the works of edgar allan poe-2-第15部分

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meaning_。＇

　　　　_V。_　　Can　you　say　_why_　matter　should　be　less　reverenced　than
mind　？　　But　you　forget　that　the　matter　of　which　I　speak　is；　in　all
respects；　the　very　〃mind〃　or　〃spirit〃　of　the　schools；　so　far　as
regards　its　high　capacities；　and　is；　moreover；　the　〃matter〃　of　these
schools　at　the　same　time。　　God；　with　all　the　powers　attributed　to
spirit；　is　but　the　perfection　of　matter。

　　　　_P。_　　You　assert；　then；　that　the　unparticled　matter；　in　motion；
is　thought　？

　　　　_V。_　　In　general；　this　motion　is　the　universal　thought　of　the
universal　mind。　　This　thought　creates。　　All　created　things　are　but
the　thoughts　of　God。

　　　　_P。_　　You　say；　〃in　general。〃

　　　　_V。_　　Yes。　　The　universal　mind　is　God。　　For　new　individualities；
_matter_　is　necessary。

　　　　_P。_　　But　you　now　speak　of　〃mind〃　and　〃matter〃　as　do　the
metaphysicians。

　　　　_V。_　　Yes　…　to　avoid　confusion。　　When　I　say　〃mind；〃　I　mean　the
unparticled　or　ultimate　matter　；　　by　〃matter；〃　I　intend　all　else。

　　　　_P。_　　You　were　saying　that　〃for　new　individualities　matter　is
necessary。〃

　　　　_V。_　　Yes　；　　for　mind；　existing　unincorporate；　is　merely　God。　　To
create　individual；　thinking　beings；　it　was　necessary　to　incarnate
portions　of　the　divine　mind。　Thus　man　is　individualized。　　Divested　of
corporate　investiture；　he　were　God。　　Now；　the　particular　motion　of
the　incarnated　portions　of　the　unparticled　matter　is　the　thought　of
man　；　　as　the　motion　of　the　whole　is　that　of　God。

　　　　_P。_　　You　say　that　divested　of　the　body　man　will　be　God　？

　　　　_V。_　　＇_After　much　hesitation。_＇　I　could　not　have　said　this　；　　it
is　an　absurdity。

　　　　_P。_　　＇_Referring　to　my　notes。_＇　You　_did_　say　that　〃divested　of
corporate　investiture　man　were　God。〃

　　　　_V。_　　And　this　is　true。　　Man　thus　divested　_would　be_　God　…　would
be　unindividualized。　But　he　can　never　be　thus　divested　…　at　least
never　_will　be_　…　else　we　must　imagine　an　action　of　God　returning
upon　itself　…　a　purposeless　and　futile　action。　　Man　is　a　creature。
Creatures　are　thoughts　of　God。　　It　is　the　nature　of　thought　to　be
irrevocable。

　　　　_P。_　　I　do　not　comprehend。　　You　say　that　man　will　never　put　off
the　body　？

　　　　_V。_　　I　say　that　he　will　never　be　bodiless。

　　　　_P。_　　Explain。

　　　　_V。_　　There　are　two　bodies　…　the　rudimental　and　the　complete　；
corresponding　with　the　two　conditions　of　the　worm　and　the　butterfly。
What　we　call　〃death；〃　is　but　the　painful　metamorphosis。　　Our　present
incarnation　is　progressive；　preparatory；　temporary。　　Our　future　is
perfected；　ultimate；　immortal。　　The　ultimate　life　is　the　full　design。

　　　　_P。_　　But　of　the　worm's　metamorphosis　we　are　palpably　cognizant。

　　　　_V。_　　_We_；　certainly　…　but　not　the　worm。　　The　matter　of　which
our　rudimental　body　is　composed；　is　within　the　ken　of　the　organs　of
that　body　；　　or；　more　distinctly；　our　rudimental　organs　are　adapted
to　the　matter　of　which　is　formed　the　rudimental　body　；　　but　not　to
that　of　which　the　ultimate　is　composed。　The　ultimate　body　thus
escapes　our　rudimental　senses；　and　we　perceive　only　the　shell　which
falls；　in　decaying；　from　the　inner　form　；　　not　that　inner　form　itself
；　　but　this　inner　form；　as　well　as　the　shell；　is　appreciable　by　those
who　have　already　acquired　the　ultimate　life。

