the works of edgar allan poe-2-第3部分

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player　holds　in　his　hand　a　number　of　these　toys；　and　demands　of
another　whether　that　number　is　even　or　odd。　If　the　guess　is　right；
the　guesser　wins　one；　if　wrong；　he　loses　one。　The　boy　to　whom　I
allude　won　all　the　marbles　of　the　school。　Of　course　he　had　some
principle　of　guessing；　and　this　lay　in　mere　observation　and
admeasurement　of　the　astuteness　of　his　opponents。　For　example；　an
arrant　simpleton　is　his　opponent；　and；　holding　up　his　closed　hand；
asks；　'are　they　even　or　odd？'　Our　schoolboy　replies；　'odd；'　and
loses；　but　upon　the　second　trial　he　wins；　for　he　then　says　to
himself；　'the　simpleton　had　them　even　upon　the　first　trial；　and　his
amount　of　cunning　is　just　sufficient　to　make　him　have　them　odd　upon
the　second；　I　will　therefore　guess　odd；'　…　he　guesses　odd；　and　wins。
Now；　with　a　simpleton　a　degree　above　the　first；　he　would　have
reasoned　thus：　'This　fellow　finds　that　in　the　first　instance　I
guessed　odd；　and；　in　the　second；　he　will　propose　to　himself；　upon　the
first　impulse；　a　simple　variation　from　even　to　odd；　as　did　the　first
simpleton；　but　then　a　second　thought　will　suggest　that　this　is　too
simple　a　variation；　and　finally　he　will　decide　upon　putting　it　even
as　before。　I　will　therefore　guess　even；'　…　he　guesses　even；　and　wins。
Now　this　mode　of　reasoning　in　the　schoolboy；　whom　his　fellows　termed
'lucky；'　…　what；　in　its　last　analysis；　is　it？〃

〃It　is　merely；〃　I　said；　〃an　identification　of　the　reasoner's
intellect　with　that　of　his　opponent。〃

〃It　is；〃　said　Dupin；　〃and；　upon　inquiring；　of　the　boy　by　what　means
he　effected　the　thoroughidentification　in　which　his　success
consisted；　I　received　answer　as　follows：　'When　I　wish　to　find　out　how
wise；　or　how　stupid；　or　how　good；　or　how　wicked　is　any　one；　or　what
are　his　thoughts　at　the　moment；　I　fashion　the　expression　of　my　face；
as　accurately　as　possible；　in　accordance　with　the　expression　of　his；
and　then　wait　to　see　what　thoughts　or　sentiments　arise　in　my　mind　or
heart；　as　if　to　match　or　correspond　with　the　expression。'　This
response　of　the　schoolboy　lies　at　the　bottom　of　all　the　spurious
profundity　which　has　been　attributed　to　Rochefoucault；　to　La　Bougive；
to　Machiavelli；　and　to　Campanella。〃

〃And　the　identification；〃　I　said；　〃of　the　reasoner's　intellect　with
that　of　his　opponent；　depends；　if　I　understand　you　aright；　upon　the
accuracy　with　which　the　opponent's　intellect　is　admeasured。〃

