the coming race-第14章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


he　naturalists；　but　the　bulk　of　them　sided　with　the　Frog…preference　school。　　They　said；　with　much　plausibility；　that　in　moral　conduct　（viz。；　in　the　adherence　to　rules　best　adapted　to　the　health　and　welfare　of　the　individual　and　the　community）　there　could　be　no　doubt　of　the　vast　superiority　of　the　Frog。　　All　history　showed　the　wholesale　immorality　of　the　human　race；　the　complete　disregard；　even　by　the　most　renowned　amongst　them；　of　the　laws　which　they　acknowledged　to　be　essential　to　their　own　and　the　general　happiness　and　wellbeing。　　But　the　severest　critic　of　the　Frog　race　could　not　detect　in　their　manners　a　single　aberration　from　　the　moral　law　tacitly　recognised　by　themselves。　　And　what；　after　　all；　can　be　the　profit　of　civilisation　if　superiority　in　moral　　conduct　be　not　the　aim　for　which　it　strives；　and　the　test　by　which　　its　progress　should　be　judged？　

〃In　fine；　the　adherents　of　this　theory　presumed　that　in　some　remote　period　the　Frog　race　had　been　the　improved　development　of　the　Human；　but　that；　from　some　causes　which　defied　rational　conjecture；　they　had　not　maintained　their　original　position　in　the　scale　of　nature；　while　the　Ana；　though　of　inferior　organisation；　had；　by　dint　less　of　their　virtues　than　their　vices；　such　as　ferocity　and　cunning；　gradually　acquired　ascendancy；　much　as　among　the　human　race　itself　tribes　utterly　barbarous　have；　by　superiority　in　similar　vices；　utterly　destroyed　or　reduced　into　insignificance　tribes　originally　excelling　them　in　mental　gifts　and　culture。　　Unhappily　these　disputes　became　involved　with　the　religious　notions　of　that　age；　and　as　society　was　then　administered　under　the　government　of　the　Koom…Posh；　who；　being　the　most　ignorant；　were　of　course　79the　most　inflammable　class…　the　multitude　took　the　whole　question　out　of　the　hands　of　the　philosophers；　political　chiefs　saw　that　the　Frog　dispute；　so　taken　up　by　the　populace；　could　become　a　most　valuable　instrument　of　their　ambition；　and　for　not　less　than　one　thousand　years　war　and　massacre　prevailed；　during　which　period　the　philosophers　on　both　sides　were　butchered；　and　the　government　of　Koom…Posh　itself　was　happily　brought　to　an　end　by　the　ascendancy　of　a　family　that　clearly　established　its　descent　from　the　aboriginal　tadpole；　and　furnished　despotic　rulers　to　the　various　nations　of　the　Ana。　　These　despots　finally　disappeared；　at　least　from　our　communities；　as　the　discovery　of　vril　led　to　the　tranquil　institutions　under　which　flourish　all　the　races　of　the　Vril…ya。〃

〃And　do　no　wranglers　or　philosophers　now　exist　to　revive　the　dispute；　or　do　they　all　recognise　the　origin　of　your　race　in　the　tadpole？〃

〃Nay；　such　disputes；〃　said　Zee；　with　a　lofty　smile；　〃belong　to　the　Pah…bodh　of　the　dark　ages；　and　now　only　serve　for　the　amusement　of　infants。　　When　we　know　the　elements　out　of　which　our　bodies　are　composed；　elements　in　common　to　the　humblest　vegetable　plants；　can　it　signify　whether　the　All…Wise　combined　those　elements　out　of　one　form　more　than　another；　in　order　to　create　that　in　which　He　has　placed　the　capacity　to　receive　the　idea　of　Himself；　and　all　the　varied　grandeurs　of　intellect　to　which　that　idea　gives　birth？　The　An　in　reality　commenced　to　exist　as　An　with　the　donation　of　that　capacity；　and；　with　that　capacity；　the　sense　to　acknowledge　that；　however　through　the　countless　ages　his　race　may　improve　in　wisdom；　it　can　never　combine　the　elements　at　its　command　into　the　form　of　a　tadpole。〃

〃You　speak　well；　Zee；〃　said　Aph…Lin；　〃and　it　is　enough　for　us　shortlived　mortals　to　feel　a　reasonable　assurance　that　whether　the　origin　of　the　An　was　a　tadpole　or　not；　he　is　no　more　likely　to　become　a　tadpole　again　than　the　institutions　of　the　Vril…ya　are　likely　to　relapse　into　the　heaving　quagmire　and　certain　strife…rot　of　a　Koom…Posh。〃

