By and By. An historical romance of the future, etc

BOOK I. {Continued.)

CHAPTER V.

f-gej[HE vast works in progress in Soudan |p(& were exciting widespread attention gZij£|) and interest. Already had the Empire of the African Plateau made such an advance in importance and civilisation, that the probability of its early admission into the Confederacy of Nations was everywhere al lowed. Such promotion as this was beyond the dreams of the previous sovereigns of Soudan, and the people were elated beyond measure at the prospect. Not only would such admission be a recognition of their claim to rank among civilised communities, but it would be worth a large percentage in VOL. III. I the money-markets of the world. Could Criss and the Emperor secure this admission, they would gain for the country an advantage greater than that Avhich they had in vain sought from the Stock Exchange of Jeru salem.

Even the people of Soudan now saAv the impolicy of their once proposed re pudiation. Of course, as in every partially civilised community, there Avere people whose vested interests Avere opposed to the neAv state of things, and Avho thought that their interests ought to be paramount. In order to be re cognised as sufficiently civilised to be ad mitted to the Confederation, it is indispensable that the candidate-nation prove itself amenable to the ordinary processes of reason in its various public departments, and that all parts of its system be consistent with each other. Thus, there is no chance of entrance for a people whose institutions rest avowedly on a basis of mere tradition. For the civilised world has learnt by experience that experience is the only trustAvorthy basis of stability, Avhether in public policy, religion, or morals.

For instance, to have a national church, or not to have one, is in the view of the Elec tive Council of the Confederation a matter of indifference ; but the existence of a Church, or of any other public institution, resting avowedly upon a traditional or dogmatic basis, is fatal to the chances of the claimant. Not only Avas Soudan at this time in admissible on the ground of its having; a national church of this kind, but it carried its defiance of logic and consistency to so incredible an extent as to maintain two national institutions, directly opposed to each other, both in principle and in practice. For, in its National schools, Avhich Avere derived from the Mahommedan period of the country, it gave an education Avhich consisted, as with us, in the cultivation of the intelligence and moral sense of the children ; Avhile, in its National Church, Avhich dated from the change to Christianity, and OAved its existence to the personal influence of the royal house of Abyssinia, it denounced the human mind and conscience as delusive and pernicious, and claimed the assent of all to a theory of the Universe and system of theology Avhich failed utterly to commend themselves to those I — faculties.

Thus, at this time Soudan Avas in the category of Avhat the Council is accus tomed to schedule as Lunatic Nations, inas much as it had no settled principle of action, and pulled doAvn on one side all that it upheld. on the other. Enlightened by Criss, it Avas noAV the Em peror's ambition to remove this stigma, by placing the national preacher in accord Avith the national schoolmaster. His pride revolted against the notion of his being regarded by the highest civilisations in the Avorld as but a Sovereign of fools. And pride, Criss found to his regret, was the leading motive to Avhich his cousin was amenable. Next to pride, and obstinacy on behalf of his OAvn way, came the sentiment of affection for his cousin. In the conflict between these feelings, Criss not unfrequently found himself compelled to appeal to his pride in order to turn the balance in the desired direction.

It Avas by acting on this motive that the native combativeness of the young ruler had finally been enlisted on behalf of radical reform. Having once resolved to Avin the approbation of Europe by abolishing the absurd incongruity betAveen the preacher and the teacher, the very hostility of the vested interests, Avhich fattened upon the existing system, served to strengthen his purpose. To this end he listened eagerly to all that his cousin had to say on the subject. Educated under the impression that the Priest was the natural and indispensable sus tainer of the CroAvn, he Avas surprised, as Avell as delighted, at the array of incontro vertible evidences whereby Criss showed him that the Priest has never supported anything save for his own ends, and that the Avhole history of priesthoods, of whatever age, country, or religion, shoAvs those bodies to be, by their very nature and constitution, utterly and irredeemably selfish, making their OAvn ag grandisement, individually or corporately, the one object and aim of their policy.

