o　the　well…educated　　when　they　are　themselves　in　motion；　rotating；　advancing　or　retreating；　and　at　the　same　time　attempting　to　discriminate　by　the　sense　of　sight　between　a　number　of　Polygons　of　high　rank　moving　in　different　directions；　as　for　example　in　a　ball…room　or　conversazione　　must　be　of　a　nature　to　task　the　angularity　of　the　most　intellectual；　and　amply　justify　the　rich　endowments　of　the　Learned　Professors　of　Geometry；　both　Static　and　Kinetic；　in　the　illustrious　University　of　Wentbridge；　where　the　Science　and　Art　of　Sight　Recognition　are　regularly　taught　to　large　classes　of　the　ELITE　of　the　States。
  It　is　only　a　few　of　the　scions　of　our　noblest　and　wealthiest　houses；　who　are　able　to　give　the　time　and　money　necessary　for　the　thorough　prosecution　of　this　noble　and　valuable　Art。　　Even　to　me；　a　Mathematician　of　no　mean　standing；　and　the　Grandfather　of　two　most　hopeful　and　perfectly　regular　Hexagons；　to　find　myself　in　the　midst　of　a　crowd　of　rotating　Polygons　of　the　higher　classes；　is　occasionally　very　perplexing。　　And　of　course　to　a　common　Tradesman；　or　Serf；　such　a　sight　is　almost　as　unintelligible　as　it　would　be　to　you；　my　Reader；　were　you　suddenly　transported　into　our　country。
  In　such　a　crowd　you　could　see　on　all　sides　of　you　nothing　but　a　Line；　apparently　straight；　but　of　which　the　parts　would　vary　irregularly　and　perpetually　in　brightness　or　dimness。　　Even　if　you　had　completed　your　third　year　in　the　Pentagonal　and　Hexagonal　classes　in　the　University；　and　were　perfect　in　the　theory　of　the　subject；　you　would　still　find　that　there　was　need　of　many　years　of　experience；　before　you　could　move　in　a　fashionable　crowd　without　jostling　against　your　betters；　whom　it　is　against　etiquette　to　ask　to　〃feel〃；　and　who；　by　their　superior　culture　and　breeding；　know　all　about　your　movements；　while　you　know　very　little　or　nothing　about　theirs。　　In　a　word；　to　comport　oneself　with　perfect　propriety　in　Polygonal　society；　one　ought　to　be　a　Polygon　oneself。　　Such　at　least　is　the　painful　teaching　of　my　experience。
  It　is　astonishing　how　much　the　Art　　or　I　may　almost　call　it　instinct　　of　Sight　Recognition　is　developed　by　the　habitual　practice　of　it　and　by　the　avoidance　of　the　custom　of　〃Feeling〃。　　Just　as；　with　you；　the　deaf　and　dumb；　if　once　allowed　to　gesticulate　and　to　use　the　hand…alphabet；　will　never　acquire　the　more　difficult　but　far　more　valuable　art　of　lipspeech　and　lip…reading；　so　it　is　with　us　as　regards　〃Seeing〃　and　〃Feeling〃。　　None　who　in　early　life　resort　to　〃Feeling〃　will　ever　learn　〃Seeing〃　in　perfection。
  For　this　reason；　among　our　Higher　Classes；　〃Feeling〃　is　discouraged　or　absolutely　forbidden。　　From　the　cradle　their　children；　instead　of　going　to　the　Public　Elementary　schools　（where　the　art　of　Feeling　is　taught）；　are　sent　to　higher　Seminaries　of　an　exclusive　character；　and　at　our　illustrious　University；　to　〃feel〃　is　regarded　as　a　most　serious　fault；　involving　Rustication　for　the　first　offence；　and　Expulsion　for　the　second。
  But　among　the　lower　classes　the　art　of　Sight　Recognition　is　regarded　as　an　unattainable　luxury。　　A　common　Tradesman　cannot　afford　to　let　his　son　spend　a　third　of　his　life　in　abstract　studies。　The　children　of　the　poor　are　therefore　allowed　to　〃feel〃　from　their　earliest　years；　and　they　gain　thereby　a　precocity　and　an　early　vivacity　which　contrast　at　first　most　favourably　with　the　inert；　undeveloped；　and　listless　behaviour　of　the　half…instructed　youths　of　the　Polygonal　class；　but　when　the　latter　have　at　last　completed　their　University　course；　and　are　prepared　to　put　their　theory　into　practice；　the　change　that　comes　over　them　may　almost　be　described　as　a　new　birth；　and　in　every　art；　science；　and　social　pursuit　they　rapidly　overtake　and　distance　their　Triangular　competitors。
  Only　a　few　of　the　Polygonal　Class　fail　to　pass　the　Final　Test　or　Leaving　Examination　at　the　University。　　The　condition　of　the　unsuccessful　minority　is　truly　pitiable。　　Rejected　from　the　higher　class；　they　are　also　despised　by　the　lower。　They　have　neither　the　matured　and　systematically　trained　powers　of　the　Polygonal　Bachelors　and　Masters　of　Arts；　nor　yet　the　native　precocity　and　mercurial　versatility　of　the　youthful　Tradesman。　The　professions；　the　public　services；　are　closed　against　them；　and　though　in　most　States　they　are　not　actually　debarred　from　marriage；　yet　they　have　the　greatest　difficulty　in　forming　suitable　alliances；　as　experience　shews　that　the　offspring　of　such　unfortunate　and　ill…endowed　parents　is　generally　itself　unfortunate；　if　not　positively　Irregular。
