canterbury pieces-第6部分

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suggest　the　solution　of　one　of　the　greatest　and　most　mysterious
questions　of　the　day。　　We　refer　to　the　question：　　What　sort　of
creature　man's　next　successor　in　the　supremacy　of　the　earth　is　likely
to　be。　　We　have　often　heard　this　debated；　but　it　appears　to　us　that
we　are　ourselves　creating　our　own　successors；　we　are　daily　adding　to
the　beauty　and　delicacy　of　their　physical　organisation；　we　are　daily
giving　them　greater　power　and　supplying　by　all　sorts　of　ingenious
contrivances　that　self…regulating；　self…acting　power　which　will　be　to
them　what　intellect　has　been　to　the　human　race。　　In　the　course　of
ages　we　shall　find　ourselves　the　inferior　race。　　Inferior　in　power；
inferior　in　that　moral　quality　of　self…control；　we　shall　look　up　to
them　as　the　acme　of　all　that　the　best　and　wisest　man　can　ever　dare　to
aim　at。　　No　evil　passions；　no　jealousy；　no　avarice；　no　impure　desires
will　disturb　the　serene　might　of　those　glorious　creatures。　　Sin；
shame；　and　sorrow　will　have　no　place　among　them。　　Their　minds　will　be
in　a　state　of　perpetual　calm；　the　contentment　of　a　spirit　that　knows
no　wants；　is　disturbed　by　no　regrets。　　Ambition　will　never　torture
them。　　Ingratitude　will　never　cause　them　the　uneasiness　of　a　moment。
The　guilty　conscience；　the　hope　deferred；　the　pains　of　exile；　the
insolence　of　office；　and　the　spurns　that　patient　merit　of　the
unworthy　takesthese　will　be　entirely　unknown　to　them。　　If　they　want
〃feeding〃　（by　the　use　of　which　very　word　we　betray　our　recognition　of
them　as　living　organism）　they　will　be　attended　by　patient　slaves
whose　business　and　interest　it　will　be　to　see　that　they　shall　want
for　nothing。　　If　they　are　out　of　order　they　will　be　promptly　attended
to　by　physicians　who　are　thoroughly　acquainted　with　their
constitutions；　if　they　die；　for　even　these　glorious　animals　will　not
be　exempt　from　that　necessary　and　universal　consummation；　they　will
immediately　enter　into　a　new　phase　of　existence；　for　what　machine
dies　entirely　in　every　part　at　one　and　the　same　instant？

We　take　it　that　when　the　state　of　things　shall　have　arrived　which　we
have　been　above　attempting　to　describe；　man　will　have　become　to　the
machine　what　the　horse　and　the　dog　are　to　man。　　He　will　continue　to
exist；　nay　even　to　improve；　and　will　be　probably　better　off　in　his
state　of　domestication　under　the　beneficent　rule　of　the　machines　than
he　is　in　his　present　wild　state。　　We　treat　our　horses；　dogs；　cattle；
and　sheep；　on　the　whole；　with　great　kindness；　we　give　them　whatever
experience　teaches　us　to　be　best　for　them；　and　there　can　be　no　doubt
that　our　use　of　meat　has　added　to　the　happiness　of　the　lower　animals
far　more　than　it　has　detracted　from　it；　in　like　manner　it　is
reasonable　to　suppose　that　the　machines　will　treat　us　kindly；　for
their　existence　is　as　dependent　upon　ours　as　ours　is　upon　the　lower
animals。　　They　cannot　kill　us　and　eat　us　as　we　do　sheep；　they　will
not　only　require　our　services　in　the　parturition　of　their　young
（which　branch　of　their　economy　will　remain　always　in　our　hands）；　but
also　in　feeding　them；　in　setting　them　right　when　they　are　sick；　and
burying　their　dead　or　working　up　their　corpses　into　new　machines。　　It
is　obvious　that　if　all　the　animals　in　Great　Britain　save　man　alone
were　to　die；　and　if　at　the　same　time　all　intercourse　with　foreign
countries　were　by　some　sudden　catastrophe　to　be　rendered　perfectly
impossible；　it　is　obvious　that　under　such　circumstances　the　loss　of
human　life　would　be　something　fearful　to　contemplatein　like　manner
were　mankind　to　cease；　the　machines　would　be　as　badly　off　or　even
worse。　　The　fact　is　that　our　interests　are　inseparable　from　theirs；
and　theirs　from　ours。　　Each　race　is　dependent　upon　the　other　for
innumerable　benefits；　and；　until　the　reproductive　organs　of　the
machines　have　been　developed　in　a　manner　which　we　are　hardly　yet　able
to　conceive；　they　are　entirely　dependent　upon　man　for　even　the
continuance　of　their　species。　　It　is　true　that　these　organs　may　be
ultimately　developed；　inasmuch　as　man's　interest　lies　in　that
direction；　there　is　nothing　which　our　infatuated　race　would　desire
more　than　to　see　a　fertile　union　between　two　steam　engines；　it　is
true　that　machinery　is　even　at　this　present　time　employed　in
begetting　machinery；　in　becoming　the　parent　of　machines　often　after
its　own　kind；　but　the　days　of　flirtation；　courtship；　and　matrimony
appear　to　be　very　remote；　and　indeed　can　hardly　be　realised　by　our
feeble　and　imperfect　imagination。

