penguin island-第18部分

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ructed。

He　often　crossed　the　Irish　Sea　to　go　into　the　land　of　Wales　and　to　visit　the　libraries　of　the　monasteries　there。　During　one　of　these　crossings；　as　he　remained　during　the　night　on　the　bridge　of　the　ship；　he　saw　beneath　the　waters　two　sturgeons　swimming　side　by　side。　He　had　very　good　hearing　and　he　knew　the　language　of　fishes。　Now　he　heard　one　of　the　sturgeons　say　to　the　other：

〃The　man　in　the　moon；　whom　we　have　often　seen　carrying　fagots　on　his　shoulders；　has　fallen　into　the　sea。

And　the　other　sturgeon　said　in　its　turn：

〃And　in　the　silver　disc　there　will　be　seen　the　image　of　two　lovers　kissing　each　other　on　the　mouth。〃

Some　years　later；　having　returned　to　his　native　country；　Aegidius　Aucupis　found　that　ancient　learning　had　been　restored。　Manners　had　softened。　Men　no　longer　pursued　the　nymphs　of　the　fountains；　of　the　woods；　and　of　the　mountains　with　their　insults。　They　placed　images　of　the　Muses　and　of　the　modest　Graces　in　their　gardens；　and　they　rendered　her　former　honours　to　the　Goddess　with　ambrosial　lips；　the　joy　of　men　and　gods。　They　were　becoming　reconciled　to　nature。　They　trampled　vain　terrors　beneath　their　feet　and　raised　their　eyes　to　heaven　without　fearing；　as　they　formerly　did；　to　read　signs　of　anger　and　threats　of　damnation　in　the　skies。

At　this　spectacle　Aegidius　Aucupis　remembered　what　the　two　sturgeons　of　the　sea　of　Erin　had　foretold。



BOOK　IV。　MODERN　TIMES：　TRINCO

I。　MOTHER　ROUQUIN

Aegidius　Aucupis；　the　Erasmus　of　the　Penguins；　was　not　mistaken；　his　age　was　an　age　of　free　inquiry。　But　that　great　man　mistook　the　elegances　of　the　humanists　for　softness　of　manners；　and　he　did　not　foresee　the　effects　that　the　awaking　of　intelligence　would　have　amongst　the　Penguins。　It　brought　about　the　religious　Reformation；　Catholics　massacred　Protestants　and　Protestants　massacred　Catholics。　Such　were　the　first　results　of　liberty　of　thought。　The　Catholics　prevailed　in　Penguinia。　But　the　spirit　of　inquiry　had　penetrated　among　them　without　their　knowing　it。　They　joined　reason　to　faith；　and　claimed　that　religion　had　been　divested　of　the　superstitious　practices　that　dishonoured　it；　just　as　in　later　days　the　booths　that　the　cobblers；　hucksters；　and　dealers　in　old　clothes　had　built　against　the　walls　of　the　cathedrals　were　cleared　away。　The　word；　legend；　which　at　first　indicated　what　the　faithful　ought　to　read；　soon　suggested　the　idea　of　pious　fables　and　childish　tales。

The　saints　had　to　suffer　from　this　state　of　mind。　An　obscure　canon　called　Princeteau；　a　very　austere　and　crabbed　man；　designated　so　great　a　number　of　them　as　not　worthy　of　having　their　days　observed；　that　he　was　surnamed　the　exposer　of　the　saints。　He　did　not　think；　for　instance；　that　if　St。　Margaret's　prayer　were　applied　as　a　poultice　to　a　woman　in　travail　that　the　pains　of　childbirth　would　be　softened。

Even　the　venerable　patron　saint　of　Penguinia　did　not　escape　his　rigid　criticism。　This　is　what　he　says　of　her　in　his　〃Antiquities　of　Alca〃：

〃Nothing　is　more　uncertain　than　the　history；　or　even　the　existence；　of　St。　Orberosia。　An　ancient　anonymous　annalist；　a　monk　of　Dombes；　relates　that　a　woman　called　Orberosia　was　possessed　by　the　devil　in　a　cavern　where；　even　down　to　his　own　days；　the　little　boys　and　girls　of　the　village　used　to　play　at　a　sort　of　game　representing　the　devil　and　the　fair　Orberosia。　He　adds　that　this　woman　became　the　concubine　of　a　horrible　dragon；　who　ravaged　the　country。　Such　a　statement　is　hardly　credible；　but　the　history　of　Orberosia；　as　it　has　since　been　related；　seems　hardly　more　worthy　of　belief。　The　life　of　that　saint　by　the　Abbot　Simplicissimus　is　three　hundred　years　later　than　the　pretended　events　which　it　relates　and　that　author　shows　himself　excessively　credulous　and　devoid　of　all　critical　faculty。〃

