seraphita-第20章

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on　the　Unit；　which　without　being　a　number　engenders　Number。　God；　dear

pastor　is　a　glorious　Unit　who　has　nothing　in　common　with　His　creations

but　who；　nevertheless；　engenders　them。　Will　you　not　therefore　agree

with　me　that　you　are　just　as　ignorant　of　where　Number　begins　and　ends

as　you　are　of　where　created　Eternity　begins　and　ends？



〃Why；　then；　if　you　believe　in　Number；　do　you　deny　God？　Is　not　Creation

interposed　between　the　Infinite　of　unorganized　substances　and　the

Infinite　of　the　divine　spheres；　just　as　the　Unit　stands　between　the

Cipher　of　the　fractions　you　have　lately　named　Decimals；　and　the

Infinite　of　Numbers　which　you　call　Wholes？　Man　alone　on　earth

comprehends　Number；　that　first　step　of　the　peristyle　which　leads　to

God；　and　yet　his　reason　stumbles　on　it！　What！　you　can　neither　measure

nor　grasp　the　first　abstraction　which　God　delivers　to　you；　and　yet　you

try　to　subject　His　ends　to　your　own　tape…line！　Suppose　that　I　plunge

you　into　the　abyss　of　Motion；　the　force　that　organizes　Number。　If　I

tell　you　that　the　Universe　is　naught　else　than　Number　and　Motion；　you

would　see　at　once　that　we　speak　two　different　languages。　I　understand

them　both；　you　understand　neither。



〃Suppose　I　add　that　Motion　and　Number　are　engendered　by　the　Word；

namely　the　supreme　Reason　of　Seers　and　Prophets　who　in　the　olden　time

heard　the　Breath　of　God　beneath　which　Saul　fell　to　the　earth。　That

Word；　you　scoff　at　it；　you　men；　although　you　well　know　that　all

visible　works；　societies；　monuments；　deeds；　passions；　proceed　from　the

breath　of　your　own　feeble　word；　and　that　without　that　word　you　would

resemble　the　African　gorilla；　the　nearest　approach　to　man；　the　Negro。

You　believe　firmly　in　Number　and　in　Motion；　a　force　and　a　result　both

inexplicable；　incomprehensible；　to　the　existence　of　which　I　may　apply

the　logical　dilemma　which；　as　we　have　seen；　prevents　you　from

believing　in　God。　Powerful　reasoner　that　you　are；　you　do　not　need　that

I　should　prove　to　you　that　the　Infinite　must　everywhere　be　like　unto

Itself；　and　that；　necessarily；　it　is　One。　God　alone　is　Infinite；　for

surely　there　cannot　be　two　Infinities；　two　Ones。　If；　to　make　use　of

human　terms；　anything　demonstrated　to　you　here　below　seems　to　you

infinite；　be　sure　that　within　it　you　will　find　some　one　aspect　of　God。

But　to　continue。



〃You　have　appropriated　to　yourself　a　place　in　the　Infinite　of　Number；

you　have　fitted　it　to　your　own　proportions　by　creating　（if　indeed　you

did　create）　arithmetic；　the　basis　on　which　all　things　rest；　even　your

societies。　Just　as　Numberthe　only　thing　in　which　your　self…styled

atheists　believeorganized　physical　creations；　so　arithmetic；　in　the

employ　of　Number；　organized　the　moral　world。　This　numeration　must　be

absolute；　like　all　else　that　is　true　in　itself；　but　it　is　purely

