far　the
greater　part　of　what　is　said　or　done　in　the　world　should　be　so
ephemeral　as　to　take　itself　away　quickly；　it　should　keep　good　for
twenty…four　hours；　or　even　twice　as　long；　but　it　should　not　be　good
enough　a　week　hence　to　prevent　people　from　going　on　to　something
else。　　No　doubt　the　marvellous　development　of　journalism　in
England；　as　also　the　fact　that　our　seats　of　learning　aim　rather　at
fostering　mediocrity　than　anything　higher；　is　due　to　our
subconscious　recognition　of　the　fact　that　it　is　even　more　necessary
to　check　exuberance　of　mental　development　than　to　encourage　it。
There　can　be　no　doubt　that　this　is　what　our　academic　bodies　do；　and
they　do　it　the　more　effectually　because　they　do　it　only
subconsciously。　　They　think　they　are　advancing　healthy　mental
assimilation　and　digestion；　whereas　in　reality　they　are　little
better　than　cancer　in　the　stomach。

Let　me　return；　however；　to　the　Erewhonians。　　Nothing　surprised　me
more　than　to　see　the　occasional　flashes　of　common　sense　with　which
one　branch　of　study　or　another　was　lit　up；　while　not　a　single　ray
fell　upon　so　many　others。　　I　was　particularly　struck　with　this　on
strolling　into　the　Art　School　of　the　University。　　Here　I　found　that
the　course　of　study　was　divided　into　two　branchesthe　practical
and　the　commercialno　student　being　permitted　to　continue　his
studies　in　the　actual　practice　of　the　art　he　had　taken　up；　unless
he　made　equal　progress　in　its　commercial　history。

Thus　those　who　were　studying　painting　were　examined　at　frequent
intervals　in　the　prices　which　all　the　leading　pictures　of　the　last
fifty　or　a　hundred　years　had　realised；　and　in　the　fluctuations　in
their　values　when　（as　often　happened）　they　had　been　sold　and　resold
three　or　four　times。　　The　artist；　they　contend；　is　a　dealer　in
pictures；　and　it　is　as　important　for　him　to　learn　how　to　adapt　his
wares　to　the　market；　and　to　know　approximately　what　kind　of　a
picture　will　fetch　how　much；　as　it　is　for　him　to　be　able　to　paint
the　picture。　　This；　I　suppose；　is　what　the　French　mean　by　laying　so
much　stress　upon　〃values。〃

As　regards　the　city　itself；　the　more　I　saw　the　more　enchanted　I
became。　　I　dare　not　trust　myself　with　any　description　of　the
exquisite　beauty　of　the　different　colleges；　and　their　walks　and
gardens。　　Truly　in　these　things　alone　there　must　be　a　hallowing　and
refining　influence　which　is　in　itself　half　an　education；　and　which
no　amount　of　error　can　wholly　spoil。　　I　was　introduced　to　many　of
the　Professors；　who　showed　me　every　hospitality　and　kindness；
nevertheless　I　could　hardly　avoid　a　sort　of　suspicion　that　some　of
those　whom　I　was　taken　to　see　had　been　so　long　engrossed　in　their
own　study　of　hypothetics　that　they　had　become　the　exact　antitheses
of　the　Athenians　in　the　days　of　St。　Paul；　for　whereas　the　Athenians
spent　their　lives　in　nothing　save　to　see　and　to　hear　some　new
thing；　there　were　some　here　who　seemed　to　devote　themselves　to　the
avoidance　of　every　opinion　with　which　they　were　not　perfectly
familiar；　and　regarded　their　own　brains　as　a　sort　of　sanctuary；　to
which　if　an　opinion　had　once　resorted；　none　other　was　to　attack　it。

I　should　warn　the　reader；　however；　that　I　was　rarely　sure　what　the
men　whom　I　met　while　staying　with　Mr。　Thims　really　meant；　for　there
was　no　getting　anything　out　of　them　if　they　scented　even　a
suspicion　that　they　might　be　what　they　call　〃giving　themselves
away。〃　　As　there　is　hardly　any　subject　on　which　this　suspicion
cannot　arise；　I　found　it　difficult　to　get　definite　opinions　from
any　of　them；　except　on　such　subjects　as　the　weather；　eating　and
drinking；　holiday　excursions；　or　games　of　skill。

If　they　cannot　wriggle　out　of　expressing　an　opinion　of　some　sort；
they　will　commonly　retail　those　of　some　one　who　has　already　written
upon　the　subject；　and　conclude　by　saying　that　though　they　quite
admit　that　there　is　an　element　of　truth　in　what　the　writer　has
said；　there　are　many　points　on　which　they　are　unable　to　agree　with
him。　　Which　these　points　were；　I　invariably　found　myself　unable　to
determine；　indeed；　it　seemed　to　be　counted　the　perfection　of
scholarship　and　good　breeding　among　them　not　to　havemuch　less　to
expressan　opinion　on　any　subject　on　which　it　might　prove　later
that　they　had　been　mistaken。　　The　art　of　sitting　gracefully　on　a
fence　has　never；　I　should　think；　been　brought　to　greater　perfection
than　at　the　Erewhonian　Colleges　of　Unreason。

