TheProjectGutenbergEBookofFlatland:ARomanceofManyDimensions

(Illustrated),byEdwinA.Abbot

ThiseBookisfortheuseofanyoneanywhereatnocostandwith

almostnorestrictionswhatsoever.Youmaycopyit,giveitawayor

re-useitunderthetermsoftheProjectGutenbergLicenseincluded

withthiseBookoronlineatwww.gutenberg.net

Title:Flatland:ARomanceofManyDimensions(Illustrated)

Author:EdwinA.Abbot

ReleaseDate:March10,2008[EBook#201]

[Lastupdated:Novmeber1,2013]

Language:English

***STARTOFTHISPROJECTGUTENBERGEBOOKFLATLAND***

Flatland:ARomanceofManyDimensionsEdwinA.Abbott(1838-1926.

Englishscholar,theologian,andwriter.)

WithIllustrationsbytheAuthor,ASQUARE(EdwinA.Abbott)

ToTheInhabitantsofSPACEINGENERAL

AndH.C.INPARTICULARThisWorkisDedicated

ByaHumbleNativeofFlatlandIntheHopethat

EvenashewasInitiatedintotheMysteriesOfTHREEDimensions

HavingbeenpreviouslyconversantWithONLYTWO

SotheCitizensofthatCelestialRegionMayaspireyethigherandhigher

TotheSecretsofFOURFIVEOREVENSIXDimensionsTherebycontributing

TotheEnlargementofTHEIMAGINATIONAndthepossibleDevelopment

OfthatmostrareandexcellentGiftofMODESTYAmongtheSuperiorRacesOfSOLIDHUMANITY

PrefacetotheSecondandRevisedEdition,1884.

BytheEditor

IfmypoorFlatlandfriendretainedthevigourofmindwhichheenjoyedwhenhebegantocomposetheseMemoirs, I shouldnot nowneed to represent him in this preface, inwhichhedesires, firstly, toreturn his thanks to his readers and critics in Spaceland, whose appreciation has, with unexpectedcelerity, requireda secondeditionofhiswork; secondly, toapologize forcertainerrorsandmisprints(forwhich,however,heisnotentirelyresponsible);and,thirdly,toexplainoneortwomisconceptions.But he is not the Square he oncewas.Years of imprisonment, and the still heavier burden of generalincredulityandmockery,havecombinedwiththenaturaldecayofoldagetoerasefromhismindmanyofthe thoughts andnotions, andmuch alsoof the terminology,whichhe acquiredduringhis short stay inSpaceland.Hehas, therefore, requestedme to reply inhisbehalf to two special objections, oneof anintellectual,theotherofamoralnature.

Thefirstobjectionis,thataFlatlander,seeingaLine,seessomethingthatmustbeTHICKtotheeyeas well as LONG to the eye (otherwise it would not be visible, if it had not some thickness); andconsequentlyheought(itisargued)toacknowledgethathiscountrymenarenotonlylongandbroad,butalso (though doubtless in a very slight degree) THICK orHIGH. This objection is plausible, and, toSpacelanders,almostirresistible,sothat,Iconfess,whenIfirstheardit,Iknewnotwhattoreply.Butmypooroldfriend'sanswerappearstomecompletelytomeetit.

"Iadmit,"saidhe—whenImentionedtohimthisobjection—"Iadmitthetruthofyourcritic'sfacts,but I deny his conclusions. It is true thatwe have really in Flatland a Third unrecognizedDimensioncalled'height',justasitisalsotruethatyouhavereallyinSpacelandaFourthunrecognizedDimension,calledbynonameatpresent,butwhichIwillcall'extra-height'.Butwecannomoretakecognizanceofour 'height' thanyoucanofyour 'extra-height'.EvenI—whohavebeen inSpaceland,andhavehad theprivilegeofunderstandingfortwenty-fourhoursthemeaningof'height'—evenIcannotnowcomprehendit,norrealizeitbythesenseofsightorbyanyprocessofreason;Icanbutapprehenditbyfaith.

"Thereasonisobvious.Dimensionimpliesdirection,impliesmeasurement,impliesthemoreandtheless. Now, all our lines are EQUALLY and INFINITESIMALLY thick (or high, whichever you like);consequently,thereisnothinginthemtoleadourmindstotheconceptionofthatDimension.No'delicatemicrometer'—ashasbeensuggestedbyonetoohastySpacelandcritic—wouldintheleastavailus;for

weshouldnotknowWHATTOMEASURE,NORINWHATDIRECTION.WhenweseeaLine,weseesomethingthatislongandBRIGHT;BRIGHTNESS,aswellaslength,isnecessarytotheexistenceofaLine;ifthebrightnessvanishes,theLineisextinguished.Hence,allmyFlatlandfriends—whenItalktothem about the unrecognized Dimension which is somehow visible in a Line—say, 'Ah, you meanBRIGHTNESS':andwhenIreply,'No,ImeanarealDimension',theyatonceretort,'Thenmeasureit,ortellusinwhatdirectionitextends';andthissilencesme,forIcandoneither.Onlyyesterday,whentheChiefCircle(inotherwordsourHighPriest)cametoinspecttheStatePrisonandpaidmehisseventhannualvisit,andwhenfortheseventhtimeheputmethequestion,'WasIanybetter?'Itriedtoprovetohimthathewas'high',aswellaslongandbroad,althoughhedidnotknowit.Butwhatwashisreply?'YousayIam"high";measuremy"high-ness"andIwillbelieveyou.'WhatcouldIdo?HowcouldImeethischallenge?Iwascrushed;andhelefttheroomtriumphant.

"Doesthisstillseemstrangetoyou?Thenputyourselfinasimilarposition.SupposeapersonoftheFourthDimension, condescending to visit you,were to say, 'Whenever you open your eyes, you see aPlane(whichisofTwoDimensions)andyouINFERaSolid(whichisofThree);butinrealityyoualsosee(thoughyoudonotrecognize)aFourthDimension,whichisnotcolournorbrightnessnoranythingofthe kind, but a true Dimension, although I cannot point out to you its direction, nor can you possiblymeasureit.'Whatwouldyousaytosuchavisitor?Wouldnotyouhavehimlockedup?Well,thatismyfate:anditisasnaturalforusFlatlanderstolockupaSquareforpreachingtheThirdDimension,asitisforyouSpacelanderstolockupaCubeforpreachingtheFourth.Alas,howstrongafamilylikenessrunsthroughblindandpersecutinghumanityinallDimensions!Points,Lines,Squares,Cubes,Extra-Cubes—weareallliabletothesameerrors,allaliketheSlavesofourrespectiveDimensionalprejudices,asoneofyourSpacelandpoetshassaid—

'OnetouchofNaturemakesallworldsakin'."

[Note:TheAuthordesiresmetoadd,thatthemisconceptionofsomeofhiscriticsonthismatterhasinducedhimtoinsertinhisdialoguewiththeSphere,certainremarkswhichhaveabearingonthepointinquestion,andwhichhehadpreviouslyomittedasbeingtediousandunnecessary.]

On thispoint thedefenceof theSquareseems tome tobe impregnable. IwishIcouldsay thathisanswertothesecond(ormoral)objectionwasequallyclearandcogent.Ithasbeenobjectedthatheisawoman-hater; and as this objection has been vehemently urged by those whom Nature's decree hasconstituted the somewhat larger half of theSpaceland race, I should like to remove it, so far as I canhonestlydoso.ButtheSquareissounaccustomedtotheuseofthemoralterminologyofSpacelandthatIshouldbedoinghimaninjusticeifIwereliterallytotranscribehisdefenceagainstthischarge.Acting,therefore,ashisinterpreterandsummarizer,Igatherthatinthecourseofanimprisonmentofsevenyearshehashimselfmodifiedhisownpersonalviews,bothasregardsWomenandasregardstheIsoscelesorLowerClasses. Personally, he now inclines to the opinion of theSphere that theStraightLines are inmany important respects superior to theCircles.But,writing as aHistorian, he has identified himself(perhapstooclosely)withtheviewsgenerallyadoptedbyFlatland,and(ashehasbeeninformed)evenbySpaceland,Historians; inwhose pages (until very recent times) the destinies ofWomen and of themassesofmankindhaveseldombeendeemedworthyofmentionandneverofcarefulconsideration.

In a stillmore obscure passagehe nowdesires to disavow theCircular or aristocratic tendencieswithwhichsomecriticshavenaturallycreditedhim.WhiledoingjusticetotheintellectualpowerwithwhichafewCircleshaveformanygenerationsmaintainedtheirsupremacyoverimmensemultitudesof

theircountrymen,hebelievesthatthefactsofFlatland,speakingforthemselveswithoutcommentonhispart,declarethatRevolutionscannotalwaysbesuppressedbyslaughter,andthatNature,insentencingtheCirclestoinfecundity,hascondemnedthemtoultimatefailure—"andherein,"hesays,"IseeafulfilmentofthegreatLawofallworlds,thatwhilethewisdomofManthinksitisworkingonething,thewisdomofNatureconstrainsittoworkanother,andquiteadifferentandfarbetterthing."Fortherest,hebegshisreadersnottosupposethateveryminutedetailinthedailylifeofFlatlandmustneedscorrespondtosomeotherdetailinSpaceland;andyethehopesthat,takenasawhole,hisworkmayprovesuggestiveaswellasamusing,tothoseSpacelandersofmoderateandmodestmindswho—speakingofthatwhichisofthehighestimportance,butliesbeyondexperience—declinetosayontheonehand,"Thiscanneverbe,"andontheotherhand,"Itmustneedsbepreciselythus,andweknowallaboutit."

CONTENTS:

PARTI:THISWORLD

Section 1. OftheNatureofFlatland2. OftheClimateandHousesinFlatland3. ConcerningtheInhabitantsofFlatland4. ConcerningtheWomen5. OfourMethodsofRecognizingoneanother6. OfRecognitionbySight7. ConcerningIrregularFigures8. OftheAncientPracticeofPainting9. OftheUniversalColourBill10. OftheSuppressionoftheChromaticSedition11. ConcerningourPriests12. OftheDoctrineofourPriests

PARTII:OTHERWORLDS

13. HowIhadaVisionofLineland14. HowIvainlytriedtoexplainthenatureofFlatland15. ConcerningaStrangerfromSpaceland16. HowtheStrangervainlyendeavouredtorevealtomeinwordsthemysteriesofSpaceland17. HowtheSphere,havinginvaintriedwords,resortedtodeeds18. HowIcametoSpaceland,andwhatIsawthere

19. How,thoughtheSphereshewedmeothermysteriesofSpaceland,Istilldesiredmore;andwhatcameofit20. HowtheSphereencouragedmeinaVision21. HowItriedtoteachtheTheoryofThreeDimensionstomyGrandson,andwithwhatsuccess22. HowIthentriedtodiffusetheTheoryofThreeDimensionsbyothermeans,andoftheresult

PARTI:THISWORLD

"Bepatient,fortheworldisbroadandwide."

Section1.OftheNatureofFlatland

IcallourworldFlatland,notbecausewecallitso,buttomakeitsnatureclearertoyou,myhappyreaders,whoareprivilegedtoliveinSpace.

ImagineavastsheetofpaperonwhichstraightLines,Triangles,Squares,Pentagons,Hexagons,andother figures, instead of remaining fixed in their places, move freely about, on or in the surface, butwithout the power of rising above or sinking below it, verymuch like shadows—only hard andwithluminousedges—andyouwill thenhaveaprettycorrectnotionofmycountryandcountrymen.Alas,afewyearsago,Ishouldhavesaid"myuniverse":butnowmymindhasbeenopenedtohigherviewsofthings.

Insuchacountry,youwillperceiveatoncethatitisimpossiblethatthereshouldbeanythingofwhatyoucall a "solid"kind;but Idare sayyouwill suppose thatwecouldat leastdistinguishby sight theTriangles,Squares,andotherfigures,movingaboutasIhavedescribedthem.Onthecontrary,wecouldseenothingofthekind,notatleastsoastodistinguishonefigurefromanother.Nothingwasvisible,norcouldbevisible,tous,exceptStraightLines;andthenecessityofthisIwillspeedilydemonstrate.

PlaceapennyonthemiddleofoneofyourtablesinSpace;andleaningoverit,lookdownuponit.Itwillappearacircle.

Butnow,drawingbacktotheedgeofthetable,graduallyloweryoureye(thusbringingyourselfmoreandmoreintotheconditionoftheinhabitantsofFlatland),andyouwillfindthepennybecomingmoreandmoreovaltoyourview,andatlastwhenyouhaveplacedyoureyeexactlyontheedgeofthetable(sothatyouare,asitwere,actuallyaFlatlander)thepennywillthenhaveceasedtoappearovalatall,andwillhavebecome,sofarasyoucansee,astraightline.

ThesamethingwouldhappenifyouweretotreatinthesamewayaTriangle,orSquare,oranyotherfigurecutoutofpasteboard.Assoonasyoulookatitwithyoureyeontheedgeonthetable,youwillfindthatitceasestoappeartoyouafigure,andthatitbecomesinappearanceastraightline.TakeforexampleanequilateralTriangle—whorepresentswithusaTradesmanoftherespectableclass.Fig.1representsthe Tradesman as you would see him while you were bending over him from above; figs. 2 and 3representtheTradesman,asyouwouldseehimifyoureyewereclosetothelevel,orallbutonthelevelofthetable;andifyoureyewerequiteonthelevelofthetable(andthatishowweseehiminFlatland)youwouldseenothingbutastraightline.

WhenIwasinSpacelandIheardthatyoursailorshaveverysimilarexperienceswhiletheytraverseyourseasanddiscernsomedistantislandorcoastlyingonthehorizon.Thefar-offlandmayhavebays,forelands, angles in and out to any number and extent; yet at a distance you see none of these (unlessindeedyoursunshinesbrightuponthemrevealingtheprojectionsandretirementsbymeansoflightandshade),nothingbutagreyunbrokenlineuponthewater.

Well,thatisjustwhatweseewhenoneofourtriangularorotheracquaintancescomestowardusinFlatland.Asthereisneithersunwithus,noranylightofsuchakindastomakeshadows,wehavenoneofthehelpstothesightthatyouhaveinSpaceland.Ifourfriendcomesclosertousweseehislinebecomeslarger;ifheleavesusitbecomessmaller:butstillhelookslikeastraightline;beheaTriangle,Square,Pentagon,Hexagon,Circle,whatyouwill—astraightLinehelooksandnothingelse.

Youmayperhapsaskhowunderthesedisadvantageouscircumstancesweareabletodistinguishourfriendsfromoneanother:buttheanswertothisverynaturalquestionwillbemorefitlyandeasilygivenwhenIcometodescribetheinhabitantsofFlatland.Forthepresentletmedeferthissubject,andsayawordortwoabouttheclimateandhousesinourcountry.

Section2.OftheClimateandHousesinFlatland

Aswithyou,soalsowithus,therearefourpointsofthecompassNorth,South,East,andWest.

Therebeingnosunnorotherheavenlybodies, it is impossibleforus todetermine theNorth in theusualway;butwehaveamethodofourown.ByaLawofNaturewithus,thereisaconstantattractiontotheSouth; and, although in temperateclimates this isvery slight—so that evenaWoman in reasonablehealth can journey several furlongsnorthwardwithoutmuchdifficulty—yet thehampering effect of thesouthwardattraction isquitesufficient toserveasacompass inmostpartsofourearth.Moreover, therain(whichfallsatstatedintervals)comingalwaysfromtheNorth,isanadditionalassistance;andinthetownswehavetheguidanceofthehouses,whichofcoursehavetheirside-wallsrunningforthemostpartNorthandSouth,sothattheroofsmaykeepofftherainfromtheNorth.Inthecountry,wheretherearenohouses,thetrunksofthetreesserveassomesortofguide.Altogether,wehavenotsomuchdifficultyasmightbeexpectedindeterminingourbearings.

Yet in our more temperate regions, in which the southward attraction is hardly felt, walkingsometimes inaperfectlydesolateplainwhere therehavebeennohousesnor trees toguideme, Ihavebeen occasionally compelled to remain stationary for hours together,waiting till the rain came beforecontinuingmyjourney.Ontheweakandaged,andespeciallyondelicateFemales,theforceofattraction

tellsmuchmoreheavilythanontherobustoftheMaleSex,sothatitisapointofbreeding,ifyoumeetaLadyinthestreet,alwaystogivehertheNorthsideoftheway—bynomeansaneasythingtodoalwaysatshortnoticewhenyouareinrudehealthandinaclimatewhereitisdifficulttotellyourNorthfromyourSouth.

Windowstherearenoneinourhouses:forthelightcomestousalikeinourhomesandoutofthem,bydayandbynight,equallyatalltimesandinallplaces,whenceweknownot.Itwasinolddays,withour learned men, an interesting and oft-investigated question, "What is the origin of light?" and thesolutionofithasbeenrepeatedlyattempted,withnootherresultthantocrowdourlunaticasylumswiththewould-besolvers.Hence,afterfruitlessattemptstosuppresssuchinvestigationsindirectlybymakingthemliabletoaheavytax,theLegislature,incomparativelyrecenttimes,absolutelyprohibitedthem.I—alas,IaloneinFlatland—knownowonlytoowell thetruesolutionofthismysteriousproblem;butmyknowledgecannotbemadeintelligibletoasingleoneofmycountrymen;andIammockedat—I,thesolepossessor of the truths ofSpace andof the theoryof the introductionofLight from theworld of threeDimensions—asifIwerethemaddestofthemad!Butatrucetothesepainfuldigressions:letmereturntoourhouses.

Themostcommonformfortheconstructionofahouseisfive-sidedorpentagonal,asintheannexedfigure.ThetwoNorthernsidesRO,OF,constitutetheroof,andforthemostparthavenodoors;ontheEastisasmalldoorfortheWomen;ontheWestamuchlargeronefortheMen;theSouthsideorfloorisusuallydoorless.

Squareandtriangularhousesarenotallowed,andforthisreason.TheanglesofaSquare(andstillmorethoseofanequilateralTriangle),beingmuchmorepointedthanthoseofaPentagon,andthelinesofinanimateobjects(suchashouses)beingdimmerthanthelinesofMenandWomen,itfollowsthatthereisno little danger lest the points of a square or triangular house residencemight do serious injury to aninconsiderateorperhapsabsent-mindedtravellersuddenlytherefore,runningagainst them:andasearlyas the eleventh century of our era, triangular houses were universally forbidden by Law, the onlyexceptions being fortifications, powder-magazines, barracks, and other state buildings,which it is notdesirablethatthegeneralpublicshouldapproachwithoutcircumspection.

Atthisperiod,squarehouseswerestilleverywherepermitted,thoughdiscouragedbyaspecialtax.But,aboutthreecenturiesafterwards,theLawdecidedthatinalltownscontainingapopulationabovetenthousand,theangleofaPentagonwasthesmallesthouse-anglethatcouldbeallowedconsistentlywiththepublicsafety.ThegoodsenseofthecommunityhassecondedtheeffortsoftheLegislature;andnow,evenin thecountry, thepentagonalconstructionhassupersededeveryother. It isonlynowand then insomeveryremoteandbackwardagriculturaldistrictthatanantiquarianmaystilldiscoverasquarehouse.

Section3.ConcerningtheInhabitantsofFlatland

ThegreatestlengthorbreadthofafullgrowninhabitantofFlatlandmaybeestimatedataboutelevenofyourinches.Twelveinchesmayberegardedasamaximum.

OurWomenareStraightLines.

OurSoldiersandLowestClassesofWorkmenareTriangleswithtwoequalsides,eachabouteleveninches long, andabaseor third side so short (oftennot exceedinghalf an inch) that they format theirverticesaverysharpandformidableangle.Indeedwhentheirbasesareofthemostdegradedtype(notmore than the eighth part of an inch in size), they can hardly be distinguished from Straight Lines orWomen;soextremelypointedare theirvertices.Withus,aswithyou, theseTrianglesaredistinguishedfromothersbybeingcalledIsosceles;andbythisnameIshallrefertotheminthefollowingpages.

OurMiddleClassconsistsofEquilateralorEqual-SidedTriangles.

OurProfessionalMenandGentlemenareSquares(towhichclassImyselfbelong)andFive-SidedFiguresorPentagons.

Next above these come the Nobility, of whom there are several degrees, beginning at Six-SidedFigures,orHexagons,andfromthencerisinginthenumberoftheirsidestilltheyreceivethehonourabletitleofPolygonal,ormany-sided.Finallywhen thenumberof the sidesbecomessonumerous,and thesides themselves so small, that the figure cannot be distinguished from a circle, he is included in theCircularorPriestlyorder;andthisisthehighestclassofall.

ItisaLawofNaturewithusthatamalechildshallhaveonemoresidethanhisfather,sothateachgeneration shall rise (as a rule) one step in the scale of development and nobility. Thus the son of aSquareisaPentagon;thesonofaPentagon,aHexagon;andsoon.

But this rule applies not always to the Tradesmen, and still less often to the Soldiers, and to theWorkmen;whoindeedcanhardlybesaidtodeservethenameofhumanFigures,sincetheyhavenotalltheirsidesequal.WiththemthereforetheLawofNaturedoesnothold;andthesonofanIsosceles(i.e.aTrianglewithtwosidesequal)remainsIsoscelesstill.Nevertheless,allhopeisnotshutout,evenfromtheIsosceles,thathisposteritymayultimatelyriseabovehisdegradedcondition.For,afteralongseriesofmilitarysuccesses,ordiligentandskilfullabours,itisgenerallyfoundthatthemoreintelligentamong

theArtisanandSoldierclassesmanifestaslightincreaseoftheirthirdsideorbase,andashrinkageofthetwoothersides. Intermarriages(arrangedby thePriests)between thesonsanddaughtersof thesemoreintellectualmembersofthelowerclassesgenerallyresultinanoffspringapproximatingstillmoretothetypeoftheEqual-SidedTriangle.

Rarely—inproportion to thevastnumbersof Isoscelesbirths—isagenuineandcertifiableEqual-SidedTriangleproducedfromIsoscelesparents.[Note:"Whatneedofacertificate?"aSpacelandcriticmay ask: "Is not theprocreationof aSquareSon a certificate fromNatureherself, proving theEqual-sidednessoftheFather?"IreplythatnoLadyofanypositionwillmarryanuncertifiedTriangle.Squareoffspring has sometimes resulted from a slightly Irregular Triangle; but in almost every such case theIrregularityofthefirstgenerationisvisitedonthethird;whicheitherfailstoattainthePentagonalrank,orrelapses to the Triangular.] Such a birth requires, as its antecedents, not only a series of carefullyarrangedintermarriages,butalsoalong,continuedexerciseoffrugalityandself-controlonthepartofthewould-beancestorsofthecomingEquilateral,andapatient,systematic,andcontinuousdevelopmentoftheIsoscelesintellectthroughmanygenerations.

The birth of a True Equilateral Triangle from Isosceles parents is the subject of rejoicing in ourcountryformanyfurlongsaround.AfterastrictexaminationconductedbytheSanitaryandSocialBoard,theinfant,ifcertifiedasRegular,iswithsolemnceremonialadmittedintotheclassofEquilaterals.HeisthenimmediatelytakenfromhisproudyetsorrowingparentsandadoptedbysomechildlessEquilateral,whoisboundbyoathnevertopermitthechildhenceforthtoenterhisformerhomeorsomuchastolookupon his relations again, for fear lest the freshly developed organism may, by force of unconsciousimitation,fallbackagainintohishereditarylevel.

TheoccasionalemergenceofanEquilateralfromtheranksofhisserf-bornancestorsiswelcomed,notonlybythepoorserfsthemselves,asagleamoflightandhopesheduponthemonotonoussqualoroftheirexistence,butalsobytheAristocracyatlarge;forall thehigherclassesarewellawarethattheserarephenomena,whiletheydolittleornothingtovulgarizetheirownprivileges,serveasamostusefulbarrieragainstrevolutionfrombelow.

Hadtheacute-angledrabblebeenall,withoutexception,absolutelydestituteofhopeandofambition,they might have found leaders in some of their many seditious outbreaks, so able as to render theirsuperior numbers and strength toomuch even for thewisdom of theCircles.But awise ordinance ofNaturehasdecreedthat,inproportionastheworking-classesincreaseinintelligence,knowledge,andallvirtue, in that sameproportion their acute angle (whichmakes themphysically terrible) shall increasealsoandapproximatetothecomparativelyharmlessangleoftheEquilateralTriangle.Thus,inthemostbrutal and formidable of the soldier class—creatures almost on a level with women in their lack ofintelligence—it is found that, as theywax in themental ability necessary to employ their tremendouspenetratingpowertoadvantage,sodotheywaneinthepowerofpenetrationitself.

Howadmirable is thisLawofCompensation!Andhowperfectaproofof thenaturalfitnessand,Imayalmostsay,thedivineoriginofthearistocraticconstitutionoftheStatesinFlatland!ByajudicioususeofthisLawofNature,thePolygonsandCirclesarealmostalwaysabletostifleseditioninitsverycradle, taking advantage of the irrepressible and boundless hopefulness of the human mind. Art alsocomestotheaidofLawandOrder.Itisgenerallyfoundpossible—byalittleartificialcompressionorexpansiononthepartoftheStatephysicians—tomakesomeofthemoreintelligentleadersofarebellionperfectlyRegular,andtoadmitthematonceintotheprivilegedclasses;amuchlargernumber,whoare

stillbelow the standard, alluredby theprospectofbeingultimatelyennobled, are induced toenter theStateHospitals,where they arekept inhonourable confinement for life; oneor two aloneof themoreobstinate,foolish,andhopelesslyirregularareledtoexecution.

Then the wretched rabble of the Isosceles, planless and leaderless, are either transfixed withoutresistancebythesmallbodyoftheirbrethrenwhomtheChiefCirclekeepsinpayforemergenciesofthiskind; or elsemore often, bymeans of jealousies and suspicions skilfully fomented among themby theCircularparty, theyarestirred tomutualwarfare,andperishbyoneanother'sangles.No less thanonehundred and twenty rebellions are recorded in our annals, besides minor outbreaks numbered at twohundredandthirty-five;andtheyhaveallendedthus.