relative；　it　does　not　exist　absolutely；　and　no　proof　can　be　given　of

its　reality。　In　the　first　place；　though　Numeration　is　able　to　take

account　of　organized　substances；　it　is　powerless　in　relation　to

unorganized　forces；　the　ones　being　finite　and　the　others　infinite。　The

man　who　can　conceive　the　Infinite　by　his　intelligence　cannot　deal　with

it　in　its　entirety；　if　he　could；　he　would　be　God。　Your　Numeration；

applying　to　things　finite　and　not　to　the　Infinite；　is　therefore　true

in　relation　to　the　details　which　you　are　able　to　perceive；　and　false

in　relation　to　the　Whole；　which　you　are　unable　to　perceive。　Though

Nature　is　like　unto　herself　in　the　organizing　force　or　in　her

principles　which　are　infinite；　she　is　not　so　in　her　finite　effects。

Thus　you　will　never　find　in　Nature　two　objects　identically　alike。　In

the　Natural　Order　two　and　two　never　make　four；　to　do　so；　four　exactly

similar　units　must　be　had；　and　you　know　how　impossible　it　is　to　find

two　leaves　alike　on　the　same　tree；　or　two　trees　alike　of　the　same

species。　This　axiom　of　your　numeration；　false　in　visible　nature；　is

equally　false　in　the　invisible　universe　of　your　abstractions；　where

the　same　variance　takes　place　in　your　ideas；　which　are　the　things　of

the　visible　world　extended　by　means　of　their　relations；　so　that　the

variations　here　are　even　more　marked　than　elsewhere。　In　fact；　all

being　relative　to　the　temperament；　strength；　habits；　and　customs　of

individuals；　who　never　resemble　each　other；　the　smallest　objects　take

the　color　of　personal　feelings。　For　instance；　man　has　been　able　to

create　units　and　to　give　an　equal　weight　and　value　to　bits　of　gold。

Well；　take　the　ducat　of　the　rich　man　and　the　ducat　of　the　poor　man　to

a　money…changer　and　they　are　rated　exactly　equal；　but　to　the　mind　of

the　thinker　one　is　of　greater　importance　than　the　other；　one

represents　a　month　of　comfort；　the　other　an　ephemeral　caprice。　Two　and

two；　therefore；　only　make　four　through　a　false　conception。



〃Again：　fraction　does　not　exist　in　Nature；　where　what　you　call　a

fragment　is　a　finished　whole。　Does　it　not　often　happen　（have　you　not

many　proofs　of　it？）　that　the　hundredth　part　of　a　substance　is　stronger

than　what　you　term　the　whole　of　it？　If　fraction　does　not　exist　in　the

Natural　Order；　still　less　shall　we　find　it　in　the　Moral　Order；　where

ideas　and　sentiments　may　be　as　varied　as　the　species　of　the　Vegetable

kingdom　and　yet　be　always　whole。　The　theory　of　fractions　is　therefore

another　signal　instance　of　the　servility　of　your　mind。



〃Thus　Number；　with　its　infinite　minuteness　and　its　infinite　expansion；

is　a　power　whose　weakest　side　is　known　to　you；　but　whose　real　import

escapes　your　perception。　You　have　built　yourself　a　hut　in　the　Infinite

of　numbers；　you　have　adorned　it　with　hieroglyphics　scientifically

arranged　and　painted；　and　you　cry　out；　'All　is　here！'



