Jurgen, James Branch Cabell [ebook reader computer .txt] 📗

Then spoke the wise Queen Dolores, saying: “I have studied mathematics. I will question this young man, in my tent tonight, and in the morning I will report the truth as to his claims. Are you content to endure this interrogatory, my spruce young fellow who wear the shirt of a king?”

Jurgen looked full upon her: she was lovely as a hawk is lovely: and of all that Jurgen saw Jurgen approved. He assumed the rest to be in keeping: and deduced that Dolores was a fine woman.

“Madame and Queen,” said Jurgen, “I am content. And I can promise to deal fairly with you.”

So that evening Jurgen was conducted into the purple tent of Queen Dolores of Philistia. It was quite dark there, and Jurgen went in alone, and wondering what would happen next: but this scented darkness he found of excellent augury, if only because it prevented his shadow from following him.

“Now, you who claim to be flesh and blood, and King of Eubonia, too,” says the voice of Queen Dolores, “what is this nonsense you were talking about proving any such claims by mathematics?”

“Well, but my mathematics,” replied Jurgen, “are Praxagorean.”

“What, do you mean Praxagoras of Cos?”

“As if,” scoffed Jurgen, “anybody had ever heard of any other Praxagoras!”

“But he, as I recall, belonged to the medical school of the Dogmatici,” observed the wise Queen Dolores, “and was particularly celebrated for his researches in anatomy. Was he, then, also a mathematician?”

“The two are not incongruous, madame, as I would be delighted to demonstrate.”

“Oh, nobody said that! For, indeed, it does seem to me I have heard of this Praxagorean system of mathematics, though, I confess, I have never studied it.”

“Our school, madame, postulates, first of all, that since the science of mathematics is an abstract science, it is best inculcated by some concrete example.”

Said the Queen: “But that sounds rather complicated.”

“It occasionally leads to complications,” Jurgen admitted, “through a choice of the wrong example. But the axiom is no less true.”

“Come, then, and sit next to me on this couch if you can find it in the dark; and do you explain to me what you mean.”

“Why, madame, by a concrete example I mean one that is perceptible to any of the senses⁠—as to sight or hearing, or touch⁠—”

“Oh, oh!” said the Queen, “now I perceive what you mean by a concrete example. And grasping this, I can understand that complications must of course arise from a choice of the wrong example.”

“Well, then, madame, it is first necessary to implant in you, by the force of example, a lively sense of the peculiar character, and virtues and properties, of each of the numbers upon which is based the whole science of Praxagorean mathematics. For in order to convince you thoroughly, we must start far down, at the beginning of all things.”

“I see,” said the Queen, “or rather, in this darkness I cannot see at all, but I perceive your point. Your opening interests me: and you may go on.”

“Now One, or the monad,” says Jurgen, “is the principle and the end of all: it reveals the sublime knot which binds together the chain of causes: it is the symbol of identity, of equality, of existence, of conservation, and of general harmony.” And Jurgen emphasized these characteristics vigorously. “In brief, One is a symbol of the union of things: it introduces that generating virtue which is the cause of all combinations: and consequently One is a good principle.”

“Ah, ah!” said Queen Dolores, “I heartily admire a good principle. But what has become of your concrete example?”

“It is ready for you, madame: there is but One Jurgen.”

“Oh, I assure you, I am not yet convinced of that. Still, the audacity of your example will help me to remember One, whether or not you prove to be really unique.”

“Now, Two, or the dyad, the origin of contrasts⁠—”

Jurgen went on penetratingly to demonstrate that Two was a symbol of diversity and of restlessness and of disorder, ending in collapse and separation: and was accordingly an evil principle. Thus was the life of every man made wretched by the struggle between his Two components, his soul and his body; and thus was the rapture of expectant parents considerably abated by the advent of Twins.

Three, or the triad, however, since everything was composed of three substances, contained the most sublime mysteries, which Jurgen duly communicated. We must remember, he pointed out, that Zeus carried a Triple thunderbolt, and Poseidon a Trident, whereas Adês was guarded by a dog with Three heads: this in addition to the omnipotent brothers themselves being a Trio.

Thus Jurgen continued to impart the Praxagorean significance of each digit separately: and by and by the Queen was declaring his flow of wisdom was superhuman.

“Ah, but, madame, not even the wisdom of a king is without limit. Eight, I repeat, then, is appropriately the number of the Beatitudes. And Nine, or the ennead, also, being the multiple of Three, should be regarded as sacred⁠—”

The Queen attended docilely to his demonstration of the peculiar properties of Nine. And when he had ended she confessed that beyond doubt Nine should be regarded as miraculous. But she repudiated his analogues as to the muses, the lives of a cat, and how many tailors made a man.

“Rather, I shall remember always,” she declared, “that King Jurgen of Eubonia is a Nine days’ wonder.”

“Well, madame,” said Jurgen, with a sigh, “now that we have reached Nine, I regret to say we have exhausted the digits.”

“Oh, what a pity!” cried Queen Dolores. “Nevertheless, I will concede the only illustration I disputed; there is but One Jurgen: and certainly this Praxagorean system of mathematics is a fascinating study.” And promptly she commenced to plan Jurgen’s return with her into Philistia, so that she might perfect herself in the higher branches of mathematics. “For you must teach me calculus and geometry and all other sciences in which these digits are employed. We can arrange some compromise with