the works of edgar allan poe-2-第14部分

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


vague　half…sentiment　of　its　own　existence。　　But　this　half…sentiment
at　no　time　amounted　to　conviction。　With　it　my　reason　had　nothing　to
do。　　All　attempts　at　logical　inquiry　resulted；　indeed；　in　leaving　me
more　sceptical　than　before。　　I　had　been　advised　to　study　Cousin。　　I
studied　him　in　his　own　works　as　well　as　in　those　of　his　European　and
American　echoes。　　The　'Charles　Elwood'　of　Mr。　Brownson；　for　example；
was　placed　in　my　hands。　　I　read　it　with　profound　attention。
Throughout　I　found　it　logical；　but　the　portions　which　were　not
_merely_　logical　were　unhappily　the　initial　arguments　of　the
disbelieving　hero　of　the　book。　　In　his　summing　up　it　seemed　evident
to　me　that　the　reasoner　had　not　even　succeeded　in　convincing　himself。
　His　end　had　plainly　forgotten　his　beginning；　like　the　government　of
Trinculo。　　In　short；　I　was　not　long　in　perceiving　that　if　man　is　to
be　intellectually　convinced　of　his　own　immortality；　he　will　never　be
so　convinced　by　the　mere　abstractions　which　have　been　so　long　the
fashion　of　the　moralists　of　England；　of　France；　and　of　Germany。
Abstractions　may　amuse　and　exercise；　but　take　no　hold　on　the　mind。
Here　upon　earth；　at　least；　philosophy；　I　am　persuaded；　will　always　in
vain　call　upon　us　to　look　upon　qualities　as　things。　　The　will　may
assent　…　the　soul　…　the　intellect；　never。

　　　　　〃I　repeat；　then；　that　I　only　half　felt；　and　never　intellectually
believed。　　But　latterly　there　has　been　a　certain　deepening　of　the
feeling；　until　it　has　come　so　nearly　to　resemble　the　acquiescence　of
reason；　that　I　find　it　difficult　to　distinguish　between　the　two。　　I
am　enabled；　too；　plainly　to　trace　this　effect　to　the　mesmeric
influence。　　I　cannot　better　explain　my　meaning　than　by　the　hypothesis
that　the　mesmeric　exaltation　enables　me　to　perceive　a　train　of
ratiocination　which；　in　my　abnormal　existence；　convinces；　but　which；
in　full　accordance　with　the　mesmeric　phenomena；　does　not　extend；
except　through　its　_effect_；　into　my　normal　condition。　In
sleep…waking；　the　reasoning　and　its　conclusion　…　the　cause　and　its
effect　…　are　present　together。　　In　my　natural　state；　the　cause
vanishing；　the　effect　only；　and　perhaps　only　partially；　remains。

　　　　　〃These　considerations　have　led　me　to　think　that　some　good
results　might　ensue　from　a　series　of　well…directed　questions
propounded　to　me　while　mesmerized。　　You　have　often　observed　the
profound　self…cognizance　evinced　by　the　sleep…waker　…　the　extensive
knowledge　he　displays　upon　all　points　relating　to　the　mesmeric
condition　itself　；　　and　from　this　self…cognizance　may　be　deduced
hints　for　the　proper　conduct　of　a　catechism。〃

　　　　　I　consented　of　course　to　make　this　experiment。　　A　few　passes
threw　Mr。　Vankirk　into　the　mesmeric　sleep。　　His　breathing　became
immediately　more　easy；　and　he　seemed　to　suffer　no　physical
uneasiness。　The　following　conversation　then　ensued：　…　V。　in　the
dialogue　representing　the　patient；　and　P。　myself。

　　　_　　P。_　Are　you　asleep　？

　　　　_　V。_　Yes　…　no　　　I　would　rather　sleep　more　soundly。

　　　　_P。_　　＇_After　a　few　more　passes。_＇　Do　you　sleep　now　？

　　　　_V。_　　Yes。

　　　　_P。_　　How　do　you　think　your　present　illness　will　result　？

　　　　_V。_　　＇_After　a　long　hesitation　and　speaking　as　if　with　effort_。＇
I　must　die。

　　　　_P。_　　Does　the　idea　of　death　afflict　you　？

　　　　_V。_　　＇_Very　quickly_。＇　No　…　no　！

　　　　_P。_　　Are　you　pleased　with　the　prospect　？

　　　　_V。_　　If　I　were　awake　I　should　like　to　die；　but　now　it　is　no
matter。　　The　mesmeric　condition　is　so　near　death　as　to　content　me。