〃Let　us　pass　from　pure；　unmingled　Number　to　corporate　Number。　Your

geometry　establishes　that　a　straight　line　is　the　shortest　way　from　one

point　to　another；　but　your　astronomy　proves　that　God　has　proceeded　by

curves。　Here；　then；　we　find　two　truths　equally　proved　by　the　same

science；one　by　the　testimony　of　your　senses　reinforced　by　the

telescope；　the　other　by　the　testimony　of　your　mind；　and　yet　the　one

contradicts　the　other。　Man；　liable　to　err；　affirms　one；　and　the　Maker

of　the　worlds；　whom；　so　far；　you　have　not　detected　in　error；

contradicts　it。　Who　shall　decide　between　rectalinear　and　curvilinear

geometry？　between　the　theory　of　the　straight　line　and　that　of　the

curve？　If；　in　His　vast　work；　the　mysterious　Artificer；　who　knows　how

to　reach　His　ends　miraculously　fast；　never　employs　a　straight　line

except　to　cut　off　an　angle　and　so　obtain　a　curve；　neither　does　man

himself　always　rely　upon　it。　The　bullet　which　he　aims　direct　proceeds

by　a　curve；　and　when　you　wish　to　strike　a　certain　point　in　space；　you

impel　your　bombshell　along　its　cruel　parabola。　None　of　your　men　of

science　have　drawn　from　this　fact　the　simple　deduction　that　the　Curve

is　the　law　of　the　material　worlds　and　the　Straight　line　that　of　the

Spiritual　worlds；　one　is　the　theory　of　finite　creations；　the　other　the

theory　of　the　infinite。　Man；　who　alone　in　the　world　has　a　knowledge　of

the　Infinite；　can　alone　know　the　straight　line；　he　alone　has　the　sense

of　verticality　placed　in　a　special　organ。　A　fondness　for　the　creations

of　the　curve　would　seem　to　be　in　certain　men　an　indication　of　the

impurity　of　their　nature　still　conjoined　to　the　material　substances

which　engender　us；　and　the　love　of　great　souls　for　the　straight　line

seems　to　show　in　them　an　intuition　of　heaven。　Between　these　two　lines

there　is　a　gulf　fixed　like　that　between　the　finite　and　the　infinite；

between　matter　and　spirit；　between　man　and　the　idea；　between　motion

and　the　object　moved；　between　the　creature　and　God。　Ask　Love　the

Divine　to　grant　you　his　wings　and　you　can　cross　that　gulf。　Beyond　it

begins　the　revelation　of　the　Word。



〃No　part　of　those　things　which　you　call　material　is　without　its　own

meaning；　lines　are　the　boundaries　of　solid　parts　and　imply　a　force　of

action　which　you　suppress　in　your　formulas；thus　rendering　those

formulas　false　in　relation　to　substances　taken　as　a　whole。　Hence　the

constant　destruction　of　the　monuments　of　human　labor；　which　you

supply；　unknown　to　yourselves；　with　acting　properties。　Nature　has

substances；　your　science　combines　only　their　appearances。　At　every

step　Nature　gives　the　lie　to　all　your　laws。　Can　you　find　a　single　one

that　is　not　disproved　by　a　fact？　Your　Static　laws　are　at　the　mercy　of

a　thousand　accidents；　a　fluid　can　overthrow　a　solid　mountain　and　prove

that　the　heaviest　substances　may　be　lifted　by　one　that　is

imponderable。



〃Your　laws　on　Acoustics　and　Optics　are　defied　by　the　sounds　which　you

hear　within　yourselves　in　sleep；　and　by　the　light　of　an　electric　sun

whose　rays　often　overcome　you。　You　know　no　more　how　light　makes　itself

seen　within　you；　than　you　know　the　simple　and　natural　process　which

changes　it　on　the　throats　of　tropic　birds　to　rubies；　sapphires；

emeralds；　and　opals；　or　keeps　it　gray　and　brown　on　the　breasts　of　the

same　birds　under　the　cloudy　skies　of　Europe；　or　whitens　it　here　in　the

bosom　of　our　polar　Nature。　You　know　not　how　to　decide　whether　color　is

a　faculty　with　which　all　substances　are　endowed；　or　an　effect　produced

by　an　effluence　of　light。　You　admit　the　saltness　of　the　sea　without

being　able　to　prove　that　the　water　is　salt　at　its　greatest　depth。　You

recognize　the　existence　of　various　substances　which　span　what　you

think　to　be　the　void；substances　which　are　not　tangible　under　any　of

the　forms　assumed　by　Matter；　although　they　put　themselves　in　harmony

with　Matter　in　spite　of　every　obstacle。



〃All　this　being　so；　you　believe　in　the　results　of　Chemistry；　although

that　science　still　knows　no　way　of　gauging　the　changes　produced　by　the

flux　and　reflux　of　substances　which　come　and　go　across　your　crystals

and　your　instruments　on　the　impalpable　filaments　of　heat　or　light

conducted　and　projected　by　the　affinities　of　metal　or　vitrified　flint。

You　obtain　none　but　dead　substances；　from　which　you　have　driven　the

unknown　force　that　holds　in　check　the　decomposition　of　all　things　here

below；　and　of　which　cohesion；　attraction；　vibration；　and　polarity　are

but　phenomena。　Life　is　the　thought　of　substances；　bodies　are　only　the

means　of　fixing　life　and　holding　it　to　its　way。　If　bodies　were　beings

living　of　themselves　they　would　be　Cause　itself；　and　could　not　die。



〃When　a　man　discovers　the　results　of　the　general　movement；　which　is

shared　by　all　creations　according　to　their　faculty　of　absorption；　you

proclaim　him　mighty　in　science；　as　though　genius　consisted　in

explaining　a　thing　that　is！　Genius　ought　to　cast　its　eyes　beyond

effects。　Your　men　of　science　would　laugh　if　you　said　to　them：　'There

exist　such　positive　relations　between　two　human　beings；　one　of　whom

may　be　here；　and　the　other　in　Java；　that　they　can　at　the　same　instant

feel　the　same　sensation；　and　be　conscious　of　so　doing；　they　can

question　each　other　and　reply　without　mistake'；　and　yet　there　are

mineral　substances　which　exhi