BOOKS.
A MODERN DIEDALUS,
THIS is a very entertaining little book, dealing with the extraordinary disturbances which would be introduced into human society by the discovery of an efficient flying apparatus. But we must join issue with Mr. Greer when he assumes, as he does in his preface, that such a discovery could only be used with effect against a nation that was not "clad in the impenetrable mail of justice and of right, and strong in the love and devotion of a free and united people." On the contrary, it seems to us the true moral of this lively little fable that for beings with consciences so liable to perversion as men's, the very limited conditions of our wingless life on the earth are almost essential to the moral discipline of the race. If such a flying corps as is here invented for the purposes of an Irish rebellion against an assumed English oppression, could be organised at all, it could be organised not only against an oppressive, but against a self-defending people, and with precisely the same efficiency and effect. Mr. Greer, indeed, makes his hero too patriotic to sell to the oppressing Government the use of the wonderful invention he has discovered. But suppose it had been discovered, not by an Irishman fall of the wrongs which the supposed Tory Administration was inflicting on his country, but by an Englishman full of zeal for the Cromwellisation of Ireland, then, the very methods here described so vividly would have been turned to the precisely opposite purpose, and the Irish rebellion would have been suppressed as suddenly as, under the circumstances supposed, the English invaders were destroyed. Indeed, Mr. Greer did not choose to remeffiber that after the flying apparatus had become as widely distributed as he supposed, there was nothing to prevent the English from organising a flying army wherewith to scatter destruction in Ireland and reconquer the country. The truth seems to be that the designs of Providence require such beings as men to be tied by the leg
to the earth, and to be unable to approach any spot except by a few well-defined routes,—otherwise we should be simply help
less against even a very feeble conspiracy of evil. Conceive only what a very few Nihilists could do with such powers of flying as Mr. Greer here assigns to his modern Dmdalus. They might, within a few weeks, destroy not only all the governments of Europe, but all hope of any settled govern
ments to take their place. No administrations would be found to stand against Ench weapons, nor would there be any use in courage if those who displayed it were liable to be at once destroyed by the dropping of a dynamite bomb on their heads. For the characteristic of such an invention as Mr. Greer's flying apparatus would be that it would be far more powerful as a method, of attack than it could possibly be as one of defence. A gang of burglars with the power of flight might choose the scene of their operations precisely where they pleased ; and unless every rich house in Europe were on its guard against them,—in which case hundreds of thousands of police would be employed in idleness to protect the honest population against the depredations of the few,—they could certainly plunder without the smallest fear of arrest or punishment. It has evidently been part of the design of Providence that creatures with so much arbitrary power of locomotion as birds, should be limited by their instincts to a very narrow life indeed, while creatures with so much arbitrary moral power in them as men, are so closely limited by their bodily constitution that it remains a comparatively easy thing for the well-meaning majority to defend itself against the attacks of an ill-meaning minority of the community. If ever man could acquire the power of flying with ease and swiftness greater than that of birds, which is what Mr. Greer supposes,—and what it would certainly take the evolution of a totally new muscular system in man to effect,—it seems clear to us that the respectable majority would no longer have any sufficient means of defence against the aggressive minority ; for the aggressive minority, being no longer limited by distance, would constantly vary the object attacked, so that no conceivable precautions consistent with the continuance of the productive _industries of the world, would be sufficient to guard against them. However, we have been discussing only an incidental remark
le the preface to this amusing little book, and must hasten to the drift of the lively little fable itself. The approach of the modern Dasdalas to London is very happily described. We
should premise that the Introduction is dated February 30th, 1887; and we may express our hope that no such invention as this will ever be completed till February has thirty days :—
" Flying at a moderate height, I had a bird'seye view of the country beneath. I could see towns, farmhouses, roads, railways. Upon these last were always visible trains, conspicuous by the lobg white trail of steam ; and I found that I could always outstrip their speed with ease. London at last ! for surely that great dim cloud of smoke covering several degrees of the horizon could be nothing else ! How was I to approach it ? where take up my quarters ? I remembered a quiet little hotel in one of the streets leading from the Thames Embankment to the Strand, and there I determined to lodge for the present. But first I intended to create a little sensation. Coming in from the west, I flew low, scarcely mc re than clearing the tops of the houses, and I could see that my course was being watched by many in the streets below. The open space of Hyde Park Boon came into view, and I alighted for a moment on the bridge over the Serpentine. Seeing several people running towards me, I rose again, kept my way slowly down Piccadilly, St. James's Street, Pall Mall, and so to Trafalgar Square, where I made two or three circles in the air, and finally alighted on the top of Nelzon's Monument. The hero's cocked hat afforded ample room to sit and survey the scene beneath. I could see crowds of people running from the west and entering the square, where they stood gazing upwards, while the hum of their voices rose louder and louder as their numbers increased. Soon a surging multitude filled the square, and I felt that it was time to gratify their curiosity still further. Leaving my lofty perch, I sailed slowly round two or three times, amid a perfect roar of excitement from the assembled crowd. I had intended to alight upon one of the lions at the base of the monument ; but they were already covered with spectators anxious to secure the most commanding points of view. Finding it impossible to alight anywhere, and fearing to trust myself among the crowd, I rose again, and held my way southward, towards the Abbey and St. Stephen's. But DOW the crowd poured in a solid mass down Whitehall, and I heard shouts and screams, not all of wonder or amazement, but of anger and of terror as well. Realisiog the danger of the charge of such a dense mob down a crowded thoroughfare, I suddenly changed my course, quickened my speed, and shot over the tops of the houses in an eastward direction, never stopping until I reached St. Paul's, where I alighted upon the little gilded gallery below the ball."
