on the method of zadig-第1部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！





On　the　Method　of　Zadig

by　Thomas　Henry　Huxley







RETROSPECTIVE　PROPHECY　AS　A　FUNCTION　OF　SCIENCE　



〃Une　marque　plus　sure　que　toutes　celles　de　Zadig。〃Cuvier。



It　is　an　usual　and　a　commendable　practice　to　preface　the

discussion　of　the　views　of　a　philosophic　thinker　by　some　account

of　the　man　and　of　the　circumstances　which　shaped　his　life　and

coloured　his　way　of　looking　at　things；　but；　though　Zadig　is

cited　in　one　of　the　most　important　chapters　of　Cuvier's　greatest

work；　little　is　known　about　him；　and　that　little　might　perhaps

be　better　authenticated　than　it　is。



It　is　said　that　he　lived　at　Babylon　in　the　time　of　King　Moabdar；

but　the　name　of　Moabdar　does　not　appear　in　the　list　of

Babylonian　sovereigns　brought　to　light　by　the　patience　and

the　industry　of　the　decipherers　of　cuneiform　inscriptions　in

these　later　years；　nor　indeed　am　I　aware　that　there　is　any　other

authority　for　his　existence　than　that　of　the　biographer　of

Zadig；　one　Arouet　de　Voltaire；　among　whose　more　conspicuous

merits　strict　historical　accuracy　is　perhaps　hardly　to

be　reckoned。



Happily　Zadig　is　in　the　position　of　a　great　many　other

philosophers。　What　he　was　like　when　he　was　in　the　flesh；　indeed

whether　he　existed　at　all；　are　matters　of　no　great　consequence。

What　we　care　about　in　a　light　is　that　it　shows　the　way；　not

whether　it　is　lamp　or　candle；　tallow　or　wax。　Our　only　real

interest　in　Zadig　lies　in　the　conceptions　of　which　he　is　the

putative　father；　and　his　biographer　has　stated　these　with　so

much　clearness　and　vivacious　illustration；　that　we　need　hardly

feel　a　pang；　even　if　critical　research　should　prove　King　Moabdar

and　all　the　rest　of　the　story　to　be　unhistorical；　and　reduce

Zadig　himself　to　the　shadowy　condition　of　a　solar　myth。



Voltaire　tells　us　that；　disenchanted　with　life　by　sundry

domestic　misadventures；　Zadig　withdrew　from　the　turmoil　of

Babylon　to　a　secluded　retreat　on　the　banks　of　the　Euphrates；

where　he　beguiled　his　solitude　by　the　study　of　nature。

The　manifold　wonders　of　the　world　of　life　had　a　particular

attraction　for　the　lonely　student；　incessant　and　patient

observation　of　the　plants　and　animals　about　him　sharpened　his

naturally　good　powers　of　observation　and　of　reasoning；　until；　at

length；　he　acquired　a　sagacity　which　enabled　him　to　perceive

endless　minute　differences　among　objects　which；　to　the　untutored

eye；　appeared　absolutely　alike。



It　might　have　been　expected　that　this　enlargement　of　the　powers

of　the　mind　and　of　its　store　of　natural　knowledge　could　tend　to

nothing　but　the　increase　of　a　man's　own　welfare　and　the　good　of

his　fellow…men。　But　Zadig　was　fated　to　experience　the　vanity　of

such　expectations。





〃One　day；　walking　near　a　little　wood；　he　saw；　hastening　that

way；　one　of　the　Queen's　chief　eunuchs；　followed　by　a　troop　of

officials；　who　appeared　to　be　in　the　greatest　anxiety；　running

hither　and　thither　like　men　distraught；　in　search　of　some

lost　treasure。



〃'Young　man；'　cried　the　eunuch；　'have　you　seen　the　Queen's　dog？'

Zadig　answered　modestly；　'A　bitch；　I　think；　not　a　dog。'

'Quite　right；'　replied　the　eunuch；　and　Zadig　continued；　'A　very

small　spaniel　who　has　lately　had　puppies；　she　limps　with　the

left　foreleg；　and　has　very　long　ears。'　'Ah！　you　have　seen　her

then；'　said　the　breathless　eunuch。　'No；'　answered　Zadig；　'I　have

not　seen　her；　and　I　really　was　not　aware　that　the　Queen

possessed　a　spaniel。'



