the unknown guest(陌生客)-第22节
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breaking through the protecting wall and crashing down on the very stones
where the child was accustomed to sit。
In the other case；＇1＇ into which Professor W。 F。 Barrett made a special
enquiry； Captain MacGowan was in Brooklyn with his two boys； then on
their holidays。 He promised the boys that he would take them to the
theatre and booked seats on the previous day； but on the day of the
proposed visit he heard a voice within him constantly saying：
〃Do not go to the theatre； take the boys back to school。〃
＇1＇ Ibid。； vol。 i。； p。 283。
He hesitated； gave up his plan and resumed it again。 But the words
kept repeating themselves and impressing themselves upon him； and； in
the end； he definitely decided not to go； much to the two boys' disgust。
That night the theatre was destroyed by fire； with a loss of three hundred
lives。
We may add to this the prevision of the Battle of Borodino； to which I
have already alluded； I will give the story in fuller detail； as told in the
journal of Stephen Grellet the Quaker。
About three months before the French army entered Russia； the wife
of General Toutschkoff dreamt that she was at an inn in a town unknown
to her and that her father came into her room； holding her only son by the
hand； and said to her； in a pitiful tone：
〃Your happiness is at an end。 He〃meaning Countess Toutschkoff's
husband〃has fallen。 He has fallen at Borodino。〃
The dream was repeated a second and a third time。 Her anguish of
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mind was such that she woke her husband and asked him：
〃Where is Borodino？〃 They looked for the name on the map and did
not find it。
Before the French armies reached Moscow； Count Toutschkoff was
placed at the head of the army of reserve； and one morning her father；
holding her son by the hand； entered her room at the inn where she was
staying。 In great distress； as she had beheld him in her dream； he cried out：
〃He has fallen。 He has fallen at Borodino。〃
Then she saw herself in the very same room and through the windows
beheld the very same objects that she had seen in her dreams。 Her husband
was one of the many who perished in the battle fought near the River
Borodino； from which an obscure village takes its name。＇1＇
＇1＇ Memoirs of the Life and Labours of Stephen Grellet； vol i。； p。 434。
23
This is evidently a very rare and perhaps solitary example of a long…
dated prediction of a great historic event which nobody could foresee。 It
stirs more deeply than any other the enormous problems of fatality； free…
will and responsibility。 But has it been attested with sufficient rigour for us
to rely upon it？ That I cannot say。 In any case； it has not been sifted by the
S。P。R。 Next； from the special point of view that interests us for the
moment； we are unable to declare that this premonition had any chance of
being of avail and preventing the general from going to Borodino。 It is
highly probable that he did not know where he was going or where he was；
besides； the irresistible machinery of war held him fast and it was not his
part to disengage his destiny。 The premonition； therefore； could only have
been given because it was certain not to be obeyed。
As for the two previous cases； nos。 clv。 and clviii。； we must here again
remark the usual strange reservations and observe how difficult it is to
explain these premonitions save by attributing them to our
subconsciousness。 The main； unavoidable event is not precisely stated； but
a subordinate consequence seems to be averted； as though to make us
believe in some definite power of free will。 Nevertheless； the mysterious
entity that foresaw the catastrophe must also have foreseen that nothing
would happen to the person whom it was warning； and this brings us back
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to the useless farce of which we spoke above。 Whereas； with the theory of
a subconscious self； the latter may haveas in the case of the traveler； the
promontory； the copper or the carriage…not this time by inferences or
indications that escape our perception； but by other unknown means； a
vague presentiment of an impending peril； or； as I have already said； a
partial； intermittent and unsettled vision of the future event； and； in its
doubt； may utter its cry of alarm。
Whereupon let us recognize that it is almost forbidden to human
reason to stray in these regions； and that the part of a prophet is； next to
that of a commentator of prophecies； one of the most difficult and
thankless that a man can attempt to sustain the world's stage。
24
I am not sure if it is really necessary； before closing this chapter； to
follow in the wake of many others and broach the problem of the
preexistence of the future； which includes those of fatality； of free will； of
time and of space； that is to say； all the points that touch the essential
sources of the great mystery of the universe。 The theologians and the
metaphysicians have tackled these problems from every side without
giving us the least hope of solving them。 Among those which life sets us；
there is none to which our brain seems more definitely and strictly closed；
and they remain； if not as unimaginable； at least as incomprehensible as on
the day when they were first perceived。 What corresponds； outside us；
with what we call time and space？ We know nothing about it； and Kant；
speaking in the name of the 〃apriorists；〃 who hold that the idea of time is
innate in us； does not teach us much when he tells us that time； like space；
is an a priori form of our sensibility； that is to say； an intuition preceding
experience； even as Guyau； among the 〃empiricists；〃 who consider that
this idea is acquired only by experience； does not enlighten us any more
by declaring that this same time is the abstract formula of the changes in
the universe。 Whether space； as Leibnitz maintains； be an order of
coexistence and time an order of sequences； whether it be by space that we
succeed in representing time or whether time be an essential form of any
representation； whether time be the father of space or space the father of
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time； one thing is certain； which is that the efforts of the Kantian or neo…
Kantian apriorists and of the pure empiricists and the idealistic empiricists
all end in the same darkness； that all the philosophers who have grappled
with the formidable dual problem； among whom one may mention
indiscriminately the names of the greatest thinkers of yesterday and to…
dayHerbert Spencer； Helmholtz； Renouvier； James Sully； Stumpf； James
Ward； William James； Stuart Mill； Ribot； Fouillee； Guyau； Bain； Lechalas；
Balmes； Dunan and endless othershave been unable to tame it； and that；
however much their theories may contradict one another； they are all
equally defensible and alike struggle vainly in the darkness against
shadows that are not of our world。
25
To catch a glimpse of this strange problem of the preexistence of the
future； as it shows itself to each of us； let us essay more humbly to
translate it into tangible images； to place it as it were upon the stage。 I am
writing these lines sitting on a stone； in the shade of some tall beeches that
overlook a little Norman village。 It is one of those lovely summer days
when the sweetness of life is almost visible in the azure vase of earth and
sky。 In the distance stretches the immense； fertile valley of the Seine； with
its green meadows planted with restful trees； between which the river
flows like a long path of gladness leading
