,,in ,,both ,,worlds4 ,,by ,,wm4 ,h4 ,,holcombe1 ,m4 ,d41 ,,author ,,of 8,,our ,,children ,,in ,,heaven20 8,,the ,,sexes3 ,,here ,,and ,,hereafter10 ,,etc41 ,,etc4 ,,philadelphia ,j4 ,b4 ,,lippincott ,,co #ahgj4 ,entered according to ,act of ,congress1 in the year #ahfi1 by ,j4 ,b4 ,,lippincott ,,co41 ,in the ,clerk's ,office of the ,district ,court of the ,united ,states1 for the ,eastern ,district of ,pennsylvania4 ,,lippincott',s ,,press1 ,,philadelphia4 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,contents4 ,,page ,i4 ,,cast ,,out #ag ,,ii4 ,,clouds ,,gathering #bi ,,iii4 ,,night ,,by ,,the ,,dead ,,sea #ci ,,iv4 ,,in ,,the ,,wilderness #ej ,v4 ,,the ,,banquet #fj ,,vi4 ,,the ,,chamber ,,of ,,magic #ge ,,vii4 ,,saved #ic ,,viii4 ,,bread ,,on ,,the ,,waters #aje ,,ix4 ,,sacrifice #aai ,x4 ,,at ,,athens #acb ,,xi4 ,,helena #ada ,,xii4 ,,the ,,hall ,,of ,,apollo #adi ,,xiii4 ,,my ,,first ,,death #aei ,,xiv4 ,,my ,,spiritual ,,body #aga ,,xv4 ,,the ,,world ,,of ,,spirits #ahd ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,christ ,,above ,,nature #aic ,,xvii4 ,,judgment ,,of ,,the ,,jews #bjc ,,xviii4 ,,imaginary ,,heavens #bad ,,xix4 ,,the ,,magicians ,,in ,,hell #bbe ,,xx4 ,,friends ,,in ,,heaven #bcf ,,xxi4 ,,the ,,spiritually ,,dead #bej ,,xxii4 ,,back ,,to ,,earth #bfa ,,xxiii4 ,,imprisoned #bga ,,xxiv4 ,,buried ,,alive #bhj ,,xxv4 ,,what ,,had ,,happened #bib ,,xxvi4 ,,the ,,city ,,of ,,colonnades #cje ,,xxvii4 ,,helena ,,again #cbj ,,xxviii4 ,,to ,,the ,,lion #ccd ,,xxix4 ,,christian ,,candles #cdd ,,xxx4 ,,the ,,great ,,combat #cee ,,xxxi4 ,,free #cfg ,,xxxii4 ,,what ,,remains8 #cgh ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,a ,,strange ,,discovery ,,in ,,lieu ,,of ,a ,,preface4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,many years ago ,i was enjoying in the harbor of ,new ,york the charming hospitalities of the officers belonging to one of the finest vessels in the ,british ,navy4 ,the company was gay1 cultivated and brilliant4 ,student and recluse as ,i then was1 ,i was perhaps more delighted than any one present with the conversation of those practical and polished men of the world4 ,after supper ,i was attracted to a small group of earnest talkers1 of whom the surgeon of the ship seemed to be the centre and oracle4 ,he was speaking of exhumations a long time after death1 of mummies and petrifactions and other curious transformations of the human body4 ,he stated that he had examined some of the skeletons which had been dug out of the ruins of ,herculaneum4 ,the bones were almost perfect after the lapse of eighteen hundred years4 ,the complete exclusion of air and water seemed to be the only thing necessary to an indefinite preservation4 ,the chaplain of the vessel endeavored to give the conversation an sthetic and semi-religious turn by analyzing the feelings of mingled awe1 melancholy and curiosity with which most men survey the remains of a human form--feelings always heightened by the antiquity of the relic1 and by the dignity of the person who lived and loved and labored in it4 8,the fundamental idea10 said he1 8is a profound respect for the human body itself as the casket which has contained the spiritual jewel1 the soul40 8,yes10 remarked the surgeon2 8nothing but the lapse of a people into cannibalism can obliterate that sentiment4 ,when the ,egyptian embalmers were ready for their work1 a certain person came forward and made the necessary incisions for taking out the entrails4 ,he immediately fled away1 pursued by volleys of stones and curses from all the others4 ,hence also the dissections of the dead by medical students are conducted with the utmost secrecy and caution40 8,schiller10 said ,i1 8makes one of his heroes remark that the first time he plunged his sword into a living man1 he felt a shudder creep over him as if he had desecrated the temple of ,god40 8,besides the feeling of reverence10 continued the clergyman1 8we have the awe which death naturally inspires1 the melancholy excited by the vain and transitory nature of earthly things2 and lastly1 a tender and curious interest for the brother-soul which has tasted the sweetness of life and the bitterness of death1 and passed onward to those hidden but grander experiences which await us all40 8,those shocking ,egyptian mummies10 said one of the officers1 8are so disgusting that a strange horror is mingled with the gentler emotions you describe40 8,i experienced that feeling10 said another1 8on reading an account of the exhumation of the remains1 or rather the opening of the coffin1 of ,king ,charles ,i41 two hundred years after he had been beheaded4 ,it was increased1 doubtless1 by the idea of the separated head and body1 and the strange and lifelike stare of the king's eyes1 which collapsed like soap-bubbles when they were exposed to the air40 8,there was something of the picturesque in that finding of a dead body by some little children who were playing in a grotto in ,france4 ,it was seated on a stone bench and perfectly petrified1 retaining1 however1 a sweet and placid expression of countenance4 ,the man was an old hermit1 who frequently retired into the deepest chamber of the grotto for religious contemplation40 8,imagine yourself10 said ,i1 8in the silence and shadows of ,westminster ,abbey1 peering through some crevice in an old vault and getting a sight of the shrunken dust of ,shakespeare40 8,passing from imagination to fact10 said solemnly the old surgeon1 8,i have seen the body of a man lying upon the ground where it had lain undisturbed for eighteen hundred years40 8,eighteen hundred years60 exclaimed several voices at once4 8,yes1 eighteen hundred years2 and ,i was the first person who set eyes upon him from the day of his death until ,i got into the cavern where he perished40 8,a romance6 a romance60 cried the minister4 8,come1 doctor1 be communicative and tell us all about it40 8,it is not a romance10 said the doctor1 8but the facts were certainly very curious4 8,when ,i was a young assistant surgeon1 attached to the sloop-of-war ,agamemnon1 we were skirting leisurely the eastern shores of the ,mediterranean1 and anchored one morning in sight of the ruins of the ancient city of ,sidon and opposite the westernmost spurs of ,lebanon1 the ,mont ,blanc of ,palestine4 8,there is only one picture grander than a view of ,mount ,lebanon from the sea1 and that is a view of the sea from ,mount ,lebanon4 ,i enjoyed the former so keenly that ,i determined to obtain the latter also4 ,we got up a party of genial and stout fellows to ascend one of the highest peaks1 armed with pick-axes1 to obtain geological specimens on our way4 8,we had advanced but a short distance up one of the cliffs1 when we started from the scanty undergrowth some little animal--a wolf or jackal or wild dog1 all of which abound on ,mount ,lebanon4 ,we all joined noisily in the chase1 and soon ran the frightened creature into one of the deep crevices or fissures made in the earth by the tempestuous rains of that region4 ,our picks were immediately brought into play1 and in a short time1 to our very great astonishment1 instead of digging the fugitive out of a little hole in the ground1 we opened our way into what was evidently the rear or back part of a cave of considerable dimensions4 8,our party crawled in one after another1 myself leading the way4 ,the contents of the place arrested our attention so strongly that we forgot the object of our chase1 which had buried itself in some holes or burrows at the side of the cavern4 ,the floor was of a yellowish-white limestone1 and all eyes were immediately directed1 in the rather dim light1 to the figure of a man outstretched upon it4 8,yes1 it was a man whose entire body1 clothing and all1 had dissolved into one blended mass1 and so long ago that it looked rather like a great bas-relief of the human form projecting from the lighter-colored floor4 8,the shape of the head and of the long hair and beard was complete4 ,one outstretched arm lay along the floor1 and the fingers could be traced by little ridges separate from each other4 ,the protuberances of all the bony parts showed that the skeleton still resisted the disintegrating process of decay4 8,what an awful death he must have experienced6 ,for there was not a single other object in the small space which remained of the cavern2 not a stone which might have served for a seat or a table2 not an earthen vessel which might have contained a draught of water4 8,the fate of this unhappy being was evident4 ,whether he had lived in the cavern or whether he had taken refuge in it from some great storm1 he had clearly rushed to the back part of it to escape some enormous landslide and caving in at the front1 which had opened toward the sea4 ,he had been buried alive6 ,having exhausted the little air that remained to him1 stricken down by terror1 despair and suffocation1 he had rendered up his soul to the great ,giver in silence1 darkness and solitude4 8,these facts were so obvious that we all lifted our hats before speaking a word2 thus paying the tribute of human sympathy to a fellow-creature eighteen hundred years after he had ceased to need it40 8,how did you fix upon the date of his death80 asked the chaplain4 8,you will see4 ,a large cylindrical case of bronze was lying upon the breast of the dead man4 ,he must have valued it highly1 for he had clasped it to his bosom in the agonies of death4 ,it was hermetically sealed with such ingenuity that we found considerable difficulty in breaking it open4 ,it contained a parchment of great length1 and rolled tightly around a little brass rod4 ,the parchment was closely written in beautiful ,greek characters4 ,it was perfectly preserved4 ,two small gold coins fell out of the white dry sand with which the case had been filled4 ,one of them bore the inscription of ,tiberius ,csar1 and the other was stamped in the ninth year of the reign of the emperor ,nero4 ,thus in the accidental grave of its author had his book been safely preserved amid all the mutations of the world40 ,the old doctor stroked his gray beard in silence1 and ,i exclaimed3 8,who do you suppose this unfortunate man to have been80 8,that was revealed in the manuscript1 but unfortunately not one of our party could read ,greek4 ,i sent the case with its contents to an old uncle of my mother1 who had a little curacy near ,binghamton4 ,he was a great ,greek scholar1 and devoted to his classical studies the little time he could spare from the game of whist4 ,i had a good deal of curiosity on the subject1 and wrote several times to my uncle from different parts of the world before he condescended to reply4 ,his answer was in substance this3 that the manuscript purported to be the autobiography of ,eleazor or ,lazarus1 whom ,christ raised from the dead2 that it was probably the work of some heretic monk or crazy philosopher of the second or third century2 that1 interwoven with romantic incidents in this world and the other1 it gave expression to many absurd and false doctrines2 in fine1 that it was not worth my reading1 and that ,i had better devote myself dutifully to killing his ,majesty's enemies on the high seas1 than to searching old caverns for apocryphal documents which impugned the sacred verities of the ,apostolic ,church4 8,and so10 concluded the old surgeon1 8,i have never thought any more about it40 8,your uncle was no doubt right in his conjectures and wise in his advice10 said the young chaplain4 8,the number and extent of the apocryphal impositions upon the early ,christian ,church are almost incredible40 8,were you satisfied10 said ,i1 8with your good uncle's opinion80 8,i have always believed10 replied the doctor1 evasively and with a roguish twinkle of his eye1 8that if the manuscript had contained the ,thirty-nine ,articles by anticipation1 my uncle would have pronounced it divinely inspired40 8,what became of it80 ,i inquired4 8,oh1 it was sealed up again and sent to the nursery as a plaything for the children4 ,it is probably still in the possession of one of my cousins40 ,the strange story of the old surgeon made a profound impression upon me2 for in spite of the incredulity of all the other listeners1 ,i believed from the first that the dust of that cavern was the dust of ,lazarus1 the brother of ,martha and ,mary1 and that the manuscript contained something of genuine value to the ,church and the world4 ,the opinion of the old curate and the echo of the young chaplain did not weigh a feather in my estimation4 ,young as ,i was1 ,i had acquired that rare faculty of thinking for myself4 ,besides1 ,i had had learned enough of human nature to know that legal reforms are rarely suggested by lawyers2 that doctors always make war on a system of medicine better than their own2 and that priests instinctively repudiate anything which demands a re-examination of the fundamental doctrines of their theological systems4 ,i had an inextinguishable desire to possess that manuscript1 and set myself earnestly about it4 ,i cultivated the acquaintance of the genial old surgeon1 and contrived to render myself useful to him on more than one occasion4 ,when he sailed for ,england ,i extorted from him a promise that he would send me the manuscript of ,lazarus which his orthodox uncle has so flippantly condemned4 ,a good many years passed away1 and ,i heard nothing from him4 ,at length came a package1 and a letter from ,england couched in very handsome terms1 a part of which ran thus3 8,my beloved father on his deathbed made up the parcel which ,i now send you1 and requested me to transmit it to you with the following message1 which he made me write down as the words fell from his lips3 8#8,forgive your old acquaintance for neglecting until death the matters of the dead4 ,read what ,lazarus says1 while ,i go in person to verify or invalidate his story4 ,i have lived passably well1 and ,i die comparatively happy4 ,good-bye6'0 ,i drew a deep sigh to the memory of the old surgeon1 and set immediately to work studying and translating the manuscript4 ,i found that a difficult task4 ,it was not written in very classical ,greek1 and besides1 was full of ,hebraisms1 which sometimes obscured the sense4 ,there were not only many obscure things1 but many things irrelevant1 and many which would be regarded as absurd and even childish in the present age4 ,it soon became clear that a literal translation of the manuscript would not be of any great interest to the general reader4 ,i determined to take the astounding facts narrated1 as a skeleton or framework around which to build up a story of my own4 ,this book is therefore a modern romance founded upon ancient facts4 ,the original might be called a prose poem4 ,indeed1 much of it is in the poetical form2 the description of ,helena1 for instance1 in the eleventh chapter4 ,the key to the whole book is1 that here are the views and experiences of a man who1 by what we may call a supernatural accident1 was led into states of thought two thousand years in advance of his contemporaries4 ,i present it to the public in a dress of the nineteenth century1 hoping it will reverse the decision of the old curate1 who understood ,greek and whist better than he did the inappeasable hunger of the soul after the unknown1 and perhaps1 alas6 the unknowable4 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,in ,both ,worlds4 ,i4 ,,cast ,,out4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,a serene and happy old age may delight in recalling the glory and the dream of youth1 of which it is the crown and the fulfillment2 but the wretched and desolate1 nearing the grave1 revert seldom to the past things of a life they are eager to exchange for a better4 ,a solemn sense of duty to mankind impels me to be my own biographer4 ,my story is the most wonderful in the world3 so wonderful that the men of the present age cannot comprehend or believe me4 ,i am spiritually alone4 ,none before me have penetrated consciously into the invisible world3 examined its structure and its people3 and returned to his fellow-men1 enriched and burdened with its awful secrets4 ,this have ,i done4 ,i am ,lazarus of ,bethany1 whom ,christ raised from the dead4 ,i have lived and died1 and live again2 and ,i await a second time the bitterness of death4 8,lazarus10 said they1 8is asleep or dead4 ,that is all40 ,ah6 how little did they know6 ,when ,i returned from the spiritual world1 ,i had more wisdom than all the ancients1 than all the magi1 than all the prophets4 ,i could have enriched the ,church of ,god with spiritual treasures4 ,i could have given light to every mind and joy to every heart4 ,i could have satisfied the hidden hunger and thirst of the human soul4 ,i was not permitted to do it4 ,they would have rejected my gold and my frankincense and my myrrh4 ,they would have turned from my offerings of spiritual truth as a wild beast turns from a man when he offers it bread4 ,i have lived many ages too soon4 ,i will write what ,i have seen and heard4 ,the world of mind will grow with the coming centuries into the capacity of comprehending what ,i alone now comprehend4 ,these premature utterances will then be understood4 ,i was born in the little village of ,bethany1 which sits upon the eastern slope of ,mount ,olivet1 embowered all summer in leaves and fruit4 ,there were four children in the family2 and our mother died in giving birth to ,mary1 the youngest and most beautiful4 ,our father was a man of great wealth and high social position1 and we were reared in the lap of luxury4 ,my earliest recollection is that of playing in a large1 terraced garden with my brother and two little sisters4 ,the garden was full of olive1 pomegranate1 orange and date trees1 and adorned with a great many shrubs and flowers4 ,it was cool1 fragrant and shady1 and we sported about the tomb of our mother1 which was cut in the solid rock1 as merry and innocent as the birds and butterflies which shared with us the peace and beauty of the summer day4 ,i was ten years of age when ,samuel1 my younger brother1 was taken from us4 ,it was the first real grief of my life4 ,although five years old when my mother died1 ,i was too young to remember the incidents4 ,the angels are so near us in our infancy1 that the troubles of the world1 which are afterward engraved in marble1 are then only written in water4 ,little ,samuel died calling my name4 ,oh that ,i could have obeyed his call1 and followed him into that bright and peaceful sphere in which ,i saw him long afterward1 and in which ,i shall soon see him again6 ,early on the day of his burial our father went into the chamber where lay his little white body covered all over with whiter flowers4 ,he knelt beside it and wept bitterly4 ,he seemed unconscious that his three little ones had followed him1 and stood pale and trembling at the door4 ,when we heard the voice of his weeping we crept forward to the feet of our little brother and wept also4 ,our father kissed us all tenderly1 and controlling his emotions and steadying his voice1 he repeated from memory the beautiful verses of ,scripture which describe the grief and resignation of ,king ,david at the loss of his child4 ,the body of our little brother was deposited in a niche in the rock close to the dust of his mother4 ,the garden was avoided as a playground for a long while4 ,i was busy with my books1 ,martha with her dolls--both rendered thoughtful beyond our years4 ,one day little ,mary ventured into the garden alone1 but presently came running back and buried her golden head in her sister's lap in a shower of tears which needed no explanation4 ,who can read the little child's heart8 ,perhaps some playmate bird had called to her3 8,rosebud6 rosebud6 where is your brother80 ,then came the years of school and opening thought and expanding faculties1 and the first appearance of affections and passions1 no longer the dewdrops of the spring morning1 but the beginnings of deep and swift currents in the course of life4 ,my sisters were remarkable women1 differing in style and character2 yet each a perfect picture of female loveliness6 ,martha grew tall and firm and straight1 with long black hair and black eyes1 a brunette complexion and a finely-cut oval face4 ,she was the impersonation of a pure and intelligent womanhood4 ,she was active1 observant and critical4 ,she regulated her life by lofty principle as well as by noble impulse1 and there was something about her that always impressed you with the idea that she was brave and strong as well as gentle and pure4 ,mary was fragile in form1 willowy and graceful in motion1 soft and winning in manners4 ,her eyes were blue and sparkling with the tender dew of sentiment4 ,the lily and the rose contended for supremacy on her face1 and sunbeams nestled always in her hair4 ,she was the impersonation of a loving and love-awakening womanhood4 ,her voice1 her smile1 her tear1 expressed in the most extraordinary manner the sensitive emotions of her soul4 ,mary was my lily2 ,martha my rose4 ,martha was my ruby2 ,mary my pearl4 ,martha was reason2 ,mary was sentiment4 ,martha was wisdom2 ,mary was love4 ,martha was faith looking fixedly at the stars2 ,mary was charity looking trustfully beyond them to ,god4 ,my father took a deep interest in the education and general training of his children4 ,he provided us with the best teachers in every branch1 but let nothing escape his own watchful supervision4 ,it was greatly due to his intelligent care and the inspiring stimulus of his affection1 that we attained a degree of mental and social development rarely witnessed in children of our age4 ,a dark cloud hung over this good and wise father and his happy little household4 ,his health had been gradually failing for a long time4 ,he grew languid1 lost appetite1 and became slow in his gait and stiff in his motions4 ,he abandoned his business in the city1 and rarely went out of the house4 ,he declined receiving visitors1 until our home1 which had been so gay and brilliant1 became quite deserted and lonely4 ,but his mental condition underwent a change altogether incommensurate with his physical symptoms4 ,he became silent and melancholy1 and so unlike his former patient and sweet self6 ,he repulsed every attempt on our part to inquire into the nature or cause of his troubles4 ,his mental faculties were also greatly weakened4 ,we could not comprehend the meaning of all this4 ,we became very unhappy4 ,we knew he was wealthy1 honored and beloved--in possession of all that men covet for good or evil ends4 ,the country was in a state of profound repose4 ,it was incredible that the mere approach of sickness and death1 could so change the character of a good and brave man4 ,my father was now frequently closeted with ,caiaphas1 a young priest of stately appearance and ingratiating manners4 ,i became very anxious to learn the subject of these prolonged interviews4 ,i once questioned ,caiaphas at the gate about my father's condition2 but he evaded me adroitly4 ,at last my curiosity1 prompted by filial love1 triumphed over my sense of propriety1 and ,i crept to my father's door one night1 when he and ,caiaphas were together1 and applied my ear to the keyhole4 ,for a long time the tones were too low for me to catch any meaning2 but my father suddenly raised his voice in an excited manner-- 8,i assure you he is a thief and a robber1 and addicted to magic4 ,o ,caiaphas6 save my children and their property from this monster60 ,i was terrified at these words1 and slipped away in the darkness4 ,there was the secret of my father's grief4 ,he expected to die very soon1 and was anxious for the fate of his children when he was taken from them4 ,i wept on my bed nearly all night at the idea of losing my good parent4 ,but who was this monster he so much dreaded8 ,that set me to thinking4 ,when a man died1 his minor children and property passed under the guardianship of his next of kin4 ,my father had no brothers in ,judea1 for his only brother had wandered off more than thirty years before4 ,he was an eccentric character who forsook his religion and changed his name4 ,beyond that we knew nothing of him4 ,nor did my father even know where to find him4 ,his only sister was married to ,magistus1 a citizen of ,bethany4 ,she was a confirmed invalid and never seen4 ,in the event of my father's death we would fall to their care4 ,magistus then was this terrible monster1 a thief and a magician4 ,i was confirmed in this conclusion by the fact1 that my father and ,magistus had long been on bad terms2 and my father was not the man to withdraw his friendship from a worthy person4 ,magistus was a thin1 sallow1 ugly old man1 with an immense hooked nose like the beak of a bird of prey4 ,his black eyes were small1 fierce and sly4 ,he had a long dingy beard which he had twisted like a screw4 ,notwithstanding this sinister appearance1 he had the reputation of being a good and wise man4 ,people speak well of a rich man who seems always to retire modestly from the public eye4 ,magistus moreover was a great friend of the priesthood and a favorite with the priests4 ,i could not reveal to my sisters the approaching death of our father and the fears he had expressed about our legal guardian4 ,i was astonished and somewhat relieved when he passed the warmest eulogy upon ,caiaphas the next morning1 and told us to look to him for comfort and to rely on him for help in the greatest emergencies4 ,what astonished me still more was1 that this reliable friend never visited my father again4 ,we were greatly distressed that no medical aid was called in4 ,the suggestion was always repudiated with a strange earnestness4 ,whatever the disease was with which our father was afflicted1 he was plainly growing worse and worse4 ,at last he refused to quit his chamber1 or to admit any one into it4 ,he commanded a little food and water to be placed upon a table on the gallery underneath his window2 and what was singular1 he only took it in during the night when no one saw him4 ,these things threw us into the saddest consternation4 ,we began to fear that he was losing his reason4 ,we were frantic with excitement4 ,we determined to see him and nurse him4 ,we knocked at his door and window and entreated him to show himself to his children4 ,at last he called out in a voice which showed he had been weeping3 8,calm yourselves1 my children6 and pray to ,god4 ,a great evil has come upon us1 which can be concealed but a little longer4 ,my soul is overwhelmed with misery1 but my heart beats for my children with the tenderest love4 ,ask me nothing at present2 it is more than ,i can bear4 ,if you love me and would obey me1 keep away entirely from my chamber4 ,let no one come into the house--and least of all1 your uncle ,magistus40 ,we were reassured of his love and his rationality by these words2 but they filled us with a vague terror and overwhelmed us with sorrow4 ,we had no one to appeal to1 no one to consult4 ,we were commanded to keep everybody away4 ,thus several weeks of fearful suspense rolled by4 ,the neighbors began to inquire about my father4 ,his seclusion became the wonder and talk of the village4 ,the interrogations1 always disagreeable1 became absolutely impertinent4 ,the mystery had excited suspicion4 ,worse than all1 ,magistus became a regular visitor to the gate4 ,he questioned the porter in the subtlest manner4 ,he obtained from him the facts that my father had never received any medical attention1 that he had concealed himself in his chamber1 and had not been seen for weeks1 even by his children4 ,he evinced the liveliest satisfaction4 8,the apple will soon drop10 said he aloud to himself4 ,all this was faithfully reported to us4 ,three little sparrows in a nest among the green leaves1 could not have been in greater trepidation with an ugly bird of prey gazing at them from a neighboring branch4 ,the dnouement approached4 ,we were whispering our sorrows together one day1 seated by the little fountain in the inner courtyard of the house1 upon which the door of our father's chamber opened4 ,suddenly voices and footsteps were heard approaching4 ,a moment after ,magistus appeared1 followed by a venerable-looking old priest and stately ,roman centurion4 ,my sisters clung to me in terror4 ,without noticing us1 the party rapped loudly on my father's door1 and commanded him to come forth4 8,in the name of the ,mosaic law10 said the priest2 8and by order of the ,roman governor10 added the centurion4 ,the words were repeated in a louder voice3 the door slowly opened and my father stepped out1 exclaiming1 8,unclean6 unclean60 ,all fell back several paces4 8,the scourge of ,god60 said the priest with deep solemnity4 8,damnable ,eastern plague60 muttered the ,roman soldier4 8,incurable6 incurable60 exclaimed ,magistus4 ,it was the leprosy6 ,that ghoul of diseases1 which slowly devours a living victim1 had made fearful ravages upon my poor father's frame4 ,his eyebrows and eyelashes were gone2 his chin and ears were much swollen1 and a pearl-white scaly ulcer deformed his forehead2 his hands had a sickly and withered appearance4 ,we now understood the meaning of his strange conduct4 ,the disease began first about the joints and the covered parts of his body4 ,as soon as it broke out on the skin1 the poor man had shut himself up to conceal his affliction and to avoid contaminating his family4 ,knowing himself stricken with a disgusting and incurable malady1 which would exclude him from society and drive him away from his children1 he bore the burden of his awful secret alone4 ,magistus had discovered his condition1 and anxious to revenge himself upon virtues he could not imitate1 and to get possession of the property1 he laid the case before the authorities1 and insisted that the law of separation should be executed upon his brother-in-law4 ,as the unhappy man stood in the doorway1 he turned his eyes upon the pale faces of his terrified children1 and1 silently wringing his hands1 looked upward to heaven4 ,he was turning away1 when all three of us sprang forward at once1 and with cries which would have moved the coldest heart1 fell at his feet and clung about his knees4 8,touch me not6 my sweet children60 he exclaimed1 in a hoarse and feeble voice4 8,touch me not4 ,it is all over6 ,caiaphas will befriend my orphans40 ,he had not finished the words before several strange domestics1 who had rushed in at a signal from ,magistus1 proceeded to drag us from the spot4 8,away with them60 said the hideous old man1 fiercely4 8,confine them in the farthest room4 ,we want no young lepers--no more scourges of ,god40 8,if it were a scourge of ,god10 cried ,i1 struggling to escape1 8it would have been sent upon you and not upon my noble father40 ,we were carried weeping out of the courtyard4 ,looking back to the door1 we saw the unhappy man waving his last adieu to us with his poor1 sickly1 withered hands4 ,the ,mosaic law against the unfortunate leper was cruelly severe2 but the ,roman power which occupied the country and feared the ravages of leprosy among the soldiery1 added greatly to its force and to the stringency of its execution4 ,the leper was sentenced to a social and civil death far more terrible to a man of sensibility than the mere separation of soul and body4 ,he was driven from the face of his fellow-men1 and dwelt in caves and hollow trees and deserted ruins4 ,no one was permitted to touch him1 to approach him1 or even to speak to him4 ,he was compelled to cry out1 ,unclean6 unclean6 so as to warn every one of his dangerous proximity4 ,he became literally the wild man of the woods and the mountains and the desert--the companion and sometimes the prey of wild beasts4 ,those who had friends and money had little huts erected for them in remote but safe places1 and were amply provided with food and even luxuries by servants who deposited the articles upon the ground at a considerable distance from their habitations4 ,such was the fate of our good and generous father--the idol of our hearts and the model of all social and heroic virtues4 ,we spent the night in tears1 and the next day in an agony of grief4 ,i do not know who witnessed the dreadful ceremonies of the law4 ,he was examined by the proper inspectors1 and pronounced unclean and incurable4 ,he was led into the great highway4 ,the people stood afar off4 ,the priest in a loud voice pronounced the curse of ,god upon him--the service of the dead over the living body4 ,he cut him off from the congregation of ,israel4 ,the guards then drove him before them into some uninhabited place1 and he disappeared from the sight of men4 ,he was always visible1 however1 to the hearts of his three little orphans4 ,we followed his steps with filial vigilance4 ,we saw him toiling along in the sand of the desert1 and we shared his burden of heat and hunger and thirst4 ,we saw him seated under a palm tree1 or in the shadow of some great rock1 and we felt the sorrows of his thoughts as if they were our own4 ,we saw him kneeling by the brook1 and we mingled our prayers with his4 ,we saw him sleeping in his lonely hut1 lighted only by the moon1 and we were comforted by his dream of angels and heaven4 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,ii4 ,,clouds ,,gathering4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,we were now orphans1 and of that kind most to be pitied1 who have fallen into the hands of a cold and selfish step-uncle4 ,he had a father's power over us1 without a father's affection to regulate and sanctify it4 ,there was no one to supervise his conduct toward us2 no appeal from his baseness or cruelty1 unless his acts were so flagrant and unconcealed as to call down the vengeance of the laws4 ,this uncle whom we so much dreaded and had so much reason to dread1 wore at first a smooth and pleasing mask4 ,he came every day to see us1 and endeavored by as much civility and kindness as he could counterfeit1 to soften our feelings and satisfy us with our condition4 ,he professed the deepest sympathy for our poor father's calamity4 ,he regretted the severity of the ,jewish and ,roman laws on the subject of leprosy1 but excused them as a necessary protection to society4 ,he assured us that our father had a comfortable lodge on the border of the wilderness1 and that servants were despatched every other day with fresh supplies of food and wine and water4 ,this assurance brought tears to our eyes and comfort to our hearts4 ,when the storm of our grief had abated a little1 we requested to see our aunt2 for we yearned for the presence and sympathy of woman4 ,magistus conducted us over to his residence which adjoined our own1 but fronted upon another street4 ,a high brick wall separated his garden from ours4 ,he had a door cut in this wall so as to facilitate the passage from one house to another4 ,his mansion was completely concealed from the public eye by a thick grove of trees which surrounded it4 ,in the most retired chamber of this quiet and really beautiful place1 we found ,ulema1 my father's invalid sister4 ,she was a middle-aged woman of extreme thinness and pallor4 ,her face was waxen-colored and ghastly4 ,there was a wild terrified expression about her black eyes1 which was absolutely painful4 ,she had evidently been a great sufferer in mind and body4 ,she received us with a faint1 sickly smile1 and then her features assumed an expression of profound pity4 ,we supposed this was on account of the loss of our father4 ,we did not know the reasons which the poor woman had for pitying any one who came within the shadow of ,magistus4 ,after the interchange of a few commonplaces1 our uncle cut short the visit on the plea of ,ulema's feeble and nervous condition4 ,this visit was repeated every ,sabbath after the morning sacrifice4 ,magistus always accompanied us1 and drew us away as quickly as possible4 ,my aunt had always the same expressions of terror and pity4 ,thus our repeated interviews added nothing to our knowledge of her character4 ,in vain we petitioned ,magistus to let us live with our aunt1 or to let us visit her oftener1 or to let us stay longer4 ,our own home was sadly changed4 ,the furniture1 the pictures1 the statues1 the fountain1 the flowers1 were all the same1 but there was an air of silence and melancholy about the whole place1 as if the inanimate objects had felt and shared the misfortunes of the orphan children4 ,there was a different sphere around us1 a different light upon us4 ,the organizing and unitizing spirit was gone2--the good and wise father1 who made all happy and cheerful about him1 and held his little household together in the sweet bonds of perfect order and peace4 ,it was a cruel act of ,magistus to substitute servants and creatures of his own for those who had been with us from our infancy4 ,we were soon surrounded by strange faces1 so that our father's house began to appear to us1 what it really was1 a prison4 ,the domestics of an establishment acquire in time a coloring from the kind of life within it1 as insects are colored by the leaves and bark of the trees they inhabit4 ,ours were respectful1 obedient and cheerful2 these were cunning1 insolent and dishonest4 ,the chief butler or head servant was1 however1 a good character1 who plays a remarkable part in my story4 ,he was an ,african about thirty years of age1 very black and homely4 ,he was a eunuch1 and dumb4 ,these disadvantages1 which at first excited a feeling of repulsion1 were atoned for by a singular kindness1 deference and sympathy1 which were displayed in his features and manners4 ,the other servants held him in great awe2 for he had been brought from ,egypt about three years before by a magician1 and was supposed to be gifted with supernatural power4 ,it was this advantage in command1 as well as a certain kind of talent1 industry and reliability1 which induced ,magistus to give him the supreme charge of both households4 ,he had been with us but a few days1 before he had quite won our hearts by his friendly attentions and evident sympathy for our distress4 ,i1 who had been made suspicious by my father's opinion of our guardian1 detected in the face of ,ethopus 7for that was his name7 the same expression of pity which shone in the features of our sick aunt4 ,all this1 however1 he concealed from ,magistus with the greatest care2 for he was always cold and impassive toward us in the presence of his master4 ,unfortunately ,ethopus was dumb4 ,his communications at this time might have been of incalculable service to us4 ,i endeavored to learn something of the habits and character of my uncle from the other servants1 but on that subject they were as dumb as ,ethopus2 for whenever ,i approached it1 they manifested signs of fear1 and invariably put the finger on the lip4 ,i became dissatisfied with this secresy4 ,i resolved to teach ,ethopus to read and write1 so that he might tell me his own story1 and initiate me into the mysteries and dangers of my position4 ,he comprehended my idea at once1 and came to me secretly at hours when he knew ,magistus was absent4 ,he had made some little progress1--though the difficulties of the first steps were very great1--when one evening ,magistus walked slyly in and surprised us at our studies4 ,we had been betrayed by one of the servants1 who all acted as spies on each other4 ,magistus was in a towering passion4 ,he beat ,ethopus severely1 notwithstanding my protestations that ,i alone was to blame--and drove him from the room4 ,turning fiercely upon me1 he exclaimed3 8,do you not know the crime1 the danger of teaching that man to write80 8,oh1 uncle60 said ,i1 8what harm is there in bestowing the light of knowledge upon a poor dumb slave80 8,he was made dumb to keep him from betraying secrets40 8,horrible60 said ,i4 8,not my secrets10 he added1 cautiously1 8but his former master's4 ,if ,simon ,magus thought he could write1 he would come all the way from ,egypt to cut his heart out of his body40 ,after that event1 the sphere of ,ethopus' duty was changed1 so that we rarely saw him4 ,several weeks passed away1 and we wondered why ,caiaphas1 from whom our father expected so much1 did not come to see us4 ,he was to aid and befriend us1 and1 as ,i hoped1 to deliver us from the control of ,magistus4 ,he had evidently promised all that to our dear father4 ,the priestly authorities1 if properly applied to1 surely would not permit the children of a good and devout man to continue under the influence of a thief and magician4 ,caiaphas at last came4 ,his visit was short3 his manner constrained but polite4 ,he sympathized briefly with our affliction2 explained and defended the ,mosaic laws against leprosy2 eulogized our father in eloquent terms2 and congratulated us on having such a worthy uncle1 who would train us so carefully in the faith1 and who would make our home so happy4 ,and this was the result of the secret interviews with my father1 and of his solemn warnings against ,magistus as a thief and a magician6 ,i was puzzled and disappointed4 ,i could not help saying3 8,did you know1 ,o ,caiaphas6 that my father entertained a very different opinion of this good uncle80 8,remember1 my son10 said he1 somewhat abashed1 8that your father was very sick1 and his mind greatly impaired4 ,there was no foundation whatever for his unhappy suspicions4 ,obey your uncle like good children1 and you will find him all ,i have represented him to be40 ,he then retired4 ,i was too young and ignorant of the ways and wiles of the world1 to suspect that this priest had been all along in collusion with ,magistus1 and was to share with him in the plunder of the orphans of his friend4 ,the words of my father rang in my ear and continually haunted my mind3 8,he is a thief and robber1 and addicted to magic40 ,i asked my uncle one day1 in a very quiet manner1 his opinion of magic4 ,he looked at me severely and answered3 8,what are the words of ,moses on the subject8 ,listen3 #8,a man or a woman that hath a familiar spirit1 or that is a wizard1 shall surely be put to death4 ,they shall stone them with stones4'0 ,this did not convince me that my father was in error4 ,months passed2 and a gradual and saddening change was creeping over our life and its surroundings4 ,i had detected no robbery1 no magical practices2 but ,i had no faith in my uncle4 ,cautious and reticent as he was1 he could not conceal some of the ugly points of his character4 ,he was violent and cruel in his dealings with his slaves4 ,he was addicted to falsehood1 and in both opinion and practice was destitute of charity4 ,his strict observance of the ceremonial law and his intense ritualism1 could not conceal from me the fact that his heart was wholly untouched by the spiritualizing influences of true religion4 ,he ceased after a while to take us to see our aunt4 ,our teachers in various branches were not re-engaged1 or were dismissed4 ,education came to a stand-still4 ,company was excluded from our house4 ,his own was opened at night to suspicious characters4 ,by bribing one of his servants one dark night1 ,i obtained admission to his courtyard1 and discovered1 by muffled sounds of music and dancing1 that a bacchanalian revelry was going on underground4 ,he sometimes betrayed the next day1 in his face and manner1 the effect of these midnight orgies4 ,in the mean time my beautiful sisters pined1 neglected and sorrowful4 ,magistus rarely visited them2 and when he did1 he was guilty of coarse familiarities which shocked and repelled them4 ,i summoned courage1 boy as ,i was1 on one of these occasions to reproach him bitterly for these things2 for neglecting our education1 our dress1 our manners1 our comforts2 and for falling himself into habits which would certainly lead to the ruin of us all4 ,he stared at me insolently1 and said that ,i had better get my father's friend ,caiaphas to revise his guardianship4 ,like a man who sits helpless in a boat without oars1 gliding down a swift current1 and hears the far-off but inevitable cataract1 ,i contemplated the dark future that awaited us4 ,i grieved for my sisters more than for myself4 ,we had just been mourning together one day over our sad fate1 when ,magistus came into the room4 ,he had held a long private interview that morning with a strange man of gigantic size and very coarse manners1 whose appearance1 as he entered the guest-chamber1 excited my gravest suspicions4 8,you complain so bitterly10 said he1 looking reproachfully at me1 8of the general decay and ruin into which everything about here1 animate and inanimate1 is falling1 that it is surprising you have not yet intimated your doubts about your father getting his proper supply of provisions40 8,oh no1 uncle60 said ,mary1 tenderly1 8you could not forget so sacred a duty as that4 ,surely no one ever hinted such a thing4 ,the thought of it would drive me mad40 8,i wish you to satisfy yourselves perfectly upon that point10 he continued1 in the tone of a man who thought himself aggrieved4 8,a trusty servant is to convey to him a basket of things the day after to-morrow4 ,let ,lazarus accompany him4 ,let his daughters send some little presents4 ,his son can see him and even speak with him at a distance4 ,he can see his lodging and satisfy himself that he is comfortably situated40 8,without confessing1 uncle10 said ,i1 8that this visit is necessary for my faith in your attention to my father1 ,i concede that it will give me very great pleasure40 8,how long will he be gone80 said ,martha4 8,is there no danger80 said ,mary4 8,he will run no risk and will return the same night10 said ,magistus1 answering both questions in a breath4 ,this visit occupied our thoughts continually1 and we delighted to imagine what joy it would give our poor father4 ,i was out of bed before daylight that morning1 impatient to start4 ,i partook heartily of an extempore breakfast which ,ethopus provided me4 ,that personage to my surprise seemed sad and abstracted4 ,i could say nothing to him1 however1 for ,magistus was present4 ,i kissed my sisters good-bye at the door of their room1 for they too could not sleep for excitement4 ,magistus waved his adieu at the front door4 ,i walked through the courtyard with ,ethopus1 who carried a covered basket on his arm4 ,we were near the gate1 when ,ethopus coming close to me slipped something into my hand4 ,it was a long1 thin1 bright dagger4 ,i concealed it immediately in my bosom4 8,ethopus thinks there will be danger10 said ,i1 to myself4 ,i would perhaps have said something1 but ,i observed the porter admitting a person through the gate1 whose entrance at that hour in the morning caused me the greatest surprise4 ,it was a woman2 and at the age of sixteen a woman occupies a great deal of the field of vision before the masculine eye4 ,this woman was very young--not more than fifteen1 although perfectly mature4 ,she was very beautiful--so beautiful that everybody must have turned to look after her4 ,her eyes were large1 soft and hazel2 her hair brown and wavy2 her cheeks blended roses and pearls3 her mouth small and curved like a bow2 her voice and smile perfectly bewitching--all that ,i took in at a glance3 nor did it need the splendid ear-rings and brilliant necklace and scarlet robe she wore1 to impress it very deeply on my mind4 ,she bade me good-morning with the sweetest smile imaginable1 and with the affable1 self-possessed manner of a woman much older than herself4 ,startled and abashed1 ,i could do nothing but bow profoundly and hurry into the street where ,ethopus had given the basket to the person who was to be my guide4 ,i made signs to ,ethopus1 by a kind of pantomime we had acquired1 to keep a watchful eye on my sisters4 ,he replied by an affirmative motion of the head and a deep sigh1 which was evidently on my own account4 ,this woman was destined1 under the leadings of ,providence1 to make a greater and more lasting impression on my soul than all others4 ,and this was our first meeting3 ,i a bashful boy2 she a strange woman1 too gaudily dressed1 entering my father's house at a strange hour4 ,so two ships might pass each other on the ,great ,sea1 merely exchanging signals of good-morning--ships destined long afterward to convoy each other beyond the ,pillar of ,hercules into the infinite unknown6 ,this woman was ,mary ,magdalen4 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,iii4 ,,night ,,by ,,the ,,dead ,,sea4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,with my thoughts fluctuating between the extreme beauty of ,mary ,magdalen and the danger which ,ethopus seemed to apprehend1 ,i walked some distance without regarding my new companion4 ,when ,i did so1 ,i was surprised and puzzled at his appearance4 ,he was a young man of singularly handsome features1 the only drawback being a nose which was a little too aquiline4 ,his black hair curled in short ringlets close to his head1 and his face was thoroughly bronzed by sun and tempest4 ,his dress was rather that of some foreigner attached to an ,assyrian or ,egyptian caravan1 than the coarse and simple clothing of a ,hebrew servant4 ,and then there was something bold and free in his bearing1 which precluded the idea that he was a menial either in character or condition4 8,are you engaged in my uncle's service80 said ,i4 ,he shifted the heavy basket from one arm to the other1 and made no reply4 ,i repeated my question in a louder tone2 but he did not seem to hear me1 looking straight ahead at the road before him4 8,this handsome fellow is both deaf and dumb10 said ,i to myself4 8,my uncle has a curious passion for silent people40 ,debarred the pleasure of conversation1 ,i relapsed into reverie4 ,i determined to make a use of this visit which my uncle little anticipated4 ,i resolved to approach my father boldly1 contagion or no contagion1 and have an interview with him4 ,i wanted to tell him of the neglected and unhappy condition of his children1 of our increasing repugnance to ,magistus1 and of the indifference or treachery of ,caiaphas4 ,i wanted his advice4 ,he could surely direct me to friends in the city1 whose assistance might arrest our impending ruin4 ,made happier by that resolution1 as if it had already accomplished something1 ,i let my mind revert back to the woman ,i saw at the gate1 and a new cause of uneasiness arose as ,i reflected upon that accidental meeting4 ,boyish and inexperienced as ,i was1 ,i discovered something in the dress and manner of the early visitor1 which whispered to me that she was not a suitable companion for my sisters4 ,she certainly was not a domestic4 ,who could she be8 ,what could she want at our house just after daybreak8 ,perhaps she came to see ,magistus on business4 ,it was not the hour or the place for that4 ,perhaps she was one of the midnight revelers whom ,i heard singing and dancing in the basement story of my uncle's secluded residence4 ,that idea startled me more than all4 ,i determined to get back home by rapid walking before nightfall1 and explore this disquieting mystery4 ,we had passed over hill and dale through a highly-cultivated country1 full of vineyards and gardens and orchards1 full of sweet little villages and beautiful rural villas4 ,this did not last long1 and we turned in a south-easterly direction4 ,the villages disappeared2 the houses became more sparse and humble2 the trees became more stunted and bare2 the rocks larger and the road more difficult4 ,at the point where the highway leads down the steep hills toward ,jericho and the plain of the ,jordan1 my guide turned suddenly due south into a rough1 barren and wild country1 where there was no road at all4 ,the sounds of life faded behind us4 ,vegetation almost wholly disappeared4 ,no animals were to be seen but a few goats far away browsing among the rocks4 ,the birds seemed to refuse to accompany us further4 ,the silence of the desert fell gradually upon us4 ,this was the wilderness of ,judea4 ,we were winding downward to the ,salt ,sea1 that great watery waste1 in whose silent deeps ,sodom and ,gomorrah lie buried2 on whose shores stand bleak and desolate mountains full of sulphur springs2 the gloom without the glory of nature2 the home of wild beasts and lepers and robbers and demons2 mountains fearful in their nakedness and solitude2 evil genii guarding in stern silence the eternal sleep of the lost cities of the plain4 ,i grew uneasy and melancholy as we approached these famous and dangerous places4 ,the taciturnity of my guide1 together with an increasing shadow on his expressive face1 magnified my apprehensions almost into fears4 ,i felt my boyish weakness and inexperience by the side of this strong1 rough1 silent man of the wilderness1 who now seemed to my excited imagination to have got into his native element1 and to be a part of the lonely and supernatural region into which we had entered4 ,our attention was suddenly drawn to a neighboring eminence by sounds of so strange a character1 that it was impossible to say whether they were animal or human4 ,four lepers appeared in sight1 almost naked1 holding up their long1 withered arms1 and screeching out from their hoarse throats and swollen lips their hideous cry1 8,unclean6 unclean60 ,i trembled at this sad spectacle and gazed intently1 expecting and afraid to recognize my poor father in the group4 ,my guide suddenly laid his hand upon my shoulder1 and we both stood still4 ,he then set the basket upon the ground1 made signals to the lepers to approach1 and drew me away from the spot4 ,a horrible chorus of guttural thanks came up from the leprous creatures1 who awaited our departure before pouncing upon the acceptable present4 8,oh1 sir60 said ,i1 resisting my guide1 and forgetting that he was deaf and dumb1 8you have given my father's food to those unhappy wretches6 ,where is my father8 ,oh1 take me to him60 ,he stopped and looked me full in the face4 8,oh yes60 ,i continued1 in a supplicating tone2 8that basket has food and wine for my poor father1 the leper1 and a bouquet and a letter from ,martha1 and a pair of sandals from little ,mary--0 ,overcome with emotion ,i burst into tears4 ,the guide drew a deep sigh2 and when ,i looked up into his face it was radiant with a sweet and benevolent expression4 ,he had either heard me or he comprehended intuitively the nature of my distress4 ,he shook his head and made a deprecating gesture with his hand4 ,he then drew me off strongly1 but so gently that ,i was partially reassured1 and walked meekly at his side1 overwhelmed with surprise and sorrow4 ,after passing over several rough ridges we turned into a deep ravine4 ,the guide made me go in front4 ,the pathway down this narrow gorge1 this cleft between two mountains1 was rough and dangerous4 ,there were deep holes or pits upon one side1 and frightfully overhanging rocks upon the other4 ,it was so dark and precipitous in some places that ,i could scarcely believe we were not descending into the bowels of the earth4 ,we suddenly emerged from this monstrous fissure on a little mound made by the soil washed down from above1 and found ourselves on the shore of the ,dead ,sea4 ,i had never seen such an expanse of water before1 and was charmed with the sight4 ,away to the left was the plain of the ,jordan and the sacred river of that name1 invisible at a distance among its reeds and rushes4 ,opposite arose the reddish-brown mountain chain which borders the sea on the west4 ,far down to the right stretched a range of high hills of a bluish gray color4 ,in front1 and widening away to the south1 lay the mighty surface of the sea1 shining like a burnished mirror in the noon-day sun4 ,a fine breeze was blowing2 but there was only a faint ripple on the water1 for its heavy salt waves can scarcely be stirred by the wind--like the soul of a wicked man1 which cannot be moved by the ,spirit of ,god4 ,i was recalled from that delicious reverie into which every one is transported by a view of the sea2 for my guide pointed to a clump of stunted trees or rather large bushes near the beach4 ,half hidden by them was a tent of alternate white and red canvas1 in front of which a large boat was drawn up on the sand4 ,two rough-looking fellows lay in the boat asleep4 ,there was no human habitation anywhere about this lonely spot4 ,these people belonged on the other side of the sea4 ,they were ready for flight in a moment4 ,they were wild1 roving1 secretive1 fugitive4 ,they were engaged in some unlawful business4 ,i had fallen into the hands of robbers4 ,these disquieting thoughts passed through my mind as we approached the tent4 ,hearing our footsteps on the sand1 the chief came out of it4 ,he was tall and sinewy1 a man of unusual weight and size4 ,he was clad in a richly-embroidered crimson robe1 with a splendid scimitar1 jewel-hilted1 at his side4 ,a long beard1 stained of a golden yellow by some vegetable dye1 gave him a grotesque and never-to-be-forgotten appearance4 ,all this barbaric ornament did not prevent me from recognizing the strange1 coarse man who held the long interview with ,magistus two days before4 ,then he was disguised2 now his character was apparent4 ,we stood before him4 ,my guide made a low obeisance and said in a clear voice3 8,barabbas6 ,i have obeyed your orders60 ,my astonishment on discovering that my robber-guide was neither deaf nor dumb1 was turned into another channel when ,barabbas exclaimed3 8,well done6 ,bind him tightly with the old ,persian4 ,if ,beltrezzor's ransom does not arrive by sunrise1 we will make way with them both together40 ,my uncle had betrayed me into the hands of the ,ishmaelite to be murdered4 ,there could be no doubt that the atrocious assassin had taken every precaution to prevent escape or failure4 ,resistance was impossible4 ,there were four men in sight1 either one of whom could have overpowered me in a moment4 ,my heart sank in despair when my guide led me behind the tent1 and bound me securely to a little tree1 without evincing the least remorse or care at his own part in this shameful and cowardly transaction4 ,i now surveyed my fellow-prisoner1 who was tied to another tree close to me4 ,his gray hair and beard showed that he had passed considerably beyond the meridian of life4 ,he had a serene and rather handsome face1 full of thought and benevolence4 ,young and inexperienced as ,i was1 ,i perceived by a kind of intuition that my companion in distress was a cultivated and superior man4 ,he wore a rich ,eastern robe and a bright-colored turban4 ,he was smoking a long pipe curiously carved and twisted4 ,he surveyed me quietly and nodded kindly to me1 evidently pitying my childish terror and despair4 8,we shall be murdered to-morrow60 ,i gasped4 8,i learned a proverb in ,india10 said the old man4 8,brahma writes the destiny of every one on his skull4 ,no man can read it0--and watching his smoke fade into air1 he slowly continued1 8and even the gods cannot avert it40 ,i was astonished at his coolness2 but his fatalism did not console me4 8,to die--to die6--to leave my poor sisters unprotected and to see them no more--,oh1 it is horrible60 8,not to be10 said the ,persian1 in a voice of singular depth and sweetness1 8not to be is better than to be2 and not to have been is better than all40 ,in spite of myself and my fears1 the calm and almost spiritual halo which seemed to surround this strange old man1 began to quiet my agitation and to divert my thoughts from my impending fate4 8,are you a philosopher80 said ,i4 8,i think10 he replied2 and drawing a long whiff from his pipe1 he illustrated his remark by lapsing into a profound reverie4 ,i contemplated this serene philosopher a long time in silence1 and made up my mind that he must have a good many beautiful things to think about as he sat there1 bound and under sentence of death1 smoking so placidly upon the arid shore of that dreadful sea4 ,when he indicated1 by knocking the ashes from his pipe1 that he had ascended from the ocean of dreams into which he had dived1 ,i asked him how he had fallen into the power of these miscreants4 8,speak evil of no one1 my son6 ,leave wicked names to the wicked4 ,these gentlemen live upon the road and in the wilderness4 ,they pay special attention to travelers1 to caravans1 and to small and remote villages4 ,they cure some people of that chronic disease we call life1 and they permit others to ransom themselves by large quantities of that evil thing we call money4 ,they have set me down in the latter class1 and ,i am awaiting a remittance from a friend in ,jerusalem40 8,suppose your friend is dead1 or absent from the city1 or cannot raise the sum required1 or refuses to do it80 ,he pointed to the sea1 shrugging his shoulders1 and exclaimed3 8,what is written1 is written40 ,when it was quite dark my guide of the morning brought us a little food4 ,the old ,persian ate heartily1 but ,i could barely taste it4 ,the guide whispered in my ear1 8,be silent and wakeful10 and departed4 8,now sleep1 my son10 said my philosophic companion2 8trust in ,god and sleep4 ,our angels and good genii befriend us most powerfully when asleep4 ,when awake we scare them away by our villainous thoughts4 ,sleep40 ,the whispered words of the guide had inspired me with a vague hope1 and ,i preferred trusting to his advice rather than to the invisible guardians of our sleep4 ,i was therefore silent and wakeful4 ,the moon went down long before midnight4 ,the hours passed away slowly1 slowly1 marked only by the coming up of the white stars from behind the eastern hills2 while the long minutes were told by the dead plash of the water against the beach4 ,there were feasting and drinking and singing in the tent of ,barabbas4 ,this was kept up until long after midnight4 ,then there was silence1 and the loud snoring as of some one in a drunken sleep4 ,it became very dark4 ,the voices of man and nature were hushed4 ,the hours passed1 and all things seemed to sleep except the stars which continued to climb the heavenly dome1 and the sad1 gray sea which pushed feebly against the desert beach1 and myself cruelly orphaned and betrayed1 thinking alternately of home and death4 8,death at sunrise60 ,i exclaimed1 thinking aloud to myself4 8,the sun has not risen10 whispered the ,persian4 ,and ,hope1 the undying consoler within us1 took courage at the words of the old man and at the slow-footed pace of the night2 and thought it was long1 long till the morning1 and that the angel of ,life might still come1 and relieve from his awful watch the angel of ,death4 ,an hour more of silence that could be felt1 and of unutterable suspense--and a hand was laid softly upon my shoulder4 ,the rope that bound me was disengaged1 and my deliverer drew me stealthily along the beach1 and away from the tent where ,barabbas lay dreaming of plundered caravans and cruel uncles who enriched him for the murder of their nephews4 ,the guide did not speak until we stood on the mound at the mouth of the great ravine1 where the ,dead ,sea first broke upon my sight4 8,you are free10 he said4 8,you are a child1 abused and betrayed4 ,you shall not be murdered4 ,robber as ,i am1 there is something in my heart which is touched by your sorrows4 ,go back to life1 if not to happiness4 ,god perhaps will deliver you from ,magistus1 as ,he has through me delivered you from ,barabbas40 8,come with me10 said ,i2 8leave this wretched and dangerous life in the wilderness4 ,share our fate and fortune in ,bethany40 8,do not speak of it10 he answered2 8it is impossible4 ,hasten on your journey1 or all may be lost40 8,but10 said ,i1 clinging to him1 8,barabbas will kill you when he finds ,i have escaped40 8,no6 ,i have contrived against that4 ,i am cunning and ,i shall succeed40 8,the poor old ,persian will be murdered60 8,no6 ,he will be ransomed to-morrow4 ,away60 he continued excitedly2 8a moment's delay may be fatal4 ,away60 8,stay60 said ,i1 eagerly2 8tell me the name of my benefactor1 that ,i may repeat it in my prayers40 8,i have no name1 no home4 ,i am the ,son of the ,desert40 ,he hurried softly away toward the tent1 and ,i crept up the ravine in the darkness4 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,iv4 ,,in ,,the ,,wilderness4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,afraid of the dark and fearful gorge1 full of rocks and pitfalls and unseen dangers2 afraid of the unpeopled desert which awaited me above2 afraid of wild beasts1 serpents1 lepers and evil spirits2 afraid of the silence and solitude of night by the ,salt ,sea2 afraid of all things behind me and all before2 ,i ascended cautiously and painfully the narrow path1 if path it might be called1 praying to the ,god of ,abraham1 ,isaac and ,jacob1 for protection4 ,i1 who had never been out of my father's house at that hour of the night in my life1 thus found myself amid a complication of circumstances which might have appalled the stoutest heart4 ,i had ascended two-thirds of the way1 when my keen ear caught upon the night-wind the subdued but rough voices of several persons who were descending the ravine4 ,my heart stood still and ,i almost fainted with affright4 ,fortunately1 ,i remembered that ,i had just passed1 a little lower down1 a large side-fissure or chink in the great rock wall of the ravine4 ,i went back with the utmost speed and caution1 and got safely concealed in the black crevice before the objects of my terror came along4 ,they were no doubt some of the party of ,barabbas1 who were returning with or without the ransom of the old ,persian4 ,they were talking of ransom with oaths and laughter as they passed4 ,i held my breath in suspense2 nor did my heart recover its natural beat until they had descended a good distance1 and their voices floated faintly upward like the mutterings of lost souls in some horrible abyss4 ,i was now afraid to start again lest ,i should meet another detachment of the robbers4 ,i waited a long time1 listening intently4 ,it suddenly occurred to me that when the robbers reached the tent of ,barabbas1 my escape would be discovered1 and the swiftest runners despatched to overtake me4 ,this thought brought the cold drops to my forehead2 and ,i hurried breathless all the way up the ravine1 actually thinking that ,i heard the footsteps of men behind me1 and voices calling my name4 ,escaped from the robbers1 ,i fell into the arms of the desert4 ,i could have extricated myself from the new danger if the sun had been shining4 ,but the day rose dark and cloudy1 and ,i could not tell whether ,i was going east or west1 north or south4 ,i failed to recognize any of the spots we had passed the day before4 ,i walked rapidly up and down the bare hills1 over the rough gullies and through the sandy hollows4 ,after some hours of this exhausting travel1 both mind and body being on the stretch1 ,i was shocked on discovering that ,i had been moving in a circle1 and was near the mouth of the ravine again4 ,i would have stretched myself upon some rock in despair2 but my dangerous proximity to ,barabbas and his men1 revived my fears and gave supernatural strength to my body4 ,i fled away as fast as ,i could over new hills and gullies and sandy bottoms4 ,it must have been two or three hours after noon1 when ,i reached a hill overlooking a deep1 narrow valley1 the dry bed of some nameless brook1 which1 in the rainy season1 poured along over the sands its little tribute to the sea4 ,thoroughly exhausted with hunger1 thirst1 fatigue1 loss of sleep1 fear and despair1 ,i lay down upon the hillside4 ,lost in the wilderness1 thinking of the still worse conditions of my father and sisters1 my misery was too deep for tears4 ,a strange torpor crept over my senses1 and ,i fell into that profound slumber in which the weary are strengthened and the sorrowful comforted4 ,when ,i awoke1 the setting sun1 just freed from clouds1 was shining in my face4 ,how life-giving1 faith-giving1 hope-giving is a sight of the sun1 wrapping his mantle of softened glory about him1 and descending trustfully to sleep in the kingdom of night1 assured that ,aurora will open duly her palace of pearl1 and his golden chariot with its fiery steeds issue forth in the morning6 ,so does the ,soul sink only to rise2 sleep only to wake2 die only to live3 ever changing in state1 ever the same in substance4 ,i was thus drawing new vigor from the rays of the sun1 when a voice of heavenly sweetness broke upon my ear1 a voice chanting this beautiful ,scripture3 8,as the hart panteth after the water-brooks1 ,so panteth my soul after thee1 ,o ,god6 ,my soul thirsteth for ,god1 for the living ,god3 ,when shall ,i come and appear before ,god80 8,are there angels as well as demons in the desert80 said ,i1 to myself4 ,a jutting brow of the hill concealed from me the source whence these sounds appeared to issue4 ,i arose and advanced to explore the mystery4 ,rounding the intervening slope1 ,i saw a young man seated upon a stone at the mouth of a large cavern4 ,his quick eye detected me in a moment1 and he advanced to meet me4 ,he wore a single garment wrought of the finest camel's hair1 which was secured about his waist by a leathern girdle4 ,simple toilet6 ,but when you looked at his fine head with its long black hair curling about his bare neck1 and his beautiful oval face soft as a girl's1 full of all saintly thoughts and heavenly emotions1 you knew that you were in the presence of one who was clad interiorly in fine linen and purple4 8,good sir10 said ,i1 8behold an unhappy youth1 who has just escaped death by robbers1 and is lost in this terrible wilderness60 8,one must have lived long in the desert to find his way out of it such a dark day as this4 ,it will be clear to-morrow1 and ,i will pilot you into the great highway4 ,meantime you are welcome to my poor hospitalities--a cave for roof1 a bed of skins1 water to drink1 wild honey and locusts to eat2 that is all40 8,i gladly accept your offer2 and were your proffered gifts still more humble1 they would be sanctified by the light of brotherly love you throw upon them40 ,i seated myself on the stone while he went into the cave and brought