the coming race- 第18部分

Along　our　way　various　operations　of　agriculture　were　being　carried　on　by　machinery；　the　forms　of　which　were　new　to　me；　and　for　the　most　part　very　graceful；　for　among　these　people　art　being　so　cultivated　for　the　sake　of　mere　utility；　exhibits　itself　in　adorning　or　refining　the　shapes　of　useful　objects。　　Precious　metals　and　gems　are　so　profuse　among　them；　that　they　are　lavished　on　things　devoted　to　purposes　the　most　92commonplace；　and　their　love　of　utility　leads　them　to　beautify　its　tools；　and　quickens　their　imagination　in　a　way　unknown　to　themselves。

In　all　service；　whether　in　or　out　of　doors；　they　make　great　use　of　automaton　figures；　which　are　so　ingenious；　and　so　pliant　to　the　operations　of　vril；　that　they　actually　seem　gifted　with　reason。　　It　was　scarcely　possible　to　distinguish　the　figures　I　beheld；　apparently　guiding　or　superintending　the　rapid　movements　of　vast　engines；　from　human　forms　endowed　with　thought。

By　degrees；　as　we　continued　to　walk　on；　my　attention　became　roused　by　the　lively　and　acute　remarks　of　my　companion。　　The　intelligence　of　the　children　among　this　race　is　marvellously　precocious；　perhaps　from　the　habit　of　having　intrusted　to　them；　at　so　early　an　age；　the　toils　and　responsibilities　of　middle　age。　　Indeed；　in　conversing　with　Taee；　I　felt　as　if　talking　with　some　superior　and　observant　man　of　my　own　years。　　I　asked　him　if　he　could　form　any　estimate　of　the　number　of　communities　into　which　the　race　of　the　Vril…ya　is　subdivided。

〃Not　exactly；〃　he　said；　〃because　they　multiply；　of　course；　every　year　as　the　surplus　of　each　community　is　drafted　off。　　But　I　heard　my　father　say　that；　according　to　the　last　report；there　were　a　million　and　a　half　of　communities　speaking　our　language；　and　adopting　our　institutions　and　forms　of　life　and　government；　but；　I　believe；　with　some　differences；　about　which　you　had　better　ask　Zee。　　She　knows　more　than　most　of　the　Ana　do。　　An　An　cares　less　for　things　that　do　not　concern　him　than　a　Gy　does；　the　Gy…ei　are　inquisitive　creatures。〃

〃Does　each　community　restrict　itself　to　the　same　number　of　families　or　amount　of　population　that　you　do？〃

〃No；　some　have　much　smaller　populations；　some　have　larger…　varying　according　to　the　extent　of　the　country　they　appropriate；　or　to　the　degree　of　excellence　to　which　they　have　brought　their　machinery。　　Each　community　sets　its　own　limit　according　to　circumstances；　taking　care　always　that　there　shall　93never　arise　any　class　of　poor　by　the　pressure　of　population　upon　the　productive　powers　of　the　domain；　and　that　no　state　shall　be　too　large　for　a　government　resembling　that　of　a　single　well…ordered　family。　　I　imagine　that　no　vril　community　exceeds　thirty…thousand　households。　　But；　as　a　general　rule；　the　smaller　the　community；　provided　there　be　hands　enough　to　do　justice　to　the　capacities　of　the　territory　it　occupies；　the　richer　each　individual　is；　and　the　larger　the　sum　contributed　to　the　general　treasury；…　above　all；　the　happier　and　the　more　tranquil　is　the　whole　political　body；　and　the　more　perfect　the　products　of　its　industry。　　The　state　which　all　tribes　of　the　Vril…ya　acknowledge　to　be　the　highest　in　civilisation；　and　which　has　brought　the　vril　force　to　its　fullest　development；　is　perhaps　the　smallest。　　It　limits　itself　to　four　thousand　families；　but　every　inch　of　its　territory　is　cultivated　to　the　utmost　perfection　of　garden　ground；　its　machinery　excels　that　of　every　other　tribe；　and　there　is　no　product　of　its　industry　in　any　department　which　is　not　sought　for；　at　extraordinary　prices；　by　each　community　of　our　race。　　All　our　tribes　make　this　state　their　model；　considering　that　we　should　reach　the　highest　state　of　civilisation　allowed　to　mortals　if　we　could　unite　the　greatest　degree　of　happiness　with　the　highest　degree　of　intellectual　achievement；　and　it　is　clear　that　the　smaller　the　society　the　less　difficult　that　will　be。　　Ours　is　too　large　for　it。〃

