penguin island-第16章

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ew　neither　poetry；　nor　science；　nor　even　the　tongue　of　the　Greeks；　and　he　was　ignorant；　too；　of　the　ancient　traditions　concerning　the　origin　of　the　world　and　the　nature　of　the　gods。　He　bravely　repeated　fables　which　in　my　time　would　have　brought　smiles　to　the　little　children　who　were　not　yet　old　enough　to　pay　for　admission　at　the　baths。　The　vulgar　easily　believe　in　monsters。　The　Etruscans　especially　peopled　hell　with　demons；　hideous　as　a　sick　man's　dreams。　That　they　have　not　abandoned　their　childish　imaginings　after　so　many　centuries　is　explained　by　the　continuation　and　progress　of　ignorance　and　misery；　but　that　one　of　their　magistrates　whose　mind　is　raised　above　the　common　level　should　share　these　popular　illusions　and　should　be　frightened　by　the　hideous　demons　that　the　inhabitants　of　that　country　painted　on　the　walls　of　their　tombs　in　the　time　of　Porsenathat　is　something　which　might　sadden　even　a　sage。　My　Etruscan　visitor　repeated　verses　to　me　which　he　had　composed　in　a　new　dialect；　called　by　him　the　vulgar　tongue；　the　sense　of　which　I　could　not　understand。　My　ears　were　more　surprised　than　charmed　as　I　heard　him　repeat　the　same　sound　three　or　four　times　at　regular　intervals　in　his　efforts　to　mark　the　rhythm。　That　artifice　did　not　seem　ingenious　to　me；　but　it　is　not　for　the　dead　to　judge　of　novelties。

〃But　I　do　not　reproach　this　colonist　of　Sulla；　born　in　an　unhappy　time；　for　making　inharmonious　verses　or　for　being；　if　it　be　possible；　as　bad　a　poet　as　Bavius　or　Maevius。　I　have　grievances　against　him　which　touch　me　more　closely。　The　thing　is　monstrous　and　scarcely　credible；　but　when　this　man　returned　to　earth　he　disseminated　the　most　odious　lies　about　me。　He　affirmed　in　several　passages　of　his　barbarous　poems　that　I　had　served　him　as　a　guide　in　the　modern　Tartarus；　a　place　I　know　nothing　of。　He　insolently　proclaimed　that　I　had　spoken　of　the　gods　of　Rome　as　false　and　lying　gods；　and　that　I　held　as　the　true　God　the　present　successor　of　Jupiter。　Friend；　when　thou　art　restored　to　the　kindly　light　of　day　and　beholdest　again　thy　native　land；　contradict　those　abominable　falsehoods。　Say　to　thy　people　that　the　singer　of　the　pious　Aeneas　has　never　worshipped　the　god　of　the　Jews。　I　am　assured　that　his　power　is　declining　and　that　his　approaching　fall　is　manifested　by　undoubted　indications。　This　news　would　give　me　some　pleasure　if　one　could　rejoice　in　these　abodes。　where　we　feel　neither　fears　nor　desires。〃

He　spoke；　and　with　a　gesture　of　farewell　he　went　away。　I　beheld　his。　shade　gliding　over　the　asphodels　without　bending　their　stalks。　I　saw　that　it　became　fainter　and　vaguer　as　it　receded　farther　from　me；　and　it　vanished　before　it　reached　the　wood　of　evergreen　laurels。　Then　I　understood　the　meaning　of　the　words；　〃The　dead　have　no　life；　but　that　which　the　living　lend　them；〃　and　I　walked　slowly　through　the　pale　meadow　to　the　gate　of　horn。

I　affirm　that　all　in　this　writing　is　true。*

*　There　is　in　Marbodius's　narrative　a　passage　very　worthy　of　notice；　viz。；　that　in　which　the　monk　of　Corrigan　describes　Dante　Alighieri　such　as　we　picture　him　to　ourselves　to…day。　The　miniatures　in　a　very　old　manuscript　of　the　〃Divine　Comedy；〃　the　〃Codex　Venetianus；〃　represent　the　poet　as　a　little　fat　man　clad　in　a　short　tunic；　the　skirts　of　which　fall　above　his　knees。　As　for　Virgil；　he　still　wears　the　philosophical　beard；　in　the　wood…engravings　of　the　sixteenth　century。

One　would　not　have　thought　either　that　Marbodius；　or　even　Virgil；　could　have　known　the　Etruscan　tombs　of　Chiusi　and　Corneto；　where；　in　fact；　there　are　horrible　and　burlesque　devils　closely　resembling　those　of　Orcagna。　Nevertheless；　the　authenticity　of　the　〃Descent　of　Marbodius　into　Hell〃　is　indisputable。　M。　du　Clos　des　Lunes　has　firmly　established　it。　To　doubt　it　would　be　to　doubt　palaeography　itself。



