find it an agreeable stimulant。 If； then； the greatest minds of
antiquity could invent nothing that should carry better conviction
of eternal torture； is it likely that the conviction can be carried
at all？
Methought I saw Jove sitting on the topmost ridges of Olympus and
confessing failure to Minerva。 〃I see； my dear；〃 he said； 〃that
there is no use in trying to make people very happy or very
miserable for long together。 Pain； if it does not soon kill；
consists not so much in present suffering as in the still recent
memory of a time when there was less； and in the fear that there
will soon be more； and so happiness lies less in immediate pleasure
than in lively recollection of a worse time and lively hope of
better。〃
As for the young gentleman above referred to； my father met him
with the assurance that there had been several cases in which
living people had been caught up into heaven or carried down into
hell； and been allowed to return to earth and report what they had
seen； while to others visions had been vouchsafed so clearly that
thousands of authentic pictures had been painted of both states。
All incentive to good conduct； he had then alleged； was found to be
at once removed from those who doubted the fidelity of these
pictures。
This at least was what he had then said； but I hardly think he
would have said it at the time of which I am now writing。 As he
continued to sit in the Musical Bank； he took from his valise the
pamphlet on 〃The Physics of Vicarious Existence；〃 by Dr。 Gurgoyle；
which he had bought on the preceding evening； doubtless being led
to choose this particular work by the tenor of the old lady's
epitaph。
The second title he found to run； 〃Being Strictures on Certain
Heresies concerning a Future State that have been Engrafted on the
Sunchild's Teaching。〃
My father shuddered as he read this title。 〃How long；〃 he said to
himself； 〃will it be before they are at one another's throats？〃
On reading the pamphlet； he found it added little to what the
epitaph had already conveyed； but it interested him； as showing
that； however cataclysmic a change of national opinions may appear
to be； people will find means of bringing the new into more or less
conformity with the old。
Here it is a mere truism to say that many continue to live a
vicarious life long after they have ceased to be aware of living。
This view is as old as the non omnis moriar of Horace； and we may
be sure some thousands of years older。 It is only； therefore； with
much diffidence that I have decided to give a resume of opinions
many of which those whom I alone wish to please will have laid to
heart from their youth upwards。 In brief； Dr。 Gurgoyle's
contention comes to little more than saying that the quick are more
dead； and the dead more quick； than we commonly think。 To be
alive； according to him； is only to be unable to understand how
dead one is； and to be dead is only to be invincibly ignorant
concerning our own livingnessfor the dead would be as living as
the living if we could only get them to believe it。
CHAPTER XI： PRESIDENT GURGOYLE'S PAMPHLET 〃ON THE PHYSICS OF
VICARIOUS EXISTENCE〃
Belief； like any other moving body； follows the path of least
resistance； and this path had led Dr。 Gurgoyle to the conviction；
real or feigned； that my father was son to the sun； probably by the
moon； and that his ascent into the sky with an earthly bride was
due to the sun's interference with the laws of nature。
Nevertheless he was looked upon as more or less of a survival； and
was deemed lukewarm； if not heretical； by those who seemed to be
the pillars of the new system。
My father soon found that not even Panky could manipulate his
teaching more freely than the Doctor had done。 My father had
taught that when a man was dead there was an end of him； until he
should rise again in the flesh at the last day； to enter into
eternity either of happiness or misery。 He had； indeed； often
talked of the immortality which some achieve even in this world；
but he had cheapened this； declaring it to be an unsubstantial
mockery； that could give no such comfort in the hour of death as
was unquestionably given by belief in heaven and hell。
Dr。 Gurgoyle； however； had an equal horror； on the one hand； of
anything involving resumption of life by the body when it was once
dead； and on the other； of the view that life ended with the change
which we call death。 He did not； indeed； pretend that he could do
much to take away the sting from death； nor would he do this if he
could； for if men did not fear death unduly； they would often court
it unduly。 Death can only be belauded at the cost of belittling
life； but he held that a reasonable assurance of fair fame after
death is a truer consolation to the dying； a truer comfort to
surviving friends； and a more real incentive to good conduct in
this life； than any of the consolations or incentives falsely
fathered upon the Sunchild。
He began by setting aside every saying ascribed； however truly； to
my father； if it made against his views； and by putting his own
glosses on all that he could gloze into an appearance of being in
his favour。 I will pass over his attempt to combat the rapidly
spreading belief in a heaven and hell such as we accept； and will
only summarise his contention that； of our two livesnamely； the
one we live in our own persons； and that other life which we live
in other people both before our reputed death and after itthe
second is as essential a factor of our complete life as the first
is； and sometimes more so。
Life； he urged； lies not in bodily organs； but in the power to use
them； and in the use that is made of themthat is to say； in the
work they do。 As the essence of a factory is not in the building
wherein the work is done； nor yet in the implements used in turning
it out； but in the will…power of the master and in the goods he
makes； so the true life of a man is in his will and work； not in
his body。 〃Those；〃 he argued； 〃who make the life of a man reside
within his body； are like one who should mistake the carpenter's
tool…box for the carpenter。〃
He maintained that this had been my father's teaching； for which my
father heartily trusts that he may be forgiven。
He went on to say that our will…power is not wholly limited to the
working of its own special system of organs； but under certain
conditions can work and be worked upon by other will…powers like
itself： so that if； for example； A's will…power has got such hold
on B's as to be able； through B； to work B's mechanism； what seems
to have been B's action will in reality have been more A's than
B's； and this in the same real sense as though the physical action
had been effected through A's own mechanical systemA； in fact；
will have been living in B。 The universally admitted maxim that he
who does this or that by the hand of an agent does it himself；
shews that the foregoing view is only a roundabout way of stating
what common sense treats as a matter of course。
Hence； though A's individual will…power must be held to cease when
the tools it works with are destroyed or out of gear； yet； so long
as any survivors were so possessed by it while it was still
efficient； or； again； become so impressed by its operation on them
through work that he has left； as to act in obedience to his will…
power rather than their own； A has a certain amount of bona fide
life still remaining。 His vicarious life is not affected by the
dissolution of his body； and in many cases the sum total of a man's
vicarious action and of its outcome exceeds to an almost infinite
extent the sum total of those actions and works that were effected
through the mechanism of his own physical organs。 In these cases
his vicarious life is more truly his life than any that he lived in
his own person。
〃True；〃 continued the Doctor； 〃while living in his own person； a
man knows； or thinks he knows； what he is doing； whereas we have no
reason to suppose such knowledge on the part of one whose body is
already dust； but the consciousness of the doer has less to do with
the livingness of the deed than people generally admit。 We know
nothing of the power that sets our heart beating； nor yet of the
beating itself so long as it is normal。 We know nothing of our
breathing or of our digestion； of the all…important work we
achieved as embryos； nor of our growth from infancy to manhood。 No
one will say that these were not actions of a living agent； but the
more normal； the healthier； and thus the more truly living； the
agent is； the less he will know or have known of his own action。
The part of our bodily life that enters into our consciousness is
very small as compared with that of which we have no consciousness。
What completer proof can we have that livingness consists in deed
rather than in consciousness of deed？
〃The foregoing remarks are not intended to apply so much to
vicarious action in virtue； we will say； of a settlement； or
testamentary disposition that cannot be set aside。 Such action is
apt to be too unintelligent； too far from variation and quick
change to rank as true vicarious action； indeed it is not rarely
fou