Section4.ConcerningtheWomen

IfourhighlypointedTrianglesoftheSoldierclassareformidable,itmaybereadilyinferredthatfarmoreformidableareourWomen.ForifaSoldierisawedge,aWomanisaneedle;being,sotospeak,ALLpoint,atleastatthetwoextremities.Addtothisthepowerofmakingherselfpracticallyinvisibleatwill,andyouwillperceivethataFemale,inFlatland,isacreaturebynomeanstobetrifledwith.

Buthere,perhaps,someofmyyoungerReadersmayaskHOWawomaninFlatlandcanmakeherselfinvisible.Thisought,Ithink,tobeapparentwithoutanyexplanation.However,afewwordswillmakeitcleartothemostunreflecting.

Placeaneedleonatable.Then,withyoureyeonthelevelofthetable,lookatitside-ways,andyousee the whole length of it; but look at it end-ways, and you see nothing but a point, it has becomepracticallyinvisible.JustsoisitwithoneofourWomen.Whenhersideisturnedtowardsus,weseeherasastraightline;whentheendcontaininghereyeormouth—forwithusthesetwoorgansareidentical—is the part that meets our eye, then we see nothing but a highly lustrous point; but when the back ispresentedtoourview,then—beingonlysub-lustrous,and,indeed,almostasdimasaninanimateobject—herhinderextremityservesherasakindofInvisibleCap.

ThedangerstowhichweareexposedfromourWomenmustnowbemanifesttothemeanestcapacityinSpaceland.IfeventheangleofarespectableTriangleinthemiddleclassisnotwithoutitsdangers;iftorunagainstaWorkingManinvolvesagash;ifcollisionwithanofficerofthemilitaryclassnecessitatesaseriouswound;ifameretouchfromthevertexofaPrivateSoldierbringswithitdangerofdeath;—whatcanitbetorunagainstaWoman,exceptabsoluteandimmediatedestruction?AndwhenaWomanisinvisible,orvisibleonlyasadimsub-lustrouspoint,howdifficultmustitbe,evenforthemostcautious,alwaystoavoidcollision!

Many are the enactments made at different times in the different States of Flatland, in order tominimize this peril; and in the Southern and less temperate climateswhere the force of gravitation isgreater,andhumanbeingsmoreliabletocasualandinvoluntarymotions,theLawsconcerningWomenarenaturally much more stringent. But a general view of the Code may be obtained from the following

summary:—

1.EveryhouseshallhaveoneentranceintheEasternside,fortheuseofFemalesonly;bywhichallfemalesshallenter"inabecomingandrespectfulmanner"andnotbytheMen'sorWesterndoor.[Note:WhenIwasinSpacelandIunderstoodthatsomeofyourPriestlycircleshaveinthesamewayaseparateentrance forVillagers, Farmers andTeachers ofBoardSchools (`Spectator', Sept. 1884, p. 1255) thattheymay"approachinabecomingandrespectfulmanner."]

2.NoFemale shallwalk in any public placewithout continually keeping up her Peace-cry, underpenaltyofdeath.

3.AnyFemale,dulycertifiedtobesufferingfromSt.Vitus'sDance,fits,chroniccoldaccompaniedbyviolentsneezing,oranydiseasenecessitatinginvoluntarymotions,shallbeinstantlydestroyed.

In someof theStates there is an additionalLaw forbiddingFemales, under penalty of death, fromwalkingorstandinginanypublicplacewithoutmovingtheirbacksconstantlyfromrighttoleftsoastoindicatetheirpresencetothosebehindthem;othersobligeaWoman,whentravelling,tobefollowedbyoneofhersons,orservants,orbyherhusband;othersconfineWomenaltogethertotheirhousesexceptduring the religious festivals.But it has been foundby thewisest of ourCircles orStatesmen that themultiplicationofrestrictionsonFemalestendsnotonlytothedebilitationanddiminutionoftherace,butalsototheincreaseofdomesticmurderstosuchanextentthataStatelosesmorethanitgainsbyatooprohibitiveCode.

Forwhenever the temper of theWomen is thus exasperated by confinement at home or hamperingregulations abroad, they are apt to vent their spleen upon their husbands and children; and in the lesstemperateclimatesthewholemalepopulationofavillagehasbeensometimesdestroyedinoneortwohoursof simultaneous femaleoutbreak.Hence theThreeLaws,mentioned above, suffice for thebetterregulatedStates,andmaybeacceptedasaroughexemplificationofourFemaleCode.

After all, our principal safeguard is found, not in Legislature, but in the interests of the Womenthemselves.For,althoughtheycaninflict instantaneousdeathbyaretrogrademovement,yetunlesstheycan at once disengage their stinging extremity from the struggling body of their victim, their own frailbodiesareliabletobeshattered.

ThepowerofFashionisalsoonourside.IpointedoutthatinsomelesscivilizedStatesnofemaleissufferedtostandinanypublicplacewithoutswayingherbackfromrighttoleft.Thispracticehasbeenuniversal among ladies of any pretensions to breeding in allwell-governed States, as far back as thememory of Figures can reach. It is considered a disgrace to any State that legislation should have toenforcewhatoughttobe,andisineveryrespectablefemale,anaturalinstinct.Therhythmicaland,ifImaysosay,well-modulatedundulationofthebackinourladiesofCircularrankisenviedandimitatedbythewifeofacommonEquilateral,whocanachievenothingbeyondameremonotonousswing, like thetickingofapendulum;andtheregulartickoftheEquilateralisnolessadmiredandcopiedbythewifeoftheprogressiveandaspiringIsosceles,inthefemalesofwhosefamilyno"back-motion"ofanykindhasbecomeasyetanecessityoflife.Hence,ineveryfamilyofpositionandconsideration,"backmotion"isasprevalentas timeitself;andthehusbandsandsons in thesehouseholdsenjoyimmunityat leastfrominvisibleattacks.

NotthatitmustbeforamomentsupposedthatourWomenaredestituteofaffection.Butunfortunately

the passion of themoment predominates, in the Frail Sex, over every other consideration. This is, ofcourse, a necessity arising from their unfortunate conformation. For as they have no pretensions to anangle, being inferior in this respect to the very lowest of the Isosceles, they are consequentlywhollydevoid of brain-power, and have neither reflection, judgment nor forethought, and hardly anymemory.Hence,intheirfitsoffury,theyremembernoclaimsandrecognizenodistinctions.IhaveactuallyknownacasewhereaWomanhasexterminatedherwholehousehold,andhalfanhourafterwards,whenherragewasoverandthefragmentssweptaway,hasaskedwhathasbecomeofherhusbandandherchildren.

ObviouslythenaWomanisnottobeirritatedaslongassheisinapositionwhereshecanturnround.Whenyouhavethemintheirapartments—whichareconstructedwithaviewtodenyingthemthatpower—you can say and do what you like; for they are then wholly impotent for mischief, and will notremembera fewminuteshence the incident forwhich theymaybeat thismoment threateningyouwithdeath,northepromiseswhichyoumayhavefounditnecessarytomakeinordertopacifytheirfury.

Onthewholewegetonprettysmoothlyinourdomesticrelations,except inthelowerstrataoftheMilitaryClasses. There thewant of tact and discretion on the part of the husbands produces at timesindescribabledisasters.Relyingtoomuchontheoffensiveweaponsof theiracuteangles insteadof thedefensiveorgansofgoodsenseandseasonablesimulation,theserecklesscreaturestoooftenneglecttheprescribedconstructionofthewomen'sapartments,orirritatetheirwivesbyill-advisedexpressionsoutofdoors,which they refuse immediately to retract.Moreover ablunt and stolid regard for literal truthindisposes them tomake those lavish promises by which themore judicious Circle can in a momentpacifyhisconsort.Theresultismassacre;not,however,withoutitsadvantages,asiteliminatesthemorebrutalandtroublesomeoftheIsosceles;andbymanyofourCirclesthedestructivenessoftheThinnerSexis regarded as one among many providential arrangements for suppressing redundant population, andnippingRevolutioninthebud.

YeteveninourbestregulatedandmostapproximatelyCircularfamiliesIcannotsaythattheidealoffamilylifeissohighaswithyouinSpaceland.Thereispeace,insofarastheabsenceofslaughtermaybe called by that name, but there is necessarily little harmony of tastes or pursuits; and the cautiouswisdomoftheCircleshasensuredsafetyatthecostofdomesticcomfort.IneveryCircularorPolygonalhouseholdithasbeenahabitfromtimeimmemorial—andnowhasbecomeakindofinstinctamongthewomen of our higher classes—that the mothers and daughters should constantly keep their eyes andmouths towards theirhusbandandhismalefriends;andfora ladyinafamilyofdistinction to turnherbackuponherhusbandwouldberegardedasakindofportent,involvinglossofSTATUS.But,asIshallsoonshew,thiscustom,thoughithastheadvantageofsafety,isnotwithoutitsdisadvantages.

Inthehouseof theWorkingManorrespectableTradesman—wherethewifeisallowedtoturnherbackuponherhusband,whilepursuingherhouseholdavocations—thereareat least intervalsofquiet,whenthewifeisneitherseennorheard,exceptforthehummingsoundofthecontinuousPeace-cry;butinthehomesoftheupperclassesthereistoooftennopeace.TherethevolublemouthandbrightpenetratingeyeareeverdirectedtowardstheMasterofthehousehold;andlightitselfisnotmorepersistentthanthestreamoffemininediscourse.ThetactandskillwhichsufficetoavertaWoman'sstingareunequaltothetask of stopping a Woman's mouth; and as the wife has absolutely nothing to say, and absolutely noconstraintofwit,sense,orconsciencetopreventherfromsayingit,notafewcynicshavebeenfoundtoaver that they prefer the danger of the death-dealing but inaudible sting to the safe sonorousness of aWoman'sotherend.

TomyreadersinSpacelandtheconditionofourWomenmayseemtrulydeplorable,andsoindeeditis.AMaleofthelowesttypeoftheIsoscelesmaylookforwardtosomeimprovementofhisangle,andtotheultimateelevationofthewholeofhisdegradedcaste;butnoWomancanentertainsuchhopesforhersex. "Once aWoman, always aWoman" is aDecree ofNature; and the veryLawsofEvolution seemsuspendedinherdisfavour.YetatleastwecanadmirethewisePrearrangementwhichhasordainedthat,as they have no hopes, so they shall have no memory to recall, and no forethought to anticipate, themiseriesandhumiliationswhichareatonceanecessityoftheirexistenceandthebasisoftheconstitutionofFlatland.

Section5.OfourMethodsofRecognizingoneanother

You,whoareblessedwithshadeaswellaslight,you,whoaregiftedwithtwoeyes,endowedwithaknowledge of perspective, and charmedwith the enjoyment of various colours, you,who can actuallySEEanangle,andcontemplatethecompletecircumferenceofacircleinthehappyregionoftheThreeDimensions—howshall Imakeclear toyou the extremedifficultywhichwe inFlatlandexperience inrecognizingoneanother'sconfiguration?

RecallwhatItoldyouabove.AllbeingsinFlatland,animateorinanimate,nomatterwhattheirform,presentTOOURVIEWthesame,ornearlythesame,appearance,viz.thatofastraightLine.Howthencanonebedistinguishedfromanother,whereallappearthesame?

Theansweristhreefold.Thefirstmeansofrecognitionisthesenseofhearing;whichwithusisfarmore highly developed than with you, and which enables us not only to distinguish by the voice ourpersonalfriends,buteventodiscriminatebetweendifferentclasses,atleastsofarasconcernsthethreelowestorders,theEquilateral,theSquare,andthePentagon—foroftheIsoscelesItakenoaccount.Butasweascendinthesocialscale,theprocessofdiscriminatingandbeingdiscriminatedbyhearingincreasesindifficulty,partlybecausevoicesareassimilated,partlybecausethefacultyofvoice-discriminationisaplebeian virtue not much developed among the Aristocracy. And wherever there is any danger ofimposturewecannottrusttothismethod.Amongstourlowestorders,thevocalorgansaredevelopedtoadegreemorethancorrespondentwiththoseofhearing,sothatanIsoscelescaneasilyfeignthevoiceofaPolygon,and,withsometraining,thatofaCirclehimself.Asecondmethodisthereforemorecommonlyresortedto.

FEELINGis,amongourWomenandlowerclasses—aboutourupperclassesIshallspeakpresently—theprincipaltestofrecognition,atalleventsbetweenstrangers,andwhenthequestionis,notastotheindividual,butas to theclass.What therefore"introduction" isamong thehigherclasses inSpaceland,thattheprocessof"feeling"iswithus."PermitmetoaskyoutofeelandbefeltbymyfriendMr.So-and-so"—isstill,amongthemoreold-fashionedofourcountrygentlemenindistrictsremotefromtowns,thecustomaryformulaforaFlatlandintroduction.But in thetowns,andamongmenofbusiness, thewords"be felt by" are omitted and the sentence is abbreviated to, "Let me ask you to feelMr. So-and-so";althoughitisassumed,ofcourse,thatthe"feeling"istobereciprocal.Amongourstillmoremodernand

dashingyounggentlemen—whoareextremelyaversetosuperfluouseffortandsupremelyindifferenttothepurityoftheirnativelanguage—theformulaisstillfurthercurtailedbytheuseof"tofeel"inatechnicalsense, meaning, "to recommend-for-the-purposes-of-feeling-and-being-felt"; and at this moment the"slang"ofpoliteorfastsocietyintheupperclassessanctionssuchabarbarismas"Mr.Smith,permitmetofeelMr.Jones."

LetnotmyReaderhoweversupposethat"feeling"iswithusthetediousprocessthatitwouldbewithyou,orthatwefinditnecessarytofeelrightroundallthesidesofeveryindividualbeforewedeterminethe class to which he belongs. Long practice and training, begun in the schools and continued in theexperienceofdailylife,enableustodiscriminateatoncebythesenseoftouch,betweentheanglesofanequal-sidedTriangle,Square,andPentagon;andIneednotsaythatthebrainlessvertexofanacute-angledIsosceles isobvious to thedullest touch. It is thereforenotnecessary,asa rule, todomore thanfeelasingleangleof an individual; and this,onceascertained, tellsus theclassof thepersonwhomweareaddressing,unless indeedhebelongs to thehighersectionsof thenobility.There thedifficulty ismuchgreater.EvenaMasterofArts inourUniversityofWentbridgehasbeenknown toconfusea ten-sidedwithatwelve-sidedPolygon;andthereishardlyaDoctorofScienceinoroutofthatfamousUniversitywhocouldpretendtodecidepromptlyandunhesitatinglybetweenatwenty-sidedandatwenty-foursidedmemberoftheAristocracy.

Those of my readers who recall the extracts I gave above from the Legislative code concerningWomen, will readily perceive that the process of introduction by contact requires some care anddiscretion.OtherwisetheanglesmightinflictontheunwaryFeelerirreparableinjury.It isessentialforthesafetyoftheFeelerthattheFeltshouldstandperfectlystill.Astart,afidgetyshiftingoftheposition,yes,evenaviolentsneeze,hasbeenknownbeforenowtoprovefataltotheincautious,andtonipinthebudmanyapromisingfriendship.EspeciallyisthistrueamongthelowerclassesoftheTriangles.Withthem,theeyeissituatedsofarfromtheirvertexthattheycanscarcelytakecognizanceofwhatgoesonatthatextremityoftheirframe.Theyare,moreover,ofaroughcoarsenature,notsensitivetothedelicatetouchofthehighlyorganizedPolygon.WhatwonderthenifaninvoluntarytossoftheheadhaserenowdeprivedtheStateofavaluablelife!

IhaveheardthatmyexcellentGrandfather—oneoftheleastirregularofhisunhappyIsoscelesclass,who indeedobtained, shortlybeforehisdecease, fouroutof sevenvotes from theSanitaryandSocialBoardforpassinghimintotheclassoftheEqual-sided—oftendeplored,withatearinhisvenerableeye,amiscarriageofthiskind,whichhadoccuredtohisgreat-great-great-Grandfather,arespectableWorkingManwithanangleorbrainof59degrees30minutes.Accordingtohisaccount,myunfortunateAncestor,beingafflictedwithrheumatism,andintheactofbeingfeltbyaPolygon,byonesuddenstartaccidentallytransfixed the Great Man through the diagonal; and thereby, partly in consequence of his longimprisonmentanddegradation,andpartlybecauseof themoralshockwhichpervadedthewholeofmyAncestor'srelations,threwbackourfamilyadegreeandahalfintheirascenttowardsbetterthings.Theresultwasthatinthenextgenerationthefamilybrainwasregisteredatonly58degrees,andnottillthelapseoffivegenerationswasthelostgroundrecovered,thefull60degreesattained,andtheAscentfromtheIsoscelesfinallyachieved.AndallthisseriesofcalamitiesfromonelittleaccidentintheprocessofFeeling.

AtthispointIthinkIhearsomeofmybettereducatedreadersexclaim,"HowcouldyouinFlatlandknowanythingaboutanglesanddegrees,orminutes?WecanSEEanangle,becausewe,intheregionofSpace,canseetwostraight lines inclinedtooneanother;butyou,whocanseenothingbutonestraight

lineatatime,oratalleventsonlyanumberofbitsofstraightlinesallinonestraightline—howcanyoueverdiscernanyangle,andmuchlessregisteranglesofdifferentsizes?"

IanswerthatthoughwecannotSEEangles,wecanINFERthem,andthiswithgreatprecision.Oursenseoftouch,stimulatedbynecessity,anddevelopedbylongtraining,enablesustodistinguishanglesfarmoreaccuratelythanyoursenseofsight,whenunaidedbyaruleormeasureofangles.NormustIomittoexplainthatwehavegreatnaturalhelps.It iswithusaLawofNaturethatthebrainoftheIsoscelesclass shallbeginathalf adegree,or thirtyminutes, and shall increase (if it increasesat all)byhalf adegree in every generation; until the goal of 60 degrees is reached,when the condition of serfdom isquitted,andthefreemanenterstheclassofRegulars.

Consequently,Nature herself supplies uswith an ascending scale orAlphabet of angles for half adegreeupto60degrees,SpecimensofwhichareplacedineveryElementarySchoolthroughouttheland.Owing tooccasional retrogressions, to stillmore frequentmoral and intellectual stagnation, and to theextraordinary fecundity of the Criminal and Vagabond Classes, there is always a vast superfluity ofindividuals of the half degree and single degree class, and a fair abundance of Specimens up to 10degrees. These are absolutely destitute of civic rights; and a great number of them, not having evenintelligence enough for thepurposesofwarfare, aredevotedby theStates to the serviceof education.Fetteredimmovablysoastoremoveallpossibilityofdanger,theyareplacedintheclassroomsofourInfantSchools,andtheretheyareutilizedbytheBoardofEducationforthepurposeofimpartingtotheoffspringof theMiddleClassesthat tactandintelligenceofwhichthesewretchedcreaturesthemselvesareutterlydevoid.

InsomeStatestheSpecimensareoccasionallyfedandsufferedtoexistforseveralyears;butinthemore temperate and better regulated regions, it is found in the long run more advantageous for theeducational interests of the young, to dispensewith food, and to renew the Specimens everymonth—which is about the average duration of the foodless existence of the Criminal class. In the cheaperschools,whatisgainedbythelongerexistenceoftheSpecimenislost,partlyintheexpenditureforfood,andpartly in thediminishedaccuracyof theangles,whichare impairedafter a fewweeksof constant"feeling".Normustweforgettoadd,inenumeratingtheadvantagesofthemoreexpensivesystem,thatittends,thoughslightlyyetperceptibly,tothediminutionoftheredundantIsoscelespopulation—anobjectwhicheverystatesmaninFlatlandconstantlykeepsinview.Onthewholetherefore—althoughIamnotignorantthat,inmanypopularlyelectedSchoolBoards,thereisareactioninfavourof"thecheapsystem"asitiscalled—Iammyselfdisposedtothinkthatthisisoneofthemanycasesinwhichexpenseisthetruesteconomy.

But ImustnotallowquestionsofSchoolBoardpolitics todivertmefrommysubject.Enoughhasbeensaid,Itrust,toshewthatRecognitionbyFeelingisnotsotediousorindecisiveaprocessasmighthave been supposed; and it is obviously more trustworthy than Recognition by hearing. Still thereremains, as has been pointed out above, the objection that thismethod is notwithout danger. For thisreasonmanyin theMiddleandLowerclasses,andallwithoutexceptionin thePolygonalandCircularorders,preferathirdmethod,thedescriptionofwhichshallbereservedforthenextsection.

Section6.OfRecognitionbySight

Iamabout toappearvery inconsistent. Inprevioussections Ihavesaid thatall figures inFlatlandpresenttheappearanceofastraightline;anditwasaddedorimplied,thatitisconsequentlyimpossibletodistinguishbythevisualorganbetweenindividualsofdifferentclasses:yetnowIamabouttoexplaintomySpacelandcriticshowweareabletorecognizeoneanotherbythesenseofsight.

IfhowevertheReaderwilltakethetroubletorefertothepassageinwhichRecognitionbyFeelingisstated tobeuniversal,hewill find thisqualification—"among the lowerclasses". It isonlyamong thehigherclassesandinourtemperateclimatesthatSightRecognitionispractised.

ThatthispowerexistsinanyregionsandforanyclassesistheresultofFog;whichprevailsduringthe greater part of the year in all parts save the torrid zones.Thatwhich iswith you inSpaceland anunmixed evil, blotting out the landscape, depressing the spirits, and enfeebling the health, is by usrecognizedasablessingscarcelyinferiortoairitself,andastheNurseofartsandParentofsciences.Butletmeexplainmymeaning,withoutfurthereulogiesonthisbeneficentElement.

If Fog were non-existent, all lines would appear equally and indistinguishably clear; and this isactuallythecaseinthoseunhappycountriesinwhichtheatmosphereisperfectlydryandtransparent.Butwherever there isa richsupplyofFogobjects thatareatadistance,sayof threefeet,areappreciablydimmerthanthoseatadistanceof twofeeteleveninches;andtheresult is thatbycarefulandconstantexperimental observation of comparative dimness and clearness, we are enabled to infer with greatexactnesstheconfigurationoftheobjectobserved.

Aninstancewilldomorethanavolumeofgeneralitiestomakemymeaningclear.

Suppose I see two individuals approaching whose rank I wish to ascertain. They are, we willsuppose,aMerchantandaPhysician,orinotherwords,anEquilateralTriangleandaPentagon:howamItodistinguishthem?

Itwillbeobvious,toeverychildinSpacelandwhohastouchedthethresholdofGeometricalStudies,that,ifIcanbringmyeyesothatitsglancemaybisectanangle(A)oftheapproachingstranger,myviewwill lie as itwereevenlybetweenhis twosides that arenext tome (viz.CAandAB), so that I shallcontemplatethetwoimpartially,andbothwillappearofthesamesize.

Nowinthecaseof(1)theMerchant,whatshallIsee?IshallseeastraightlineDAE,inwhichthemiddlepoint (A)willbeverybrightbecause it isnearest tome;butoneitherside the linewill shadeawayRAPIDLYINTODIMNESS,becausethesidesACandABRECEDERAPIDLYINTOTHEFOGandwhatappeartomeastheMerchant'sextremities,viz.DandE,willbeVERYDIMINDEED.

Ontheotherhandinthecaseof(2)thePhysician,thoughIshallherealsoseealine(D'A'E')withabrightcentre(A'),yet itwillshadeawayLESSRAPIDLYintodimness,because thesides(A'C',A'B')RECEDELESSRAPIDLYINTOTHEFOG:andwhatappeartomethePhysician'sextremities,viz.D'andE',willnotbeNOTSODIMastheextremitiesoftheMerchant.

The Reader will probably understand from these two instances how—after a very long trainingsupplemented by constant experience—it is possible for the well-educated classes among us todiscriminate with fair accuracy between the middle and lowest orders, by the sense of sight. If mySpacelandPatronshavegraspedthisgeneralconception,sofarastoconceivethepossibilityofitandnottorejectmyaccountasaltogetherincredible—IshallhaveattainedallIcanreasonablyexpect.WereItoattemptfurtherdetailsIshouldonlyperplex.Yetforthesakeoftheyoungandinexperienced,whomayperchance infer—from the two simple instances I have given above, of themanner inwhich I shouldrecognizemyFatherandmySons—thatRecognitionbysightisaneasyaffair,itmaybeneedfultopointoutthatinactuallifemostoftheproblemsofSightRecognitionarefarmoresubtleandcomplex.

If forexample,whenmyFather, theTriangle,approachesme,hehappens topresenthisside tomeinsteadofhisangle,then,untilIhaveaskedhimtorotate,oruntilIhaveedgedmyeyeroundhim,Iamfor

themomentdoubtfulwhetherhemaynotbeaStraightLine,or,inotherwords,aWoman.Again,whenIaminthecompanyofoneofmytwohexagonalGrandsons,contemplatingoneofhissides(AB)fullfront,itwillbeevident fromtheaccompanyingdiagramthat I shall seeonewhole line (AB) incomparativebrightness(shadingoffhardlyatallattheends)andtwosmallerlines(CAandBD)dimthroughoutandshadingawayintogreaterdimnesstowardstheextremitiesCandD.

ButImustnotgivewaytothetemptationofenlargingonthesetopics.ThemeanestmathematicianinSpacelandwillreadilybelievemewhenIassertthattheproblemsoflife,whichpresentthemselvestothewell-educated—when theyare themselves inmotion, rotating, advancingor retreating, andat the sametimeattemptingtodiscriminatebythesenseofsightbetweenanumberofPolygonsofhighrankmovingindifferent directions, as for example in a ball-room or conversazione—must be of a nature to task theangularityof themost intellectual, andamply justify the richendowmentsof theLearnedProfessorsofGeometry,bothStaticandKinetic,intheillustriousUniversityofWentbridge,wheretheScienceandArtofSightRecognitionareregularlytaughttolargeclassesoftheELITEoftheStates.

Itisonlyafewofthescionsofournoblestandwealthiesthouses,whoareabletogivethetimeandmoney necessary for the thorough prosecution of this noble and valuable Art. Even to me, aMathematician of no mean standing, and the Grandfather of two most hopeful and perfectly regularHexagons, to find myself in the midst of a crowd of rotating Polygons of the higher classes, isoccasionallyveryperplexing.AndofcoursetoacommonTradesman,orSerf,suchasightisalmostasunintelligibleasitwouldbetoyou,myReader,wereyousuddenlytransportedintoourcountry.