forth his simple food and drink1 of which ,i partook heartily4 8,to whom am ,i indebted for this kind reception80 ,i inquired1 as ,i finished my meal4 8,i am ,john10 he answered1 8the son of ,zacharias2 and ,i dwell in the desert until the time of my showing unto ,israel40 ,a deep human groan from the interior of the cavern now startled me1 and ,i sprang from my seat4 8,what is that80 ,i exclaimed4 8,my poor old patient has awakened4 ,i must go and examine him40 8,he takes in the sick as well as the wandering10 said ,i to myself4 8,surely the angels must protect him in some peculiar manner40 ,john came forward again with an anxious countenance4 8,alas60 said he1 8the old man has rapidly changed4 ,he fell into a soft slumber an hour ago1 but he is now plainly dying4 ,i knew he was very ill1 for he has raved all day about his children and some magicians who wish to destroy them40 ,at these words a fearful tremor seized me4 ,i could not speak4 ,i sprang past the young man1 and in a moment was kneeling at the side of my father6 ,i seized his withered hand and covered it with kisses4 8,my father6 my father6 ,do you not know your son1 your only son80 ,the young hermit looked on in tears4 ,the old man slowly opened his eyes and cast a bewildered look1 first at me1 and then at ,john4 8,yes--you are angels10 he said1 8who have come to welcome my spirit into paradise40 ,he breathed heavily4 ,i sank down weeping4 ,john came forward with a little basin of water4 8,there is no time to be lost10 said he in a low tone4 8,do you believe in ,god1 and in ,moses his lawgiver1 and in the prophets his servants80 8,i do6 ,i do60 said the old man1 eagerly4 8,do you repent of your sins1 and pray for the ,holy ,spirit to guide you80 8,i do6 and ,god be merciful to a miserable sinner60 8,then ,i baptize you with water1 the emblem of purification1--and in the name of the ,lord1 the only ,god1 into his spiritual ,church and into the hope of immortal life40 ,thus saying1 he sprinkled some water on the old man's forehead4 ,his own face shone with a meek and holy radiance4 ,my father closed his eyes and seemed to sleep4 ,suddenly he started1 frowning1 as if some great pain had changed the current of his thought4 8,tell my son to beware of his uncle4 ,he is a magician40 8,here is your son60 ,i exclaimed1 eagerly2 8here is your son6 ,oh1 speak to me1 my father60 ,he did not notice my grief2 but1 pointing slowly to ,john the ,baptist1 he said1 solemnly3 8,behold the prophet of ,god60 ,he then looked fixedly upward2 and as ,i followed his glance to the roof of the cave1 his spirit passed away beyond the blue dome1 beyond the stars and the sun1 beyond the entire realm of nature1 into the paradise of ,moses and the prophets4 ,i spent the night in prayer and tears by my father's dead body4 ,occasionally the young prophet broke in upon the stillness of the air with his silvery voice1 chanting the sweet verses of ,scripture4 ,i was sorely tempted to rebel against the providence of ,god1 which permitted such a good man as my father to be so cruelly dealt with4 ,the presence1 however1 of the young prophet1 was in itself a sermon1 a blessing1 a help to resignation4 ,one could not be skeptical or even critical in his luminous atmosphere of peace and love4 ,i reflected that there were many great mysteries which my youthful and inexperienced mind could not at present comprehend1 and returning faith assuaged the grief it could not remove4 ,the next day about noon the young prophet offered a prayer over the corpse1 and we consigned it to a humble grave dug by our own hands in a large cavern near by4 ,i observed that there were four other graves in the same spot4 8,yes10 said ,john1 meekly1 8this is my little cemetery4 ,here ,i bury my dead in ground consecrated to the ,lord4 ,this was a robber who was wounded in a fray and left by his comrades4 ,he dragged his bleeding limbs into the desert4 ,i found him and bore him to my home4 ,i preached to him the new gospel of repentance and faith1 and he died in my arms weeping like a child over the sins of his youth4 ,he who occupies that grave was a madman1 who broke his chains1 and drove every one from him with knives and stones until he met me in the wilderness4 ,he followed me to my cave1 and would sit contented at my feet hearing me sing or read or pray4 ,under that mound is a poor slave who fled1 mutilated and frenzied1 from a cruel master4 ,i kissed the wounds ,i could not heal2 and he died clasping my hands smilingly to his lips4 ,and that last one is the grave of another poor leper like your father1 forsaken even by his wretched companions--but not forsaken by the ,lord1 whose ,word ,i obeyed when ,i tended him in his long illness4 8,i call it consecrated ground10 he continued2 8for these poor people are the children of ,god4 ,the leper is cured of his leprosy2 the slave is free2 the madman is sane2 the robber is forgiven40 8,what induces you10 said ,i1 8to lead this strange1 lonely life1 so full of self-sacrifice1 so full of terrors and dangers80 8,the ,spirit of ,god60 he said1 solemnly4 8,are you not afraid of the silence1 the solitude1 the darkness of the desert80 ,he replied in the words of ,scripture3 8,the ,lord is my light and my salvation2 whom shall ,i fear8 ,the ,lord is the strength of my life3 of whom shall ,i be afraid80 ,i felt awed in the presence of this young man1 who was not more than ten years older than myself4 ,i was better satisfied to leave my father's ashes in his keeping1 than if ,i had built above them the most splendid monument of ,pentelican marble or ,corinthian brass4 ,after a frugal meal we started for the public road4 ,it was ten long miles to the nearest highway1 and it was ten more from that to ,bethany4 ,we discoursed1 as we walked along1 about spiritual things2 and although ,i did not understand half he said1 he spoke with such eloquence and sincerity that he convinced me he had some great mission in the world4 ,we parted a little before sunset with mutual embraces and blessings4 ,i dropped some grateful and admiring tears as ,i gazed after the heavenly-minded hermit1 picking his way with his long staff through the rough places1 until he disappeared from sight over the brown1 bare hill4 ,it was not until the comforting and sustaining power of his presence was withdrawn1 that ,i recognized how exhausted and helpless and lonely ,i was4 ,fatigue1 fear1 excitement1 sorrow1 loss of sleep and inadequate nourishment1 had considerably shattered my nerves2 and now to appear suddenly in the presence of an uncle who thought he had murdered me1 was a difficult and perhaps a dangerous task4 ,i would gladly have turned in any other direction2 but my sisters were in the power of the monster who had plotted my assassination4 ,nothing but a vague fear that those lovely women were in some trouble or distress1 gave strength to my tired limbs and courage to my aching heart4 ,night came on1 and ,i had to advance more slowly4 ,the full moon was shining halfway down the western sky1 but a dark cloud had risen from the ashes of the sunset1 and was advancing upward4 ,it was important that ,i should make all the haste ,i could1 before the light of the moon was obscured by that ascending blackness4 ,to get out of the road might be to lose the whole night4 ,i moved so rapidly that ,i became exceedingly tired4 ,if ,i sat down to rest1 a mysterious fear impelled me to rise and press forward to ,bethany4 ,i have faith in those secret attractions1 those silent monitors1 those inexplicable warnings4 ,a minute's repose of muscle1 a minute's recuperation of breath1 and ,i started again with renewed energy4 ,a wind came up behind the cloud and drove it furiously onward4 ,it covered the moon and all was dark4 ,i groped my way4 ,i stumbled over obstacles4 ,i advanced slowly4 ,it was late1 late in the night1 when ,i entered the village of ,bethany4 ,no lights were visible2 no sounds were heard4 ,i traversed the streets alone4 ,i passed my uncle's residence1 brimful of maledictions against its wicked proprietor4 ,soon my father's house loomed up before me4 ,i saw the long white wall in front of it1 and the parapet of the house-top darkening above4 ,suddenly a strong blast of wind stirred all the trees of the village4 ,it sighed along the deserted streets and up into the sky4 ,it lifted the lower edge of the cloud from the moon which shone out1 low down1 just above my father's house1 as it were with a sudden brilliancy4 ,it revealed to me two astonishing things4 ,one was a large1 strange1 gilded vehicle drawn by two powerful horses standing before the gate4 ,the other was the figure of a woman on the house-top1 between me and the moon--a woman with flowing robes and disheveled hair1 raising her arms wildly to heaven1 while a man was approaching her in the attitude of striking4 ,it was my sister ,martha6 ,with a cry of horror ,i sprang against the gate1 which gave way before me4 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,v4 ,,the ,,banquet4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,i am too deeply impressed with the vanity of our worldly affairs in comparison with the verities of the spiritual life1 to employ my own time or engage a reader's attention with a biography1 however pleasing or romantic1 unless there was a subtle connecting link1 which ,i expect to reveal1 between the facts narrated and those eternal truths which overshadow all others in importance4 ,i1 alone of all mankind1 have lived consciously in both worlds long enough to discover their relations to each other4 ,what my fellow-men have seen only on the surface1 ,i have examined interiorly4 ,i have seen the secret springs of human pride1 ambition1 passion and folly4 ,i have seen the souls of men as they appear in the sight of angels4 ,and my instructions in that world were all based upon my experiences in this4 ,it is now necessary to drop for a while my personal narrative1 and to go back and relate1 from the evidence of others1 what happened in ,bethany during my absence4 ,my sisters had been left with our atrocious uncle1 like two lambs under the guardianship of a wolf4 ,one capable of assassinating his nephew1 a mere youth1 would not hesitate at any wickedness against his beautiful nieces4 ,this man's character was so cruel and wicked1 that some explanation is needed of the singular maturity of diabolism to which he had attained4 ,magistus had neither religion nor honor4 ,honor binds us in duty to our neighbor1 as religion binds us both to ,god and the neighbor4 ,it is a moon which shines brilliantly in the absence of the sun4 ,the light of honor is also but the reflected light of religion4 ,when both shine together1 honor is absorbed and swallowed up in the more effulgent blaze of religion4 ,the soul without religion or honor1 is like the earth without sun or moon--cold1 dark1 desolate1 hideous4 ,such was the soul of ,magistus4 ,irreligion1 like drunkenness1 is sometimes inherited4 ,the father of ,magistus was a scoffer and sensualist4 ,fatal incubus of moral deformity descending from father to son6 ,in this he was typical of the age4 ,the hereditary pressure toward hell was so great1 that a few more centuries of transmission would have brought the world into perfect sympathy with the lower regions4 ,the advent of the ,lord arrested that for a while4 ,without religion or honor man is very close to hell4 ,the veriest barbarian has some faint idea of natural religion1 and some feeble impulse of natural honor1 which distinguish him from the beasts and unite him to his kind4 ,these are barriers against the influx of infernal life4 ,he is ignorant of the devils within him1 and the devils within him are ignorant of him4 ,wise and blessed provision6 ,were he brought into conscious rapport with his own attendant evil spirits1 he would soon be one with them4 ,their life in hell and his life on earth would be animated by the same breath4 ,this had happened to ,magistus4 ,not that he was a barbarian4 ,he was an educated1 cultivated man1 accustomed to the luxuries and full of the suavities of civilized life4 ,civilization and religion are not synonymous4 ,hell itself has a stupendous civilization4 ,magistus was a ,pharisee by profession3 a ritualist1 and a strict observer of feast-days and ordinances and ceremonies4 ,that1 however1 was not the man1 but only his outer garment--his cloak4 ,supposed by the world to be virtuous and honest1 this wealthy and reputable ,pharisee was spiritually a whited sepulchre1 full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness4 ,he was a spiritualist1 a sorcerer1 a necromancer1 a magician4 ,he at first sought and became familiar with these people1 with their studies and arts1 from natural curiosity4 ,it was very pleasant to call up his dead father and various dead friends1 and converse with them4 ,it was agreeable to know that they were all happy1 and advancing in various degrees toward the infinite divine perfection4 ,they showed him wonderful things4 ,they performed miracles in his sight greater than those which the magicians of ,egypt performed before ,pharaoh4 ,then they told him that the ,jewish ,scriptures were not divinely inspired1 but a medley of fables1 passable poetry and childish philosophy4 ,he had already suspected this2 and he congratulated the spirits on possessing a critical genius so similar to his own4 ,he finally acquired1 from these supernatural instructors1 a grand system of philosophy1 revealing the divinity of nature and the laws of progress4 ,having become convinced that there are great and subtile powers emanating from the spiritual world1 unknown to most men1 he determined to avail himself of those powers for his own private ends4 ,he became a secret pupil and disciple of magicians and wizards4 ,he communicated with spirits and permitted them to take possession of him1 soul and body1 so that they spoke through his mouth and wrote through his hand and came at his call4 ,he learned all the tricks and spells of legerdemain1 the arts and formulas and incantations of magic1 and the rites and ceremonies of the black art in its broadest sense4 ,he obtained means of seeing objects at any distance1 of producing hallucinations or optical illusions1 of personating the dead1 of finding hidden treasures1 of reading men's thoughts1 of sowing enmity between friends1 of discovering secrets1 and a thousand other astounding and almost incredible things4 ,the soul is not destroyed in a moment3 it is the work of years4 ,the evil spirits and demons with whom he was thus brought into contact1 slowly poisoned the fountain-head of character2 extinguished his reverence1 his modesty1 his respect for marriage2 undermined his conscience2 swept away all religious and even social and civil scruples2 and fired and sustained all his evil propensities2 so that1 externally a faithful disciple of ,moses1 he was interiorly a devil1 governed only by the love of self and the world4 ,this formidable hypocrite1 the most of whose wealth had been obtained by secret frauds1 and was not unstained with blood1 had his dwelling in the centre of an immense area surrounded by lofty walls and concealed by a dense grove of trees4 ,he received no visitors but those who came to him at night1 and for no good purpose4 ,he had the character of a recluse1 devoted to sacrifice and prayer4 ,he thus indulged his secret vices and carried on his diabolical incantations unsuspected4 ,the dark shadows of his princely mansion enveloped a degree of ,assyrian luxury scarcely exceeded by the ,caprean court of the emperor ,tiberius4 ,caiaphas1 the priest1 was his best friend1 who shared his private pleasures and maintained by constant applause his public reputation for sanctity and honor4 ,the influence of evil spirits who possess us is at first gentle and subtile1 coinciding with our own inclination4 ,thinking to lead1 we are led4 ,when a man is chained so that he can no longer resist1 they urge him headlong to a crisis4 ,they fire his evil passions2 they blind his perverted intellect2 they inflate his pride and self-conceit2 they make him scornful and regardless of others1 impatient of all barriers to his self-gratification1 and assure him of boundless immunity and protection4 ,in this state of horrible fantasy and inflamed passion1 he is ready to trample upon all laws human and divine4 ,to this fearful point in his spiritual life had ,magistus arrived4 ,when my father was driven into the wilderness1 ,caiaphas and my uncle plotted together how to get speedy and sole possession of his great wealth4 ,to get rid of or destroy his children was the first1 and1 indeed1 the only thing necessary4 ,but they resolved to allow some months to elapse--to let our misfortunes die out from the public memory1 and even ourselves be quite forgotten4 ,hence the seclusion1 the solitude1 the systematic neglect to which we were subjected4 ,the plan was finally matured4 ,the boy was to be decoyed into the wilderness and murdered by ,barabbas4 ,it was to be given out that he was a wild1 incorrigible lad1 who had run away from home and joined a band of robbers4 ,after a few months a letter was to be received from ,barabbas1 whose fame as an outlaw was widespread1 giving the particulars of his death in an attack of the party upon some caravan4 ,this was to settle the matter for ever in the public mind4 ,it was more difficult to dispose of my sisters than of myself4 ,a hundred schemes were suggested by the inventive villains1 but all rejected or suspended4 ,it was finally agreed to draw them out and test their characters1 to make experiments upon them1 to see what could be done with them4 ,it was a delicate task2 but ,magistus had boldness and cruelty for anything1 and ,caiaphas was to back him incessantly with his private counsel and his public support4 ,he had already begun his insidious work1 by lamenting to sundry influential persons1 with sanctimonious regrets1 that the daughters of his old and dear friend exhibited so early a singular perverseness of character and disregard of their social and religious obligations4 ,the result1 he added1 of that laxity of discipline and passion for individual liberty1 which characterized the unhappy leper4 ,the first and best instrument of evil is always a woman4 ,mary ,magdalen1 left an orphan without relatives at a very early age1 had fallen into the hands of a strolling showman1 who taught her to sing and dance1 accompanying herself on the timbrel4 ,her extraordinary beauty attracted attention in the streets of ,jerusalem1 and she soon passed into the possession of one of those connoisseurs who study the anatomy as well as the philosophy of art4 ,she quickly disappeared from sight2 and it was rumored that she had been sent to ,ashkelon to serve in the gorgeous temple of ,ashtoreth1 the ,venus of ,assyria4 ,she had gone one dark night no further than ,bethany1 and had buried her talents and her shame in the princely mansion of ,magistus4 ,on the morning of my departure this serpent was introduced into the dove-cote4 ,magistus represented her as a distant relative whom he had invited to spend several weeks with his nieces1 hoping that her gayety of spirits would lighten the constant gloom of his little charges4 ,the children1 dazzled by her great beauty and won by her free and affectionate manner1 were delighted with their new companion4 ,she entertained them with curious stories of what she had seen and heard1 refraining from any allusion which might reveal her true life and character4 ,but the plot of the two arch-demons did not work as they had calculated4 ,indeed1 it worked in a way quite opposite to their expectations4 ,they had counted on the corrupting influence of a bold1 fascinating woman on the gentle and unsophisticated thoughts and feelings of innocent girls4 ,they had not counted1 cunning and sagacious as they were1 on the possible influence of the girls upon ,mary ,magdalen4 ,that influence was astonishing4 ,when she felt the pure and innocent sphere which surrounded the lovely sisters1 a change came over the subtle emissary of ,magistus4 ,she forgot the instructions of her masters4 ,the memories of her old life seemed to die out1 and the unseen angels of her better nature to wake into strange activity4 ,young herself1 more sinned against than sinning1 her pity was awakened for these young creatures against whom such wicked ones were conspiring4 ,she made them tell her all about their poor father1 and wept with them at the story4 ,she took them into the garden and played over the green knolls1 and ran in the graveled walks1 and gathered flowers1 and sang little childish songs1 as if she were a child again4 ,she asked a thousand questions about our mother and little ,samuel1 and about the babyish sayings and doings of my little sisters and myself4 ,she frequently exclaimed 8,oh1 ,i am so happy6 ,this is the happiest day of my life6 ,oh that ,i could live for ever so60 ,pausing before the tomb of my mother1 and looking at a little vase of fresh flowers which stood before it1 she suddenly fell upon her knees1 exclaiming wildly3 8,o ,god6 if ,i could have offered flowers1 also1 at the tomb of a mother1 it might have been different60 ,she burst into a flood of tears2 and the sisters endeavored to console her--not knowing the true nature of her wound--by kissing her cheeks and mingling their tears with hers4 ,they were interrupted in these sweet offices of mutual sympathy1 by the voice of a servant asking ,mary ,magdalen if she had forgotten that she had to prepare herself and her companions for the grand supper at the house of ,magistus4 ,she arose from the ground1 and slowly recovering her composure1 led the astonished children through the gate in the garden wall toward the house of our uncle4 ,on the way she told them that ,magistus had prepared a handsome entertainment for herself and them1 and as a charming surprise to their brother1 who was expected to return with good news from the father just about the hour of the feast4 ,they need not be frightened1 for ,caiaphas alone was to be present4 ,we had never entered any portion of our uncle's great mansion except the small wing which contained the reception-room and the long passage which led to the private chamber of our invalid aunt4 ,the three women now passed up a flight of marble steps into a portico leading into a vast hall1 ornamented with statues and with vases filled with flowers4 ,hurrying through this hall1 ,mary lead them up another flight of stairs which had a gilded balustrade1 into two exquisite bed-chambers which opened into each other4 ,the bedsteads were of carved ivory1 exceedingly beautiful2 the canopies1 of blue silk fringed with gold2 the coverlets1 of fine linen and purple1 curiously embroidered4 ,the divans1 the couches1 the chairs1 the tables1 were all gems of graceful art4 ,the floor was of polished cedar1 with gilded moulding around the wall4 ,the ceiling was a splendid stucco-work on which scenes were painted in brilliant colors2 in one room1 ,acton peeping from behind the trees at ,diana and her nymphs in their crystal bath2 and in the other1 ,venus beating her breast and tearing her hair at sight of the blood-stained thigh of ,adonis4 ,the whole atmosphere was freighted with the most delicious and exhilarating perfumes4 ,there were chests of drawers full of the richest female clothing1 the fruit of the rarest material and the finest needlework4 ,there were caskets lying open and revealing ear-rings and necklaces and bracelets of the most dazzling beauty4 ,the sisters were overwhelmed with wonder and delight4 ,they had never seen such things before2 for our father1 rich as he was1 was plain1 frugal and unostentatious in his tastes and habits4 8,these are all ours10 said ,mary ,magdalen1 8the gifts of our good uncle who delights to make us happy4 ,come1 let us dress for the supper40 ,domestics came at her call1 and the ladies were attired in robes of the greatest magnificence4 ,their hair was dressed in the most graceful manner1 sparkling with alternate flowers and gems4 8,all this is for ,lazarus10 said the sisters to each other1 as they followed ,mary ,magdalen1 blushing at themselves1 down into the supper-room in a deep basement almost under ground4 ,the supper-room was as gorgeously furnished as the bed-chambers4 ,the table was placed on a raised platform at one end of the room1 leaving a great space for which our bewildered visitors could not imagine the use4 ,the ceiling had a splendid painting of ,aurora driving the chariot of the sun1 attended by the ,muses and the flying ,hours4 ,the walls were adorned with solid upright mirrors of polished brass4 ,in every niche and corner was some exquisite marble1 some nude figure from the ,grecian mythology2 the most beautiful of which was ,leda caressing the swan1 concealing within its white form the passionate soul of ,jove4 ,caiaphas and ,magistus reclined upon silken couches at a table which was loaded with savory viands and vessels of gold and silver containing delicious wines1 and ornamented with brilliant vases of fruits and flowers4 ,the scene was lighted by hundreds of wax candles of as many colors as the rainbow4 ,as soon as the women were handed to their places at the table1 ,martha exclaimed3 8,and why could not poor aunt ,ulema be brought down to enjoy this charming feast80 ,and ,mary added3 8,and ,lazarus1 where is he80 ,ulema and ,lazarus were the last persons in the world whom the host would have invited to his banquet4 ,he paid no attention to ,martha's question4 ,to ,mary's he replied by drawing a parchment from his bosom4 8,listen60 said he2 8a letter from ,lazarus60 ,the faces of the young girls grew anxious4 8,,dear ,,uncle3 8,excuse me for spending the night with my father4 ,he is better1 happy and well provided4 ,but ,i have many things to say to him1 and my visit has given him so much pleasure4 ,i know ,i must submit on my return to the law of purification1 which will separate me many days from my sweet sisters4 ,take them to your own house and make them happy4 ,i will return to-morrow4 8,your loving nephew1 8,,lazarus40 ,magistus looked up3 the sisters were weeping4 8,i was half angry at first10 he said1 8at this strange disobedience4 ,on reflection1 ,i am satisfied4 ,it confers immense happiness on both father and son2 and their consultations may be of great service to you all4 ,and1 besides1 it gives me such a good opportunity to become better acquainted with my charming nieces40 ,he passed the manuscript to my sisters1 who inspected it closely4 ,it was my handwriting without doubt4 ,the reader need not be told that it was a base forgery2 for at that very moment my poor father was ill in the cave of ,john the ,baptist1 and ,i was bound in expectation of death on the shore of the ,salt ,sea4 ,my sisters appeared to resume their composure and the feast proceeded1 although they partook very lightly of its delicacies4 ,musicians came in1 and the harp1 the timbrel1 the flute1 the cymbals1 the drum1 and the silver bugle enlivened the entertainment4 ,caiaphas and ,magistus grew warm and witty and convivial over their wine1 which they pressed in vain upon the timid girls4 ,even ,mary ,magdalen merely sipped it in deference to both parties4 ,what a delicate thermometer is the heart of a young girl6 ,without thinking1 how innocent6 ,without reasoning1 how wise6 ,a thoughtful shadow crept over ,martha's face4 ,mary sank into a deep reverie1 from which the playful sallies of the rest could not arouse her4 ,these young girls were thinking1 and their thoughts ran in the same channel4 ,the sudden change of ,magistus from indifference to suavity2 this gorgeous and secluded feast2 ,lazarus and his father away off in the wilderness2 their poor aunt shut up in her sick chamber2 this strange woman who wept so bitterly in the garden3 these pagan pictures and statues so revolting to their chaste religious instincts3 the lights2 the music2 the noisy laughter of these usually sedate men2 all these things overwhelmed them with sudden apprehensions and vague terror4 ,each divined the feelings of the other by some secret sympathy2 and bursting into tears at the same moment1 they both rose from their seats4 8,stay60 exclaimed ,magistus1 nourishing his wine-cup and maddened by its contents--8,stay6 you lose the cream and essence of the feast4 ,i will show you now how the dancing-girls of ,babylon intoxicate the king of ,assyria40 ,at these words they fled from the room4 8,follow them10 said ,caiaphas to ,mary ,magdalen1 8and quiet their apprehensions40 8,put your babies to bed10 roared ,magistus1 8and come back yourself40 ,i will not describe the new parties who were introduced to the feast1 nor how it degenerated into a revel1 and the revel into an orgy4 ,mary ,magdalen did not return to the supper-room2 and long after midnight the drunken master of the house was borne off to a sleep from which he ought never to have awakened1 and to dreams of conquests which he never achieved4 ,the shadow of other spheres more powerful than his own1 was already approaching to thwart his plans and change his destiny6 ,an hour after all was quiet1 a strange sound was made at the back gate in the wall nearest the lodging-rooms of the domestics of the establishment4 ,it was a double sound2 the first part of it being a loud and peculiar whistle1 the last part a powerful and startling hiss or rattle4 ,the first sound seemed to summon some one to appear2 the second1 to threaten him if he did not obey4 ,the first was a call2 the second a menace4 ,there was one person on the premises1 and only one1 who knew the full meaning of that strange summons4 ,he trembled on his couch when he heard it4 ,great drops of sweat came out on his forehead as he listened4 ,he strove to rise as if to obey it1 but fell back as if paralyzed with fear4 ,the call was twice repeated with a weird ferocity in its tone2 and the black eunuch1 ,ethopus1 staggered from his chamber and groped his way into the open air and to the gate4 ,he opened it softly with a private key1 and stepped into the street4 ,do not men1 like moths1 fly sometimes stupidly into the candle of danger8 ,a remarkable vehicle1 drawn by two great black horses and driven by a hideous black servant1 stood in the street4 ,it was showily gilded1 and had several little doors and windows in it4 ,it resembled the chariots on which mountebanks and jugglers perambulated the country1 but was of larger size and more tastefully constructed4 ,ethopus paid no attention to this equipage4 ,right before him stood an object capable of inspiring him with the deepest horror4 ,it was a tall figure with a huge yellow serpent coiled about his neck and body1 and a leopard standing quietly at his side4 ,the leopard growled and the serpent hissed as the black man approached their master4 8,be quiet1 ,moloch60 he said to the leopard4 8,hush1 ,beelzebub10 he whispered to the snake4 8,this is a friend and fellow-servant40 ,the poor black prostrated himself in the dust before this mysterious night-visitor and his bestial attendants4 ,he signified his total submission by raising the man's foot and placing it on his head as he groveled on the ground4 ,when he released it1 he kissed it with the most abject servility4 ,his abasement was extreme4 8,that is right1 ,ethopus60 said his master1 8that is right4 ,i rejoice to find you in such a becoming frame of mind4 ,conduct me promptly to the secret chamber of magic4 ,then return to my servant and give him suitable accommodations4 ,inform ,magistus of my arrival early in the morning4 ,i have come on a grand errand to this village of ,bethany40 ,ethopus obeyed these orders without noise4 ,all was at length silent4 ,perhaps all slept3 the drunken proprietor1 the wicked priest1 the remorseful ,magdalen1 the frightened eunuch1 the strange guest1 and ,mary and ,martha locked in each other's arms1 their beautiful faces bathed in tears1 and their sweet souls dreaming that their angel-mother was watching them from heaven4 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,vi4 ,,the ,,chamber ,,of ,,magic4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,there are few sights more touching than that of a man struck speechless in the course of disease1 yet retaining his mental faculties4 ,death perhaps approaches2 weighty business presses on his mind2 solemn secrets demand revelation2 confessions of soul struggle for utterance4 ,he makes inarticulate sounds1 incomprehensible gestures4 ,he writhes2 he moans with the burden of thoughts he cannot express4 ,his eyes speak and plead with a mute eloquence4 ,his ideas play upon his countenance like lambent lightning1 but die away1 voiceless1 indefinite1 unrevealed4 ,such was the state of ,ethopus1 the dumb eunuch1 the day after the treacherous banquet4 ,there was a great solitude about the house2 for ,magistus1 ,caiaphas1 and ,simon ,magus the magician1 made an early and prolonged visit to ,jerusalem4 ,mary ,magdalen took the sisters over the beautiful and extensive grounds1 and paid another visit to the tomb of our mother1 carrying some exquisite flowers in her own hand as a little offering to the maternal shade4 ,ethopus flitted about here and there in a state of unaccountable excitement4 ,he followed the sisters all day at a respectful distance2 and when his duties called him off imperatively1 he went precipitately about everything until he could assure himself again that they were free and out of danger4 8,ethopus has something extraordinary on his mind10 said ,martha1 to herself2 but she did not communicate her observation to her timorous and sensitive sister4 ,the case was evidently this3 ,ethopus had discovered the plot of ,magistus against us all1 and he felt certain that the arrival of the magician boded no good4 ,he was struggling between his disinterested affection for us and his intense fear of his wicked masters4 ,he felt his own weakness1 increased by his inability to speak2 and he was laboring to devise some plan by which the sisters could be brought to share his knowledge1 and to concert measures of escape from some impending catastrophe4 ,he seemed to divine that ,martha was more thoughtful1 courageous and trustworthy than her sister4 ,it was late in the afternoon when he made her a signal1 seen by herself alone1 to follow him4 ,she understood his meaning1 and contrived to withdraw without exciting the suspicion of her companions4 ,ethopus conducted her to the chamber of ,ulema4 ,scarcely giving her time to exchange kisses with her aunt1 he pushed her into a little recess in the wall which was concealed by a hanging curtain4 ,between the folds of this1 ,martha could peep cautiously into the room4 ,in a few moments ,magistus entered4 ,he seemed hurried and flustered1 and had a dark frown upon his brow4 8,no message from ,barabbas to-day4 ,something has gone wrong4 ,put this woman to sleep immediately40 ,ethopus adjusted a large mirror of polished metal on a table4 ,ulema arose from her couch without