memoirs of carwin the biloquist-第7部分

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devout　friar　expatiated　on　the　miraculous　evidences　of　his　religion；　and；　in　a　moment　of　enthusiasm；　appealed　to　San　Lorenzo；　whose　martyrdom　was　displayed　before　us。　　No　sooner　was　the　appeal　made　than　the　saint；　obsequious　to　the　summons；　whispered　his　responses　from　the　shrine；　and　commanded　the　heretic　to　tremble　and　believe。　　This　event　was　reported　to　the　convent。　　With　whatever　reluctance；　I　could　not　refuse　my　testimony　to　its　truth；　and　its　influence　on　my　faith　was　clearly　shewn　in　my　subsequent　conduct。

A　lady　of　rank；　in　Seville；　who　had　been　guilty　of　many　unauthorized　indulgences；　was；　at　last；　awakened　to　remorse；　by　a　voice　from　Heaven；　which　she　imagined　had　commanded　her　to　expiate　her　sins　by　an　abstinence　from　all　food　for　thirty　days。　　Her　friends　found　it　impossible　to　outroot　this　persuasion；　or　to　overcome　her　resolution　even　by　force。　　I　chanced　to　be　one　in　a　numerous　company　where　she　was　present。　　This　fatal　illusion　was　mentioned；　and　an　opportunity　afforded　to　the　lady　of　defending　her　scheme。　　At　a　pause　in　the　discourse；　a　voice　was　heard　from　the　ceiling；　which　confirmed　the　truth　of　her　tale；　but；　at　the　same　time　revoked　the　command；　and；　in　consideration　of　her　faith；　pronounced　her　absolution。　　Satisfied　with　this　proof；　the　auditors　dismissed　their　unbelief；　and　the　lady　consented　to　eat。

In　the　course　of　a　copious　correspondence　with　Ludlow；　the　observations　I　had　collected　were　given。　　A　sentiment；　which　I　can　hardly　describe；　induced　me　to　be　silent　on　all　adventures　connected　with　my　bivocal　projects。　　On　other　topics；　I　wrote　fully；　and　without　restraint。　　I　painted；　in　vivid　hues；　the　scenes　with　which　I　was　daily　conversant；　and　pursued；　fearlessly；　every　speculation　on　religion　and　government　that　occurred。　　This　spirit　was　encouraged　by　Ludloe；　who　failed　not　to　comment　on　my　narrative；　and　multiply　deductions　from　my　principles。

He　taught　me　to　ascribe　the　evils　that　infest　society　to　the　errors　of　opinion。　　The　absurd　and　unequal　distribution　of　power　and　property　gave　birth　to　poverty　and　riches；　and　these　were　the　sources　of　luxury　and　crimes。　　These　positions　were　readily　admitted；　but　the　remedy　for　these　ills；　the　means　of　rectifying　these　errors　were　not　easily　discovered。　　We　have　been　inclined　to　impute　them　to　inherent　defects　in　the　moral　constitution　of　men：　that　oppression　and　tyranny　grow　up　by　a　sort　of　natural　necessity；　and　that　they　will　perish　only　when　the　human　species　is　extinct。　Ludloe　laboured　to　prove　that　this　was；　by　no　means；　the　case：　that　man　is　the　creature　of　circumstances：　　that　he　is　capable　of　endless　improvement：　　that　his　progress　has　been　stopped　by　the　artificial　impediment　of　government：　　that　by　the　removal　of　this；　the　fondest　dreams　of　imagination　will　be　realized。

From　detailing　and　accounting　for　the　evils　which　exist　under　our　present　institutions；　he　usually　proceeded　to　delineate　some　scheme　of　Utopian　felicity；　where　the　empire　of　reason　should　supplant　that　of　force：　　where　justice　should　be　universally　understood　and　practised；　where　the　interest　of　the　whole　and　of　the　individual　should　be　seen　by　all　to　be　the　same；　where　the　public　good　should　be　the　scope　of　all　activity；　where　the　tasks　of　all　should　be　the　same；　and　the　means　of　subsistence　equally　distributed。

