penguin island- 第5部分

As　the　discussion　continued　without　much　light　being　thrown　upon　the　matter　and　as　the　blessed　showed　a　disposition　to　keep　repeating　the　same　thing；　it　was　decided　to　consult　St。　Catherine　of　Alexandria。　This　is　what　was　usually　done　in　such　cases。　St。　Catherine　while　on　earth　had　confounded　fifty　very　learned　doctors。　She　knew　Plato's　philosophy　in　addition　to　the　Holy　Scriptures；　and　she　also　possessed　a　knowledge　of　rhetoric。



VII。　AN　ASSEMBLY　IN　PARADISE　（Continuation　and　End）

St。　Catherine　entered　the　assembly；　her　head　encircled　by　a　crown　of　emeralds；　sapphires；　and　pearls；　and　she　was　clad　in　a　robe　of　cloth　of　gold。　She　carried　at　her　side　a　blazing　wheel；　the　image　of　the　one　whose　fragments　had　struck　her　persecutors。

The　Lord　having　invited　her　to　speak；　she　expressed　herself　in　these　terms：

〃Lord；　in　order　to　solve　the　problem　you　deign　to　submit　to　me　I　shall　not　study　the　habits　of　animals　in　general　nor　those　of　birds　in　particular。　I　shall　only　remark　to　the　doctors；　confessors；　and　pontiffs　gathered　in　this　assembly　that　the　separation　between　man　and　animal　is　not　complete　since　there　are　monsters　who　proceed　from　both。　Such　are　chimerashalf　nymphs　and　half　serpents；　such　are　the　three　Gorgons　and　the　Capripeds；　such　are　the　Scyllas　and　the　Sirens　who　sing　in　the　sea。　These　have　a　woman's　breast　and　a　fish's　tail。　Such　also　are　the　Centaurs；　men　down　to　the　waist　and　the　remainder　horses。　They　are　a　noble　race　of　monsters。　One　of　them；　as　you　know；　was　able；　guided　by　the　light　of　reason　alone；　to　direct　his　steps　towards　eternal　blessedness；　and　you　sometimes　see　his　heroic　bosom　prancing　on　the　clouds。　Chiron；　the　Centaur；　deserved　for　his　works　on　the　earth　to　share　the　abode　of　the　blessed；　he　it　was　who　gave　Achilles　his　education；　and　that　young　hero；　when　he　left　the　Centaur's　hands；　lived　for　two　years；　dressed　as　a　young　girl；　among　the　daughters　of　King　Lycomedes。　He　shared　their　games　and　their　bed　without　allowing　any　suspicion　to　arise　that　he　was　not　a　young　virgin　like　them。　Chiron；　who　taught　him　such　good　morals；　is；　with　the　Emperor　Trajan；　the　only　righteous　man　who　obtained　celestial　glory　by　following　the　law　of　nature。　And　yet　he　was　but　half　human。

〃I　think　I　have　proved　by　this　example　that；　to　reach　eternal　blessedness；　it　is　enough　to　possess　some　parts　of　humanity；　always　on　the　condition　that　they　are　noble。　And　what　Chiron；　the　Centaur；　could　obtain　without　having　been　regenerated　by　baptism；　would　not　the　penguins　deserve　too；　if　they　became　half　penguins　and　half　men？　That　is　why；　Lord；　I　entreat　you　to　give　old　Mael's　penguins　a　human　head　and　breast　so　that　they　can　praise　you　worthily。　And　grant　them　also　an　immortal　soulbut　one　of　small　size。〃

Thus　Catherine　spoke；　and　the　fathers；　doctors；　confessors；　and　pontiffs　heard　her　with　a　murmur　of　approbation。

But　St。　Anthony；　the　Hermit；　arose　and　stretching　two　red　and　knotty　arms　towards　the　Most　High：

〃Do　not　so；　O　Lord　God；〃　he　cried；　〃in　the　name　of　your　holy　Paraclete；　do　not　so！〃

He　spoke　with　such　vehemence　that　his　long　white　beard　shook　on　his　chin　like　the　empty　nose…bag　of　a　hungry　horse。

〃Lord；　do　not　so。　Birds　with　human　heads　exist　already。　St。　Catherine　has　told　us　nothing　new。〃

〃The　imagination　groups　and　compares；　it　never　creates；〃　replied　St。　Catherine　drily。

