penguin island-第19部分

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le　classes　and　the　peasants。　The　middle　classes　and　the　peasants　thought　that　the　revolution　was　a　good　thing　for　acquiring　lands　and　a　bad　one　for　retaining　them。

The　legislators　of　the　Republic　made　terrible　laws　for　the　defence　of　property；　and　decreed　death　to　anyone　who　should　propose　a　division　of　wealth。　But　that　did　not　avail　the　Republic。　The　peasants　who　had　become　proprietors　bethought　themselves　that　though　it　had　made　them　rich；　the　Republic　had　nevertheless　caused　a　disturbance　to　wealth；　and　they　desired　a　system　more　respectful　of　private　property　and　more　capable　of　assuring　the　permanence　of　the　new　institutions。

They　had　not　long　to　wait。　The　Republic；　like　Agrippina；　bore　her　destroyer　in　her　bosom。

Having　great　wars　to　carry　on；　it　created　military　forces；　and　these　were　destined　both　to　save　it　and　to　destroy　it。　Its　legislators　thought　they　could　restrain　their　generals　by　the　fear　of　punishment；　but　if　they　sometimes　cut　off　the　heads　of　unlucky　soldiers　they　could　not　do　the　same　to　the　fortunate　soldiers　who　obtained　over　it　the　advantages　of　having　saved　its　existence。

In　the　enthusiasm　of　victory　the　renovated　Penguins　delivered　themselves　up　to　a　dragon；　more　terrible　than　that　of　their　fables；　who；　like　a　stork　amongst　frogs；　devoured　them　for　fourteen　years　with　his　insatiable　beak。

Half　a　century　after　the　reign　of　the　new　dragon　a　young　Maharajah　of　Malay；　called　Djambi；　desirous；　like　the　Scythian　Anacharsis；　of　instructing　himself　by　travel；　visited　Penguinia　and　wrote　an　interesting　account　of　his　travels。　I　transcribe　the　first　page　of　his　account：

ACCOUNT　OF　THE　TRAVELS　OF　YOUNG　DJAMBI　IN　PENGUINIA

After　a　voyage　of　ninety　days　I　landed　at　the　vast　and　deserted　port　of　the　Penguins　and　travelled　over　untilled　fields　to　their　ruined　capital。　Surrounded　by　ramparts　and　full　of　barracks　and　arsenals　it　had　a　martial　though　desolate　appearance。　Feeble　and　crippled　men　wandered　proudly　through　the　streets；　wearing　old　uniforms　and　carrying　rusty　weapons。

〃What　do　you　want？〃　I　was　rudely　asked　at　the　gate　of　the　city　by　a　soldier　whose　moustaches　pointed　to　the　skies。

〃Sir；〃　I　answered；　〃I　come　as　an　inquirer　to　visit　this　island。〃

〃It　is　not　an　island；〃　replied　the　soldier。

〃What！〃　I　exclaimed；　〃Penguin　Island　is　not　an　island？〃

〃No；　sir；　it　is　an　insula。　It　was　formerly　called　an　island；　but　for　a　century　it　has　been　decreed　that　it　shall　bear　the　name　of　insula。　It　is　the　only　insula　in　the　whole　universe。　Have　you　a　passport？〃

〃Here　it　is。〃

〃Go　and　get　it　signed　at　the　Ministry　of　Foreign　Affairs。〃

A　lame　guide　who　conducted　me　came　to　a　pause　in　a　vast　square。

〃The　insula；〃　said　he；　〃has　given　birth；　as　you　know；　to　Trinco；　the　greatest　genius　of　the　universe；　whose　statue　you　see　before　you。　That　obelisk　standing　to　your　right　commemorates　Trinco's　birth；　the　column　that　rises　to　your　left　has　Trinco　crowned　with　a　diadem　upon　its　summit。　You　see　here　the　triumphal　arch　dedicated　to　the　glory　of　Trinco　and　his　family。〃