〃For　its　practical　value　it　depends　upon　this；〃　replied　Dupin；　〃and
the　Prefect　and　his　cohort　fail　so　frequently；　first；　by　default　of
this　identification；　and；　secondly；　by　ill…admeasurement；　or　rather
through　non…admeasurement；　of　the　intellect　with　which　they　are
engaged。　They　consider　only　their　own　ideas　of　ingenuity；　and；　in
searching　for　anything　hidden；　advert　only　to　the　modes　in　which　they
would　have　hidden　it。　They　are　right　in　this　much　…　that　their　own
ingenuity　is　a　faithful　representative　of　that　of　the　mass；　but　when
the　cunning　of　the　individual　felon　is　diverse　in　character　from
their　own；　the　felon　foils　them；　of　course。　This　always　happens　when
it　is　above　their　own；　and　very　usually　when　it　is　below。　They　have
no　variation　of　principle　in　their　investigations；　at　best；　when
urged　by　some　unusual　emergency　…　by　some　extraordinary　reward　…　they
extend　or　exaggerate　their　old　modes　of　practice；　without　touching
their　principles。　What；　for　example；　in　this　case　of　D；　has　been
done　to　vary　the　principle　of　action？　What　is　all　this　boring；　and
probing；　and　sounding；　and　scrutinizing　with　the　microscope　and
dividing　the　surface　of　the　building　into　registered　square　inches　…
what　is　it　all　but　an　exaggeration　of　the　application　of　the　one
principle　or　set　of　principles　of　search；　which　are　based　upon　the
one　set　of　notions　regarding　human　ingenuity；　to　which　the　Prefect；
in　the　long　routine　of　his　duty；　has　been　accustomed？　Do　you　not　see
he　has　taken　it　for　granted　that　all　men　proceed　to　conceal　a　letter；
…　not　exactly　in　a　gimlet　hole　bored　in　a　chair…leg　…　but；　at　least；
in　someout…of…the…way　hole　or　corner　suggested　by　the　same　tenor　of
thought　which　would　urge　a　man　to　secrete　a　letter　in　a　gimlet…hole
bored　in　a　chair…leg？　And　do　you　not　see　also；　that　such　recherch閟
nooks　for　concealment　are　adapted　only　for　ordinary　occasions；　and
would　be　adopted　only　by　ordinary　intellects；　for；　in　all　cases　of
concealment；　a　disposal　of　the　article　concealed　…　a　disposal　of　it
in　this　recherch？manner；　…　is；　in　the　very　first　instance；
presumable　and　presumed；　and　thus　its　discovery　depends；　not　at　all
upon　the　acumen；　but　altogether　upon　the　mere　care；　patience；　and
determination　of　the　seekers；　and　where　the　case　is　of　importance　…
or；　what　amounts　to　the　same　thing　in　the　policial　eyes；　when　the
reward　is　of　magnitude；　…　the　qualities　in　question　have　never　been
known　to　fail。　You　will　now　understand　what　I　meant　in　suggesting
that；　had　the　purloined　letter　been　hidden　any　where　within　the
limits　of　the　Prefect's　examination　…　in　other　words；　had　the
principle　of　its　concealment　been　comprehended　within　the　principles
of　the　Prefect　…　its　discovery　would　have　been　a　matter　altogether
beyond　question。　This　functionary；　however；　has　been　thoroughly
mystified；　and　the　remote　source　of　his　defeat　lies　in　the
supposition　that　the　Minister　is　a　fool；　because　he　has　acquired
renown　as　a　poet。　All　fools　are　poets；　this　the　Prefect　feels；　and　he
is　merely　guilty　of　a　non　distributio　medii　in　thence　inferring　that
all　poets　are　fools。〃

〃But　is　this　really　the　poet？〃　I　asked。　〃There　are　two　brothers；　I
know；　and　both　have　attained　reputation　in　letters。　The　Minister　I
believe　has　written　learnedly　on　the　Differential　Calculus。　He　is　a
mathematician；　and　no　poet。〃

〃You　are　mistaken；　I　know　him　well；　he　is　both。　As　poet　and
mathematician；　he　would　reason　well；　as　mere　mathematician；　he　could
not　have　reasoned　at　all；　and　thus　would　have　been　at　the　mercy　of
the　Prefect。〃

〃You　surprise　me；〃　I　said；　〃by　these　opinions；　which　have　been
contradicted　by　the　voice　of　the　world。　You　do　not　mean　to　set　at
naught　the　well…digested　idea　of　centuries。　The　mathematical　reason
has　long　been　regarded　as　the　reason　par　excellence。〃

〃　'Il　y　a　？pari鑢；'　〃　replied　Dupin；　quoting　from　Chamfort；　〃　'que
toute　id閑　publique；　toute　convention　re鐄e　est　une　sottise；　car　elle
a　convenue　au　plus　grand　nombre。'　The　mathematicians；　I　grant　you；
have　done　their　best　to　promulgate　the　popular　error　to　which　you
allude；　and　which　is　none　the　less　an　error　for　its　promulgation　as
truth。　With　an　art　worthy　a　better　cause；　for　example；　they　have
insinuated　the　term　'analysis'　into　application　to　algebra。　The
French　are　the　originators　of　this　particular　deception；　but　if　a
term　is　of　any　importance　…　if　words　derive　any　value　from
applicability　…　then　'analysis'　conveys　'algebra'　about　as　much　as；
in　Latin；　'ambitus'　implies　'ambition；'　'religio'　'religion；'　or
'homines　honesti；'　a　set　of　honorablemen。〃