speaking a word1 and seated herself in a chair about four feet in front of the mirror and gazed steadfastly into it4 ,magistus stood a little one side1 and made rapid passes with his hands and arms from her head to her feet1 nearly touching her body4 ,his black eyes were fixed fiercely upon her face1 and his heavy breathing could be heard by ,martha at every pass he made4 ,there was silence for several minutes1 during which ,ulema gazed steadfastly into the mirror4 ,martha could not help doing the same2 and she gazed at the mirror until a strange1 tingling1 bewildered sensation began to creep over her frame1 and she averted her eyes to escape its magical fascination4 ,the victim of this singular experiment now became rigid1 and made a convulsive sound as if in a severe spasm4 ,martha was terribly frightened2 but her aunt suddenly became relaxed with a profound sigh4 ,magistus took a long needle and passed it through the skin of her hand4 ,she did not flinch4 ,he then put something which seemed to be a lock of hair into her palm1 and closed the fingers tightly upon it4 8,follow this person10 said he1 8wherever he is1 and tell me what you see40 ,the woman began1 after a long pause3 8,i am in a great wilderness of bare hills full of rocks and sand4 ,the sense of solitude is terrible4 ,it is cloudy but windy--and the sun will soon shine in the west40 8,but the youth8--the youth80 cried ,magistus1 impatiently4 8,wait a moment4 ,the youth8 ,i must find him4 ,bless me6 how he has wandered6 how many circles6 ,ah6 there he is6 ,i see him stretched at full length upon the ground40 8,that is good60 said ,magistus eagerly2 8that is good4 ,he lies dead upon the ground4 ,go on40 8,he is not dead10 said the oracle slowly2 8his heart still beats3 he sleeps40 8,not dead80 screeched the old man1 8what say you1 not dead8 ,is he not wounded8 ,is he not stabbed8 ,is he not bleeding80 he continued in the highest excitement4 8,no60 said the woman calmly2 8he is not dead1 he sleeps40 8,do you see no gashes upon his body80 8,no1 ,i see only a bright new dagger40 8,furies60 exclaimed ,magistus2 8he has escaped me4 ,i have been deceived40 ,turning suddenly upon the woman1 he seized her by the throat3 8,do you tell me the truth80 8,i tell you what ,i see4 ,i fabricate nothing4 ,i am now attracted around the hill4 ,ah6 ,i see a young man with the face of an angel coming forth from a cave4 ,he sings4 ,oh how sweetly he sings60 8,angels and devils60 roared ,magistus2 8you have seen or reported falsely40 ,with that he seemed overwhelmed by a paroxysm of rage1 and began beating the poor woman violently about the head and arms with a black rod he took from the table4 ,she made no resistance1 and did not seem to feel the blows4 ,ethopus raised his hands deprecatingly1 and ,martha was about to cry out from her place of concealment1 when a low1 fierce growl1 from underneath the floor apparently1 startled all of them but ,ulema1 who heard it not4 ,simon ,magus was feeding his leopard4 8,the ,master has returned10 said my uncle1 8,i will consult him immediately4 ,he may deliver me from this difficulty40 ,he left the room4 ,ethopus made rapid passes from her knees upward1 and ,ulema awoke4 ,she rubbed her hands and eyes1 looked wonderingly around her and exclaimed3 8,i have had a long1 painful sleep1 and ,i must have seen sad things4 ,did ,i give him satisfaction80 ,ethopus shook his head sadly4 8,alas60 said she1 with a distressed and puzzled air1 8when will this cruel imprisonment cease1 and this strange life of visions which ,i never remember80 ,martha now came forward and threw herself weeping upon the neck of her aunt4 ,for a long time these sorrowful women exchanged those kisses and tears which are consolations4 ,they then unburdened their hearts to each other4 ,by questioning ,ethopus and interpreting his pantomimic answers as well as they could1 they learned that some secret dangers surrounded them1 and that ,ethopus wished ,martha to spend the night in the chamber of her aunt4 ,martha thought it best to rejoin ,mary immediately1 and explain to her that ,ulema was quite indisposed1 and get her to sleep with ,mary ,magdalen1 and permit the older sister to comfort and nurse the invalid4 ,all of which was easily accomplished4 ,ulema had been confined for years in that little room by her husband as the subject and victim of his magical art4 ,she was a clairvoyant of extraordinary power2 and when put asleep by the shining mirror and the waving hands1 she would follow any clue given her1 and the greatest physical obstacles seemed only penetrable shadows in the path of her mysterious vision4 ,she was thus employed by her husband to advance the schemes of his unscrupulous spirit4 ,she was made to read the thoughts of others1 so that ,magistus became possessed of any man's or any woman's secret life whenever he chose4 ,he obtained information in this manner which enabled him to make lucrative transactions in business1 to plot in the dark against whomsoever he pleased1 to destroy the peace of families1 and to acquire a reputation for superior and almost miraculous wisdom4 ,she had long ceased to be anything but a mere tool in her husband's hands4 ,she was locked up and taken care of as any other valuable instrument would have been4 ,she was visited and inspected only when her services were required4 ,love1 sympathy1 interchange of sentiments1 all this had ceased4 ,she received nothing from him but contempt and threats4 ,she lived within hearing of his midnight revels4 ,she bore the ravages of these things in her pale and tearful face1 with its sad and terrified expression4 ,ethopus came softly into the room about midnight1 and after many gestures expressive of the supreme necessity of caution and silence1 he conducted the two women on tip-toe through a narrow passage4 ,near the end of this he paused1 and pressing on a secret spring1 he discovered a sliding panel in the wall4 ,this opened and admitted them into a large1 empty room4 ,this room was only for the ventilation of a more interior and secluded apartment4 ,a series of movable slats effected the communication between the two chambers4 ,the light streaming through the shutters showed that the inner room was occupied4 ,looking down through the apertures1 with very little danger of being discovered1 the women beheld1 six or eight feet before them1 the floor of the secret chamber of magic4 ,ethopus left them as stealthily as a cat1 after placing them in the best position to see and hear what was going on in the den of sorcery4 ,he pressed ,martha's hand to his heart before he departed4 ,perhaps he wished to show how deeply he felt for them2 perhaps also to intimate how deeply he suffered4 ,perhaps he asked for help as well as sympathy4 ,the poor1 dumb ,african would not only save them1 if possible1 from their subtle enemies1 but would enlist the knowledge and power of a superior race1 to effect his own deliverance from the crushing thraldom they had imposed upon him4 ,a thousand or two thousand years hence1 magic as a science and an art will have ceased to exist4 ,generations unborn will enjoy the leafage and fruit of that sacred tree of ,christianity1 whose little seed we have seen planted in the dark ground4 ,the hells now opened will be closed2 the superstitions now triumphant will be a myth2 the languages now living will be dead2 the arts now flourishing will have perished2 the civilization now dominant will be a historic shadow4 ,those who find this manuscript and give it to the world1 will not be able to comprehend the meaning1 or to believe the truth1 of the strange things ,i am going to relate--and yet they are true4 ,magic1 which pervades to a greater or less extent all nations1 and in some shape influences all individuals1 had its origin in the corruption and perversion of the sacred truths of religion4 ,it is the life of all false systems1 the voice of their oracles1 the inspiration of their prophets1 the power of their mighty men4 ,it was the medium by which evil spirits took possession of their victims4 ,it is the falsity which antagonizes truth2 the darkness opposite to light2 the hell arrayed against heaven4 ,to be under magical influence1 is to be assaulted1 betrayed1 possessed1 governed1 by demons4 ,simon ,magus1 who believed himself attended by ,moloch and ,beelzebub1 two princes of hell1 under the respective forms of a leopard and a serpent1 was the most remarkable sorcerer in the time of ,christ4 ,he was a ,samaritan by birth1 but had spent his youth in ,egypt1 where he became addicted to the black art1 and thoroughly conversant with all its mysteries4 ,he was supposed by most men to be an ,egyptian1 and he took no pains to correct the mistake4 ,he was a man of unquestionable genius and boundless ambition4 ,he was of majestic presence1 bending weaker spirits easily to his will4 ,he was brave to desperation1 and eloquent as if he had been fed in his youth by the bees of ,attica4 ,he was the secret chief and leader of thousands of persons addicted to magic in different countries4 ,his word was regarded as law2 his power as irresistible2 his wisdom as inscrutable4 ,magicians generally resorted to remote caves and deserted ruins for their rites and incantations4 ,many of the most splendid temples1 however1 of the pagan religions1 had private chambers devoted to their use4 ,so also did the palaces of many kings1 and the princely mansions of wealthy and powerful men4 ,the magicians of ,jerusalem and its neighborhood had a secret council-room in the quiet house of ,magistus1 in which they held their infernal conclave at every visit of the ,master4 ,the two women peeped cautiously into this chamber of mystery4 ,the floor and the ceiling were both covered with black cloth1 the latter having a great many stars flaming upon it in imitation of night4 ,through them a vast comet trailed its fiery form4 ,the walls were painted with figures of the most disgusting objects which creep on the earth1 or fly in the air1 or swim in the sea4 ,some of these figures had the heads of men and women3 others had the heads of monsters attached to naked bodies in the human shape4 ,on a raised platform of black marble1 and in a great arm-chair covered with crimson silk1 sat ,simon ,magus1 wearing a white robe of dazzling lustre1 a leopard skin loosely thrown over his shoulders1 and a gilt crown surmounted by an eagle with outspread wings4 ,he wore also a massive gold chain around his neck1 from which was suspended a little sapphire image1 which was supposed to guide the ,egyptian priest to the truth1 as the breast-plate of precious stones did the ,jew4 ,the short black hair of ,simon ,magus curled close to his head1 and he had no beard after the fashion of his adopted country4 ,his forehead was white as pearl and both wide and lofty4 ,his eyes were large and brilliant4 ,his whole face was illumined by the grand fires of intellect and passion4 ,his expression was too proud to be pleasing1 too fierce to be beautiful4 ,he was a man to strengthen the heart of his friends1 and to make his enemies tremble4 ,a large black table was before him1 brilliantly painted with the signs of the zodiac4 ,in the centre of it stood an image or idol made of black stone or ebony1 having the head of a man1 the breast and fore-feet of a lion1 and the hind quarters of a goat4 ,the serpent was coiled on the platform at his right hand2 the leopard crouched at his left4 ,a splendid globe of crystal hung from the ceiling constituting a lamp1 burning perfumed oil and shedding a rose-colored light over the scene4 ,in this mystic and formidable presence stood twelve or fifteen men with bowed heads1 down-hanging hands1 and attitudes of the deepest humility4 ,the women recognized only the faces of ,magistus and ,caiaphas4 ,the former stood nearest to the table4 ,simon was addressing them in terms of reproachful eloquence3 8,you have made no progress in our sublime mysteries during the past year4 ,you have acquired no new powers over the spiritual world4 ,you have not even given me information of the least importance4 ,alas6 you are devoid of genuine ambition1 without which whoever deals with spirits becomes a slave and not a master40 ,his voice became more sonorous and his eye more scornful as he warmed with his subject3 8,your tastes1 your character1 your life1 are low and vulgar and sensual4 ,you employ the powers of magic for paltry and contemptible ends4 ,to obtain reputation for cunning and foresight2 to get good bargains out of your neighbors2 to cheat some widow out of her property2 to find stolen or buried treasure and appropriate it to yourselves2 to pry into the secrets of men's bed-rooms and store-rooms and kitchens2 to seduce silly maidens2 to create trouble between husbands and wives2 to inflict all kinds of petty and scurvy revenges upon your enemies1--that is all you do with our venerable and awful art4 ,the grander destiny which awaits us all by the development and centralization of our powers1 your vulgar passions do not permit you to see or to appreciate4 8,my example has been almost in vain4 ,my spirit of self-sacrifice in achieving my lofty ends1 is a mystery to your sluggish and ignoble souls4 ,i have endured hunger and thirst and wakefulness and nakedness and heat and cold and solitude and plagues and wounds for mastery in the great path ,i have chosen4 ,i have traversed the world from the frozen seas to the chasms of torrid heat4 ,i have contended with wild beasts and with their guardians1 the great spirits1 by land and water4 ,i have conquered the serpent and the leopard4 ,the vulture lights on my shoulder like a sparrow2 the lion crouches at my feet like a dog4 ,arch-demons come at my bidding1 and hundreds of lesser spirits swarm at the signal of my curse40 ,he became violently excited2 his eyeballs glared around in frenzy1 and he continued in a fierce whisper3 8,it would freeze your cowardly souls only to hear the spells1 the incantations1 the blasphemies ,i employed2 the watchings1 the tortures1 the combats1 ,i endured1 before ,i brought ,moloch and ,beelzebub into subjection to my will4 ,see there1 how ,i have burned their names into my flesh with pencils of iron heated to whiteness60 ,he turned back the sleeves of his robe from his white arms1 and held them out4 ,upon one arm in great red letters was the word ,moloch1 on the other the word ,beelzebub4 8,it was dreadful6 dreadful6--but henceforth they are mine40 ,the serpent writhed and protruded his tongue4 ,the leopard showed his white teeth1 but dropped his yellow head between his paws4 8,i have told you10 he continued1 scornfully1 8what constitutes your ambition4 ,now ,i will tell you mine4 ,to me belongs the glory of having organized magic and associated magicians4 ,i found them a horde of wandering hunters2 ,i shall make them an invisible phalanx of soldiers4 ,i have more than two thousand magicians1 in seven different countries1 who obey me as one man4 ,by concerted action we have obtained the secret history1 the hidden life of all the governors1 consuls1 warriors1 kings and great men throughout that vast region4 ,i am maturing my plans to get them all under my sovereign control4 ,other conquerors operate from without1 by sword and spear and catapult4 ,i conquer from within1 by hope and fear and lust and passion and terror4 ,unseen1 unsuspected1 unknown1 with legions of invisible soldiers1 ,i shall get possession of all their treasures1 all their palaces1 all their thrones6 8,do you not see it80 he exclaimed1 wildly1 starting to his feet4 8,the lever which truly moves the world lies always on the spiritual side of our life4 ,i advance from the right quarter to my designs4 ,i shall subdue the souls and bodies of men4 ,i shall possess myself of all they possess4 ,i shall become emperor of ,rome--yea1 monarch of the world4 ,further still3--,i shall advance from realm to realm1 from sphere to sphere in the spiritual universe1 marshaling around me my hosts of conquering spirits4 ,i shall pronounce the ,unspeakable ,name4 ,my own name shall become ,unspeakable60 ,while the magician's imagination soared away in this flight of boundless ambition1 his form dilated2 a fierce red flush came over his face2 his eye1 fired with a baleful brilliancy2 and the maniac stood forth the very impersonation of that ,self-,love which is the moving and controlling genius of hell4 ,his hearers trembled at his words and manner4 ,he sunk back into his chair and leaned his brow upon his hand4 ,no one disturbed his reverie4 ,all were spellbound by the speaker's enthusiasm4 ,after several minutes he raised his head and continued in a subdued tone3 8,but1 alas6 my friends6 this glorious dream is far from accomplishment4 ,if we had only to conquer the race of men1 the difficulties would not be insuperable4 ,but our fiercest fight is on the spiritual side4 ,all are contending for the same prizes--power and glory4 ,when we have beaten back the shining ones whom they call angels1 our combat begins with each other2 for each demands all for himself4 8,yet ,i despair not0--he added1 after another pause and with a certain sadness in his manner--8,i despair not of realizing my inexpressible dream4 ,i have come into possession lately of an ancient and wonder-working formula1 whereby ,i hope to take many steps forward4 ,listen6 8,i discovered by secret means only to be acquired in ,egypt1 that in a certain wild spot of the ,lybian desert one of the oldest and greatest cities of the world was buried in the sand2 a city so old that it has no historical record2 a people inconceivably wicked1 in comparison with whom the people of ,sodom and ,gomorrah were children sporting in the golden dawn of innocence4 ,this city and these people had been overwhelmed by the same ,power which buried the cities of the plain in the ,salt ,sea4 8,i found this spot4 ,by the aid of spiritual powers ,i burrowed my way into their buried palaces and temples4 ,i exhumed their remains4 ,i made food and drink of their ashes4 ,the spirits who accompanied me fled away1 and ,i was left alone4 ,i blended my being with that of the lost people4 ,i became a skeleton among skeletons1 a shade among shades4 ,i conquered4 ,i drew voices out of the silence1 forms out of the darkness1 life out of death4 ,i summoned with difficulty and danger the ruling spirits of the perished race4 ,i mastered their master4 ,i made him my slave4 ,i compelled him to disgorge the secrets of the wilderness and the grave4 ,i have enriched myself with treasures of knowledge and power1 of which no man even dreams40 ,intense excitement pervaded his listeners--fear of the man and stupefaction at his words4 8,i will show you10 he continued--8by a strange art ,i have acquired1 ,i will show you this new demon who is also one of the oldest4 ,i have summoned this antediluvian monster to-night4 ,he stands before me face to face1 like man to man4 ,you cannot hear his voice nor see his shape2 but you shall feel his presence and mark his shadow on the wall40 ,he now let down a large white curtain against the wall1 to the top of which it had been rolled like a great map4 ,he resumed his seat and drew forth a curious cup from a drawer in the table4 ,it had words and figures engraven upon it4 ,he gazed intently into the cup1 and pronounced some words in an unknown tongue4 ,a moment of awful silence ensued1 every one gazing steadfastly at the curtain and hearing the beating of his own heart4 ,suddenly a strange1 benumbing1 paralyzing sensation invaded the nerves of all present4 ,it was the approaching sphere of the antediluvian spirit4 8,see60 said the magician hoarsely1 8,see6 ,he comes60 ,and sure enough6 ,like the shadow of a man which the moon makes when it is going down1 there crept a shadow up over the curtain2 dim1 wavering1 misshapen1 which slowly settled into distincter form1 and stood with bended head and sweeping beard1 with tottering knee and outstretched arms1 like a very old man of gigantic size begging alms4 ,all shuddered at the presence of this terrific spirit1 more than ,saul at the rising of ,samuel in the cave of the witch of ,endor4 8,from this most ancient arch-demon of our art10 continued ,simon1 pointing to the shadow1 8,i have extorted a method of incantation which promises more power and glory than all the combined rites and amulets in the world4 ,he will confirm what ,i say40 ,the shadow slowly turned its old and hideous face toward the audience and made an affirmative motion with its head4 ,it then passed away from the curtain like the shadow of a cloud creeping over a field of grain4 ,all breathed more freely4 8,this formula will procure me a liquid of such potent magnetic virtue1 that a single drop of it put into a glass of wine will bind the woman who drinks it1 entirely and for ever1 soul and body1 to the man who administers it4 ,she will surrender friends1 home1 name1 fame1 everything to his wishes4 8,miserable sensualists that you are10 he exclaimed1 raising his voice and confronting his cowering audience1 8the use for which you would chiefly value this inestimable secret has no attractions for me4 ,my spirit looks upward1 not downward4 ,i scorn pleasure4 ,i love glory and power4 ,through woman ,i shall conquer man4 ,woman herself shall be the agent of transferring all that husbands1 lovers1 brothers1 sons1 friends possess1 to the great magician who shall be a god in her eyes40 8,glorious ambition60 exclaimed ,caiaphas4 8,when ,i have achieved the conquest of the world10 said the earnest madman1 8,i will resign the women to you1 as a conqueror throws the treasures of a sacked city to the soldiers who have won him a crown40 8,and the liquid80 inquired ,magistus--8how is it to be obtained80 8,that brought me hither from my subterranean palace in ,egypt1 where ,i was initiated into the sacred mysteries by ,isis herself40 ,all ears paid him the strictest attention4 8,i must obtain the body of a young girl and convey it to the buried city of the sands1 where ,ja-bol-he-moth1 whom you saw just now1 will assist me in the magical rites4 ,we must take her alive4 ,i have made every preparation4 ,i have a vehicle specially constructed for concealment4 ,that will convey us to ,joppa whence ,i have just come4 ,from there to ,alexandria by a vessel which awaits me4 ,thence to the ,lybian desert40 8,and the young woman80 asked ,caiaphas4 8,she must be pure as the snow nearest heaven3 innocent as the babe tended by angels3 beautiful as ,aurora when she treads the golden pavement with her feet of pearl3 loving as the heart of ,spring when she gives her life to the earth3 holy as the spirit of prayer which breathed from the lyre of ,king ,david40 8,and what would you do with this peerless maiden80 said some one in the group4 8,are you acquainted with the processes and powers of magic1 and do you ask such a question8 ,do you know the virtues of the dust of a dove's heart8 of the ashes of a viper's tongue8 of the pulverized bones of a babe's head8 of the blood of a living man8 ,can you not imagine what subtile forces we may extract from the essences of a virgin body80 8,has your oracle directed you where to find this wonderful woman80 asked ,magistus4 8,my presence here is a warrant that it has4 ,that woman is a ,jewess1 of the tribe of ,benjamin1 the youngest child1 born at the death of her mother40 ,these were the last words heard by either ,ulema or ,martha4 ,these affrighted women had been the silent witnesses and auditors of the extraordinary scene ,i have described4 ,with increasing amazement and terror they found themselves unable to stand1 and they sank softly upon the floor4 ,when the object of ,simon's visit to ,bethany began to reveal itself1 they trembled with intense fear4 ,when the horrible idea took distinct shape in her mind1 ,martha had almost burst into a wild shriek of agony4 ,the shriek was with great difficulty suppressed4 ,the terror and agony were borne in upon the young soul1 and she fell into a long and fearful swoon which seemed death itself4 ,after a long1 long time1 when all was still and dark1 ,ethopus approached as softly as he had departed4 ,he aroused ,ulema from her trance of grief1 and the two bore the unreviving form of ,martha back to the chamber4 ,she was laid upon the bed2 and as ,ethopus passed out of the door1 ,ulema saw him by the dim light of the stars lifting his face and hands earnestly to heaven4 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,vii4 ,,saved4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,after ,martha came out of her swoon1 the night was spent in consultation between the two women as to the surest method of averting the catastrophe which impended4 ,it was determined that the sisters should escape from the house early in the morning1 and appeal for help to some worthy and influential residents of ,bethany1 friends of my father4 ,they were so sure of obtaining succor and deliverance1 that they became quite cheerful as the sunlight broke above the hills4 ,magistus suddenly entered the room1 and their hearts sank within them as they noticed the silent ferocity of his countenance4 ,without saying a word he clasped iron rings upon their ankles and wrists1 and chained them securely to the bed-posts4 ,their tears1 cries1 inquiries1 supplications1 were all in vain4 ,he took no notice of them whatever1 and locked and bolted the door behind them1 leaving them bound and in despair4 ,a different but equally painful scene occurred in the chamber of ,mary ,magdalen4 ,mary1 my sister1 had just awakened with a deep sigh1 and began narrating an ominous dream which had disturbed her night's rest1 when a loud knock was heard at the door1 and a strange voice commanded them to dress and come forth immediately4 ,they sprang up in great trepidation and obeyed the order4 ,on opening the door they turned back into the room with a loud shriek4 ,simon ,magus stood before them with his serpent and leopard4 ,he had these creatures about him almost constantly4 ,it was to keep them in good training1 for his personal protection1 to excite wonder1 to inspire awe1 and to enforce his authority4 ,they were admirable adjuvants to his pretensions and power4 ,every one quailed before them4 ,he assured the women that his pets should not hurt them1 if they followed him in silence1 turning neither to the right nor to the left4 ,there was no alternative but to obey4 ,he conducted them to our father's residence through the gardens and the gate in the garden wall4 ,he had given every point a recent inspection4 ,he passed into the inner courtyard1 and led them down a flight of steps to a room in the cellar used by two of the domestics as a bed-chamber4 ,here he locked and bolted them in and retired4 ,thus were the sisters secured without the possibility of communication or escape4 ,the conspirators took every possible precaution4 ,no one was permitted to leave the grounds1 or to come in during the day4 ,magistus or ,simon kept the black eunuch continually in sight4 ,whether his agitated and anxious manner betrayed him1 or whether the magician really read his thoughts1 his masters suspected that ,ethopus meditated a revolt against the snares which had fascinated the leopard and the serpent4 ,he was closely watched4 ,the situation of this poor fellow was very touching4 ,his dark face was an index of a darkened soul1 not by evil but by the absence of light4 ,under his homely exterior was a brave and generous heart4 ,he was born and reared in a barbaric land1 full of strange beasts and birds and stranger men1 where ,nature herself is wild and savage4 ,he had been the victim of incredible oppression and cruelty4 ,it is wonderful that the last spark of human feeling had not been trodden out from his spirit4 ,it spoke well for the native richness of the soil when good seed sprang up so luxuriantly as soon as planted4 ,from the day he became acquainted with my sisters and myself1 a new life had dawned upon him4 ,friendly voices1 gentle words1 kindly looks1 sympathizing deeds1 were food and drink to his amiable and child-like nature4 ,his soul grew and expanded under them as flowers under dew and sunlight4 ,sincere attachment to us and hatred of our common enemies took possession of the whole man4 ,he was ready for any labor1 any danger1 any sacrifice in our behalf4 ,imagine the mental tortures of this humble and voiceless friend1 when he saw the terrible fate which was impending over us1 and found himself so helpless to avert it or to assist us6 ,thus passed away the long1 dreary1 gloomy day--the day of my father's funeral4 ,it was spent by my sisters in prayer and tears and unavailing struggles to escape or to make themselves heard4 ,mary ,magdalen identified herself thoroughly with the gentle and innocent child with whom she was imprisoned4 ,she taxed her ingenuity to the utmost to give her consolation and hope2 and when invention failed1 she resorted to tears4 8,do you ever pray to ,god80 said little ,mary4 8,to which ,god80 asked ,mary ,magdalen4 8,which ,god8 ,there is but one ,god60 8,magistus has the statues of a dozen gods and goddesses in his house2 and he says that all of them answer prayer when they are presented with splendid gifts40 8,jehovah1 the only ,god10 said the child with sweet solemnity1 8heareth the prayer of the humble and contrite heart4 ,he heareth the poor and needy1 and lifteth up all who are cast down40 8,how beautiful60 exclaimed ,mary ,magdalen with a deep sigh2 and she fell into a profound reverie with downcast eyes1 while a solitary tear1 the first pearl of genuine repentance1 trickled down her cheek4 ,about nightfall ,simon ,magus unlocked the door and called ,mary ,magdalen out of the room4 ,he closed the door behind her1 so that ,mary could not hear what he said4 ,he put into her hands two cups of different patterns containing milk4 8,this one10 said he1 8you will give to the child2 this you will drink yourself4 ,be careful and not forget4 ,your life depends upon it4 ,if you fail to obey me1 ,i will feed your body piecemeal to my leopard40 ,terror-stricken as well by his manner as his words1 she took the cups mechanically from his hands and passed into the room4 ,he carefully locked the door again4 ,bewildered by this new blow1 she took her seat in silence1 a cup in each hand4 ,she strove to collect her thoughts4 ,poison to ,mary or death to herself6 ,that was the alternative4 ,her nature was impulsive and passionate4 ,she reached her conclusions quickly1 and she acted upon them instantaneously4 8,what is my wretched life worth in comparison with hers80 was the silent language of her heart1 8,what attraction has life for me1 poor1 guilty1 forlorn1 forsaken thing80 ,she drank from the cup intended for ,mary4 8,what is the matter10 said my sister1 who had noticed her singular abstraction and agitation4 8,what are you drinking80 8,only some milk4 ,i was so frightened by that terrible man that ,i forgot what ,i was doing4 ,excuse me for drinking first4 ,here is a cup for you40 ,the unsuspecting child drank it eagerly1 having passed the whole day suffering from both hunger and thirst4 ,taken after fasting1 poisons act quickly4 ,it was not long before ,mary ,magdalen began to have strange swimmings in the head and benumbing sensations along the course of all her nerves4 ,she felt sure that her death was approaching4 8,mary10 said the brave girl1 8when you are delivered from these dangers and your brother comes home and ,i go away1 will you remember me sometimes80 8,you will not go away40 8,oh yes4 ,i shall go away1 far1 far away40 8,you shall live with us always10 said ,mary4 8,i cannot6 ,i cannot6 ,when ,i am gone1 and they tell you evil and cruel things of me1 will you think of me kindly and love me still80 8,i will not believe them40 8,but if you should believe them1 would you love me still8 ,i cannot live without your love40 8,i will love you for ever10 said ,mary1 throwing her arms around her neck4 8,why do you speak so sadly8 ,you frighten me4 ,what is the matter80 8,i am sleepy1 so sleepy10 said ,mary ,magdalen1 stretching herself on the couch4 ,mary knelt at her side1 chafing her hands1 with some vague foreboding rising on her mind4 8,oh do not go to sleep so early4 ,do not leave me alone in the dark4 ,talk to me40 8,mary10 said the stupefied woman slowly and with difficulty1 8does ,jehovah who accepts the offering of a contrite heart1 ever receive into his heaven a very great sinner80 8,certainly1 certainly60 said the child4 8,then pray for me40 ,no words1 no shaking1 no supplications1 no frantic screams could arouse her again2 and ,mary beat her bosom and tore her hair in the extremity of grief at the side of her inanimate friend4 ,about an hour before midnight four men stood in the inner courtyard of my father's house4 ,caiaphas and ,simon ,magus were engaged in earnest conversation4 ,magistus turned to the black mute whom he had compelled to accompany him everywhere1 and said3 8,i shall go half a day's journey with ,simon4 ,we will start now in ten minutes4 ,haste to the stables where his chariot and servant are in waiting4 ,drive quietly around to the front gate of this house4 ,here is the key to ,ulema's chamber4 ,after we have gone1 not before1 give those women some food40 ,ethopus departed4 ,he left the gate in the garden wall open4 ,he hurried to ,ulema's room4 ,he released the astonished women4 ,he drew them out upon the gallery4 ,he pointed eagerly to the garden gate and over to my father's house4 ,it was all he could do4 ,he was wild with excitement1 and the gestures of the dumb man were those of despair4 ,he then ran toward the stables4 ,the women started on their dangerous journey1 not knowing what was to be done4 ,they hurried along the flowery walks in the greatest trepidation4 ,on ascending our terraced garden1 ,ulema1 weak1 sick and overwhelmed with emotion1 fainted and fell4 ,martha tried in vain to revive her4 ,time was flying4 ,faint screams now issued from the house4 ,mary was being abducted6 ,she started up and without thinking1--for thought would have paralyzed her efforts1--rushed to the rescue alone4 ,the miscreants had descended into the cellar4 ,great was their astonishment to find ,mary ,magdalen in a profound stupor and the little ,mary weeping at her side4 8,this delays us10 said ,simon1 with great vexation4 8,that traitorous woman has taken the opiate herself4 ,it will be necessary to bind and gag the little one4 ,no sounds must issue from the chariot1 no suspicions be excited40 ,it was during this terrible process of binding and gagging that the screams were made which ,martha heard in the garden4 ,it was effected2 and the three men were bearing the silent and muffled body through the courtyard1 when ,martha rushed toward them with a loud shriek of supplication4 8,silence60 thundered ,simon1 8would you betray us80 ,and uncoiling his great serpent from his neck 7the leopard was locked up in the chariot71 he threw it toward her4 8,strike her60 he said1 in a hissing tone4 ,the serpent1 