Iamabouttoappearveryinconsistent.IntheprevioussectionsIhavesaidthatallfiguresinFlatlandpresenttheappearanceofastraightline;anditwasaddedorimplied,thatitisconsequentlyimpossibletodistinguishbythevisualorganbetweenindividualsofdifferentclasses:yetnowIamabouttoexplaintomySpacelandcriticshowweareabletorecognizeoneanotherbythesenseofsight.
IfhowevertheReaderwilltakethetroubletorefertothepassageinwhichRecognitionbyFeelingisstatedtobeuniversal,hewillfindthisqualification—"amongthelowerclasses."
ThatthispowerexistsinanyregionsandforanyclassesistheresultofFog;whichprevailsduringthegreaterpartoftheyearinallpartssavethetorridzones.
ThatwhichiswithyouinSpacelandanunmixedevil,blottingoutthelandscape,depressingthespirits,andenfeeblingthehealth,isbyusrecognizedasablessingscarcelyinferiortoairitself,andastheNurseofartsandParentossciences.
IfFogwerenon-existent,alllineswouldappearequallyandindistinguishablyclear;andthisisactuallythecaseinthoseunhappycountriesinwhichtheatmosphereisperfectlydryandtransparent.
ButwhereverthereisarichsupplyofFog,objectsthatareatadistance,sayofthreefeet,areappreciablydimmerthanthoseatthedistanceoftwofeeteleveninches;andtheresultisthatbycarefulandconstantexperimentalobservationofcomparativedimnessandconstantexperimentalobservationofcomparativedimnessandclearness,weareenabledtoinferwithgreatexactnesstheconfigurationoftheobjectobserved.
Theyare,wewillsuppose,aMerchantandaPhysician,orinotherwords,anEquilaterialTriangleandaPentagon;howamItodistinuishthem?
Itwillbeobvious,toeverychildinSpacelandwhohastouchedthethresholdofGeometricalStudies,that,ifIcanbringmyeyesothatitsglancemaybisectanangle(A)oftheapproachingstranger,myviewwilllieasitwereevenlybetweenthetwosidesthatarenexttome(viz.
IshallseeastraightlineDAE,inwhichthemiddlepoint(A)willbeverybrightbecauseitisnearesttome;butoneithersidethelinewillshadeawayrapidlytodimness,becausethesidesACandABrecederapidlyintothefogandwhatappeartomeastheMerchant'sextremities,viz.DandE,willbeverydimindeed.
Ontheotherhandinthecaseof(2)thePhysician,thoughIshallherealsoseealine(D'A'E')withabrightcentre(A'),yetitwillshadeawaylessrapidlytodimness,becausethesides(A'C',A'B')recedelessrapidlyintothefog:andwhatappeartomethePhysician'sextremities,viz.
TheReaderwillprobablyunderstandfromthesetwoinstanceshow--afteraverylongtrainingsupplementedbyconstantexperience—itispossibleforthewell-educatedclassesamongustodiscriminatewithfairaccuracybetweenthemiddleandlowestorders,bythesenseofsight.
IfmySpacelandPatronshavegraspedthisgeneralconception,sofarastoconceivethepossibilityofitandnottorejectmyaccountasaltogetherincredible—IshallhaveattainedallIcanreasonablyexpect.
Yetforthesakeoftheyoungandinexperienced,whomayperchanceinfer—fromthetwosimpleinstancesIhavegivenabove,ofthemannerinwhichIshouldrecognizemyFatherandmySons—thatRecognitionbysightisaneasyaffair,itmaybeneedfultopointoutthatinactuallifemostoftheproblemsofSightRecognitionarefarmoresubtleandcomplex.
Ifforexample,whenmyFather,theTriangle,approachesme,hehappenstopresenthissidetomeinsteadofhisangle,then,untilIhaveaskedhimtorotate,oruntilIhaveedgedmyeyearoundhim,IamforthemomentdoubtfulwhetherhemaynotbeaStraightLine,or,inotherwords,aWoman.
Again,whenIaminthecompanyofoneofmytwohexagonalGrandsons,contemplatingoneofhissides(AB)fullfront,itwillbeevidentfromtheaccompanyingdiagramthatIshallseeonewholeline(AB)incomparativebrightness(shadingoffhardlyatallattheends)andtwosmallerlines(CAandBD)dimthroughoutandshadingawayintogreaterdimnesstowardstheextremitiesCandD.