The debate in the House on the subject of this extraordinary advent of a flying-man to London is described with almost too much verisimilitude. We could have wished that Mr. Greer had. made it leas like what it really would be, and more amusing; but if such a thing ever could happen, this, in all probability, would be exceedingly like the conversation. which would ensue:— " The benches gradually filled up, and there was quite an animated hum of conversation. Presently an hon. Member below the gangway ' rose to ask permission to put a question to the Secretary of State for Home Affairs. It was rather informal, he said, but perhaps the extraordinary nature of the circumstances under which he rose would justify a departure from the usual practice. There had occurred that afternoon an event of an unprecedented nature. It was reported that a man had actually been seen to fly over a considerable part of the city. He had been seen to alight on the roof of St. Paul's Cathedral, and to deposit there something which it was feared might be an explosive of a destructive nature. The popular apprehension connected the occurrence with what was known as the party of action ' among Irish Nationalists, and in the present highly.excited state of popular feeling, there was some danger that such ideas might lead to rioting and violence, from which loyal and peaceably-disposed Irishmen would be the first to suffer. He wished to know if her Majesty's Government had any information to lay before the House of a nature calculated to allay snob apprehensions. The Home Secretary said that his noble friend appeared to him to have missed the essential point in the remarkable occurrence which had been reported, and to have fastened his attention upon what was accidental and inferential. There appeared to be no doubt that the extraordinary feat of flying through the air had been successfully performed. That, in the opinion of her Majesty's Government, was a fact not only of great public interest, but of immense political importance. As to its immediate connection, however, with any existing political organisation, they had absolutely no evidence whatever. The police had been directed to search the roof of St. Paul's, but nothing had been discovered of an explosive or dangerous nature. He recommended his noble friend to restrain his own flights of fancy, which were more likely than anything else to bring about the danger he deprecated on behalf of certain estimable and law-abiding classes in the community. The noble lord begged to say, in reply, that if the members of her Majesty's Government would themselves condescend to what had been called the scientific use of the imagination, they could not fail to see in the occurrence of that afternoon a new and terrible danger to the State. It was all very well for them to say that there was no evidence before them ; but were they going to wait until our public buildings were flying about our ears, before they would see what was evident to everybody else ? It was not to bo wondered at that the public mind was very deeply stirred and disturbed, for what vigilance would suffice to guard against an enemy who could transport himself at will through the air, and evade the moat watchful sentinels ? He did not wonder that the popular instinct, which was always a more reliable guide than the theories of philosophers or the shifty explanations of politicians, connected this incident with the machinations of that party from whose ingenuity the country had already suffered so much. For his part, he trembled to think what might be the consequence, in the present excited state of public feeling, to that large section of the population who, although hailing from a sister island, were nevertheless loyal and law-abiding. He thought every one of them owed it to himself to separate himself clearly from every possible suspicion. He appealed to the leader of the Irish party, whom he saw in his place, to disavow, on behalf of himself, his colleagues, and his country, all sympathy and complicity in any such designs as the public, however mistakenly, were only too ready to suspect."