Day　by　day；　however；　the　machines　are　gaining　ground　upon　us；　day　by
day　we　are　becoming　more　subservient　to　them；　more　men　are　daily
bound　down　as　slaves　to　tend　them；　more　men　are　daily　devoting　the
energies　of　their　whole　lives　to　the　development　of　mechanical　life。
The　upshot　is　simply　a　question　of　time；　but　that　the　time　will　come
when　the　machines　will　hold　the　real　supremacy　over　the　world　and　its
inhabitants　is　what　no　person　of　a　truly　philosophic　mind　can　for　a
moment　question。

Our　opinion　is　that　war　to　the　death　should　be　instantly　proclaimed
against　them。　　Every　machine　of　every　sort　should　be　destroyed　by　the
well…wisher　of　his　species。　　Let　there　be　no　exceptions　made；　no
quarter　shown；　let　us　at　once　go　back　to　the　primeval　condition　of
the　race。　　If　it　be　urged　that　this　is　impossible　under　the　present
condition　of　human　affairs；　this　at　once　proves　that　the　mischief　is
already　done；　that　our　servitude　has　commenced　in　good　earnest；　that
we　have　raised　a　race　of　beings　whom　it　is　beyond　our　power　to
destroy；　and　that　we　are　not　only　enslaved　but　are　absolutely
acquiescent　in　our　bondage。

For　the　present　we　shall　leave　this　subject；　which　we　present　gratis
to　the　members　of　the　Philosophical　Society。　　Should　they　consent　to
avail　themselves　of　the　vast　field　which　we　have　pointed　out；　we
shall　endeavour　to　labour　in　it　ourselves　at　some　future　and
indefinite　period。

I　am；　Sir；　etc。；
CELLARIUS



LUCUBRATIO　EBRIA



〃Lucubratio　Ebria；〃　like　〃Darwin　Among　the　Machines；〃　has　already
appeared　in　THE　NOTE…BOOKS　OF　SAMUEL　BUTLER　with　a　prefatory　note　by
Mr。　Festing　Jones；　explaining　its　connection　with　EREWHON　and　LIFE
AND　HABIT。　　I　need　therefore　only　repeat　that　it　was　written　by
Butler　after　his　return　to　England　and　sent　to　New　Zealand；　where　it
was　published　in　the　PRESS　on　July　29；　1865。