VII。　SIGNS　IN　THE　MOON

At　that　time；　whilst　Penguinia　was　still　plunged　in　ignorance　and　barbarism；　Giles　Bird…catcher；　a　Franciscan　monk；　known　by　his　writings　under　the　name　Aegidius　Aucupis；　devoted　himself　with　indefatigable　zeal　to　the　study　of　letters　and　the　sciences。　He　gave　his　nights　to　mathematics　and　music；　which　he　called　the　two　adorable　sisters；　the　harmonious　daughters　of　Number　and　Imagination。　He　was　versed　in　medicine　and　astrology。　He　was　suspected　of　practising　magic；　and　it　seemed　true　that　he　wrought　metamorphoses　and　discovered　hidden　things。

The　monks　of　his　convent；　finding　in　his　cell　Greek　books　which　they　could　not　read；　imagined　them　to　be　conjuring…books；　and　denounced　their　too　learned　brother　as　a　wizard。　Aegidius　Aucupis　fled；　and　reached　the　island　of　Ireland；　where　he　lived　for　thirty　studious　years。　He　went　from　monastery　to　monastery；　searching　for　and　copying　the　Greek　and　Latin　manuscripts　which　they　contained。　He　also　studied　physics　and　alchemy。　He　acquired　a　universal　knowledge　and　discovered　notable　secrets　concerning　animals；　plants；　and　stones。　He　was　found　one　day　in　the　company　of　a　very　beautiful　woman　who　sang　to　her　own　accompaniment　on　the　lute；　and　who　was　afterwards　discovered　to　be　a　machine　which　he　had　himself　constructed。

He　often　crossed　the　Irish　Sea　to　go　into　the　land　of　Wales　and　to　visit　the　libraries　of　the　monasteries　there。　During　one　of　these　crossings；　as　he　remained　during　the　night　on　the　bridge　of　the　ship；　he　saw　beneath　the　waters　two　sturgeons　swimming　side　by　side。　He　had　very　good　hearing　and　he　knew　the　language　of　fishes。　Now　he　heard　one　of　the　sturgeons　say　to　the　other：

〃The　man　in　the　moon；　whom　we　have　often　seen　carrying　fagots　on　his　shoulders；　has　fallen　into　the　sea。

And　the　other　sturgeon　said　in　its　turn：

〃And　in　the　silver　disc　there　will　be　seen　the　image　of　two　lovers　kissing　each　other　on　the　mouth。〃

Some　years　later；　having　returned　to　his　native　country；　Aegidius　Aucupis　found　that　ancient　learning　had　been　restored。　Manners　had　softened。　Men　no　longer　pursued　the　nymphs　of　the　fountains；　of　the　woods；　and　of　the　mountains　with　their　insults。　They　placed　images　of　the　Muses　and　of　the　modest　Graces　in　their　gardens；　and　they　rendered　her　former　honours　to　the　Goddess　with　ambrosial　lips；　the　joy　of　men　and　gods。　They　were　becoming　reconciled　to　nature。　They　trampled　vain　terrors　beneath　their　feet　and　raised　their　eyes　to　heaven　without　fearing；　as　they　formerly　did；　to　read　signs　of　anger　and　threats　of　damnation　in　the　skies。

At　this　spectacle　Aegidius　Aucupis　remembered　what　the　two　sturgeons　of　the　sea　of　Erin　had　foretold。



BOOK　IV。　MODERN　TIMES：　TRINCO

I。　MOTHER　ROUQUIN

Aegidius　Aucupis；　the　Erasmus　of　the　Penguins；　was　not　mistaken；　his　age　was　an　age　of　free　inquiry。　But　that　great　man　mistook　the　elegances　of　the　humanists　for　softness　of　manners；　and　he　did　not　foresee　the　effects　that　the　awaking　of　intelligence　would　have　amongst　the　Penguins。　It　brought　about　the　religious　Reformation；　Catholics　massacred　Protestants　and　Protestants　massacred　Catholics。　Such　were　the　first　results　of　liberty　of　thought。　The　Catholics　prevailed　in　Penguinia。　But　the　spirit　of　inquiry　had　penetrated　among　them　without　their　knowing　it。　They　joined　reason　to　faith；　and　claimed　that　religion　had　been　divested　of　the　superstitious　practices　that　dishonoured　it；　just　as　in　later　days　the　booths　that　the　cobblers；　hucksters；　and　dealers　in　old　clothes　had　built　against　the　walls　of　the　cathedrals　were　cleared　away。　The　word；　legend；　which　at　first　indicated　what　the　faithful　ought　to　read；　soon　suggested　the　idea　of　pious　fables　and　childish　tales。