　　　　_P。_　　I　wish　you　would　explain　yourself；　Mr。　Vankirk。

　　　　_V。_　　I　am　willing　to　do　so；　but　it　requires　more　effort　than　I
feel　able　to　make。　　You　do　not　question　me　properly。

　　　　_P。_　　What　then　shall　I　ask　？

　　　　_V。_　　You　must　begin　at　the　beginning。

　　　　_P。_　　The　beginning　！　　but　where　is　the　beginning　？

　　　　_V。_　　You　know　that　the　beginning　is　GOD。　　＇_This　was　said　in　a
low；　fluctuating　tone；　and　with　every　sign　of　the　most　profound
veneration_。＇

　　　　_P。_　　What　then　is　God　？

　　　　_V。_　　＇_Hesitating　for　many　minutes。_＇　I　cannot　tell。

　　　　_P。_　　Is　not　God　spirit　？

　　　　_V。_　　While　I　was　awake　I　knew　what　you　meant　by　〃spirit；〃　but
now　it　seems　only　a　word　…　such　for　instance　as　truth；　beauty　…　a
quality；　I　mean。

　　　　_P。_　　Is　not　God　immaterial　？

　　　　_V。_　　There　is　no　immateriality　…　it　is　a　mere　word。　　That　which
is　not　matter；　is　not　at　all　…　unless　qualities　are　things。

　　　　_P。_　　Is　God；　then；　material　？

　　　　_V。_　　No。　　＇_This　reply　startled　me　very　much。_＇

　　　　_P。_　　What　then　is　he　？

　　　　_V。_　　＇_After　a　long　pause；　and　mutteringly。_＇　I　see　…　but　it　is
a　thing　difficult　to　tell。　　＇_Another　long　pause。_＇　He　is　not　spirit；
for　he　exists。　Nor　is　he　matter；　as　_you　understand　it_。　　But　there
are　_gradations_　of　matter　of　which　man　knows　nothing　；　　the　grosser
impelling　the　finer；　the　finer　pervading　the　grosser。　　The
atmosphere；　for　example；　impels　the　electric　principle；　while　the
electric　principle　permeates　the　atmosphere。　　These　gradations　of
matter　increase　in　rarity　or　fineness；　until　we　arrive　at　a　matter
_unparticled_　…　without　particles　…　indivisible　…　_one_　and　here　the
law　of　impulsion　and　permeation　is　modified。　　The　ultimate；　or
unparticled　matter；　not　only　permeates　all　things　but　impels　all
things　…　and　thus　_is_　all　things　within　itself。　　This　matter　is　God。
　What　men　attempt　to　embody　in　the　word　〃thought；〃　is　this　matter　in
motion。

　　　　_P。_　　The　metaphysicians　maintain　that　all　action　is　reducible　to
motion　and　thinking；　and　that　the　latter　is　the　origin　of　the　former。

　　　　_V。_　　Yes　；　　and　I　now　see　the　confusion　of　idea。　　Motion　is　the
action　of　_mind_　…　not　of　_thinking_。　　The　unparticled　matter；　or
God；　in　quiescence；　is　（as　nearly　as　we　can　conceive　it）　what　men
call　mind。　　And　the　power　of　self…movement　（equivalent　in　effect　to
human　volition）　is；　in　the　unparticled　matter；　the　result　of　its
unity　and　omniprevalence　；　　_how_　I　know　not；　and　now　clearly　see
that　I　shall　never　know。　　But　the　unparticled　matter；　set　in　motion
by　a　law；　or　quality；　existing　within　itself；　is　thinking。

　　　　_P。_　　Can　you　give　me　no　more　precise　idea　of　what　you　term　the
unparticled　matter　？