Even　when；　wriggle　as　they　may；　they　find　themselves　pinned　down　to
some　expression　of　definite　opinion；　as　often　as　not　they　will
argue　in　support　of　what　they　perfectly　well　know　to　be　untrue。　　I
repeatedly　met　with　reviews　and　articles　even　in　their　best
journals；　between　the　lines　of　which　I　had　little　difficulty　in
detecting　a　sense　exactly　contrary　to　the　one　ostensibly　put
forward。　　So　well　is　this　understood；　that　a　man　must　be　a　mere
tyro　in　the　arts　of　Erewhonian　polite　society；　unless　he
instinctively　suspects　a　hidden　〃yea〃　in　every　〃nay〃　that　meets
him。　　Granted　that　it　comes　to　much　the　same　in　the　end；　for　it
does　not　matter　whether　〃yea〃　is　called　〃yea〃　or　〃nay；〃　so　long　as
it　is　understood　which　it　is　to　be；　but　our　own　more　direct　way　of
calling　a　spade　a　spade；　rather　than　a　rake；　with　the　intention
that　every　one　should　understand　it　as　a　spade；　seems　more
satisfactory。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　Erewhonian　system　lends
itself　better　to　the　suppression　of　that　downrightness　which　it
seems　the　express　aim　of　Erewhonian　philosophy　to　discountenance。

However　this　may　be；　the　fear…of…giving…themselves…away　disease　was
fatal　to　the　intelligence　of　those　infected　by　it；　and　almost　every
one　at　the　Colleges　of　Unreason　had　caught　it　to　a　greater　or　less
degree。　　After　a　few　years　atrophy　of　the　opinions　invariably
supervened；　and　the　sufferer　became　stone　dead　to　everything　except
the　more　superficial　aspects　of　those　material　objects　with　which
he　came　most　in　contact。　　The　expression　on　the　faces　of　these
people　was　repellent；　they　did　not；　however；　seem　particularly
unhappy；　for　they　none　of　them　had　the　faintest　idea　that　they　were
in　reality　more　dead　than　alive。　　No　cure　for　this　disgusting　fear…
of…giving…themselves…away　disease　has　yet　been　discovered。

*　*　*

It　was　during　my　stay　in　City　of　the　Colleges　of　Unreasona　city
whose　Erewhonian　name　is　so　cacophonous　that　I　refrain　from　giving
itthat　I　learned　the　particulars　of　the　revolution　which　had
ended　in　the　destruction　of　so　many　of　the　mechanical　inventions
which　were　formerly　in　common　use。

Mr。　Thims　took　me　to　the　rooms　of　a　gentleman　who　had　a　great
reputation　for　learning；　but　who　was　also；　so　Mr。　Thims　told　me；
rather　a　dangerous　person；　inasmuch　as　he　had　attempted　to
introduce　an　adverb　into　the　hypothetical　language。　　He　had　heard
of　my　watch　and　been　exceedingly　anxious　to　see　me；　for　he　was
accounted　the　most　learned　antiquary　in　Erewhon　on　the　subject　of
mechanical　lore。　　We　fell　to　talking　upon　the　subject；　and　when　I
left　he　gave　me　a　reprinted　copy　of　the　work　which　brought　the
revolution　about。

It　had　taken　place　some　five　hundred　years　before　my　arrival：
people　had　long　become　thoroughly　used　to　the　change；　although　at
the　time　that　it　was　made　the　country　was　plunged　into　the　deepest
misery；　and　a　reaction　which　followed　had　very　nearly　proved
successful。　　Civil　war　raged　for　many　years；　and　is　said　to　have
reduced　the　number　of　the　inhabitants　by　one…half。　　The　parties
were　styled　the　machinists　and　the　anti…machinists；　and　in　the　end；
as　I　have　said　already；　the　latter　got　the　victory；　treating　their
opponents　with　such　unparalleled　severity　that　they　extirpated
every　trace　of　opposition。

The　wonder　was　that　they　allowed　any　mechanical　appliances　to
remain　in　the　kingdom；　neither　do　I　believe　that　they　would　have
done　so；　had　not　the　Professors　of　Inconsistency　and　Evasion　made　a
stand　against　the　carrying　of　the　new　principles　to　their
legitimate　conclusions。　　These　Professors；　moreover；　insisted　that
during　the　struggle　the　anti…machinists　should　use　every　known
improvement　in　the　art　of　war；　and　several　new　weapons；　offensive
and　defensive；　were　invented；　while　it　was　in　progress。　　I　was
surprised　at　there　remaining　so　many　mechanical　specimens　as　are
seen　in　the　museums；　and　at　students　having　rediscovered　their　past
uses　so　completely；　for　at　the　time　of　the　revolution　the　victors
wrecked　all　the　more　complicated　machines；　and　burned　all　treatises
on　mechanics；　and　all　engineers'　workshopsthus；　so　they　thought；
cutting　the　mischief　out　root　and　branch；　at　an　incalculable　cost
of　blood　and　treasure。

Certainly　they　had　not　spared　their　labour；　but　work　of　this
description　can　never　be　perfectly　achieved；　and　when；　some　two
hundred　years　before　my　arrival；　all　passion　upon　the　subject　had
cooled　down；　and　no　one　save　a　lunatic　would　have　dreamed　of
reintroducing　forbidden　inventions；　the　subject　came　to　be　regarded
as　a　curious　antiquarian　study；　like　that　of　some　long…forgotten
religious　practices　among　ourselves。　　Then　came　the　careful　search
for　whatever　fragments　could　be　found；　and　for　any　machines　that
might　have　been　hidden　away；　and