Машина времени
Chapter 4
ForcountlessyearsIjudgedtherehadbeennodangerofwarorsolitaryviolence,nodangerfromwildbeasts,nowastingdiseasetorequirestrengthofconstitution,noneedoftoil. Forsuchalife,whatweshouldcalltheweakareaswellequippedasthestrong,areindeednolongerweak. Betterequippedindeedtheyare,forthestrongwouldbefrettedbyanenergyforwhichtherewasnooutlet. NodoubttheexquisitebeautyofthebuildingsIsawwastheoutcomeofthelastsurgingsofthenowpurposelessenergyofmankindbeforeitsettleddownintoperfectharmonywiththeconditionsunderwhichitlived—theflourishofthattriumphwhichbeganthelastgreatpeace. Thishaseverbeenthefateofenergyinsecurity; ittakestoartandtoeroticism,andthencomelanguoranddecay.
‘Eventhisartisticimpetuswouldatlastdieaway—hadalmostdiedintheTimeIsaw. Toadornthemselveswithflowers,todance,tosinginthesunlight:somuchwasleftoftheartisticspirit,andnomore. Eventhatwouldfadeintheendintoacontentedinactivity. Wearekeptkeenonthegrindstoneofpainandnecessity,and,itseemedtome,thatherewasthathatefulgrindstonebrokenatlast!
‘AsIstoodthereinthegatheringdarkIthoughtthatinthissimpleexplanationIhadmasteredtheproblemoftheworld—masteredthewholesecretofthesedeliciouspeople. Possiblythecheckstheyhaddevisedfortheincreaseofpopulationhadsucceededtoowell,andtheirnumbershadratherdiminishedthankeptstationary. Thatwouldaccountfortheabandonedruins. Verysimplewasmyexplanation,andplausibleenough—asmostwrongtheoriesare!
