KŌBE, February, 1895.
DEAR CHAMBERLAIN,--Thanks for the curious historical envelopes. My eyes
are nearly well: there is still one small black spot in the centre of
the field of vision; but I trust it will go away as soon as the weather
becomes warm.
I am delighted to know you like the book. A curious fact is that out
of fifty criticisms sent me, in which the critics select "favourites,"
I find that almost every article in the book has been selected by
somebody. It thus seems to appeal to persons of totally different
temperament in different ways, and this fact suggests itself,--that
perhaps no book written entirely in one key can please so well as a book
written in many keys. However, the work must be unconscious. If you
are curious about any of the "inside facts," I shall be glad to tell
you. The "Teacher's Diary" is, of course, strictly true as to means and
facts; and the artistic work is simply one of "grouping." The cruiser
at Mionoseki was the Takachiho,--since become famous. Hino-misaki and
Yaegaki ought to contain something you would like,--so I trust you
will peep at them some time. The Gūji of Hino-misaki is my wife's
relative, and the story of his ancestor is quite true.
As for Japanese words, you might like "Out of the East" better. I don't
think there are five Japanese words in the book. But it is chiefly
reverie--contains little about facts or places. Perhaps you will be less
pleased with it in another way.
As for changing my conclusions,--well, I have had to change a good many.
The tone of "Glimpses" is true in being the feeling of a place and time.
Since then I've seen how thoroughly detestable Japanese can be, and
that revelation assisted in illuminating things. I am now convinced,
for example, that the deficiency of the sexual instinct (using the term
philosophically) in the race is a serious defect rather than a merit,
and is very probably connected with the absence of the musical sense and
the incapacity for abstract reasoning. It does not follow, however, that
the same instinct may not have been overdeveloped in our own case. To an
Englishman, it would appear that such overdevelopment among Latin races
would account for the artistic superiority as well as the moral weakness
of French and Italians in special directions;--and the fact that even
certain classes of music are now called sensual (not sensuous), and
that there is a tendency to abjure Italian music in favour of the more
aspirational German music,--would seem to show that the largest-brained
races are reaching a stage in abstract æsthetics still higher than
the highest possible development of the æsthetics based on the sexual
feeling. That the Japanese can ever reach our æsthetic stage seems to me
utterly impossible, but assuredly what they lack in certain directions
they may prove splendidly capable of making up in others. Indeed the
development of the mathematical faculty in the race--unchecked and
unmollified by our class of æsthetics and idealisms--ought to prove a
serious danger to Western civilization at last. At least it seems to me
that here is a danger. Japan ought to produce scientific, political, and
military haters of "ideologists,"--Napoleons of practical applications
of science. All that is tender and manly and considerate and heroic in
Northern character has certainly grown out of the sexual sentiment:
but the same class of feelings in the far East would seem to have
been evolved out of a different class of emotional habits, and a
class bound to disappear. Imagine a civilization on Western lines with
cold calculation universally substituted for ethical principle! The
suggestion is very terrible and very ugly. One would prefer even the
society of the later Roman Empire.
I am sorry your eyes are not all you could wish. Do you not think it may
be the weather? The doctor tells me my eyes will be all right in summer,
but that I have to be careful in cold weather. And the tropics did me
wonderful good. I want to get to the warm zones occasionally--perhaps
shall be able to. There are some tropics bad for the eyes,--lacking
verdure. I have been unable to get facts about tropical conditions
on this side of the world,--except through Wallace. Ceram suggests
possibilities. But one must be well informed before going. Then there
are the French Marquesas. A French colony ought to be full of romance,
and void of missionaries. But all these are dreams.
Ever faithfully,
LAFCADIO HEARN.