InsuchacrowdyoucouldseeonallsidesofyounothingbutaLine,apparentlystraight,butofwhichthepartswouldvaryirregularlyandperpetuallyinbrightnessordimness.EvenifyouhadcompletedyourthirdyearinthePentagonalandHexagonalclassesintheUniversity,andwereperfectinthetheoryofthesubject,youwouldstillfindthattherewasneedofmanyyearsofexperience,beforeyoucouldmoveinafashionablecrowdwithoutjostlingagainstyourbetters,whomitisagainstetiquettetoaskto"feel",andwho,bytheirsuperiorcultureandbreeding,knowallaboutyourmovements,whileyouknowverylittleornothingabout theirs. In aword, to comportoneselfwithperfectpropriety inPolygonal society,oneoughttobeaPolygononeself.Suchatleastisthepainfulteachingofmyexperience.

It is astonishing how much the Art—or I may almost call it instinct—of Sight Recognition isdevelopedbythehabitualpracticeofitandbytheavoidanceofthecustomof"Feeling".Justas,withyou,thedeafanddumb, ifonceallowed togesticulateand touse thehand-alphabet,willneveracquire themoredifficultbutfarmorevaluableartoflipspeechandlip-reading,soitiswithusasregards"Seeing"

and"Feeling".Nonewhoinearlyliferesortto"Feeling"willeverlearn"Seeing"inperfection.

Forthisreason,amongourHigherClasses,"Feeling"isdiscouragedorabsolutelyforbidden.Fromthecradletheirchildren, insteadofgoingtothePublicElementaryschools(wheretheartofFeelingistaught),aresenttohigherSeminariesofanexclusivecharacter;andatourillustriousUniversity,to"feel"is regarded as a most serious fault, involving Rustication for the first offence, and Expulsion for thesecond.

But among the lower classes the art of SightRecognition is regarded as an unattainable luxury.AcommonTradesmancannotaffordtolethissonspendathirdofhislifeinabstractstudies.Thechildrenofthepoorarethereforeallowedto"feel"fromtheirearliestyears,andtheygaintherebyaprecocityandan early vivacity which contrast at first most favourably with the inert, undeveloped, and listlessbehaviourofthehalf-instructedyouthsofthePolygonalclass;butwhenthelatterhaveatlastcompletedtheirUniversitycourse,andarepreparedtoputtheirtheoryintopractice,thechangethatcomesoverthemmayalmostbedescribedasanewbirth,andineveryart,science,andsocialpursuittheyrapidlyovertakeanddistancetheirTriangularcompetitors.

Only a few of the Polygonal Class fail to pass the Final Test or Leaving Examination at theUniversity.Theconditionof theunsuccessfulminority is trulypitiable.Rejected from thehigherclass,theyarealsodespisedbythelower.TheyhaveneitherthematuredandsystematicallytrainedpowersofthePolygonalBachelorsandMastersofArts,noryetthenativeprecocityandmercurialversatilityoftheyouthfulTradesman.The professions, the public services, are closed against them; and though inmostStates they are not actually debarred from marriage, yet they have the greatest difficulty in formingsuitablealliances,asexperienceshewsthattheoffspringofsuchunfortunateandill-endowedparentsisgenerallyitselfunfortunate,ifnotpositivelyIrregular.

It isfromthesespecimensof therefuseofourNobilitythat thegreatTumultsandSeditionsofpastageshavegenerallyderived their leaders;andsogreat is themischief thencearising thatan increasingminority of our more progressive Statesmen are of opinion that truemercy would dictate their entiresuppression,byenactingthatallwhofailtopasstheFinalExaminationoftheUniversityshouldbeeitherimprisonedforlife,orextinguishedbyapainlessdeath.

But I findmyself digressing into the subject of Irregularities, amatter of such vital interest that itdemandsaseparatesection.

Section7.ConcerningIrregularFigures

ThroughoutthepreviouspagesIhavebeenassuming—whatperhapsshouldhavebeenlaiddownatthebeginningasadistinctandfundamentalproposition—thateveryhumanbeinginFlatlandisaRegularFigure,thatistosayofregularconstruction.BythisImeanthataWomanmustnotonlybealine,butastraightline;thatanArtisanorSoldiermusthavetwoofhissidesequal;thatTradesmenmusthavethreesides equal;Lawyers (ofwhich class I am a humblemember), four sides equal, and generally, that in

everyPolygon,allthesidesmustbeequal.

Thesizeofthesideswouldofcoursedependupontheageoftheindividual.AFemaleatbirthwouldbeaboutaninchlong,whileatalladultWomanmightextendtoafoot.AstotheMalesofeveryclass,itmayberoughlysaidthatthelengthofanadult'ssides,whenaddedtogether,istwofeetoralittlemore.Butthesizeofoursidesisnotunderconsideration.IamspeakingoftheEQUALITYofsides,anditdoesnotneedmuchreflectiontoseethatthewholeofthesociallifeinFlatlandrestsuponthefundamentalfactthatNaturewillsallFigurestohavetheirsidesequal.

If our sides were unequal our angles might be unequal. Instead of its being sufficient to feel, orestimatebysight,asingleangleinordertodeterminetheformofanindividual,itwouldbenecessarytoascertaineachanglebytheexperimentofFeeling.Butlifewouldbetooshortforsuchatediousgrouping.ThewholescienceandartofSightRecognitionwouldatonceperish;Feeling,sofarasitisanart,wouldnot long survive; intercourse would become perilous or impossible; there would be an end to allconfidence, all forethought; noonewouldbe safe inmaking themost simple social arrangements; in aword,civilizationwouldrelapseintobarbarism.

AmIgoing toofast tocarrymyReaderswithmeto theseobviousconclusions?Surelyamoment'sreflection,andasingleinstancefromcommonlife,mustconvinceeveryonethatourwholesocialsystemisbaseduponRegularity,orEqualityofAngles.Youmeet,forexample, twoor threeTradesmeninthestreet,whomyourecognizeatonce tobeTradesmenbyaglanceat theiranglesandrapidlybedimmedsides,andyouaskthemtostepintoyourhousetolunch.Thisyoudoatpresentwithperfectconfidence,becauseeveryoneknowstoaninchortwotheareaoccupiedbyanadultTriangle:butimaginethatyourTradesmandragsbehindhisregularandrespectablevertex,aparallelogramoftwelveorthirteeninchesindiagonal:—whatareyoutodowithsuchamonsterstickingfastinyourhousedoor?

But I am insulting the intelligence ofmyReaders by accumulating detailswhichmust be patent toeveryone who enjoys the advantages of a Residence in Spaceland. Obviously the measurements of asingleanglewouldnolongerbesufficientundersuchportentouscircumstances;one'swholelifewouldbe taken up in feeling or surveying the perimeter of one's acquaintances. Already the difficulties ofavoidingacollisioninacrowdareenoughtotaxthesagacityofevenawell-educatedSquare;butifnoonecouldcalculatetheRegularityofasinglefigureinthecompany,allwouldbechaosandconfusion,andtheslightestpanicwouldcauseseriousinjuries,or—iftherehappenedtobeanyWomenorSoldierspresent—perhapsconsiderablelossoflife.

Expediency therefore concurswithNature in stamping the seal of its approval uponRegularity ofconformation:norhastheLawbeenbackwardinsecondingtheirefforts."IrregularityofFigure"meanswith us the same as, ormore than, a combination ofmoral obliquity and criminalitywith you, and istreatedaccordingly.Therearenotwanting,itistrue,somepromulgatorsofparadoxeswhomaintainthatthereisnonecessaryconnectionbetweengeometricalandmoralIrregularity."TheIrregular",theysay,"isfromhisbirthscoutedbyhisownparents,deridedbyhisbrothersandsisters,neglectedbythedomestics,scornedandsuspectedbysociety,andexcludedfromallpostsofresponsibility,trust,andusefulactivity.His everymovement is jealouslywatched by the police till he comes of age and presents himself forinspection; then he is either destroyed, if he is found to exceed the fixedmargin of deviation, or elseimmured in a Government Office as a clerk of the seventh class; prevented frommarriage; forced todrudgeatanuninterestingoccupationforamiserablestipend;obligedtoliveandboardattheoffice,andtotakeevenhisvacationunderclosesupervision;whatwonderthathumannature,eveninthebestand

purest,isembitteredandpervertedbysuchsurroundings!"

All this very plausible reasoning does not convinceme, as it has not convinced thewisest of ourStatesmen, that our ancestors erred in laying it down as an axiom of policy that the toleration ofIrregularityisincompatiblewiththesafetyoftheState.Doubtless,thelifeofanIrregularishard;buttheinterests of the Greater Number require that it shall be hard. If a man with a triangular front and apolygonal back were allowed to exist and to propagate a still more Irregular posterity, what wouldbecomeof theartsof life?Arethehousesanddoorsandchurches inFlatlandtobealteredinorder toaccommodatesuchmonsters?Areourticket-collectorstoberequiredtomeasureeveryman'sperimeterbefore they allow him to enter a theatre or to take his place in a lecture room? Is an Irregular to beexemptedfromthemilitia?Andifnot,howishetobepreventedfromcarryingdesolationintotheranksofhiscomrades?Again,what irresistible temptations to fraudulent imposturesmustneedsbeset suchacreature!Howeasyforhimtoenterashopwithhispolygonalfrontforemost,andtoordergoodstoanyextentfromaconfidingtradesman!LettheadvocatesofafalselycalledPhilanthropypleadastheymayfortheabrogationoftheIrregularPenalLaws,IformyparthaveneverknownanIrregularwhowasnotalsowhatNatureevidentlyintendedhimtobe—ahypocrite,amisanthropist,and,uptothelimitsofhispower,aperpetratorofallmannerofmischief.

Not that I should be disposed to recommend (at present) the extrememeasures adopted by someStates,wherean infantwhoseangledeviatesbyhalfadegree fromthecorrectangularity is summarilydestroyedatbirth.Someofourhighestandablestmen,menofrealgenius,haveduringtheirearliestdayslaboured under deviations as great as, or even greater than, forty-five minutes: and the loss of theirpreciousliveswouldhavebeenanirreparableinjuryto theState.Theartofhealingalsohasachievedsomeof itsmostglorious triumphs in thecompressions,extensions, trepannings,colligations,andothersurgical or diaetetic operations by which Irregularity has been partly or wholly cured. AdvocatingthereforeaVIAMEDIA, Iwould laydownno fixedorabsolute lineofdemarcation;butat theperiodwhen the frame is just beginning to set, and when the Medical Board has reported that recovery isimprobable,IwouldsuggestthattheIrregularoffspringbepainlesslyandmercifullyconsumed.

Section8.OftheAncientPracticeofPainting

IfmyReadershavefollowedmewithanyattentionuptothispoint,theywillnotbesurprisedtohearthat life issomewhatdull inFlatland. Idonot,ofcourse,mean that therearenotbattles,conspiracies,tumults, factions, and all those other phenomenawhich are supposed tomakeHistory interesting; norwouldIdenythatthestrangemixtureoftheproblemsoflifeandtheproblemsofMathematics,continuallyinducingconjectureandgivingtheopportunityofimmediateverification,impartstoourexistenceazestwhichyouinSpacelandcanhardlycomprehend.IspeaknowfromtheaestheticandartisticpointofviewwhenIsaythatlifewithusisdull;aestheticallyandartistically,verydullindeed.

Howcanitbeotherwise,whenallone'sprospect,allone'slandscapes,historicalpieces,portraits,flowers, still life, are nothing but a single line, with no varieties except degrees of brightness andobscurity?

It was not always thus. Colour, if Tradition speaks the truth, once for the space of half a dozencenturiesormore,threwatransientsplendouroverthelivesofourancestorsintheremotestages.Someprivate individual—a Pentagon whose name is variously reported—having casually discovered theconstituentsofthesimplercoloursandarudimentarymethodofpainting,issaidtohavebegundecoratingfirsthishouse,thenhisslaves,thenhisFather,hisSons,andGrandsons,lastlyhimself.Theconvenienceaswellas thebeautyof theresultscommendedthemselves toall.WhereverChromatistes,—forbythatname themost trustworthy authorities concur in calling him,—turned his variegated frame, there he atonceexcitedattention,andattractedrespect.Noonenowneededto"feel"him;noonemistookhisfrontforhisback;allhismovementswerereadilyascertainedbyhisneighbourswithouttheslighteststrainontheirpowersofcalculation;noonejostledhim,orfailedtomakewayforhim;hisvoicewassavedthelabour of that exhausting utterance bywhichwe colourless Squares andPentagons are often forced toproclaimourindividualitywhenwemoveamidacrowdofignorantIsosceles.

Thefashionspreadlikewildfire.Beforeaweekwasover,everySquareandTriangleinthedistricthadcopiedtheexampleofChromatistes,andonlyafewofthemoreconservativePentagonsstillheldout.AmonthortwofoundeventheDodecagonsinfectedwiththeinnovation.AyearhadnotelapsedbeforethehabithadspreadtoallbuttheveryhighestoftheNobility.Needlesstosay,thecustomsoonmadeitsway from thedistrictofChromatistes to surrounding regions; andwithin twogenerationsnoone inallFlatlandwascolourlessexcepttheWomenandthePriests.

HereNatureherselfappearedtoerectabarrier,andtopleadagainstextendingtheinnovationtothesetwoclasses.Many-sidednesswasalmostessentialasapretextfortheInnovators."DistinctionofsidesisintendedbyNaturetoimplydistinctionofcolours"—suchwasthesophismwhichinthosedaysflewfrommouth tomouth,convertingwhole townsata time to thenewculture.Butmanifestly toourPriestsandWomenthisadagedidnotapply.Thelatterhadonlyoneside,andtherefore—plurallyandpedanticallyspeaking—NO SIDES. The former—if at least they would assert their claim to be really and trulyCircles,andnotmerehigh-classPolygonswithaninfinitelylargenumberofinfinitesimallysmallsides—were in thehabitofboasting (whatWomenconfessedanddeplored) that theyalsohadnosides,beingblessedwithaperimeterofoneline,or,inotherwords,aCircumference.HenceitcametopassthatthesetwoClassescouldseenoforceintheso-calledaxiomabout"DistinctionofSidesimplyingDistinctionofColour";andwhenallothershadsuccumbedtothefascinationsofcorporaldecoration,thePriestsandthe

Womenalonestillremainedpurefromthepollutionofpaint.

Immoral, licentious, anarchical, unscientific—call them by what names you will—yet, from anaestheticpointofview, thoseancientdaysof theColourRevoltwere thegloriouschildhoodofArt inFlatland—achildhood,alas,thatneverripenedintomanhood,norevenreachedtheblossomofyouth.Tolivewastheninitselfadelight,becauselivingimpliedseeing.Evenatasmallparty,thecompanywasapleasuretobehold;therichlyvariedhuesoftheassemblyinachurchortheatrearesaidtohavemorethanonceprovedtoodistractingforourgreatestteachersandactors;butmostravishingofallissaidtohavebeentheunspeakablemagnificenceofamilitaryreview.

ThesightofalineofbattleoftwentythousandIsoscelessuddenlyfacingabout,andexchangingthesombreblackof theirbases for theorangeandpurpleof the twosides including their acuteangle; themilitiaoftheEquilateralTrianglestricolouredinred,white,andblue;themauve,ultra-marine,gamboge,and burnt umber of theSquare artillerymen rapidly rotating near their vermilion guns; the dashing andflashingofthefive-colouredandsix-colouredPentagonsandHexagonscareeringacrossthefieldintheirofficesofsurgeons,geometriciansandaides-de-camp—allthesemaywellhavebeensufficienttorendercrediblethefamousstoryhowanillustriousCircle,overcomebytheartisticbeautyoftheforcesunderhis command, threw aside his marshal's baton and his royal crown, exclaiming that he henceforthexchanged themfor theartist'spencil.Howgreatandglorious the sensuousdevelopmentof thesedaysmusthavebeenis inpart indicatedbythevery languageandvocabularyof theperiod.ThecommonestutterancesofthecommonestcitizensinthetimeoftheColourRevoltseemtohavebeensuffusedwitharicher tingeofwordor thought;andto thateraweareevennowindebtedforourfinestpoetryandforwhateverrhythmstillremainsinthemorescientificutteranceofthesemoderndays.

Section9.OftheUniversalColourBill

ButmeanwhiletheintellectualArtswerefastdecaying.

TheArtofSightRecognition,beingno longerneeded,wasno longerpractised; and the studiesofGeometry,Statics,Kinetics,andotherkindredsubjects,camesoontobeconsideredsuperfluous,andfellintodisrespectandneglectevenatourUniversity.TheinferiorArtofFeelingspeedilyexperiencedthesame fateatourElementarySchools.Then the Isoscelesclasses, asserting that theSpecimenswerenolongerusednorneeded,andrefusingtopaythecustomarytributefromtheCriminalclassestotheserviceofEducation,waxeddailymorenumerousandmoreinsolentonthestrengthoftheirimmunityfromtheoldburdenwhichhadformerlyexercisedthetwofoldwholesomeeffectofatoncetamingtheirbrutalnatureandthinningtheirexcessivenumbers.

YearbyyeartheSoldiersandArtisansbeganmorevehementlytoassert—andwithincreasingtruth—that therewas nogreat differencebetween themand the veryhighest class ofPolygons, now that theywereraisedtoanequalitywiththelatter,andenabledtograpplewithallthedifficultiesandsolvealltheproblemsoflife,whetherStaticalorKinetical,bythesimpleprocessofColourRecognition.Notcontent

withthenaturalneglectintowhichSightRecognitionwasfalling,theybeganboldlytodemandthelegalprohibitionofall "monopolizingandaristocraticArts"and theconsequentabolitionofallendowmentsforthestudiesofSightRecognition,Mathematics,andFeeling.Soon,theybegantoinsistthatinasmuchasColour,whichwasasecondNature,haddestroyedtheneedofaristocraticdistinctions,theLawshouldfollow in the same path, and that henceforth all individuals and all classes should be recognized asabsolutelyequalandentitledtoequalrights.

Finding the higher Orders wavering and undecided, the leaders of the Revolution advanced stillfurther in theirrequirements,andat lastdemandedthatallclassesalike, thePriestsandtheWomennotexcepted,shoulddohomagetoColourbysubmittingtobepainted.WhenitwasobjectedthatPriestsandWomenhadnosides,theyretortedthatNatureandExpediencyconcurredindictatingthatthefronthalfofeveryhumanbeing(thatistosay,thehalfcontaininghiseyeandmouth)shouldbedistinguishablefromhishinderhalf.TheythereforebroughtbeforeageneralandextraordinaryAssemblyofalltheStatesofFlatlandaBillproposingthatineveryWomanthehalfcontainingtheeyeandmouthshouldbecolouredred,andtheotherhalfgreen.ThePriestsweretobepaintedinthesameway,redbeingappliedtothatsemicircleinwhichtheeyeandmouthformedthemiddlepoint;whiletheotherorhindersemicirclewastobecolouredgreen.

Therewasnolittlecunninginthisproposal,whichindeedemanatednotfromanyIsosceles—fornobeingsodegradedwouldhavehadangularityenoughtoappreciate,muchlesstodevise,suchamodelofstate-craft—butfromanIrregularCirclewho,insteadofbeingdestroyedinhischildhood,wasreservedbyafoolishindulgencetobringdesolationonhiscountryanddestructiononmyriadsofhisfollowers.

OntheonehandthepropositionwascalculatedtobringtheWomeninallclassesovertothesideoftheChromaticInnovation.ForbyassigningtotheWomenthesametwocoloursaswereassignedtothePriests, theRevolutionists therebyensured that, incertainpositions,everyWomanwouldappear likeaPriest,andbetreatedwithcorrespondingrespectanddeference—aprospectthatcouldnotfailtoattracttheFemaleSexinamass.

ButbysomeofmyReadersthepossibilityoftheidenticalappearanceofPriestsandWomen,underthenewLegislation,maynotberecognized;ifso,awordortwowillmakeitobvious.

Imagine a woman duly decorated, according to the new Code; with the front half (i.e. the halfcontainingeyeandmouth)red,andwiththehinderhalfgreen.Lookatherfromoneside.Obviouslyyouwillseeastraightline,HALFRED,HALFGREEN.

Now imagine a Priest, whosemouth is atM, andwhose front semicircle (AMB) is consequentlycolouredred,whilehishindersemicircleisgreen;sothatthediameterABdividesthegreenfromthered.IfyoucontemplatetheGreatMansoastohaveyoureyeinthesamestraightlineashisdividingdiameter(AB),whatyouwillseewillbeastraightline(CBD),ofwhichONEHALF(CB)WILLBERED,ANDTHEOTHER(BD)GREEN.Thewholeline(CD)willberathershorterperhapsthanthatofafull-sizedWoman,andwillshadeoffmorerapidlytowardsitsextremities;buttheidentityofthecolourswouldgiveyouanimmediateimpressionofidentityofClass,makingyouneglectfulofotherdetails.BearinmindthedecayofSightRecognitionwhichthreatenedsocietyatthetimeoftheColourRevolt;addtoothecertaintythatWomenwouldspeedilylearntoshadeofftheirextremitiessoastoimitatetheCircles;itmustthenbesurelyobvioustoyou,mydearReader,thattheColourBillplacedusunderagreatdangerofconfoundingaPriestwithayoungWoman.

How attractive this prospect must have been to the Frail Sex may readily be imagined. Theyanticipated with delight the confusion that would ensue. At home they might hear political andecclesiastical secrets intended not for them but for their husbands and brothers, andmight even issuecommandsinthenameofapriestlyCircle;outofdoorsthestrikingcombinationofredandgreen,withoutadditionofanyothercolours,wouldbesure to leadthecommonpeople intoendlessmistakes,andtheWomenwouldgainwhatevertheCircleslost,inthedeferenceofthepassersby.Asforthescandalthatwould befall theCircularClass if the frivolous and unseemly conduct of theWomenwere imputed tothem,andas to theconsequentsubversionof theConstitution, theFemaleSexcouldnotbeexpectedtogive a thought to these considerations. Even in the households of the Circles, theWomenwere all infavouroftheUniversalColourBill.

ThesecondobjectaimedatbytheBillwasthegradualdemoralizationoftheCirclesthemselves.Inthegeneral intellectualdecay theystillpreserved theirpristineclearnessandstrengthofunderstanding.Fromtheirearliestchildhood,familiarizedintheirCircularhouseholdswiththetotalabsenceofColour,theNoblesalonepreservedtheSacredArtofSightRecognition,withalltheadvantagesthatresultfromthatadmirabletrainingoftheintellect.Hence,uptothedateoftheintroductionoftheUniversalColourBill, the Circles had not only held their own, but even increased their lead of the other classes byabstinencefromthepopularfashion.

NowthereforetheartfulIrregularwhomIdescribedaboveastherealauthorofthisdiabolicalBill,determinedatoneblowtolowerthestatusoftheHierarchybyforcingthemtosubmittothepollutionofColour, and at the same time to destroy their domestic opportunities of training in the Art of SightRecognition,soastoenfeebletheirintellectsbydeprivingthemoftheirpureandcolourlesshomes.Oncesubjectedtothechromatictaint,everyparentalandeverychildishCirclewoulddemoralizeeachother.Only in discerningbetween theFather and theMotherwould theCircular infant findproblems for theexerciseofitsunderstanding—problemstoooftenlikelytobecorruptedbymaternalimpostureswiththeresultofshakingthechild'sfaithinalllogicalconclusions.ThusbydegreestheintellectuallustreofthePriestlyOrderwouldwane,andtheroadwouldthenlieopenfora totaldestructionofallAristocraticLegislatureandforthesubversionofourPrivilegedClasses.

Section10.OftheSuppressionoftheChromaticSedition

TheagitationfortheUniversalColourBillcontinuedforthreeyears;anduptothelastmomentofthatperioditseemedasthoughAnarchyweredestinedtotriumph.

AwholearmyofPolygons,whoturnedouttofightasprivatesoldiers,wasutterlyannihilatedbyasuperior forceof IsoscelesTriangles—theSquaresandPentagonsmeanwhile remainingneutral.Worsethanall,someoftheablestCirclesfellapreytoconjugalfury.Infuriatedbypoliticalanimosity,thewivesinmanyanoblehouseholdweariedtheirlordswithprayerstogiveuptheiroppositiontotheColourBill;andsome, finding theirentreaties fruitless, fellonandslaughtered their innocentchildrenandhusband,perishingthemselvesintheactofcarnage.It isrecordedthatduringthat triennialagitationnolessthantwenty-threeCirclesperishedindomesticdiscord.

Great indeedwas theperil. It seemedas though thePriestshadnochoicebetweensubmissionandextermination;whensuddenlythecourseofeventswascompletelychangedbyoneofthosepicturesqueincidentswhichStatesmenoughtnevertoneglect,oftentoanticipate,andsometimesperhapstooriginate,becauseoftheabsurdlydisproportionatepowerwithwhichtheyappealtothesympathiesofthepopulace.

It happened that an Isosceles of a low type, with a brain little if at all above four degrees—accidentallydabblinginthecoloursofsomeTradesmanwhoseshophehadplundered—paintedhimself,orcausedhimselftobepainted(forthestoryvaries)withthetwelvecoloursofaDodecagon.GoingintotheMarketPlaceheaccostedinafeignedvoiceamaiden,theorphandaughterofanoblePolygon,whoseaffectioninformerdayshehadsoughtinvain;andbyaseriesofdeceptions—aided,ontheoneside,byastring of lucky accidents too long to relate, and on the other, by an almost inconceivable fatuity andneglectofordinaryprecautionsonthepartoftherelationsofthebride—hesucceededinconsummatingthe marriage. The unhappy girl committed suicide on discovering the fraud to which she had beensubjected.

WhenthenewsofthiscatastrophespreadfromStatetoStatethemindsoftheWomenwereviolentlyagitated.Sympathywiththemiserablevictimandanticipationsofsimilardeceptionsforthemselves,theirsisters,andtheirdaughters,madethemnowregardtheColourBillinanentirelynewaspect.Notafewopenly avowed themselves converted to antagonism; the rest needed only a slight stimulus tomake asimilar avowal. Seizing this favourable opportunity, the Circles hastily convened an extraordinaryAssemblyof theStates;andbesides theusualguardofConvicts, theysecuredtheattendanceofa largenumberofreactionaryWomen.

