The subject interested him and he read the contents of the whole book.
The young author who belonged to what was called the ethical school,
was preaching against vice.
"What vice?" mused the copyist. "That which is responsible for our
existence? Which the priest orders us to indulge in at every wedding
when he says: Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth?"
The manuscript ran on: Propagation, without holy matrimony, is a
destructive vice, because the fate of the children, who do not receive
proper care and nursing, is a sad one. In the case of married couples,
on the other hand, it becomes a sacred duty to indulge one's desires.
This is proved, among other things, by the fact that the law protects
even the female ovum, and it is right that it should be so.
"Consequently," thought the copyist, "there is a providence for
legitimate children, but not for illegitimate ones Oh! this young
philosopher! And the law which protects the female ovum! What
business, then, have those microscopic things to detach themselves at
every change of the moon? Those sacred objects ought to be most
carefully guarded by the police!"
All these futilities he had to copy in his best handwriting.
They overflowed with morality, but contained not a single word of
enlightenment.
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