erewhon revisited- 第1部分

Erewhon　Revisited

by　Samuel　Butler





Erewhon　Revisited　Twenty　Years　Later　Both　by　the　Original
Discoverer　of　the　Country　and　by　his　Son。




I　forget　when；　but　not　very　long　after　I　had　published　〃Erewhon〃　in
1872；　it　occurred　to　me　to　ask　myself　what　course　events　in　Erewhon
would　probably　take　after　Mr。　Higgs；　as　I　suppose　I　may　now　call
him；　had　made　his　escape　in　the　balloon　with　Arowhena。　　Given　a
people　in　the　conditions　supposed　to　exist　in　Erewhon；　and　given
the　apparently　miraculous　ascent　of　a　remarkable　stranger　into　the
heavens　with　an　earthly　bridewhat　would　be　the　effect　on　the
people　generally？

There　was　no　use　in　trying　to　solve　this　problem　before；　say；
twenty　years　should　have　given　time　for　Erewhonian　developments　to
assume　something　like　permanent　shape；　and　in　1892　I　was　too　busy
with　books　now　published　to　be　able　to　attend　to　Erewhon。　　It　was
not　till　the　early　winter　of　1900；　i。e。　as　nearly　as　may　be　thirty
years　after　the　date　of　Higgs's　escape；　that　I　found　time　to　deal
with　the　question　above　stated；　and　to　answer　it；　according　to　my
lights；　in　the　book　which　I　now　lay　before　the　public。

I　have　concluded；　I　believe　rightly；　that　the　events　described　in
Chapter　XXIV。　of　〃Erewhon〃　would　give　rise　to　such　a　cataclysmic
change　in　the　old　Erewhonian　opinions　as　would　result　in　the
development　of　a　new　religion。　　Now　the　development　of　all　new
religions　follows　much　the　same　general　course。　　In　all　cases　the
times　are　more　or　less　out　of　jointolder　faiths　are　losing　their
hold　upon　the　masses。　　At　such　times；　let　a　personality　appear；
strong　in　itself；　and　made　to　seem　still　stronger　by　association
with　some　supposed　transcendent　miracle；　and　it　will　be　easy　to
raise　a　Lo　here！　that　will　attract　many　followers。　　If　there　be　a
single　great；　and　apparently　well…authenticated；　miracle；　others
will　accrete　round　it；　then；　in　all　religions　that　have　so
originated；　there　will　follow　temples；　priests；　rites；　sincere
believers；　and　unscrupulous　exploiters　of　public　credulity。　　To
chronicle　the　events　that　followed　Higgs's　balloon　ascent　without
shewing　that　they　were　much　as　they　have　been　under　like　conditions
in　other　places；　would　be　to　hold　the　mirror　up　to　something　very
wide　of　nature。

Analogy；　however；　between　courses　of　events　is　one　thinghistoric
parallelisms　abound；　analogy　between　the　main　actors　in　events　is　a
very　different　one；　and　one；　moreover；　of　which　few　examples　can　be
found。　　The　development　of　the　new　ideas　in　Erewhon　is　a　familiar
one；　but　there　is　no　more　likeness　between　Higgs　and　the　founder　of
any　other　religion；　than　there　is　between　Jesus　Christ　and　Mahomet。
He　is　a　typical　middle…class　Englishman；　deeply　tainted　with
priggishness　in　his　earlier　years；　but　in　great　part　freed　from　it
by　the　sweet　uses　of　adversity。

If　I　may　be　allowed　for　a　moment　to　speak　about　myself；　I　would　say
that　I　have　never　ceased　to　profess　myself　a　member　of　the　more
advanced　wing　of　the　English　Broad　Church。　　What　those　who　belong
to　this　wing　believe；　I　believe。　　What　they　reject；　I　reject。　　No
two　people　think　absolutely　alike　on　any　subject；　but　when　I
converse　with　advanced　Broad　Churchmen　I　find　myself　in　substantial
harmony　with　them。　　I　believeand　should　be　very　sorry　if　I　did
not　believethat；　mutatis　mutandis；　such　men　will　find　the　advice
given　on　pp。　277…281　and　287…291　of　this　book　much　what；　under　the
supposed　circumstances；　they　would　themselves　give。

Lastly；　I　should　express　my　great　obligations　to　Mr。　R。　A。
Streatfeild　of　the　British　Museum；　who；　in　the　absence　from　England
of　my　friend　Mr。　H。　Festing　Jones；　has　kindly　supervised　the
corrections　of　my　book　as　it　passed　through　the　press。

SAMUEL　BUTLER。

May　1；　1901。




CHAPTER　I：　　UPS　AND　DOWNS　OF　FORTUNEMY　FATHER　STARTS　FOR　EREWHON



Before　telling　the　story　of　my　father's　second　visit　to　the
remarkable　country　which　he　discovered　now　some　thirty　years　since；
I　should　perhaps　say　a　few　words　about　his　career　between　the
publication　of　his　book　in　1872；　and　his　death　in　the　early　summer
of　1891。　　I　shall　thus　touch　briefly　on　the　causes　that　occasioned
his　failure　to　maintain　that　hold　on　the　public　which　he　had
apparently　secured　at　first。

