[Illustration] Flatland A Romance of Many Dimensions With Illustrations by the Author, A SQUARE _“Fie, fie, how franticly I square my talk!”_ 1884 To The Inhabitance of SPACE IN GENERAL And H.C. IN PARTICULAR This Work is Dedicated By a Humble Native of Flatland In the Hope that Even as he was Initiated into the Mysteries Of THREE Dimensions Having been previously conversant With ONLY TWO So the Citizens of that Celestial Region May aspire yet higher and higher To the Secrets of FOUR FIVE or EVEN SIX Dimensions Thereby contributing To the Enlargment of THE IMAGINATION And the possible Development Of that most and excellent Gift of MODESTY Among the Superior Races Of SOLID HUMANITY Contents PART I. THIS WORLD Section 1 Of the Nature of Flatland Section 2 Of the Climate and Houses in Flatland Section 3 Concerning the Inhabitants of Flatland Section 4 Concerning the Women Section 5 Of our Methods of Recognizing one another Section 6 Of Recognition by Sight Section 7 Concerning Irregular Figures Section 8 Of the Ancient Practice of Painting Section 9 Of the Universal Colour Bill Section 10 Of the Suppression of the Chromatic Sedition Section 11 Concerning our Priests Section 12 Of the Doctrine of our Priests PART II. OTHER WORLDS Section 13 How I had a Vision of Lineland Section 14 How I vainly tried to explain the nature of Flatland Section 15 Concerning a Stranger from Spaceland Section 16 How the Stranger vainly endeavoured to reveal to me in words the mysteries of Spaceland Section 17 How the Sphere, having in vain tried words, resorted to deeds Section 18 How I came to Spaceland, and what I saw there Section 19 How, though the Sphere shewed me other mysteries of Spaceland, I still desire more; and what came of it Section 20 How the Sphere encouraged me in a Vision Section 21 How I tried to teach the Theory of Three Dimensions to my Grandson, and with what success Section 22 How I then tried to diffuse the Theory of Three Dimensions by other means, and of the result FLATLAND PART I THIS WORLD “Be patient, for the world is broad and wide.” § 1 Of the Nature of Flatland I call our world Flatland, not because we call it so, but to make its nature clearer to you, my happy readers, who are privileged to live in Space. Imagine a vast sheet of paper on which straight Lines, Triangles, Squares, Pentagons, Hexagons, and other figures, instead of remaining fixed in their places, move freely about, on or in the surface, but without the power of rising above or sinking below it, very much like shadows—only hard with luminous edges—and you will then have a pretty correct notion of my country and countrymen. Alas, a few years ago, I should have said “my universe:” but now my mind has been opened to higher views of things.