　　　　_V。_　　The　matters　of　which　man　is　cognizant；　escape　the　senses　in
gradation。　We　have；　for　example；　a　metal；　a　piece　of　wood；　a　drop　of
water；　the　atmosphere；　a　gas；　caloric；　electricity；　the　luminiferous
ether。　　Now　we　call　all　these　things　matter；　and　embrace　all　matter
in　one　general　definition　；　　　but　in　spite　of　this；　there　can　be　no
two　ideas　more　essentially　distinct　than　that　which　we　attach　to　a
metal；　and　that　which　we　attach　to　the　luminiferous　ether。　　When　we
reach　the　latter；　we　feel　an　almost　irresistible　inclination　to　class
it　with　spirit；　or　with　nihility。　　The　only　consideration　which
restrains　us　is　our　conception　of　its　atomic　constitution　；　　and
here；　even；　we　have　to　seek　aid　from　our　notion　of　an　atom；　as
something　possessing　in　infinite　minuteness；　solidity；　palpability；
weight。　　Destroy　the　idea　of　the　atomic　constitution　and　we　should　no
longer　be　able　to　regard　the　ether　as　an　entity；　or　at　least　as
matter。　　For　want　of　a　better　word　we　might　term　it　spirit。　　Take；
now；　a　step　beyond　the　luminiferous　ether　…　conceive　a　matter　as　much
more　rare　than　the　ether；　as　this　ether　is　more　rare　than　the　metal；
and　we　arrive　at　once　（in　spite　of　all　the　school　dogmas）　at　a　unique
mass　…　an　unparticled　matter。　　For　although　we　may　admit　infinite
littleness　in　the　atoms　themselves；　the　infinitude　of　littleness　in
the　spaces　between　them　is　an　absurdity。　　There　will　be　a　point　…
there　will　be　a　degree　of　rarity；　at　which；　if　the　atoms　are
sufficiently　numerous；　the　interspaces　must　vanish；　and　the　mass
absolutely　coalesce。　　But　the　consideration　of　the　atomic
constitution　being　now　taken　away；　the　nature　of　the　mass　inevitably
glides　into　what　we　conceive　of　spirit。　It　is　clear；　however；　that　it
is　as　fully　matter　as　before。　　The　truth　is；　it　is　impossible　to
conceive　spirit；　since　it　is　impossible　to　imagine　what　is　not。　　When
we　flatter　ourselves　that　we　have　formed　its　conception；　we　have
merely　deceived　our　understanding　by　the　consideration　of　infinitely
rarified　matter。

　　　　_P。_　　There　seems　to　me　an　insurmountable　objection　to　the　idea
of　absolute　coalescence　；　　…　and　that　is　the　very　slight　resistance
experienced　by　the　heavenly　bodies　in　their　revolutions　through　space
…　a　resistance　now　ascertained；　it　is　true；　to　exist　in　_some_
degree；　but　which　is；　nevertheless；　so　slight　as　to　have　been　quite
overlooked　by　the　sagacity　even　of　Newton。　　We　know　that　the
resistance　of　bodies　is；　chiefly；　in　proportion　to　their　density。
Absolute　coalescence　is　absolute　density。　　Where　there　are　no
interspaces；　there　can　be　no　yielding。　　An　ether；　absolutely　dense；
would　put　an　infinitely　more　effectual　stop　to　the　progress　of　a　star
than　would　an　ether　of　adamant　or　of　iron。

　　　　_V。_　　Your　objection　is　answered　with　an　ease　which　is　nearly　in
the　ratio　of　its　apparent　unanswerability。　　…　As　regards　the　progress
of　the　star；　it　can　make　no　difference　whether　the　star　passes
through　the　ether　_or　the　ether　through　it_。　　There　is　no
astronomical　error　more　unaccountable　than　that　which　reconciles　the
known　retardation　of　the　comets　with　the　idea　of　their　passage
through　an　ether：　for；　however　rare　this　ether　be　supposed；　it　would
put　a　stop　to　all　sidereal　revolution　in　a　very　far　briefer　period
than　has　been　admitted　by　those　astronomers　who　have　endeavored　to
slur　over　a　point　which　they　found　it　impossible　to　comprehend。　　The
retardation　actually　experienced　is；　on　the　other　hand；　about　that
which　might　be　expected　from　the　_friction_　of　the　ether　in　the
instantaneous　passage　through　the　orb。　　In　the　one　case；　the
retarding　force　is　momentary　and　complete　within　itself　…　in　the
other　it　is　endlessly　accumulative。

　　　　_P。_　　But　in　all　this　…　in　this　identification　of　mere　matter
with　God　…　is　there　nothing　of　irreverence　？　　＇_I　was　forced　to
repeat　this　question　before　the　sleep…waker　fully　comprehended　my
meaning_。＇

　　　　_V。_　　Can　you　say　_why_　matter　should　be　less　reverenced　than
mind　？　　But　you　forget　that　the