〃What　extraordinary　feat　has　Trinco　performed？〃　I　asked。

〃War。〃

〃That　is　nothing　extraordinary。　We　Malayans　make　war　constantly。〃

〃That　may　be；　but　Trinco　is　the　greatest　warrior　of　all　countries　and　all　times。　There　never　existed　a　greater　conqueror　than　he。　As　you　anchored　in　our　port　you　saw　to　the　east　a　volcanic　island　called　Ampelophoria；　shaped　like　a　cone；　and　of　small　size；　but　renowned　for　its　wines。　And　to　the　west　a　larger　island　which　raises　to　the　sky　a　long　range　of　sharp　teeth；　for　this　reason　it　is　called　the　Dog's　Jaws。　It　is　rich　in　copper　mines。　We　possessed　both　before　Trinco's　reign　and　they　were　the　boundaries　of　our　empire。　Trinco　extended　the　Penguin　dominion　over　the　Archipelago　of　the　Turquoises　and　the　Green　Continent；　subdued　the　gloomy　Porpoises；　and　planted　his　flag　amid　the　icebergs　of　the　Pole　and　on　the　burning　sands　of　the　African　deserts。　He　raised　troops　in　all　the　countries　he　conquered；　and　when　his　armies　marched　past　in　the　wake　of　our　own　light　infantry；　our　island　grenadiers；　our　hussars；　our　dragoons；　our　artillery；　and　our　engineers　there　were　to　be　seen　yellow　soldiers　looking　in　their　blue　armour　like　crayfish　standing　on　their　tails；　red　men　with　parrots'　plumes；　tattooed　with　solar　and　Phallic　emblems；　and　with　quivers　of　poisoned　arrows　resounding　on　their　backs；　naked　blacks　armed　only　with　their　teeth　and　nails；　pygmies　riding　on　cranes；　gorillas　carrying　trunks　of　trees　and　led　by　an　old　ape　who　wore　upon　his　hairy　breast　the　cross　of　the　Legion　of　Honour。　And　all　those　troops；　led　to　Trinco's　banner　by　the　most　ardent　patriotism；　flew　on　from　victory　to　victory；　and　in　thirty　years　of　war　Trinco　conquered　half　the　known　world。〃

〃What！〃　cried　I；　〃you　possess　half　of　the　world。〃

〃Trinco　conquered　it　for　us；　and　Trinco　lost　it　to　us。　As　great　in　his　defeats　as　in　his　victories　he　surrendered　all　that　he　had　conquered。　He　even　allowed　those　two　islands　we　possessed　before　his　time；　Ampelophoria　and　the　Dog's　Jaws；　to　be　taken　from　us。　He　left　Penguinia　impoverished　and　depopulated。　The　flower　of　the　insula　perished　in　his　wars。　At　the　time　of　his　fall　there　were　left　in　our　country　none　but　the　hunchbacks　and　cripples　from　whom　we　are　descended。　But　he　gave　us　glory。〃

〃He　made　you　pay　dearly　for　it！〃

〃Glory　never　costs　too　much；〃　replied　my　guide。



III。　THE　JOURNEY　OF　DOCTOR　OBNUBILE

After　a　succession　of　amazing　vicissitudes；　the　memory　of　which　is　in　great　part　lost　by　the　wrongs　of　time　and　the　bad　style　of　historians；　the　Penguins　established　the　government　of　the　Penguins　by　themselves。　They　elected　a　diet　or　assembly；　and　invested　it　with　the　privilege　of　naming　the　Head　of　the　State。　The　latter；　chosen　from　among　the　simple　Penguins；　wore　no　formidable　monster's　crest　upon　his　head　and　exercised　no　absolute　authority　over　the　people。　He　was　himself　subject　to　the　laws　of　the　nation。　He　was　not　given　the　title　of　king；　and　no　ordinal　number　followed　his　name。　He　bore　such　names　as　Paturle；　Janvion；　Traffaldin；　Coquenhot；　and　Bredouille。　These　magistrates　did　not　make　war。　They　were　not　suited　for　that。

The　new　state　received　the　name　of　Public　Thing　or　Republic。　Its　partisans　were　called　republicanists　or　republicans。　They　were　also　named　Thingmongers　and　sometimes　Scamps；　but　this　latter　name　was　taken　in　ill　part。

The　Penguin　democracy　did　not　itself　govern。　It　obeyed　a　financial　oligarchy　which　formed　opinion　by　means　of　the　newspapers；　and　held　in　its　hands　the　representatives；　the　ministers；　and　the　president。　It　controlled　the　finances　of　the　republic；　and　directed　the　foreign　affairs　of　the　country　as　if　it　were　possessed　of　sovereign　power。

