would become dangerously common。 It is essential that by far the
greater part of what is said or done in the world should be so
ephemeral as to take itself away quickly； it should keep good for
twenty…four hours； or even twice as long； but it should not be good
enough a week hence to prevent people from going on to something
else。 No doubt the marvellous development of journalism in
England； as also the fact that our seats of learning aim rather at
fostering mediocrity than anything higher； is due to our
subconscious recognition of the fact that it is even more necessary
to check exuberance of mental development than to encourage it。
There can be no doubt that this is what our academic bodies do； and
they do it the more effectually because they do it only
subconsciously。 They think they are advancing healthy mental
assimilation and digestion； whereas in reality they are little
better than cancer in the stomach。
Let me return； however； to the Erewhonians。 Nothing surprised me
more than to see the occasional flashes of common sense with which
one branch of study or another was lit up； while not a single ray
fell upon so many others。 I was particularly struck with this on
strolling into the Art School of the University。 Here I found that
the course of study was divided into two branchesthe practical
and the commercialno student being permitted to continue his
studies in the actual practice of the art he had taken up； unless
he made equal progress in its commercial history。
Thus those who were studying painting were examined at frequent
intervals in the prices which all the leading pictures of the last
fifty or a hundred years had realised； and in the fluctuations in
their values when （as often happened） they had been sold and resold
three or four times。 The artist； they contend； is a dealer in
pictures； and it is as important for him to learn how to adapt his
wares to the market； and to know approximately what kind of a
picture will fetch how much； as it is for him to be able to paint
the picture。 This； I suppose； is what the French mean by laying so
much stress upon 〃values。〃
As regards the city itself； the more I saw the more enchanted I
became。 I dare not trust myself with any description of the
exquisite beauty of the different colleges； and their walks and
gardens。 Truly in these things alone there must be a hallowing and
refining influence which is in itself half an education； and which
no amount of error can wholly spoil。 I was introduced to many of
the Professors； who showed me every hospitality and kindness；
nevertheless I could hardly avoid a sort of suspicion that some of
those whom I was taken to see had been so long engrossed in their
own study of hypothetics that they had become the exact antitheses
of the Athenians in the days of St。 Paul； for whereas the Athenians
spent their lives in nothing save to see and to hear some new
thing； there were some here who seemed to devote themselves to the
avoidance of every opinion with which they were not perfectly
familiar； and regarded their own brains as a sort of sanctuary； to
which if an opinion had once resorted； none other was to attack it。
I should warn the reader； however； that I was rarely sure what the
men whom I met while staying with Mr。 Thims really meant； for there
was no getting anything out of them if they scented even a
suspicion that they might be what they call 〃giving themselves
away。〃 As there is hardly any subject on which this suspicion
cannot arise； I found it difficult to get definite opinions from
any of them； except on such subjects as the weather； eating and
drinking； holiday excursions； or games of skill。
If they cannot wriggle out of expressing an opinion of some sort；
they will commonly retail those of some one who has already written
upon the subject； and conclude by saying that though they quite
admit that there is an element of truth in what the writer has
said； there are many points on which they are unable to agree with
him。 Which these points were； I invariably found myself unable to
determine； indeed； it seemed to be counted the perfection of
scholarship and good breeding among them not to havemuch less to
expressan opinion on any subject on which it might prove later
that they had been mistaken。 The art of sitting gracefully on a
fence has never； I should think； been brought to greater perfection
than at the Erewhonian Colleges of Unreason。
Even when； wriggle as they may； they find themselves pinned down to
some expression of definite opinion； as often as not they will
argue in support of what they perfectly well know to be untrue。 I
repeatedly met with reviews and articles even in their best
journals； between the lines of which I had little difficulty in
detecting a sense exactly contrary to the one ostensibly put
forward。 So well is this understood； that a man must be a mere
tyro in the arts of Erewhonian polite society； unless he
instinctively suspects a hidden 〃yea〃 in every 〃nay〃 that meets
him。 Granted that it comes to much the same in the end； for it
does not matter whether 〃yea〃 is called 〃yea〃 or 〃nay；〃 so long as
it is understood which it is to be； but our own more direct way of
calling a spade a spade； rather than a rake； with the intention
that every one should understand it as a spade； seems more
satisfactory。 On the other hand； the Erewhonian system lends
itself better to the suppression of that downrightness which it
seems the express aim of Erewhonian philosophy to discountenance。
However this may be； the fear…of…giving…themselves…away disease was
fatal to the intelligence of those infected by it； and almost every
one at the Colleges of Unreason had caught it to a greater or less
degree。 After a few years atrophy of the opinions invariably
supervened； and the sufferer became stone dead to everything except
the more superficial aspects of those material objects with which
he came most in contact。 The expression on the faces of these
people was repellent； they did not； however； seem particularly
unhappy； for they none of them had the faintest idea that they were
in reality more dead than alive。 No cure for this disgusting fear…
of…giving…themselves…away disease has yet been discovered。
* * *
It was during my stay in City of the Colleges of Unreasona city
whose Erewhonian name is so cacophonous that I refrain from giving
itthat I learned the particulars of the revolution which had
ended in the destruction of so many of the mechanical inventions
which were formerly in common use。
Mr。 Thims took me to the rooms of a gentleman who had a great
reputation for learning； but who was also； so Mr。 Thims told me；
rather a dangerous person； inasmuch as he had attempted to
introduce an adverb into the hypothetical language。 He had heard
of my watch and been exceedingly anxious to see me； for he was
accounted the most learned antiquary in Erewhon on the subject of
mechanical lore。 We fell to talking upon the subject； and when I
left he gave me a reprinted copy of the work which brought the
revolution about。
It had taken place some five hundred years before my arrival：
people had long become thoroughly used to the change； although at
the time that it was made the country was plunged into the deepest
misery； and a reaction which followed had very nearly proved
successful。 Civil war raged for many years； and is said to have
reduced the number of the inhabitants by one…half。 The parties
were styled the machinists and the anti…machinists； and in the end；
as I have said already； the latter got the victory； treating their
opponents with such unparalleled severity that they extirpated
every trace of opposition。
The wonder was that they allowed any mechanical appliances to
remain in the kingdom； neither do I believe that they would have
done so； had not the Professors of Inconsistency and Evasion made a
stand against the carrying of the new principles to their
legitimate conclusions。 These Professors； moreover； insisted that
during the struggle the anti…machinists should use every known
improvement in the art of war； and several new weapons； offensive
and defensive； were invented； while it was in progress。 I was
surprised at there remaining so many mechanical specimens as are
seen in the museums； and at students having rediscovered their past
uses so completely； for at the time of the revolution the victors
wrecked all the more complicated machines； and burned all treatises
on mechanics； and all engineers' workshopsthus； so they thought；
cutting the mischief out root and branch； at an incalculable cost
of blood and treasure。
Certainly they had not spared their labour； but work of this
description can never be perfectly achieved； and when； some two
hundred years before my arrival； all passion upon the subject had
cooled down； and no one save a lunatic would have dreamed of
reintroducing forbidden inventions； the subject came to be regarded
as a curious antiquarian study； like that of some long…forgotten
religious practices among ourselves。 Then came the careful search
for whatever fragments could be found； and for any machines that
might have been hidden away； and