Межзвёздный скиталец
Chapter 22
Dearfriends,Iwhoamabouttodie,saluteyouwith—“Piffle!”
Iaskyou,whatfinermoralityispreachedto-daythanwaspreachedbyChrist,byBuddha,bySocratesandPlato,byConfuciusandwhoeverwastheauthorofthe“Mahabharata”?GoodLord,fiftythousandyearsago,inourtotem-families,ourwomenwerecleaner,ourfamilyandgrouprelationsmorerigidlyright.
Imustsaythatthemoralitywepractisedinthoseolddayswasafinermoralitythanispractisedto-day.Don’tdismissthisthoughthastily.Thinkofourchildlabour,ofourpolicegraftandourpoliticalcorruption,ofourfoodadulterationandofourslaveryofthedaughtersofthepoor.WhenIwasaSonoftheMountainandaSonoftheBull,prostitutionhadnomeaning.Wewereclean,Itellyou.Wedidnotdreamsuchdepthsofdepravity.Yea,soareallthelesseranimalsofto-dayclean.Itrequiredman,withhisimagination,aidedbyhismasteryofmatter,toinventthedeadlysins.Thelesseranimals,theotheranimals,areincapableofsin.
Ireadhastilybackthroughthemanylivesofmanytimesandmanyplaces.Ihaveneverknowncrueltymoreterrible,norsoterrible,asthecrueltyofourprisonsystemofto-day.IhavetoldyouwhatIhaveenduredinthejacketandinsolitaryinthefirstdecadeofthistwentiethcenturyafterChrist.Intheolddayswepunisheddrasticallyandkilledquickly.Wediditbecausewesodesired,becauseofwhim,ifyousoplease.