Amidstanunprecedentedconcourse,theChiefCircleofthosedays—bynamePantocyclus—arosetofindhimselfhissedandhootedbyahundredand twenty thousand Isosceles.Buthe secured silencebydeclaringthathenceforththeCircleswouldenteronapolicyofConcession;yieldingtothewishesofthemajority,theywouldaccepttheColourBill.Theuproarbeingatonceconvertedtoapplause,heinvitedChromatistes,theleaderoftheSedition,intothecentreofthehall,toreceiveinthenameofhisfollowersthe submission of the Hierarchy. Then followed a speech, a masterpiece of rhetoric, which occupiednearlyadayinthedelivery,andtowhichnosummarycandojustice.

With a grave appearance of impartiality he declared that as they were now finally committingthemselvestoReformorInnovation,itwasdesirablethattheyshouldtakeonelastviewoftheperimeter

of the whole subject, its defects as well as its advantages. Gradually introducing the mention of thedangerstotheTradesmen,theProfessionalClassesandtheGentlemen,hesilencedtherisingmurmursoftheIsoscelesbyremindingthemthat,inspiteofallthesedefects,hewaswillingtoaccepttheBillifitwasapprovedbythemajority.Butitwasmanifestthatall,excepttheIsosceles,weremovedbyhiswordsandwereeitherneutraloraversetotheBill.

Turningnowto theWorkmenheasserted that their interestsmustnotbeneglected,and that, if theyintendedtoaccepttheColourBill,theyoughtatleasttodosowithfullviewoftheconsequences.Manyof them, he said, were on the point of being admitted to the class of the Regular Triangles; othersanticipatedfortheirchildrenadistinctiontheycouldnothopeforthemselves.Thathonourableambitionwouldnowhave tobe sacrificed.With theuniversal adoptionofColour, alldistinctionswouldcease;Regularity would be confused with Irregularity; development would give place to retrogression; theWorkmanwouldinafewgenerationsbedegradedtotheleveloftheMilitary,oreventheConvictClass;politicalpowerwouldbe in thehandsof thegreatestnumber, that is tosay theCriminalClasses,whowere alreadymore numerous than theWorkmen, andwould soon out-number all the otherClasses puttogetherwhentheusualCompensativeLawsofNaturewereviolated.

A subdued murmur of assent ran through the ranks of the Artisans, and Chromatistes, in alarm,attemptedtostepforwardandaddressthem.Buthefoundhimselfencompassedwithguardsandforcedtoremain silentwhile theChiefCircle in a few impassionedwordsmade a final appeal to theWomen,exclaiming that, if theColourBill passed, nomarriagewould henceforth be safe, nowoman's honoursecure;fraud,deception,hypocrisywouldpervadeeveryhousehold;domesticblisswouldsharethefateoftheConstitutionandpasstospeedyperdition."Soonerthanthis,"hecried,"Comedeath."

At thesewords,whichwere thepreconcerted signal for action, the IsoscelesConvicts fell on andtransfixedthewretchedChromatistes;theRegularClasses,openingtheirranks,madewayforabandofWomenwho, under direction of the Circles,moved, back foremost, invisibly and unerringly upon theunconscious soldiers; the Artisans, imitating the example of their betters, also opened their ranks.MeantimebandsofConvictsoccupiedeveryentrancewithanimpenetrablephalanx.

The battle, or rather carnage, was of short duration. Under the skillful generalship of the CirclesalmosteveryWoman'schargewasfatalandverymanyextractedtheirstinguninjured,readyforasecondslaughter.Butno secondblowwasneeded; the rabbleof the Isoscelesdid the rest of thebusiness forthemselves.Surprised, leader-less,attacked in frontby invisible foes,andfindingegresscutoffby theConvictsbehindthem,theyatonce—aftertheirmanner—lostallpresenceofmind,andraisedthecryof"treachery".Thissealedtheirfate.EveryIsoscelesnowsawandfeltafoeineveryother.Inhalfanhournotoneofthatvastmultitudewasliving;andthefragmentsofsevenscorethousandoftheCriminalClassslainbyoneanother'sanglesattestedthetriumphofOrder.

The Circles delayed not to push their victory to the uttermost. TheWorkingMen they spared butdecimated. The Militia of the Equilaterals was at once called out; and every Triangle suspected ofIrregularity on reasonable grounds, was destroyed by Court Martial, without the formality of exactmeasurement by theSocialBoard.Thehomesof theMilitary andArtisan classeswere inspected in acourseofvisitationsextendingthroughupwardsofayear;andduringthatperiodeverytown,village,andhamletwassystematicallypurgedofthatexcessofthelowerorderswhichhadbeenbroughtaboutbytheneglect topay the tributeofCriminals to theSchools andUniversity, andby theviolationof theothernaturalLawsoftheConstitutionofFlatland.Thusthebalanceofclasseswasagainrestored.

NeedlesstosaythathenceforththeuseofColourwasabolished,anditspossessionprohibited.EventheutteranceofanyworddenotingColour,exceptbytheCirclesorbyqualifiedscientificteachers,waspunishedbyaseverepenalty.OnlyatourUniversityinsomeoftheveryhighestandmostesotericclasses—whichImyselfhaveneverbeenprivilegedtoattend—itisunderstoodthatthesparinguseofColourisstillsanctionedforthepurposeofillustratingsomeofthedeeperproblemsofmathematics.ButofthisIcanonlyspeakfromhearsay.

ElsewhereinFlatland,Colourisnownon-existent.Theartofmakingitisknowntoonlyonelivingperson,theChiefCircleforthetimebeing;andbyhimitishandeddownonhisdeath-bedtononebuthisSuccessor.Onemanufactoryaloneproducesit;and,lestthesecretshouldbebetrayed,theWorkmenareannuallyconsumed,andfreshonesintroduced.SogreatistheterrorwithwhichevennowourAristocracylooksbacktothefar-distantdaysoftheagitationfortheUniversalColourBill.

Section11.ConcerningourPriests

ItishightimethatIshouldpassfromthesebriefanddiscursivenotesaboutthingsinFlatlandtothecentraleventofthisbook,myinitiationintothemysteriesofSpace.THATismysubject;allthathasgonebeforeismerelypreface.

For this reason Imust omitmanymatters ofwhich the explanationwould not, I flattermyself, bewithout interest for my Readers: as for example, our method of propelling and stopping ourselves,although destitute of feet; the means by which we give fixity to structures of wood, stone, or brick,althoughofcoursewehavenohands,norcanwelayfoundationsasyoucan,noravailourselvesofthelateralpressureoftheearth;themannerinwhichtherainoriginatesintheintervalsbetweenourvariouszones,sothatthenorthernregionsdonotinterceptthemoisturefromfallingonthesouthern;thenatureofour hills andmines, our trees and vegetables, our seasons and harvests; our Alphabet andmethod ofwriting,adaptedtoourlineartablets;theseandahundredotherdetailsofourphysicalexistenceImustpassover,nordoImentionthemnowexcepttoindicatetomyreadersthattheiromissionproceedsnotfromforgetfulnessonthepartoftheauthor,butfromhisregardforthetimeoftheReader.

YetbeforeIproceedtomylegitimatesubjectsomefewfinalremarkswillnodoubtbeexpectedbymyReadersuponthosepillarsandmainstaysoftheConstitutionofFlatland,thecontrollersofourconductandshapersofourdestiny,theobjectsofuniversalhomageandalmostofadoration:needIsaythatImeanourCirclesorPriests?

WhenIcall themPriests, letmenotbeunderstoodasmeaningnomore than the termdenoteswithyou. With us, our Priests are Administrators of all Business, Art, and Science; Directors of Trade,Commerce, Generalship, Architecture, Engineering, Education, Statesmanship, Legislature, Morality,Theology;doingnothingthemselves,theyaretheCausesofeverythingworthdoing,thatisdonebyothers.

Although popularly everyone called a Circle is deemed a Circle, yet among the better educatedClassesitisknownthatnoCircleisreallyaCircle,butonlyaPolygonwithaverylargenumberofvery

small sides.As the number of the sides increases, a Polygon approximates to aCircle; and,when thenumberisverygreatindeed,sayforexamplethreeorfourhundred,itisextremelydifficultforthemostdelicatetouchtofeelanypolygonalangles.Letmesayrather,itWOULDbedifficult:for,asIhaveshownabove,Recognition byFeeling is unknown among the highest society, and toFEELaCirclewould beconsideredamostaudacious insult.Thishabitofabstention fromFeeling in thebest societyenablesaCircle themore easily to sustain the veil ofmystery in which, from his earliest years, he is wont toenwrap the exact nature of his Perimeter or Circumference. Three feet being the average Perimeter itfollowsthat,inaPolygonofthreehundredsideseachsidewillbenomorethanthehundredthpartofafootinlength,orlittlemorethanthetenthpartofaninch;andinaPolygonofsixorsevenhundredsidesthesidesare little larger thanthediameterofaSpacelandpin-head.It isalwaysassumed,bycourtesy,thattheChiefCircleforthetimebeinghastenthousandsides.

TheascentoftheposterityoftheCirclesinthesocialscaleisnotrestricted,asitisamongthelowerRegularclasses,bytheLawofNaturewhichlimitstheincreaseofsidestooneineachgeneration.Ifitwereso, thenumberofsides inaCirclewouldbeamerequestionofpedigreeandarithmetic,andthefourhundredandninety-seventhdescendantofanEquilateralTrianglewouldnecessarilybeaPolygonwith five hundred sides. But this is not the case. Nature's Law prescribes two antagonistic decreesaffecting Circular propagation; first, that as the race climbs higher in the scale of development, sodevelopment shall proceed at an accelerated pace; second, that in the same proportion, the race shallbecomelessfertile.ConsequentlyinthehomeofaPolygonoffourorfivehundredsidesitisraretofindason;morethanoneisneverseen.Ontheotherhandthesonofafive-hundred-sidedPolygonhasbeenknowntopossessfivehundredandfifty,orevensixhundredsides.

ArtalsostepsintohelptheprocessofthehigherEvolution.OurphysicianshavediscoveredthatthesmallandtendersidesofaninfantPolygonofthehigherclasscanbefractured,andhiswholeframere-set,withsuchexactnessthataPolygonoftwoorthreehundredsidessometimes—bynomeansalways,fortheprocessisattendedwithseriousrisk—butsometimesoverleapstwoorthreehundredgenerations,andasitweredoublesatastroke,thenumberofhisprogenitorsandthenobilityofhisdescent.

Manyapromisingchildissacrificedinthisway.Scarcelyoneoutoftensurvives.YetsostrongistheparentalambitionamongthosePolygonswhoare,asitwere,onthefringeoftheCircularclass,thatitisveryraretofindaNoblemanofthatpositioninsociety,whohasneglectedtoplacehisfirst-bornintheCircularNeo-TherapeuticGymnasiumbeforehehasattainedtheageofamonth.

Oneyeardeterminessuccessorfailure.Attheendofthattimethechildhas,inallprobability,addedone more to the tombstones that crowd the Neo-Therapeutic Cemetery; but on rare occasions a gladprocessionbearsbackthelittleonetohisexultantparents,nolongeraPolygon,butaCircle,atleastbycourtesy:andasingleinstanceofsoblessedaresultinducesmultitudesofPolygonalparentstosubmittosimilardomesticsacrifices,whichhaveadissimilarissue.

Section12.OftheDoctrineofourPriests

As to the doctrine of theCircles itmay briefly be summedup in a singlemaxim, "Attend to yourConfiguration." Whether political, ecclesiastical, or moral, all their teaching has for its object theimprovement of individual and collective Configuration—with special reference of course to theConfigurationoftheCircles,towhichallotherobjectsaresubordinated.

It is themeritof theCircles that theyhaveeffectuallysuppressed thoseancientheresieswhich ledmen towaste energy and sympathy in the vain belief that conduct depends uponwill, effort, training,encouragement, praise, or anything else but Configuration. It was Pantocyclus—the illustrious Circlementionedabove,as thequellerof theColourRevolt—whofirstconvincedmankind thatConfigurationmakestheman;thatif,forexample,youarebornanIsosceleswithtwounevensides,youwillassuredlygowrongunlessyouhave themmadeeven—forwhichpurposeyoumustgo to the IsoscelesHospital;similarly, if youare aTriangle, orSquare, or evenaPolygon,bornwith any Irregularity, youmustbetakentooneoftheRegularHospitalstohaveyourdiseasecured;otherwiseyouwillendyourdaysintheStatePrisonorbytheangleoftheStateExecutioner.

Allfaultsordefects,fromtheslightestmisconducttothemostflagitiouscrime,PantocyclusattributedtosomedeviationfromperfectRegularityinthebodilyfigure,causedperhaps(ifnotcongenital)bysomecollisioninacrowd;byneglecttotakeexercise,orbytakingtoomuchofit;orevenbyasuddenchangeoftemperature,resultinginashrinkageorexpansioninsometoosusceptiblepartoftheframe.Therefore,concludedthatillustriousPhilosopher,neithergoodconductnorbadconductisafitsubject,inanysoberestimation,foreitherpraiseorblame.Forwhyshouldyoupraise,forexample,theintegrityofaSquarewho faithfully defends the interests of his client,when you ought in reality rather to admire the exactprecisionofhis rightangles?Oragain,whyblamea lying, thievishIsosceleswhenyououghtrather todeploretheincurableinequalityofhissides?

Theoretically, this doctrine is unquestionable; but it has practical drawbacks. In dealing with anIsosceles,ifarascalpleadsthathecannothelpstealingbecauseofhisunevenness,youreplythatforthatveryreason,becausehecannothelpbeinganuisancetohisneighbours,you,theMagistrate,cannothelpsentencinghimtobeconsumed—andthere'sanendofthematter.Butinlittledomesticdifficulties,wherethepenaltyofconsumption,ordeath,isoutofthequestion,thistheoryofConfigurationsometimescomesinawkwardly;andImustconfessthatoccasionallywhenoneofmyownHexagonalGrandsonspleadsasan excuse for his disobedience that a sudden change of the temperature has been too much for hisPerimeter, and that I ought to lay the blame not on him but on his Configuration, which can only bestrengthened by abundance of the choicest sweetmeats, I neither see my way logically to reject, norpracticallytoaccept,hisconclusions.

Formyownpart,IfinditbesttoassumethatagoodsoundscoldingorcastigationhassomelatentandstrengtheninginfluenceonmyGrandson'sConfiguration;thoughIownthatIhavenogroundsforthinkingso.AtalleventsIamnotaloneinmywayofextricatingmyselffromthisdilemma;forIfindthatmanyofthehighestCircles,sittingasJudgesinlawcourts,usepraiseandblametowardsRegularandIrregularFigures; and in their homes I knowby experience that,when scolding their children, they speak about"right"or"wrong"asvehementlyandpassionatelyasiftheybelievedthatthesenamesrepresentedrealexistences,andthatahumanFigureisreallycapableofchoosingbetweenthem.

Constantly carrying out their policy of making Configuration the leading idea in every mind, theCircles reverse the nature of that Commandment which in Spaceland regulates the relations betweenparentsandchildren.Withyou,childrenaretaughttohonourtheirparents;withus—nexttotheCircles,

whoarethechiefobjectofuniversalhomage—amanistaughttohonourhisGrandson,ifhehasone;or,ifnot,hisSon.By"honour",however, isbynomeansmeant"indulgence",buta reverent regardfor theirhighestinterests:andtheCirclesteachthatthedutyoffathersistosubordinatetheirownintereststothoseof posterity, thereby advancing thewelfare of thewhole State aswell as that of their own immediatedescendants.

Theweakpoint in thesystemof theCircles—ifahumbleSquaremayventure tospeakofanythingCircular as containing any element of weakness—appears to me to be found in their relations withWomen.

Asit isof theutmost importanceforSociety thatIrregularbirthsshouldbediscouraged, it followsthat noWomanwho has any Irregularities in her ancestry is a fit partner for onewho desires that hisposterityshouldrisebyregulardegreesinthesocialscale.

Now the Irregularity of a Male is a matter of measurement; but as all Women are straight, andthereforevisiblyRegularsotospeak,onehastodevisesomeothermeansofascertainingwhatImaycalltheirinvisibleIrregularity,thatistosaytheirpotentialIrregularitiesasregardspossibleoffspring.Thisiseffected by carefully-kept pedigrees, which are preserved and supervised by the State; andwithout acertifiedpedigreenoWomanisallowedtomarry.

NowitmighthavebeensupposedthataCircle—proudofhisancestryandregardfulforaposteritywhichmightpossiblyissuehereafterinaChiefCircle—wouldbemorecarefulthananyothertochooseawifewhohadnoblotonherescutcheon.Butitisnotso.ThecareinchoosingaRegularwifeappearstodiminishasonerisesinthesocialscale.NothingwouldinduceanaspiringIsosceles,whohadhopesofgeneratinganEquilateralSon,totakeawifewhoreckonedasingleIrregularityamongherAncestors;aSquareorPentagon,whoisconfident thathis family issteadilyon therise,doesnot inquireabove thefive-hundredthgeneration;aHexagonorDodecagonisevenmorecarelessofthewife'spedigree;butaCirclehasbeenknowndeliberately to takeawifewhohashadanIrregularGreat-Grandfather,andallbecauseofsomeslightsuperiorityof lustre,orbecauseof thecharmsofa lowvoice—which,withus,evenmorethanyou,isthought"anexcellentthinginWoman".

Such ill-judged marriages are, as might be expected, barren, if they do not result in positiveIrregularityorindiminutionofsides;butnoneoftheseevilshavehithertoprovedsufficientlydeterrent.The loss of a few sides in a highly-developed Polygon is not easily noticed, and is sometimescompensatedbyasuccessfuloperation in theNeo-TherapeuticGymnasium,asIhavedescribedabove;andtheCirclesaretoomuchdisposedtoacquiesceininfecundityasaLawofthesuperiordevelopment.Yet,ifthisevilbenotarrested,thegradualdiminutionoftheCircularclassmaysoonbecomemorerapid,and the timemaybenot fardistantwhen, the racebeingno longerable toproduceaChiefCircle, theConstitutionofFlatlandmustfall.

Oneotherwordofwarningsuggestsitselftome,thoughIcannotsoeasilymentionaremedy;andthisalso refers to our relationswithWomen.About three hundred years ago, itwas decreed by theChiefCircle that, sincewomen are deficient inReason but abundant inEmotion, they ought no longer to betreated as rational, nor receive anymental education. The consequencewas that theywere no longertaughttoread,noreventomasterArithmeticenoughtoenablethemtocounttheanglesoftheirhusbandorchildren;andhencetheysensiblydeclinedduringeachgenerationinintellectualpower.Andthissystemoffemalenon-educationorquietismstillprevails.

Myfearisthat,withthebestintentions,thispolicyhasbeencarriedsofarastoreactinjuriouslyontheMaleSex.

Fortheconsequenceisthat,asthingsnoware,weMaleshavetoleadakindofbi-lingual,andImayalmost say bi-mental, existence. With Women, we speak of "love", "duty", "right", "wrong", "pity","hope",andotherirrationalandemotionalconceptions,whichhavenoexistence,andthefictionofwhichhasnoobjectexcepttocontrolfeminineexuberances;butamongourselves,andinourbooks,wehaveanentirely different vocabulary and I may almost say, idiom. "Love" then becomes "the anticipation ofbenefits"; "duty" becomes "necessity" or "fitness"; and other words are correspondingly transmuted.Moreover, amongWomen,weuse language implying theutmostdeference for theirSex; and they fullybelieve that theChiefCircleHimself isnotmoredevoutlyadoredbyus than theyare:butbehind theirbacks they are both regarded and spoken of—by all except the very young—as being little better than"mindlessorganisms".

OurTheologyalsointheWomen'schambersisentirelydifferentfromourTheologyelsewhere.

Nowmyhumblefearisthatthisdoubletraining,inlanguageaswellasinthought,imposessomewhattooheavyaburdenupontheyoung,especiallywhen,attheageofthreeyearsold,theyaretakenfromthematernal care and taught to unlearn the old language—except for the purpose of repeating it in thepresence of their Mothers and Nurses—and to learn the vocabulary and idiom of science. AlreadymethinksIdiscernaweaknessinthegraspofmathematicaltruthatthepresenttimeascomparedwiththemorerobustintellectofourancestorsthreehundredyearsago.IsaynothingofthepossibledangerifaWomanshouldeversurreptitiouslylearntoreadandconveytoherSextheresultofherperusalofasinglepopularvolume;norof thepossibility that the indiscretionordisobedienceof some infantMalemightrevealtoaMotherthesecretsofthelogicaldialect.OnthesimplegroundoftheenfeeblingoftheMaleintellect, I rest this humble appeal to the highest Authorities to reconsider the regulations of Femaleeducation.

PARTII:OTHERWORLDS

"Obravenewworlds,thathavesuchpeopleinthem!"

Section13.HowIhadaVisionofLineland

Itwasthelastdaybutoneofthe1999thyearofourera,andthefirstdayoftheLongVacation.Havingamusedmyself till a late hourwithmy favourite recreation ofGeometry, I had retired to restwith anunsolvedprobleminmymind.InthenightIhadadream.

IsawbeforemeavastmultitudeofsmallStraightLines(whichInaturallyassumedtobeWomen)interspersedwithotherBeingsstillsmallerandofthenatureoflustrouspoints—allmovingtoandfroinoneandthesameStraightLine,and,asnearlyasIcouldjudge,withthesamevelocity.

Anoiseofconfused,multitudinouschirpingortwitteringissuedfromthematintervalsaslongastheyweremoving;butsometimestheyceasedfrommotion,andthenallwassilence.

ApproachingoneofthelargestofwhatIthoughttobeWomen,Iaccostedher,butreceivednoanswer.Asecondandathirdappealonmypartwereequallyineffectual.Losingpatienceatwhatappearedtomeintolerablerudeness,Ibroughtmymouthintoapositionfullinfrontofhermouthsoastointercepthermotion, and loudly repeatedmy question, "Woman,what signifies this concourse, and this strange andconfusedchirping,andthismonotonousmotiontoandfroinoneandthesameStraightLine?"

"IamnoWoman,"repliedthesmallLine."IamtheMonarchoftheworld.Butthou,whenceintrudestthouintomyrealmofLineland?"Receivingthisabruptreply,IbeggedpardonifIhadinanywaystartledormolestedhisRoyalHighness;anddescribingmyselfasastrangerIbesoughttheKingtogivemesomeaccountofhisdominions.ButIhadthegreatestpossibledifficultyinobtaininganyinformationonpointsthatreallyinterestedme;fortheMonarchcouldnotrefrainfromconstantlyassumingthatwhateverwasfamiliar to himmust also be known to me and that I was simulating ignorance in jest. However, byperseveringquestionsIelicitedthefollowingfacts:

It seemed that this poor ignorantMonarch—as he called himself—was persuaded that theStraightLinewhichhe calledhisKingdom, and inwhichhepassedhis existence, constituted thewholeof theworld,andindeedthewholeofSpace.Notbeingableeithertomoveortosee,saveinhisStraightLine,hehadnoconceptionofanythingoutofit.ThoughhehadheardmyvoicewhenIfirstaddressedhim,thesoundshadcometohiminamannersocontrarytohisexperiencethathehadmadenoanswer,"seeingno

man",asheexpressedit,"andhearingavoiceasitwerefrommyownintestines."UntilthemomentwhenI placedmymouth in hisWorld, he had neither seenme, nor heard anything except confused soundsbeatingagainst—whatIcalledhisside,butwhathecalledhisINSIDEorSTOMACH;norhadheevennowtheleastconceptionoftheregionfromwhichIhadcome.OutsidehisWorld,orLine,allwasablanktohim;nay,notevenablank,forablankimpliesSpace;say,rather,allwasnon-existent.

Hissubjects—ofwhomthesmallLinesweremenandthePointsWomen—wereallalikeconfinedinmotionandeye-sighttothatsingleStraightLine,whichwastheirWorld.Itneedscarcelybeaddedthatthewhole of their horizonwas limited to a Point; nor could any one ever see anything but a Point.Man,woman,child,thing—eachwasaPointtotheeyeofaLinelander.Onlybythesoundofthevoicecouldsexoragebedistinguished.Moreover,aseachindividualoccupiedthewholeofthenarrowpath,sotospeak,whichconstitutedhisUniverse,andnoonecouldmovetotherightorlefttomakewayforpassersby, it followed that no Linelander could ever pass another. Once neighbours, always neighbours.Neighbourhoodwiththemwaslikemarriagewithus.Neighboursremainedneighbourstilldeathdidthempart.

Such a life, with all vision limited to a Point, and all motion to a Straight Line, seemed to meinexpressiblydreary;andIwassurprised tonote thevivacityandcheerfulnessof theKing.Wonderingwhetheritwaspossible,amidcircumstancessounfavourabletodomesticrelations,toenjoythepleasuresofconjugalunion,IhesitatedforsometimetoquestionhisRoyalHighnessonsodelicateasubject;butatlast I plunged into it by abruptly inquiring as to the health of his family. "Mywives and children," hereplied,"arewellandhappy."

Staggeredatthisanswer—forintheimmediateproximityoftheMonarch(asIhadnotedinmydreambefore I entered Lineland) there were none but Men—I ventured to reply, "Pardon me, but I cannotimaginehowyourRoyalHighnesscanatanytimeeitherseeorapproachtheirMajesties,whenthereareatleasthalfadozeninterveningindividuals,whomyoucanneitherseethrough,norpassby?IsitpossiblethatinLinelandproximityisnotnecessaryformarriageandforthegenerationofchildren?"

"Howcanyouasksoabsurdaquestion?"repliedtheMonarch."Ifitwereindeedasyousuggest,theUniversewouldsoonbedepopulated.No,no;neighbourhoodisneedlessfortheunionofhearts;andthebirth of children is too important amatter to have been allowed to depend upon such an accident asproximity.Youcannotbeignorantofthis.Yetsinceyouarepleasedtoaffectignorance,IwillinstructyouasifyouweretheveriestbabyinLineland.Know,then,thatmarriagesareconsummatedbymeansofthefacultyofsoundandthesenseofhearing.