Criss Avound up his homily on this occasion by saying — " Ah, if they had only striven for man's regeneration here, with but a fraction of the persistency with Avhich they have invoked the hereafter ! But, as it is, there is no cruel or de grading superstition, from the belief in demons and Avitchcraft, to that in human sacrifices and eternal torture, that they have not fostered and turned to their OAvn account. I repeat but a trite historical truth Avhen I say that the priest, as priest, is both enemy of man and libeller of God ; and that the throne Avhich has such a foundation can only be that of a tyrant. This, so far as the people are concerned. With regard to the ruler, it is the least secure of bases. For the very theory of Ecclesiasticism is subversive of all civil government. In order to be the ruler and redeemer of your people, you must begin by effacing every vestige of sacerdotalism from the public institutions of the country.

Of course, privately, people may hold and teach Avhat they please. But the State can recognise and support only what is consistent Avith the equal liberty of all and its own supremacy ; and no ecclesiastical system is that." " But my OAvn throne," interrupted the Emperor, " Avhat becomes then of my divine right ? They have always upheld that." " Divine right," replied Criss, " is but a dogma. Real right has no need of dogma. If use and experience do not justify your throne's existence, no authority of dogma will do so, and the sooner it is sub verted the better. But the fact is, Avhere a church is supreme, neither sovereign nor people can be free. It is never content until it has subjugated the souls and bodies of men. Such is the nature, avoAved or con cealed, of all priesthoods." " When you urge me to take up a position in antagonism to the priesthood, do you not mean the church ?"

" That is the very confusion that nearly cost England her OAvn church. No, the priest is but an official of the church, and like any other official, is apt to forget that he exists, not for his own benefit, but as servant of the Avhole body. Keep the official under as strict control as may be necessary to secure the efficiency of his department. But the department itself, that is the church, must neither be destroyed nor cast adrift from the State. In the first place, it has a vitality that makes its destruction impossible, for it has its roots originally in the aspirations of human nature towards a higfier life than that of the field, the factory, and the laboratory. In the second place, if cast adrift from the temper ing influences of the State and the lay power, it will grow up in the hands of its officials to be a very Upas to the State.

A free church in a free State is an impossibility, especially Avhere the church is possessed of overwhelm ing Avealth, prestige, and power. You might as well try to imagine a free army in a free State. No, the State alone can make and keep the church free from any servitude to Avhich it is really liable, namely, that Avhich arises from the dominion of dogma, or the arrogance of an hierarchy. We have proved all this long ago in England, so that your task is a simple one. You have but to make your church in reality Avhat it is in name — National. And this you can do only by re leasing it from all limitations upon opinion and expression, and allowing any man of proved education and capacity to minister in it, unfettered by tradition. Your church Avill then be the fitting crown to your schools and universities ; and the Avhole national part of the educational apparatus of the country will be of a piece throughout, for it will have its bases in the human mind and conscience, and its apex in the sky, Avith God and idealised Humanity."

" But Avhat," asked the Emperor, " am I to reply to my clergy Avhen they make re proachful appeal to me to know Avhat will become of the truths of religion Avhen their teaching is no longer compulsory ?" " Say," replied Criss, " precisely what be comes of the truths of science Avhen un shackled by foregone conclusions. They will have free course and be glorified. Religion Avill cease to be a Avorship of the dead, and become the apotheosis of the living, the actual. Whatever is good and useful and necessary, can be shown to be so by evidence, Avithout aid from dogma. We Avant no authority beyond that of evidence to make us hold that the earth goes round the sun. Indeed, until men abandoned authoritative tradition on that subject, they believed a falsehood. No, the bases of that Avhich is good, useful, and true, must be perpetually verifiable, otherwise it ceases to be good, useful, and true."

