the coming race-第8章

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　heart　are　not　sufficiently　developed；　whereas　the　An　is　a　creature　that　less　　lastingly　concentrates　his　affections　on　one　object；　that　if　he　　cannot　get　the　Gy　whom　he　prefers　he　easily　reconciles　himself　　to　another　Gy；　and；　finally；　that　at　the　worst；　if　he　is　loved　　and　taken　care　of；　it　is　less　necessary　to　the　welfare　of　his　　existence　that　he　should　love　as　well　as　be　loved；　he　grows　　contented　with　his　creature　comforts；　and　the　many　occupations　　of　thought　which　he　creates　for　himself。　

Whatever　may　be　said　as　to　this　reasoning；　the　system　works　well　for　the　male；　for　being　thus　sure　that　he　is　truly　and　ardently　loved；　and　that　the　more　coy　and　reluctant　he　shows　45himself；　the　more　determination　to　secure　him　increases；　he　generally　contrives　to　make　his　consent　dependent　on　such　conditions　as　he　thinks　the　best　calculated　to　insure；　if　not　a　blissful；　at　least　a　peaceful　life。　　Each　individual　An　has　his　own　hobbies；　his　own　ways；　his　own　predilections；　and；　whatever　they　may　be；　he　demands　a　promise　of　full　and　unrestrained　concession　to　them。　　This；　in　the　pursuit　of　her　object；　the　Gy　readily　promises；　and　as　the　characteristic　of　this　extraordinary　people　is　an　implicit　veneration　for　truth；　and　her　word　once　given　is　never　broken　even　by　the　giddiest　Gy；

the　conditions　stipulated　for　are　religiously　observed。　　In　fact；　notwithstanding　all　their　abstract　rights　and　powers；　the　Gy…ei　are　the　most　amiable；　conciliatory；　and　submissive　wives　I　have　ever　seen　even　in　the　happiest　households　above　ground。　　It　is　an　aphorism　among　them；　that　〃where　a　Gy　loves　it　is　her　pleasure　to　obey。〃　　It　will　be　observed　that　in　the　relationship　of　the　sexes　I　have　spoken　only　of　marriage；　for　such　is　the　moral　perfection　to　which　this　community　has　attained；　that　any　　illicit　connection　is　as　little　possible　amongst　them　as　it　　would　be　to　a　couple　of　linnets　during　the　time　they　agree　to　　live　in　pairs。　


Chapter　XI。


Nothing　had　more　perplexed　me　in　seeking　to　reconcile　my　sense　to　the　existence　of　regions　extending　below　the　surface　of　the　earth；　and　habitable　by　beings；　if　dissimilar　from；　still；　in　all　material　points　of　organism；　akin　to　those　in　the　upper　world；　than　the　contradiction　thus　presented　to　the　doctrine　in　which；　I　believe；　most　geologists　and　philosophers　concur…　viz。；　that　though　with　us　the　sun　is　the　great　source　of　heat；　yet　the　deeper　we　go　beneath　the　crust　of　the　earth；　the　greater　is　the　increasing　heat；　being；　it　is　said；　found　in　the　46ratio　of　a　degree　for　every　foot；　commencing　from　fifty　feet　below　the　surface。　　But　though　the　domains　of　the　tribe　I　speak　of　were；　on　the　higher　ground；　so　comparatively　near　to　the　surface；　that　I　could　account　for　a　temperature；　therein；　suitable　to　organic　life；　yet　even　the　ravines　and　valleys　of　　that　realm　were　much　less　hot　than　philosophers　would　deem　　possible　at　such　a　depth…　certainly　not　warmer　than　the　south　of　　France；　or　at　least　of　Italy。　　And　according　to　all　the　accounts　　I　received；　vast　tracts　immeasurably　deeper　beneath　the　surface；　　and　in　which　one　might　have　thought　only　salamanders　could　　exist；　were　inhabited　by　innumerable　races　organised　like　　ourselves；　I　cannot　pretend　in　any　way　to　account　for　a　fact　　which　is　so　at　variance　with　the　recognised　laws　of　science；　nor　　could　Zee　much　help　me　towards　a　solution　of　it。　　She　did　but　　conjecture　that　sufficient　allowance　had　not　been　made　by　our　　philosophers　for　the　extreme　porousness　of　the　interior　earth…　　the　vastness　of　its　cavities　and　irregularities；　which　served　to　　create　free　currents　of　air　and　frequent　winds…　and　for　the　　various　modes　in　which　heat　is　evaporated　and　thrown　off。　　She　　allowed；　however；　that　there　was　a　depth　at　which　the　heat　was　　deemed　to　be　intolerable　to　such　organised　life　as　was　known　to　　the　experience　of　the　Vril…ya；　though　their　philosophers　　believed　that　even　in　such　places　life　of　some　kind；　life　　sentient；　life　intellectual；　would　be　found　abundant　and　　thriving；　could　the　philosophers　penetrate　to　it。　　〃Wherever　the　　All…Good　builds；〃　said　she；　〃there；　be　sure；　He　places　　inhabitants。　　He　loves　not　empty　dwellings。〃　　She　added；　　however；　that　many　changes　in　temperature　and　climate　had　been　　effected　by　the　skill　of　the　Vril…ya；　and　that　the　agency　of　　vril　had　been　successfully　employed　in　such　changes。　　She　　described　a　subtle　and　life…giving　medium　called　Lai；　which　I　　suspect　to　be　identical　with　the　ethereal　oxygen　of　Dr。　　Lewins；　　wherein　work　all　the　correlative　forces　united　under　the　name　of　　vril；　and　contended　that　wherever　this　medium　could　be　expanded；　　as　it　were；　sufficiently　for　the　various　agencies　of　vril　to　　47have　ample　play；　a　temperature　congenial　to　the　highest　forms　of　　life　could　be　secured。　　She　said　also；　that　it　was　the　belief　of　　their　naturalists　that　flowers　and　vegetation　had　been　produced　　originally　（whether　developed　from　seeds　borne　from　the　surface　　of　the　earth　in　the　earlier　convulsions　of　nature；　or　imported　　by　the　tribes　that　first　sought　refuge　in　cavernous　hollows）　　through　the　operations　of　the　light　constantly　brought　to　bear　　on　them；　and　the　gradual　improvement　in　culture。　　She　said　also；　　that　since　the　vril　light　had　superseded　all　other　light…giving　　bodies；　the　colours　of　flower　and　foliage　had　become　more　　brilliant；　and　vegetation　had　acquired　larger　growth。　

