第一小说网

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第16部分（第2页）

ancient　times。　India　has　not　only　ancient　books　relating　to　religion；　and　splendid　poetical

productions；　but　also　ancient　codes；　the　existence　of　which　latter　kind　of　literature　has　been

mentioned　as　a　condition　necessary　to　the　origination　of　History　—　and　yet　History　itself　is　not

found。　But　in　that　country　the　impulse　of　organisation；　in　beginning　to　develop　social　distinctions；

was　immediately　petrified　in　the　merely　natural　classification　according　to　castes；　so　that　although

the　laws　concern　themselves　with　civil　rights；　they　make　even　these　dependent　on　natural

distinctions；　and　are　especially　occupied　with　determining　the　relations　（Wrongs　rather　than　Rights）

of　those　classes　towards　each　other；　i。e。；　the　privileges　of　the　higher　over　the　lower。　Consequently；

the　element　of　morality　is　banished　from　the　pomp　of　Indian　life　and　from　its　political　institutions。

Where　that　iron　bondage　of　distinctions　derived　from　nature　prevails；　the　connection　of　society　is

nothing　but　wild　arbitrariness；　—　transient　activity；　—　or　rather　the　play　of　violent　emotion　without

any　goal　of　advancement　or　development。　Therefore　no　intelligent　reminiscence；　no　object　for

Mnemosyne　presents　itself；　and　imagination　—　confused　though　profound　—　expatiates　in　a　region；

which；　to　be　capable　of　History；　must　have　had　an　aim　within　the　domain　of　Reality；　and；　at　the

same　time　；　of　substantial　Freedom。

§　70

Since　such　are　the　conditions　indispensable　to　a　history；　it　has　happened　that　the　growth　of

Families　to　Clans；　of　Clans　to　Peoples；　and　their　local　diffusion　consequent　upon　this　numerical

increased　series　of　facts　which　itself　suggests　so　many　instances　of　social　plication；　war；

revolution；　and　ruin；　—　a　process　which　is　so　rich　in　interest；　and　so　prehensive　in　extent；　—

has　occurred　without　giving　rise　to　History：　moreover；　that　the　extension　and　organic　growth　of　the

empire　of　articulate　sounds　has　itself　remained　voiceless　and　dumb；　—　a　stealthy；　unnoticed

advance。　It　is　a　fact　revealed　by　philological　monuments；　that　languages；　during　a　rude　condition　of

the　nations　that　have　spoken　them；　have　been　very　highly　developed；　that　the　human　understanding

occupied　this　theoretical　region　with　great　ingenuity　and　pleteness。　For　Grammar；　in　its

extended　and　consistent　form；　is　the　work　of　thought；　which　makes　its　categories　distinctly　visible

therein。　It　is；　moreover；　a　fact；　that　with　advancing　social　and　political　civilisation；　this　systematic

pleteness　of　intelligence　suffers　attrition；　and　language　thereupon　bees　poorer　and　ruder：　a

singular　phenomenon　—　that　the　progress　towards　a　more　highly　intellectual　condition；　while

expanding　and　cultivating　rationality；　should　disregard　that　intelligent　amplitude　and　expressiveness

—　should　find　it　an　obstruction　and　contrive　to　do　without　it。　Speech　is　the　act　of　theoretic