This　reply　set　me　thinking。　　I　reminded　myself　of　that　little　state　of　Athens；　with　only　twenty　thousand　free　citizens；　and　which　to　this　day　our　mightiest　nations　regard　as　the　supreme　guide　and　model　in　all　departments　of　intellect。　　But　then　Athens　permitted　fierce　rivalry　and　perpetual　change；　and　was　certainly　not　happy。　　Rousing　myself　from　the　reverie　into　which　these　reflections　had　plunged　me；　I　brought　back　our　talk　to　the　subjects　connected　with　emigration。

〃But；〃　said　I；　〃when；　I　suppose　yearly；　a　certain　number　among　94you　agree　to　quit　home　and　found　a　new　community　elsewhere；　they　must　necessarily　be　very　few；　and　scarcely　sufficient；　even　with　the　help　of　the　machines　they　take　with　them；　to　clear　the　ground；　and　build　towns；　and　form　a　civilised　state　with　the　comforts　and　luxuries　in　which　they　had　been　reared。〃

〃You　mistake。　　All　the　tribes　of　the　Vril…ya　are　in　constant　communication　with　each　other；　and　settle　amongst　themselves　each　year　what　proportion　of　one　community　will　unite　with　the　emigrants　of　another；　so　as　to　form　a　state　of　sufficient　size；　and　the　place　for　emigration　is　agreed　upon　at　least　a　year　before；　and　pioneers　sent　from　each　state　to　level　rocks；　and　embank　waters；　and　construct　houses；　so　that　when　the　emigrants　at　last　go；　they　find　a　city　already　made；　and　a　country　around　it　at　least　partially　cleared。　　Our　hardy　life　as　children　make　us　take　cheerfully　to　travel　and　adventure。　　I　mean　to　emigrate　myself　when　of　age。〃

〃Do　the　emigrants　always　select　places　hitherto　uninhabited　and　barren？〃

〃As　yet　generally；　because　it　is　our　rule　never　to　destroy　except　when　necessary　to　our　well…being。　　Of　course；　we　cannot　settle　in　lands　already　occupied　by　the　Vril…ya；　and　if　we　take　the　cultivated　lands　of　the　other　races　of　Ana；　we　must　utterly　destroy　the　previous　inhabitants。　　Sometimes；　as　it　is；　we　take　waste　spots；　and　find　that　a　troublesome；　quarrelsome　race　of　Ana；　especially　if　under　the　administration　of　Koom…Posh　or　Glek…Nas；　resents　our　vicinity；　and　picks　a　quarrel　with　us；　then；　of　course；　as　menacing　our　welfare；　we　destroy　it：　there　is　no　coming　to　terms　of　peace　with　a　race　so　idiotic　that　it　is　always　changing　the　form　of　government　which　represents　it。　　Koom…Posh；〃　said　the　child；　emphatically；　〃is　bad　enough；　still　it　has　brains；　though　at　the　back　of　its　head；　and　is　not　without　a　heart；　but　in　Glek…Nas　the　brain　and　heart　of　the　creatures　disappear；　and　they　become　all　jaws；　claws；　and　belly。〃

95〃You　express　yourself　strongly。　　Allow　me　to　inform　you　that　I　myself；　and　I　am　proud　to　say　it；　am　the　citizen　of　a　Koom…Posh。〃

〃I　no　longer；〃　answered　Taee；　〃wonder　to　see　you　here　so　far　from　your　home。　　What　was　the　condition　of　your　native　community　before　it　became　a　Koom…Posh？〃

〃A　settlement　of　emigrants…　like　those　settlements　which　your　tribe　sends　forth…　but　so　far　unlike　your　settlements；　that　it　was　dependent　on　the　state　from　which　it　came。　　It　shook　off　that　yoke；　and；　crowned　with　eternal　glory；　became　a　Koom…Posh。〃

