OurSoldiersandLowestClassofWorkmenareTriangleswithtwoequalsides,eachaboutelevenincheslong,andabaseorthirdsidesoshort(oftennotexceedinghalfaninch)thattheyformattheirverticesaverysharpandformidableangle.
Indeedwhentheirbasesareofthemostdegradedtype(notmorethantheeighthpartofaninchinsize),theycanhardlybedistinguishedfromStraightlinesorWomen;soextremelypointedaretheirvertices.
Withus,aswithyou,theseTrianglesaredistinguishedfromothersbybeingcalledIsosceles;andbythisnameIshallrefertotheminthefollowingpages.
NextabovethesecometheNobility,ofwhomthereareseveraldegrees,beginningatSix-SidedFigures,orHexagons,andfromthencerisinginthenumberoftheirsidestilltheyreceivethehonourabletitleofPolygonal,ormany-Sided.
Finallywhenthenumberofthesidesbecomessonumerous,andthesidesthemselvesosmall,thatthefigurecannotbedistinguishedfromacircle,heisincludedintheCircularorPriestlyorder;andthisisthehighestclassofall.
ItisaLawofNaturewithusthatamalechildshallhaveonemoresidethanhisfather,sothateachgenerationshallrise(asarule)onestepinthescaleofdevelopmentandnobility.
ButthisruleappliesnotalwaystotheTradesman,andstilllessoftentotheSoldiers,andtotheWorkmen;whoindeedcanhardlybesaidtodeservethenameofhumanFigures,sincetheyhavenotalltheirsidesequal.
WiththemthereforetheLawofNaturedoesnothold;andthesonofanIsosceles(i.e.aTrianglewithtwosidesequal)remainsIsoscelesstill.
Nevertheless,allhopeisnotsuchout,evenfromtheIsosceles,thathisposteritymayultimatelyriseabovehisdegradedcondition.
For,afteralongseriesofmilitarysuccesses,ordiligentandskillfullabours,itisgenerallyfoundthatthemoreintelligentamongtheArtisanandSoldierclassesmanifestaslightincreaseoftheirthirdsideorbase,andashrinkageofthetwoothersides.
Intermarriages(arrangedbythePriests)betweenthesonsanddaughtersofthesemoreintellectualmembersofthelowerclassesgenerallyresultinanoffspringapproximatingstillmoretothetypeoftheEqual-SidedTriangle.
Rarely—inproportiontothevastnumbersofIsoscelesbirths—isagenuineandcertifiableEqual-SidedTriangleproducedfromIsoscelesparents.1Suchabirthrequires,asitsantecedents,notonlyaseriesofcarefullyarrangedintermarriages,butalsoalong-continuedexerciseoffrugalityandself-controlonthepartofthewould-beancestorsofthecomingEquilateral,andapatient,systematic,andcontinuousdevelopmentoftheIsoscelesintellectthroughmanygenerations.
ThebirthofaTrueEquilateralTrianglefromIsoscelesparentsisthesubjectofrejoicinginourcountryformanyfurlongsround.
AfterastrictexaminationconductedbytheSanitaryandSocialBoard,theinfant,ifcertifiedasRegular,iswithsolemnceremonialadmittedintotheclassofEquilaterals.
HeisthenimmediatelytakenfromhisproudyetsorrowingparentsandadoptedbysomechildlessEquilateral,whoisboundbyoathnevertopermitthechildhenceforthtoenterhisformerhomeorsomuchastolookuponhisrelationsagain,forfearlestthefreshlydevelopedorganismmay,byforceofunconsciousimitation,fallbackagainintohishereditarylevel.
TheoccasionalemergenceofanEquilateralfromtheranksofhisserf-bornancestorsiswelcomed,notonlybythepoorserfsthemselves,asagleamoflightandhopesheduponthemonotonoussqualoroftheirexistence,butalsobytheAristocracyatlarge;forallthehigherclassesarewellawarethattheserarephenomena,whiletheydolittleornothingtovulgarizetheirownprivileges,serveasalmostusefulbarrieragainstrevolutionfrombelow.
Hadtheacute-angledrabblebeenall,withoutexception,absolutelydestituteofhopeandofambition,theymighthavefoundleadersinsomeoftheirmanyseditiousoutbreaks,soableastorendertheirsuperiornumbersandstrengthtoomuchevenforthewisdomoftheCircles.
ButawiseordinanceofNaturehasdecreedthat,inproportionastheworking-classesincreaseinintelligence,knowledge,andallvirtue,inthatsameproportiontheiracuteangle(whichmakesthemphysicallyterrible)shallincreasealsoandapproximatetotheircomparativelyharmlessangleoftheEquilateralTriangle.
Thus,inthemostbrutalandformidableoffthesoldierclass—creaturesalmostonalevelwithwomenintheirlackofintelligence—itisfoundthat,astheywaxinthementalabilitynecessarytoemploytheirtremendouspenetratingpowertoadvantage,sodotheywaneinthepowerofpenetrationitself.
Andhowperfectaproofofthenaturalfitnessand,Imayalmostsay,thedivineoriginofthearistocraticconstitutionoftheStatesofFlatland!
ByajuidicioususeofthisLawofNature,thePolygonsandCirclesarealmostalwaysabletostifleseditioninitsverycradle,takingadvantageoftheirrepressibleandboundlesshopefulnessofthehumanmind.
Itisgenerallyfoundpossible—byalittleartificialcompressionorexpansiononthepartoftheStatephysicians—tomakesomeofthemoreintelligentleadersofarebellionperfectlyRegular,andtoadmitthematonceintotheprivilegedclasses;amuchlargernumber,whoarestillbelowthestandard,alluredbytheprospectofbeingultimatelyennobled,areinducedtoentertheStateHospitals,wheretheyarekeptinhonourableconfinementforlife;oneortwoaloneofthemostobstinate,foolish,andhopelesslyirregularareledtoexecution.
ThenthewretchedrabbleoftheIsosceles,planlessandleaderless,areethertransfixedwithoutresistancebythesmallbodyoftheirbrethrenwhomtheChiefCirclekeepsinpayforemergenciesofthiskind;orelsemoreoften,bymeansofjealousiesandsuspiciousskillfullyfomentedamongthembytheCircularparty,theyarestirredtomutualwarfare,andperishbyoneanother'sangles.
Nolessthanonehundredandtwentyrebellionsarerecordedinourannals,besidesminoroutbreaksnumberedattwohundredandthirty-five;andtheyhaveallendedthus.
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