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against you for errors of judgement into which you may have fallen；
though you had hoped that such had been long since atoned for。
Ingratitude such as this is not uncommon； yet fancy what it must be
to bear！ It is hard upon the duckling to have been hatched by a
hen； but is it not also hard upon the hen to have hatched the
duckling？
〃Consider it again； we pray you； not for our sake but for your own。
Your initial character you must draw by lot； but whatever it is； it
can only come to a tolerably successful development after long
training； remember that over that training you will have no
control。 It is possible； and even probable； that whatever you may
get in after life which is of real pleasure and service to you；
will have to be won in spite of； rather than by the help of； those
whom you are now about to pester； and that you will only win your
freedom after years of a painful struggle in which it will be hard
to say whether you have suffered most injury； or inflicted it。
〃Remember also； that if you go into the world you will have free
will； that you will be obliged to have it； that there is no
escaping it； that you will be fettered to it during your whole
life； and must on every occasion do that which on the whole seems
best to you at any given time； no matter whether you are right or
wrong in choosing it。 Your mind will be a balance for
considerations； and your action will go with the heavier scale。
How it shall fall will depend upon the kind of scales which you may
have drawn at birth； the bias which they will have obtained by use；
and the weight of the immediate considerations。 If the scales were
good to start with； and if they have not been outrageously tampered
with in childhood； and if the combinations into which you enter are
average ones； you may come off well； but there are too many 'ifs'
in this； and with the failure of any one of them your misery is
assured。 Reflect on this； and remember that should the ill come
upon you； you will have yourself to thank； for it is your own
choice to be born； and there is no compulsion in the matter。
〃Not that we deny the existence of pleasures among mankind； there
is a certain show of sundry phases of contentment which may even
amount to very considerable happiness； but mark how they are
distributed over a man's life； belonging； all the keenest of them；
to the fore part； and few indeed to the after。 Can there be any
pleasure worth purchasing with the miseries of a decrepit age？ If
you are good； strong； and handsome； you have a fine fortune indeed
at twenty； but how much of it will be left at sixty？ For you must
live on your capital； there is no investing your powers so that you
may get a small annuity of life for ever： you must eat up your
principal bit by bit； and be tortured by seeing it grow continually
smaller and smaller； even though you happen to escape being rudely
robbed of it by crime or casualty。
〃Remember； too； that there never yet was a man of forty who would
not come back into the world of the unborn if he could do so with
decency and honour。 Being in the world he will as a general rule
stay till he is forced to go； but do you think that he would
consent to be born again； and re…live his life； if he had the offer
of doing so？ Do not think it。 If he could so alter the past as
that he should never have come into being at all； do you not think
that he would do it very gladly？
〃What was it that one of their own poets meant； if it was not this；
when he cried out upon the day in which he was born； and the night
in which it was said there is a man child conceived？ 'For now；' he
says； 'I should have lain still and been quiet； I should have
slept； then had I been at rest with kings and counsellors of the
earth； which built desolate places for themselves； or with princes
that had gold； who filled their houses with silver； or as an hidden
untimely birth； I had not been； as infants which never saw light。
There the wicked cease from troubling； and the weary are at rest。'
Be very sure that the guilt of being born carries this punishment
at times to all men； but how can they ask for pity； or complain of
any mischief that may befall them； having entered open…eyed into
the snare？
〃One word more and we have done。 If any faint remembrance； as of a
dream； flit in some puzzled moment across your brain； and you shall
feel that the potion which is to be given you shall not have done
its work； and the memory of this existence which you are leaving
endeavours vainly to return； we say in such a moment； when you
clutch at the dream but it eludes your grasp； and you watch it； as
Orpheus watched Eurydice； gliding back again into the twilight
kingdom； flyflyif you can remember the adviceto the haven of
your present and immediate duty； taking shelter incessantly in the
work which you have in hand。 This much you may perhaps recall； and
this； if you will imprint it deeply upon your every faculty； will
be most likely to bring you safely and honourably home through the
trials that are before you。〃 ｛3｝
This is the fashion in which they reason with those who would be
for leaving them； but it is seldom that they do much good； for none
but the unquiet and unreasonable ever think of being born； and
those who are foolish enough to think of it are generally foolish
enough to do it。 Finding； therefore； that they can do no more； the
friends follow weeping to the courthouse of the chief magistrate；
where the one who wishes to be born declares solemnly and openly
that he accepts the conditions attached to his decision。 On this
he is presented with a potion； which immediately destroys his
memory and sense of identity； and dissipates the thin gaseous
tenement which he has inhabited： he becomes a bare vital
principle； not to be perceived by human senses； nor to be by any
chemical test appreciated。 He has but one instinct； which is that
he is to go to such and such a place； where he will find two
persons whom he is to importune till they consent to undertake him；
but whether he is to find these persons among the race of Chowbok
or the Erewhonians themselves is not for him to choose。
CHAPTER XX： WHAT THEY MEAN BY IT
I have given the above mythology at some length； but it is only a
small part of what they have upon the subject。 My first feeling on
reading it was that any amount of folly on the part of the unborn
in coming here was justified by a desire to escape from such
intolerable prosing。 The mythology is obviously an unfair and
exaggerated representation of life and things； and had its authors
been so minded they could have easily drawn a picture which would
err as much on the bright side as this does on the dark。 No
Erewhonian believes that the world is as black as it has been here
painted； but it is one of their peculiarities that they very often
do not believe or mean things which they profess to regard as
indisputable。
In the present instance their professed views concerning the unborn
have arisen from their desire to prove that people have been
presented with the gloomiest possible picture of their own
prospects before they came here； otherwise； they could hardly say
to one whom they are going to punish for an affection of the heart
or brain that it is all his own doing。 In practice they modify
their theory to a considerable extent； and seldom refer to the
birth formula except in extreme cases； for the force of habit； or
what not； gives many of them a kindly interest even in creatures
who have so much wronged them as the unborn have done； and though a
man generally hates the unwelcome little stranger for the first
twelve months； he is apt to mollify （according to his lights） as
time goes on； and sometimes he will become inordinately attached to
the beings whom he is pleased to call his children。
Of course； according to Erewhonian premises； it would serve people
right to be punished and scouted for moral and intellectual
diseases as much as for physical； and I cannot to this day
understand why they should have stopped short half way。 Neither；
again； can I understand why their having done so should have been；
as it certainly was； a matter