" But surely a national church implies a national religion ?" " By no means. There can be no such thing as a national religion, any more than a national set of truths or facts, or a national system of medicine, science, or art. There may, and should be, a national institution for educating the faculties Avhich are devoted to such ends, and for extending such education, as only a national institution can do, to every corner of the land; but the phrase 'national religion' involves as great an absurdity as the phrase ' national God.'" " My clergy will have a good deal to un learn," remarked the Emperor. " So had ours. Yet they did it. But those Avho care for Humanity and Truth will not mind that." The Emperor shook his head. " Vested interests are strong and selfish," he said. " I can do a good deal to make it Avorth their Avhile, but I shall have a nest of hornets about me."

CHAPTER VI.

T Avas mainly the activity of the " nest of hornets" alluded to by the Emperor, that made Criss's presence in Soudan indispensable. The physical curse of the country might be dealt Avith by deputy. Its moral curse must be dealt Avith in person. The superstition of its people rendered the prolonged absence of their sovereign's good genius, as Criss Avas popularly called, a hindrance to the designs in progress for their own benefit. The clergy, seeing their cherished system of thought, or rather no thought, menaced, denounced the physical improvements, commenced or pro jected, as constituting an impious interference with the Divine Will. Such a notion could be met only by the diffusion of a knowledge of sound reasoning. In conjunction with some of the more advanced citizens, Criss set to work to found a propagandist agency for this purpose.

Taking for its motto, Free Enquiry and Free Expression, this institution had for its function the publication and distribution in myriads of short pithy papers, exposing the absurdities of the popular super stitions. I happen to have the originals of some of these papers by me, in Criss's own handwriting. It may be not amiss to repro duce one or two of them here, if only to illustrate the mental condition of a people placed by the Confederate Council in the schedule of Lunacy. The following seems to have been levelled at the objection just referred to as raised by the priests : — " The Divine Will. " According to the priests of Soudan, a will that can be thwarted by man. According to common sense and the dictionaries, the Supreme Will. People of Soudan, require of your priests that they be careful of their definitions."

Another, also in his own hand, was in answer to the reproach of Atheism brought against the new school. It ran thus : — " People of Soudan. " Be not frightened by names. There is no Atheist, save he who disbelieves in cause and effect. To believe in a cause of all things, is to believe in a God. Respecting the nature of that cause, it is not only lawful but necessary to differ until determined by positive evidence derived from a due com prehension of its effects, that is, of Nature. The real Atheists noAv-a-days are those who would banish God from the living present to a dead past." And this also : — " Science ; What is It ? " Sound knoAvledge, obtained by accurate observation of carefully ascertained facts. To reject the scientific method for any other, is to reject fact for fancy, truth for falsehood."

Hunting up the records of our own country at a corresponding period of its history, Criss founded also an agency called, The Church of Soudan Nationalisation Society, in exact imitation of the famous organisation Avhich played so important a part in promoting the Emancipation. In the prospectus which he wrote for the chief organ of this society, a high-class weekly, also named after its British prototype, Criss shoAved the Soudanese how alone they could emulate the example of the England they so greatly admired. " The course of all modern civilisation," he said in this mani festo, " is from a point at which human life is entirely subordinated to tradition and au thority derived from a remote past, to a point at Avhich the sole appeal is to the cultivated intelligence and moral sense of the living generations of men.

Desirous of traversing that course, as England has done, let us not be discouraged by its difficulties. It is true it took England several centuries to make the journey. But then she had to do it by her self and in faith, for she had no example before her to encourage her. It is not so with us. The Avhole civilised Avorld, backed by the experience of the ages, is on our side. The Reformation, the name whereby this course Avas knoAvn, released England from the domination of that ancient enemy of human freedom, Rome, some four hundred years before she detached herself from the domination of Dogma, Avhich Avas of Rome. This achieved, the glorious Reformation bloomed and bore its fruit in the more glorious Emancipation. The path has been shown us ; we need not be long in traversing •__. .. it.