Suspicion　attacked　even　the　supernatural　origin　of　the　Penguins。　The　historian　Ovidius　Capito　went　so　far　as　to　deny　the　miracle　of　their　transformation。　He　thus　begins　his　〃Annals　of　Penguinia〃：

〃A　dense　obscurity　envelopes　this　history；　and　it　would　be　no　exaggeration　to　say　that　it　is　a　tissue　of　puerile　fables　and　popular　tales。　The　Penguins　claim　that　they　are　descended　from　birds　who　were　baptized　by　St。　Mael　and　whom　God　changed　into　men　at　the　intercession　of　that　glorious　apostle。　They　hold　that；　situated　at　first　in　the　frozen　ocean；　their　island；　floating　like　Delos；　was　brought　to　anchor　in　these　heaven…favoured　seas；　of　which　it　is　to…day　the　queen。　I　conclude　that　this　myth　is　a　reminiscence　of　the　ancient　migrations　of　the　Penguins。〃

In　the　following　century；　which　was　that　of　the　philosophers；　scepticism　became　still　more　acute。　No　further　evidence　of　it　is　needed　than　the　following　celebrated　passage　from　the　〃Moral　Essay〃：

〃Arriving　we　know　not　from　whence　（for　indeed　their　origins　are　not　very　clear）；　and　successively　invaded　and　conquered　by　four　or　five　peoples　from　the　north；　south；　east；　and　west；　miscegenated；　interbred；　amalgamated；　and　commingled；　the　Penguins　boast　of　the　purity　of　their　race；　and　with　justice；　for　they　have　become　a　pure　race。　This　mixture　of　all　mankind；　red；　black；　yellow；　and　white；　round…headed　and　long…headed；　as　formed　in　the　course　of　ages　a　fairly　homogeneous　human　family；　and　one　which　is　recognisable　by　certain　features　due　to　a　community　of　life　and　customs。

〃This　idea　that　they　belong　to　the　best　race　in　the　world；　and　that　they　are　its　finest　family；　inspires　them　with　noble　pride；　indomitable　courage；　and　a　hatred　for　the　human　race。

〃The　life　of　a　people　is　but　a　succession　of　miseries；　crimes；　and　follies。　This　is　true　of　the　Penguin　nation；　as　of　all　other　nations。　Save　for　this　exception　its　history　is　admirable　from　beginning　to　end。〃

The　two　classic　ages　of　the　Penguins　are　too　well…known　for　me　to　lay　stress　upon　them。　But　what　has　not　been　sufficiently　noticed　is　the　way　in　which　the　rationalist　theologians　such　as　Canon　Princeteau　called　into　existence　the　unbelievers　of　the　succeeding　age。　The　former　employed　their　reason　to　destroy　what　did　not　seem　to　them；　essential　to　their　religion；　they　only　left　untouched　the　most　rigid　article　of　faith。　Their　intellectual　successors；　being　taught　by　them　how　to　make　use　of　science　and　reason；　employed　them　against　whatever　beliefs　remained。　Thus　rational　theology　engendered　natural　philosophy。

That　is　why　（if　I　may　turn　from　the　Penguins　of　former　days　to　the　Sovereign　Pontiff；　who；　to…day　governs　the　universal　Church）　we　cannot　admire　too　greatly　the　wisdom　of　Pope　Pius　X。　in　condemning　the　study　of　exegesis　as　contrary　to　revealed　truth；　fatal　to　sound　theological　doctrine；　and　deadly　to　the　faith。　Those　clerics　who　maintain　the　rights　of　science　in　opposition　to　him　are　pernicious　doctors　and　pestilent　teachers；　and　the　faithful　who　approve　of　them　are　lacking　in　either　mental　or　moral　ballast。

