OnlyIsawthatImustnotwhollyrelyonthecatch-phrase,"Upward,notNorthward,"butmustratherendeavourtoseekademonstrationbysettingbeforethepublicaclearviewofthewholesubject;andforthispurposeitseemednecessarytoresorttowriting.
Only,withtheviewofevadingtheLaw,ifpossible,IspokenotofaphysicalDimension,butofaThoughtlandwhence,intheory,aFigurecouldlookdownuponFlatlandandseesimultaneouslytheinsidesofallthings,andwhereitwaspossiblethattheremightbesupposedtoexistaFigureenvironed,asitwere,withsixSquares,andcontainingeightterminalPoints.
ButinwritingthisbookIfoundmyselfsadlyhamperedbytheimpossibilityofdrawingsuchdiagramsaswerenecessaryformypurpose:forofcourse,inourcountryofFlatland,therearenotabletsbutLines,andnodiagramsbutLines,allinonestraightLineandonlydistinguishablebydifferenceofsizeandbrightness;sothat,whenIhadfinishedmytreatise(whichIentitled,"ThroughFlatlandtoThoughtland")Icouldnotfeelcertainthatmanywouldunderstandmymeaning.
Meanwhilemywifewasunderacloud.Allpleasurespalleduponme;allsightstantalizedandtemptedmetooutspoketreason,becauseIcouldnotcomparewhatIsawinTwoDimensionswithwhatitreallywasifseeninThree,andcouldhardlyrefrainfrommakingmycomparisonsaloud.
IneglectedmyclientsandmyownbusinesstogivemyselftothecontemplationofthemysterieswhichIhadoncebeheld,yetwhichIcouldimparttonoone,andfounddailymoredifficulttoreproduceevenbeforemyownmentalvision.
Oneday,aboutelevenmonthsaftermyreturnfromSpaceland,ItriedtoseeaCubewithmyeyeclosed,butfailed;andthoughIsucceededafterwards,Iwasnotthenquitecertain(norhaveIbeeneveraftewards)thatIhadexactlyrealizedtheoriginal.
AlreadyIwasconsideredheterodoxifnottreasonable,andIwaskeenlyalivetothedangerofmyposition;neverthelessIcouldnotattimesrefrainfromburstingoutintosuspiciousorhalf-seditiousutterances,evenamongthehighestPolygonalorCircularsociety.
When,forexample,thequestionaroseaboutthetreatmentofthoselunaticswhosaidthattheyhadreceivedthepowerofseeingtheinsidesofthings,IwouldquotethesayingofanancientCircle,whodeclaredthatprophetsandinspiredpeoplearealwaysconsideredbythemajoritytobemad;andIcouldnothelpoccasionallydroppingsuchexpressionsas"theeyethatdiscernstheinteriorsofthings,"and"theall-seeingland";onceortwiceIevenletfalltheforbiddenterms"theThirdandFourthDimensions."
Atlast,tocompleteaseriesofminorindiscretions,atameetingofourLocalSpeculativeSocietyheldatthepalaceofthePrefecthimself,--someextremelysillypersonhavingreadanelaboratepaperexhibitingtheprecisereasonswhyProvidencehaslimitedthenumberofDimensionstoTwo,andwhytheattributeofomnividenceisassignedtotheSupremealone—IsofarforgotmyselfastogiveanexactaccountofthewholeofmyvoyagewiththeSphereintoSpace,andtotheAssemblyHallinourMetropolis,andthentoSpaceagain,andofmyreturnhome,andofeverythingthatIhadseenandheardinfactorvision.
Atfirst,indeed,IpretendedthatIwasdescribingtheimaginaryexperiencesofaficitiousperson;butmyenthusiasmsoonforcedmetothrowoffalldisguise,andfinally,inaferventperoration,IexhortedallmyhearerstodivestthemselvesofprejudiceandtobecomebelieversintheThirdDimesnsion.
Nextmorning,standingintheveryplacewherebutaveryfewmonthsagotheSpherehadstoodinmycompany,Iwasallowedtobeginandtocontinuemynarrationunquestionedanduninterrupted.