80　Chapter　XVII。


The　Vril…ya；　being　excluded　from　all　sight　of　the　heavenly　bodies；　and　having　no　other　difference　between　night　and　day　than　that　which　they　deem　it　convenient　to　make　for　themselves；…　do　not；　of　course；　arrive　at　their　divisions　of　time　by　the　same　process　that　we　do；　but　I　found　it　easy　by　the　aid　of　my　watch；　which　I　luckily　had　about　me；　to　compute　their　time　with　great　nicety。　　I　reserve　for　a　future　work　on　the　science　and　literature　of　the　Vril…ya；　should　I　live　to　complete　it；　all　details　as　to　the　manner　in　which　they　　arrive　at　their　rotation　of　time；　and　content　myself　here　　with　saying；　that　in　point　of　duration；　their　year　differs　　very　slightly　from　ours；　but　that　the　divisions　of　their　year　　are　by　no　means　the　same。　　Their　day；　（including　what　we　call　　night）　consists　of　twenty　hours　of　our　time；　instead　of　　twenty…four；　and　of　course　their　year　comprises　the　　correspondent　increase　in　the　number　of　days　by　which　it　is　　summed　up。　　They　subdivide　the　twenty　hours　of　their　day　　thus…　eight　hours；*　called　the　〃Silent　Hours；〃　for　repose；　　eight　hours；　called　the　〃Earnest　Time；〃　for　the　pursuits　and　　occupations　of　life；　and　four　hours　called　the　〃Easy　Time〃　　（with　which　what　I　may　term　their　day　closes）；　allotted　to　　festivities；　sport；　recreation；　or　family　converse；　according　　to　their　several　tastes　and　inclinations。　

*　For　the　sake　of　convenience；　I　adopt　the　word　hours；　days；　years；　&c。；　in　any　general　reference　to　subdivisions　of　time　among　the　Vril…ya；　those　terms　but　loosely　corresponding；　however；　with　such　subdivisions。

But；　in　truth；　out　of　doors　there　is　no　night。　　They　maintain；　both　in　the　streets　and　in　the　surrounding　country；　to　the　limits　of　their　territory；　the　same　degree　of　light　at　all　hours。　　Only；　within　doors；　they　lower　it　to　a　soft　twilight　during　the　Silent　Hours。　　They　have　a　great　horror　of　perfect　81darkness；　and　their　lights　are　never　wholly　extinguished。　　On　occasions　of　festivity　they　continue　the　duration　of　full　light；　but　equally　keep　note　of　the　distinction　between　night　and　day；　by　mechanical　contrivances　which　answer　the　purpose　of　our　clocks　and　watches。　　They　are　very　fond　of　music；　and　it　is　by　music　that　these　chronometers　strike　the　principal　division　of　time。　　At　every　one　of　their　hours；　during　their　day；　the　sounds　coming　from　all　the　time…pieces　in　their　public　buildings；　and　caught　up；　as　it　were；　by　those　of　houses　or　hamlets　scattered　amidst　the　landscapes　without　the　city；　have　an　effect　singularly　sweet；　and　yet　singularly　solemn。　　But　during　the　Silent　Hours　these　sounds　are　so　subdued　as　to　be　only　faintly　heard　by　a　waking　ear。　　They　have　no　change　of　seasons；　and；　at　least　on　the　territory　of　this　tribe；　the　atmosphere　seemed　to　me　very　equable；　warm　as　that　of　an　Italian　summer；　and　humid　rather　than　dry；　in　the　forenoon　usually　very　still；　but　at　times　invaded　by　strong　blasts　from　the　rocks　that　made　the　borders　of　their　domain。　　But　time　is　the　same　to　them　for　sowing　or　reaping　as　in　the　Golden　Isles　of　the　ancient　poets。　　At　the　same　moment　you　see　the　younger　plants　in　blade　or　bud；　the　older　in　ear　or　fruit。　　All　fruit…bearing　plants；　however；　after　fruitage；　either　shed　or　change　the　colour　of　their　leaves。　　But　that　which　interested　me　most　in　reckoning　up　their　divisions　of　time　was　the　ascertainment　of　the　average　duration　of　life　amongst　them。　　I　found　on　minute　inquiry　that　this　very　considerably　exceeded　the　term　allotted　to　us　on　the　upper　earth。　　What　seventy　years　are　to　us；　one　hundred　years　are　to　them。　　Nor　is　this　the　only　advantage　they　have　over　us　in　longevity；　for　as　few　among　us　attain　to　the　age　of　seventy；　so；　on　the　contrary；　few　among　them　die　before　the　age　of　one　hundred；　and　they　enjoy　a　general　degree　of　health　and　vigour　which　makes　life　itself　a　blessing　even　to　the　last。　　Various　causes　contribute　to　this　result：　the　absence　of　all　alcoholic　stimulants；　temperance　in　82food；　more　especially；　perhaps；　a　serenity　of　mind　undisturbed　by　anxious　occupations　and　eager　passions。　　They　are　not　tormented　by　our　avarice　or　our　ambition；　they　appear　perfectly　indifferent　even　to　the　desire　of　fame；　they　are　capable　of　great　affection；　but　their　love　shows　itself　in　a　tender　and　cheerful　complaisance；　and；　while　forming　their　happiness；　seems　rarely；　if　ever；　to　constitute　their　woe。　　As　the　Gy　is　sure　only　to　marry　where　she　herself　fixes　her　choice；　and　as　here；　not　less　than　above　ground；　it　is　the　female　on　whom　the　happiness　of　home　depends；　so　the　Gy；　having　chosen　the　mate　she　prefers　to　all　others；　is　lenient　to　his　faults；　consults　his　humours；　and　does　her　best　to　secure　his　attachment。　　The　death　of　a　beloved　one　is　of　course　with　them；　as　with　us；　a　cause　for　sorrow；　but　not　only　is　death　with　them　so　much　more　rare　before　that　age　in　which　it　becomes　a　release；　but　when　it　does　occur　the　survivor　takes　much　more　consolation　than；　I　am　afraid；　the　generality　of　us　do；　in　the　certainty　of　reunion　in　another　and　yet　happier　life。