as if acting intelligently1 made an immense coil of its body and raised its head threateningly toward ,martha4 ,she fled in terror up the stairway leading to the flat top of the house4 8,pursue her60 said ,simon to ,caiaphas--8pursue her and keep her silent with your dagger until we have escaped40 ,caiaphas bounded after her4 ,she turned and faced him on the house-top4 ,he threatened to plunge the dagger into her heart if she made a sound4 ,she backed before him to the parapet4 ,it was at that moment when the moon1 suddenly emerging from the cloud1 revealed to me1 as ,i was approaching my father's house1 the two figures2 my sister raising her arms wildly to heaven1 and the wicked priest threatening to strike4 ,at that moment ,i entered the courtyard and confronted ,magistus and ,simon1 who were bearing my sister toward the gate4 ,i drew the dagger ,ethopus had given me1 and plunged it into the side of ,magistus who was nearest to me4 ,he sank upon the ground with his burden1 uttering a deep groan4 ,simon rushed upon me and in a moment we were engaged in a deadly struggle4 ,he was a man of astonishing strength4 ,he threw me at last upon the ground and had nearly wrested my dagger from me1 when ,ethopus who had been concealed behind the gate sprang to my assistance4 ,he dragged the magician back by the shoulders1 and at the same instant there was a loud scream from ,martha on the parapet1 and the sound of voices and footsteps at the gate4 ,two persons rushed in to our aid2 and ,simon suddenly springing from us all1 escaped into the street1 and in a second the wheels of his chariot rattled away with the utmost rapidity4 ,caiaphas1 seeing that his party was vanquished1 fled away through the garden to the house of ,magistus4 ,martha hurried down and rejoined her friends below4 ,ethopus brought lights as quickly as possible1 although ,i had already recognized in the new-comers the good old ,persian whom ,barabbas held prisoner1 and my late deliverer who had styled himself the ,son of the ,desert4 ,mary was released from her wrappages and threw herself alternately into the arms of brother and sister4 ,ethopus enjoyed this scene with gestures of frantic delight4 ,the happy party was suddenly startled by the groans of the wounded man1 who had dragged himself away and was leaning against the wall of the house1 bleeding profusely4 ,we laid him on the floor of the reception-room1 and the ,son of the ,desert1 who was an adept in such matters1 stanched the blood and bandaged his hurt1 pronouncing it severe but not mortal4 ,when ,magistus opened his eyes and saw the old ,persian bending over him1 he stared at him with amazement1 and stammered forth3 8,surely this is my renegade brother-in-law1 who has renounced the name and religion of his fathers and calls himself ,beltrezzor40 ,he was right4 ,beltrezzor was our uncle1 our father's only brother1 our next of kin1 our legal guardian6 ,this recognition gave us all the greatest delight4 ,after mutual congratulations we hastened to recover poor ,ulema from her trance1 and to convey her and her wounded husband to their own home4 ,mary ,magdalen was brought up into an airy1 upper room1 and every effort was made to rouse her from her comatose state2 but in vain4 ,a good nurse was placed at her bedside charged to render her every attention4 ,the ,son of the ,desert spent the night under our roof1 and proceeded the next morning to ,jerusalem with ,beltrezzor4 ,he refused to appear at the table with the women and declined all the rewards and presents which our gratitude induced us to offer4 ,it seems that ,beltrezzor's friend had sent one-half of the ransom by the robbers who passed me going down the ravine1 promising the other half in two days after1 on the delivery of ,beltrezzor himself at ,jerusalem4 ,barabbas had entrusted the ,son of the ,desert with that mission4 ,the old man had been slow in his movements1 and night with its black cloud had overtaken them before reaching the highway4 ,reflecting that the trumpets of the ,roman soldiery had sounded the evening tattoo1 ,beltrezzor had luckily suggested that they should turn aside into ,bethany1 where he had a brother whom he had not seen for thirty years4 ,they came close behind my own weary footsteps1 and ,i have told the result4 ,the second day after these surprising events1 ,mary ,magdalen disappeared suddenly to our great regret1 leaving no clue by which she could be traced4 ,she awoke from her artificial sleep about daylight1 and the nurse supplied her with food1 and told her the wonderful things which had happened4 ,she went away1 notwithstanding the remonstrances of the nurse4 8,tell them10 said she1 8that ,i rejoice at their good fortune1 and that ,i love them so much that ,i lift the shadow of my presence from the sunshine of their peace40 ,poor ,magdalen6 ,my new and real uncle1 ,beltrezzor1 had a bargain to make with ,magistus and his young friend1 the hypocrite ,caiaphas4 ,it was easily affected4 ,we were in possession of facts which would have exposed them both to public infamy1 and have cut short the ambitious career of the talented priest4 ,silence on our part was purchased at the following price3 ,beltrezzor was a pagan1 and objections might be raised in the ,jewish ,sanhedrim to his taking possession of a ,jewish estate and the charge of ,jewish orphans4 ,magistus and ,caiaphas were to obviate these objections1 and to secure him the legal guardianship4 ,ethopus was to be declared a freedman4 ,beltrezzor1 my sisters and myself were to be permitted to visit ,ulema every ,sabbath so long as she lived4 ,in addition to his liberty1 ,beltrezzor presented ,ethopus with a precious stone of considerable value1 upon which was engraved a mystic name4 ,this gem had great reputation in the magical fraternity for releasing its possessor from the spell of the most powerful enchantment4 ,whether some change really came over his spirit1 or whether his imagination did the work1 ,ethopus acted as if some great burden had been lifted from his soul4 ,he entered at once into our service1 and his gratitude seemed only equaled by his humility4 ,beltrezzor took possession of my father's estate1 and to our great joy determined to reside at ,bethany during our minority4 ,under his judicious and liberal management everything soon blossomed like the rose4 ,he adorned our residence with all the chaste and beautiful treasures of architecture and art4 ,he surrounded my charming sisters with every luxury that the most cultivated fancy could suggest4 ,he devoted himself especially to our education1 and our house became the favorite resort of all that was most learned and brilliant in ,jewish society4 ,thus several years passed happily away1 overshadowed by no cloud4 ,if a tear ever came into our eyes1 it was consecrated to the memory of our dear father1 and to the reflection that he had perished so sadly in the wilderness1 without knowing the good fortune which was in store for his children4 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,viii4 ,,bread ,,on ,,the ,,waters4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,the impression made upon our minds by these extraordinary events was ineffaceable4 ,after three days and nights of perilous adventure and suffering1 from a youth ,i became a man4 ,from little girls1 my sisters became women4 ,there was ever afterward about us a pensiveness1 a gravity of manner1 a too early maturity of thought1 which excited the pity of those who had known us during our father's life1 when a happy childhood broke forth into smiles and pleasures1 like a genial spring blossoming out into perfumes and flowers4 ,our six months of domestic life under the management of ,magistus1 with its gloom1 its neglect1 its suspicions1 its want of love and liberty1 stood in painful contrast with the merry sports1 the delightful peace and the religious sunshine of our father's household4 ,it was night compared with day4 ,but the unmasking of the characters of ,caiaphas and ,magistus was a rude shock to our tender spirits4 ,we had revealed to us at one view the utmost depths of human depravity4 ,we had stood consciously amid the hideous and revolting spheres of hypocrisy1 sensuality1 robbery and murder4 ,there was a leprosy of the soul as well as of the body2 there were wild beasts of the spirit2 there was a wilderness of the mind2 there was a death masquerading in the garments of life2 and we had seen them all4 ,we had looked into hell4 ,this early and deep insight into the fearful connection between evil spirits and wicked men1 and their combined influence over the world1 was in one sense salutary4 ,the recoil from the bottomless abyss into which we had peeped1 produced a rapid and unusual development of the moral nature4 ,in my sisters it took a religious1 in myself a philosophical turn4 ,those young girls1 constitutionally pious and full of gratitude to ,god1 sought renewed strength and comfort in the exercises of faith and religious duty4 ,they devoted themselves to prayer and the study of the ,scriptures4 ,with the womanly nature of the vine1 which must cling to something of firmer texture and stronger growth1 they attached themselves trustingly to the priests and scribes and doctors of the law1 with a natural and pardonable feeling4 ,but they avoided ,caiaphas4 ,i do not remember that ,i ever felt any decided respect or love for the religious institutions of my country4 ,i was born1 ,i suppose1 with the element of veneration for the past left out of my mental organization4 ,i never could understand why men look back to the infancy and childhood of the race for the oracles of wisdom4 ,it is rather the business of each century to scrutinize rigidly the inheritance it has received from the preceding century1 and to reject everything which is worthless1 unphilosophical and immature4 ,i was largely indebted to my father for my progressive temperament4 ,he despised pretension and ceremony4 ,he conformed his life rather to the spirit than to the letter of the law4 ,his understanding sturdily revolted against the mysterious and improbable4 ,we were not trained after the strict manner of the ,pharisees1 but with that freedom of action which does not crush the individuality of the child4 ,the reformer1 the innovator1 the man of new ideas and life1 is seldom born of the narrow-minded literalist and bigot of an old system4 ,the father is generally an intermediate link between the old and the new2 adhering loosely to the old himself1 and prophesying1 inarticulately perhaps1 the emancipation of his son from the thraldom of the past4 ,when we get rid of the conventionalisms of an old and perishing system1 we become peculiarly open and sensitive to the grand intuitions of natural religion4 ,the gorgeous ceremonies of the temple made little impression even on my boyish fancy3 they were tiresome and disgusting to my riper years4 ,but ,i melted into tender admiration at the thought of ,john the ,baptist1 praying and toiling in the wilderness1 unseen of men1 trusting in ,god1 and receiving to his loving bosom and care1 the leper1 the robber and the lost ones of the world4 ,one of the teachers provided me by my excellent uncle ,beltrezzor1 was a ,greek2 and the study of that wonderful language and literature led me still farther away from the influence of ,judaism1 corrupted and failing as it was4 ,i was not slow to assert that the poetry of schylus and ,homer charmed me more than that of ,david and ,isaiah2 and that the philosophy of ,plato exceeded in value all the learning of the ,scribes4 ,my heretical opinions1 candidly avowed on proper occasions1 but never obtruded1 had a gradual effect in breaking the spell of enthusiasm which bound my sisters to the priesthood and the ritual4 ,but the examples and conversations of ,beltrezzor had a still greater influence in lifting their minds out of that narrow and exclusive circle of thought1 in which the typical ,jew is born1 lives and dies4 ,beltrezzor was a man of most beautiful and lovely character4 ,simple in his own tastes and dress1 frugal in his own habits1 but generous and even lavish to others2 cheerful and polite2 active and industrious2 truthful and unselfish2 full of liberal opinions and tender sympathies2 he charmed all who knew him by the purity and nobleness of his mind and the suavity of his manners4 ,one of the most opulent and honored men in his adopted country1 and an inveterate traveler by habit1 he had quietly settled down in the little village of ,bethany to consecrate several years of his life to our education and happiness4 ,yet the model man1 the like of whom we had never seen in ,priest or ,scribe1 was in our eyes a renegade and a pagan4 ,he had abandoned the doctrines and precepts of ,moses for those of ,zoroaster4 ,his religion1 which appeared so sweetly in his life1 was a puzzle to us1 for we expected to discover its quality in its outward observances4 ,the following manifestations of the religious spirit were all we ever detected3 ,he sometimes looked from his window at the rising sun1 and muttered something like a prayer with bowed head4 ,he always spoke of ,fire with a strange reverence1 and said it was synonymous with ,power and ,beauty4 ,he kissed his hand to the first star he saw in the evening4 ,on the last day of every year1 he had fruits1 flowers1 wine and rice brought into his chamber1 as offerings to the spirits of his departed friends1 who1 he believed1 visited him on that occasion4 ,behold the simple ceremonial upon which was based so much goodness of heart and so much wisdom of thought6 8,who was ,zoroaster80 asked ,martha one day of her uncle4 8,zoroaster1 my child1 was the friend and companion of ,abraham4 ,they lived together in ,haran until the ,great ,being1 ,ormuzd1 the ,king of ,light1 called ,jehovah by the ,jews1 summoned them both to leave their country and fill a sacred mission4 ,zoroaster went to the east and ,abraham to the west4 ,zoroaster like ,moses received the book of ,god on the top of a burning mountain1 and gave laws to the people40 8,what kind of laws1 uncle80 8,the essential moral teachings are as much like those of ,moses as twin sisters are like each other40 8,then you do not worship idols80 8,no--we detest them40 8,you do not worship any of the gods of the pagan nations80 8,no1 my child6 ,there is but one ,god1 ,ormuzd1 ,king of ,light4 ,all religions come from him4 ,some are purer and more perfect than others4 ,all true prophets and priests are his servants4 ,false priests and magicians are in league with evil spirits4 ,they are children of ,ahrimanes40 8,if there is such fundamental identity1 why then1 uncle1 do you prefer the religion of ,zoroaster to that of ,moses80 8,because its ritual is more simple1 beautiful and sublime2 because its doctrines are more rational and philosophical2 because the people who believe it and live it1 are more liberal and loving and enlightened than the ,jews2 because it brings the soul nearer to the ,power and ,beauty of the sun40 8,uncle10 said ,mary1 affectionately kissing his hand1 8are all the worshipers of ,ormuzd as good and pure and sweet-tempered as you are80 ,the old man blushed3 8,the teachings of ,zoroaster tend to make men far purer and better than ,i40 ,the sisters sank into a deep reverie4 ,they had a glimpse of that great world of moral light and beauty1 which lay entirely outside of the limits of the ,jewish faith4 ,they gazed on it with wonder4 8,but1 uncle10 said ,martha1 8in the great day of judgment will not the unbelievers be sentenced to eternal punishment80 8,in the last day1 my child1 all the metals in the world will melt with heat1 and all human souls1 living and dead1 will pass in judgment through the fiery element4 ,to the good it will feel like a fragrant bath of warm milk2 to the evil it will be a torrent of burning lava4 ,it will consume1 however1 nothing but the wicked lusts of the heart4 ,evil will thus be destroyed2 and all men1 freely forgiven by ,ormuzd1 will unite in a universal chorus of love and praise40 ,the sphere of our uncle's life and character taught us charity for even renegades and pagans2 and the beauty and rationality of his singular doctrines made me suspect that truth had temples elsewhere than in ,judea4 ,i became fairly emancipated from the ,jewish ,church1 and looked for the regeneration of mankind to the ennobling and purifying influence of knowledge1 which1 ,i believed1 would finally illumine the world with its waves of rosy light4 ,beautiful and illusive dream6 ,my sisters1 disgusted as they soon became1 with the fanatics1 hypocrites and impostors who thronged the temple1 were not ready to cut loose from the faith of ,moses or the ceremonies of the law4 ,they deplored the corruptions and deadness of the ,church4 ,they shrank from the ritualists who had no religion1 and from the devotees who had no love in their hearts4 ,they sought consolation by looking eagerly for the ,messiah1 who was to restore the sceptre to ,israel and rekindle the embers of faith and piety in the church4 ,martha and ,mary pondered upon all they had ever heard or read on this wonderful subject4 ,born of a virgin1 8the ,prince of ,peace1 the ,mighty ,counselor1 the ,everlasting ,father10 was coming in the flesh8 ,they delighted to search the ,scriptures for traces and predictions of his birth1 his appearance and his mission4 ,they loved to walk in the grove of olives which crowned the mount in rear of our house1 whence they could see the marble colonnades of the temple and its vast roof all fretted with golden spikes1 while they conversed arm in arm on their favorite theme4 ,thus were we being secretly prepared by the experiences and circumstances of our life1 for the reception of the new and strange religion of ,christ4 ,the thoughtful analysis of the past history of any human life1 will reveal here and there the movings of the finger of ,god4 ,we do not see the divine providence as an event approaches1 but only after it has transpired4 ,jehovah showed his back1 not his face to ,moses4 ,some may be surprised at the idea that certain minds were prepared for the reception of the ,christian religion by processes directed by divine providence4 ,they suppose that every one who saw the miracles and heard the words of ,christ1 could have believed in him and followed him if he had chosen4 ,it is a mistake4 ,there were many noble and pious ,jews1 to whose minds the words and miracles of ,christ had no weight whatever2 who rejected him unhesitatingly as a dreamer or an impostor4 ,they were not prepared to receive him4 ,there have been several revelations or dispensations of ,divine ,truth2 and there will unquestionably be more4 ,the new revelation is seldom or never received by the adherents of the old4 ,the force of the decaying system is first broken by schism4 ,after schism comes a spirit of free inquiry1 and skepticism is developed4 ,the old foundations are broken up2 new ideas1 new influences1 new life start forth4 ,then comes the possibility of a renewed development1 a reconsideration of principles1 the evolution of higher and more spiritual truth4 ,this fact was illustrated in the early days of ,christianity4 ,the first disciples were not the leading spirits and great lights of the old dispensation1 who regarded themselves as the special guardians of religious truth4 ,that class misunderstood ,christ and rejected him4 ,the men and women who forsook all and followed him had no special reverence for the ,jewish law and its ceremonies4 ,singularly enough1 they were not persons of strong religious convictions1 however holy their life became after receiving the inspiration of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,they had outlived or spiritually outgrown the ,jewish dispensation4 ,they cared little or nothing for the opinions of priest or scribe4 ,they stood aloof from the ,jewish ceremonial with skeptical indifference1 waiting for ,providence to give them something radically new4 ,they knew ,christ by intuition2 their spirits had been organically prepared for his reception4 ,christ rejected the ,jewish ,church long before it rejected him4 ,he neglected its ceremonies2 he violated its laws2 he disregarded its superstitions2 he ignored its magnates2 he chose his associates from the publicans and sinners of civil life1 and his disciples from the publicans and sinners of the moral world4 ,if he ever comes again1 the same phenomena will recur2 for the ,divine laws repeat themselves1 like the return of comets and the revolutions of the sun4 ,i was acquainted with most of the persons who organized the infant ,church of ,christ4 ,there were within my knowledge but two exceptions to the general law1 that those who acknowledged the ,messiah first and most cordially1 were outside of the orthodox pale4 ,thomas ,didymus was a rigid ,pharisee and ritualist4 ,he believed nothing which he could not see with his own eyes and touch with his own hands4 ,he was the least spiritual of all the disciples4 ,paul1 the apostle to the ,gentiles1 was a man of ardent imagination1 intense faith and great genius4 ,his mind1 however1 was cast in the antiquated mould2 and he was a stickler for orthodox observances4 ,no logic or rhetoric1 however eloquent and convincing1 could ever have shaken him from his ,pharisaic attachments4 ,the miraculous interposition of heaven was necessary to turn him from the service of the ,jewish ,sanhedrim4 ,not without influence also in preparing us for the new era1 was the character of ,john the ,hermit1 afterward known as ,john the ,baptist4 ,for several years we paid two annual visits to the tomb of our father1 and to the cave of the extraordinary young man who had befriended him in his last illness4 ,one of these visits was made when the angel of spring had touched the snow-wreaths of winter with her silver wand and turned them into flowers4 ,the other was made when the forests of autumn clothed themselves in their festal robes of crimson and gold1 to celebrate the approach of death with its prophecy of resurrection4 ,we chose one beautiful and cloudless morning1 and making an early start1 mounted upon sure-footed mules1 and well provided against those demons of the desert--hunger and thirst--we crept slowly along over the brown hills and through the desolate hollows4 ,ethopus and two or three more stout domestics always attended us as a bodyguard4 ,we made a picturesque party1 encamping in the mouth of the sacred cavern1 startling the silence of the wilderness with happy voices1 and breaking its wild solitudes with the enchanting presence of beauty and love4 ,john always received us with a graceful suavity1 which seemed strange in one so unaccustomed to society4 ,we first paid our visit to our father's grave1 and offered our tribute of tears to the ashes and memory of the beloved4 ,the prophet would improve the occasion to our spiritual advantage1 by repeating with simple eloquence many appropriate verses of ,scripture4 ,we then returned to the cavern and conversed with the heavenly-minded recluse1 startling the echoes of his lonely hermitage with incidents of life and travel and society1 and with scraps of history1 biography1 poetry and philosophy1 brought from the gay and busy circle in which we moved4 ,the prophet bore a quiet share in our animated talk1 and partook sparingly of our ample repast4 ,he was full of childlike earnestness and credulity1 easily excited to smiles1 easily moved to tears4 ,the sphere of his thoughts and feelings was as different from that of the priests and scribes1 as though he had been an angel descended from heaven1--full of love and wisdom1 without creed1 without doctrine1 without forms1 without ceremonies1--to mock with his sublime perfection the puny ritualist who imagined no religion possible without them all4 ,the young prophet seemed to enjoy these semi-annual disturbances of his thoughtful solitude4 ,he always accompanied us on our return as far as the great highway4 ,he was so fully convinced that he was driven into the wilderness by the ,spirit of ,god1 that we did not strive to allure him back to the haunts of men4 ,i regarded him as a gentle and amiable fanatic4 ,martha pronounced him to be a young man of great promise1 destined no doubt to be a prophet or leader in the ,church4 ,mary's criticism was limited to noting the extraordinary sweetness of his voice and the softness of his hazel eyes4 ,once also a tear trickled down her cheeks1 when we spoke of his lonely days and nights in his self-inflicted solitude4 ,it was in the third year after ,beltrezzor's return1 that1 on approaching the cave of the hermit we saw a poor1 emaciated creature1 the skeleton1 the shadow1 of a man1 seated on the stone at its mouth4 ,it was long before we could recognize in this pitiable object1 my generous deliverer1 the ,son of the ,desert4 ,on feeling the premonitory symptoms of a dangerous fever1 he had left his band1 which was then prowling about the ,jordan1 and had come to the cave of the young hermit4 8,you nursed my wounded friend4 ,take care also of me4 ,i am sick in soul and body4 ,you are the only good man in the world4 ,you alone make me believe in ,god40 ,these were the words with which he threw himself down upon the pallet of skins4 ,long weeks of illness had passed away--and he was restored1 standing now on the border of life like a phantom flitting from the tomb4 ,his great1 sad1 earnest eyes seemed to say that he neither cared to live nor was afraid to die4 ,we took a deep interest in this forlorn robber1 who seemed to act1 think and feel so little like a robber4 ,this proud1 handsome man1 without name1 without friends1 was an enigma to us4 ,he had sternly declined all reward for his eminent services to us1 and we felt under painful obligations to him4 ,when we bade him adieu with ardent wishes for his speedy restoration1 ,martha1 with great dignity and self-possession1 took a ring from her finger and deliberately placed it upon his4 8,do not forget us10 said she4 8,our fates may part us1 but the invisible binds4 ,on this ring is engraven the name of an angel4 ,i give you my guardian-spirit as your own4 ,may he lead you into peace40 ,he bowed his head low upon her hand2 and when he raised it1 there were tears in his eyes4 ,i noticed after a while that these visits to the desert had a singular effect upon ,mary4 ,for some time preceding them1 there was an exhilaration of spirits1 a flush of expectation1 a vivacity of manner1 which added a new lustre to her charms1 a new glow to her beauty4 ,during the visit1 however1 she was timid1 reticent and abstracted3 and afterward for weeks there was an unusual quietness of demeanor1 as well as a tearfulness of the eye and a pallor of the cheek4 8,lazarus10 said ,martha to me one day1 8had we not better bring our father's remains to ,bethany and bury them with our mother's8 ,it would spare us these long trips to the desert40 ,keen-sighted1 motherly sister6 ,but ,i--who had not then met with ,helena and knew nothing of love--,i answered3 8,oh no6 these visits to ,john are the most delightful events of the year40 ,on the fourth spring of these visits ,mary took down a little flower-pot with a rose in it for ,john4 8,i bring you a gem10 said she1 8of nature's light--a lamp1 a star1 to illumine the darkness of the desert40 ,that evening when returning1 ,mary and ,john fell behind the rest of us1 and when ,i turned to look after them1 he was pointing out to her some rare beauty of the clouds about the setting sun2 and her face1 turned full upon him1 was all aglow with a radiance not reflected from terrestrial skies4 ,the fall visit was looked forward to with unusual pleasure4 ,it was a glorious day4 ,why was it that the desert seemed more solitary than usual8 ,as we approached the cavern1 the silence was appalling4 ,there were no recent footprints on the sands4 ,the spiders had spun their webs across the mouth of the cave4 ,it was utterly deserted4 ,john had gone4 ,he had taken away his pallet of skins1 his earthen vessels for food and drink1 his sandals1 his long staff4 ,the flower-pot lay upon the ground with the little rose-bush in it1 long withered and dead4 ,the sisters burst into tears2 and ,martha kissed the little one most tenderly on the cheek4 ,the ,spirit of ,god1 which impels men to the great missions of the world1 drives them away from the bloom of nature and from the gardens of the soul1--away into the wilderness1 where1 tempted of devils and sustained by angels1 they gather strength for the doom and glory which await them6 ,our father's remains were brought to ,bethany4 ,mary's cheek grew paler4 ,the dew of tenderness trembled always in her eye4 ,she searched the ,scriptures all day long for the coming ,messiah4 ,at night she dreamed-- ,ah6 what8 ,of the withered rose-leaves in the deserted cavern4 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,ix4 ,,sacrifice4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,my uncle summoned me one day into his presence1 and told me that he wished me to enlarge my education by travel4 8,you must visit ,egypt1 ,greece and ,italy10 said he1 8the typical centres of the world1 and converse with the master-spirits in art1 science and philosophy4 ,i have made arrangements to keep you amply supplied with money at ,alexandria1 ,athens and ,rome1 and with letters to agreeable and influential people4 8,this will consume three years of your life2 and if you are wise and prudent1 they will be pleasantly and profitably spent4 ,when you return ,i will surrender your father's estate into your hands1 and make a handsome settlement upon your sisters from my own means4 ,i am growing old and shall need but little for the rest of my pilgrimage40 8,then10 he continued to my surprise and sorrow1 8then ,i shall go back to the great ,east--nearer to the sun--to die40 8,go back to the ,east80 ,i exclaimed with trepidation4 8,why so8 ,your old age requires the presence of loving friends and relatives4 ,what can we--made your children by your kindness--what can we do without you80 8,ah6 my child1 the grass soon grows in the footprints of man4 ,we are easily forgotten4 ,i shall be loved like one dead4 ,i am weary of this ,judean air2 of this corrupt and discordant society2 of these ,roman trumpets and banners4 ,i want peace and repose4 ,i long to see once more the sacred fire burning upon the altars4 ,after twenty years of life in ,persia1 one cannot be satisfied with the ,mosaic sacrifices and the olive groves of ,bethany40 ,knowing my uncle's firmness of resolution1 and how long he had restrained his natural restlessness for our benefit1 ,i hung my head in mournful silence4 8,well1 well60 said he in a cheerful voice1 8we have time enough to talk about the whole matter4 ,get ready now for the scenes which fill the heart of a thinking man with supreme delight40 ,this plan of perfecting my education by travel1 by coming in contact with idolatrous people and studying heathen philosophies1 excited the fears of my good sisters1 so contrary was it to the custom of the ,jews4 ,they regarded it1 indeed1 as almost a crime4 ,my uncle1 however1 was grandly cosmopolitan in all his sentiments1 and he had imbued my own mind with his enlightened charity4 ,ethopus accompanied me as my body-servant4 ,we had taught the dumb ,african to read and write after he was released from the bondage of ,magistus and ,simon4 ,he acquired these accomplishments in a moderate degree with great celerity1 so that our anticipations of rapid mental progress were sadly disappointed by the result4 ,when he reached the intellectual development of a white child at twelve years1 his onward march was arrested4 ,no study1 no assiduity could advance him a step farther4 ,he was organically a child4 ,his thoughts1 his feelings1 his opinions1 his manners were all child-like2 and so they remained4 ,such is the general result of my observation and study of the ,african species4 ,susceptible as they are of a beautiful and indefinite moral culture1 the development of their intellectual faculties is limited by the thick scull1 the small brain1 the black skin which they have inherited as a national curse4 ,may it be different in the future6 ,i have received nothing but kindness at their hands1 and ,i feel nothing but kindness for them in my heart4 ,we learned from ,ethopus1 through the medium of writing1 that he had been stolen by a party of marauding soldiers from his quiet and happy home in ,abyssinia1 where his father was a petty prince4 ,he had been sold to some magicians in ,egypt1 who made him a slave1 a football1 a victim of cruel and unnatural experiments4 ,he had been fed upon toads and serpents and creeping things4 ,the blood of various animals had been injected into his veins4 ,the operation of poisons was studied upon his body4 ,degradation and terror were imprinted upon his soul4 ,he had been deprived of his manhood and his speech1 to bring him into total subjection to his diabolical tyrants4 ,when ,i told him that ,i should go first into ,egypt1 he trembled2 for the memory of ,simon and his own early life troubled his mind4 ,i could scarcely have induced him to accompany me at all1 had it not been for the beautiful gem which my uncle ,beltrezzor had given him4 ,in its prophylactic powers against magic and magicians he enjoyed implicit faith4 ,he had hitherto carried it always in his pocket4 ,he now bound it over his heart1 carefully secured in a leathern bag4 ,he then declared himself ready for the journey4 ,less fortunate than he1 ,i had nothing wherewith to fortify myself against evil spirits and the dangers of land and sea1 but the consolations of ,zoroaster's religion and scraps of the ,platonic philosophy4 ,i had only one misgiving on leaving my sisters in the care of such an old man as our excellent uncle4 ,the wicked ,magistus was still living in the same house1 separated from us only by a stone wall4 ,he guarded my aunt in the same cruel seclusion1 and no doubt kept himself informed by her clairvoyant powers of everything going on in our house as well as in others4 ,he had never made any advances toward us1 and there was no communication between us4 ,i knew1 however1 that a fierce desire for revenge rankled in his heart2 and his power was now greater than ever1 since he had become a prominent member of the ,sanhedrim1 and his friend ,caiaphas had been appointed high-priest of the temple4 ,i spent about a year in exploring the wonders of ,egypt1 and had reached ,alexandria for a reluctant departure from that land of fascinations1 when a letter was delivered at my door by some one who disappeared as soon as he gave it to the servant4 ,this occasioned me some surprise1 and ,i opened it immediately4 ,on a little piece of parchment which fell out as ,i did so1 ,i found these words3 8,the original bearer of this letter was killed in a skirmish with our troop4 ,i find it contains something which you will be interested to know4 ,i therefore transmit it to you at some risk4 ,do not forget