〃By　an　odd　coincidence；　at　the　very　same　time；　the　handsomest

horse　in　the　King's　stables　broke　away　from　his　groom　in　the

Babylonian　plain。　The　grand　huntsman　and　all　his　staff　were

seeking　the　horse　with　as　much　anxiety　as　the　eunuch　and　his

people　the　spaniel；　and　the　grand　huntsman　asked　Zadig　if　he　had

not　seen　the　King's　horse　go　that　way。



〃'A　first…rate　galloper；　small…hoofed；　five　feet　high；

tail　three　feet　and　a　half　long；　cheek　pieces　of　the　bit　of

twenty…three　carat　gold；　shoes　silver？'　said　Zadig。



〃'Which　way　did　he　go？　Where　is　he？'　cried　the　grand　huntsman。



〃'I　have　not　seen　anything　of　the　horse；　and　I　never　heard　of

him　before；'　replied　Zadig。



〃The　grand　huntsman　and　the　chief　eunuch　made　sure　that　Zadig

had　stolen　both　the　King's　horse　and　the　Queen's　spaniel；　so

they　haled　him　before　the　High　Court　of　Desterham；　which　at　once

condemned　him　to　the　knout；　and　transportation　for　life　to

Siberia。　But　the　sentence　was　hardly　pronounced　when　the　lost

horse　and　spaniel　were　found。　So　the　judges　were　under　the

painful　necessity　of　reconsidering　their　decision：　but　they

fined　Zadig　four　hundred　ounces　of　gold　for　saying　he　had　seen

that　which　he　had　not　seen。



〃The　first　thing　was　to　pay　the　fine；　afterwards　Zadig　was

permitted　to　open　his　defence　to　the　court；　which　he　did　in　the

following　terms：



〃'Stars　of　justice；　abysses　of　knowledge；　mirrors　of　truth；

whose　gravity　is　as　that　of　lead；　whose　inflexibility　is　as　that

of　iron；　who　rival　the　diamond　in　clearness；　and　possess　no

little　affinity　with　gold；　since　I　am　permitted　to　address　your

august　assembly；　I　swear　by　Ormuzd　that　I　have　never　seen　the

respectable　lady　dog　of　the　Queen；　nor　beheld　the　sacrosanct

horse　of　the　King　of　Kings。



〃'This　is　what　happened。　I　was　taking　a　walk　towards　the　little

wood　near　which　I　subsequently　had　the　honour　to　meet　the

venerable　chief　eunuch　and　the　most　illustrious　grand　huntsman。

I　noticed　the　track　of　an　animal　in　the　sand；　and　it　was　easy　to

see　that　it　was　that　of　a　small　dog。　Long　faint　streaks　upon　the

little　elevations　of　sand　between　the　footmarks　convinced　me

that　it　was　a　she　dog　with　pendent　dugs；　showing　that　she　must

have　had　puppies　not　many　days　since。　Other　scrapings　of　the

sand；　which　always　lay　close　to　the　marks　of　the　forepaws；

indicated　that　she　had　very　long　ears；　and；　as　the　imprint　of

one　foot　was　always　fainter　than　those　of　the　other　three；　I

judged　that　the　lady　dog　of　our　august　Queen　was；　if　I　may

venture　to　say　so；　a　little　lame。



〃'With　respect　to　the　horse　of　the　King　of　Kings；　permit　me　to

observe　that；　wandering　through　the　paths　which　traverse　the

wood；　I　noticed　the　marks　of　horse…shoes。　They　were　all

equidistant。　〃Ah！〃　said　I；　〃this　is　a　famous　galloper。〃　In　a

narrow　alley；　only　seven　feet　wide；　the　dust　upon　the　trunks　of

the　trees　was　a　little　disturbed　at　three　feet　and　a　half　from

the　middle　of　the　path。　〃This　horse；〃　said　I　to　myself；　〃had　a

tail　three　feet　and　a　half　long；　and；　lashing　it　from　one　side

to　the　other；　he　has　swept　away　the　dust。〃　Branches　of　the　trees

met　overhead　at　the　height　of　five　feet；　and　under　them　I　saw

newly　fallen　leaves；　so　I　knew　that　the　horse　had　brushed　some