The clergy of Soudan, in their alarm at the neAv movement, sought to strike at its promoters through the neighbouring peoples. Divining that the Emperor's design of rege nerating the Plateau involved the redemption of the Sahara, they set to Avork to stir up the desert tribes, the people of Fezzan, and those bordering on the Mediterranean, by asserting that it Avas the intention of the Emperor, under European influence, to de stroy their commerce and power by bringing in the sea to drown them out. The trigono metrical survey they denounced as an invention of the Evil one, and liable to be visited Avith a retribution such as that which had folloAved the census of David ; and Africa Avas still so dark a continent, intellectually, despite its superabundance of physical sun light, as to make the idea terrible to the multitude.

Such Avas the position Avhen Criss tore himself from Nannie, whom he had in vain endeavoured to interest in his work, to make his first post-nuptial visit to Africa. Occu pied as he had been with his domestic affairs, and inexpressibly shocked and bewildered by the unexpected development in his wife of a passion Avhich he could neither comprehend nor moderate, he yet had not allowed himself to be idle, and in much of his work he found Avenil an admirable helper. Not in his missionary zeal for the direct spiritual en lightenment of the Soudanese : — there Avenil had no sympathy, ascribing it to the Semitic element in his blood. But he gladly en couraged his Teutonic tendencies, and di rected all the consultations of his engineers and draughtsmen. One portion of Criss's work consisted in the construction of picto rial representations of the Africa of the future — Africa as he hoped to make it — no longer blasted and cursed by its OAvn sunshine, but Avith its Sahara turned into a smiling garden, or a summer sea, Criss's pic torial designs had already done Avonders, and it now remained only to conciliate the dwellers in the Oases, the most superstitiously attached of mortals to their green homes.

Sooner, it was said, Avould an Arab give up his hope of heaven, than part Avith his beloved oasis, the birth-place, dwelling-place, and final resting place, alike of himself and his ancestors. The provinces on the coast hailed with delight a scheme that, if successful, would reverse the geological decree Avhich attached them to Africa, and restore them virtually to Europe, as Avell as relieve them of the miseries in flicted by the desert blasts ; and Avhich, even if unsuccessful, Avould do them no harm. All along the coast, from the loAv-lying Gulf of Cabes, from the Gulf of Sidra, and almost up to Egypt itself, came offers of territory through Avhich to cut the canals by Avhich the Mediterranean Avas to Aoav into the desert, vol. 111. and a communication maintained between the two seas. Almost up to Egypt.

There the tone Avas different. Egypt would not hear of such an experiment. She not only placed her veto upon it, but stirred up the Arabs inhabiting the Libyan Oases, the most de pressed portions of the Sahara, to resist it Avith all their might. This action of Egypt was accounted by the Emperor of Soudan an additional cause for the enmity he che rished in his heart, but kept secret from his cousin. As the vast design got Avind, all Europe and Asia Minor became interested in it, and the students of science eagerly fought over their conflicting theories respecting the pro babilities and consequences of success. The Geologists, Avhatever their theories on these points, Avere to a man enthusiastic on behalf of the experiment. They even afforded useful aid to the project by exhibiting to the astonished Arabs the fossil remains of fishes, Avhich they found in the Sahara, proving that it Avas the sea-bed of an evaporated ocean of the Tertiary period, and therefore possibly designed by Providence again to become a sea.

The Geologists did service also by sug gesting the probability of there being under ground reservoirs of fresh Avater permeating the limestone bed of the Sahara. Where else could all the Avater Avhich annually inun dated the plateau, go to ? And if this Avas the case, doubtless itAvas from this inexhaust ible source that the Oases Avere fed. What then Avould be easier or better than to en large the apertures and let more of this Avater flow through to the surface ? Indeed, it might thus be a fresh instead of a salt sea, that the Sahara Avould become. Avenil and Criss discussed this together. They came to the conclusion that it was probable, that on making an extensive verti cal boring into the Sahara, the first Aoav of Avater Avould be fresh, and might continue so for some time. But that, ultimately, the sea Avhich Avas at present kept out by the fresh Avater, Avould fill in the limestone cavities, and flow through into the Sahara.