There　is　a　period　in　the　evening；　or　more　generally　towards　the　still
small　hours　of　the　morning；　in　which　we　so　far　unbend　as　to　take　a
single　glass　of　hot　whisky　and　water。　　We　will　neither　defend　the
practice　nor　excuse　it。　　We　state　it　as　a　fact　which　must　be　borne　in
mind　by　the　readers　of　this　article；　for　we　know　not　how；　whether　it
be　the　inspiration　of　the　drink　or　the　relief　from　the　harassing　work
with　which　the　day　has　been　occupied　or　from　whatever　other　cause；
yet　we　are　certainly　liable　about　this　time　to　such　a　prophetic
influence　as　we　seldom　else　experience。　　We　are　rapt　in　a　dream　such
as　we　ourselves　know　to　be　a　dream；　and　which；　like　other　dreams；　we
can　hardly　embody　in　a　distinct　utterance。　　We　know　that　what　we　see
is　but　a　sort　of　intellectual　Siamese　twins；　of　which　one　is
substance　and　the　other　shadow；　but　we　cannot　set　either　free　without
killing　both。　　We　are　unable　to　rudely　tear　away　the　veil　of　phantasy
in　which　the　truth　is　shrouded；　so　we　present　the　reader　with　a
draped　figure；　and　his　own　judgment　must　discriminate　between　the
clothes　and　the　body。　　A　truth's　prosperity　is　like　a　jest's；　it　lies
in　the　ear　of　him　that　hears　it。　　Some　may　see　our　lucubration　as　we
saw　it；　and　others　may　see　nothing　but　a　drunken　dream　or　the
nightmare　of　a　distempered　imagination。　　To　ourselves　it　is　the
speaking　with　unknown　tongues　to　the　early　Corinthians；　we　cannot
fully　understand　our　own　speech；　and　we　fear　lest　there　be　not　a
sufficient　number　of　interpreters　present　to　make　our　utterance
edify。　　But　there！　　（Go　on　straight　to　the　body　of　the　article。）

The　limbs　of　the　lower　animals　have　never　been　modified　by　any　act　of
deliberation　and　forethought　on　their　own　part。　　Recent　researches
have　thrown　absolutely　no　light　upon　the　origin　of　lifeupon　the
initial　force　which　introduced　a　sense　of　identity　and　a　deliberate
faculty　into　the　world；　but　they　do　certainly　appear　to　show　very
clearly　that　each　species　of　the　animal　and　vegetable　kingdom　has
been　moulded　into　its　present　shape　by　chances　and　changes　of　many
millions　of　years；　by　chances　and　changes　over　which　the　creature
modified　had　no　control　whatever；　and　concerning　whose　aim　it　was
alike　unconscious　and　indifferent；　by　forces　which　seem　insensate　to
the　pain　which　they　inflict；　but　by　whose　inexorably　beneficent
cruelty　the　brave　and　strong　keep　coming　to　the　fore；　while　the　weak
and　bad　drop　behind　and　perish。　　There　was　a　moral　government　of　this
world　before　man　came　near　ita　moral　government　suited　to　the
capacities　of　the　governed；　and　which　unperceived　by　them　has　laid
fast　the　foundations　of　courage；　endurance；　and　cunning。　　It　laid
them　so　fast　that　they　became　more　and　more　hereditary。　　Horace　says
well　fortes　creantur　fortibus　et　bonis；　good　men　beget　good　children；
the　rule　held　even　in　the　geological　period；　good　ichthyosauri　begot
good　ichthyosauri；　and　would　to　our　discomfort　have　gone　on　doing　so
to　the　present　time　had　not　better　creatures　been　begetting　better
things　than　ichthyosauri；　or　famine　or　fire　or　convulsion　put　an　end
to　them。　　Good　apes　begot　good　apes；　and　at　last　when　human
intelligence　stole　like　a　late　spring　upon　the　mimicry　of　our　semi…
simious　ancestry；　the　creature　learnt　how　he　could　of　his　own
forethought　add　extra…corporaneous　limbs　to　the　members　of　his　own
body；　and　become　not　only　a　vertebrate　mammal；　but　a　vertebrate
machinate　mammal　into　the　bargain。

It　was　a　wise　monkey　that　first　learned　to　carry　a　stick；　and　a
useful　monkey　that　mimicked　him。　　For　the　race　of　man　has　learned　to
walk　uprightly　much　as　a　child　learns　the　same　thing。　　At　first　he
crawls　on　all　fours；　then　he　clambers；　laying　hold　of　whatever　he
can；　and　lastly　he　stands　upright　alone　and　walks；　but　for　a　long
time　with　an　unsteady　step。　　So　when　the　human　race　was　in　its
gorilla…hood　it　generally　carried　a　sti