Leaving　these　matters　to　the　consideration　of　those　better　competent　to　deal　with　them；　I　must　now　devote　a　few　pages　to　the　very　interesting　questions　connected　with　the　language　of　the　Vril…ya。


Chapter　XII。


The　language　of　the　Vril…ya　is　peculiarly　interesting；　because　it　seems　to　me　to　exhibit　with　great　clearness　the　traces　of　the　three　main　transitions　through　which　language　passes　in　attaining　to　perfection　of　form。

One　of　the　most　illustrious　of　recent　philologists；　Max　Muller；　in　arguing　for　the　analogy　between　the　strata　of　language　and　the　strata　of　the　earth；　lays　down　this　absolute　dogma：　〃No　language　can；　by　any　possibility；　be　inflectional　without　having　passed　through　the　agglutinative　and　isolating　stratum。　　No　language　can　be　agglutinative　without　clinging　with　its　roots　to　the　underlying　stratum　of　isolation。〃…　'On　the　Stratification　of　Language；'　p。　　20。

Taking　then　the　Chinese　language　as　the　best　existing　type　of　the　original　isolating　stratum；　〃as　the　faithful　photograph　of　man　in　his　leading…strings　trying　the　muscles　of　his　mind；　groping　his　way；　and　so　delighted　with　his　first　successful　48grasps　that　he　repeats　them　again　and　again；〃　（Max　Muller；　p。　　13）…　we　have；　in　the　language　of　the　Vril…ya；　still　〃clinging　with　its　roots　to　the　underlying　stratum；〃　the　evidences　of　the　original　isolation。　　It　abounds　in　monosyllables；　which　are　the　　foundations　of　the　language。　　The　transition　into　the　　agglutinative　form　marks　an　epoch　that　must　have　gradually　　extended　through　ages；　the　written　literature　of　which　has　only　　survived　in　a　few　fragments　of　symbolical　mythology　and　certain　　pithy　sentences　which　have　passed　into　popular　proverbs。　　With　　the　extant　literature　of　the　Vril…ya　the　inflectional　stratum　　commences。　　No　doubt　at　that　time　there　must　have　operated　　concurrent　causes；　in　the　fusion　of　races　by　some　dominant　　people；　and　the　rise　of　some　great　literary　phenomena　by　which　　the　form　of　language　became　arrested　and　fixed。　　As　the　　inflectional　stage　prevailed　over　the　agglutinative；　it　is　　surprising　to　see　how　much　more　boldly　the　original　roots　of　the　　language　project　from　the　surface　that　conceals　them。　　In　the　　old　fragments　and　proverbs　of　the　preceding　stage　the　　monosyllables　which　compose　those　roots　vanish　amidst　words　of　　enormous　length；　comprehending　whole　sentences　from　which　no　one　　part　can　be　disentangled　from　the　other　and　employed　separately。　　　But　when　the　inflectional　form　of　language　became　so　far　　advanced　as　to　have　its　scholars　and　grammarians；　they　seem　to　　have　united　in　extirpating　all　such　polysynthetical　or　　polysyllabic　monsters；　as　devouring　invaders　of　the　aboriginal　　forms。　　Words　beyond　three　syllables　became　proscribed　as　　barbarous　and　in　proportion　as　the　language　grew　thus　simplified　　it　increased　in　strength；　in　dignity；　and　in　sweetness。　　Though　　now　very　compressed　in　sound；　it　gains　in　clearness　by　that　　compression。　　