"YouareofcourseawarethateveryManhastwomouthsorvoices—aswellastwoeyes—abassatoneanda tenorat theotherofhisextremities. Ishouldnotmention this,but that Ihavebeenunable todistinguishyourtenorinthecourseofourconversation."IrepliedthatIhadbutonevoice,andthatIhadnotbeenawarethathisRoyalHighnesshadtwo."Thatconfirmsmyimpression,"saidtheKing,"thatyouare not a Man, but a feminine Monstrosity with a bass voice, and an utterly uneducated ear. But tocontinue.

"NaturehavingherselfordainedthateveryManshouldwedtwowives—""Whytwo?"askedI."Youcarry your affected simplicity too far", he cried. "How can there be a completely harmonious unionwithout the combination of theFour inOne, viz. theBass andTenor of theMan and the Soprano andContraltoofthetwoWomen?""Butsupposing,"saidI,"thatamanshouldpreferonewifeorthree?""Itisimpossible,"hesaid;"itisasinconceivableasthattwoandoneshouldmakefive,orthatthehumaneye

shouldseeaStraightLine."Iwouldhaveinterruptedhim;butheproceededasfollows:

"OnceinthemiddleofeachweekaLawofNaturecompelsustomovetoandfrowitharhythmicmotionofmorethanusualviolence,whichcontinuesforthetimeyouwouldtaketocountahundredandone.Inthemidstofthischoraldance,atthefifty-firstpulsation,theinhabitantsoftheUniversepauseinfull career, and each individual sends forth his richest, fullest, sweetest strain. It is in this decisivemoment that all ourmarriages aremade.So exquisite is the adaptationofBass toTreble, ofTenor toContralto, thatoftentimes theLovedOnes, though twenty thousand leagues away, recognize atonce theresponsivenoteoftheirdestinedLover;and,penetratingthepaltryobstaclesofdistance,Loveunitesthethree.ThemarriageinthatinstantconsummatedresultsinathreefoldMaleandFemaleoffspringwhichtakesitsplaceinLineland."

"What!Alwaysthreefold?"saidI."Mustonewifethenalwayshavetwins?"

"Bass-voiced Monstrosity! yes," replied the King. "How else could the balance of the Sexes bemaintained,iftwogirlswerenotbornforeveryboy?WouldyouignoretheveryAlphabetofNature?"Heceased,speechlessforfury;andsometimeelapsedbeforeIcouldinducehimtoresumehisnarrative.

"Youwillnot,ofcourse,supposethateverybacheloramongusfindshismatesatthefirstwooinginthisuniversalMarriageChorus.Onthecontrary,theprocessisbymostofusmanytimesrepeated.Feware theheartswhosehappylot it isatonce torecognize ineachother'svoices thepartner intendedforthembyProvidence,andtoflyintoareciprocalandperfectlyharmoniousembrace.Withmostofusthecourtshipisoflongduration.TheWooer'svoicesmayperhapsaccordwithoneofthefuturewives,butnotwithboth;ornot,atfirst,witheither;ortheSopranoandContraltomaynotquiteharmonize.InsuchcasesNaturehasprovided that everyweeklyChorus shall bring the threeLovers into closerharmony.Each trial of voice, each fresh discovery of discord, almost imperceptibly induces the less perfect tomodifyhisorhervocalutterancesoastoapproximatetothemoreperfect.Andaftermanytrialsandmanyapproximations, the result is at last achieved. There comes a day at last, when, while the wontedMarriageChorusgoesforthfromuniversalLineland,thethreefar-offLoverssuddenlyfindthemselvesinexactharmony,and,beforetheyareawake,theweddedTripletisraptvocallyintoaduplicateembrace;andNaturerejoicesoveronemoremarriageandoverthreemorebirths."

Section14.HowIvainlytriedtoexplainthenatureofFlatland

ThinkingthatitwastimetobringdowntheMonarchfromhisrapturestothelevelofcommonsense,Ideterminedtoendeavourtoopenuptohimsomeglimpsesofthetruth,thatistosayofthenatureofthingsinFlatland.SoIbeganthus:"HowdoesyourRoyalHighnessdistinguishtheshapesandpositionsofhissubjects?I formypartnoticedby thesenseofsight,beforeIenteredyourKingdom, thatsomeofyourpeople are Lines and others Points, and that some of the Lines are larger—" "You speak of animpossibility,"interruptedtheKing;"youmusthaveseenavision;fortodetectthedifferencebetweenaLineandaPointbythesenseofsightis,aseveryoneknows,inthenatureofthings,impossible;butitcan

bedetectedbythesenseofhearing,andbythesamemeansmyshapecanbeexactlyascertained.Beholdme—IamaLine,thelongestinLineland,oversixinchesofSpace—""OfLength",Iventuredtosuggest."Fool,"saidhe,"SpaceisLength.Interruptmeagain,andIhavedone."

Iapologized;buthecontinuedscornfully,"Sinceyouareimpervioustoargument,youshallhearwithyourearshowbymeansofmytwovoicesIrevealmyshapetomyWives,whoareat thismomentsixthousandmiles seventy yards two feet eight inches away, the one to theNorth, the other to the South.Listen,Icalltothem."

Hechirruped,andthencomplacentlycontinued:"Mywivesatthismomentreceivingthesoundofoneofmyvoices,closelyfollowedbytheother,andperceivingthatthelatterreachesthemafteranintervalinwhichsoundcantraverse6.457inches,inferthatoneofmymouthsis6.457inchesfurtherfromthemthantheother,andaccordinglyknowmyshapetobe6.457inches.Butyouwillofcourseunderstandthatmywivesdonotmakethiscalculationeverytimetheyhearmytwovoices.Theymadeit,onceforall,beforeweweremarried.ButtheyCOULDmakeitatanytime.AndinthesamewayIcanestimatetheshapeofanyofmyMalesubjectsbythesenseofsound."

"Buthow,"saidI,"ifaManfeignsaWoman'svoicewithoneofhistwovoices,orsodisguiseshisSouthernvoicethatitcannotberecognizedastheechooftheNorthern?Maynotsuchdeceptionscausegreat inconvenience? And have you no means of checking frauds of this kind by commanding yourneighbouringsubjectstofeeloneanother?"Thisofcoursewasaverystupidquestion,forfeelingcouldnot have answered the purpose; but I askedwith the view of irritating theMonarch, and I succeededperfectly.

"What!"criedheinhorror,"explainyourmeaning.""Feel,touch,comeintocontact,"Ireplied."IfyoumeanbyFEELING,"saidtheKing,"approachingsocloseastoleavenospacebetweentwoindividuals,know,Stranger,thatthisoffenceispunishableinmydominionsbydeath.Andthereasonisobvious.ThefrailformofaWoman,beingliabletobeshatteredbysuchanapproximation,mustbepreservedbytheState; but since Women cannot be distinguished by the sense of sight from Men, the Law ordainsuniversallythatneitherMannorWomanshallbeapproachedsocloselyastodestroytheintervalbetweentheapproximatorandtheapproximated.

"And indeed what possible purpose would be served by this illegal and unnatural excess ofapproximation which you call TOUCHING, when all the ends of so brutal and coarse a process areattainedatoncemoreeasilyandmoreexactlyby thesenseofhearing?As toyoursuggesteddangerofdeception, it isnon-existent: for theVoice,being theessenceofone'sBeing,cannotbe thuschangedatwill.Butcome,supposethatIhadthepowerofpassingthroughsolidthings,sothatIcouldpenetratemysubjects,oneafteranother,eventothenumberofabillion,verifyingthesizeanddistanceofeachbythesenseofFEELING:howmuchtimeandenergywouldbewastedinthisclumsyandinaccuratemethod!Whereas now, in onemoment of audition, I take as itwere the census and statistics, local, corporeal,mentalandspiritual,ofeverylivingbeinginLineland.Hark,onlyhark!"

Sosayinghepausedandlistened,asifinanecstasy,toasoundwhichseemedtomenobetterthanatinychirpingfromaninnumerablemultitudeoflilliputiangrasshoppers.

"Truly," replied I, "your sense of hearing serves you in good stead, and fills up many of yourdeficiencies.ButpermitmetopointoutthatyourlifeinLinelandmustbedeplorablydull.ToseenothingbutaPoint!Noteventobeable tocontemplateaStraightLine!Nay,noteventoknowwhataStraight

Lineis!Tosee,yetbecutofffromthoseLinearprospectswhicharevouchsafedtousinFlatland!Bettersurelytohavenosenseofsightatallthantoseesolittle!IgrantyouIhavenotyourdiscriminativefacultyofhearing;fortheconcertofallLinelandwhichgivesyousuchintensepleasure,istomenobetterthanamultitudinoustwitteringorchirping.ButatleastIcandiscern,bysight,aLinefromaPoint.Andletmeproveit.JustbeforeIcameintoyourkingdom,Isawyoudancingfromlefttoright,andthenfromrighttoleft, with SevenMen and aWoman in your immediate proximity on the left, and eightMen and twoWomenonyourright.Isnotthiscorrect?"

"Itiscorrect,"saidtheKing,"sofarasthenumbersandsexesareconcerned,thoughIknownotwhatyoumeanby'right'and'left'.ButIdenythatyousawthesethings.ForhowcouldyouseetheLine,thatistosaytheinside,ofanyMan?Butyoumusthaveheardthesethings,andthendreamedthatyousawthem.And let me ask what you mean by those words 'left' and 'right'. I suppose it is your way of sayingNorthwardandSouthward."

"Notso,"repliedI;"besidesyourmotionofNorthwardandSouthward,thereisanothermotionwhichIcallfromrighttoleft."

KING.Exhibittome,ifyouplease,thismotionfromlefttoright.

I.Nay,thatIcannotdo,unlessyoucouldstepoutofyourLinealtogether.

KING.OutofmyLine?Doyoumeanoutoftheworld?OutofSpace?

I.Well,yes.OutofYOURWorld.OutofYOURSpace.ForyourSpaceisnotthetrueSpace.TrueSpaceisaPlane;butyourSpaceisonlyaLine.

KING.Ifyoucannotindicatethismotionfromlefttorightbyyourselfmovinginit,thenIbegyoutodescribeittomeinwords.

I.Ifyoucannottellyourrightsidefromyourleft,Ifearthatnowordsofminecanmakemymeaningcleartoyou.Butsurelyyoucannotbeignorantofsosimpleadistinction.

KING.Idonotintheleastunderstandyou.

I.Alas!HowshallImakeitclear?Whenyoumovestraighton,doesitnotsometimesoccurtoyouthatyouCOULDmoveinsomeotherway,turningyoureyeroundsoastolookinthedirectiontowardswhichyoursideisnowfronting?Inotherwords,insteadofalwaysmovinginthedirectionofoneofyourextremities,doyouneverfeeladesiretomoveinthedirection,sotospeak,ofyourside?

KING.Never.Andwhatdoyoumean?Howcanaman'sinside"front"inanydirection?Orhowcanamanmoveinthedirectionofhisinside?

I.Wellthen,sincewordscannotexplainthematter,Iwilltrydeeds,andwillmovegraduallyoutofLinelandinthedirectionwhichIdesiretoindicatetoyou.

At theword Ibegan tomovemybodyoutofLineland.As longasanypartofme remained inhisdominionandinhisview,theKingkeptexclaiming,"Iseeyou,Iseeyoustill;youarenotmoving."ButwhenIhadatlastmovedmyselfoutofhisLine,hecriedinhisshrillestvoice,"Sheisvanished;sheisdead." "I amnotdead," replied I; "I amsimplyoutofLineland, that is to say,outof theStraightLine

whichyoucallSpace,andinthetrueSpace,whereIcanseethingsastheyare.AndatthismomentIcanseeyourLine,orside—orinsideasyouarepleasedtocallit;andIcanseealsotheMenandWomenontheNorthandSouthofyou,whomIwillnowenumerate,describingtheirorder,theirsize,andtheintervalbetweeneach."

WhenIhaddonethisatgreatlength,Icriedtriumphantly,"Doesthatatlastconvinceyou?"And,withthat,IoncemoreenteredLineland,takingupthesamepositionasbefore.

ButtheMonarchreplied,"IfyouwereaManofsense—though,asyouappeartohaveonlyonevoiceIhavelittledoubtyouarenotaManbutaWoman—but,ifyouhadaparticleofsense,youwouldlistentoreason. You ask me to believe that there is another Line besides that which my senses indicate, andanothermotionbesidesthatofwhichIamdailyconscious.I,inreturn,askyoutodescribeinwordsorindicate bymotion that other Line of which you speak. Instead ofmoving, youmerely exercise somemagicartofvanishingandreturningtosight;andinsteadofanyluciddescriptionofyournewWorld,yousimplytellmethenumbersandsizesofsomefortyofmyretinue,factsknowntoanychildinmycapital.Cananythingbemoreirrationaloraudacious?Acknowledgeyourfollyordepartfrommydominions."

Furious at his perversity, and especially indignant that he professed to be ignorant of my sex, Iretortedinnomeasuredterms,"BesottedBeing!Youthinkyourselftheperfectionofexistence,whileyouare in reality themost imperfect and imbecile.Youprofess to see,whereas you can see nothingbut aPoint!YouplumeyourselfoninferringtheexistenceofaStraightLine;butICANSEEStraightLines,andinfer the existence ofAngles, Triangles, Squares, Pentagons,Hexagons, and evenCircles.Whywastemorewords?SufficeitthatIamthecompletionofyourincompleteself.YouareaLine,butIamaLineofLines, called inmy country a Square: and even I, infinitely superior though I am to you, am of littleaccountamongthegreatnoblesofFlatland,whenceIhavecometovisityou,inthehopeofenlighteningyourignorance."

HearingthesewordstheKingadvancedtowardsmewithamenacingcryasiftopiercemethroughthediagonal;andinthatsamemomenttherearosefrommyriadsofhissubjectsamultitudinouswar-cry,increasing in vehemence till at last methought it rivalled the roar of an army of a hundred thousandIsosceles,andtheartilleryofathousandPentagons.Spell-boundandmotionless,Icouldneitherspeaknormovetoaverttheimpendingdestruction;andstillthenoisegrewlouder,andtheKingcamecloser,whenIawoketofindthebreakfast-bellrecallingmetotherealitiesofFlatland.

Section15.ConcerningaStrangerfromSpaceland

FromdreamsIproceedtofacts.

Itwas the lastdayof the1999thyearofourera.Thepatteringof therainhad longagoannouncednightfall;andIwassittinginthecompanyofmywife,musingontheeventsofthepastandtheprospectsofthecomingyear,thecomingcentury,thecomingMillennium.

[Note:WhenIsay"sitting",ofcourseIdonotmeananychangeofattitudesuchasyouinSpacelandsignifybythatword;foraswehavenofeet,wecannomore"sit"nor"stand"(inyoursenseoftheword)thanoneofyoursolesorflounders.

Nevertheless,weperfectlywellrecognizethedifferentmentalstatesofvolitionimpliedin"lying","sitting",and"standing",whicharetosomeextentindicatedtoabeholderbyaslightincreaseoflustrecorrespondingtotheincreaseofvolition.

Butonthis,andathousandotherkindredsubjects,timeforbidsmetodwell.]

My fourSons and twoorphanGrandchildren had retired to their several apartments; andmywifealoneremainedwithmetoseetheoldMillenniumoutandthenewonein.

Iwasraptinthought,ponderinginmymindsomewordsthathadcasuallyissuedfromthemouthofmyyoungestGrandson,amostpromisingyoungHexagonofunusualbrilliancyandperfectangularity.HisunclesandIhadbeengivinghimhisusualpracticallessoninSightRecognition,turningourselvesuponourcentres,nowrapidly,nowmoreslowly,andquestioninghimastoourpositions;andhisanswershadbeensosatisfactorythatIhadbeeninducedtorewardhimbygivinghimafewhintsonArithmetic,asappliedtoGeometry.

TakingnineSquares,eachanincheveryway,IhadputthemtogethersoastomakeonelargeSquare,withasideofthreeinches,andIhadhenceprovedtomylittleGrandsonthat—thoughitwasimpossibleforustoSEEtheinsideoftheSquare—yetwemightascertainthenumberofsquareinchesinaSquarebysimplysquaringthenumberofinchesintheside:"andthus,"saidI,"weknowthat32,or9,representsthenumberofsquareinchesinaSquarewhosesideis3incheslong."

ThelittleHexagonmeditatedonthisawhileandthensaidtome;"Butyouhavebeenteachingmetoraisenumberstothethirdpower:Isuppose33mustmeansomethinginGeometry;whatdoesitmean?""Nothingatall,"repliedI,"notatleastinGeometry;forGeometryhasonlyTwoDimensions."AndthenIbegan to shew the boy how a Point bymoving through a length of three inchesmakes aLine of threeinches,whichmayberepresentedby3;andhowaLineofthreeinches,movingparalleltoitselfthroughalengthofthreeinches,makesaSquareofthreeincheseveryway,whichmayberepresentedby32.

Upon this,myGrandson, again returning to his former suggestion, tookmeup rather suddenly andexclaimed,"Well,then,ifaPointbymovingthreeinches,makesaLineofthreeinchesrepresentedby3;

andifastraightLineofthreeinches,movingparalleltoitself,makesaSquareofthreeincheseveryway,representedby32;itmustbethataSquareofthreeincheseveryway,movingsomehowparalleltoitself(butIdon'tseehow)mustmakeSomethingelse(butIdon'tseewhat)ofthreeincheseveryway—andthismustberepresentedby33."

"Gotobed,"saidI,alittleruffledbythisinterruption:"ifyouwouldtalklessnonsense,youwouldremembermoresense."

SomyGrandsonhaddisappearedindisgrace;andthereIsatbymyWife'sside,endeavouringtoformaretrospectoftheyear1999andofthepossibilitiesoftheyear2000,butnotquiteabletoshakeoffthethoughtssuggestedbytheprattleofmybrightlittleHexagon.Onlyafewsandsnowremainedinthehalf-hour glass. Rousingmyself frommy reverie I turned the glass Northward for the last time in the oldMillennium;andintheact,Iexclaimedaloud,"Theboyisafool."

StraightwayIbecameconsciousofaPresenceintheroom,andachillingbreaththrilledthroughmyvery being. "He is no such thing," cried myWife, "and you are breaking the Commandments in thusdishonouringyourownGrandson."ButItooknonoticeofher.LookingroundineverydirectionIcouldseenothing;yetstillIFELTaPresence,andshiveredasthecoldwhispercameagain.Istartedup."Whatisthematter?"saidmyWife,"thereisnodraught;whatareyoulookingfor?Thereisnothing."Therewasnothing;andIresumedmyseat,againexclaiming,"Theboyisafool, Isay;33canhavenomeaning inGeometry."Atoncetherecameadistinctlyaudiblereply,"Theboyisnotafool;and33hasanobviousGeometricalmeaning."

MyWifeaswellasmyselfheardthewords,althoughshedidnotunderstandtheirmeaning,andbothofussprangforwardinthedirectionofthesound.WhatwasourhorrorwhenwesawbeforeusaFigure!AtthefirstglanceitappearedtobeaWoman,seensideways;butamoment'sobservationshewedmethatthe extremitiespassed intodimness too rapidly to representoneof theFemaleSex; and I shouldhavethoughtitaCircle,onlythatitseemedtochangeitssizeinamannerimpossibleforaCircleorforanyregularFigureofwhichIhadhadexperience.

ButmyWifehadnotmyexperience,northecoolnessnecessarytonotethesecharacteristics.WiththeusualhastinessandunreasoningjealousyofherSex,sheflewatoncetotheconclusionthataWomanhadentered the house through some small aperture. "How comes this person here?" she exclaimed, "youpromisedme,mydear,thatthereshouldbenoventilatorsinournewhouse.""Norarethereany,"saidI;"butwhatmakesyouthinkthat thestranger isaWoman?IseebymypowerofSightRecognition——""Oh,IhavenopatiencewithyourSightRecognition,"repliedshe,"'Feelingisbelieving'and'AStraightLine to the touch isworthaCircle to the sight'"—twoProverbs,verycommonwith theFrailerSex inFlatland.

"Well,"saidI,forIwasafraidofirritatingher,"ifitmustbeso,demandanintroduction."Assuminghermostgraciousmanner,myWifeadvancedtowardstheStranger,"Permitme,Madam,tofeelandbefeltby——"then,suddenlyrecoiling,"Oh!itisnotaWoman,andtherearenoangleseither,notatraceofone.CanitbethatIhavesomisbehavedtoaperfectCircle?"

"Iamindeed,inacertainsenseaCircle,"repliedtheVoice,"andamoreperfectCirclethananyinFlatland;buttospeakmoreaccurately,IammanyCirclesinone."Thenheaddedmoremildly,"Ihaveamessage, dearMadam, to your husband,which Imust not deliver in your presence; and, if youwould

sufferus toretireforafewminutes——"ButmyWifewouldnot listento theproposal thatouraugustVisitorshouldsoincommodehimself,andassuringtheCirclethatthehourofherownretirementhadlongpassed,withmanyreiteratedapologiesforherrecentindiscretion,sheatlastretreatedtoherapartment.

Iglancedatthehalf-hourglass.Thelastsandshadfallen.ThethirdMillenniumhadbegun.

Section16.HowtheStrangervainlyendeavouredtorevealtomeinwordsthemysteriesofSpaceland

AssoonasthesoundofthePeace-cryofmydepartingWifehaddiedaway,IbegantoapproachtheStrangerwiththeintentionoftakinganearerviewandofbiddinghimbeseated:buthisappearancestruckmedumbandmotionlesswithastonishment.Withouttheslightestsymptomsofangularityheneverthelessvaried every instantwithgradationsof size andbrightness scarcelypossible for anyFigurewithin thescopeofmyexperience.ThethoughtflashedacrossmethatImighthavebeforemeaburglarorcut-throat,some monstrous Irregular Isosceles, who, by feigning the voice of a Circle, had obtained admissionsomehowintothehouse,andwasnowpreparingtostabmewithhisacuteangle.

In a sitting-room, the absence of Fog (and the season happened to be remarkably dry), made itdifficult forme to trust to SightRecognition, especially at the short distance atwhich Iwas standing.Desperatewithfear,Irushedforwardwithanunceremonious,"Youmustpermitme,Sir—"andfelthim.MyWifewasright.Therewasnotthetraceofanangle,nottheslightestroughnessorinequality:neverinmy life had I met with a more perfect Circle. He remained motionless while I walked round him,beginning from his eye and returning to it again. Circular he was throughout, a perfectly satisfactoryCircle;therecouldnotbeadoubtofit.Thenfollowedadialogue,whichIwillendeavourtosetdownasnearasIcanrecollectit,omittingonlysomeofmyprofuseapologies—forIwascoveredwithshameandhumiliation that I, a Square, should have been guilty of the impertinence of feeling a Circle. It wascommencedbytheStrangerwithsomeimpatienceatthelengthinessofmyintroductoryprocess.

STRANGER.Haveyoufeltmeenoughbythistime?Areyounotintroducedtomeyet?

I.Most illustriousSir, excusemy awkwardness,which arises not from ignorance of the usages ofpolitesociety,butfromalittlesurpriseandnervousness,consequentonthissomewhatunexpectedvisit.AndIbeseechyoutorevealmyindiscretiontonoone,andespeciallynot tomyWife.ButbeforeyourLordshipenters into furthercommunications,wouldhedeign tosatisfy thecuriosityofonewhowouldgladlyknowwhencehisVisitorcame?

STRANGER.FromSpace,fromSpace,Sir:whenceelse?

I. Pardonme,myLord, but is not your Lordship already in Space, yourLordship and his humbleservant,evenatthismoment?

STRANGER.Pooh!whatdoyouknowofSpace?DefineSpace.

I.Space,myLord,isheightandbreadthindefinitelyprolonged.

STRANGER. Exactly: you see you do not even know what Space is. You think it is of TwoDimensionsonly;butIhavecometoannouncetoyouaThird—height,breadth,andlength.

I.YourLordshipispleasedtobemerry.Wealsospeakoflengthandheight,orbreadthandthickness,thusdenotingTwoDimensionsbyfournames.

STRANGER.ButImeannotonlythreenames,butThreeDimensions.

I.WouldyourLordshipindicateorexplaintomeinwhatdirectionistheThirdDimension,unknowntome?

STRANGER.Icamefromit.Itisupaboveanddownbelow.

I.MyLordmeansseeminglythatitisNorthwardandSouthward.

STRANGER.Imeannothingofthekind.Imeanadirectioninwhichyoucannotlook,becauseyouhavenoeyeinyourside.

I. Pardonme, my Lord, a moment's inspection will convince your Lordship that I have a perfectluminaryatthejunctureoftwoofmysides.

STRANGER.Yes:butinordertoseeintoSpaceyououghttohaveaneye,notonyourPerimeter,butonyourside,thatis,onwhatyouwouldprobablycallyourinside;butweinSpacelandshouldcallityourside.

I.Aneyeinmyinside!Aneyeinmystomach!YourLordshipjests.

STRANGER. I am in no jesting humour. I tell you that I come fromSpace, or, since youwill notunderstandwhatSpacemeans,fromtheLandofThreeDimensionswhenceIbutlatelylookeddownuponyourPlanewhichyoucallSpaceforsooth.FromthatpositionofadvantageIdiscernedallthatyouspeakofasSOLID(bywhichyoumean"enclosedonfoursides"),yourhouses,yourchurches,yourverychestsandsafes,yesevenyourinsidesandstomachs,alllyingopenandexposedtomyview.

I.Suchassertionsareeasilymade,myLord.

STRANGER.Butnoteasilyproved,youmean.ButImeantoprovemine.

When Idescendedhere, I sawyour fourSons, thePentagons, each inhis apartment, andyour twoGrandsons theHexagons; I sawyouryoungestHexagon remainawhilewithyouand then retire tohisroom,leavingyouandyourWifealone.IsawyourIsoscelesservants,threeinnumber,inthekitchenatsupper,andthelittlePageinthescullery.ThenIcamehere,andhowdoyouthinkIcame?

I.Throughtheroof,Isuppose.

STRANGER. Not so. Your roof, as you know very well, has been recently repaired, and has noaperturebywhichevenaWomancouldpenetrate.ItellyouIcomefromSpace.AreyounotconvincedbywhatIhavetoldyouofyourchildrenandhousehold?