At　the　end　of　the　age　of　philosophers；　the　ancient　kingdom　of　Penguinia　was　utterly　destroyed；　the　king　put　to　death；　the　privileges　of　the　nobles　abolished；　and　a　Republic　proclaimed　in　the　midst　of　public　misfortunes　and　while　a　terrible　war　was　raging。　The　assembly　which　then　governed　Penguinia　ordered　all　the　metal　articles　contained　in　the　churches　to　be　melted　down。　The　patriots　even　desecrated　the　tombs　of　the　kings。　It　is　said　that　when　the　tomb　of　Draco　the　Great　was　opened；　that　king　presented　an　appearance　as　black　as　ebony　and　so　majestic　that　those　who　profaned　his　corpse　fled　in　terror。　According　to　other　accounts；　these　churlish　men　insulted　him　by　putting　a　pipe　in　his　mouth　and　derisively　offering　him　a　glass　of　wine。

On　the　seventeenth　day　of　the　month　of　Mayflowers；　the　shrine　of　St。　Orberosia；　which　had　for　five　hundred　years　been　exposed　to　the　veneration　of　the　faithful　in　the　Church　of　St。　Mael；　was　transported　into　the　town…hall　and　submitted　to　the　examination　of　a　jury　of　experts　appointed　by　the　municipality。　It　was　made　of　gilded　copper　in　shape　like　the　nave　of　a　church；　entirely　covered　with　enamels　and　decorated　with　precious　stones；　which　latter　were　perceived　to　be　false。　The　chapter　in　its　foresight　had　removed　the　rubies；　sapphires；　emeralds；　and　great　balls　of　rock…crystal；　and　had　substituted　pieces　of　glass　in　their　place。　It　contained　only　a　little　dust　and　a　piece　of　old　linen；　which　were　thrown　into　a　great　fire　that　had　been　lighted　on　the　Place　de　Greve　to　burn　the　relics　of　the　saints。　The　people　danced　around　it　singing　patriotic　songs。

From　the　threshold　of　their　booth；　which　leant　against　the　town…hall；　a　man　called　Rouquin　and　his　wife　were　watching　this　group　of　madmen。　Rouquin　clipped　dogs　and　gelded　cats；　he　also　frequented　the　inns。　His　wife　was　a　ragpicker　and　a　bawd；　but　she　had　plenty　of　shrewdness。

〃You　see；　Rouquin；〃　said　she　to　her　man；　〃they　are　committing　a　sacrilege。　They　will　repent　of　it。〃

〃You　know　nothing　about　it；　wife；〃　answered　Rouquin；　〃they；　have　become　philosophers；　and　when　one　is　once　a　philosopher　he　is　a　philosopher　for　ever。〃

〃I　tell　you；　Rouquin；　that　sooner　or　later　they　will　regret　what　they　are　doing　to…day。　They　ill…treat　the　saints　because　they　have　not　helped　them　enough；　but　for　all　that　the　quails　won't　fall　ready　cooked　into　their　mouths。　They　will　soon　find　themselves　as　badly　off　as　before；　and　when　they　have　put　out　their　tongues　for　enough　they　will　become　pious　again。　Sooner　than　people　think　the　day　will　come　when　Penguinia　will　again　begin　to　honour　her　blessed　patron。　Rouquin；　it　would　be　a　good　thing；　in　readiness　for　that　day；　if　we　kept　a　handful　of　ashes　and　some　rags　and　bones　in　an　old　pot　in　our　lodgings。　We　will　say　that　they　are　the　relics　of　St。　Orberosia　and　that　we　have　saved　them　from　the　flames　at　the　peril　of　our　lives。　I　am　greatly　mistaken　if　we　don't　get　honour　and　profit　out　of　them。　That　good　action　might　be　worth　a　place　from　the　Cure　to　sell　tapers　and　hire　chairs　in　the　chapel　of　St。　Orberosia。〃

On　that　same　day　Mother　Rouquin　took　home　with　her　a　little　ashes　and　some　bones；　and　put　them　in　an　old　jam…pot　in　her　cupboard。



II。　TRINCO

The　sovereign　Nation　had　taken　possession　of　the　lands　of　the　nobility　and　clergy　to　sell　them　at　a　low　price　to　the　middle　classes　and　the　peasants。　The　middle　classes　and　the　peasants　thought　that　the　revolution　was　a　g