The　saints　had　to　suffer　from　this　state　of　mind。　An　obscure　canon　called　Princeteau；　a　very　austere　and　crabbed　man；　designated　so　great　a　number　of　them　as　not　worthy　of　having　their　days　observed；　that　he　was　surnamed　the　exposer　of　the　saints。　He　did　not　think；　for　instance；　that　if　St。　Margaret's　prayer　were　applied　as　a　poultice　to　a　woman　in　travail　that　the　pains　of　childbirth　would　be　softened。

Even　the　venerable　patron　saint　of　Penguinia　did　not　escape　his　rigid　criticism。　This　is　what　he　says　of　her　in　his　〃Antiquities　of　Alca〃：

〃Nothing　is　more　uncertain　than　the　history；　or　even　the　existence；　of　St。　Orberosia。　An　ancient　anonymous　annalist；　a　monk　of　Dombes；　relates　that　a　woman　called　Orberosia　was　possessed　by　the　devil　in　a　cavern　where；　even　down　to　his　own　days；　the　little　boys　and　girls　of　the　village　used　to　play　at　a　sort　of　game　representing　the　devil　and　the　fair　Orberosia。　He　adds　that　this　woman　became　the　concubine　of　a　horrible　dragon；　who　ravaged　the　country。　Such　a　statement　is　hardly　credible；　but　the　history　of　Orberosia；　as　it　has　since　been　related；　seems　hardly　more　worthy　of　belief。　The　life　of　that　saint　by　the　Abbot　Simplicissimus　is　three　hundred　years　later　than　the　pretended　events　which　it　relates　and　that　author　shows　himself　excessively　credulous　and　devoid　of　all　critical　faculty。〃

Suspicion　attacked　even　the　supernatural　origin　of　the　Penguins。　The　historian　Ovidius　Capito　went　so　far　as　to　deny　the　miracle　of　their　transformation。　He　thus　begins　his　〃Annals　of　Penguinia〃：

〃A　dense　obscurity　envelopes　this　history；　and　it　would　be　no　exaggeration　to　say　that　it　is　a　tissue　of　puerile　fables　and　popular　tales。　The　Penguins　claim　that　they　are　descended　from　birds　who　were　baptized　by　St。　Mael　and　whom　God　changed　into　men　at　the　intercession　of　that　glorious　apostle。　They　hold　that；　situated　at　first　in　the　frozen　ocean；　their　island；　floating　like　Delos；　was　brought　to　anchor　in　these　heaven…favoured　seas；　of　which　it　is　to…day　the　queen。　I　conclude　that　this　myth　is　a　reminiscence　of　the　ancient　migrations　of　the　Penguins。〃

In　the　following　century；　which　was　that　of　the　philosophers；　scepticism　became　still　more　acute。　No　further　evidence　of　it　is　needed　than　the　following　celebrated　passage　from　the　〃Moral　Essay〃：

〃Arriving　we　know　not　from　whence　（for　indeed　their　origins　are　not　very　clear）；　and　successively　invaded　and　conquered　by　four　or　five　peoples　from　the　north；　south；　east；　and　west；　miscegenated；　interbred；　amalgamated；　and　commingled；　the　Penguins　boast　of　the　purity　of　their　race；　and　with　justice；　for　they　have　become　a　pure　race。　This　mixture　of　all　mankind；　red；　black；　yellow；　and　white；　round…headed　and　long…headed；　as　formed　in　the　course　of　ages　a　fairly　homogeneous　human　family；　and　one　which　is　recognisable　by　certain　features　due　to　a　community　of　life　and　customs。

〃This　idea　that　they　belong　to　the　best　race　in　the　world；　and　that　they　are　its　finest　family；　inspires　them　with　noble　pride；　indomitable　courage；　and　a　hatred　for　the　human　race。

〃The　life　of　a　people　is　but　a　succession　of　miseries；　crimes；　and　follies。　This　is　true　of　the　Penguin　nation；　as　of　all　other　nations。　Save　for　this　exception　its　history　is　admirable　from　beginning　to　end。〃

The　two　classic　ages　of　the　Penguins　are　too　well…known　for　me　to　lay　stress　upon　them。　But　what　has　not　been　sufficiently　noticed　is　the　way　in　which　the　rationalist　theologians　such　as　Canon　Princeteau　called　into　existence　the　unbelievers　of　the　succeeding　age。　The　former　employed　their　reason　to　destroy　what　did　not　seem　to　them；　essential　to　their　religion；　they　only　left　untouched　the　most　rigid　article　of　faith。　Their　intellectual　successors；　being　taught　by　them　how　to　make　use　of　sci