I.YourLordshipmustbeawarethatsuchfactstouchingthebelongingsofhishumbleservantmightbeeasilyascertainedbyanyoneintheneighbourhoodpossessingyourLordship'samplemeansofobtaininginformation.

STRANGER.(TOHIMSELF.)WhatmustIdo?Stay;onemoreargumentsuggestsitselftome.WhenyouseeaStraightLine—yourwife,forexample—howmanyDimensionsdoyouattributetoher?

I.YourLordshipwouldtreatmeasifIwereoneofthevulgarwho,beingignorantofMathematics,supposethataWomanisreallyaStraightLine,andonlyofOneDimension.No,no,myLord;weSquaresare better advised, and are aswell aware as your Lordship that aWoman, though popularly called aStraightLine,is,reallyandscientifically,averythinParallelogram,possessingTwoDimensions,liketherestofus,viz.,lengthandbreadth(orthickness).

STRANGER.ButtheveryfactthataLineisvisibleimpliesthatitpossessesyetanotherDimension.

I.MyLord,IhavejustacknowledgedthataWomanisbroadaswellaslong.Weseeherlength,weinferherbreadth;which,thoughveryslight,iscapableofmeasurement.

STRANGER.Youdo not understandme. Imean thatwhen you see aWoman, you ought—besidesinferring her breadth—to see her length, and to SEE what we call her HEIGHT; although that lastDimensionisinfinitesimalinyourcountry.IfaLineweremerelengthwithout"height",itwouldceasetooccupySpaceandwouldbecomeinvisible.Surelyyoumustrecognizethis?

I.ImustindeedconfessthatIdonotintheleastunderstandyourLordship.WhenweinFlatlandseeaLine,weseelengthandBRIGHTNESS.Ifthebrightnessdisappears,theLineisextinguished,and,asyousay, ceases to occupySpace.But am I to suppose that yourLordship gives to brightness the title of aDimension,andthatwhatwecall"bright"youcall"high"?

STRANGER.No,indeed.By"height"ImeanaDimensionlikeyourlength:only,withyou,"height"isnotsoeasilyperceptible,beingextremelysmall.

I.MyLord,yourassertioniseasilyputtothetest.YousayIhaveaThirdDimension,whichyoucall"height".Now,Dimension implies direction andmeasurement.Do butmeasuremy "height", ormerelyindicate tome thedirection inwhichmy"height"extends,and Iwillbecomeyourconvert.Otherwise,yourLordship'sownunderstandingmustholdmeexcused.

STRANGER.(TOHIMSELF.)Icandoneither.HowshallIconvincehim?Surelyaplainstatementoffactsfollowedbyoculardemonstrationoughttosuffice.—Now,Sir;listentome.

YouarelivingonaPlane.WhatyoustyleFlatlandisthevastlevelsurfaceofwhatImaycallafluid,on,orin,thetopofwhichyouandyourcountrymenmoveabout,withoutrisingaboveitorfallingbelowit.

IamnotaplaneFigure,butaSolid.YoucallmeaCircle;but in reality IamnotaCircle,butaninfinite numberofCircles, of size varying fromaPoint to aCircle of thirteen inches in diameter, oneplacedonthetopoftheother.WhenIcutthroughyourplaneasIamnowdoing,Imakeinyourplaneasectionwhichyou,veryrightly,callaCircle.ForevenaSphere—whichismypropernameinmyowncountry—if he manifest himself at all to an inhabitant of Flatland—must needs manifest himself as aCircle.

Do you not remember—for I, who see all things, discerned last night the phantasmal vision ofLineland written upon your brain—do you not remember, I say, how, when you entered the realm ofLineland,youwerecompelledtomanifestyourself totheKing,notasaSquare,butasaLine,becausethatLinearRealmhadnotDimensionsenoughtorepresentthewholeofyou,butonlyasliceorsectionofyou?Inpreciselythesameway,yourcountryofTwoDimensionsisnotspaciousenoughtorepresentme,abeingofThree,butcanonlyexhibitasliceorsectionofme,whichiswhatyoucallaCircle.

The diminished brightness of your eye indicates incredulity. But now prepare to receive proofpositiveofthetruthofmyassertions.Youcannotindeedseemorethanoneofmysections,orCircles,atatime;foryouhavenopowertoraiseyoureyeoutoftheplaneofFlatland;butyoucanatleastseethat,asIriseinSpace,somysectionsbecomesmaller.Seenow,Iwillrise;andtheeffectuponyoureyewillbethatmyCirclewillbecomesmallerandsmallertillitdwindlestoapointandfinallyvanishes.

Therewasno"rising"thatIcouldsee;buthediminishedandfinallyvanished.IwinkedonceortwicetomakesurethatIwasnotdreaming.Butitwasnodream.Forfromthedepthsofnowherecameforthahollowvoice—close tomyheart it seemed—"AmIquitegone?Areyouconvincednow?Well,now IwillgraduallyreturntoFlatlandandyoushallseemysectionbecomelargerandlarger."

Every reader in Spaceland will easily understand that my mysterious Guest was speaking thelanguageof truthandevenofsimplicity.But tome,proficient thoughIwas inFlatlandMathematics, itwasbynomeansasimplematter.Theroughdiagramgivenabovewillmakeitclear toanySpacelandchildthattheSphere,ascendinginthethreepositionsindicatedthere,mustneedshavemanifestedhimselftome, or to anyFlatlander, as aCircle, at first of full size, then small, and at last very small indeed,approachingtoaPoint.Buttome,althoughIsawthefactsbeforeme,thecauseswereasdarkasever.AllthatIcouldcomprehendwas,thattheCirclehadmadehimselfsmallerandvanished,andthathehadnowreappearedandwasrapidlymakinghimselflarger.

Whenheregainedhisoriginalsize,heheavedadeepsigh;forheperceivedbymysilencethatIhadaltogether failed to comprehendhim.And indeed Iwas now inclining to the belief that hemust be noCircleatall,butsomeextremelycleverjuggler;orelsethattheoldwives'talesweretrue,andthatafterallthereweresuchpeopleasEnchantersandMagicians.

Afteralongpausehemutteredtohimself,"Oneresourcealoneremains,ifIamnottoresorttoaction.Imust try themethod ofAnalogy." Then followed a still longer silence, afterwhich he continued ourdialogue.

SPHERE.Tellme,Mr.Mathematician; if aPointmovesNorthward, and leaves a luminouswake,whatnamewouldyougivetothewake?

I.AstraightLine.

SPHERE.AndastraightLinehashowmanyextremities?

I.Two.

SPHERE.NowconceivetheNorthwardstraightLinemovingparalleltoitself,EastandWest,sothatevery point in it leaves behind it thewake of a straight Line.What namewill you give to the Figuretherebyformed?WewillsupposethatitmovesthroughadistanceequaltotheoriginalstraightLine.—Whatname,Isay?

I.ASquare.

SPHERE.AndhowmanysideshasaSquare?Howmanyangles?

I.Foursidesandfourangles.

SPHERE.Nowstretchyourimaginationalittle,andconceiveaSquareinFlatland,movingparalleltoitselfupward.

I.What?Northward?

SPHERE.No,notNorthward;upward;outofFlatlandaltogether.

IfitmovedNorthward,theSouthernpointsintheSquarewouldhavetomovethroughthepositionspreviouslyoccupiedbytheNorthernpoints.Butthatisnotmymeaning.

ImeanthateveryPointinyou—foryouareaSquareandwillservethepurposeofmyillustration—everyPointinyou,thatistosayinwhatyoucallyourinside,istopassupwardsthroughSpaceinsuchawaythatnoPointshallpassthroughthepositionpreviouslyoccupiedbyanyotherPoint;buteachPointshalldescribeastraightLineofitsown.ThisisallinaccordancewithAnalogy;surelyitmustbecleartoyou.

Restrainingmyimpatience—forIwasnowunderastrongtemptationtorushblindlyatmyVisitorandtoprecipitatehimintoSpace,oroutofFlatland,anywhere,sothatIcouldgetridofhim—Ireplied:—

"Andwhatmaybe thenatureof theFigurewhich I am to shapeout by thismotionwhichyou arepleasedtodenotebytheword'upward'?IpresumeitisdescribableinthelanguageofFlatland."

SPHERE.Oh,certainly.It isallplainandsimple,andinstrictaccordancewithAnalogy—only,bytheway,youmustnotspeakoftheresultasbeingaFigure,butasaSolid.ButIwilldescribeittoyou.OrrathernotI,butAnalogy.

WebeganwithasinglePoint,whichofcourse—beingitselfaPoint—hasonlyONEterminalPoint.

OnePointproducesaLinewithTWOterminalPoints.

OneLineproducesaSquarewithFOURterminalPoints.

Nowyoucangiveyourself theanswer toyourownquestion:1,2,4,areevidently inGeometricalProgression.Whatisthenextnumber?

I.Eight.

SPHERE. Exactly. The one Square produces a SOMETHING-WHICH- YOU-DO-NOT-AS-YET-KNOW-A-NAME-FOR-BUT-WHICH-WE-CALL-A-CUBEwith EIGHT terminal Points.Now are youconvinced?

I.AndhasthisCreaturesides,aswellasanglesorwhatyoucall"terminalPoints"?

SPHERE.Ofcourse;andall according toAnalogy.But,by theway,notwhatYOUcall sides,butwhatWEcallsides.YouwouldcallthemSOLIDS.

I.AndhowmanysolidsorsideswillappertaintothisBeingwhomIamtogeneratebythemotionofmyinsideinan"upward"direction,andwhomyoucallaCube?

SPHERE.Howcanyouask?Andyouamathematician!Thesideofanythingisalways,ifImaysosay,oneDimensionbehindthething.Consequently,asthereisnoDimensionbehindaPoint,aPointhas0sides;aLine,ifImaysay,has2sides(forthePointsofaLinemaybecalledbycourtesy,itssides);aSquarehas4sides;0,2,4;whatProgressiondoyoucallthat?

I.Arithmetical.

SPHERE.Andwhatisthenextnumber?

I.Six.

SPHERE.Exactly.Thenyouseeyouhaveansweredyourownquestion.TheCubewhichyouwillgeneratewillbeboundedbysixsides,thatistosay,sixofyourinsides.Youseeitallnow,eh?

"Monster," I shrieked, "be thou juggler, enchanter, dream, or devil, no more will I endure thymockeries.EitherthouorImustperish."AndsayingthesewordsIprecipitatedmyselfuponhim.

Section17.HowtheSphere,havinginvaintriedwords,resortedtodeeds

Itwasinvain.IbroughtmyhardestrightangleintoviolentcollisionwiththeStranger,pressingonhim with a force sufficient to have destroyed any ordinary Circle: but I could feel him slowly andunarrestablyslippingfrommycontact;noedgingtotherightnortotheleft,butmovingsomehowoutoftheworld,andvanishingtonothing.Soontherewasablank.ButstillIheardtheIntruder'svoice.

SPHERE.Whywillyou refuse to listen to reason? Ihadhoped to find inyou—asbeingamanofsenseandanaccomplishedmathematician—afitapostlefortheGospeloftheThreeDimensions,whichIamallowed topreachonceonly ina thousandyears:butnowIknownothowtoconvinceyou.Stay, Ihaveit.Deeds,andnotwords,shallproclaimthetruth.Listen,myfriend.

IhavetoldyouIcanseefrommypositioninSpacetheinsideofallthingsthatyouconsiderclosed.Forexample,Iseeinyondercupboardnearwhichyouarestanding,severalofwhatyoucallboxes(butlikeeverythingelseinFlatland, theyhavenotopsnorbottoms)fullofmoney;Iseealsotwotabletsofaccounts.Iamabouttodescendintothatcupboardandtobringyouoneofthosetablets.Isawyoulockthecupboardhalfanhourago,andIknowyouhavethekeyinyourpossession.ButIdescendfromSpace;thedoors,yousee,remainunmoved.NowIaminthecupboardandamtakingthetablet.NowIhaveit.

NowIascendwithit.

Irushedtotheclosetanddashedthedooropen.Oneofthetabletswasgone.Withamockinglaugh,theStrangerappearedintheothercorneroftheroom,andatthesametimethetabletappeareduponthefloor.Itookitup.Therecouldbenodoubt—itwasthemissingtablet.

I groaned with horror, doubting whether I was not out of my senses; but the Stranger continued:"Surelyyoumustnowsee thatmyexplanation,andnoother, suits thephenomena.WhatyoucallSolidthingsarereallysuperficial;whatyoucallSpaceisreallynothingbutagreatPlane.IaminSpace,andlookdownupontheinsidesofthethingsofwhichyouonlyseetheoutsides.YoucouldleavethisPlaneyourself,ifyoucouldbutsummonupthenecessaryvolition.AslightupwardordownwardmotionwouldenableyoutoseeallthatIcansee.

"ThehigherImount,andthefurtherIgofromyourPlane,themoreIcansee,thoughofcourseIseeiton a smaller scale. For example, I am ascending; now I can see your neighbour theHexagon and hisfamily in their several apartments; now I see the inside of the Theatre, ten doors off, fromwhich theaudienceisonlyjustdeparting;andontheothersideaCircleinhisstudy,sittingathisbooks.NowIshallcomeback toyou.And,asacrowningproof,whatdoyousay tomygivingyoua touch, just the leasttouch, in your stomach? Itwill not seriously injure you, and the slight pain youmay suffer cannot becomparedwiththementalbenefityouwillreceive."

Before Icouldutterawordof remonstrance, I feltashootingpain inmy inside,andademoniacallaughseemedtoissuefromwithinme.Amomentafterwardsthesharpagonyhadceased,leavingnothingbut a dull ache behind, and the Stranger began to reappear, saying, as he gradually increased in size,"There,Ihavenothurtyoumuch,haveI?Ifyouarenotconvincednow,Idon'tknowwhatwillconvinceyou.Whatsayyou?"

Myresolutionwastaken.ItseemedintolerablethatIshouldendureexistencesubjecttothearbitraryvisitationsofaMagicianwhocouldthusplaytrickswithone'sverystomach.IfonlyIcouldinanywaymanagetopinhimagainstthewalltillhelpcame!

OncemoreIdashedmyhardestangleagainsthim,atthesametimealarmingthewholehouseholdbymycriesforaid.Ibelieve,atthemomentofmyonset,theStrangerhadsunkbelowourPlane,andreallyfounddifficultyinrising.Inanycaseheremainedmotionless,whileI,hearing,asIthought,thesoundofsomehelpapproaching,pressedagainsthimwithredoubledvigour,andcontinuedtoshoutforassistance.

AconvulsiveshudderranthroughtheSphere."Thismustnotbe,"IthoughtIheardhimsay:"eitherhemustlistentoreason,orImusthaverecoursetothelastresourceofcivilization."Then,addressingmeinaloudertone,hehurriedlyexclaimed,"Listen:nostrangermustwitnesswhatyouhavewitnessed.SendyourWifebackatonce,beforesheenters theapartment.TheGospelofThreeDimensionsmustnotbethus frustrated. Not thus must the fruits of one thousand years of waiting be thrown away. I hear hercoming.Back!back!Awayfromme,oryoumustgowithme—whitheryouknownot—intotheLandofThreeDimensions!"

"Fool!Madman!Irregular!"Iexclaimed;"neverwillIreleasethee;thoushaltpaythepenaltyofthineimpostures."

"Ha!Isitcometothis?"thunderedtheStranger:"thenmeetyourfate:outofyourPlaneyougo.Once,

twice,thrice!'Tisdone!"

Section18.HowIcametoSpaceland,andwhatIsawthere

Anunspeakablehorror seizedme.Therewasadarkness; thenadizzy, sickeningsensationof sightthatwasnotlikeseeing;IsawaLinethatwasnoLine;SpacethatwasnotSpace:Iwasmyself,andnotmyself.WhenIcouldfindvoice,Ishriekedaloudinagony,"Eitherthisismadnessorit isHell.""It isneither,"calmlyrepliedthevoiceoftheSphere,"itisKnowledge;itisThreeDimensions:openyoureyeonceagainandtrytolooksteadily."

Ilooked,and,behold,anewworld!Therestoodbeforeme,visiblyincorporate,allthatIhadbeforeinferred,conjectured,dreamed,ofperfectCircularbeauty.WhatseemedthecentreoftheStranger'sformlay open to my view: yet I could see no heart, nor lungs, nor arteries, only a beautiful harmoniousSomething—forwhichIhadnowords;butyou,myReadersinSpaceland,wouldcallitthesurfaceoftheSphere.

Prostrating myself mentally before my Guide, I cried, "How is it, O divine ideal of consummatelovelinessandwisdomthatIseethyinside,andyetcannotdiscernthyheart, thylungs,thyarteries, thyliver?""Whatyouthinkyousee,youseenot,"hereplied;"itisnotgiventoyou,nortoanyotherBeingtobeholdmyinternalparts.IamofadifferentorderofBeingsfromthoseinFlatland.WereIaCircle,youcoulddiscernmyintestines,butIamaBeing,composedasItoldyoubefore,ofmanyCircles,theManyintheOne,calledinthiscountryaSphere.And,justastheoutsideofaCubeisaSquare,sotheoutsideofaSpherepresentstheappearanceofaCircle."

Bewildered though I was by my Teacher's enigmatic utterance, I no longer chafed against it, butworshippedhiminsilentadoration.Hecontinued,withmoremildnessinhisvoice."DistressnotyourselfifyoucannotatfirstunderstandthedeepermysteriesofSpaceland.Bydegreestheywilldawnuponyou.Letusbeginbycastingbackaglanceattheregionwhenceyoucame.ReturnwithmeawhiletotheplainsofFlatland,and Iwill shewyou thatwhichyouhaveoften reasonedand thoughtabout,butneverseenwith the sense of sight—a visible angle." "Impossible!" I cried; but, the Sphere leading the way, Ifollowed as if in a dream, till oncemore his voice arrestedme: "Look yonder, and behold your ownPentagonalhouse,andallitsinmates."

I lookedbelow,andsawwithmyphysicaleyeall thatdomestic individualitywhich Ihadhithertomerely inferred with the understanding. And how poor and shadowy was the inferred conjecture incomparisonwiththerealitywhichInowbeheld!MyfourSonscalmlyasleepintheNorth-Westernrooms,my two orphan Grandsons to the South; the Servants, the Butler, my Daughter, all in their severalapartments.OnlymyaffectionateWife,alarmedbymycontinuedabsence,hadquittedherroomandwasrovingupanddownintheHall,anxiouslyawaitingmyreturn.AlsothePage,arousedbymycries,hadlefthisroom,andunderpretextofascertainingwhetherIhadfallensomewhereinafaint,waspryingintothecabinetinmystudy.AllthisIcouldnowSEE,notmerelyinfer;andaswecamenearerandnearer,I

coulddiscerneven thecontentsofmycabinet,and the twochestsofgold,and the tabletsofwhich theSpherehadmademention.

TouchedbymyWife'sdistress, Iwouldhavesprungdownward to reassureher,but I foundmyselfincapableofmotion."TroublenotyourselfaboutyourWife,"saidmyGuide:"shewillnotbelongleftinanxiety;meantime,letustakeasurveyofFlatland."

Oncemore I feltmyself rising through space. Itwas even as theSphere had said.The furtherwerecededfromtheobjectwebeheld,thelargerbecamethefieldofvision.Mynativecity,withtheinteriorofeveryhouseandeverycreaturetherein,layopentomyviewinminiature.Wemountedhigher,andlo,thesecretsoftheearth,thedepthsofminesandinmostcavernsofthehills,werebaredbeforeme.

Awestruckatthesightofthemysteriesoftheearth,thusunveiledbeforemyunworthyeye,IsaidtomyCompanion,"Behold,IambecomeasaGod.Forthewisemeninourcountrysaythattoseeallthings,orastheyexpressit,OMNIVIDENCE,istheattributeofGodalone."TherewassomethingofscorninthevoiceofmyTeacherashemadeanswer:"Isitsoindeed?Thentheverypick-pocketsandcut-throatsofmycountryaretobeworshippedbyyourwisemenasbeingGods:forthereisnotoneofthemthatdoesnotseeasmuchasyouseenow.Buttrustme,yourwisemenarewrong."

I.ThenisomnividencetheattributeofothersbesidesGods?

SPHERE.Idonotknow.But,ifapick-pocketoracut-throatofourcountrycanseeeverythingthatisinyourcountry,surelythatisnoreasonwhythepick-pocketorcut-throatshouldbeacceptedbyyouasaGod.Thisomnividence,asyoucallit—itisnotacommonwordinSpaceland—doesitmakeyoumorejust,moremerciful,lessselfish,moreloving?Notintheleast.Thenhowdoesitmakeyoumoredivine?

I."Moremerciful,moreloving!"Butthesearethequalitiesofwomen!AndweknowthataCircleis

ahigherBeing thanaStraightLine, in so farasknowledgeandwisdomaremore tobeesteemed thanmereaffection.

SPHERE. It isnot forme to classifyhuman faculties according tomerit.Yetmanyof thebest andwisestinSpacelandthinkmoreoftheaffectionsthanoftheunderstanding,moreofyourdespisedStraightLinesthanofyourbelaudedCircles.Butenoughofthis.Lookyonder.Doyouknowthatbuilding?

I looked, and afar off I saw an immense Polygonal structure, in which I recognized the GeneralAssemblyHalloftheStatesofFlatland,surroundedbydenselinesofPentagonalbuildingsatrightanglestoeachother,whichIknewtobestreets;andIperceivedthatIwasapproachingthegreatMetropolis.

"Herewedescend," saidmyGuide. Itwasnowmorning, the first hour of the first dayof the twothousandth year of our era.Acting, aswas theirwont, in strict accordancewith precedent, the highestCirclesoftherealmweremeetinginsolemnconclave,astheyhadmetonthefirsthourofthefirstdayoftheyear1000,andalsoonthefirsthourofthefirstdayoftheyear0.

The minutes of the previous meetings were now read by one whom I at once recognized as mybrother,aperfectlySymmetricalSquare,andtheChiefClerkoftheHighCouncil.Itwasfoundrecordedoneachoccasionthat:"WhereastheStateshadbeentroubledbydiversill-intentionedpersonspretendingtohavereceivedrevelationsfromanotherWorld,andprofessingtoproducedemonstrationswherebytheyhadinstigatedtofrenzyboththemselvesandothers,ithadbeenforthiscauseunanimouslyresolvedbytheGrandCouncil thaton the firstdayof eachmillenary, special injunctionsbe sent to thePrefects in theseveraldistrictsofFlatland,tomakestrictsearchforsuchmisguidedpersons,andwithoutformalityofmathematicalexamination,todestroyallsuchaswereIsoscelesofanydegree,toscourgeandimprisonanyregularTriangle,tocauseanySquareorPentagontobesenttothedistrictAsylum,andtoarrestanyoneofhigherrank,sendinghimstraightwaytotheCapitaltobeexaminedandjudgedbytheCouncil."

"You hear your fate," said theSphere tome,while theCouncilwas passing for the third time theformalresolution."DeathorimprisonmentawaitstheApostleoftheGospelofThreeDimensions.""Notso,"repliedI,"thematterisnowsocleartome,thenatureofrealspacesopalpable,thatmethinksIcouldmakeachildunderstandit.Permitmebuttodescendatthismomentandenlightenthem.""Notyet,"saidmyGuide, "the timewill come for that.Meantime Imust performmymission. Stay thou there in thyplace."Sayingthesewords,he leapedwithgreatdexterity intothesea(ifImaysocall it)ofFlatland,rightinthemidstoftheringofCounsellors."Icome,"criedhe,"toproclaimthatthereisalandofThreeDimensions."

Icouldseemanyof theyoungerCounsellors startback inmanifesthorror, as theSphere'scircularsectionwidened before them. But on a sign from the presiding Circle—who shewed not the slightestalarmorsurprise—sixIsoscelesofalowtypefromsixdifferentquartersrushedupontheSphere."Wehavehim,"theycried;"No;yes;wehavehimstill!he'sgoing!he'sgone!"

"MyLords,"saidthePresidenttotheJuniorCirclesoftheCouncil,"thereisnottheslightestneedforsurprise;thesecretarchives,towhichIalonehaveaccess,tellmethatasimilaroccurrencehappenedonthe last two millennial commencements. You will, of course, say nothing of these trifles outside theCabinet."

Raisinghisvoice,henowsummoned theguards. "Arrest thepolicemen;gag them.Youknowyourduty."Afterhehadconsignedtotheirfatethewretchedpolicemen—ill-fatedandunwillingwitnessesofa

State-secretwhich theywere not to be permitted to reveal—he again addressed theCounsellors. "MyLords,thebusinessoftheCouncilbeingconcluded,IhaveonlytowishyouahappyNewYear."Beforedeparting, he expressed, at some length, to the Clerk, my excellent but most unfortunate brother, hissincere regret that, in accordancewithprecedent and for the sakeof secrecy,hemust condemnhim toperpetual imprisonment,butaddedhissatisfaction that,unlesssomementionweremadebyhimof thatday'sincident,hislifewouldbespared.

Section19.How,thoughtheSphereshewedmeothermysteriesofSpaceland,Istilldesiredmore;andwhatcameofit

WhenIsawmypoorbrother ledaway to imprisonment, Iattempted to leapdowninto theCouncilChamber,desiringtointercedeonhisbehalf,oratleastbidhimfarewell.ButIfoundthatIhadnomotionofmyown.IabsolutelydependedonthevolitionofmyGuide,whosaidingloomytones,"Heednotthybrother;haplythoushalthaveampletimehereaftertocondolewithhim.Followme."

Oncemoreweascendedintospace."Hitherto,"saidtheSphere,"IhaveshewnyounaughtsavePlaneFiguresandtheir interiors.NowImust introduceyoutoSolids,andreveal toyoutheplanuponwhichtheyareconstructed.Beholdthismultitudeofmoveablesquarecards.See,Iputoneonanother,not,asyousupposed,Northwardoftheother,butONtheother.Nowasecond,nowathird.See,IambuildingupaSolidbyamultitudeofSquaresparalleltooneanother.NowtheSolidiscomplete,beingashighasitislongandbroad,andwecallitaCube."