the unforgetting 8,,son ,,of ,,the ,,desert40 ,the epistle was from my sister ,martha4 ,it ran as follows3 8,a wonderful thing has occurred1 my dear brother1 since ,i last wrote4 ,john1 the young hermit of the desert1 whom we have mourned as lost or dead1 has appeared on the banks of the ,jordan1 baptizing the multitudes and preaching repentance and the remission of sins4 ,he claims to be the forerunner of the ,messiah1 announcing the speedy approach of the ,king of kings4 ,crowds are flocking to him from all ,judea and ,galilee1 and even from distant regions4 ,his eloquence is so astonishing that many who go out of curiosity or sport1 are stricken to the heart and receive his baptism4 8,mary and ,i have listened to the preaching of this inspired friend1 and are convinced of its truth and power4 ,we have been baptized also1 confessing our sins1 and vowing a life of repentance and good works4 ,i assure you1 my dear brother6 when the prophet laid his hand on our heads1 blessing us in the name of the ,messiah1 our minds were filled with a heavenly ecstasy1 and we could scarcely refrain from shouting aloud for joy4 8,when ,i came up out of the water1 the first face ,i saw was that of our strange friend who calls himself the ,son of the ,desert4 ,he was standing with many others on the bank near the prophet1 and gazing earnestly at his seraphic countenance4 ,when his eyes met mine1 he looked down as softly as a young girl1 and quickly withdrew from the crowd4 8,my heart warms toward this poor1 outcast stranger1 who befriended you so nobly1 and who leads1 ,i fear1 such an evil life4 ,is it not strange that the noble instincts1 which he certainly possesses1 do not cause him to revolt against his base surroundings8 ,his name is continually in my prayers4 ,oh that he also would be baptized of ,john1 forsake the troublous ways of the world1 and receive the sweet delicious peace of the new life6 8,mary is so happy again6 ,a new rose has come to her cheek1 a new buoyancy to her step1 a new beauty to her smile4 8,our good uncle accompanied us to the ,jordan1 although he despises crowds and excitements4 ,his criticism on the preaching and baptism of ,john shows how thoroughly pagan are all his conceptions4 ,he said he was a young man of splendid enthusiasm1 who would have been a disciple of ,zoroaster if he had studied the philosophy of fire instead of that of water4 8,perhaps the shining of this new star will guide you sooner home to our eyes and hearts4 ,you linger in that old1 frightful1 sand-beleagured magic-stricken ,egypt1 when this herald of the ,messiah1 ,aurora prophesying the sun1 is filling ,judea with ,divine light6 ,hasten with love1 soon1 very soon1 to your loving sisters40 ,i was still meditating on this letter when ,ethopus rushed into my chamber with a face full of alarm4 ,i soon learned from his expressive pantomime that he had seen ,simon ,magus in one of the public squares1 exhibiting some magical tricks to a great crowd4 8,did he recognize you80 said ,i1 anxiously4 ,the ,african shook his head hopefully4 8,then we will take ship for ,athens to-morrow4 ,get everything ready for the voyage40 ,ethopus seemed delighted at these words1 and proceeded with the greatest alacrity to execute my orders2 not1 however1 until he had so disguised himself that ,i positively did not know him when he appeared before me4 ,he was then so long absent on my errands that ,i became apprehensive for his safety4 ,he suddenly entered the room with an expression of countenance which puzzled my practiced wit to decipher4 ,it was the wildest joy strangely mingled with sadness4 ,he found it impossible to convey his ideas by pantomime4 ,the scene was ludicrous as well as pathetic4 ,after several frantic and fruitless efforts1 he seized a burnt coal from the hearth and scribbled on the white wall in great sprawling characters3 8,i ,,have ,,found ,,my ,,brother60 and making signs for me to follow him1 he darted from the room4 ,we passed rapidly through the streets1 ,ethopus looking suspiciously about him all the while1 until we reached a grand bazaar1 where thousands of articles were exposed for sale4 ,we forced our way through crowds of merchants1 each crying his wares2 through buyers and sellers and idlers of every description1 chattering and chaffering in all the languages of the world4 ,we came presently to some little rooms or stalls where a great many slaves on sale were exposed1 almost naked4 ,ethopus pointed triumphantly to a tall young ,african of handsome and even noble features1 and falling upon his neck1 they wept together4 8,they are brothers10 said the trader4 8,their meeting was both amusing and affecting4 ,this dumb fellow recognized the other first1 and fell upon his face1 shoulders and hands with frantic kisses4 ,the younger one1 not comprehending such a useless outburst of affection1 resented it as an intrusion1 and would have belabored his brother soundly1 had he not been so heavily ironed4 ,the older one was in despair1 but suddenly bethought himself of taking off a lot of false hair and beard1 and baring his neck and bosom for inspection4 ,the recognition was then soon effected1 and they laughed and wept alternately in each other's arms40 8,he is a slave80 said ,i4 8,yes--and a most unruly one4 ,he was captured in the late war with the ,abyssinians1 and although very young1 they say he was a superb soldier4 ,i can well believe it4 ,he has already passed through several hands1 and was quickly got rid of by them all1 on account of his fierce and dangerous character40 ,i studied the young man's physiognomy carefully1 but could discover no trace of ferocity about the features4 ,he seemed to be about twenty years of age1 and had a manly and dignified bearing as he stood there manacled and exposed to the public gaze4 ,i read his secret at once4 ,he was a brave and high-spirited youth1 accustomed to freedom1 war1 and perhaps to the exercise of power2 and he did not submit to his chains as quietly as his owners desired4 ,the slave-dealer must have divined the admiration with which ,i regarded him1 for he added with a quiet sneer3 8,his braveries are at an end now1 for he has been bought for ,drusus ,hortensius40 8,and who is ,hortensius80 8,have you lived in the desert1 that you never heard of ,hortensius8 ,hortensius is the richest man in the world at present1 and the greatest epicure in ,rome4 ,he imitates ,lucullus1 at least in pride and luxury4 ,he makes suppers for his friends1 of incalculable magnificence4 ,his demand for nightingales' tongues has silenced half the bird-music in the world40 8,is ,hortensius in the city80 8,in the city8 ,no6 ,he lives in ,rome1 which1 he complains1 is altogether too small for him4 ,he has an agent in ,alexandria1 who has a standing order to send him about fifty refractory and incorrigible slaves every year40 8,what does he want them for80 8,want them for80 laughed the dealer4 8,well1 you must know that ,hortensius has the greatest and rarest fish-ponds in the world4 ,they are miracles of beauty4 ,hortensius is fond of fish as well as of nightingales' tongues4 ,but common fish do not tempt his august appetite4 ,lucullus discovered1 in the course of his epicurean studies1 that fish fed upon human flesh have a remarkably fine flavor2 and moreover that these aquatic cannibals have a special relish for the ,african species of the genus homo40 8,wretch60 ,i muttered4 8,therefore10 continued the trader1 without noticing my indignation1 8,hortensius1 imitating ,lucullus1 has a negro slave cut into small pieces and thrown into his fish-ponds every week4 ,his children are taken out by their nurses to witness this choice method of refining the pleasures of the table40 ,anthony1 for so they had re-named the brother of ,ethopus1 had picked up a good deal of ,latin1 in which language the dealer was speaking4 ,he had listened intently and had caught the horrible meaning of his words4 ,the disdainful and defiant look of the young soldier1 contemplating the fate which awaited him1 was a study for an artist4 8,how can ,i save him from this cruel bondage1 from this hideous death80 8,he was purchased yesterday and will be called for to-day1 as the ship sails this evening40 8,will you cancel that bargain and sell him to me80 said ,i eagerly4 8,yes--for a grand consideration40 ,i reflected that ,i had drawn my last funds from my uncle's ,egyptian agent4 ,still1 ,i might possibly borrow largely from him and wait a remittance4 ,i named what ,i considered a liberal price4 ,the trader coldly shook his head4 ,i added a third more to it1 determined to sacrifice a year's travel in order to save ,anthony from the fish-ponds of the luxurious ,roman4 ,the trader declined without hesitation4 ,i could make no greater offer without consultation with my uncle1 and that was impossible4 ,my countenance fell in despair4 ,the brothers had watched our conversation with intense interest2 and although they did not comprehend its full meaning1 they saw that ,i had made a great effort to redeem ,anthony and had failed4 ,the face of ,ethopus was full of grief1 that of ,anthony of sad resignation4 ,ethopus suddenly sprang up smiling1 as if some great idea had illumined his mind4 ,he tore open his robe1 and producing a little bag from his bosom1 he took out the precious stone which my uncle ,beltrezzor had given him4 ,he extended the brilliant gem to the trader with one hand and pointed to ,anthony with the other4 8,oh do not take that10 ,i exclaimed4 8,this poor fellow values that stone more than life itself4 ,nothing but the most intense affection could prompt him to such a sacrifice4 ,he believes that stone has delivered him from the bondage of a terrible magician1 and wears it over his heart as a protecting genius4 ,accept my offer instead1 which is of greater money value than his gem40 ,this speech had a singular effect4 ,the slave-dealer had no generosity1 but boundless superstition4 ,he either had an intense fear of magic himself1 or he was in collusion with magicians4 ,he immediately acceded to ,ethopus' offer1 struck the chains from ,anthony's arms and feet1 and put the price of his slave smilingly into his pocket4 8,i will replace him with that old fellow there1 who would smoke his pipe as he is now doing if we were burying him alive4 ,the agent of ,hortensius counts heads and never looks into faces40 ,anthony comprehended that an exorbitant price had been paid for his liberty1 involving some great sacrifice on the part of ,ethopus and he insisted on resuming his fetters1 until ,i assured them both that the stone with such magical properties should be replaced by one similar1 as soon as ,i could communicate with ,beltrezzor4 ,ethopus was now in a state of feverish anxiety to get aboard the ,athenian vessel4 ,the addition of ,anthony to our company seemed to increase his fears and his sense of responsibility4 ,i conveyed my baggage and my two servants to the ship1 and put them in charge of the captain1 while ,i returned into the city to finish my business and to make a few purchases4 ,when ,i reached the vessel again1 ,ethopus had disappeared6 ,anthony was in great distress1 and the captain and sailors were highly excited4 ,the story they told was a curious one4 ,a tall1 wild-looking man1 fantastically dressed1 came and sat down on the shore near the planks of the ship4 ,busily engaged in carrying on the small freight which crowds in just before a vessel leaves1 the sailors paid no attention to him4 ,this man was heard to make some very curious sounds1 a kind of double whistle1 a signal which he repeated at intervals with increasing vehemence and impatience4 ,ethopus then came slowly out of the vessel1 reeling and groping like one blind or drunk4 ,he advanced slowly toward the stranger and knelt at his feet4 ,the poor fellow suddenly started up with a great shriek and endeavored to escape4 ,several of the sailors rushed forward to rescue him from the man who had seized him and was dragging him off4 ,the magician1 for such he was1 drew a huge yellow serpent from his robe1 and flourished it like a whip at his assailants4 ,some of the sailors declared also that a jet of blue flame darted from his bosom4 ,certain it is that by some magical trick he so terrified them that they fell back in awe1 and he escaped with his victim through the crowd which was gathering4 ,poor ,anthony1 who had never seen a ship before1 was walking about the vessel in childlike wonder while this terrible abduction was taking place4 ,i was in the deepest distress4 ,i took ,anthony and the baggage back to my quarters4 ,i remained a fortnight in ,alexandria instituting the most thorough search after our lost friend4 ,it was all in vain4 ,i sailed at last for ,athens with a heavy1 heavy heart1 and a new servant1 leaving the poor dumb eunuch in the clutches of ,simon ,magus4 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,x4 ,,at ,,athens4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,i lived at ,athens a year1 studying the philosophy and poetry of the ,greeks4 ,i longed to see my beautiful sisters and my good old uncle2 but ,i cannot disguise the fact that ,i was greatly fascinated with ,grecian life and manners4 ,i frequently wished that ,i had been born a ,greek and not a ,jew1 and that ,i could spend my days in sight of the marble-crowned ,acropolis and the blue gean ,sea4 ,i taught ,anthony to read and write1 hoping that he would prove to be of superior mental calibre to his brother4 ,but the result was the same4 ,he surprised me at first by his brightness and afterward by his stupidity4 ,he was more impetuous than ,ethopus1 and braver2 but then his spirit had not been broken and subdued by contact with the magicians of ,egypt1 those subterranean devils who defied the assaults of reason against their pretensions and the vigilance of government against their crimes4 ,ceasing to be a good soldier and incapable of becoming a philosopher1 he proved an invaluable servant4 ,the letters from my sisters1 who wrote alternately1 were full of tenderness and piety4 ,they continued to give glowing accounts of the power and progress of the teaching of ,john the ,baptist4 ,martha quoted all the passages in the prophets alluding to the forerunner of the ,messiah1 and ,mary dwelt upon the influence of his doctrines and baptism upon the hearts and lives of the people4 ,mary perceived intuitively that the only valuable thing in a religion is the life which it induces one to lead4 ,one day ,i received a letter from this enthusiastic young girl1 which indicated that some great spiritual ferment was working in the land of ,judea3 8,,dearest ,,lazarus3 8,the hunger and thirst of our souls will soon be satisfied4 ,i have seen him with my own eyes--him1 the ,son of ,god1 the ,messiah4 ,oh what grace6 what wisdom6 what goodness6 what power6 8,do not think ,i am dreaming6 ,some time ago ,john baptized a young man1 whom he pronounced by heavenly vision to be the ,messiah1 or as he styled him1 the ,lamb of ,god4 ,this mysterious person disappeared from sight4 ,it was rumored that he had retired into the wilderness1 to undergo some terrible combat with the powers of hell1 preparatory to his great mission upon earth4 ,our hearts have been watching eagerly for his reappearance4 8,after a while we heard that a great prophet had arisen in ,galilee1 who had astonished all men by the wonderful spirituality of his preaching4 ,he had also exhibited miraculous power by turning water into wine at a marriage-feast in ,cana4 ,perhaps this ,jesus of ,nazareth was the promised deliverer6 ,but how could the ignoble names of ,nazareth and ,galilee be connected with the ,prince of the house of ,david8 8,not long afterward a strange incident occurred in the temple4 ,the miracle-worker of ,cana appeared1 and assuming extraordinary authority1 as if the temple were his own house1 he drove out all the traders and money-changers and idlers who have so long desecrated the holy place by the connivance of the corrupt and wicked priests4 ,they would no doubt have destroyed him in their anger2 but the people1 and indeed the better class of ,pharisees also1 applauded the courageous act of the man1 who dared1 single-handed1 to vindicate the holiness of the ,lord's house1 and to scourge the profaners out of the sacred precincts4 8,i was pondering over this incident1 when our good and kind friend ,nicodemus came in1 and told us he had witnessed the scene himself1 and that this ,jesus of ,nazareth was the same person whom he saw baptized by ,john in ,jordan1 at the time when ,john bare witness that he saw the ,spirit of ,god descending upon him in the shape of a dove4 8,was not this cleansing of the temple prophetic of his spiritual cleansing of the ,church1 as well as of the purification of those little temples and churches1 our own hearts8 8,the good ,nicodemus1 who inquires into everything quickly1 but into nothing thoroughly1 paid ,jesus a visit at night and drew him into conversation4 ,he was astonished and puzzled at the new ideas of this spiritual teacher4 ,now1 my dear brother1 do not laugh at me when ,i assure you1 that what seemed so unintelligible to a learned ruler in ,israel1 was a sun-burst of truth and beauty to the heart of your poor little sister ,mary4 8,how strange it is that ,i can see clearly what seems hidden from the eyes of those so much more capable than myself6 8,jesus said to ,nicodemus3 8#8,except a man be born again1 he cannot see the kingdom of ,god4' 8,how stupid it was in the good old doctor to stumble at this sublime sentence1 and to ask3 8#8,how can a man be born again when he is old8' 8,and the reply of ,jesus1 how beautiful6-- 8#8,verily ,i say unto you1 ,except a man be born of water and of the ,spirit1 he cannot enter into the kingdom of ,god4 8#8,that which is born of the flesh is flesh2 and that which is born of the ,spirit is spirit4' 8,i understand it1 ,lazarus2 ,i see1 feel1 know1 comprehend the whole mystery4 ,it may be the flower comprehends the sun better than the philosopher4 8,we were born of water through the baptism of ,john4 ,by the repentance and obedience taught by him1 we are washed of the uncleanness and sensuality of our old life and enter upon the sweetness and purity of the new4 ,jesus will baptize us with the ,spirit of divine love1 as ,john did with the spirit of divine truth2 and we shall be new creatures1 born again as it were1 into a spiritual kingdom of light and peace4 8,the ,sabbath after my interview with ,nicodemus1 ,i started with ,martha to the temple1 hoping to see ,jesus with my own eyes4 ,and ,i saw him1 ,lazarus1 not only with my eyes1 but with my heart and soul4 ,we had reached the pool of ,bethesda by the sheep-market1 and were looking at the crowd of feeble and paralytic people1 who were waiting for the periodical moving of the water1 when a murmur arose3 #8,the prophet1 the prophet of ,nazareth6' ,i looked and saw ,jesus standing in one of the porches on the first step that leads down into the water4 8,the moment ,i saw his face ,i believed4 ,my heart beat audibly within me4 ,a divine ardor burned in my soul4 ,a faith1 strong as the mountains or the ocean1 took possession of my whole being4 ,my impulse was to rush forward1 fall at his feet and proclaim him the ,messiah to the assembled multitude4 ,martha held me back and said3 #8,listen6 he speaks6' 8,yes--he spoke2 and ,i heard that voice ,i had so often heard in my dreams1 dreaming of the restoration of ,israel6 8,he spoke to the oldest1 the feeblest1 the most forlorn-looking person in the crowd3 8#8,wilt thou be made whole8' he said1 in a voice of infinite tenderness and beauty4 8,strangely enough1 before the sick man answered1 the same question entered into my own soul4 ,i felt a deadly1 paralytic sensation throughout my spiritual frame1 and ,i knew that ,i needed to be made whole even more than the poor creature on the steps4 ,the ,divine question was put to the sick man1 to me1 to the ,church1 to the whole world4 ,it was infinite4 ,while ,i was ejaculating internally1 #8,yes1 ,lord6 yes6 entirely whole1' the paralytic replied3 8#8,i have no one1 sir1 when the water is troubled to put me into the pool1 but while ,i am coming1 another steppeth down before me4' 8,poor1 old1 helpless1 friendless creature6 ,others had relatives or friends who assisted them to descend into the restorative waters2 and day after day the selfish ones had pushed aside the weak1 slow1 pallid wretch4 ,but the great ,friend had come6 8,jesus1 stretching forth his hand over the prostrate form1 with a majesty indescribable1 exclaimed3 8#8,rise1 take up thy bed and walk4' 8,and the paralytic arose amid the exclamations and plaudits of the crowd1 which pressed about them until he and ,jesus were concealed from our sight4 8,i have seen the ,messiah several times since that miracle4 ,he was walking the streets with several fishermen of ,galilee1 whom they say he has chosen to be his apostles4 ,the greatest takes up the least to connect all the intermediates with himself4 ,the group is always followed at a distance by a woman clad in deep mourning1 and wearing a thick black veil4 ,she never approaches near enough to speak or be spoken to4 ,no man knows where she lodges or how she lives2 but the first dawn of light always reveals her dark figure opposite the house in which ,jesus has slept4 8,who can she be8 says every one to himself and to others4 ,whoever she is1 her humility and devotion are very touching2 and the ,power which can work miracles no doubt reads her heart and is leading her to himself4 8,martha is profoundly impressed and greatly bewildered by the miracles and character of ,jesus2 but she cannot yet believe that he is the veritable ,messiah predicted by the prophets4 ,she thinks the ,messiah must be a great ,prince1 who will restore the power of ,david and the glory of ,solomon to the ,jewish nation1 and make our temple the temple of the whole world4 ,our hearts1 ,i think1 our purified hearts1 are the temples in which he is to reign6 8,our dear1 good1 pagan uncle smiles quietly at my enthusiastic faith1 and encourages ,martha's doubts by telling us of great and good magi in ,persia1 who performed greater miracles than those of ,moses4 8,ah1 ,lazarus6 ,how can you linger away off in those beautiful and wicked cities of ,greece1 buried in spiritual darkness1 and studying their foolish or insane philosophies1 when the ,source of all light has risen1 and the ,fountain of all truth has been opened in your own country6 ,oh hasten to your home in our hearts and see these great things for yourself4 ,if you cannot share my faith1 you will at least receive and reciprocate my love4 8,ever your ,,mary40 ,if these strange things had occurred soon after my father's death1 when the spirit of religious inquiry was strong1 and when ,i loved to search the ,scriptures with my sisters1 ,i would have been deeply1 intensely interested in them4 ,but the hardest thing in the world is to make a devotee out of a man who thinks himself a philosopher4 ,my uncle had not converted me to the doctrines of ,zoroaster1 but he had convinced me that ,zoroaster1 ,moses1 and all the great leaders of religious thought derived their inspiration from the same source4 ,i came tacitly to believe that no special ,messiah was coming to the ,jews1 any more than to the ,persians or ,egyptians or ,romans1 all of whom needed deliverance from mountains of sin and wildernesses of error1 quite as much as the ,hebrew nation which constituted so small a fraction of the human race4 ,moreover the influence of travel1 and especially my free and happy life at ,athens1 had quite denationalized me4 ,i was no longer a ,jew4 ,i had breathed the mystic and magical air of ,egypt1 and had peeped into one of the very cradles of the human race2 where ,i found everything so strange and so unlike what ,i had been taught by our childish ,hebrew traditions4 ,i had trodden all the glorious and beautiful grounds hallowed in the immortal history and songs of ,greece4 ,i no longer wondered at the host of gods and goddesses which were conjured from the misty deeps of antiquity1 to guard a nature so prolific and fair1 and a people so perfect in form and so gifted in spirit4 ,the traditions of ,greece1 the poetry1 the eloquence1 the music1 the philosophy1 the art1 and the divine architecture1 which seemed a combination of them all1 had so impressed and transformed my mind1 that ,i looked back to my narrow circle of life and thought in ,judea1 as a man looks back upon the school-room and play-ground of his childhood4 ,after these things1 it was impossible for me to believe that the ,jews were the favored people of ,god1 and that the descendants of the patriarchs were to govern the world4 ,it was as easy to believe that the sun rose in ,jericho and set in ,joppa4 ,therefore ,i smiled at my sister's pious enthusiasm1 and said to myself3 ,this ,jesus of ,nazareth is some estimable ,jew1 full of philanthropy and zeal1 possessed perhaps of extraordinary healing powers4 ,with these he will so astonish the poor ignorant ,hebrews1 that they will call him a prophet of ,god1 or even invest him with divine honors4 ,in ,athens he would be simply a philosopher or a physician1 more or less profound and brilliant4 ,his pretensions would be scrutinized by a thinking public1 and he would receive applause in proportion to his merit and capacity4 ,there was1 ,i must confess1 another reason why ,i did not turn my face toward ,judea2 why the prophecies and their fulfillment had ceased to interest me2 and why even my charming sisters were occasionally forgotten4 ,while studying the theologies of the nations and poring over the ethereal pantheism of ,greece1 ,i met that wonderful divinity who flies ever with his golden shafts between the earth and the sun1 and ,i became the devotee of a new religion4 ,i had seen the most beautiful1 the most wonderful woman in the world1 and-- ,and what8 ,i loved6 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,xi4 ,,helena4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,in the school of philosophy where the doctrines of ,socrates and ,plato were taught with an eloquence equal to their own1 ,i met a young ,greek resident of the city by the name of ,demetrius4 ,he was the son of ,calisthenes1 a very wealthy merchant1 who1 contrary to the usual custom1 attempted to rival in his private residence the magnificent art which was bestowed only on the public works4 ,he was ambitious that his only son should enjoy more than mercantile honors1 and arrive at greater distinction than that which wealth alone could bestow4 ,as usual in such cases1 his paternal aspirations were doomed to disappointment4 ,nine-tenths of the genius of the world comes from that great middle class which knows neither riches nor poverty4 ,the possession of great wealth is generally a hinderance to intellectual or spiritual advancement4 ,demetrius was a handsome1 amiable fellow1 of mediocre talent1 slothful by nature and indulgence1 and more ambitious of social success than of a front place in the class of philosophy4 ,i know not how it happened1 but he had attached himself more strongly to me than ,i to him4 ,i attained the entre of his father's house by a lucky accident4 ,while we were rowing in the harbor one day1 our little vessel was capsized1 and it was only by my desperate exertions in his behalf that ,demetrius was saved from drowning4 ,gratitude did more for the deliverer than friendship had done for the fellow-student3 it opened the doors of the princely mansion1 and showed me the household gods4 ,i was rejoiced at this1 for ,i had heard one of my companions say3 8,helena1 the sister of ,demetrius1 is the most wonderful creature in the world40 ,i verified the truth of his remark4 ,it was indeed the echo of the popular lip4 ,helena was an institution of ,athens1 sought1 seen and admired like its other wonders and beauties4 ,no language can convey any adequate description of this cunning masterpiece of nature4 ,there was no statue in all the rich collections of ,grecian art1 which excelled the matchless symmetry of her form or the perfect beauty of her features4 ,she was the poet's dream of perfection1 embodied in the delicate tissues of a splendid womanhood4 ,a neck and bust of immaculate beauty were surmounted by a head1 every attitude of which was a study for artists and lovers4 ,her hair was a cloud of dark1 brown waves faintly dashed with gold4 ,her broad imperial brow was pure as the silver surface of some cloudless dawn4 ,her soft1 hazel eyes were radiant centres of inexpressible light and power4 ,her cheeks1 nose1 mouth and chin were miracles of shape1 warmth and color4 ,her shell-tinted ears were hung with pearls less beautiful than themselves2 and a necklace of golden beads made conspicuous a throat which it could not beautify4 ,her hands and fingers were so lucid1 delicate and expressive1 that they might be called features also1 revealing in part the movements of her mind4 ,poor artist that ,i am1 ,i throw my pencil down in disgust4 ,i cannot reproduce ,helena to your eyes as she appeared to me4 ,to see this woman1 for a young enthusiastic spirit1 with his celestial dream pressing downward for realization1 was to love her4 ,the shaft of love flies from one eye to another2 from the eye to the heart2 from the heart to the brain2 from the brain to the soul4 ,i looked1 ,i loved4 ,i was smitten to the soul by that malady which has no cure but the cause which inflicts it4 ,helena had not only an irresistible sweetness of voice and grace of manner1 but she had a singular directness of attack1 concentrating all her charms upon you at once2 so that few men ever left her presence without feeling that she had absorbed and taken from them some portion of their life1 which they could only recover by returning into the enchanted atmosphere which surrounded her beautiful person4 ,thus bewildered by her beauty and bewitched by her fascinations1 ,i lost my life when away from her1 and found it again1 enhanced and glorified1 when ,i approached her footstool4 ,i was attracted to her continually2 and if ,i tore myself away1 and climbed the mountain-top1 or walked by the sea-shore1 she became the inspiring genius of my solitary rambles2 and the beauties of nature were only beautiful1 because in some inexplicable manner they seemed akin to1 or associated with her4 ,thus1 day after day1 week after week passed by1 and philosophy became as dry as dust1 and my companions silly and unprofitable2 and ,egypt became a myth and ,judea a dream2 while the past was forgotten and the future uncared for1 except in connection with her4 ,solitude became sweet1 and reverie ecstatic1 and the language of poetry the voice of common life4 ,i created for myself an ideal world1 romantic1 ethereal1 felicitous2 for the greatest magician that ever lived is ,love4 ,i was sometimes1 however1 sunk into the fathomless abyss of despair4 ,i met in the splendid halls of ,calisthenes so many distinguished and wealthy and powerful men2 so many soldiers and statesmen2 so many philosophers1 artists and poets2 all many degrees superior to myself1 and all paying the same homage to the idol ,i worshiped1 that my envy and jealousy were being continually excited2 and ,i frequently shrank within myself1 taciturn and melancholy1 contemplating the awful distance which intervened between my feeble pretensions and the transcendent object of my admiration4 ,then ,helena1 observing my silence and grief1 would single me out from the crowd with a peculiar sweetness2 would bestow a smile which seemed meant only for me2 would drop a sentence of pearl which ,i felt that ,i alone comprehended2 would solicit my early return in a manner so special and impressive1 that ,i was fired with new hope and endowed with new life2 spurned the dull earth beneath me1 and was ready1 like the daring boy of ,apollo1 to drive the chariot of the sun4 8,let no one ever despair10 ,i would thus fondly say to myself1 8of conquering a woman by love4 ,concentrate the passion of your soul upon her1 like the rays of a burning glass1 and sooner or later1 you will melt her heart4 ,the best philter to excite love is love itself4 ,if you would ignite1 you must burn40 ,with all this magnificent exterior1 with the blended adornments of nature and art1 this ,helena was altogether unworthy of the pure and simple love ,i lavished upon her4 ,she studied men as the angler studies the character1 habits and locality of fish2 solely to allure and capture them4 ,she had the thoughtful brow and the words of wisdom for one class2 the smile of the cupid and the laugh of the bacchante for another4 ,she had an armory full of weapons2 the tear of sympathy1 the corruscations of wit1 the meekness of modesty1 the humility of religion1 the splendor of dress1 the ornament and even the exposure of person4 ,everything about her was the highest art in a garb of the sweetest nature4 ,she hesitated at nothing which would secure her a conquest4 ,she was unhappy unless many were kneeling at her shrine4 ,she lived upon the breath of adulation1 the music of her own praises1 the incense of delirious love4 ,she wished to absorb everything2 she gave nothing in return4 ,she demanded for herself affection1 thought1 worship1 life4 ,she returned only smiles1 hopes1 dreams1 shadows4 ,she was a beautiful demon of selfishness4 ,there were fascination1 magic1 spiritual death in her sphere2 but the soul died listening to invisible music and dreaming of heaven4 ,this adoration of men and envy of women was more to be pitied than admired4 ,she had a mother whose influence was a dark shadow cast upon her life4 ,neither beautiful nor gifted herself1 she had determined that the gifts and beauty of her child should be turned to the utmost account4 ,she had planted a wild ambition in her girlish spirit1 as one plants a rose in a garden4 ,she had nourished it and watered it carefully1 until she brought it to baneful perfection4 ,her own evil nature was transfused into the child4 ,she taught her that power1 wealth1 fashion1 glory1 were the true objects of rational pursuit4 ,she cultivated her vanity1 her petulance1 her imperiousness4 ,she basked in the sunshine of her beauty and power4 ,fatal parasite6 she drew from the virgin tree upon which she fastened1 the sustenance she could not herself extract from the earth and air4 ,the too pliant pupil accepted and improved all the lessons of the teacher2 and behold the result6 ,of the true character of ,helena ,i knew nothing at the time4 ,that discovery was the result of subsequent information and experience4 ,nothing occurred in those blissful days to break the spell of the enchantress4 ,i did1 indeed1 once or twice notice the contrast between this ,athenian goddess and my pure and sweet sisters4 ,i did once or twice wonder that ,sappho and ,horace should be her favorite poets1 and ,aspasia her model of female character4 ,but these shadowy doubts1 like the faint threat