Empires　and　kingdoms　in　those　days　kept　up　enormous　fleets。　Penguinia；　compelled　to　do　as　they　did；　sank　under　the　pressure　of　her　armaments。　Everybody　deplored　or　pretended　to　deplore　so　grievous　a　necessity。　However；　the　rich；　and　those　engaged　in　business　or　affairs；　submitted　to　it　with　a　good　heart　through　a　spirit　of　patriotism；　and　because　they　counted　on　the　soldiers　and　sailors　to　defend　their　goods　at　home　and　to　acquire　markets　and　territories　abroad。　The　great　manufacturers　encouraged　the　making　of　cannons　and　ships　through　a　zeal　for　the　national　defence　and　in　order　to　obtain　orders。　Among　the　citizens　of　middle　rank　and　of　the　liberal　professions　some　resigned　themselves　to　this　state　of　affairs　without　complaining；　believing　that　it　would　last　for　ever；　others　waited　impatiently　for　its　end　and　thought　they　might　be　able　to　lead　the　powers　to　a　simultaneous　disarmament。

The　illustrious　Professor　Obnubile　belonged　to　this　latter　class。

〃War；〃　said　he；　〃is　a　barbarity　to　which　the　progress　of　civilization　will　put　an　end。　The　great　democracies　are　pacific　and　will　soon　impose　their　will　upon　the　aristocrats。〃

Professor　Obnubile；　who　had　for　sixty　years　led　a　solitary　and　retired　life　in　his　laboratory；　whither　external　noises　did　not　penetrate；　resolved　to　observe　the　spirit　of　the　peoples　for　himself。　He　began　his　studies　with　the　greatest　of　all　democracies　and　set　sail　for　New　Atlantis。

After　a　voyage　of　fifteen　days　his　steamer　entered；　during　the　night；　the　harbour　of　Titanport；　where　thousands　of　ships　were　anchored。　An　iron　bridge　thrown　across　the　water　and　shining　with　lights；　stretched　between　two　piers　so　far　apart　that　Professor　Obnubile　imagined　he　was　sailing　on　the　seas　of　Saturn　and　that　he　saw　the　marvellous　ring　which　girds　the　planet　of　the　Old　Man。　And　this　immense　conduit　bore　upon　it　more　than　a　quarter　of　the　wealth　of　the　world。　The　learned　Penguin；　having　disembarked；　was　waited　on　by　automatons　in　a　hotel　forty…eight　stories　high。　Then　he　took　the　great　railway　that　led　to　Gigantopolis；　the　capital　of　New　Atlantis。　In　the　train　there　were　restaurants；　gaming…rooms；　athletic　arenas；　telegraphic；　commercial；　and　financial　offices；　a　Protestant　Church；　and　the　printing…office　of　a　great　newspaper；　which　latter　the　doctor　was　unable　to　read；　as　he　did　not　know　the　language　of　the　New　Atlantans。　The　train　passed　along　the　banks　of　great　rivers；　through　manufacturing　cities　which　concealed　the　sky　with　the　smoke　from　their　chimneys；　towns　black　in　the　day；　towns　red　at　night；　full　of　noise　by　day　and　full　of　noise　also　by　night。

〃Here；〃　thought　the　doctor；　〃is　a　people　far　too　much　engaged　in　industry　and　trade　to　make　war。　I　am　already　certain　that　the　New　Atlantans　pursue　a　policy　of　peace。　For　it　is　an　axiom　admitted　by　all　economists　that　peace　without　and　peace　within　are　necessary　for　the　progress　of　commerce　and　industry。〃

As　he　surveyed　Gigantopolis；　he　was　confirmed　in　this　opinion。　People　went　through　the　streets　so　swiftly　propelled　by　hurry　that　they　knocked　down　all　who　were　in　their　way。　Obnubile　was　thrown　down　several　times；　but　soon　succeeded　in　learning　how　to　demean　himself　better；　after　an　hour's　walking　he　himself　knocked　down　an　Atlantan。

Having　reached　a　great　square　he　saw　the　portico　of　a　palace　in　the　Classic　style；　whose　Corinthian　columns　reared　their　capitals　of　arborescent　acanthus　seventy　metres　above　the　stylobate。

As　he　stood　with　his　head　thrown　back　admiring　the　building；　a　man　of　modest　appearance　approached　hi