ThemeanestmathematicianinSpacelandwillreadilybelievemewhenIassertthattheproblemsoflife,whichpresentthemselvestothewell-educated—whentheyarethemselvesinmotion,rotating,advancingorretreating,andatthesametimeattemptingtodiscriminatebythesenseofsightbetweenanumberofPolygonsofhighrankmovingindifferentdirections,asforexampleinaball-roomorconversazione—mustbeofanaturetotasktheangularityofthemostintellectual,andamplyjustifytherichendowmentsoftheLearnedProfessorsofGeometry,bothStaticandKinetic,intheillustriousUniversityofWentbridge,wheretheScienceandArtofSightRecognitionareregularlytaughttolargeclassesoftheeliteoftheStates.
Itisonlyafewofthescionsofournoblestandwealthieshouses,whoareabletogivethetimeandmoneynecessaryforthethoroughprosecutionofthisnobleandvaluableArt.
Eventome,aMathematicianofnomeanstanding,andtheGranddfatheroftwomosthopefulandperfectlyregularHexagons,tofindmyselfinthemidstofacrowdofrotatingPolygonsofthehigherclasses,isoccasionallyveryperplexing.
AndofcoursetoacommonTradesman,orSerf,suchasightisalmostasunintelligibleasitwouldbetoyou,myReader,wereyousuddenlytransportedtomycountry.
InsuchacrowdyoucouldseeonallsidesofyounothingbutaLine,apparentlystraight,butofwhichthepartswouldvaryirregularlyandperpetuallyinbrightnessordimness.
EvenifyouhadcompletedyourthirdyearinthePentagonalandHexagonalclassesintheUniversity,andwereperfectinthetheoryofthesubject,youwouldstillfindtherewasneedofmanyyearsofexperience,beforeyoucouldmoveinafashionablecrowdwithoutjostlingagainstyourbetters,whomitisagainstetiquettetoaskto"feel,"andwho,bytheirsuperiorcultureandbreeding,knowallaboutyourmovements,whileyouknowverylittleornothingabouttheirs.
ItisastonishinghowmuchtheArt—orImayalmostcallitinstinct—ofSightRecognitionisdevelopedbythehabitualpracticeofitandbytheavoidanceofthecustomof"Feeling."
Justas,withyou,thedeafanddumb,ifonceallowedtogesticulateandtousethehand-alphabet,willneveracquirethemoredifficultbutfarmorevaluableartoflip-speechandlip-reading,soitiswithusasregards"Seeing"and"Feeling."
Fromthecradletheirchildren,insteadofgoingtothePublicElementaryschools(wheretheartofFeelingistaught,)aresenttohigherSeminariesofanexclusivecharacter;andatourillustriusUniversity,to"feel"isregardedasamostseriousfault,involvingRusticationforthefirstoffence,andExpulsionforthesecond.
Thechildrenofthepoorarethereforeallowedto"feel"fromtheirearliestyears,andtheygaintherebyaprecocityandanearlyvivacitywhichcontrastatfirstmostfavourablywiththeinert,undeveloped,andlistlessbehaviourofthehalf-instructedyouthsofthePolygonalclass;butwhenthelatterhaveatlastcompletedtheirUniversitycourse,andarepreparedtoputtheirtheoryintopractice,thechangethatcomesoverthemmayalmostbedescribedasanewbirth,andineveryart,science,andsocialpursuittheyrapidlyovertakeanddistancetheirTriangularcompetitors.
TheyhaveneitherthematuredandsystematicallytrainedpowersofthePolygonalBachelorsandMastersofArts,noryetthenativeprecocityandmercurialversatilityoftheyouthfulTradesman.
Theprofessions,thepublicservices,areclosedagainstthem,andthoughinmostStatestheyarenotactuallydebarredfrommarriage,yettheyhavethegreatestdifficultyinformingsuitablealliances,asexperienceshewsthattheoffspringofsuchunfortunateandill-endowedparentsisgenerallyitselfunfortunate,ifnotpositivelyIrregular.
ItisfromthesespecimensoftherefuseofourNobilitythatthegreatTumultsandSeditionsofpastageshavegenerallyderivedtheirleaders;andsogreatisthemischiefthencearisingthatanincreasingminotiryofourmoreprogressiveStatesmenareofopinionthattruemercywoulddictatetheirentiresuppression,byenactingthatallwhofailtopasstheFinalExaminationoftheUniversityshouldbeeitherimprisonedforlife,orextinguishedbyapainlessdeath.
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