of clouds which sometimes appear in the clearest heaven1 soon passed away4 ,helena1 petted and spoiled1 set all the regulations of fashion and propriety at defiance4 ,she did as she pleased1 and every one was pleased with what she did4 ,not every one2 for she was the terror of rigid mothers and the scandal of prudish maidens4 ,she walked unveiled in the streets4 ,she made herself conspicuous at the theatre and the racing-grounds4 ,she visited artists in their studios and poets in their chambers4 ,she received very questionable visitors at very unseasonable hours4 ,her dressing-room even opened its doors to favorite lovers1 or to those of whom she wished to make a convenience4 ,all this was done so boldly1 so gracefully1 so navely1 that no one dared to express a hint against her virtue4 ,she admitted me to her presence on a very familiar footing4 ,one evening ,i called to see her1 when she was dressing for a grand supper1 and the servant ushered me into her boudoir4 ,she was one bright blaze of jewels and beauty4 ,the dressing-maid was giving the last caressing touches to her hair4 ,she was scrutinizing the work in a metallic mirror with an ivory handle1 which she held like a fan4 8,come6 my ,judean60 she said1 casting upon me one of her most bewitching glances--8come and put this ring into my ear40 ,this captivating service ,i rendered with trembling hands and palpitating heart4 ,the dressing-maid smiled at my awkwardness and trepidation4 ,helena never looked more resplendent4 ,i felt helplessly bound to the chariot-wheels of her destiny4 ,the waiting-girl left the room1 and falling at the feet of the unimpassioned beauty1 ,i stammered forth my passion4 8,helena6 do you know that ,i love you80 ,she was contemplating her chin in the mirror1 and replied without looking at me3 8,of course you do4 ,everybody does40 8,but1 ,helena6 ,i cannot live without loving you40 8,that is charming4 ,love me then and live40 8,helena60 said ,i1 sternly1 8you mock me4 ,you allure me as if ,i were a man2 and then you treat me as if ,i were a boy4 ,you invite me2 you evade me2 you tantalize me4 ,can you not love me80 8,let me see10 said she1 looking up at the ,judgment of ,paris beautifully frescoed on the ceiling2 8let me see3 ,i love wisdom1 riches1 power and glory4 ,when you are wise as ,socrates1 rich as ,crsus1 eloquent as ,cicero1 and powerful as ,csar1 ,i will love you and give myself to you40 8,your combination is impossible10 said ,i1 proudly1 biting my lip with failing heart and unconcealed vexation4 ,her face suddenly became radiant with a yielding1 tender and beautiful expression1 and ,i added3-- 8,but if it existed1 ,helena1 you would be worthy of it40 8,to love such as yours10 she said1 sweetly1 pressing my hands1 8all things are possible4 ,we have been dreaming in the boudoir2 let us converse in the parlor40 ,she led the way and overwhelmed me with such civilities that ,i forgot the past which had wounded me1 and had golden glimpses of that magical future which was to console and bless me4 ,such is the dream-land of love6 ,my sisters continued to write the most glowing letters1 full of piety and tender affection4 ,their rehearsal of miracles and parables1 and of voices from heaven1 their enthusiasm1 their faith1 their zeal1 all fell as dull and cold upon my ear as the monotonous songs of an old nurse4 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,xii4 ,,the ,,hall ,,of ,,apollo4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,i was awakened from my delicious dream by ,demetrius1 who importuned me to accompany him to ,rome1 whither he had been despatched by his father on business of extreme importance4 ,this reminded me that a visit to ,rome was an essential part of my uncle's educational programme4 ,i had abandoned philosophy for love1 and love cares nothing for thought1 except as one mode of expressing the sentiments4 ,my education1 therefore1 was at a stand-still4 ,i hesitated and shuddered at the idea of leaving the charmed circle in which ,i stood entranced4 ,i would1 perhaps1 have neither gratified my friend nor obeyed my uncle1 had not ,helena carelessly dropped the remark1 that no student could truly regard his course of instruction completed until he had visited ,rome4 ,to acquire this title to perfection in the eyes of ,helena1 ,i endured the pangs of parting and the miseries of absence2 became a compliant friend and an obedient nephew4 ,i went to ,rome4 ,rome did not impress me so favorably as ,athens4 ,i was fond of art1 but cared little for glory4 ,the efforts of man to reproduce the beauties of ,nature excited my admiration2 his labors to immortalize himself and his deeds excited my contempt4 ,the art of ,rome was imported2 her glory was self-acquired4 ,i had soon seen all that ,i cared to see of the imperial city1 which ,augustus had found of brick and left of marble4 ,demetrius had letters to some of the most powerful and influential men in ,rome1 so that we were soon introduced into the best society there4 ,it was not long before we received an invitation to one of the splendid suppers of ,hortensius1 the richest man and the greatest epicure in the world4 ,i remembered the conversation of the slave-dealer at ,alexandria4 ,i mentally resolved1 as we drove through the magnificent arch of his palace gate1 that1 although ,i might taste of the nightingales of ,hortensius1 ,i certainly would take none of his fish4 8,beware of the fish-ponds10 said ,i1 laughingly1 to ,anthony1 who accompanied us as footman4 ,this palace of ,hortensius was an affair of ,babylonian magnificence4 ,everything about it was of colossal proportions4 ,it was said to have as many chambers as there were days in the year4 ,hortensius had twelve bed-rooms for himself1 each named after one of the months1 and gorgeously furnished in a manner to represent the month after which it was named4 ,there were seven banqueting-halls named after gods and goddesses--the dreams rather than the creations of art4 ,this grand structure was burned during the fire in the reign of ,nero1 and its splendors1 no longer to be found anywhere on earth1 are already regarded as fabulous4 ,we supped in the ,hall of ,apollo4 ,the company was altogether male1 which ,i did not regret2 for ,i did not wish to see or speak to a woman in the world but ,helena or my sisters4 ,it was composed of the magnates1 the great stars of ,roman society--soldiers1 statesmen1 senators1 governors1 etc4--the least of them immeasurably above the two young plebeian students1 who1 dumbfounded at all they saw1 could not but experience a painful sense of their own insignificance4 ,on my right hand1 however1 at the table1 was a noble and sedate ,roman1 ,pontius ,pilate1 the governor of ,judea4 ,he had visited ,rome to consult the emperor and the senate about the affairs of his province1 and was on the eve of returning4 ,he seemed pleased when he learned that my home was in the neighborhood of ,jerusalem2 and with great tact and urbanity drew me out of my abstracted mood1 dissipated my bashfulness1 and engaged me in an animated conversation4 ,the ,hall of ,apollo was a miracle of beauty4 ,its area was immense2 its shape1 circular4 ,supported by twenty-four golden columns1 the ceiling rose to a vast height1 as a blue dome painted to represent the visible heavens4 ,the sun blazing up through masses of dense and crimson clouds2 the intensely clear cerulean ether above2 the horizon all around pierced by mountain peaks1 overhung by rolling vapors of purple and gold1 produced an illusion of astonishing power and magnificence4 ,every object in the room1 the pictures1 the statuary1 the bass-reliefs upon the columns1 the carvings upon the couches and the gorgeous table1 and even the engravings and embossings upon the splendid vases and vessels which adorned it1 were all descriptive or symbolical of ,apollo1 his attributes and achievements4 ,the wonder of the hall1 however1 was a golden chandelier of incredible size1 containing a thousand rose-colored tapers1 which lighted the scene with a brilliancy rivaling the day4 ,i will not attempt to describe the feast1 having no particular fondness for epicurism4 ,the bill of fare exceeded anything ,i had ever imagined4 ,there was service after service1 dessert after dessert1 wine after wine1 seemingly without end4 ,the meat-courses1 lasting about three hours1 were presented by handsome boys of every nationality1 clad in beautiful livery4 ,the after-courses1 of sweets and luxuries1 were brought on by female servants1 lovely in person and graceful in manner1 revealing by their dress or otherwise every charm of the human body4 ,when the company was well filled and duly flushed by the delicious wines1 the whole western wall of the apartment1 by some hidden and admirable mechanism1 suddenly opened or changed like a dissolving view1 and revealed an interior apartment a little above the level of ours1 which looked like a beautiful garden adorned and lighted in a style of ,oriental magnificence4 ,the shrubbery and flowers of this garden were the concentrated beauties of the floral world in all regions1 cultivated here by art1 and offering an incense of perfume to these ,roman rulers1 who aspired to conquer not only man but nature4 ,ivory statues of gods and goddesses1 of nymphs and fawns and satyrs1 added greatly to the beauty of the scene4 ,but when a dozen dancing-girls alighted as it were from heaven upon this miraculous stage1 and whirled among these statues and flowers1 less perfect and beautiful than themselves1 the fascination1 to those who regarded such enchantments1 was complete4 8,more music6 more wine60 cried ,hortensius from his purple couch a little elevated above the rest--8the feast of thought ends always in the feast of love40 ,the banquet progressed with continued variations of stimulus and entertainment4 ,the guests were regaled by invisible music1 repeatedly changed1 and representing the airs and styles of every nation which had bowed its head to the ,roman conqueror4 ,the wine fell fast into golden goblets from vases composed of precious gems4 ,the day dawned4 ,the noise and excitement increased3 the conversation degenerated into a babble1 and the feast into a debauch2 when a most extraordinary incident occurred1 changing my uncle's programme and perhaps my whole fate in the twinkling of an eye4 ,a great clamor was heard outside of the door nearest ,hortensius4 ,loud and angry voices1 the rapid tread of many feet1 curses1 groans1 shrieks1 indicated the approach of some dreadful storm4 ,it was a thunderbolt in a clear sky4 ,all sprang to their feet and advanced toward the sounds1 when the door was burst open with violence1 and my servant ,anthony rushed in1 foaming at the mouth1 bleeding profusely from several wounds and flourishing an immense knife over his head4 8,i will kill him if ,i die for it60 he shouted1 glaring fiercely on the brilliant crowd before him1 and endeavoring to single out the object of his hate4 8,what does all this mean1 ,anthony80 ,i exclaimed1 leaping forward and seizing him by the throat4 8,i have saved him from the fish-pond10 he answered sternly1 pointing to the naked form of a poor negro1 whom the domestics had at last succeeded in hurling to the floor1 and who had followed ,anthony1 defending him from his pursuers4 8,and why did you not fly8 madman60 ,i exclaimed1 8why did you come here80 8,oh6 death was inevitable10 he answered1 in a tone of desperation1 8and ,i determined first to kill the vile despot1 the author of these cruelties40 8,slave6 barbarian60 echoed from all parts of the hall4 8,slave ,i am3 barbarian ,i may be60 shouted ,anthony defiantly2 8but in my country they do not feed fishes with men40 ,the crowd had stood back a little while we were speaking3 but now there was a sudden rush upon us in front and rear4 ,i was pushed forcibly aside1 and ,anthony was borne down1 disarmed and bound with his fellow-prisoner1 whose rescue had caused this great excitement4 8,throw the old one to the fishes immediately10 cried ,hortensius in a loud and cruel tone4 8,bind this young villain by the pond and guard him till ,i come4 ,i will cut him up1 strip by strip1 with my own hands40 ,a murmur of approbation ran through the assembly4 ,thrusting the bystanders away1 ,i confronted ,hortensius face to face4 8,o most noble ,roman10 ,i exclaimed1 8pardon something in this poor man to the spirit of liberty4 ,he was born free1 a prince in his little realm2 and like you1 he has been a brave soldier4 ,misfortune in war1 not crime1 has enslaved him4 ,he is honest1 faithful and noble4 ,it was a fierce and glorious love of his own race which has fired him to this rash deed4 ,his sublime self-sacrifice1 his desperate courage surely deserve a better fate at the hands of a ,roman and a soldier4 ,spare him and forgive him60 ,it would be difficult to describe the fierce and haughty stare which ,hortensius and his noble guests fixed upon me during this little speech4 ,they wondered at my folly1 my stupidity1 my audacity4 ,to plead for a black slave who had drawn his knife against a ,roman senator6 ,to accord the spirit of liberty to such vermin of the earth6 ,to speak of them as brave1 faithful1 noble1 glorious1 sublime6 ,they were stupefied at the novelty and heresy of such ideas4 ,i was certainly either a fool or a madman4 ,hortensius1 lowering his voice and infusing into it a little suavity1--for he suddenly remembered that ,i was his guest1--exclaimed3 8,the proper discipline of my palace1 young man1 demands the immediate death of this would-be assassin4 ,i will replace your servant with a better40 8,that is beyond your power10 ,i replied impetuously2 8your whole household would not replace him4 ,i am indebted to his brother for my sister's life and honor4 ,i am bound to this man's flesh and blood as if they were my own4 ,i cannot1 ,i will not desert him in his extremity40 ,there were loud exclamations of surprise1 contempt and disapproval4 ,many1 however1 were silent1 touched perhaps by a latent magnanimity4 8,what will you do80 exclaimed a haughty old ,roman in a most provoking tone4 8,do80 said ,i rashly1 striking my hand upon the hilt of my dagger1 8do8--,i will defend him3 ,i will die with him40 ,this caused a great uproar in the assembly4 ,loud cries of 8,away with him6 out with him60 8,insult a ,roman senator60 8,abettor of slaves and assassins60 8,insurrectionist6 ,madman6 ,idiot60 8,down with the base ,judean60 resounded through the splendid ,hall of ,apollo4 ,my friend ,demetrius1 who had hitherto stood near me1 now slipped into the crowd and disappeared4 ,having defied the supreme power of the place1 ,i would probably have shared the fate of the wretched ,ethiopian1 had not assistance come to me from an unexpected quarter4 ,pontius ,pilate stepped between ,hortensius and myself1 and waving his hand with great dignity and grace1 requested silence4 8,pardon1 dear friends and most noble senators6 pardon the wine which has made this rash youth forget both reason and duty4 ,he is a subject of mine1 being a native and resident of my province4 ,i claim jurisdiction over him1 and will punish him as he deserves4 ,he is from this moment a prisoner in charge of my retinue4 ,he shall be carried back to his native village1 disarmed1 bound and disgraced1 so that all ,judean youths may know what folly it is to insult a ,roman senator40 ,there was a strong murmur of approbation throughout the assembly1 and ,hortensius nodded approval4 ,pilate continued3 8,i would not say a word to save this ,african from the death he so richly merits1 were it not for one dark suspicion which crosses my mind and which will not permit me to be silent4 ,i suspect this infuriate wretch to be a madman2 and the insane1 you know1 are under the protection of the gods and1 sacred from the fangs of the law4 ,permit me to convey this slave also in irons to ,judea4 ,i will have his case carefully studied by my own physician4 ,if the gods have smitten him in their wisdom1 let him go free as our laws direct4 ,if he exhibits enough reason to be held responsible1 ,i will have him driven into the dreadful desert beyond the ,salt ,sea1 and sentence him to a perpetual exile in its awful solitudes4 ,if he is ever discovered west of the river ,jordan1 his punishment shall be death1 without question or delay40 ,whether this proposition struck the hearers as remarkable1 or what was more likely1 the social and civil weight of ,pontius ,pilate bore down their opposition and silenced their scruples1 ,hortensius acceded to it and all seemed satisfied4 ,after drinking again to the health of ,hortensius1 the company dispersed4 ,i soon found myself a prisoner bound for ,judea1 deserted by ,demetrius1 exiled from ,helena1 full of sadness and dark forebodings1 with the educational tour projected by my good uncle brought to a sudden and ignominious conclusion4 ,the only comfort ,i experienced during the long and melancholy voyage was the thought that ,i had saved the life of my high-spirited ,anthony1 whom ,i was not permitted to see1 and whose daring conduct ,i more admired the more ,i thought of it4 ,i was struck also with the wonderful tact1 courtesy and kindness of ,pontius ,pilate4 ,i would gladly have thanked him for his services2 but ,i was kept in strict confinement1 and heard and saw nothing of the sedate governor4 ,on our arrival at ,jerusalem1 ,i was unbound and taken privately before him4 8,you are now free10 he said4 8,i admire you too much to inflict any further punishment upon you for your incredible rashness4 ,you cannot help being brave1 but you can compel yourself to be prudent4 ,go1 sir6 ,when you get into trouble again1 let me hear from you and ,i will befriend you1 if possible40 8,and my servant80 said ,i1 hoping to intercede for ,anthony4 8,he has been driven into the desert40 ,an hour afterward ,i was trudging up the ,mount of ,olives1 thinking of what a joyous surprise ,i was about to give to some dear little souls in ,bethany4 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,xiii4 ,,my ,,first ,,death4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,how beautiful was my old home1 embowered in trees and perfumed with flowers6 ,how charming were my lovely sisters1 twin-stars of the social heaven1 dropping sweet influence on all who received their tender light6 ,how peaceful and pure was the self-sacrificing old age of ,beltrezzor1 over whose pagan heart1 so full of simple love and wisdom1 the most orthodox angels kept kindly watch6 ,a great sadness rested upon our little household1 on account of the recent murder of ,john the ,baptist by the cruel ,herod1 at the instigation of a still more cruel woman4 ,that pure and good man had been cast into prison about the time that ,christ began his ministry1 and the morning star paled on the approach of the blazing ,sun4 ,he had ever been remembered with peculiar tenderness and gratitude2 and heaven became dearer to us by receiving into its fold the gentle hermit of the wilderness4 ,my sisters had grown lovelier4 ,on ,martha's clear brow the sweet maturity of thought was imprinted4 ,mingled with the light of love on ,mary's face was a touching sadness1 of which none but ,martha and ,i suspected the meaning4 ,these women1 so pure1 so cultivated1 so beautiful1 were abstracted from the entire world4 ,sought by many lovers1 they had discarded the very thought of love4 ,they were wedded in heart to the heavenly bridegroom4 ,they had heard but once from our old friend1 the ,son of the ,desert4 ,a strange servant1 no doubt a disguised robber1 brought back the ring with a note from the wanderer1 saying that he was unworthy to wear it2 that it afflicted him with sorrowful dreams and burned into his soul like iron4 ,martha herself fortunately met him at the gate1 and would not permit him to depart without an answer1 as he was instructed to do4 ,she sent back the ring with her love and ,mary's to the savior of their brother1 with the solemn assurance that the ring had a great blessing for him concealed within its curse4 ,i soon discovered that my sisters had but one idea1 one study1 one passion4 ,their individuality was lost in their perpetual concentration of soul upon one object4 ,that object was ,jesus ,christ4 ,they no longer spoke of him as the prophet of ,nazareth4 ,martha had at last discovered with her eyes what ,mary had seen with her heart4 ,he was the ,son of ,god3 ,he was the ,messiah4 ,with subdued voices and reverent gestures they called him the ,lord4 ,all this was very strange to me1 fresh from beautiful and romantic ,greece1 where altars were erected to a thousand gods3 fresh from the schools of philosophy1 where the only deity taught was a spiritual essence1 infinite1 inconceivable1 unfathomable4 ,i listened1 however1 with interest to the recital of miracles which were certainly astounding2 to parables which were replete with spiritual wisdom2 and to discourses--for my sisters treasured all his words by heart and repeated them to me--which were radiant with a certain divine light and beauty4 ,i was ready to concede that this man must be the greatest philosopher of the age4 ,this was the opinion of our good uncle1 who1 however1 took no trouble to see or hear the worker of such great miracles4 ,he said there was nothing new under the sun2 that all things repeated themselves over and over again2 that all wisdom had been spoken and every miracle performed ages and ages ago4 ,the ,son of ,god was in his mind synonymous with a disciple of the ,sun4 ,beltrezzor was sorry that ,i did not remain a year at ,rome1 for he said the practical atmosphere of that city would have moderated and utilized the ideality ,i had drawn from ,athens4 ,he was greatly pleased1 however1 with my conduct at the supper of ,hortensius4 8,the man who sees any reason10 he would say1 8why ,hortensius should be more wealthy1 more powerful1 more respected1 more glorious than ,anthony1 has not incorporated into his soul the first ray of the divine principle of fire1 and is altogether ignorant of the power and beauty of the sun40 ,a few weeks after my return1 ,beltrezzor transferred the whole of my father's estate1 improved and augmented1 into my hands4 ,no reasonings1 no entreaties could induce him to abandon or even to defer his long-contemplated journey to the extreme ,east4 ,a strange1 sad home-sickness had apparently seized him2 and he waited with a childish impatience for the arrival of the caravan from ,egypt which was to escort him to ,assyria4 ,it came at length2 and our adieus were long and bitter4 ,we were bound to him not only by a pious gratitude for his rich gifts and his unvarying kindness1 but by a genuine love of his sweet1 sincere and noble nature4 ,we wept at the thought of the dear old man going away into that far-off1 marvelous ,orient1 without a wife or child to comfort his declining years4 ,my sisters also seemed overwhelmed with grief1 that one so good and so beloved had rejected to the last1 with a quiet1 polite incredulity1 all the evidences of the divine mission of ,jesus4 ,the old man's parting words to me1 as he leaned from his camel1 whispering in my ear1 were these3 8,beware1 my son1 of the spirit of fanaticism which has fallen upon your good sisters4 ,i bequeath you this verse from one of the sacred books in ,persia4 ,it is my last and best gift to you4 ,do not forget it3-- 8#8,it is more truly pious to sow the ground with diligence1 than to say ten thousand prayers in idleness4' 8,adieu60 ,a few days after my uncle's departure1 we were invited to dine at the house of a worthy ,pharisee1 ,simon by name1 who was touched at heart with a secret admiration of ,jesus4 ,preoccupied as ,i was with thoughts of ,helena1 and caring nothing about spiritual things1 ,i would not have accompanied my sisters but at their earnest solicitation4 ,they had been assured that ,jesus would be present1 and they were anxious for me to behold the object of their love and worship4 ,he came1 and saluted us all with a charming grace and sweetness of manner4 ,his face was handsome1 thoughtful and benevolent1 but did not strike you as majestic or sublime4 ,there was a winning sociality in his conversation1 which you did not expect from his serene and rather pensive countenance4 ,he was quiet and modest in his demeanor2 and instead of leading the thoughts of the company1 he spoke less than any one present4 ,reflecting1 by the light of later and grander experiences1 upon the first impressions made on me by this mysterious man1 ,i am convinced that not only his face1 his expressions1 his words1 but his whole life was comparatively a sealed book to the people who saw him in the flesh4 ,they saw only the outside1 the husk1 the fleshly1 not the heavenly part of him4 ,they were ignorant of the sublimities1 the infinities concealed within4 ,whoever sees only the physical and not at the same time the spiritual side of anything1 sees little4 ,the flowers1 the gems1 the clouds1 all beautiful objects1 on the spiritual side are full of sacred mysteries4 ,ignorant of these little things1 how could the men of that day comprehend the ,christ8 ,what a different banquet from that of ,hortensius6 ,a plain room1 opening directly on the street2 a plain table2 a plain company4 ,at ,rome we had a wild ambition1 aspiring to universal empire1 and imitating even in its luxuries all the splendors of heaven and earth4 ,here were simple tastes1 frugal habits1 civic industry1 neighborly love4 ,there the presiding genius was the demon of pride2 here it was the ,divine ,man4 ,the feast was nearly over1 when a woman1 closely concealing her face in a black veil1 glided softly into the room and stood behind ,jesus4 ,this would not have attracted special attention1 for people were coming in and going out all the time2 but ,i remembered ,mary's account of the mysterious woman who always followed ,jesus and his disciples at a distance4 ,i therefore watched the movements of this person with considerable interest4 ,she bent low over the feet of ,jesus as he reclined on his couch1 and ,i observed that she was weeping4 ,she seemed deeply agitated4 ,suddenly she let down the great mass of dark brown hair from her head1 and began wiping the feet of the ,lord4 ,washing his feet with her tears and wiping them with the hair of her head6 ,what touching humility6 ,what contrition6 ,then she anointed his feet with a precious ointment which she drew from her bosom4 ,my thoughts were concentrated on that kneeling figure4 ,i entered so deeply into what ,i imagined to be her feelings and sorrows1 ,i was so attracted by what must have been a secret spiritual affinity with her own soul1 that ,i heard almost nothing of the conversation which ensued between ,jesus and ,simon1 and which is recorded by the apostle ,luke who was himself present4 ,when the divine voice pronounced the verdict1 8,thy sins are forgiven20 a strange and bewildering sense of delight came over me1 as if ,i myself had been the sinner who sought and found the pardon of sin4 ,i was contemplating in amazement this reverberation1 as it were1 of the woman's sentiments in my own spirit1 when ,jesus said1 8,thy faith hath saved thee3 go in peace20 and the woman turned slowly around and walked sobbing out of the door4 ,scarcely knowing what ,i did1 ,i quietly withdrew from my place at the table and followed her4 ,suddenly1 in some ecstasy of religious feeling1 she threw her arms wildly toward the sky1 the veil was lifted for a moment1 and ,i recognized the beautiful1 sorrowing and purified features of ,mary ,magdalen6 ,the spell which overpowered me was instantly withdrawn1 and ,i returned to my seat4 ,no psychology ,i had ever been taught1 threw any light on this singular phenomenon2 and it remained a mystery until solved by that special light of the spiritual world which ,i alone of all men have enjoyed4 ,after that the mysterious preacher and miracle-worker was a frequent visitor at our house in ,bethany4 ,i came no nearer to him than at first3 ,i understood him no better4 ,he was a good1 wise1 wonderful man2 beyond that ,i could not penetrate4 ,i became intimate with all his disciples2 and ,i loved to dispute with them on theological subjects1 and to puzzle their uncultivated brains with my philosophical doubts and quibbles4 ,but in the presence of their master ,i had nothing to say4 ,i stood abashed and silenced by some secret power which ,i could not explain4 ,i never thought1 however1 of acknowledging him as the ,messiah1 or the ,son of ,god4 ,the reason was1 that my heart and mind were too closely riveted to nature and the things of sense1 to rise to the conception and love of spiritual things4 ,while the faces of my sisters were growing more and more radiant and serene from the spiritual life which was deepening in their souls1 mine became pale and haggard from the burden of concealed longings and the vigils of a burning but unfed hope4 ,i had written and rewritten to ,helena1 but received no answer4 ,i would have returned to ,athens2 but the fear of leaving my tender and helpless sisters so near to such a subtle enemy as ,magistus1 and ,beltrezzor away off in ,persia1 detained me unwillingly at ,bethany4 ,absence extinguishes a feeble love2 but intensifies a great one4 ,i brooded in solitude4 ,i took interest in nothing4 ,conversation was irksome4 ,religion and philosophy were alike neglected4 ,i experienced that apathy which a great desolation of heart produces1 and which men attribute to moroseness or stupidity4 ,i was feeding with the intense hunger of love upon my treasured memories of ,helena2 devouring every word she had spoken1 every look1 every tone1 every changing form1 every shifting light of her miraculous beauty4 ,my love for ,helena1 for reasons which ,i did not then comprehend1 was not of a soothing1 ennobling1 purifying type4 ,it was a disquieting1 paralyzing1 corroding passion4 ,the sphere of this woman1 wholly incapable of the heavenly duties of wife and mother1 did not lead me1 encouraged and strengthened1 into the sweet and useful activities of life4 ,like an evil spirit rather1 it drove me into the wilderness2 tempted me with stones which were not bread2 and haunted me with wild dreams and insane ambitions4 ,thus many weeks passed away1 and the fever of my soul had so worn and wasted me that my sisters became seriously alarmed at my condition1 not knowing the cause2 for ,i had never divulged my pagan goddess to these pious little ones4 ,one day ,i was suddenly lifted out of the cavern of despair into the serenest sunlight of hope4 ,i received a message from ,helena that she was traveling with her father to the most noted places in ,asia1 and would spend a few days in ,jerusalem2 that she was the guest of ,alastor1 a wealthy ,greek merchant of the city1 and that her visit would be devoid of genuine pleasure unless she could see once more her esteemed friend1 who had saved the life of her brother4 ,now occurred a most curious mental phenomenon4 ,the sudden reaction of joy in the feeble and excited state of my nervous system1 overpowered my brain4 ,i became the victim of an absurd1 grotesque illusion4 ,i leaped at once from the abyss of self-abasement to the maddest height of presumption4 ,i transferred my entire experiences of heart and mind to ,helena4 ,she1 ,i imagined1 was pining with unconquerable passion for me4 ,she was wasted and worn by unrevealed1 unrequited love4 ,she had suffered and faded in silence until longer concealment was death4 ,her father had brought her under cover of travel really to meet me again1 to draw me once more to her feet1 to obtain my confessions1 and to receive new hope and life from my words4 ,i was filled with an unspeakable tenderness1 with a generous compassion4 ,i would fly to her2 ,i would console her2 ,i would make her life and happiness secure by giving her my own4 ,busied with these mad fancies1 and muttering them to myself as ,i went along1 ,i hurried to the house of ,alastor4 ,ushered into the presence of ,helena1 ,i was surprised and abashed by the serene and smiling expression of her countenance1 and her splendid physique1 upon which neither time nor love had yet written the faintest trace of ravage4 ,she received me without the least embarrassment in the gay and sparkling manner of a cold and polished queen of society4 ,i saw in a moment that ,i was not loved1 that she had never thought of me1 that my hopes were dreams1 my passion a madness4 ,i read my doom in the charming suavity of my reception4 ,disappointed1 chilled1 bewildered1 heartsick1 miserable1 ,i maintained a broken conversation for a little while1 until ,helena1 perceiving with her woman's wit1 something1 and perhaps all of my secret1 broke off the interview4 8,you are sick10 said she tenderly1 8you are feverish1 you are in pain4 ,you should not have come until to-morrow40 8,go home now10 she continued1 taking my hand kindly in hers1 8go home and be cared for4 ,when you get better you must come again1 and we will talk of ,athens and art1 of poetry and love2 and of all the beautiful things that ravish the hearts of men and women40 ,i do not remember what ,i said1 or how ,i parted from her4 ,on the portico ,i met a man going in1 whose presence sent a strange shudder through my frame4 ,my diseased nerves were very sensitive4 ,he was a person of handsome face1 imposing appearance and gracious address4 ,he began speaking to me1 but suddenly stopped and fixed his great1 black1 lustrous eyes fiercely on me4 ,my first impulse was to resent this conduct as an insult2 but ,i quickly perceived that my mind was becoming confused1 bewildered1 fascinated by his gaze1 and ,i averted my face with a great effort and hurried down the steps4 ,i did not dare to look back4 ,at the foot of the stairs ,i ran heedlessly against our old relative and enemy1 ,magistus1 whom ,i had not seen since my return from ,rome4 ,seizing him by the shoulders ,i gasped1 8,who is this man on the portico80 8,simon ,magus10 said he1 with a coarse laugh1--8,simon ,magus1 the prince of ,egyptian magic1 and he has evidently cast the evil eye upon you4 ,woe to you60 ,i fled precipitately through the streets4 ,when ,i reached home ,i was in a burning fever4 ,at night ,i was in a raging delirium4 ,it was a brain fever of malignant type4 ,my mad and grotesque illusion about ,helena was really the beginning of my illness4 ,days and nights of alternate excitement and stupor passed away2 days and nights of physical torture and mental suffering4 ,my sweet sisters watched and wept and prayed by my side4 ,horrible fantasies besieged my fevered imagination4 ,i thought that ,mary was under the magician's knife1 and that he would accept no substitute for her bleeding heart but that of ,helena4 ,i opened my eyes and started with horror2 for ,mary was seated by my side1 with the heart1 as ,i supposed1 torn out of her bosom4 ,then again1 ,hortensius was cutting up the beautiful body of ,helena for his fish-ponds1 while the ,egyptian held me fascinated by