"Pardonme,myLord,"repliedI;"but tomyeyetheappearanceisasofanIrregularFigurewhoseinsideislaidopentotheview;inotherwords,methinksIseenoSolid,butaPlanesuchasweinferinFlatland;onlyofanIrregularitywhichbetokenssomemonstrouscriminal,so that theverysightof it ispainfultomyeyes."

"True,"saidtheSphere,"itappearstoyouaPlane,becauseyouarenotaccustomedtolightandshade

andperspective;justasinFlatlandaHexagonwouldappearaStraightLinetoonewhohasnottheArtofSightRecognition.ButinrealityitisaSolid,asyoushalllearnbythesenseofFeeling."

HethenintroducedmetotheCube,andIfoundthatthismarvellousBeingwasindeednoPlane,butaSolid;andthathewasendowedwithsixplanesidesandeightterminalpointscalledsolidangles;andIremembered the saying of the Sphere that just such a Creature as this would be formed by a Squaremoving,inSpace,paralleltohimself:andIrejoicedtothinkthatsoinsignificantaCreatureasIcouldinsomesensebecalledtheProgenitorofsoillustriousanoffspring.

ButstillIcouldnotfullyunderstandthemeaningofwhatmyTeacherhadtoldmeconcerning"light"and"shade"and"perspective";andIdidnothesitatetoputmydifficultiesbeforehim.

WereItogivetheSphere'sexplanationofthesematters,succinctandclearthoughitwas,itwouldbetedioustoaninhabitantofSpace,whoknowsthesethingsalready.Sufficeit,thatbyhislucidstatements,andbychangingthepositionofobjectsandlights,andbyallowingmetofeeltheseveralobjectsandevenhis own sacredPerson, he at lastmade all things clear tome, so that I could now readily distinguishbetweenaCircleandaSphere,aPlaneFigureandaSolid.

Thiswas theClimax, theParadise, ofmy strange eventfulHistory.Henceforth I have to relate thestoryofmymiserableFall:—mostmiserable,yetsurelymostundeserved!Forwhyshouldthethirstforknowledgebearoused,onlytobedisappointedandpunished?Myvolitionshrinksfromthepainfultaskofrecallingmyhumiliation;yet,likeasecondPrometheus,Iwillendurethisandworse,ifbyanymeansImayarouseintheinteriorsofPlaneandSolidHumanityaspiritofrebellionagainst theConceitwhichwouldlimitourDimensionstoTwoorThreeoranynumbershortofInfinity.Awaythenwithallpersonalconsiderations! Let me continue to the end, as I began, without further digressions or anticipations,pursuingtheplainpathofdispassionateHistory.Theexactfacts,theexactwords,—andtheyareburntinuponmybrain,—shallbesetdownwithoutalterationofaniota;andletmyReadersjudgebetweenmeandDestiny.

TheSpherewouldwillinglyhavecontinuedhislessonsbyindoctrinatingmeintheconformationofall regular Solids, Cylinders, Cones, Pyramids, Pentahedrons, Hexahedrons, Dodecahedrons, andSpheres:butIventuredtointerrupthim.NotthatIwasweariedofknowledge.Onthecontrary,Ithirstedforyetdeeperandfullerdraughtsthanhewasofferingtome.

"Pardonme,"saidI,"OThouWhomImustnolongeraddressasthePerfectionofallBeauty;butletmebegtheetovouchsafethyservantasightofthineinterior."

SPHERE.Mywhat?

I.Thineinterior:thystomach,thyintestines.

SPHERE.Whence this ill-timed impertinent request? And what mean you by saying that I am nolongerthePerfectionofallBeauty?

I.MyLord,yourownwisdomhastaughtmetoaspiretoOneevenmoregreat,morebeautiful,andmore closely approximate to Perfection than yourself.As you yourself, superior to all Flatland forms,combinemanyCirclesinOne,sodoubtlessthereisOneaboveyouwhocombinesmanySpheresinOneSupremeExistence,surpassingeven theSolidsofSpaceland.Andevenaswe,whoarenowinSpace,

lookdownonFlatlandandseetheinsidesofallthings,soofacertaintythereisyetaboveussomehigher,purer region, whither thou dost surely purpose to lead me—O Thou Whom I shall always call,everywhereandinallDimensions,myPriest,Philosopher,andFriend—someyetmorespaciousSpace,somemoredimensionableDimensionality,fromthevantage-groundofwhichweshalllookdowntogetherupon the revealed insides of Solid things, and where thine own intestines, and those of thy kindredSpheres,willlieexposedtotheviewofthepoorwanderingexilefromFlatland,towhomsomuchhasalreadybeenvouchsafed.

SPHERE.Pooh!Stuff!Enoughofthistrifling!Thetimeisshort,andmuchremainstobedonebeforeyouarefittoproclaimtheGospelofThreeDimensionstoyourblindbenightedcountrymeninFlatland.

I.Nay,graciousTeacher,denymenotwhatIknowit is inthypowertoperform.Grantmebutoneglimpse of thine interior, and I am satisfied for ever, remaining henceforth thy docile pupil, thyunemancipableslave,readytoreceiveallthyteachingsandtofeeduponthewordsthatfallfromthylips.

SPHERE.Well,then,tocontentandsilenceyou,letmesayatonce,IwouldshewyouwhatyouwishifIcould;butIcannot.Wouldyouhavemeturnmystomachinsideouttoobligeyou?

I.ButmyLordhasshewnmetheintestinesofallmycountrymenintheLandofTwoDimensionsbytakingmewithhimintotheLandofThree.WhatthereforemoreeasythannowtotakehisservantonasecondjourneyintotheblessedregionoftheFourthDimension,whereIshalllookdownwithhimoncemore upon this land of Three Dimensions, and see the inside of every three-dimensioned house, thesecretsofthesolidearth,thetreasuresoftheminesinSpaceland,andtheintestinesofeverysolidlivingcreature,evenofthenobleandadorableSpheres.

SPHERE.ButwhereisthislandofFourDimensions?

I.Iknownot:butdoubtlessmyTeacherknows.

SPHERE.NotI.Thereisnosuchland.Theveryideaofitisutterlyinconceivable.

I.Not inconceivable,myLord, tome, and therefore still less inconceivable tomyMaster.Nay, Idespairnotthat,evenhere,inthisregionofThreeDimensions,yourLordship'sartmaymaketheFourthDimension visible tome; just as in the Land of TwoDimensionsmyTeacher's skill would fain haveopenedtheeyesofhisblindservanttotheinvisiblepresenceofaThirdDimension,thoughIsawitnot.

Letmerecallthepast.WasInottaughtbelowthatwhenIsawaLineandinferredaPlane,IinrealitysawaThirdunrecognizedDimension,notthesameasbrightness,called"height"?Anddoesitnotnowfollow that, in this region, when I see a Plane and infer a Solid, I really see a Fourth unrecognizedDimension,notthesameascolour,butexistent,thoughinfinitesimalandincapableofmeasurement?

Andbesidesthis,thereistheArgumentfromAnalogyofFigures.

SPHERE.Analogy!Nonsense:whatanalogy?

I.YourLordship tempts his servant to seewhether he remembers the revelations imparted to him.Triflenotwithme,myLord;Icrave,I thirst,formoreknowledge.DoubtlesswecannotSEEthatotherhigherSpacelandnow,becausewewehavenoeyeinourstomachs.But,justasthereWAStherealmof

Flatland,thoughthatpoorpunyLinelandMonarchcouldneitherturntoleftnorrighttodiscernit,andjustas there WAS close at hand, and touching my frame, the land of Three Dimensions, though I, blindsenselesswretch,hadnopowertotouchit,noeyeinmyinteriortodiscernit,soofasuretythereisaFourthDimension,whichmyLordperceiveswiththeinnereyeofthought.AndthatitmustexistmyLordhimselfhastaughtme.Orcanhehaveforgottenwhathehimselfimpartedtohisservant?

InOneDimension,didnotamovingPointproduceaLinewithTWOterminalpoints?

InTwoDimensions,didnotamovingLineproduceaSquarewithFOURterminalpoints?

InThreeDimensions, did not amovingSquare produce—did not this eye ofmine behold it—thatblessedBeing,aCube,withEIGHTterminalpoints?

And inFourDimensionsshallnotamovingCube—alas, forAnalogy,andalas for theProgressofTruth, if it be not so—shall not, I say, the motion of a divine Cube result in a still more divineOrganizationwithSIXTEENterminalpoints?

BeholdtheinfallibleconfirmationoftheSeries,2,4,8,16:isnotthisaGeometricalProgression?Isnotthis—ifImightquotemyLord'sownwords—"strictlyaccordingtoAnalogy"?

Again,wasInottaughtbymyLordthatasinaLinethereareTWOboundingPoints,andinaSquarethereareFOURboundingLines,soinaCubetheremustbeSIXboundingSquares?Beholdoncemoretheconfirming Series, 2, 4, 6: is not this an Arithmetical Progression? And consequently does it not ofnecessityfollowthatthemoredivineoffspringofthedivineCubeintheLandofFourDimensions,musthave8boundingCubes:andisnotthisalso,asmyLordhastaughtmetobelieve,"strictlyaccordingtoAnalogy"?

O,myLord,myLord, behold, I castmyself in faith upon conjecture, not knowing the facts; and IappealtoyourLordshiptoconfirmordenymylogicalanticipations.IfIamwrong,Iyield,andwillnolongerdemandafourthDimension;but,ifIamright,myLordwilllistentoreason.

I ask therefore, is it, or is it not, the fact, that ere now your countrymen also havewitnessed thedescentofBeingsofahigherorderthantheirown,enteringclosedrooms,evenasyourLordshipenteredmine,withouttheopeningofdoorsorwindows,andappearingandvanishingatwill?OnthereplytothisquestionIamreadytostakeeverything.Denyit,andIamhenceforthsilent.Onlyvouchsafeananswer.

SPHERE.(AFTERAPAUSE).Itisreportedso.Butmenaredividedinopinionastothefacts.Andevengrantingthefacts,theyexplainthemindifferentways.Andinanycase,howevergreatmaybethenumber of different explanations, no one has adopted or suggested the theory of a Fourth Dimension.Therefore,prayhavedonewiththistrifling,andletusreturntobusiness.

I.Iwascertainofit.Iwascertainthatmyanticipationswouldbefulfilled.Andnowhavepatiencewithmeandanswermeyetonemorequestion,bestofTeachers!Thosewhohavethusappeared—nooneknowswhence—andhavereturned—nooneknowswhither—havetheyalsocontractedtheirsectionsandvanishedsomehowintothatmoreSpaciousSpace,whitherInowentreatyoutoconductme?

SPHERE(MOODILY).Theyhavevanished,certainly—if theyeverappeared.Butmostpeoplesaythatthesevisionsarosefromthethought—youwillnotunderstandme—fromthebrain;fromtheperturbed

angularityoftheSeer.

I.Saytheyso?Oh,believethemnot.Orifitindeedbeso,thatthisotherSpaceisreallyThoughtland,then takeme to thatblessedRegionwhere I inThoughtshall see the insidesofall solid things.There,before my ravished eye, a Cube, moving in some altogether new direction, but strictly according toAnalogy,soastomakeeveryparticleofhisinteriorpassthroughanewkindofSpace,withawakeofitsown—shallcreateastillmoreperfectperfectionthanhimself,withsixteenterminalExtra-solidangles,andEightsolidCubesforhisPerimeter.Andoncethere,shallwestayourupwardcourse?InthatblessedregionofFourDimensions,shallwelingeronthethresholdoftheFifth,andnotentertherein?Ah,no!Letusratherresolvethatourambitionshallsoarwithourcorporalascent.Then,yieldingtoourintellectualonset,thegatesoftheSixthDimensionshallflyopen;afterthataSeventh,andthenanEighth—HowlongIshouldhavecontinuedIknownot.InvaindidtheSphere,inhisvoiceofthunder,reiteratehiscommandof silence, and threatenmewith thedirestpenalties if Ipersisted.Nothingcould stem the floodofmyecstatic aspirations. Perhaps Iwas to blame; but indeed Iwas intoxicatedwith the recent draughts ofTruthtowhichhehimselfhadintroducedme.However,theendwasnotlongincoming.Mywordswerecutshortbyacrashoutside,andasimultaneouscrashinsideme,whichimpelledmethroughspacewithavelocitythatprecludedspeech.Down!down!down!Iwasrapidlydescending;andIknewthatreturntoFlatlandwasmydoom.Oneglimpse,onelastandnever-to-be-forgottenglimpseIhadofthatdulllevelwilderness—whichwasnowtobecomemyUniverseagain—spreadoutbeforemyeye.Thenadarkness.Then a final, all-consummating thunder-peal; and,when I came tomyself, Iwasoncemore a commoncreepingSquare,inmyStudyathome,listeningtothePeace-CryofmyapproachingWife.

Section20.HowtheSphereencouragedmeinaVision

AlthoughIhad less thanaminutefor reflection, I felt,byakindof instinct, that Imustconcealmyexperiences frommyWife.Not that I apprehended, at themoment, any danger from her divulgingmysecret, but I knew that to any Woman in Flatland the narrative of my adventures must needs beunintelligible. So I endeavoured to reassure her by some story, invented for the occasion, that I hadaccidentallyfallenthroughthetrap-doorofthecellar,andhadtherelainstunned.

The Southward attraction in our country is so slight that even to a Woman my tale necessarilyappearedextraordinaryandwell-nighincredible;butmyWife,whosegoodsensefarexceedsthatoftheaverageofherSex,andwhoperceivedthatIwasunusuallyexcited,didnotarguewithmeonthesubject,butinsistedthatIwasillandrequiredrepose.Iwasgladofanexcuseforretiringtomychambertothinkquietlyoverwhathadhappened.WhenIwasatlastbymyself,adrowsysensationfellonme;butbeforemyeyesclosedIendeavouredtoreproducetheThirdDimension,andespeciallytheprocessbywhichaCube is constructed through themotionof aSquare. Itwasnot so clear as I couldhavewished; but Irememberedthatitmustbe"Upward,andyetnotNorthward",andIdeterminedsteadfastlytoretainthesewordsas thecluewhich, if firmlygrasped,couldnot fail toguideme to thesolution.Somechanicallyrepeating,likeacharm,thewords,"Upward,yetnotNorthward",Ifellintoasoundrefreshingsleep.

DuringmyslumberIhadadream.IthoughtIwasoncemorebythesideoftheSphere,whoselustroushue betokened that he had exchanged his wrath against me for perfect placability. We were movingtogethertowardsabrightbutinfinitesimallysmallPoint,towhichmyMasterdirectedmyattention.Asweapproached, methought there issued from it a slight humming noise as from one of your Spacelandbluebottles, only less resonant by far, so slight indeed that even in the perfect stillness of theVacuumthroughwhichwesoared,thesoundreachednotourearstillwecheckedourflightatadistancefromitofsomethingundertwentyhumandiagonals.

"Lookyonder,"saidmyGuide,"inFlatlandthouhastlived;ofLinelandthouhastreceivedavision;thou hast soared with me to the heights of Spaceland; now, in order to complete the range of thyexperience,Iconducttheedownwardtothelowestdepthofexistence,eventotherealmofPointland,theAbyssofNodimensions.

"Behold yon miserable creature. That Point is a Being like ourselves, but confined to the non-dimensionalGulf.HeishimselfhisownWorld,hisownUniverse;ofanyotherthanhimselfhecanformnoconception;heknowsnotLength,norBreadth,norHeight,forhehashadnoexperienceofthem;hehasnocognizanceevenofthenumberTwo;norhasheathoughtofPlurality;forheishimselfhisOneandAll,being reallyNothing.Yetmarkhisperfect self-contentment,andhence learn this lesson, that tobeself-contented is to be vile and ignorant, and that to aspire is better than to be blindly and impotentlyhappy.Nowlisten."

He ceased; and there arose from the little buzzing creature a tiny, low, monotonous, but distincttinkling,asfromoneofyourSpacelandphonographs,fromwhichIcaughtthesewords,"Infinitebeatitudeofexistence!Itis;andthereisnoneelsebesideIt."

"What,"saidI,"doesthepunycreaturemeanby'it'?""Hemeanshimself,"saidtheSphere:"haveyounot noticed before now, that babies and babyish people who cannot distinguish themselves from theworld,speakofthemselvesintheThirdPerson?Buthush!"

"ItfillsallSpace,"continuedthelittlesoliloquizingCreature,"andwhatItfills,Itis.WhatItthinks,that It utters; andwhat It utters, that It hears; and It itself is Thinker, Utterer, Hearer, Thought,Word,Audition;itistheOne,andyettheAllinAll.Ah,thehappinessah,thehappinessofBeing!"

"Canyounotstartlethelittlethingoutofitscomplacency?"saidI."Tellitwhatitreallyis,asyoutoldme;revealtoitthenarrowlimitationsofPointland,andleadituptosomethinghigher.""Thatisnoeasytask,"saidmyMaster;"tryyou."

Hereon,raisingmyvoicetotheuttermost,IaddressedthePointasfollows:

"Silence, silence,contemptibleCreature.Youcallyourself theAll inAll,butyouare theNothing:yourso-calledUniverse isamerespeck inaLine,andaLine isamereshadowascomparedwith—""Hush, hush, you have said enough," interrupted the Sphere, "now listen, andmark the effect of yourharangueontheKingofPointland."

The lustre of theMonarch,who beamedmore brightly than ever upon hearingmywords, shewedclearlythatheretainedhiscomplacency;andIhadhardlyceasedwhenhetookuphisstrainagain."Ah,the joy, ah, the joy ofThought!What can It not achieve by thinking! Its ownThought coming to Itself,suggestiveofItsdisparagement,therebytoenhanceItshappiness!Sweetrebellionstirreduptoresultin

triumph!Ah,thedivinecreativepoweroftheAllinOne!Ah,thejoy,thejoyofBeing!"

"Yousee,"saidmyTeacher,"howlittleyourwordshavedone.Sofaras theMonarchunderstandsthematall,heacceptsthemashisown—forhecannotconceiveofanyotherexcepthimself—andplumeshimself upon the variety of 'Its Thought' as an instance of creative Power. Let us leave this God ofPointlandtotheignorantfruitionofhisomnipresenceandomniscience:nothingthatyouorIcandocanrescuehimfromhisself-satisfaction."

After this, as we floated gently back to Flatland, I could hear the mild voice of my Companionpointingthemoralofmyvision,andstimulatingmetoaspire,andtoteachotherstoaspire.Hehadbeenangeredatfirst—heconfessed—bymyambitiontosoartoDimensionsabovetheThird;but,sincethen,hehad received fresh insight, andhewasnot tooproud to acknowledgehis error to aPupil.Thenheproceeded to initiate me into mysteries yet higher than those I had witnessed, shewing me how toconstructExtra-SolidsbythemotionofSolids,andDoubleExtra-SolidsbythemotionofExtra-Solids,andall "strictly according toAnalogy", all bymethods so simple, so easy, as tobepatent even to theFemaleSex.

Section21.HowItriedtoteachtheTheoryofThreeDimensionstomyGrandson,andwithwhatsuccess

Iawokerejoicing,andbegantoreflectonthegloriouscareerbeforeme.Iwouldgoforth,methought,atonce,andevangelizethewholeofFlatland.EventoWomenandSoldiersshouldtheGospelofThreeDimensionsbeproclaimed.IwouldbeginwithmyWife.

Just as Ihaddecidedon theplanofmyoperations, Iheard the soundofmanyvoices in the streetcommandingsilence.Thenfollowedaloudervoice.Itwasaherald'sproclamation.Listeningattentively,IrecognizedthewordsoftheResolutionoftheCouncil,enjoiningthearrest,imprisonment,orexecutionofanyonewhoshouldpervertthemindsofthepeoplebydelusions,andbyprofessingtohavereceivedrevelationsfromanotherWorld.

I reflected. This danger was not to be trifledwith. It would be better to avoid it by omitting allmentionofmyRevelation,andbyproceedingonthepathofDemonstration—whichafterall,seemedsosimple and so conclusive that nothing would be lost by discarding the former means. "Upward, notNorthward"—wasthecluetothewholeproof.IthadseemedtomefairlyclearbeforeIfellasleep;andwhenIfirstawoke,freshfrommydream,ithadappearedaspatentasArithmetic;butsomehowitdidnotseemtomequitesoobviousnow.ThoughmyWifeenteredtheroomopportunelyjustat thatmoment,Idecided,afterwehadexchangedafewwordsofcommonplaceconversation,nottobeginwithher.

MyPentagonalSonsweremenofcharacterandstanding,andphysiciansofnomeanreputation,butnotgreatinmathematics,and,inthatrespect,unfitformypurpose.ButitoccurredtomethatayounganddocileHexagon,withamathematical turn,wouldbeamostsuitablepupil.Whythereforenotmakemy

firstexperimentwithmylittleprecociousGrandson,whosecasualremarksonthemeaningof33hadmetwiththeapprovaloftheSphere?Discussingthematterwithhim,amereboy,Ishouldbeinperfectsafety;forhewouldknownothingoftheProclamationoftheCouncil;whereasIcouldnotfeelsurethatmySons—sogreatlydidtheirpatriotismandreverencefortheCirclespredominateovermereblindaffection—might not feel compelled to hand me over to the Prefect, if they found me seriously maintaining theseditiousheresyoftheThirdDimension.

But the first thing to be donewas to satisfy in someway the curiosity ofmyWife,who naturallywishedtoknowsomethingofthereasonsforwhichtheCirclehaddesiredthatmysteriousinterview,andofthemeansbywhichhehadenteredthehouse.WithoutenteringintothedetailsoftheelaborateaccountIgaveher,—anaccount,Ifear,notquitesoconsistentwithtruthasmyReadersinSpacelandmightdesire,—ImustbecontentwithsayingthatIsucceededatlastinpersuadinghertoreturnquietlytoherhouseholdduties without eliciting from me any reference to the World of Three Dimensions. This done, IimmediatelysentformyGrandson;for,toconfessthetruth,IfeltthatallthatIhadseenandheardwasinsome strange way slipping away fromme, like the image of a half-grasped, tantalizing dream, and Ilongedtoessaymyskillinmakingafirstdisciple.

WhenmyGrandsonenteredtheroomIcarefullysecuredthedoor.Then,sittingdownbyhissideandtakingourmathematical tablets,—or, as youwould call them,Lines—I toldhimwewould resume thelessonofyesterday.ItaughthimoncemorehowaPointbymotioninOneDimensionproducesaLine,andhowastraightLineinTwoDimensionsproducesaSquare.Afterthis,forcingalaugh,Isaid,"Andnow,youscamp,youwantedtomakemebelievethataSquaremayinthesamewaybymotion'Upward,notNorthward'produceanotherfigure,asortofextraSquareinThreeDimensions.Saythatagain,youyoungrascal."

Atthismomentweheardoncemoretheherald's"Oyes!Oyes!"outsideinthestreetproclaimingtheResolution of theCouncil.Young thoughhewas,myGrandson—whowas unusually intelligent for hisage, and bred up in perfect reverence for the authority of the Circles—took in the situation with anacuteness forwhichIwasquiteunprepared.Heremainedsilent till the lastwordsof theProclamationhaddiedaway,and then,bursting into tears,"DearGrandpapa,"hesaid,"thatwasonlymyfun,andofcourseImeantnothingatallbyit;andwedidnotknowanythingthenaboutthenewLaw;andIdon'tthinkI said anything about the ThirdDimension; and I am sure I did not say oneword about 'Upward, notNorthward', for that would be such nonsense, you know. How could a thing move Upward, and notNorthward?UpwardandnotNorthward!Evenif Iwereababy,Icouldnotbesoabsurdas that.Howsillyitis!Ha!ha!ha!"

"Notatallsilly,"saidI,losingmytemper;"hereforexample,ItakethisSquare,"and,attheword,IgraspedamoveableSquare,whichwaslyingathand—"andImoveit,yousee,notNorthwardbut—yes,Imove it Upward—that is to say, not Northward, but I move it somewhere—not exactly like this, butsomehow—" Here I brought my sentence to an inane conclusion, shaking the Square about in apurposelessmanner,muchtotheamusementofmyGrandson,whoburstoutlaughinglouderthanever,anddeclaredthatIwasnotteachinghim,butjokingwithhim;andsosayingheunlockedthedoorandranoutoftheroom.ThusendedmyfirstattempttoconvertapupiltotheGospelofThreeDimensions.

Section22.HowIthentriedtodiffusetheTheoryofThreeDimensionsbyothermeans,andoftheresult

My failure with my Grandson did not encourage me to communicate my secret to others of myhousehold;yetneitherwasIledbyittodespairofsuccess.OnlyIsawthatImustnotwhollyrelyonthecatch-phrase, "Upward, notNorthward", butmust rather endeavour to seek a demonstration by settingbeforethepublicaclearviewofthewholesubject;andforthispurposeitseemednecessarytoresorttowriting.

So I devoted severalmonths in privacy to the compositionof a treatise on themysteries ofThreeDimensions.Only,withtheviewofevadingtheLaw,ifpossible,IspokenotofaphysicalDimension,butofaThoughtlandwhence,intheory,aFigurecouldlookdownuponFlatlandandseesimultaneouslytheinsidesofallthings,andwhereitwaspossiblethattheremightbesupposedtoexistaFigureenvironed,asitwere,withsixSquares,andcontainingeightterminalPoints.ButinwritingthisbookIfoundmyselfsadlyhamperedbytheimpossibilityofdrawingsuchdiagramsaswerenecessaryformypurpose;forofcourse, inourcountryofFlatland, thereareno tabletsbutLines,andnodiagramsbutLines,all inonestraightLineandonlydistinguishablebydifferenceofsizeandbrightness;sothat,whenIhadfinishedmytreatise (which I entitled, "ThroughFlatland toThoughtland") I couldnot feel certain thatmanywouldunderstandmymeaning.

Meanwhilemylifewasunderacloud.Allpleasurespalleduponme;allsightstantalizedandtemptedmetooutspokentreason,becauseIcouldnotbutcomparewhatIsawinTwoDimensionswithwhat itreallywasifseeninThree,andcouldhardlyrefrainfrommakingmycomparisonsaloud.IneglectedmyclientsandmyownbusinesstogivemyselftothecontemplationofthemysterieswhichIhadoncebeheld,yetwhich I could impart to no one, and found dailymore difficult to reproduce even beforemy ownmentalvision.