No　one　could　contemplate　his　pictures　without　rapture。　　By　their　comprehensiveness　and　amplitude　they　filled　the　imagination。　I　was　unwilling　to　believe　that　in　no　region　of　the　world；　or　at　no　period　could　these　ideas　be　realized。　　It　was　plain　that　the　nations　of　Europe　were　tending　to　greater　depravity；　and　would　be　the　prey　of　perpetual　vicissitude。　　All　individual　attempts　at　their　reformation　would　be　fruitless。　　He　therefore　who　desired　the　diffusion　of　right　principles；　to　make　a　just　system　be　adopted　by　a　whole　community；　must　pursue　some　extraordinary　method。

In　this　state　of　mind　I　recollected　my　native　country；　where　a　few　colonists　from　Britain　had　sown　the　germe　of　populous　and　mighty　empires。　　Attended；　as　they　were；　into　their　new　abode；　by　all　their　prejudices；　yet　such　had　been　the　influence　of　new　circumstances；　of　consulting　for　their　own　happiness；　of　adopting　simple　forms　of　government；　and　excluding　nobles　and　kings　from　their　system；　that　they　enjoyed　a　degree　of　happiness　far　superior　to　their　parent　state。

To　conquer　the　prejudices　and　change　the　habits　of　millions；　are　impossible。　　The　human　mind；　exposed　to　social　influences；　inflexibly　adheres　to　the　direction　that　is　given　to　it；　but　for　the　same　reason　why　men；　who　begin　in　error　will　continue；　those　who　commence　in　truth；　may　be　expected　to　persist。　　Habit　and　example　will　operate　with　equal　force　in　both　instances。

Let　a　few；　sufficiently　enlightened　and　disinterested；　take　up　their　abode　in　some　unvisited　region。　　Let　their　social　scheme　be　founded　in　equity；　and　how　small　soever　their　original　number　may　be；　their　growth　into　a　nation　is　inevitable。　　Among　other　effects　of　national　justice；　was　to　be　ranked　the　swift　increase　of　numbers。　　Exempt　from　servile　obligations　and　perverse　habits；　endowed　with　property；　wisdom；　and　health。　　Hundreds　will　expand；　with　inconceivable　rapidity　into　thousands　and　thousands；　into　millions；　and　a　new　race；　tutored　in　truth；　may；　in　a　few　centuries；　overflow　the　habitable　world。

Such　were　the　visions　of　youth！　　I　could　not　banish　them　from　my　mind。　　I　knew　them　to　be　crude；　but　believed　that　deliberation　would　bestow　upon　them　solidity　and　shape。　　Meanwhile　I　imparted　them　to　Ludloe。



Chapter　VI。


In　answer　to　the　reveries　and　speculations　which　I　sent　to　him　respecting　this　subject；　Ludloe　informed　me；　that　they　had　led　his　mind　into　a　new　sphere　of　meditation。　　He　had　long　and　deeply　considered　in　what　way　he　might　essentially　promote　my　happiness。　He　had　entertained　a　faint　hope　that　I　would　one　day　be　qualified　for　a　station　like　that　to　which　he　himself　had　been　advanced。　This　post　required　an　elevation　and　stability　of　views　which　human　beings　seldom　reach；　and　which　could　be　attained　by　me　only　by　a　long　series　of　heroic　labours。　　Hitherto　every　new　stage　in　my　intellectual　progress　had　added　vigour　to　his　hopes；　and　he　cherished　a　stronger　belief　than　formerly　that　my　career　would　terminate　auspiciously。　　This；　however；　was　necessarily　distant。　Many　preliminaries　must　first　be　settled；　many　arduous　accomplishments　be　first　obtained；　and　my　virtue　be　subjected　to　severe　trials。　　At　present　it　was　not　in　his　power　to　be　more　explicit；　but　if　my　reflections　suggested　no　better　plan；　he　advised　me　to　settle　my　affairs　in　Spain；　and　return　to　him　immediately。　　My　knowledge　of　this　country　would　be　of　the　highest　use；　on　the　supposition　of　my　ultimately　arriving　at　the　honours　to　which　he　had　alluded；　and　some　of　these　preparatory　measures　could　be　taken　only　with　his　assistance；　and　in　his　company。