All　these　causes；　then；　concur　to　their　healthful　and　enjoyable　longevity；　though；　no　doubt；　much　also　must　be　owing　to　hereditary　organisation。　　According　to　their　records；　however；　in　those　earlier　stages　of　their　society　when　they　lived　in　communities　resembling　ours；　agitated　by　fierce　competition；　their　lives　were　considerably　shorter；　and　their　maladies　more　numerous　and　grave。　　They　themselves　say　that　the　duration　of　life；　too；　has　increased；　and　is　still　on　the　increase；　since　their　discovery　of　the　invigorating　and　medicinal　properties　of　vril；　applied　for　remedial　purposes。　　They　have　few　professional　and　regular　practitioners　of　medicine；　and　these　are　chiefly　Gy…ei；　who；　especially　if　widowed　and　childless；　find　great　delight　in　the　healing　art；　and　even　undertake　surgical　operations　in　those　cases　required　by　accident；　or；　more　rarely；　by　disease。

They　have　their　diversions　and　entertainments；　and；　during　the　Easy　Time　of　their　day；　they　are　wont　to　assemble　in　great　numbers　for　those　winged　sports　in　the　air　which　I　have　already　83described。　　They　have　also　public　halls　for　music；　and　even　theatres；　at　which　are　performed　pieces　that　appeared　to　me　somewhat　to　resemble　the　plays　of　the　Chinese…　dramas　that　are　thrown　back　into　distant　times　for　their　events　and　personages；　in　which　all　classic　unities　are　outrageously　violated；　and　the　hero；　in　once　scene　a　child；　in　the　next　is　an　old　man；　and　so　forth。　　These　plays　are　of　very　ancient　composition；　and　their　stories　cast　in　remote　times。　　They　appeared　to　me　very　dull；　on　the　whole；　but　were　relieved　by　startling　mechanical　contrivances；　and　a　kind　of　farcical　broad　humour；　and　detached　passages　of　great　vigour　and　power　expressed　in　language　highly　poetical；　but　somewhat　overcharged　with　metaphor　and　trope。　　In　fine；　they　seemed　to　me　very　much　what　the　plays　of　Shakespeare　seemed　to　a　Parisian　in　the　time　of　Louis　XV。；　or　perhaps　to　an　Englishman　in　the　reign　of　Charles　II。

The　audience；　of　which　the　Gy…ei　constituted　the　chief　portion；　appeared　to　enjoy　greatly　the　representation　of　these　dramas；　which；　for　so　sedate　and　majestic　a　race　of　females；　surprised　me；　till　I　observed　that　all　the　performers　were　under　the　age　of　adolescence；　and　conjectured　truly　that　the　mothers　and　sisters　came　to　please　their　children　and　brothers。

I　have　said　that　these　dramas　are　of　great　antiquity。　　No　new　plays；　indeed　no　imaginative　works　sufficiently　important　to　survive　their　immediate　day；　appear　to　hav