〃Eternal　glory！　　How　long　has　the　Koom…Posh　lasted？〃

〃About　100　years。〃

〃The　length　of　an　An's　life…　a　very　young　community。　　In　much　less　than　another　100　years　your　Koom…Posh　will　be　a　Glek…Nas。〃

〃Nay；　the　oldest　states　in　the　world　I　come　from；　have　such　faith　in　its　duration；　that　they　are　all　gradually　shaping　their　institutions　so　as　to　melt　into　ours；　and　their　most　thoughtful　politicians　say　that；　whether　they　like　it　or　not；　the　inevitable　tendency　of　these　old　states　is　towards　Koom…Posh…erie。〃

〃The　old　states？〃

〃Yes；　the　old　states。〃

〃With　populations　very　small　in　proportion　to　the　area　of　productive　land？〃

〃On　the　contrary；　with　populations　very　large　in　proportion　to　that　area。〃

〃I　see！　old　states　indeed！…　so　old　as　to　become　drivelling　if　they　don't　pack　off　that　surplus　population　as　we　do　ours…　very　old　states！…　very；　very　old！　　Pray；　Tish；　do　you　think　it　wise　for　very　old　men　to　try　to　turn　head…over…heels　as　very　young　children　do？　　And　if　you　ask　them　why　they　attempted　such　antics；　should　you　not　laugh　if　they　answered　that　by　imitating　very　young　children　they　could　become　very　young　children　themselves？　　Ancient　history　abounds　with　instances　of　this　sort　a　great　many　thousand　years　ago…　and　in　every　instance　a　very　96old　state　that　played　at　Koom…Posh　soon　tumbled　into　Glek…Nas。　　Then；　in　horror　of　its　own　self；　it　cried　out　for　a　master；　as　an　old　man　in　his　dotage　cries　out　for　a　nurse；　and　after　a　succession　of　masters　or　nurses；　more　or　less　long；　that　very　old　state　died　out　of　history。　　A　very　old　state　attempting　Koom…Posh…erie　is　like　a　very　old　man　who　pulls　down　the　house　to　which　he　has　been　accustomed；　but　he　has　so　exhausted　his　vigour　in　pulling　down；　that　all　he　can　do　in　the　way　of　rebuilding　is　to　run　up　a　crazy　hut；　in　which　himself　and　his　successors　whine　out；　'How　the　wind　blows！　　How　the　walls　shake！'〃

〃My　dear　Taee；　I　make　all　excuse　for　your　unenlightened　prejudices；　which　every　schoolboy　educated　in　a　Koom…Posh　could　easily　controvert；　though　he　might　not　be　so　precociously　learned　in　ancient　history　as　you　appear　to　be。〃

〃I　learned！　not　a　bit　of　it。　　But　would　a　schoolboy；　educated　in　your　Koom…Posh；　ask　his　great…great…grandfather　or　great…great…grandmother　to　stand　on　his　or　her　head　with　the　feet　uppermost？　　And　if　the　poor　old　folks　hesitated…　say；　'What　do　you　fear？…　see　how　I　do　it！'〃

〃Taee；　I　disdain　to　argue　with　a　child　of　your　age。　　I　repeat；　I　make　allowances　for　your　want　of　that　culture　which　a　Koom…Posh　alone　can　bestow。〃

〃I；　in　my　turn；〃　answered　Taee；　with　an　air　of　the　suave　but　lofty　good　breeding　which　characterises　his　race；　〃not　only　make　allowances　for　you　as　not　educated　among　the　Vril…ya；　but　I　entreat　you　to　vouchsafe　me　your　pardon　for　the　insufficient　respect　to　the　habits　and　opinions　of　so　amiable　a　Tish！〃

I　ought　before　to　have　observed　that　I　was　commonly　called　Tish　by　my　host　and　his　family；　as　being　a　polite　and　indeed　a　pet　name；　literally　signifying　a　small　barbarian；　the　children　apply　it　endearingly　to　the　tame　species　of　Frog　which　they　keep　in　their　gardens。

We　had　now　reached　the　banks　of　a　lake；　and　Taee　here　paused　to　97point　out　to　me　the　ravages　made　in　fields　skirting　it。　　〃The　enemy　certainly　lies　within　these　waters；〃　said　Taee。　　〃Observe　what　shoals　of　fish　are　crowd