His　book；　as　the　reader　may　perhaps　know；　was　published
anonymously；　and　my　poor　father　used　to　ascribe　the　acclamation
with　which　it　was　received；　to　the　fact　that　no　one　knew　who　it
might　not　have　been　written　by。　　Omne　ignotum　pro　magnifico；　and
during　its　month　of　anonymity　the　book　was　a　frequent　topic　of
appreciative　comment　in　good　literary　circles。　　Almost　coincidently
with　the　discovery　that　he　was　a　mere　nobody；　people　began　to　feel
that　their　admiration　had　been　too　hastily　bestowed；　and　before
long　opinion　turned　all　the　more　seriously　against　him　for　this
very　reason。　　The　subscription；　to　which　the　Lord　Mayor　had　at
first　given　his　cordial　support；　was　curtly　announced　as　closed
before　it　had　been　opened　a　week；　it　had　met　with　so　little　success
that　I　will　not　specify　the　amount　eventually　handed　over；　not
without　protest；　to　my　father；　small；　however；　as　it　was；　he
narrowly　escaped　being　prosecuted　for　trying　to　obtain　money　under
false　pretences。

The　Geographical　Society；　which　had　for　a　few　days　received　him
with　open　arms；　was　among　the　first　to　turn　upon　himnot；　so　far
as　I　can　ascertain；　on　account　of　the　mystery　in　which　he　had
enshrouded　the　exact　whereabouts　of　Erewhon；　nor　yet　by　reason　of
its　being　persistently　alleged　that　he　was　subject　to　frequent
attacks　of　alcoholic　poisoningbut　through　his　own　want　of　tact；
and　a　highly…strung　nervous　state；　which　led　him　to　attach　too　much
importance　to　his　own　discoveries；　and　not　enough　to　those　of　other
people。　　This；　at　least；　was　my　father's　version　of　the　matter；　as
I　heard　it　from　his　own　lips　in　the　later　years　of　his　life。

〃I　was　still　very　young；〃　he　said　to　me；　〃and　my　mind　was　more　or
less　unhinged　by　the　strangeness　and　peril　of　my　adventures。〃　　Be
this　as　it　may；　I　fear　there　is　no　doubt　that　he　was　injudicious；
and　an　ounce　of　judgement　is　worth　a　pound　of　discovery。

Hence；　in　a　surprisingly　short　time；　he　found　himself　dropped　even
by　those　who　had　taken　him　up　most　warmly；　and　had　done　most　to
find　him　that　employment　as　a　writer　of　religious　tracts　on　which
his　livelihood　was　then　dependent。　　The　discredit；　however；　into
which　my　father　fell；　had　the　effect　of　deterring　any　considerable
number　of　people　from　trying　to　rediscover　Erewhon；　and　thus　caused
it　to　remain　as　unknown　to　geographers　in　general　as　though　it　had
never　been　found。　　A　few　shepherds　and　cadets　at　up…country
stations　had；　indeed；　tried　to　follow　in　my　father's　footsteps；
during　the　time　when　his　book　was　still　being　taken　seriously；　but
they　had　most　of　them　returned；　unable　to　face　the　difficulties
that　had　opposed　them。　　Some　few；　however；　had　not　returned；　and
though　search　was　made　for　them；　their　bodies　had　not　been　found。
When　he　reached　Erewhon　on　his　second　visit；　my　father　learned　that
others　had　attempted　to　visit　the　country　more　recentlyprobably
quite　independently　of　his　own　book；　and　before　he　had　himself　been
in　it　many　hours　he　gathered　what　the　fate　of　these　poor　fellows
doubtless　was。

Another　reason　that　made　it　more　easy　for　Erewhon　to　remain
unknown；　was　the　fact　that　the　more　mountainous　districts；　though
repeatedly　prospected　for　gold；　had　been　pronounced　non…auriferous；
and　as　there　was　no　sheep　or　cattle　country；　save　a　few　river…bed
flats　above　the　upper　gorges　of　any　of　the　rivers；　and　no　game　to
tempt　the　sportsman；　there　was　nothing　to　induce　people　to
penetrate　into　the　fastnesses　of　the　great　snowy　range。　　No　more；
therefore；　being　heard　of　Erewhon；　my　father's　book　came　to　be
regarded　as　a　mere　work　of　fiction；　and　I　have　heard　quite　recently
of　its　having　been　seen　on　a　second…hand　bookstall；　marked　〃6d。
very　readable。〃

Though　there　was　no　truth　in　the　stories　about　my　father's　being
subject　to　attacks　of　alcoholic　poisoning；　yet；　during　the　first
few　years　after　his　return　to　England；　his　occasional　fits　of
ungovernable　excitement　gave　some　colour　to　the　opinion　that　much
of　what　he　said　he　had　seen　and　done　might　be　only　subjectively
true。　　I　refer　more　particularly　to　his　interview　with　Chowbok　in
the　wool…shed；　and　his　highly　coloured　description　of　the　statues
on　the　top　of　the　pass　leading　into　Erewhon。　　These　were　soon　set
down　as　forgeries　of　delirium；　and　it　was　maliciously　urged；　that
though　in　his　book　he　had　only　admitted　having　taken　〃two　or　three
bottles　of　brandy〃　with　him；　he　had　probably　taken　at　least　a
dozen；　and　that　if　on　the　night　before　he　reached　the　statues　he
had　〃only　four　ounces　of　brandy〃　left；　he　must　have　been　drinking
heavily　for　the　preceding　fortnight　or　three　weeks。　　Those　who　read
the　following　pages　will；　I　think；　reject　all　idea　that　my　father
was　in　a　state　of　delirium；　not　without　surprise　that　any　one
should　have　ever　entertained　it。

It　was　Chowbok　who；　if　he　did　not　originate　these　calumnies；　did
much　to　disseminate　and　gain　credence　for　them。　　He　remained　in
England　for　some　years；　and　never