Should it only come through in sufficient quantity to counteract the loss by evaporation, the problem of turning the desert into a sea 2 — Avould be solved, and that Avithout cutting a canal. They communicated the notion to the Emperor, Avho Avas hereditary chief over a small oasis, Avhich lay close beloAv the Plateau, considerably to the east of Lake Tchad, and therefore far tOAvards Egypt. He caught at the suggestion, and having purchased the rights of all the dAvellers on the oasis, and removed them to an estate at a distance, he sent a strong force of labourers, Avith poAver ful excavating machinery, and set them to Avork to bore for water on a large scale. The result of the experiment was satis factory beyond expectation, considering that the spot selected was by no means one of the lowest parts of the desert.

The Avater, thus far perfectly fresh and pure, came through in such abundance, that the Avhole oasis Avas flooded, and continued to be so, as Avell as the surrounding desert for a considerable distance, until the sands and the sun prevailed to prevent its further spread. Students of science, other than geologists, concerned themseh'es Avith the doings in the Sahara. These were the Meteorologists ; especially the Meteorologists of Switzerland. " In the glacial period," said they, " Switzer land was an iceberg. From the summit of the Alps to beyond the Jura, it was buried beneath the chilling pressure of an enormous mass of ice, bearing on its surface giant rocks. The great desert of the Sahara Avas still over flowed by the Avaves of the sea ; its burning sands not yet exposed so as to produce that glowing Avind which, noAv-a-days, after tra versing the Mediterranean, melts aAvay the Avinter snows on the Alps, as if by magic, and converts Switzerland into a blooming country."

" To restore the sea to the Sahara," ex claimed the savants, " is to bring back the glacial period to Switzerland. It is to ruin the climate of Europe." The question was an immense one. With the climate of Europe would go the civilisa tion of Europe. The Avorld Avould have existed in vain. Every scientific coterie on the face of the globe was absorbed in the problem. It was one of the " long results of time," that International politics became a question of Meteorology. This Avas some thing gained in the long and weary pilgrim age of Humanity. But Avhat Avould Alex ander, Julius Cæsar, or Napoleon Bonaparte have thought of such a controversy between nations ? Criss, as Avas his Avont, had recourse to Avenil. Avenil had enjoyed the discussion, but held the fears to be groundless. In the first place, said he, the sea Avill be a very shalloAv and a very warm one, and the bed has been raised so high, that probably one half Avill not be submerged.

Of this, hoAv ever, Ave shall be better able to judge Avhen the survey is completed. But there is an other reason. The greatest cold of Europe comes Avith the North-east Trades from Polar Russia. These Avinds are aggravated, if not entirely caused, by the heat of North Africa. Cool Africa, and you mitigate, not increase, the rigour of the climate of Europe. The states bordering on the Sahara took another view of the question. " What," they asked, " is the climate of Europe to us ? We have a right to escape from being roasted in our own country, if Ave can." The determination taken by Criss Avas to make the experiment, as an experiment to be abandoned in the event of success proving pernicious. There Avould be no difficulty about this. In spite of the opposition of Egypt — an opposition offered on purely selfish grounds — Criss succeeded in purchasing the most eligible portion of the country bordering on the Mediterranean for his purpose.

It lay between Tripoli and Egypt, and contained a region depressed nearly tAvo hundred feet below the sea. The spot Avhere the excavation Avas to commence Avas from one to two hundred miles inland. Here, and at numerous points along the route, Avas collected an army of labourers, Avith excavating machinery of gigantic power, and a vast array of appliances for the task. The plan was to cut a deep broad channel in the solid limestone bed of the desert to the sea, maintaining the same depth throughout, so as to make Avay for an enormous body of Avater to enter at once. Thus only, it Avas held, Avould the loss by evaporation be supplied. Notwithstanding the efforts brought to bear upon it, the Avorks Avould occupy several years. To Criss's perplexity, the Emperor did not enter so heartily into this portion of the scheme.