〃They　exist　already；〃　continued　St。　Antony；　who　would　listen　to　nothing。　〃They　are　called　harpies；　and　they　are　the　most　obscene　animals　in　creation。　One　day　as　I　was　having　supper　in　the　desert　with　the　Abbot　St。　Paul；　I　placed　the　table　outside　my　cabin　under　an　old　sycamore　tree。　The　harpies　came　and　sat　in　its　branches；　they　deafened　us　with　their　shrill　cries　and　cast　their　excrement　over　all　our　food。　The　clamour　of　the　monsters　prevented　me　from　listening　to　the　teaching　of　the　Abbot　St。　Paul；　and　we　ate　birds'　dung　with　our　bread　and　lettuces。　Lord；　it　is　impossible　to　believe　that　harpies　could　give　thee　worthy　praise。

〃Truly　in　my　temptations　I　have　seen　many　hybrid　beings；　not　only　women…serpents　and　women…fishes；　but　beings　still　more　confusedly　formed　such　as　men　whose　bodies　were　made　out　of　a　pot；　a　bell；　a　clock；　a　cupboard　full　of　food　and　crockery；　or　even　out　of　a　house　with　doors　and　windows　through　which　people　engaged　in　their　domestic　tasks　could　be　seen。　Eternity　would　not　suffice　were　I　to　describe　all　the　monsters　that　assailed　me　in　my　solitude；　from　whales　rigged　like　ships　to　a　shower　of　red　insects　which　changed　the　water　of　my　fountain　into　blood。　But　none　were　as　disgusting　as　the　harpies　whose　offal　polluted　the　leaves　of　my　sycamore。〃

〃Harpies；〃　observed　Lactantius；　〃are　female　Monsters　with　birds'　bodies。　They　have　a　woman's　head　and　breast。　Their　forwardness；　their　shamelessness；　and　their　obscenity　proceed　from　their　female　nature　as　the　poet　Virgil　demonstrated　in　his　'Aeneid。'　They　share　the　curse　of　Eve。〃

〃Let　us　not　speak　of　the　curse　of　Eve；〃　said　the　Lord。　〃The　second　Eve　has　redeemed　the　first。〃

Paul　Orosius；　the　author　of　a　universal　history　that　Bossuet　was　to　imitate　in　later　years；　arose　and　prayed　to　the　Lord：

〃Lord；　hear　my　prayer　and　Anthony's。　Do　not　make　any　more　monsters　like　the　Centaurs；　Sirens；　and　Fauns；　whom　the　Greeks；　those　collectors　of　fables；　loved。　You　will　derive　no　satisfaction　from　them。　Those　species　of　monsters　have　pagan　inclinations　and　their　double　nature　does　not　dispose　them　to　purity　of　morals。〃

The　bland　Lactantius　replied　in　these　terms：

〃He　who　has　just　spoken　is　assuredly　the　best　historian　in　Paradise；　for　Herodotus；　Thucydides；　Polybius；　Livy；　Velleius　Paterculus；　Cornelius　Nepos；　Suetonius；　Manetho；　Diodorus　Siculus；　Dion　Cassius；　and　Lampridius　are　deprived　of　the　sight　of　God；　and　Tacitus　suffers　in　hell　the　torments　that　are　reserved　for　blasphemers。　But　Paul　Orosius　does　not　know　heaven　as　well　as　he　knows　the　earth；　for　he　does　not　seem　to　bear　in　mind　that　the　angels；　who　proceed　from　man　and　bird；　are　purity　itself。〃

〃We　are　wandering；〃　said　the　Eternal。　〃What　have　we　to　do　with　all　those　centaurs；　harpies；　and　angels？　We　have　to　deal　with　penguins。〃

〃You　have　spoken　to　the　point；　Lord；〃　said　the　chief　of　the　fifty　doctors；　who；　during　their　mortal　life　had　been　confounded　by　the　Virgin　of　Alexandria；　〃and　I　dare　express　the　opinion　that；　in　order　to　put　an　end　to　the　scandal　by　which　heaven　is　now　stirred；　old　Mael's　penguins　should；　as　St。　Catherine　who　confounded　us　has　proposed；　be　given　half　of　a　human　body　with　an　eternal　soul　proportioned　to　that　half。〃

At　this　speech　there　arose　in　the　assembly　a　great　noise　of　private　conversations　and　disputes　of　the　doctors。　The　Greek　fathers　argued　with　the　Latins　concerning　the　substance；　nature；　and　dimensions　of　the　soul　that　should　be　given　to　the　penguins。

