English
Section2:OftheclimateandhousesinFlatland.
Aswithyou,soalsowithus,therearefourpointsofthecompassNorth,South,East,andWest.
Therebeingnosunnorotherheavenlybodies,itisimpossibleforustodeterminetheNorthintheusualway;butwehaveamethodofourown.
ByaLawofNaturewithus,thereisaconstantattractiontotheSouth;and,althoughintemperateclimatesthisisveryslight—sothatevenaWomaninreasonablehealthcanjourneyseveralfurlongsnorthwardwithoutmuchdifficulty—yetthehamperingeffortofthesouthwardattractionisquitesufficienttoserveasacompassinmostpartsofourearth.
Moreover,therain(whichfallsatstatedintervals)comingalwaysfromtheNorth,isanadditionalassistiance;andinthetownswehavetheguidanceofthehouses,whichofcoursehavetheirside-wallsrunningforthemostpartNorthandSouth,sothattheroofsmaykeepofftherainfromtheNorth.
Inthecountry,wheretherearenohouses,thetrunksofthetreesserveassomesortofguide.
Altogether,wehavenotsomuchdifficultyasmightbeexpectedindeterminingourbearings.
Yetinourmoretemperateregions,inwhichthesouthwardattractionishardlyfelt,walkingsometimesinaperfectlydesolateplainwheretherehavebeennohousesnortreestoguideme,Ihavebeenoccasionallycompelledtoremainstationaryforhourstogether,waitingtilltheraincamebeforecontinuingmyjourney.
Ontheweakandaged,andespeciallyondelicateFemales,theforceofattractiontellsmuchmoreheavilythanontherobustoftheMaleSex,sothatitisapointofbreeding,ifyoumeetaLadyonthestreet,alwaystogivehertheNorthsideoftheway—bynomeansaneasythingtodoalwaysatshortnoticewhenyouareinrudehealthandinaclimatewhereitisdifficulttotellyourNorthfromyourSouth.
Windowstherearenoneinourhouses:forthelightcomestousalikeinourhomesandoutofthem,bydayandbynight,equallyatalltimesandinallplaces,whenceweknownot.
Itwasinolddays,withourlearnedmen,aninterestingandoft-investigatequestion,"Whatistheoriginoflight?"
andthesolutionofithasbeenrepeatedlyattempted,withnootherresultthantocrowdourlunaticasylumswiththewould-besolvers.
Hence,afterfruitlessattemptstosuppresssuchinvestigationsindirectlybymakingthemliabletoaheavytax,theLegislature,incomparativelyrecenttimes,absolutelyprohibitedthem.
I—alas,IaloneinFlatland—knownowonlytoowellthetruesolutionofthismysteriousproblem;butmyknowledgecannotbemadeintelligibletoasingleoneofmycountrymen;andIammockedat—I,thesolepossessorofthetruthsofSpaceandofthetheoryoftheintroductionofLightfromtheworldofthreeDimensions—asifIwerethemaddestofthemad!
Butatrucetothesepainfuldigressions:letmereturntoourhomes.
Themostcommonformfortheconstructionofahouseisfive-sidedorpentagonal,asintheannexedfigure.
ThetwoNorthernsidesRO,OF,constitutetheroof,andforthemostparthavenodoors;ontheEastisasmalldoorfortheWomen;ontheWestamuchlargeronefortheMen;theSouthsideorfloorisusuallydoorless.
Squareandtriangularhousesarenotallowed,andforthisreason.
TheanglesofaSquare(andstillmorethoseofanequilateralTriangle,)beingmuchmorepointedthanthoseofaPentagon,andthelinesofinanimateobjects(suchashouses)beingdimmerthanthelinesofMenandWomen,itfollowsthatthereisnolittledangerlestthepointsofasquareoftriangularhouseresidencemightdoseriousinjurytoaninconsiderateorperhapsabsentmindedtravellersuddenlyrunningagainstthem:andtherefore,asearlyastheeleventhcenturyofourera,triangularhouseswereuniversallyforbiddenbyLaw,theonlyexceptionsbeingfortifications,powder-magazines,barracks,andotherstatebuildings,whichisnotdesirablethatthegeneralpublicshouldapproachwithoutcircumspection.
Atthisperiod,squarehouseswerestilleverywherepermitted,thoughdiscouragedbyaspecialtax.
But,aboutthreecenturiesafterwards,theLawdecidedthatinalltownscontainingapopulationabovetenthousand,theangleofaPentagonwasthesmallesthouse-anglethatcouldbeallowedconsistentlywiththepublicsafety.
ThegoodsenseofthecommunityhassecondedtheeffortsoftheLegislature;andnow,eveninthecountry,thepentagonalconstructionhassupersededeveryother.
Itisonlynowandtheninsomeveryremoteandbackwardagriculturaldistrictthatanantiquarianmaystilldiscoverasquarehouse.
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