This　intimation　was　eagerly　obeyed；　and；　in　a　short　time；　I　arrived　at　Dublin。　　Meanwhile　my　mind　had　copious　occupation　in　commenting　on　my　friend's　letter。　　This　scheme；　whatever　it　was；　seemed　to　be　suggested　by　my　mention　of　a　plan　of　colonization；　and　my　preference　of　that　mode　of　producing　extensive　and　permanent　effects　on　the　condition　of　mankind。　　It　was　easy　therefore　to　conjecture　that　this　mode　had　been　pursued　under　some　mysterious　modifications　and　conditions。

It　had　always　excited　my　wonder　that　so　obvious　an　expedient　had　been　overlooked。　　The　globe　which　we　inhabit　was　very　imperfectly　known。　　The　regions　and　nations　unexplored；　it　was　reasonable　to　believe；　surpassed　in　extent；　and　perhaps　in　populousness；　those　with　which　we　were　familiar。　　The　order　of　Jesuits　had　furnished　an　example　of　all　the　errors　and　excellencies　of　such　a　scheme。　　Their　plan　was　founded　on　erroneous　notions　of　religion　and　policy；　and　they　had　absurdly　chosen　a　scene*　within　reach　of　the　injustice　and　ambition　of　an　European　tyrant。

It　was　wise　and　easy　to　profit　by　their　example。　　Resting　on　the　two　props　of　fidelity　and　zeal；　an　association　might　exist　for　ages　in　the　heart　of　Europe；　whose　influence　might　be　felt；　and　might　be　boundless；　in　some　region　of　the　southern　hemisphere；　and　by　whom　a　moral　and　political　structure　might　be　raised；　the　growth　of　pure　wisdom；　and　totally　unlike　those　fragments　of　Roman　and　Gothic　barbarism；　which　cover　the　face　of　what　are　called　the　civilized　nations。　　The　belief　now　rose　in　my　mind　that　some　such　scheme　had　actually　been　prosecuted；　and　that　Ludloe　was　a　coadjutor。　　On　this　supposition；　the　caution　with　which　he　approached　to　his　point；　the　arduous　probation　which　a　candidate　for　a　part　on　this　stage　must　undergo；　and　the　rigours　of　that　test　by　which　his　fortitude　and　virtue　must　be　tried；　were　easily　explained。　　I　was　too　deeply　imbued　with　veneration　for　the　effects　of　such　schemes；　and　too　sanguine　in　my　confidence　in　the　rectitude　of　Ludloe；　to　refuse　my　concurrence　in　any　scheme　by　which　my　qualifications　might　at　length　be　raised　to　a　due　point。

Our　interview　was　frank　and　affectionate。　　I　found　him　situated　just　as　formerly。　　His　aspect；　manners；　and　deportment　were　the　same。　　I　entered　once　more　on　my　former　mode　of　life；　but　our　intercourse　became　more　frequent。　　We　constantly　breakfasted　together；　and　our　conversation　was　usually　prolonged　through　half　the　morning。

For　a　time　our　topics　were　general。　　I　thought　proper　to　leave　to　him　the　introduction　of　more　interesting　themes：　　this；　however；　he　betrayed　no　inclination　to　do。　　His　reserve　excited　some　surprise；　and　I　began　to　suspect　that　whatever　design　he　had　formed　with　regard　to　me；　had　been　laid　aside。　　To　ascertain　this　question；　I　ventured；　at　length；　to　recall　his　attention　to　the　subject　of　his　last　letter；　and　to　enquire　whether　subsequent　reflection　had　made　any　change　in　his　views。

He　said　that　his　views　were　too　momentous　to　be　hastily　taken　up；　or　hastily　dismissed；　the　station；　my　attainment　of　which　depended　wholly　on　myself；　was　high　above　vulgar　heads；　and　was　to　be　gained　by　years　of　solicitude　and　labour。　　This；　at　least；　was　true　with　regard　to　minds　ordinarily　constituted；　I；　perhaps；　deserved　to　be　regarded　as　an　exception；　and　might　be　able　to　accomplish　in　a　few　months　that　for　which　ot