  It　is　from　these　specimens　of　the　refuse　of　our　Nobility　that　the　great　Tumults　and　Seditions　of　past　ages　have　generally　derived　their　leaders；　and　so　great　is　the　mischief　thence　arising　that　an　increasing　minority　of　our　more　progressive　Statesmen　are　of　opinion　that　true　mercy　would　dictate　their　entire　suppression；　by　enacting　that　all　who　fail　to　pass　the　Final　Examination　of　the　University　should　be　either　imprisoned　for　life；　or　extinguished　by　a　painless　death。
  But　I　find　myself　digressing　into　the　subject　of　Irregularities；　a　matter　of　such　vital　interest　that　it　demands　a　separate　section。
  Section　7。　　Concerning　Irregular　Figures
  Throughout　the　previous　pages　I　have　been　assuming　　what　perhaps　should　have　been　laid　down　at　the　beginning　as　a　distinct　and　fundamental　proposition　　that　every　human　being　in　Flatland　is　a　Regular　Figure；　that　is　to　say　of　regular　construction。　By　this　I　mean　that　a　Woman　must　not　only　be　a　line；　but　a　straight　line；　that　an　Artisan　or　Soldier　must　have　two　of　his　sides　equal；　that　Tradesmen　must　have　three　sides　equal；　Lawyers　（of　which　class　I　am　a　humble　member）；　four　sides　equal；　and　generally；　that　in　every　Polygon；　all　the　sides　must　be　equal。
  The　size　of　the　sides　would　of　course　depend　upon　the　age　of　the　individual。　　A　Female　at　birth　would　be　about　an　inch　long；　while　a　tall　adult　Woman　might　extend　to　a　foot。　　As　to　the　Males　of　every　class；　it　may　be　roughly　said　that　the　length　of　an　adult's　sides；　when　added　together；　is　two　feet　or　a　little　more。　But　the　size　of　our　sides　is　not　under　consideration。　I　am　speaking　of　the　EQUALITY　of　sides；　and　it　does　not　need　much　reflection　to　see　that　the　whole　of　the　social　life　in　Flatland　rests　upon　the　fundamental　fact　that　Nature　wills　all　Figures　to　have　their　sides　equal。
  If　our　sides　were　unequal　our　angles　might　be　unequal。　Instead　of　its　being　sufficient　to　feel；　or　estimate　by　sight；　a　single　angle　in　order　to　determine　the　form　of　an　individual；　it　would　be　necessary　to　ascertain　each　angle　by　the　experiment　of　Feeling。　　But　life　would　be　too　short　for　such　a　tedious　grouping。　The　whole　science　and　art　of　Sight　Recognition　would　at　once　perish；　Feeling；　so　far　as　it　is　an　art；　would　not　long　survive；　intercourse　would　become　perilous　or　impossible；　there　would　be　an　end　to　all　confidence；　all　forethought；　no　one　would　be　safe　in　making　the　most　simple　social　arrangements；　in　a　word；　civilization　would　relapse　into　barbarism。
  Am　I　going　too　fast　to　carry　my　Readers　with　me　to　these　obvious　conclusions？　　Surely　a　moment's　reflection；　and　a　single　instance　from　common　life；　must　convince　every　one　that　our　whole　social　system　is　based　upon　Regularity；　or　Equality　of　Angles。　You　meet；　for　example；　two　or　three　Tradesmen　in　the　street；　whom　you　recognize　at　once　to　be　Tradesmen　by　a　glance　at　their　angles　and　rapidly　bedimmed　sides；　and　you　ask　them　to　step　into　your　house　to　lunch。　　This　you　do　at　present　with　perfect　confidence；　because　everyone　knows　to　an　inch　or　two　the　area　occupied　by　an　adult　Triangle：　　but　imagine　that　your　Tradesman　drags　behind　his　regular　and　respectable　vertex；　a　parallelogram　of　twelve　or　thirteen　inches　in　diagonal：　　what　are　you　to　do　with　such　a　monster　sticking　fast　in　your　house　door？
  But　I　am　insulting　the　intelligence　of　my　Readers　by　accumulating　details　which　must　be　patent　to　everyone　who　enjoys　the　advantages　of　a　Residence　in　Spaceland。　　Obviously　the　measurements　of　a　single　angle　would　no　longer　be　sufficient　under　such　portentous　circumstances；　one's　whole　life　would　be　taken　up　in　feeling　or　surveying　the　perimeter　of　one's　acquaintances。　Already　the　difficulties　of　avoiding　a　collision　in　a　crowd　are　enough　to　tax　the　sagacity　of　even　a　well…educated　Square；　but　if　no　one　could　calculate　the　Regularity　of　a　single　figure　in　the　company；　all　would　be　chaos　and　confusion；　and　the　slightest　panic　would　cause　serious　injuries；　or　　if　there　happened　to　be　any　Women　or　Soldiers　present　　perhaps　considerable　loss　of　life。
  Expediency　therefore　concurs　with　Nature　in　stamping　the　seal　of　its　approval　upon　Regularity　of　conformation：　　nor　has　the　Law　been　backward　in　seconding　their　efforts。　　〃Irregularity　of　Figure〃　means　with　us　the　same　as；　or　more　than；　a　combination　of　moral　obliquity　and　criminality　with　you；　and　is　treated　accordingly。　There　are　not　wanting；　it　is　true；　some　promulgators　of　paradoxes　who　maintain　that　there　is　no　necessary　connection　between　geometrical　and　moral　Irregularity。　　〃The　Irregular〃；　they　say；　〃is　from　his　birth　scouted　by　his　own　parents；　derided　by　his　brothers　and　sisters；　neglected　by　the　domestics；　scorned　and　suspected　by　society；　and　excluded　from　all　posts　of　respo