ButfromthefirstIforesawmyfate;forthePresident,notingthataguardofthebettersortofPolicemenwasinattendance,ofangularitylittle,ifatall,under55degrees,orderedthemtoberelievedbeforeIbeganmydefence,byaninferiorclassof2or3degrees.Iknewonlytoowellwhatthatmeant.
Iwastobeexecutedorimprisoned,andmystorywastobekeptsecretfromtheworldbythesimultaneousdestructionoftheofficialswhohadheardit;and,thisbeigthecase,thePresdientdesiredtosubstitutethecheaperforthemoreexpensivevictims.
AfterIhadconcludedmydefence,thePresident,perhapsperceivingthatsomeofthejuniorCircleshadbeenmovedbyevidentearnestness,askedmetwoquestions:—
2.WhetherIcouldbyanydiagramsordescriptions(otherthantheenumerationofimaginarysidesandangles)indicatetheFigureIwaspleasedtocallaCube?
IdeclaredthatIcouldsaynothingmore,andthatImustcommitmyselftotheTruth,whosecausewouldsurelyprevailintheend.
Imustbesentencedtoperpetualimprisonment;butiftheTruthintendedthatIshouldemergefromprisonandevangelizetheworld,theTruthmightbetrustedtobringthatresulttopass.
MeanwhileIshouldbesubjectedtonodiscomfortthatwasnotnecessarytoprecludeescape,and,unlessIforfeitedtheprivilegebymisconduct,Ishouldbeoccasionallypermittedtoseemybrotherwhohadprecededmetomyprison.
SevenyearshaveelapsedandIamstillaprisoner,and—ifIexcepttheoccasionalvisitsofmybrother—debarredfromallcompanionshipsavethatofmyjailers.
MybrotherisoneofthebestofSquares,justsensible,cheerful,andnotwithoutfraternalaffection;yetIconfessthatmyweeklyinterviews,atleastinonerespect,causemethebitterestpain.
HewaspresentwhentheSpheremanifestedhimselfintheCouncilChamber;hesawtheSphere'schangingsections;heheardtheexplanationofthephenomenathengivetotheCircles.
Sincethattime,scarcelyaweekhaspassedduringsevenwholeyears,withouthishearingfrommearepititionofthepartIplayedinthatmanifestation,togetherwithampledescriptionsofallthephenomenainSpaceland,andtheargumentsfortheexistenceofSolidthingsderivablefromAnalogy.
Yet—Itakeshametobeforcedtoconfessit—mybrotherhasnotyetgraspedthenatureofThreeDimensions,andfranklyavowshisdisbeliefintheexistenceofaSphere.
HenceIamabsolutelydestituteofconverts,and,foraughtthatIcansee,themillennialRevelationhasbeenmadetomefornothing.
PrometheusupinSpacelandwasboundforbringingdownfireformortals,butI—poorFlatlandPrometheus—liehereinprisonforbringingdownnothingtomycountrymen.
YetIexistinthehopethatthesememoirs,insomemanner,Iknownothow,mayfindtheirwaytothemindsofhumanityinSomeDimension,andmaystiruparaceofrebelswhoshallrefusetobeconfinedtolimitedDimensionality.
HeavilyweightsonmeattimestheburdensomereflectionthatIcannothonestlysayIamconfidentastotheexactshapeoftheonce-seen,oft-regrettedCube;andinmynightlyvisionsthemysteriousprecept,"Upward,notNorthward,"hauntsmelikeasoul-devouringSphinx.
ItispartofthemartyrdomwhichIendureforthecauseofTruththatthereareseasonsofmentalweakness,whenCubesandSpheresflitawayintothebackgroundofscarce-possibleexistences;whentheLandofThreeDimensionsseemsalmostasvisionaryastheLandofOneorNone;nay,wheneventhishardwallthatbarsmefrommyfreedom,theseverytabletsonwhichIamwriting,andallthesubstantialrealitiesofFlatlanditself,appearnobetterthantheoffspringofadiseasedimagination,orthebaselessfabricofadream.
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