of　the　branches；　and　was　therefore　five　feet　high。　As　to　his

bit；　it　must　have　been　made　of　twenty…three　carat　gold；　for　he

had　rubbed　it　against　a　stone；　which　turned　out　to　be　a

touchstone；　with　the　properties　of　which　I　am　familiar　by

experiment。　Lastly；　by　the　marks　which　his　shoes　left　upon

pebbles　of　another　kind；　I　was　led　to　think　that　his　shoes　were

of　fine　silver。'



〃All　the　judges　admired　Zadig's　profound　and　subtle　discernment；

and　the　fame　of　it　reached　even　the　King　and　the　Queen。　From　the

ante…rooms　to　the　presence…chamber；　Zadig's　name　was　in

everybody's　mouth；　and；　although　many　of　the　magi　were　of

opinion　that　he　ought　to　be　burnt　as　a　sorcerer；　the　King

commanded　that　the　four　hundred　ounces　of　gold　which　he　had　been

fined　should　be　restored　to　him。　So　the　officers　of　the　court

went　in　state　with　the　four　hundred　ounces；　only　they　retained

three　hundred　and　ninety…eight　for　legal　expenses；　and　their

servants　expected　fees。〃



Those　who　are　interested　in　learning　more　of　the　fateful　history

of　Zadig　must　turn　to　the　original；　we　are　dealing　with　him　only

as　a　philosopher；　and　this　brief　excerpt　suffices　for　the

exemplification　of　the　nature　of　his　conclusions　and　of　the

methods　by　which　he　arrived　at　them。





These　conclusions　may　be　said　to　be　of　the　nature　of

retrospective　prophecies；　though　it　is　perhaps　a　little

hazardous　to　employ　phraseology　which　perilously　suggests　a

contradiction　in　termsthe　word　〃prophecy〃　being　so　constantly；

in　ordinary　use；　restricted　to　〃foretelling。〃　Strictly；　however；

the　term　prophecy　applies　as　much　to　outspeaking　as　to

foretelling；　and；　even　in　the　restricted　sense　of　〃divination；〃

it　is　obvious　that　the　essence　of　the　prophetic　operation　does

not　lie　in　its　backward　or　forward　relation　to　the　course　of

time；　but　in　the　fact　that　it　is　the　apprehension　of　that　which

lies　out　of　the　sphere　of　immediate　knowledge；　the　seeing　of

that　which；　to　the　natural　sense　of　the　seer；　is　invisible。



The　foreteller　asserts　that；　at　some　future　time；　a　properly

situated　observer　will　witness　certain　events；　the　clairvoyant

declares　that；　at　this　present　time；　certain　things　are　to　be

witnessed　a　thousand　miles　away；　the　retrospective　prophet

（would　that　there　were　such　a　word　as　〃backteller！〃）　affirms

that；　so　many　hours　or　years　ago；　such　and　such　things　were　to

be　seen。　In　all　these　cases；　it　is　only　the　relation　to　time

which　altersthe　process　of　divination　beyond　the　limits　of

possible　direct　knowledge　remains　the　same。



No　doubt　it　was　their　instinctive　recognition　of　the　analogy

between　Zadig's　results　and　those　obtained　by　authorised

inspiration　which　inspired　the　Babylonian　magi　with　the　desire

to　burn　the　philosopher。　Zadig　admitted　that　he　had　never　either

seen　or　heard　of　the　horse　of　the　king　or　of　the　spaniel　of　the

queen；　and　yet　he　ventured　to　assert　in　the　most　positive

manner　that　animals　answering　to　their　description　did　actually

exist　and　ran　about　the　plains　of　Babylon。　If　his　method　was

good　for　the　divination　of　the　course　of　events　ten　hours　old；

why　should　it　not　be　good　for　those　of　ten　years　or　ten

centuries　past；　nay；　might　it　not　extend　ten　thousand　years　and