Taking a line of his own, he pre tended that he disliked the idea of an open junction with the Mediterranean, by Avhich hostile, and rival trading vessels would be enabled to traverse the inland sea up to the very borders of his country. He might be a match, he said, for his African rivals, but could not compete Avith the whole Avorld. Rather than have an open channel, he Avould prefer to bring the sea in through a series ot enormous siphons. It was only that he might conciliate the nations of the Confede racy, and secure his own admission into it, that he Avould consent to Criss's scheme. Criss felt that the Emperor had not given the real grounds of his objection, and urged him further. The Emperor then said that he was con vinced that no single channel could supply the Sahara, and that he thought that tunnels might be driven Avith advantage, and at far less cost, into the sea at various points round the coast, so as to make sure of the water reaching any isolated portion of the low lands.

He proposed to attack in this Avay both the Atlantic and the Red Sea. A tunnel through the limestone ranges of Abyssinia Avould not only bring in Avater from a greater height than at any other point — for the earth's con figuration and motion, and the influence of the Avinds and tides, were such as to keep the Red Sea at a higher level than any other on the African coast — but it Avould afford a cheap and convenient mode of transit for heavy pro duce to an Abyssinian port. At any rate, he had set his heart upon making the attempt, and should do his best to carry out the latter portion of the project at once, whilst Criss Avas operating in the direction of the Mediter ranean. He had already consulted with his ministers, as well as with the savants and imperial engineers, and their report had secured the co-operation of the principal capitalists of Soudan. He concluded by challenging Criss to a race, to see Avho Avould first bring the Avater in, himself from the Red Sea, or Criss from the Mediterranean.

CHAPTER VII. RISS'S

life Avas indeed a full one. While engaged in the regeneration, moral and physical, of a continent, his own heart was perpetually torn asunder between the two characters alternately enacted by his Avife Nannie. Two characters, different as those of two Avomen. The one, so ineffably lovely and loving, Avinning and kind, in the ecstasy of her ardent nature abandoning herself wholly to her love, and in the perfection of her adaptation making Criss feel indeed that if ever woman was made for man, Nannie must have been made expressly for him. The other, the result of abandonment, not to love, but to feelings which converted love itself into a curse. Nannie kneAv and felt that Criss loved her Avholly, solely, and truly ; but, unaccustomed as she had ever been to exercise the slightest control over herself, she now gave herself up to the dominion of her fancies, until, although knoAving, and in her calmer moments admitting them to be but fancies, they became for her more than all facts ; more even than all convictions, Avhich to the female mind are too apt to be far more than facts.

These fancies all took one shape. She understood love only as a monopoly. Her loA'er Avas unfaithful to her if he had friend ships, interests, thoughts, occupations, in Avhich she was not all in all. So far from her love leading her to take an interest in Avhatever interested him, it led her at first to exhibit indifference to, and then vehemently abuse, every object, event, or person unconnected with her, that he chanced to mention. SloAvly and sadly he found himself driven to a resolution never to allude in her presence to any subject Avhatever, save herself. Even his own life-long friends Avere not spared, though she was never tired of vaunting her own early associations. Criss alone saw her under the influence of this side of her character. In society her brightness and vivacity won immense admira tion, and admiration Avas a thing Avhich she loved too dearly to forfeit by an exhibition of ill-temper.

While the self-control thus manifested abroad led Criss to hope the best for her sanity, he found no consolation in ascrib ing her outrageous conduct at home to a deliberate disregard for him and his happiness. One of the traits Avhich struck him as most curious, Avas the utter indifference she showed to her promises of reformation, and this only a little Avhile after she had uttered them Avith such exhibition of deep repentant sorroAv as to Avin his forgiveness, and make him hope that this Avas really the last time. But though none of his friends as yet were cognisant of his domestic history, they could not fail to remark that he Avithdrew more and more from their society, and that when he did appear, he had little of the serenity and cheer fulness Avhich had been Avont to characterise him.