We have no room for what is said by the Irish Members, nor for what is said at them, nor for what the Chancellor of the Exchequer said to appease the Douse, for we must give one glimpse of the supposed use of the new power in war before we close,— though it must be remembered, of course, that if both armies had alike possessed flying-brigades a very much more complicated result might have been expected :— " Our equipment was the same as before, except that half of us carried a single ten-pound bomb instead of three five-pound ones. We followed the shore on the southern side of the bay as far as Dalkey Island, which bounds it in 'that direction. About a mile in the offing were visible the lights of a large steamer, the first of the line. We knew that the next one lay two miles beyond her, but from that distance we could not make out her lights. Arrived at a point almost directly above the vessel, I halted my little party and explained my plans, whilh were exceedingly simple. One of the men, bearing a ten.pound bomb, was to descend cautiously-until he was near enough to drop his burthen into the funnel, after which he was to rise upwards again as fast as possible. The rest were to remain in readiness to repeat the mancouvre, if it should fail the first time. The man selected at once began the descent, and for a few moments we strained our eyes through the gloom, vainly trying to follow his movements. Presently a slight rattle was heard ; there was a bright flash and a stunning report. The bomb had missed the funnel, and exploded on the deck. For a few seconds there was dead silence, then a confusion of many voices; then a shot was heard, a rocket whizzed up past us, and burst into a thousand points of dazzling brightness, which lighted up with noonday clearness an area of more than a mile. In the unearthly glare we could plainly see our comrade hastening upwards to rejoin us. Before the intense brightness had gone oat, there was a second report, another rocket came hurtling and screaming right among us, and burst into great blazing stare above. The effect was indescribably magnificent, but sadly disconcerting to our plans. We were confused and dazzled, and must have been plainly visible to those on board. 'Scatter, men, scatter !' I shouted, as a third rocket came almost in the track of the second. It was plainly impossible to remain where we were ; but in spite of the flaming, sulphurous masses that were falling like a rain of fire around me, I balanced myself for a moment while I found with my plurnb.line a point exactly over the ship. Then I loosed my ten-pound shell from its sling, and dropped it. I heard the crash of its fall upon the deck, and a deep muffled explosion, which told it had broken through and burst below. I did not wait to see the end, but, striking-off at my utmost speed, I blew a shrill blast on my whistle to rally my followers, and held my course towards the next ship. It was not easy now to make out her exact position. Evidently aroused by the commotion, though probably not understanding its cause, she was throwing out luminous shells on the side nearest the land. Each of these, bursting at a lofty elevation at a distance of about half a mile from the ship, diffused a bright light over the water, by which the smallest boat within the distance of a mile might have been distinctly seen. The rattle of a drum beating to quarters came across the water, and it was clear that she at least would not be caught napping. But while within a wide circle all was bright as day, the vessel herself lay beyond in the darkness, now denser than ever from the contrast. Her lights had all been extinguished, and the only clues to her position were the frequent flashes of her mortar, and the dull reports, as shell after shell was sent up. This was the very thing we wanted. The darkness in which she was shrouded was necessary to our success, while the intensity of vigilance with which her crew scanned the surface of the water prevented any eye being turned towards the sky. With a low whistle I brought all my men aronnd me, and, in a few words, directed one who carried a large shell to descend low over the vessel, and make quite sure that it dropped into the funnel. He was then to shoot away to the dark side as quickly as possible. The rest of us ascended to a greater height, keeping as directly over the doomed ship as we could in the darkness. For a few minutes, which seemed an age, we waited, looking down. No grander or more striking spectacle could be imagined than met our gaze ; the quick flashes of the mortar, the intense blaze of the bursting shells, the quivering light reflected from the illuminated circle of sea ; and, in the distance, the rockets which the other vessel continued to throw up. The third ship was now burning lights too, and so brightly was the surface of the water displayed, that even so small an object as the head of a swimmer must have been seen. But we had not long time to admire this brilliant display. We could not follow our cornrade's movements in the darkness which fortunately enshrouded him ; but, after some minutes of suspense, a deep, thunderous sound was heard, followed, after a few awful moments, by loud, confused shout. ing. The firing ceased ; the light of the last shell went out like a dying lamp ; and through the darkness a horrible rushing, gurgling sound came up to our ears. That's the last of her,' said one of the men, in awe-struck tones; I guess that shell has blown a hole in her bottom. Say, captain, shall we go and try the other one ? We may as well make a complete job while we're about it.'
Still more gruesome is the use made of the new flying-brigade to blow-up Dnblin Castle and to destroy the English camp in Ulster; and we may really feel very thankful that no such flying-brigades exist, or are likely to exist. Mr. Greer has not ventured to conceive a struggle in the air between the flying-brigades of opposite armies, but closes his little story before any army except the Irish is provided with this formidable weapon. Nor indeed, is it likely that so soon as the Powers of Europe had an acquired this new weapon it would greatly alter their relative strength. What it would alter would be the importance of secret confederations, whose designs and numbers were unknown to all. These would evidently become almost irresistible, so long as they changed their objects of attack and their own place of residence often enough ; and therefore we may congratulate ourselves that, so far as we have the means of judging, human beings will never acquire the powers with which Mr. Greer has amused himself by investing them.
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