　　　　_P。_　　You　have　often　said　that　the　mesmeric　state　very　nearly
resembles　death。　　How　is　this　？

　　　　_V。_　　When　I　say　that　it　resembles　death；　I　mean　that　it
resembles　the　ultimate　life　；　　for　when　I　am　entranced　the　senses　of
my　rudimental　life　are　in　abeyance；　and　I　perceive　external　things
directly；　without　organs；　through　a　medium　which　I　shall　employ　in
the　ultimate；　unorganized　life。

　　　　_P。_　　Unorganized　？

　　　　_V。_　　Yes　；　　　organs　are　contrivances　by　which　the　individual　is
brought　into　sensible　relation　with　particular　classes　and　forms　of
matter；　to　the　exclusion　of　other　classes　and　forms。　　The　organs　of
man　are　adapted　to　his　rudimental　condition；　and　to　that　only　；　　　his
ultimate　condition；　being　unorganized；　is　of　unlimited　comprehension
in　all　points　but　one　…　the　nature　of　the　volition　of　God　…　that　is
to　say；　the　motion　of　the　unparticled　matter。　You　will　have　a
distinct　idea　of　the　ultimate　body　by　conceiving　it　to　be　entire
brain。　　This　it　is　_not_　；　　　but　a　conception　of　this　nature　will
bring　you　near　a　comprehension　of　what　it　_is_。　　A　luminous　body
imparts　vibration　to　the　luminiferous　ether。　　The　vibrations　generate
similar　ones　within　the　retina　；　　these　again　communicate　similar
ones　to　the　optic　nerve。　　The　nerve　conveys　similar　ones　to　the　brain
；　　the　brain；　also；　similar　ones　to　the　unparticled　matter　which
permeates　it。　　The　motion　of　this　latter　is　thought；　of　which
perception　is　the　first　undulation。　　This　is　the　mode　by　which　the
mind　of　the　rudimental　life　communicates　with　the　external　world　；
and　this　external　world　is；　to　the　rudimental　life；　limited；　through
the　idiosyncrasy　of　its　organs。　　But　in　the　ultimate；　unorganized
life；　the　external　world　reaches　the　whole　body；　（which　is　of　a
substance　having　affinity　to　brain；　as　I　have　said；）　with　no　other
intervention　than　that　of　an　infinitely　rarer　ether　than　even　the
luminiferous　；　　and　to　this　ether　…　in　unison　with　it　…　the　whole
body　vibrates；　setting　in　motion　the　unparticled　matter　which
permeates　it。　　It　is　to　the　absence　of　idiosyncratic　organs；
therefore；　that　we　must　attribute　the　nearly　unlimited　perception　of
the　ultimate　life。　　To　rudimental　beings；　organs　are　the　cages
necessary　to　confine　them　until　fledged。

　　　　_P。_　　You　speak　of　rudimental　〃beings。〃　Are　there　other
rudimental　thinking　beings　than　man　？

　　　　_V。_　　The　multitudinous　conglomeration　of　rare　matter　into
nebul？　planets；　suns；　and　other　bodies　which　are　neither　nebul？
suns；　nor　planets；　is　for　the　sole　purpose　of　supplying　_pabulum_　for
the　idiosyncrasy　of　the　organs　of　an　infinity　of　rudimental　beings。
But　for　the　necessity　of　the　rudimental；　prior　to　the　ultimate　life；
there　would　have　been　no　bodies　such　as　these。　Each　of　these　is
tenanted　by　a　distinct　variety　of　organic；　rudimental；　thinking
creatures。　　In　all；　the　organs　vary　with　the　features　of　the　place
tenanted。　　At　death；　or　metamorphosis；　these　creatures；　enjoying　the
ultimate　life　…　immortality　…　and　cognizant　of　all　secrets　but　_the
one_；　act　all　things　and　pass　everywhere　by　mere　volition：　…
indwelling；　not　the　stars；　which　to　us　seem　the　sole　palpabilities；
and　for　the　accommodation　of　which　we　blindly　deem　space　created　…
but　that　SPACE　itself　…　that　infinity　of　which　the　truly　substantive
vastness　swallows　up　the　star…shadows　　blotting　them　out　as
non…entities　from　the　perception　of　the　angels。

　　　　_P。_　　You　say　that　〃but　for　the　_necessity_　of　the　rudimental
life〃　there　would　have　been　no　stars。　　But　why　this　necessity　？