One day, about elevenmonths aftermy return fromSpaceland, I tried to see aCubewithmy eyeclosed,butfailed;andthoughIsucceededafterwards,Iwasnotthenquitecertain(norhaveIbeeneverafterwards) that I had exactly realized the original. This madememore melancholy than before, anddeterminedmetotakesomestep;yetwhat,Iknewnot.IfeltthatIwouldhavebeenwillingtosacrificemy life for the Cause, if thereby I could have produced conviction. But if I could not convince myGrandson,howcouldIconvincethehighestandmostdevelopedCirclesintheland?

Andyetattimesmyspiritwastoostrongforme,andIgaveventtodangerousutterances.AlreadyIwas considered heterodox if not treasonable, and I was keenly alive to the danger of my position;nevertheless I could not at times refrain from bursting out into suspicious or half-seditious utterances,evenamongthehighestPolygonalandCircularsociety.When,forexample,thequestionaroseaboutthetreatmentof those lunaticswhosaid that theyhad received thepowerof seeing the insidesof things, IwouldquotethesayingofanancientCircle,whodeclaredthatprophetsandinspiredpeoplearealwaysconsideredbythemajoritytobemad;andIcouldnothelpoccasionallydroppingsuchexpressionsas"theeye that discerns the interiors of things", and "the all-seeing land"; once or twice I even let fall theforbiddenterms"theThirdandFourthDimensions".Atlast,tocompleteaseriesofminorindiscretions,atameetingofourLocalSpeculativeSocietyheldatthepalaceofthePrefecthimself,—someextremelysillypersonhavingreadanelaboratepaperexhibitingtheprecisereasonswhyProvidencehaslimitedthe

numberofDimensionstoTwo,andwhytheattributeofomnividenceisassignedtotheSupremealone—IsofarforgotmyselfastogiveanexactaccountofthewholeofmyvoyagewiththeSphereintoSpace,andtotheAssemblyHallinourMetropolis,andthentoSpaceagain,andofmyreturnhome,andofeverythingthatIhadseenandheardinfactorvision.Atfirst,indeed,IpretendedthatIwasdescribingtheimaginaryexperiencesofafictitiousperson;butmyenthusiasmsoonforcedmetothrowoffalldisguise,andfinally,in a fervent peroration, I exhorted all my hearers to divest themselves of prejudice and to becomebelieversintheThirdDimension.

NeedIsaythatIwasatoncearrestedandtakenbeforetheCouncil?

Nextmorning,standingintheveryplacewherebutaveryfewmonthsagotheSpherehadstoodinmycompany,Iwasallowedtobeginandtocontinuemynarrationunquestionedanduninterrupted.Butfromthefirst I foresawmyfate; for thePresident,noting thataguardof thebettersortofPolicemenwas inattendance,ofangularitylittle,ifatall,under55degrees,orderedthemtoberelievedbeforeIbeganmydefence,byaninferiorclassof2or3degrees.Iknewonlytoowellwhatthatmeant.Iwastobeexecutedorimprisoned,andmystorywastobekeptsecretfromtheworldbythesimultaneousdestructionoftheofficialswhohadheardit;and,thisbeingthecase,thePresidentdesiredtosubstitutethecheaperforthemoreexpensivevictims.

AfterIhadconcludedmydefence,thePresident,perhapsperceivingthatsomeofthejuniorCircleshadbeenmovedbymyevidentearnestness,askedmetwoquestions:—

1. Whether I could indicate the direction which I meant when I used the words "Upward, notNorthward"?

2.Whether Icouldbyanydiagramsordescriptions (other than theenumerationof imaginarysidesandangles)indicatetheFigureIwaspleasedtocallaCube?

I declared that I could saynothingmore, and that Imust commitmyself to theTruth,whose causewouldsurelyprevailintheend.

ThePresidentrepliedthathequiteconcurredinmysentiment,andthatIcouldnotdobetter.Imustbesentenced to perpetual imprisonment; but if the Truth intended that I should emerge from prison andevangelize the world, the Truth might be trusted to bring that result to pass. Meanwhile I should besubjectedtonodiscomfortthatwasnotnecessarytoprecludeescape,and,unlessIforfeitedtheprivilegebymisconduct,Ishouldbeoccasionallypermittedtoseemybrotherwhohadprecededmetomyprison.

Seven years have elapsed and I am still a prisoner, and—if I except the occasional visits of mybrother—debarred from all companionship save that of my jailers. My brother is one of the best ofSquares, just, sensible, cheerful, and not without fraternal affection; yet I confess that my weeklyinterviews, at least in one respect, cause me the bitterest pain. He was present when the Spheremanifested himself in the Council Chamber; he saw the Sphere's changing sections; he heard theexplanation of the phenomena then given to the Circles. Since that time, scarcely a week has passedduring seven whole years, without his hearing from me a repetition of the part I played in thatmanifestation,togetherwithampledescriptionsofallthephenomenainSpaceland,andtheargumentsfortheexistenceofSolidthingsderivablefromAnalogy.Yet—Itakeshametobeforcedtoconfessit—mybrother has not yet grasped the nature of the ThirdDimension, and frankly avows his disbelief in theexistenceofaSphere.

HenceIamabsolutelydestituteofconverts,and, foraught that Icansee, themillennialRevelationhas beenmade tome for nothing. Prometheus up in Spacelandwas bound for bringing down fire formortals, but I—poor Flatland Prometheus—lie here in prison for bringing down nothing to mycountrymen.YetIexist inthehopethatthesememoirs, insomemanner,Iknownothow,mayfindtheirwaytothemindsofhumanityinSomeDimension,andmaystiruparaceofrebelswhoshallrefusetobeconfinedtolimitedDimensionality.

Thatisthehopeofmybrightermoments.Alas,itisnotalwaysso.HeavilyweighsonmeattimestheburdensomereflectionthatIcannothonestlysayIamconfidentastotheexactshapeoftheonce-seen,oft-regrettedCube;and inmynightlyvisions themysteriousprecept, "Upward,notNorthward",hauntsmelikeasoul-devouringSphinx. It ispartof themartyrdomwhichIendure for thecauseof theTruth thatthereareseasonsofmentalweakness,whenCubesandSpheresflitawayintothebackgroundofscarce-possibleexistences;whentheLandofThreeDimensionsseemsalmostasvisionaryastheLandofOneorNone; nay,when even this hardwall that barsme frommy freedom, thesevery tablets onwhich I amwriting,andallthesubstantialrealitiesofFlatlanditself,appearnobetterthantheoffspringofadiseasedimagination,orthebaselessfabricofadream.

EndoftheProjectGutenbergEBookofFlatland:ARomanceofManyDimensions

(Illustrated),byEdwinA.Abbot

***ENDOFTHISPROJECTGUTENBERGEBOOKFLATLAND***

*****Thisfileshouldbenamed201-h.htmor201-h.zip*****

Thisandallassociatedfilesofvariousformatswillbefoundin:

http://www.gutenberg.org/2/0/201/

Updatededitionswillreplacethepreviousone--theoldeditions

willberenamed.

Creatingtheworksfrompublicdomainprinteditionsmeansthatno

oneownsaUnitedStatescopyrightintheseworks,sotheFoundation

(andyou!)cancopyanddistributeitintheUnitedStateswithout

permissionandwithoutpayingcopyrightroyalties.Specialrules,

setforthintheGeneralTermsofUsepartofthislicense,applyto

copyinganddistributingProjectGutenberg-tmelectronicworksto

protectthePROJECTGUTENBERG-tmconceptandtrademark.Project

Gutenbergisaregisteredtrademark,andmaynotbeusedifyou

chargefortheeBooks,unlessyoureceivespecificpermission.Ifyou

donotchargeanythingforcopiesofthiseBook,complyingwiththe

rulesisveryeasy.YoumayusethiseBookfornearlyanypurpose

suchascreationofderivativeworks,reports,performancesand

research.Theymaybemodifiedandprintedandgivenaway--youmaydo

practicallyANYTHINGwithpublicdomaineBooks.Redistributionis

subjecttothetrademarklicense,especiallycommercial

redistribution.

***START:FULLLICENSE***

THEFULLPROJECTGUTENBERGLICENSE

PLEASEREADTHISBEFOREYOUDISTRIBUTEORUSETHISWORK

ToprotecttheProjectGutenberg-tmmissionofpromotingthefree

distributionofelectronicworks,byusingordistributingthiswork

(oranyotherworkassociatedinanywaywiththephrase"Project

Gutenberg"),youagreetocomplywithallthetermsoftheFullProject

Gutenberg-tmLicense(availablewiththisfileoronlineat

http://gutenberg.net/license).

Section1.GeneralTermsofUseandRedistributingProjectGutenberg-tm

electronicworks

1.A.ByreadingorusinganypartofthisProjectGutenberg-tm

electronicwork,youindicatethatyouhaveread,understand,agreeto

andacceptallthetermsofthislicenseandintellectualproperty

(trademark/copyright)agreement.Ifyoudonotagreetoabidebyall

thetermsofthisagreement,youmustceaseusingandreturnordestroy

allcopiesofProjectGutenberg-tmelectronicworksinyourpossession.

IfyoupaidafeeforobtainingacopyoforaccesstoaProject

Gutenberg-tmelectronicworkandyoudonotagreetobeboundbythe

termsofthisagreement,youmayobtainarefundfromthepersonor

entitytowhomyoupaidthefeeassetforthinparagraph1.E.8.

1.B."ProjectGutenberg"isaregisteredtrademark.Itmayonlybe

usedonorassociatedinanywaywithanelectronicworkbypeoplewho

agreetobeboundbythetermsofthisagreement.Thereareafew

thingsthatyoucandowithmostProjectGutenberg-tmelectronicworks

evenwithoutcomplyingwiththefulltermsofthisagreement.See

paragraph1.Cbelow.TherearealotofthingsyoucandowithProject

Gutenberg-tmelectronicworksifyoufollowthetermsofthisagreement

andhelppreservefreefutureaccesstoProjectGutenberg-tmelectronic

works.Seeparagraph1.Ebelow.

1.C.TheProjectGutenbergLiteraryArchiveFoundation("theFoundation"

orPGLAF),ownsacompilationcopyrightinthecollectionofProject

Gutenberg-tmelectronicworks.Nearlyalltheindividualworksinthe

collectionareinthepublicdomainintheUnitedStates.Ifan

individualworkisinthepublicdomainintheUnitedStatesandyouare

locatedintheUnitedStates,wedonotclaimarighttopreventyoufrom

copying,distributing,performing,displayingorcreatingderivative

worksbasedontheworkaslongasallreferencestoProjectGutenberg

areremoved.Ofcourse,wehopethatyouwillsupporttheProject

Gutenberg-tmmissionofpromotingfreeaccesstoelectronicworksby

freelysharingProjectGutenberg-tmworksincompliancewiththetermsof

thisagreementforkeepingtheProjectGutenberg-tmnameassociatedwith

thework.Youcaneasilycomplywiththetermsofthisagreementby

keepingthisworkinthesameformatwithitsattachedfullProject

Gutenberg-tmLicensewhenyoushareitwithoutchargewithothers.

1.D.Thecopyrightlawsoftheplacewhereyouarelocatedalsogovern

whatyoucandowiththiswork.Copyrightlawsinmostcountriesarein

aconstantstateofchange.IfyouareoutsidetheUnitedStates,check

thelawsofyourcountryinadditiontothetermsofthisagreement

beforedownloading,copying,displaying,performing,distributingor

creatingderivativeworksbasedonthisworkoranyotherProject

Gutenberg-tmwork.TheFoundationmakesnorepresentationsconcerning

thecopyrightstatusofanyworkinanycountryoutsidetheUnited

States.

1.E.UnlessyouhaveremovedallreferencestoProjectGutenberg:

1.E.1.Thefollowingsentence,withactivelinksto,orotherimmediate

accessto,thefullProjectGutenberg-tmLicensemustappearprominently

wheneveranycopyofaProjectGutenberg-tmwork(anyworkonwhichthe

phrase"ProjectGutenberg"appears,orwithwhichthephrase"Project

Gutenberg"isassociated)isaccessed,displayed,performed,viewed,

copiedordistributed:

ThiseBookisfortheuseofanyoneanywhereatnocostandwith

almostnorestrictionswhatsoever.Youmaycopyit,giveitawayor

re-useitunderthetermsoftheProjectGutenbergLicenseincluded

withthiseBookoronlineatwww.gutenberg.net

1.E.2.IfanindividualProjectGutenberg-tmelectronicworkisderived

fromthepublicdomain(doesnotcontainanoticeindicatingthatitis

postedwithpermissionofthecopyrightholder),theworkcanbecopied

anddistributedtoanyoneintheUnitedStateswithoutpayinganyfees

orcharges.Ifyouareredistributingorprovidingaccesstoawork

withthephrase"ProjectGutenberg"associatedwithorappearingonthe

work,youmustcomplyeitherwiththerequirementsofparagraphs1.E.1

through1.E.7orobtainpermissionfortheuseoftheworkandthe

ProjectGutenberg-tmtrademarkassetforthinparagraphs1.E.8or

1.E.9.

1.E.3.IfanindividualProjectGutenberg-tmelectronicworkisposted

withthepermissionofthecopyrightholder,youruseanddistribution

mustcomplywithbothparagraphs1.E.1through1.E.7andanyadditional

termsimposedbythecopyrightholder.Additionaltermswillbelinked

totheProjectGutenberg-tmLicenseforallworkspostedwiththe

permissionofthecopyrightholderfoundatthebeginningofthiswork.

1.E.4.DonotunlinkordetachorremovethefullProjectGutenberg-tm

Licensetermsfromthiswork,oranyfilescontainingapartofthis

workoranyotherworkassociatedwithProjectGutenberg-tm.

1.E.5.Donotcopy,display,perform,distributeorredistributethis

electronicwork,oranypartofthiselectronicwork,without

prominentlydisplayingthesentencesetforthinparagraph1.E.1with

activelinksorimmediateaccesstothefulltermsoftheProject

Gutenberg-tmLicense.

1.E.6.Youmayconverttoanddistributethisworkinanybinary,

compressed,markedup,nonproprietaryorproprietaryform,includingany

wordprocessingorhypertextform.However,ifyouprovideaccesstoor

distributecopiesofaProjectGutenberg-tmworkinaformatotherthan

"PlainVanillaASCII"orotherformatusedintheofficialversion

postedontheofficialProjectGutenberg-tmwebsite(www.gutenberg.net),

youmust,atnoadditionalcost,feeorexpensetotheuser,providea

copy,ameansofexportingacopy,orameansofobtainingacopyupon

request,oftheworkinitsoriginal"PlainVanillaASCII"orother

form.AnyalternateformatmustincludethefullProjectGutenberg-tm

Licenseasspecifiedinparagraph1.E.1.

1.E.7.Donotchargeafeeforaccessto,viewing,displaying,

performing,copyingordistributinganyProjectGutenberg-tmworks

unlessyoucomplywithparagraph1.E.8or1.E.9.

1.E.8.Youmaychargeareasonablefeeforcopiesoforproviding

accesstoordistributingProjectGutenberg-tmelectronicworksprovided

that

-Youpayaroyaltyfeeof20%ofthegrossprofitsyouderivefrom

theuseofProjectGutenberg-tmworkscalculatedusingthemethod

youalreadyusetocalculateyourapplicabletaxes.Thefeeis

owedtotheowneroftheProjectGutenberg-tmtrademark,buthe

hasagreedtodonateroyaltiesunderthisparagraphtothe

ProjectGutenbergLiteraryArchiveFoundation.Royaltypayments

mustbepaidwithin60daysfollowingeachdateonwhichyou

prepare(orarelegallyrequiredtoprepare)yourperiodictax

returns.Royaltypaymentsshouldbeclearlymarkedassuchand

senttotheProjectGutenbergLiteraryArchiveFoundationatthe

addressspecifiedinSection4,"Informationaboutdonationsto

theProjectGutenbergLiteraryArchiveFoundation."

-Youprovideafullrefundofanymoneypaidbyauserwhonotifies

youinwriting(orbye-mail)within30daysofreceiptthats/he

doesnotagreetothetermsofthefullProjectGutenberg-tm

License.Youmustrequiresuchausertoreturnor

destroyallcopiesoftheworkspossessedinaphysicalmedium

anddiscontinuealluseofandallaccesstoothercopiesof

ProjectGutenberg-tmworks.

-Youprovide,inaccordancewithparagraph1.F.3,afullrefundofany

moneypaidforaworkorareplacementcopy,ifadefectinthe

electronicworkisdiscoveredandreportedtoyouwithin90days

ofreceiptofthework.

-Youcomplywithallothertermsofthisagreementforfree

distributionofProjectGutenberg-tmworks.

1.E.9.IfyouwishtochargeafeeordistributeaProjectGutenberg-tm

electronicworkorgroupofworksondifferenttermsthanareset

forthinthisagreement,youmustobtainpermissioninwritingfrom

boththeProjectGutenbergLiteraryArchiveFoundationandMichael

Hart,theowneroftheProjectGutenberg-tmtrademark.Contactthe

FoundationassetforthinSection3below.

1.F.

1.F.1.ProjectGutenbergvolunteersandemployeesexpendconsiderable

efforttoidentify,docopyrightresearchon,transcribeandproofread

publicdomainworksincreatingtheProjectGutenberg-tm

collection.Despitetheseefforts,ProjectGutenberg-tmelectronic

works,andthemediumonwhichtheymaybestored,maycontain

"Defects,"suchas,butnotlimitedto,incomplete,inaccurateor

corruptdata,transcriptionerrors,acopyrightorotherintellectual

propertyinfringement,adefectiveordamageddiskorothermedium,a

computervirus,orcomputercodesthatdamageorcannotbereadby

yourequipment.

1.F.2.LIMITEDWARRANTY,DISCLAIMEROFDAMAGES-Exceptforthe"Right

ofReplacementorRefund"describedinparagraph1.F.3,theProject

GutenbergLiteraryArchiveFoundation,theowneroftheProject

Gutenberg-tmtrademark,andanyotherpartydistributingaProject

Gutenberg-tmelectronicworkunderthisagreement,disclaimall

liabilitytoyoufordamages,costsandexpenses,includinglegal

fees.YOUAGREETHATYOUHAVENOREMEDIESFORNEGLIGENCE,STRICT

LIABILITY,BREACHOFWARRANTYORBREACHOFCONTRACTEXCEPTTHOSE

PROVIDEDINPARAGRAPHF3.YOUAGREETHATTHEFOUNDATION,THE

TRADEMARKOWNER,ANDANYDISTRIBUTORUNDERTHISAGREEMENTWILLNOTBE

LIABLETOYOUFORACTUAL,DIRECT,INDIRECT,CONSEQUENTIAL,PUNITIVEOR

INCIDENTALDAMAGESEVENIFYOUGIVENOTICEOFTHEPOSSIBILITYOFSUCH

DAMAGE.

1.F.3.LIMITEDRIGHTOFREPLACEMENTORREFUND-Ifyoudiscovera

defectinthiselectronicworkwithin90daysofreceivingit,youcan

receivearefundofthemoney(ifany)youpaidforitbysendinga

writtenexplanationtothepersonyoureceivedtheworkfrom.Ifyou

receivedtheworkonaphysicalmedium,youmustreturnthemediumwith

yourwrittenexplanation.Thepersonorentitythatprovidedyouwith

thedefectiveworkmayelecttoprovideareplacementcopyinlieuofa

refund.Ifyoureceivedtheworkelectronically,thepersonorentity

providingittoyoumaychoosetogiveyouasecondopportunityto

receivetheworkelectronicallyinlieuofarefund.Ifthesecondcopy

isalsodefective,youmaydemandarefundinwritingwithoutfurther

opportunitiestofixtheproblem.

1.F.4.Exceptforthelimitedrightofreplacementorrefundsetforth

inparagraph1.F.3,thisworkisprovidedtoyou'AS-IS'WITHNOOTHER

WARRANTIESOFANYKIND,EXPRESSORIMPLIED,INCLUDINGBUTNOTLIMITEDTO

WARRANTIESOFMERCHANTIBILITYORFITNESSFORANYPURPOSE.

1.F.5.Somestatesdonotallowdisclaimersofcertainimplied

warrantiesortheexclusionorlimitationofcertaintypesofdamages.

Ifanydisclaimerorlimitationsetforthinthisagreementviolatesthe

lawofthestateapplicabletothisagreement,theagreementshallbe

interpretedtomakethemaximumdisclaimerorlimitationpermittedby

theapplicablestatelaw.Theinvalidityorunenforceabilityofany

provisionofthisagreementshallnotvoidtheremainingprovisions.

1.F.6.INDEMNITY-YouagreetoindemnifyandholdtheFoundation,the

trademarkowner,anyagentoremployeeoftheFoundation,anyone

providingcopiesofProjectGutenberg-tmelectronicworksinaccordance

withthisagreement,andanyvolunteersassociatedwiththeproduction,

promotionanddistributionofProjectGutenberg-tmelectronicworks,

harmlessfromallliability,costsandexpenses,includinglegalfees,

thatarisedirectlyorindirectlyfromanyofthefollowingwhichyoudo

orcausetooccur:(a)distributionofthisoranyProjectGutenberg-tm

work,(b)alteration,modification,oradditionsordeletionstoany

ProjectGutenberg-tmwork,and(c)anyDefectyoucause.

Section2.InformationabouttheMissionofProjectGutenberg-tm

ProjectGutenberg-tmissynonymouswiththefreedistributionof

electronicworksinformatsreadablebythewidestvarietyofcomputers

includingobsolete,old,middle-agedandnewcomputers.Itexists

becauseoftheeffortsofhundredsofvolunteersanddonationsfrom

peopleinallwalksoflife.

Volunteersandfinancialsupporttoprovidevolunteerswiththe

assistancetheyneed,iscriticaltoreachingProjectGutenberg-tm's

goalsandensuringthattheProjectGutenberg-tmcollectionwill

remainfreelyavailableforgenerationstocome.In2001,theProject

GutenbergLiteraryArchiveFoundationwascreatedtoprovideasecure

andpermanentfutureforProjectGutenberg-tmandfuturegenerations.

TolearnmoreabouttheProjectGutenbergLiteraryArchiveFoundation

andhowyoureffortsanddonationscanhelp,seeSections3and4

andtheFoundationwebpageathttp://www.pglaf.org.

Section3.InformationabouttheProjectGutenbergLiteraryArchive

Foundation

TheProjectGutenbergLiteraryArchiveFoundationisanonprofit

501(c)(3)educationalcorporationorganizedunderthelawsofthe

stateofMississippiandgrantedtaxexemptstatusbytheInternal

RevenueService.TheFoundation'sEINorfederaltaxidentification

numberis64-6221541.Its501(c)(3)letterispostedat

http://pglaf.org/fundraising.ContributionstotheProjectGutenberg

LiteraryArchiveFoundationaretaxdeductibletothefullextent

permittedbyU.S.federallawsandyourstate'slaws.

TheFoundation'sprincipalofficeislocatedat4557MelanDr.S.

Fairbanks,AK,99712.,butitsvolunteersandemployeesarescattered

throughoutnumerouslocations.Itsbusinessofficeislocatedat

809North1500West,SaltLakeCity,UT84116,(801)596-1887,email

business@pglaf.org.Emailcontactlinksanduptodatecontact

informationcanbefoundattheFoundation'swebsiteandofficial

pageathttp://pglaf.org

Foradditionalcontactinformation:

Dr.GregoryB.Newby

ChiefExecutiveandDirector

gbnewby@pglaf.org

Section4.InformationaboutDonationstotheProjectGutenberg

LiteraryArchiveFoundation

ProjectGutenberg-tmdependsuponandcannotsurvivewithoutwide

spreadpublicsupportanddonationstocarryoutitsmissionof

increasingthenumberofpublicdomainandlicensedworksthatcanbe

freelydistributedinmachinereadableformaccessiblebythewidest

arrayofequipmentincludingoutdatedequipment.Manysmalldonations

($1to$5,000)areparticularlyimportanttomaintainingtaxexempt

statuswiththeIRS.

TheFoundationiscommittedtocomplyingwiththelawsregulating

charitiesandcharitabledonationsinall50statesoftheUnited

States.Compliancerequirementsarenotuniformandittakesa

considerableeffort,muchpaperworkandmanyfeestomeetandkeepup

withtheserequirements.Wedonotsolicitdonationsinlocations

wherewehavenotreceivedwrittenconfirmationofcompliance.To

SENDDONATIONSordeterminethestatusofcomplianceforany

particularstatevisithttp://pglaf.org

Whilewecannotanddonotsolicitcontributionsfromstateswherewe

havenotmetthesolicitationrequirements,weknowofnoprohibition

againstacceptingunsoliciteddonationsfromdonorsinsuchstateswho

approachuswithofferstodonate.

Internationaldonationsaregratefullyaccepted,butwecannotmake

anystatementsconcerningtaxtreatmentofdonationsreceivedfrom

outsidetheUnitedStates.U.S.lawsaloneswampoursmallstaff.

PleasechecktheProjectGutenbergWebpagesforcurrentdonation

methodsandaddresses.Donationsareacceptedinanumberofother

waysincludingincludingchecks,onlinepaymentsandcreditcard

donations.Todonate,pleasevisit:http://pglaf.org/donate

Section5.GeneralInformationAboutProjectGutenberg-tmelectronic

works.

ProfessorMichaelS.HartistheoriginatoroftheProjectGutenberg-tm

conceptofalibraryofelectronicworksthatcouldbefreelyshared

withanyone.Forthirtyyears,heproducedanddistributedProject

Gutenberg-tmeBookswithonlyaloosenetworkofvolunteersupport.

ProjectGutenberg-tmeBooksareoftencreatedfromseveralprinted

editions,allofwhichareconfirmedasPublicDomainintheU.S.

unlessacopyrightnoticeisincluded.Thus,wedonotnecessarily

keepeBooksincompliancewithanyparticularpaperedition.

MostpeoplestartatourWebsitewhichhasthemainPGsearchfacility:

http://www.gutenberg.net

ThisWebsiteincludesinformationaboutProjectGutenberg-tm,

includinghowtomakedonationstotheProjectGutenbergLiterary

ArchiveFoundation,howtohelpproduceourneweBooks,andhowto

subscribetoouremailnewslettertohearaboutneweBooks.