〃Confessors　and　pontiffs；〃　exclaimed　the　Lord；　〃do　not　imitate　the　conclaves　and　synods　of　the　earth。　And　do　not　bring　into　the　Church　Triumphant　those　violences　that　trouble　the　Church　Militant。　For　it　is　but　too　true　that　in　all　the　councils　held　under　the　inspiration　of　my　spirit；　in　Europe；　in　Asia；　and　in　Africa；　fathers　have　torn　the　beards　and　scratched　the　eyes　of　other　fathers。　Nevertheless　they　were　infallible；　for　I　was　with　them。〃

Order　being　restored；　old　Hermas　arose　and　slowly　uttered　these　words：

〃I　will　praise　you；　Lord；　for　that　you　caused　my　mother；　Saphira；　to　be　born　amidst　your　people；　in　the　days　when　the　dew　of　heaven　refreshed　the　earth　which　was　in　travail　with　its　Saviour。　And　will　praise　you；　Lord；　for　having　granted　to　me　to　see　with　my　mortal　eyes　the　Apostles　of　your　divine　Son。　And　I　will　speak　in　this　illustrious　assembly　because　you　have　willed　that　truth　should　proceed　out　of　the　mouths　of　the　humble；　and　I　will　say：　'Change　these　penguins　to　men。　It　is　the　only　determination　conformable　to　your　justice　and　your　mercy。'〃

Several　doctors　asked　permission　to　speak；　others　began　to　do　so。　No　one　listened；　and　all　the　confessors　were　tumultuously　shaking　their　palms　and　their　crowns。

The　Lord；　by　a　gesture　of　his　right　hand；　appeased　the　quarrels　of　his　elect。

〃Let　us　not　deliberate　any　longer；〃　said　he。　〃The　opinion　broached　by　gentle　old　Hermas　is　the　only　one　conformable　to　my　eternal　designs。　These　birds　will　be　changed　into　men。　I　foresee　in　this　several　disadvantages。　Many　of　those　men　will　commit　sins　they　would　not　have　committed　as　penguins。　Truly　their　fate　through　this　change　will　be　far　less　enviable　than　if　they　had　been　without　this　baptism　and　this　incorporation　into　the　family　of　Abraham。　But　my　foreknowledge　must　not　encroach　upon　their　free　will。

〃In　order　not　to　impair　human　liberty；　I　will　be　ignorant　of　what　I　know；　I　will　thicken　upon　my　eyes　the　veils　I　have　pierced；　and　in　my　blind　clearsightedness　I　will　let　myself　be　surprised　by　what　I　have　foreseen。〃

And　immediately　calling　the　archangel　Raphael：

〃Go　and　find　the　holy　Mael；〃　said　he　to　him；　〃inform　him　of　his　mistake　and　tell　him；　armed　with　my　Name；　to　change　these　penguins　into　men。〃



VII。　METAMORPHOSIS　OF　THE　PENGUINS

The　archangel；　having　gone　down　into　the　Island　of　the　Penguins；　found　the　holy　man　asleep　in　the　hollow　of　a　rock　surrounded　by　his　new　disciples。　He　laid　his　hand　on　his　shoulder　and；　having　waked　him；　said　in　a　gentle　voice：

〃Mael；　fear　not！〃

The　holy　man；　dazzled　by　a　vivid　light；　inebriated　by　a　delicious　odour；　recognised　the　angel　of　the　Lord；　and　prostrated　himself　with　his　forehead　on　the　ground。

The　angel　continued：

〃Mael；　know　thy　error；　believing　that　thou　wert　baptizing　children　of　Adam　thou　hast　baptized　birds；　and　it　is；　through　thee　that　penguins　have　entered　into　the　Church　of　God。〃

At　these　words　the　old　man　remained　stupefied。

And　the　angel　resumed：

〃Arise；　Mael；　arm　thyself　with　the　mighty　Name　of　the　Lord；　and　say　to　these　birds；　'Be　ye　men！'〃

And　the　holy　Mael；　having　wept　and　prayed；　armed　himself　with　the　mighty　Name　of　the　Lord　and　said　to　the　birds：

〃Be　ye　men！〃

Immediately　the　penguins　were　transformed。　Their　foreheads　enlarged　and　their　heads　grew　round　like　the　dome　of　St。　Maria　Rotunda　in　Rome。　Their　oval　eyes　opened　more　widely　on　the　universe；　a　fleshy　nose　clothed　the　two　clefts　of　their