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determine； indeed； it seemed to be counted the perfection of
scholarship and good breeding among them not to havemuch less to
expressan opinion on any subject on which it might prove later
that they had been mistaken。 The art of sitting gracefully on a
fence has never； I should think； been brought to greater perfection
than at the Erewhonian Colleges of Unreason。
Even when； wriggle as they may； they find themselves pinned down to
some expression of definite opinion； as often as not they will
argue in support of what they perfectly well know to be untrue。 I
repeatedly met with reviews and articles even in their best
journals； between the lines of which I had little difficulty in
detecting a sense exactly contrary to the one ostensibly put
forward。 So well is this understood； that a man must be a mere
tyro in the arts of Erewhonian polite society； unless he
instinctively suspects a hidden 〃yea〃 in every 〃nay〃 that meets
him。 Granted that it comes to much the same in the end； for it
does not matter whether 〃yea〃 is called 〃yea〃 or 〃nay；〃 so long as
it is understood which it is to be； but our own more direct way of
calling a spade a spade； rather than a rake； with the intention
that every one should understand it as a spade； seems more
satisfactory。 On the other hand； the Erewhonian system lends
itself better to the suppression of that downrightness which it
seems the express aim of Erewhonian philosophy to discountenance。
However this may be； the fear…of…giving…themselves…away disease was
fatal to the intelligence of those infected by it； and almost every
one at the Colleges of Unreason had caught it to a greater or less
degree。 After a few years atrophy of the opinions invariably
supervened； and the sufferer became stone dead to everything except
the more superficial aspects of those material objects with which
he came most in contact。 The expression on the faces of these
people was repellent； they did not； however； seem particularly
unhappy； for they none of them had the faintest idea that they were
in reality more dead than alive。 No cure for this disgusting fear…
of…giving…themselves…away disease has yet been discovered。
* * *
It was during my stay in City of the Colleges of Unreasona city
whose Erewhonian name is so cacophonous that I refrain from giving
itthat I learned the particulars of the revolution which had
ended in the destruction of so many of the mechanical inventions
which were formerly in common use。
Mr。 Thims took me to the rooms of a gentleman who had a great
reputation for learning； but who was also； so Mr。 Thims told me；
rather a dangerous person； inasmuch as he had attempted to
introduce an adverb into the hypothetical language。 He had heard
of my watch and been exceedingly anxious to see me； for he was
accounted the most learned antiquary in Erewhon on the subject of
mechanical lore。 We fell to talking upon the subject； and when I
left he gave me a reprinted copy of the work which brought the
revolution about。
It had taken place some five hundred years before my arrival：
people had long become thoroughly used to the change； although at
the time that it was made the country was plunged into the deepest
misery； and a reaction which followed had very nearly proved
successful。 Civil war raged for many years； and is said to have
reduced the number of the inhabitants by one…half。 The parties
were styled the machinists and the anti…machinists； and in the end；
as I have said already； the latter got the victory； treating their
opponents with such unparalleled severity that they extirpated
every trace of opposition。
The wonder was that they allowed any mechanical appliances to
remain in the kingdom； neither do I believe that they would have
done so； had not the Professors of Inconsistency and Evasion made a
stand against the carrying of the new principles to their
legitimate conclusions。 These Professors； moreover； insisted that
during the struggle the anti…machinists should use every known
improvement in the art of war； and several new weapons； offensive
and defensive； were invented； while it was in progress。 I was
surprised at there remaining so many mechanical specimens as are
seen in the museums； and at students having rediscovered their past
uses so completely； for at the time of the revolution the victors
wrecked all the more complicated machines； and burned all treatises
on mechanics； and all engineers' workshopsthus； so they thought；
cutting the mischief out root and branch； at an incalculable cost
of blood and treasure。
Certainly they had not spared their labour； but work of this
description can never be perfectly achieved； and when； some two
hundred years before my arrival； all passion upon the subject had
cooled down； and no one save a lunatic would have dreamed of
reintroducing forbidden inventions； the subject came to be regarded
as a curious antiquarian study； like that of some long…forgotten
religious practices among ourselves。 Then came the careful search
for whatever fragments could be found； and for any machines that
might have been hidden away； and also numberless treatises were
written； showing what the functions of each rediscovered machine
had been； all being done with no idea of using such machinery
again； but with the feelings of an English antiquarian concerning
Druidical monuments or flint arrow heads。
On my return to the metropolis； during the remaining weeks or
rather days of my sojourn in Erewhon I made a resume in English of
the work which brought about the already mentioned revolution。 My
ignorance of technical terms has led me doubtless into many errors；
and I have occasionally； where I found translation impossible；
substituted purely English names and ideas for the original
Erewhonian ones； but the reader may rely on my general accuracy。 I
have thought it best to insert my translation here。
CHAPTER XXIII： THE BOOK OF THE MACHINES
The writer commences：… 〃There was a time； when the earth was to all
appearance utterly destitute both of animal and vegetable life； and
when according to the opinion of our best philosophers it was
simply a hot round ball with a crust gradually cooling。 Now if a
human being had existed while the earth was in this state and had
been allowed to see it as though it were some other world with
which he had no concern； and if at the same time he were entirely
ignorant of all physical science； would he not have pronounced it
impossible that creatures possessed of anything like consciousness
should be evolved from the seeming cinder which he was beholding？
Would he not have denied that it contained any potentiality of
consciousness？ Yet in the course of time consciousness came。 Is
it not possible then that there may be even yet new channels dug
out for consciousness； though we can detect no signs of them at
present？
〃Again。 Consciousness； in anything like the present acceptation of
the term； having been once a new thinga thing； as far as we can
see； subsequent even to an individual centre of action and to a
reproductive system （which we see existing in plants without
apparent consciousness）why may not there arise some new phase of
mind which shall be as different from all present known phases； as
the mind of animals is from that of vegetables？
〃It would be absurd to attempt to define such a mental state （or
whatever it may be called）； inasmuch as it must be something so
foreign to man that his experience can give him no help towards
conceiving its nature； but surely when we reflect upon the manifold
phases of life and consciousness which have been evolved already；
it would be rash to say that no others can be developed； and that
animal life is the end of all things。 There was a time when fire
was the end of all things： another when rocks and water were so。〃
The writer； after enlarging on the above for several pages；
proceeded to inquire whether traces of the approach of such a new
phase of life could be perceived at present； whether we could see
any tenements preparing which might in a remote futurity be adapted
for it； whether； in fact； the primordial cell of such a kind of
life could b