, 1880-08-08
mHE METHOD OF ZADIG.
Having Eyes to See, and Using
Them.
Conclusions from Observations, or Re-
Prospective Prophecy.
ny PROF. r, Il, HUXLEY.

,refare the discussion OF tn6 views Oh
pphilosophic thinker by some account of the
Ion and of the circumstances which shaped
~ life and colored his way Of looking at
.h;ncs. ~; but, though Zadig is cited in one OF
40 most important chapters Of Cuvier's
a-estest work, little is known about him, and
thst little might perhaps be better authenti-
cated than 1t IS.
~ ;s said that he lived at Babylon in the
+,me of King Noabdar; but the name OF Mo-
sh3ar does not appear in the list of
p.hy]onian soycreigns brought to light
w. fhe patience and the industry of the
a.o;nhe1ers Of cuneifo1m inscriptions in these
,star vears; nor indeed am aware that
4sa~a ts ;s auy other authority for its existence
tb,n @ thzt of tie biographer OF Zadig, one
1n,et de Voltaire, among whose most con-
<,;rnous merits strict historical accuracy Is
narhaps hardly to be reckoned.
Happily, Zadig is in the position OF q great
many o1her philosophers What he was like
rrhpn he was in the f1esh-indeed, whether
he existed at all-are matters Of no great
consequence. What we care about in a
Ipht Is, that 1t shows the way,-not whether
y Is lamp or candle, tal1ow or wax Our
only real interest in Zadig lies in the concep-
fms of which he Is the putative futher; and
his blographer has illustrated these with SO
rucn clearness and yivacious ILLUSTRATION. that
ve need hardly feel a panE even If critical re-
search should prove King Moabdar and ali
the rest Of the story to be unhistorical, and
reduce Zadig himself to the Shad oRy condi
ton OF solar myth.
Toltajre tells us that, .disenchanted of life
bv suud5y domestic adventures. Zadig with
drew from the turmoil OF Babylon to Sc
rluded retreat on the banks Of the Euphr.-
trs, where lie begui!etl his solitude by the
study of Nature. The manifold wonders Of
the world uf life had peculiar attraction fOr
the lonely student; liacessalit and patient OBJ
servatiun of the plants and animals about
him sllar1Hued his naturally good powers
length, be acquired sagacity Which enabled
him to perceive endless minute differences
among objects which. to ha untutored eye,
appeared absolutely alike.
1t might hare been expected that this en-
larsetnent Of the powers of the mind and Of
nothing hut the increase OF 9 mans own vel
fare and The go0d of his felfuw-inen. But
Zadig was fated to experience the vanity OF
such expectations.
Que day, walking near little wood, he
saw. fastening that way, one of the Queen's
lutt1 1O14O~EQ Qy d L01Y u Olt-
eial, who appeared to be In the greatest
anxiety, running hither and thither like men
tistraught, i'll search of sume lost treasure.
"'Young man, cried the cunuch, have
you seen the Queens dog@ Zadig answered
modestly, "A bitch, I think.-not dog
continued: a very ,snall spaniel, who has
lately had puppies; she limps with the left
foreles, and has very long ears All! you
hare seen her, then" said the breathless
No. answered ZHdig, L have not
seen her; and really was not aware that the
Queen possessed spaniel
By an odd coincidence, at the very same
time the handsomest horse in the Kings
stables broke away FROM bis groom in the
Babylonian plains. The Grand Huntsman
Ind all his staff were seeking the horse with
IS much anxiety as the eunucll and his peo-
asked Zadig If he had not seen the Kings
horse 60 that way.
"'A first-rate gn11oper; smaI1-hoofed; five
feet high; tail three feet and half long;
OF the bit OF twenty-three carat
sss Wl'ch fh way S did he 'e eaF Si Where is he %
died the Grand uuntsman.
~ have not seen anything Of the horse,
md never heard Of him BEFORE replied
Zadig:
The Grand Huntsman and the Chief
Eunuch made sure that Zadig had stolen both
,
tley laled him before the High Court OF
Dcsterhanl, which at once condemned him
y The knvut and TRANSFORMATION for life to
Siberia But the sentence WAS hardly pro-
nounced when the lost horse and Spaniel
painfui i necessity S OF Of reeossiderng % their dc de
rlslon; but they fined Zadig 4O0 ounces of /
gold for saying that he had seen that which |
be Gad not seen.
The first thing was to pay the fine; after
ward Ladig was permitted to open his de-
Tense to the Court, which he did in the fol-
lowing terms:
"'Stass Of justice, abysses Of knowledge,
mtFrors of truth, whose gravity Is as that of |
lead. whose fnnexlbilty Is rs that Of iron, who !,
Hvai tue diamond In clearurss, and possess
n';, no nue - affinity with gold; since | am per
swear BY Ormuzd that have never seen the
respectable lady dog Of the Queen, nor be-
aeld the sacrosanct hotsa Of the King Of
Kings;
This Is what happened: was taking
VAN toward the little wood near where l
subsequently had the honor to meet the VEN
eraole Chief Eunuch and the most illustrious
9tand Huntstnan. Noticed the track of all
annual IN! i! IN the sand, and 1t was easy to see
mai i was that OF a small dog. Long, faint
sueaks upon the little elevations of sand be-
tSeen I've the foot-Marks Convinced me
ana, aat II was a sle4log, with pendant
e+o"A4f5 l444t Sub uu5k HIVE 1tAu ]
puppes not many days since. Other scrap
~ aIs ol me sand, which always lay close to
sIs sls. Ms1ks l OF the forepaws, indicated that
81 oae IN. aau very lung ears; and. as the imprint
~ onS aoi was always fainter than tllnse Ut
our v oua:s la1ee Judged that the lady dog OF
esr - aas9s! Vue.n was, if l may venture to
oas So g, little lame. /
r;,,. MN respect to the horse OF the King OF
tl,..sp SA permit me to observe that, wandering
1,Uiga no.;gea, ue paths which traverse the wool,
r.u..n .ouc1o ths marks OF Lorseslioes. They
s fa,. ~ eQuldistant- "4hg' said /, <'this Is
seren o1us t.e ea!loper." In narrow alley, only
fSsen f. '1, net wide the dust upon the trunks OF
M, aees xs, vas 4 little disturbed ut three feet
@11;s - 1an 3a from the middle of the path.
thra. taoI ao!se" said to myself, ''had a tail
isn,. 1ees and half long, and, lashing
tvsat ue1a one side to the other, be has
maf nry away the dust" Branches OF trees
rndar rd"'ednead .Id at the hight Of five feet, ul1d
n InaMein Mein ! saw newly-fallen leaves;
b.anoh'sssw ahsw the hose had brushed some of the
As ~ .s;, ana was therefore FIVE feet high.
swaa,.! ~ hls bit, It must have been made of
ss,;,al satee carat gold, for he had rubbed
:oncStls!.a :oSlse stone, which turned out to be |
In fante, with the. properties of which
narts a4star .,It by experiment Lastly, by the
annshs'" "nlcn ,ll hls shoes LETT upon pebbles of
ihna. q Kind, l ras led to think that his
" y ~ nrsre =: Ut fne silver
.nd s,,,.,e 1e Judges admired Zadig's profound |
ra.bII9ue bue uiscerDment, and the fame Of it
TIN haso aa. even the King and the Queen. From ,
1sa;sss@ ss@s!noms to the prcstllce-cllau,l,er,
tod sis.nam name was In evcrybody's mouth;
ppin;,n .Iate = many of the Ma.i were of the