By　a　single　letter；　according　to　its　position；　　they　contrive　to　express　all　that　with　civilised　nations　in　our　　49upper　world　it　takes　the　waste；　sometimes　of　syllables；　　sometimes　of　sentences；　to　express。　Let　me　here　cite　one　or　two　　instances：　An　（which　I　will　translate　man）；　Ana　（men）；　the　　letter　's'　is　with　them　a　letter　implying　multitude；　according　　to　where　it　is　placed；　Sana　means　mankind；　Ansa；　a　multitude　of　　men。　　The　prefix　of　certain　letters　in　their　alphabet　invariably　　denotes　compound　significations。　　For　instance；　Gl　（which　with　　them　is　a　single　letter；　as　'th'　is　a　single　letter　with　the　　Greeks）　at　the　commencement　of　a　word　infers　an　assemblage　or　　union　of　things；　sometimes　kindred；　sometimes　dissimilar…　as　　Oon；　a　house；　Gloon；　a　town　（i。　　e。；　an　assemblage　of　houses）。　　　Ata　is　sorrow；　Glata；　a　public　calamity。　　Aur…an　is　the　health　　or　wellbeing　of　a　man；　Glauran；　the　wellbeing　of　the　state；　the　　good　of　the　community；　and　a　word　constantly　in　ther　mouths　is　　A…glauran；　which　denotes　their　political　creed…　viz。；　that　〃the　　first　principle　of　a　community　is　the　good　of　all。〃　　Aub　is　　invention；　Sila；　a　tone　in　music。　　Glaubsila；　as　uniting　the　　ideas　of　invention　and　of　musical　intonation；　is　the　classical　　word　for　poetry…　abbreviated；　in　ordinary　conversation；　to　　Glaubs。　　Na；　which　with　them　is；　like　Gl；　but　a　single　letter；　　always；　when　an　initial；　implies　something　antagonistic　to　life　　or　joy　or　comfort；　resembling　in　this　the　Aryan　root　Nak；　　expressive　of　perishing　or　destruction。　　Nax　is　darkness；　Narl；　　death；　Naria；　sin　or　evil。　　Nas…　an　uttermost　condition　of　sin　　and　evil…　corruption。　　In　writing；　they　deem　it　irreverent　to　　express　the　Supreme　Being　by　any　special　name。　　He　is　symbolized　　by　what　may　be　termed　the　heiroglyphic　of　a　pyramid；　/。　　In　　prayer　they　address　Him　by　a　name　which　they　deem　too　sacred　to　　confide　to　a　stranger；　and　I　know　it　not。　　In　conversation　they　　generally　use　a　periphrastic　epithet；　such　as　the　All…Good。　　The　　letter　V；　symbolical　of　the　inverted　pyramid；　where　it　is　an　　initial；　nearly　always　denotes　excellence　of　power；　as　Vril；　of　　which　I　have　said　so　much；　Veed；　an　immortal　spirit；　Veed…ya；　　immortality；　Koom；　pronounced　like　the　Welsh　Cwm；　denotes　　50something　of　hollowness。　Koom　itself　is　a　cave；　Koom…in；　a　hole；　　Zi…koom；　a　valley；　Koom…zi；　vacancy　or　void；　Bodh…koom；　　ignorance　（literally；　knowledge…void）。　　Koom…posh　is　their　name　　for　the　government　of　the　many；　or　the　ascendancy　of　the　most　　ignorant　or　hollow。　Posh　is　an　almost　untranslatable　idiom；　　implying；　as　the　reader　will　see　later；　contempt。　　The　closest　　rendering　I　can　give　to　it　is　our　slang　term；　〃bosh；〃　and　this　　Koom…Posh　may　be　loosely　rendered　〃Hollow…Bosh。〃　　But　when　　Democracy　or　Koom…Posh　degenerates　from　popular　ignorance　into　　that　popular　passion　or　ferocity　which　precedes　its　decease；　as　　（to　cite　illustrations　from　the　upper　world）　during　the　French　　Reign　of　Terror；　or　for　the　fif