　　　　_V。_　　In　the　inorganic　life；　as　well　as　in　the　inorganic　matter
generally；　there　is　nothing　to　impede　the　action　of　one　simple
_unique_　law　…　the　Divine　Volition。　　With　the　view　of　producing
impediment；　the　organic　life　and　matter；　（complex；　substantial；　and
law…encumbered；）　were　contrived。

　　　　_P。_　　But　again　…　why　need　this　impediment　have　been　produced　？

　　　　_V。_　　The　result　of　law　inviolate　is　perfection　…　right　…
negative　happiness。　The　result　of　law　violate　is　imperfection；　wrong；
positive　pain。　　Through　the　impediments　afforded　by　the　number；
complexity；　and　substantiality　of　the　laws　of　organic　life　and
matter；　the　violation　of　law　is　rendered；　to　a　certain　extent；
practicable。　　Thus　pain；　which　in　the　inorganic　life　is　impossible；
is　possible　in　the　organic。

　　　　_P。_　　But　to　what　good　end　is　pain　thus　rendered　possible　？

　　　　_V。_　　All　things　are　either　good　or　bad　by　comparison。　　A
sufficient　analysis　will　show　that　pleasure；　in　all　cases；　is　but　the
contrast　of　pain。　　_Positive_　pleasure　is　a　mere　idea。　　To　be　happy
at　any　one　point　we　must　have　suffered　at　the　same。　　Never　to　suffer
would　have　been　never　to　have　been　blessed。　But　it　has　been　shown
that；　in　the　inorganic　life；　pain　cannot　be　thus　the　necessity　for
the　organic。　　The　pain　of　the　primitive　life　of　Earth；　is　the　sole
basis　of　the　bliss　of　the　ultimate　life　in　Heaven。

　　　　_P。_　　Still；　there　is　one　of　your　expressions　which　I　find　it
impossible　to　comprehend　…　〃the　truly　_substantive_　vastness　of
infinity。〃

　　　　_V。_　　This；　probably；　is　because　you　have　no　sufficiently　generic
conception　of　the　term　〃_substance_〃　itself。　　We　must　not　regard　it
as　a　quality；　but　as　a　sentiment：　…　it　is　the　perception；　in　thinking
beings；　of　the　adaptation　of　matter　to　their　organization。　　There　are
many　things　on　the　Earth；　which　would　be　nihility　to　the　inhabitants
of　Venus　…　many　things　visible　and　tangible　in　Venus；　which　we　could
not　be　brought　to　appreciate　as　existing　at　all。　　But　to　the
inorganic　beings　…　to　the　angels　…　the　whole　of　the　unparticled
matter　is　substanceethat　is　to　say；　the　whole　of　what　we　term　〃space〃
is　to　them　the　truest　substantiality　；　　…　the　stars；　meantime；
through　what　we　consider　their　materiality；　escaping　the　angelic
sense；　just　in　proportion　as　the　unparticled　matter；　through　what　we
consider　its　immateriality；　eludes　the　organic。

　　As　the　sleep…waker　pronounced　these　latter　words；　in　a　feeble　tone；
I　observed　on　his　countenance　a　singular　expression；　which　somewhat
alarmed　me；　and　induced　me　to　awake　him　at　once。　　No　sooner　had　I
done　this；　than；　with　a　bright　smile　irradiating　all　his　features；　he
fell　back　upon　his　pillow　and　expired。　　I　noticed　that　in　less　than　a
minute　afterward　his　corpse　had　all　the　stern　rigidity　of　stone。　　His
brow　was　of　the　coldness　of　ice。　　Thus；　ordinarily；　should　it　have
appeared；　only　after　long　pressure　from　Azrael's　hand。　　Had　the
sleep…waker；　indeed；　during　the　latter　portion　of　his　discourse；　been
addressing　me　from　out　the　region　of　the　shadows　？



~~~　End　of　Text　~~~



THE　FACTS　IN　THE　CASE　OF　M。　VALDEMAR

OF　course　I　shall　not　pretend　to　consider　it　any　matter　for　wonder；
that　the　extraordinary　case　of　M。　Valdemar　has　excited　discussion。　It
would　have　been　a　miracle　had　it　not…especially　under　the
circumstances。　Through　the　desire　of　all　parties　concerned；　to　keep
the　affair　from　the　public；　at　least　for　the　present；　or