〃You　have　a　quarrel　on　hand；　I　see；〃　said　I；　〃with　some　of　the
algebraists　of　Paris；　but　proceed。〃

〃I　dispute　the　availability；　and　thus　the　value；　of　that　reason　which
is　cultivated　in　any　especial　form　other　than　the　abstractly　logical。
I　dispute；　in　particular；　the　reason　educed　by　mathematical　study。
The　mathematics　are　the　science　of　form　and　quantity；　mathematical
reasoning　is　merely　logic　applied　to　observation　upon　form　and
quantity。　The　great　error　lies　in　supposing　that　even　the　truths　of
what　is　called　pure　algebra；　are　abstract　or　general　truths。　And　this
error　is　so　egregious　that　I　am　confounded　at　the　universality　with
which　it　has　been　received。　Mathematical　axioms　are　notaxioms　of
general　truth。　What　is　true　of　relation　…　of　form　and　quantity　…　is
often　grossly　false　in　regard　to　morals；　for　example。　In　this　latter
science　it　is　very　usually　untrue　that　the　aggregated　parts　are　equal
to　the　whole。　In　chemistry　also　the　axiom　fails。　In　the　consideration
of　motive　it　fails；　for　two　motives；　each　of　a　given　value；　have　not；
necessarily；　a　value　when　united；　equal　to　the　sum　of　their　values
apart。　There　are　numerous　other　mathematical　truths　which　are　only
truths　within　the　limits　of　relation。　But　the　mathematician　argues；
from　his　finite　truths；　through　habit；　as　if　they　were　of　an
absolutely　general　applicability　…　as　the　world　indeed　imagines　them
to　be。　Bryant；　in　his　very　learned　'Mythology；'　mentions　an　analogous
source　of　error；　when　he　says　that　'although　the　Pagan　fables　are　not
believed；　yet　we　forget　ourselves　continually；　and　make　inferences
from　them　as　existing　realities。'　With　the　algebraists；　however；　who
are　Pagans　themselves；　the　'Pagan　fables'　are　believed；　and　the
inferences　are　made；　not　so　much　through　lapse　of　memory；　as　through
an　unaccountable　addling　of　the　brains。　In　short；　I　never　yet
encountered　the　mere　mathematician　who　could　be　trusted　out　of　equal
roots；　or　one　who　did　not　clandestinely　hold　it　as　a　point　of　his
faith　that　x2＋px　was　absolutely　and　unconditionally　equal　to　q。　Say
to　one　of　these　gentlemen；　by　way　of　experiment；　if　you　please；　that
you　believe　occasions　may　occur　where　x2＋px　is　not　altogether　equal
to　q；　and；　having　made　him　understand　what　you　mean；　get　out　of　his
reach　as　speedily　as　convenient；　for；　beyond　doubt；　he　will　endeavor
to　knock　you　down。

〃I　mean　to　say；〃　continued　Dupin；　while　I　merely　laughed　at　his　last
observations；　〃that　if　the　Minister　had　been　no　more　than　a
mathematician；　the　Prefect　would　have　been　under　no　necessity　of
giving　me　this　check。　I　know　him；　however；　as　both　mathematician　and
poet；　and　my　measures　were　adapted　to　his　capacity；　with　reference　to
the　circumstances　by　which　he　was　surrounded。　I　knew　him　as　a
courtier；　too；　and　as　a　bold　intriguant。　Such　a　man；　I　considered；
could　not　fail　to　be　aware　of　the　ordinary　policial　modes　of　action。
He　could　not　have　failed　to　anticipate　…　and　events　have　proved　that
he　did　not　fail　to　anticipate　…　the　waylayings　to　which　he　was
subjected。　He　must　have　foreseen；　I　reflected；　the　secret
investigations　of　his　premises。　His　frequent　absences　from　home　at
night；　which　were　hailed　by　the　Prefect　as　certain　aids　to　his
success；　I　regarded　only　as　rus