his terrible eye1 so that ,i could not stir for her help4 ,i grew worse and the end approached4 ,i had not realized my condition3 ,i had neither fear nor hope3 ,i had no thought of death or of ,jesus4 ,at last1 however1 when ,i was dying1 ,i heard my sisters calling frantically on his name4 ,the name must have touched some silver chord of memory4 ,the sweet1 benevolent face appeared before me1 ,mary ,magdalen in her dark robe kneeling behind4 ,the tender words1 8,thy sins are forgiven10 echoed in my ears4 ,mary and ,martha seemed to me like two shining angels floating up into heaven4 ,a sudden halo blazed around the head of ,jesus4 ,i reached out my arms to him with wonder and delight1 fell back and expired with a smile upon my lips4 ,yes6 ,i was dead3 and1 wonder of wonders6 ,i live again1 to describe my sensations1 and to inform my fellow-men what ,i saw and heard behind the veil which separates the two worlds--that veil which is so thin and yet seems so impenetrable4 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,xiv4 ,,my ,,spiritual ,,body4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,our sleep is an awakening3 our death is a birth2 our burial a resurrection4 ,the slumber of a babe upon its mother's breast1 drawing from her bodily warmth the secret magnetism of life1 is a picture of the true state of every human soul1 leaning unconsciously upon the bosom of ,god at the moment when bereaved friends are exclaiming1 8,he is dead6 he is dead60 ,they called me dead4 ,my sisters and their companions rent their garments and covered their heads with ashes4 ,unconscious of their grief1 ,i passed beyond the shadows of this world1 beyond these voices and sorrows1 into the pure light of a spiritual realm4 ,dead1 indeed6 ,i lived most when ,i seemed to live least4 ,death is nothing but a name for a change of condition4 ,the first thing ,i remember on returning to consciousness1 was a soft strain of distant and ravishing music4 ,i could not open my eyes1 nor did ,i care to do so4 ,it was perfect bliss to lie there in sweet repose1 and listen to those heavenly sounds which came nearer and nearer4 ,i have been asked if there was music in heaven4 ,why1 the least motion of the air there is musical4 ,music is to the ear what light is to the eye2 and the sounds of heaven are as sweet as its colors are beautiful4 ,i next became aware of presences about me4 ,how can ,i describe the new sense which informed me of their nearness6 ,i did not see or feel or hear them4 ,i perceived them1 intuitively as it were1 by a holy atmosphere of love and purity and beauty which came with them4 ,so the flowers1 without senses like our own1 when the dark and chilly night is over1 must feel the tremulous waves of light gladdening around them4 ,these invisible1 inaudible attendants were engaged in some office of love about me4 ,what it was ,i did not understand2 but ,i felt as if my body was being drawn out of something1 as a hand is withdrawn from a glove1--although no one seemed to touch me4 ,i entered into a state of exalted and blissful sensations1 totally new to me1 and quite incomprehensible to men still lingering in the flesh4 ,my affections seemed to be concentrated or detained upon pure1 tender1 lovely and holy things1 so that nothing painful or doubtful or sorrowful should stain the shining mirror of the soul4 ,i do not know how long this exquisite state of happiness lasted4 ,it must have been rounded off with a delicious sleep2 for it seemed itself like a sweet and mysterious dream1 when ,i discovered that ,i was wider awake than before1 and surrounded by a different though still delightful and purifying sphere of impressions4 ,from the presences about me ,i seemed to absorb the power of thinking and remembering distinctly4 ,i could not open my eyes1 but ,i seemed to be contemplating a luminous atmosphere1 an infinite variety of splendid and dazzling colors1 a whole universe of light4 ,the ecstasy of ,joy with which1 bewildered and fascinated1 ,i studied this inexpressible chaos of light1 is beyond my power of description4 ,in the midst of it ,i felt that two persons were near me1 one at my head and one at my feet4 ,one of them seemed to bend over me1 and to be reading my face as one reads a book4 ,he then said to the other in a gentle voice3 8,it is good4 ,his last thoughts were about the ,lord40 ,i pondered these words and asked myself whether ,i was dead or dreaming or in a trance4 ,my invisible friend then passed his hands several times gently over my face4 ,he next drew a fine film from my eyelids and breathed upon my forehead4 ,i instantly recovered my sight and looked around me4 ,there were two men before me with beautiful and noble faces1 and clad in robes of shining linen4 ,i could not remove my eyes from them1 there was something so inexpressibly tender and brotherly in their looks and motions4 8,you are in the world of spirits1 my brother10 said one of them with ineffable sweetness4 8,be not afraid1 but rejoice6 ,the world of spirits is the vast realm betwixt earth and heaven into which all men come when they are first raised from the dead40 8,raised from the dead80 said ,i1 in extreme bewilderment4 8,yes--you have been raised from the dead4 ,you have left the earth upon which you were born2 you have left your natural body1 which your friends will bury in the ground2 you are now in a spiritual body and a spiritual state of existence40 ,i looked at myself and looked around me4 8,i cannot understand it10 said ,i1 sorely puzzled4 8,you are certainly strangers to me1 and you look so unlike any of the men ,i have ever seen1 that ,i can readily believe you are angels4 ,nor do ,i see my beloved sisters1 ,martha and ,mary1 who1 ,i know1 would not leave my bedside for a moment4 ,but this body is the same body ,i have always had2 this is the room in which ,i have been sick so long2 and looking out of that window1 ,i see the ,mount of ,olives and the familiar sky of ,judea4 ,explain how this can be40 ,they looked at each other smiling1 and one of them replied3 8,the last impressions made upon the mind linger a while after death2 so that the transition from natural to spiritual life may not be too sudden1 and the sensation of personal identity may be fully preserved4 ,this will change to you presently4 ,we do not see the room that you see1 nor the ,mount of ,olives1 nor the ,judean sky4 ,these will all vanish from your sight after a little1 and you will find yourself differently clad and moving about among novel and beautiful scenes40 8,but10--said ,i1 incredulously1--8but this body of flesh and blood1 in which ,i live1 move and think1 how came it here80 8,that body of flesh and blood you have left behind you4 ,the soul is a spiritual substance organized in the shape of its natural body4 ,the natural body resembles the spiritual as a glove resembles the hand contained within it4 ,you have dropped the glove4 ,you see the naked hand40 8,our mission10 he continued1 8is now ended1 and another takes our place4 ,we assist in the resurrection40 ,they made a motion of departure1 but ,i seized one of them by the hand4 8,oh stay60 said ,i1 8do not go4 ,your words interest me beyond measure4 ,i would learn more of the heavenly life4 ,pardon my incredulity1 pity my ignorance40 8,one approaches10 said he1 8who is much nearer and dearer to you than we4 ,relatives delight to render to relatives these charming offices of comfort and instruction4 ,he comes60 8,who80 ,i exclaimed1 eagerly4 8,your father60 ,i looked in the direction indicated by the angel's face4 ,out of the darkness--which appeared to me and not to the angels1 for it proceeded from my own mind and not from theirs--out of the darkness slowly loomed up a human figure4 ,it brightened as it advanced4 ,then there stood before me a young man of radiant beauty1 clad in a tissue of shining purple4 ,his face was full of eager expectation1 sparkling with love and joy4 ,while ,i was gazing at this form1 which seemed to me a beautiful apparition1 the other angels disappeared4 8,my son6 my son60 exclaimed the shining visitor in a voice of touching sweetness1 and which seemed in some way remotely familiar4 8,do you not know me80 ,i was silent and troubled1 for there was not the faintest resemblance between the splendid being who stood before me and the poor father ,i had buried in the wilderness4 8,i am permitted for your sake10 said he1 8to return back into the mental states of my earth-life and to resume its forms4 ,this is one of the wonders of the spiritual world1 but one which you will frequently see and soon understand4 ,look steadfastly at the changes ,i shall undergo1 and you will believe40 ,the light about him began to fade4 ,the purple tissue darkened2 his face grew pale2 the lustre passed from his hair4 ,his features gradually changed1 becoming less and less beautiful1 less and less youthful4 ,wrinkles appeared2 his cheeks became haggard2 his eyes sunken and sad2 his head bowed and bare2 his beard gray4 ,unsightly scars came upon his forehead2 and when he held up his withered hands1 from which two or three fingers had dropped1 ,i knew the poor old leper whom the cruel law had driven into the wilderness4 8,my father6 my father60 ,i exclaimed1 weeping at the sight which recalled so vividly the sorrows long buried in the soul1 8,i am satisfied4 ,return again into the beauty and glory of your heavenly youth4 ,let us forget the past4 ,let me see you as you are60 ,his figure then underwent exactly the reverse series of changes2 and when his angelic form was restored1 ,i fell upon his neck and wept tears of joy4 ,i inquired into the philosophy of the astounding metamorphoses ,i had witnessed4 ,i was taught that spiritual things--states of our affections and thoughts--are not so perishable as natural things2 that they are stored away and preserved2 and that they can be recalled and reproduced with a fac-simile of all the surrounding concomitants and phenomena4 ,a spirit can be made to return into any state of his past life1 when he will repeat his conduct to the least word and motion and incident4 ,thus nothing can be concealed2 the entire past can be re-enacted2 truth discovered and judgment given4 ,it was in accordance with this great spiritual law of changing forms corresponding with the changing states of the soul1 that the disciples beheld ,jesus from such different stand-points4 ,if ,thomas ,didymus could have entered into the spiritual state of the three disciples on the mount1 he would not have seen the ,christ showing the wound in his side and the print of the nails1 but he would have beheld him radiant--in his transfigured glory4 ,it was the varying stand-points or mental states of the disciples1 which give us such different manifestations of the ,unchangeable4 ,i was not1 however1 thinking of these things at that moment4 ,i was contemplating the youth and beauty of my father's spiritual body4 8,i was told10 said ,i1 8that the spiritual body was a fac-simile of the natural body4 ,how comes it that yours is so totally different80 8,when ,i first rose from the dead10 he replied1 8,i seemed to myself to be in the same leprous body that ,i had in the wilderness2 and like all men ,i found some difficulty in realizing the fact that ,i was living in a different world4 ,the spiritual body or external form of the soul1 changes rapidly according to the changes of its internal form1 which is composed of affections and thoughts4 ,in proportion as these are purified from the evil and false things imbibed during the natural life1 the body is freed from its imperfections1 its feebleness and its want of symmetry40 8,and why do you look so young80 ,i inquired4 8,time10 said he1 8does not belong to the spiritual world4 ,we have no computations here by months and years2 no revolution of suns and planets1 which produce day and night and the changing seasons of the world4 ,our external surroundings1 what you would call our visible nature1 are the immediate outgrowth of our own spiritual states4 ,the exterior changes continually with the interior4 ,all in heaven are therefore young and beautiful1 because their soul-life is good and pure1 and is fitly represented by youth and beauty40 ,my father then questioned me about the dear ones ,i had left behind4 ,he manifested the deepest and tenderest sympathy in all that had happened to us since his departure from the world4 ,he had heard of us frequently from new-comers into the world of spirits4 ,we do not cease to love our earthly friends after death4 ,but in the heavenly life there is such a thorough1 soul-satisfying trust in the wise and merciful guidance of ,divine ,providence1 that fears1 doubts and anxieties about our absent loved ones1 are utterly impossible4 8,and my mother80 ,i inquired in turn1--8my mother and my little brother ,samuel1 where are they80 8,in heaven10 said he1 8where you shall see them1 but not now4 ,you will undergo sundry preparations of state1 inexplicable to you at present1 by which you will be fitted for the ascent into their resplendent abodes40 ,the angel who assisted in my resurrection was right4 ,the objects which surrounded me at my death1 and which lingered a while on my mental vision1 had faded away4 ,i found myself in a strange but beautiful world1 the forms of which were similar to ours1 but the laws which governed their appearance and disappearance very different4 ,i must confess that ,i was supremely astonished to find myself living1 feeling1 thinking1 precisely as ,i did before my death4 ,my mind indeed seemed more active1 more penetrating than ever4 ,my body had a buoyancy1 a strength1 a healthfulness pervading it1 which were accompanied by a sense of intense pleasure4 ,but it still seemed the same body in which ,i had previously lived2 and ,i could scarcely comprehend my father when he told me that my sisters and friends were making preparations to bury my earthly form4 8,oh that ,i could look down upon them10 said ,i1 8could speak to them1 could show them my true self1 and lift their souls out of the fearful shadow of the tomb6 ,why is it not granted us to cheer the hearts and illumine the minds of those who are sorrowing so vainly over our cold dust80 8,they would not believe you1 my son1 if it were permitted4 ,they would call your manifestation to them a vision1 a hallucination1 a dream4 ,they are in such bondage to sensuous appearances1 and to reasonings based upon them1 that nothing but death will break their chains4 ,it will take generations1 ages1 centuries1 cycles of natural time to render higher thought on that subject possible4 ,new civilizations1 new churches1 new revelations must arise before mankind can be delivered from this terrible darkness40 8,and that natural body10 said ,i1 8laid in the grave1 and food for worms1 is not to rise again80 8,why should it80 said my father4 8,who wants it8 ,what use could it subserve8 ,are we not in spiritual bodies clothed with all beauty and perfection8 ,are we not in a spiritual world vastly more beautiful and happy than the natural8 ,why should we return into nature8 into a natural body8 into an envelope of flesh and blood1 however purified and etherealized80 ,these ideas struck me as extremely rational and beautiful4 ,having passed the lowest round of the ladder of being1 why should we reverse the laws of development and descend back to it again8 ,impossible6 ,the natural body was only a vehicle of natural life with its thoughts and emotions4 ,spiritual thoughts and emotions demand a spiritual body1 a spiritual world4 ,let those who choose1 wed themselves to the grave and the worm and the dust and the darkness1 and speak of their friends as sleeping in the cold ground1 and satisfy their hungry souls with the hope of a material resurrection4 ,but their ideas are far1 very far from the truth2 and the minds of men will some day be emancipated from such gross naturalism4 8,imagine10 said my father1 8the consternation of the good spirits1 who are happy in heaven1 at the thought that they must leave it1 divest themselves of their beautiful spiritual bodies1 and return to the natural world with all its painful limitations of time and space1 resuming their old cast-off material bodies1 which had been long since resolved into dust and forgotten60 ,the thought is monstrous6 monstrous6 ,and yet the poor blinded people in the natural world dwell upon it as if there were some special consolation1 some glorious promise in it4 ,incomprehensible freaks of the human spirit6 ,he who preaches a material resurrection1 has made but one feeble step beyond the infidel who preaches none at all4 8,men still in the flesh10 said my father1 8do not know that our spiritual world inhabited by spiritual bodies fulfills all the imperative demands of the soul for a perfect and final resting-place4 ,we have here life and form1 organization and objects1 weight and substance1 sounds and colors all more beautiful and wonderful than those in the natural world4 ,all these things1 invisible1 intangible1 inaudible to men1 are as real and solid to our senses as the earth was to you when you were a man upon it4 8,yet this external world surrounding us is not material and fixed like yours4 ,it is what we call substantial or spiritual4 ,it is plastic to spiritual forces4 ,it changes1 not according to your natural laws1 but according to the changes in our own spirits4 ,this is the key to the great difference which exists between the world you have left and this glorious one in which you are to live for ever4 8,our light here changes4 ,it is day or night with us according to our own spiritual relations to the great ,fountain of life4 ,in one state of mind we are in the city1 in another in the country4 ,certain emotions carry us to the mountain-tops2 others place us among the sands and shells of the sea-shore4 ,in one state of thought we are walking in flower-gardens of ethereal beauty2 in another we are sitting by rivulets which echo the music of our own hearts4 ,thus mountains1 fields1 rivers1 cities1 houses1 animate and inanimate objects come and go1 appear and disappear1 according as they represent or symbolize the interior changes of our spirits40 8,all this10 said ,i1 8is so beautiful that it seems impossible4 ,liberated now from the thraldom of time and space1 ,i understand you2 but ,i doubt whether the most gifted philosopher in ,athens can conceive of a world without time or space2 of a world so phantasmagoric in appearance1 yet said to be so genuine and eternal in reality40 8,our spaces are determined10 said my father1 8by spiritual affinities4 ,similarity of thought and feeling determines presence2 dissimilarity makes distance or absence4 ,when you here direct your thought to any person on the same plane of life1 as we call it1 with yourself1 having at the same time a desire to see him1 that person becomes aware of the fact1 and1 responding to your desire1 is face to face with you at once4 8,let us both10 he continued1 8fix our thoughts intently upon our noble and lovely friend1 ,john1 called the ,baptist1 who was beheaded in prison1 and is performing here a similar office to that which he so well executed on the banks of the ,jordan40 ,we did so2 and in a moment there was a beautiful flash of azure light1 like a great sheet of water reflecting the sun and sky4 8,that10 said my father1 8is the sphere or symbolic appearance which always precedes and announces the coming of the gentle herald of the ,lord40 ,then stood before us the young prophet of the wilderness1 beautified1 etherealized1 glorified beyond conception4 ,he saluted me with brotherly warmth1 and we entered into a long conversation which ,i shall not repeat2 but from which ,i learned a thousand interesting and wonderful things about the spiritual world--things incredible to men in the flesh1 most of whom1 like birds of night1 are satisfied with the darkness of nature4 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,xv4 ,,the ,,world ,,of ,,spirits4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,i was greatly astonished at the nature and importance of that intermediate state of life which ,i have called the world of spirits4 ,although the doctrine of a place of departed spirits1 called ,sheol or ,hades1 is distinctly taught in ,scripture and by tradition1 it seems to have made a very feeble impression on the minds even of the most devout4 ,most men think they will go immediately to heaven or to hell when they die4 ,they are mistaken4 ,the world of spirits receives into its vast bosom the mighty congregation of the dead from all nations and climes4 ,it is the first grand receptacle of the whole human race after death4 ,it is the place of judgment1 special and general4 ,it may be compared to the stomach1 into which all articles of food and drink are collected2 where they are all comminuted1 concussed1 expressed1 decomposed and digested2 and what is found good and nutritive is taken up into the blood and makes a part of the living man2 while the hard1 unwholesome and innutritious portions1 which cannot be dissolved or appropriated1 are cast out of the system as useless or injurious4 ,let not the reader smile at this anatomical metaphor4 ,when he gets an interior view of the human body such as ,i have enjoyed1 he will see that it is an epitome of the universe2 that the mysteries of nature1 the wonders of philosophy and the secrets of heaven are all written upon its organs and tissues4 ,in the present state we are strangely compounded of good and evil1 both hereditary and acquired4 ,he who thinks that all good people on earth are ready1 at death1 to pass at once into heaven without further preparation and instruction1 has formed a mistaken idea of heaven4 ,our life in the world of spirits is a judgment upon ourselves1 an unfolding or unrolling of our true characters1 a revelation of our evils under the best possible circumstances2 where by the assistance and instruction of angelic friends1 our imperfections1 if our ruling love be good1 can be finally removed1 and our souls fitted for that perfect social organization based upon supreme love to ,god and the neighbor1 which men in the flesh cannot understand or even imagine4 8,but10 says some one1 8all that is done for us instantaneously at death by the miraculous power of ,god40 ,god works always by organic and eternal laws4 ,the spirit1 like the body1 grows1 develops1 progresses by definite means4 ,seeds do not expand instantaneously into trees4 ,a diseased tree is not changed in a moment into a healthy one4 ,the soul which attains heaven does so by regular and progressive steps1 many of which 7if there has been a commencement on earth7 are taken in the world of spirits4 ,the idea that miraculous power changes a bad man into a good one1 an impure soul into a pure one1 in a moment of time1 in answer to prayer and faith1 is a childish fallacy disastrous to the life of true religion4 ,the population of this world of spirits is immense4 ,not only the dead from our world are there1 but angelic spirits from heaven and evil spirits from hell all meet on this grand arena of spiritual combat and instruction4 ,in the time of ,christ many generations and centuries of human life were accumulated there2 for evil had become so predominant1 and the spiritual element in man so nearly extinguished1 that few or none could be prepared for heaven4 ,unless1 indeed1 ,god had descended in the human form and executed a great judgment in that world1 casting the evil into hell and revealing a higher dispensation of truth1 mankind would have perished and heaven itself have been threatened with chaos4 ,but all this is myth and mystery to those who have busied themselves only with the historical movements of the natural world1 not even knowing that the world of spirits above and around them had far grander historical movements1--the key and cause of all others4 ,every human being living in the natural world1 is attended by two good and two evil spirits who are living in the intermediate state4 ,i saw the spirits who had accompanied me during my life2 and1 what is singular1 although ,i had never seen them before1 they appeared like old acquaintances and friends whom ,i had known from my youth4 ,let no man suppose that he will rise from the dead into the world of spirits1 and find himself a stranger there1 friendless and alone4 ,it seemed very wonderful to me that this mighty realm of spirits should be so near to men1 secretly connected with them by affections and thoughts1 flowing down into them1 giving them life and power1 and instigating them to good or evil1 and still that the human race should remain ignorant of the stupendous fact--benighted by all kinds of false philosophies and false religions4 8,why10 said ,i to my father1 8are not our earthly friends permitted to see us in this better and brighter sphere1 to converse with us1 and establish social relations with us80 8,they are in natural bodies10 said he1 8and they cannot see our spiritual forms with their natural eyes4 ,their own spiritual eyes would have to be opened before they could see us4 ,the opening of their spiritual senses would bring them into conscious communication with the world of spirits40 8,well10 said ,i1 8so much the better4 ,they would then see all these wonderful things for themselves1 and their doubts would be wholly dissipated40 8,ah6 you know little as yet of the world of spirits4 ,it is full of evil and wicked ones1 who share the bad passions and prompt the sinful deeds of men on earth4 ,if men came1 by the opening of their spiritual senses1 into visible and audible communication with their own attendant evil spirits1 the power of hell on the earth would be immeasurably increased4 ,the power of a wicked companion in the flesh is great2 but the power of an evil spirit enthroned in your bosom1 possessed of your entire memory1 and governing from his more interior stand-point every movement of your brain1 would be fearful indeed60 8,no10 he continued2 8it is the mercy of the ,lord which in the present evil state of the world keeps these two realms of being from a conscious intermingling4 ,the offices and uses of the two worlds are different2 one begins where the other ends4 ,to throw them together would be to produce inextricable confusion1 to destroy free-agency1 to confound good and evil1 to thwart regeneration1 to arrest the judgment1 to close heaven and to open hell4 8,all this can only be made clear to you by a thorough system of religious philosophy1 embracing a true psychology and the organic relations of ,god to the universe1 and of the different parts of it to each other4 ,all these will be the subjects of your delightful study1 and may possibly be revealed to mankind in some far-off futurity1 when men become capable of receiving and utilizing such sublime mysteries4 8,to seek to penetrate the veil which separates the spiritual from the natural realm1 to invite an open intercourse with spirits1 to consult them about earthly affairs1 is one of the terrible crimes denounced and forbidden in ,scripture4 ,it is the secret source of the power and mysteries of magic4 ,to seek such intercourse is perilous to the soul's best welfare4 ,therefore it is that consulting with #8familiar spirits' is forbidden in the ,word4 ,it is forbidden for man's own good40 8,these are new ideas to me10 ,i said1 8and ,i cannot fully comprehend them4 ,how should ,i1 filled as ,i am with fallacies which need exposure and removal6 ,but ,i am appalled1 my dear father1 at the thought that the world of spirits is so full of evil1 and that we enter on a state of fearful explorations1 combats1 temptations and judgments on leaving the natural world40 8,yes1 my son4 ,in heaven only there is rest4 ,there only are perfect peace and order and love4 ,the road to heaven lies through the world of spirits1 through its instructions1 its purifications1 its judgments4 ,the pathway is pleasant and beautiful to the good man2 for at every step he lets fall some hateful thing that clung to him in the past1 and he rises into new light1 new glory1 new joy40 8,you spoke10 said ,i1 8of general judgments occurring in the world of spirits1 as well as the particular judgment of each individual4 ,what do you mean by that80 8,at the end of every church1 every dispensation1 every old order of things1 and at the beginning of a new church1 a new revelation1 a new era1 there is a great judgment executed in the world of spirits4 ,this judgment is effected by the light of divine truth streaming down through the open heavens1 searching people to the core1 revealing their true characters1 separating the evil from the good1 casting the former into hell1 elevating the latter into heaven4 ,it is a destruction and reconstruction of the world of spirits4 ,this stupendous event is described in ,scripture as the great and notable day of the ,lord1 the day of wrath1 the judgment day1 the end of the world4 8,you have come into the world of spirits at a period when you can witness the mighty events foretold by ,isaiah and ,ezekiel4 ,there is a judgment now going on upon the last remains of the ,jewish ,church1 and on all the pagan nations in the world of spirits2 and preparations are being made for the institution of a new and more spiritual church on earth4 ,the ,messiah has come and judgment follows40 8,you astonish me10 ,i exclaimed4 8,the people on earth know nothing of these things4 ,they are expecting a fulfillment of the prophecies in the material world4 ,they expect the ,messiah to come in splendor and power1 to invest the ,jewish people with supreme dominion1 and to wreak his vengeance on all the disobedient and idolatrous40 8,poor blind ones1 led by the blind6 ,they interpret literally what was written in the language of symbols and given to them for spiritual uses40 8,why the necessity of this judgment80 ,i asked4 8,because the church is corrupt and dead2 the priests are drunk with the wine of false doctrine2 the people blind and without a shepherd4 ,therefore iniquity abounds4 ,the flood-gates of hell are opened4 ,the world of spirits is crowded with evil ones1 who prevent the good from ascending to heaven1 and infuse the most direful evils and falsities into men on earth4 ,the prophets are dumb4 ,the magician and the sorcerer are in the ascendant4 8,let me tell you something10 he added in a solemn and subdued tone1 8which1 if you comprehend its full meaning1 would make you tremble with fear4 ,the order of the universe has been so far broken that demons have issued from hell2 and there is a general insurrection of the evil spheres against heaven itself4 ,unless these hells are subdued and these evil ones cast out from the world of spirits1 the people on earth will be obsessed1 soul and body1 by wicked spirits1 human society will be destroyed1 and universal chaos reign40 8,you appall me by your prediction4 ,but my wonder is1 how such dangers can be impending1 and the human race know nothing about it40 8,because they know nothing of spiritual things--nothing of this world of spirits in which are the cause and origin of all things4 ,because they look downward1 and not upward4 ,because they have eyes and see not2 ears and hear not4 ,because they have perverted and nullified the ,word of ,god by a sensuous interpretation of its meaning40 8,alas6 then10 said ,i1 8how can the lost order be restored and the world saved80 8,by one arm alone2 that of the ,creator1 the ,supreme ,being1 the ,lord40 8,oh10 said ,i1 8this ,being of supreme power created man in his supreme wisdom1 gave him angelic attendants1 a written ,law1 an established ,church--and behold the result6 ,what new influences can ,he bring to bear upon his fallen and doomed creatures80 8,listen4 ,he has clothed ,himself with clouds and come down to us--to men on the earth4 ,as the sun clothes his consuming rays with an atmosphere of vapor1 which moderates them and accommodates them to the states of man and beast1 so has ,god clothed himself in a finite human form and thus come down to his creatures4 ,he is now engaged in spiritual combats with all these evil spheres4 ,he is casting these lions of wickedness into their dens and shutting their mouths4 ,he will purge and purify the world of spirits1 deliver heaven from the assaults of the wicked1 lift the great shadow of chaos from the world1 restore man to his free agency and make him hereafter capable of a higher and more spiritual life4 ,god is1 henceforth1 in the eyes of his children1 not an invisible ,spirit1 but a ,divine ,man40 8,these are mysteries and dreams to my understanding4 ,i cannot comprehend how the ,supreme ,being1 infinite1 omnipotent1 omnipresent1 can assume a human body and live like one of us40 8,it shall be made clearer to you4 ,you shall see ,him4 ,indeed you have seen ,him1 but you did not know ,him4 ,you shall see ,him again--and know ,him40 8,i shall see the living ,god80 said ,i1 in a state of solemn trepidation4 8,yes0--said ,john the ,baptist1 who accompanied us--8you shall see ,him4 ,i have surrounded you1 by divine permission1 with an atmosphere which will enable you without pain to endure his coming40 ,i cannot convey to mortals an adequate idea of the sense of awe which crept over me at these words4 ,my knees smote together2 my hands dropped2 my heart trembled2 my brain reeled at the thought of standing face to face with the living ,god6 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,christ ,,above ,,nature4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,i now approach a subject so sublime and awe-inspiring1 that it is necessary for us1 like ,moses before the burning bush1 to take off our shoes from our feet2 for the place is holy ground4 ,let not the scoffer or unbeliever suppose that a stronger mind1 a firmer reason1 a clearer light1 are the cause of his incredulity4 ,he will disbelieve and repudiate what ,i am about to narrate1 only because1 in the progress of development1 his own spirit has not yet reached that stage when he can comprehend and receive the most beautiful and holy truths4 ,we had been walking in an easterly direction during the latter part of our conversation4 ,suddenly there appeared before us a vast golden-colored sheet or blaze of light in the east4 ,it was exceedingly brilliant1 but at the same time inexpressibly soft and beautiful4 ,in the centre of this great luminous field there was a snowy dove with outspread wings1 bearing an olive branch in her mouth4 8,the sphere of the ,lord in the world of spirits60 exclaimed my companions in a breath2 and they knelt with bowed heads and reverent faces at the approach of the resplendent symbol4 8,this was the sphere which ,i saw10 said ,john1 8at the baptism of ,jesus4 ,my spiritual senses were partly opened1 and this golden light which surrounds the ,lord1 appeared to encompass his natural body2 and the dove1 which represents the ,holy ,spirit of love and peace1 rested upon ,him2 while a revelation was made to me1 that this man whom ,i had baptized1 was truly the ,son of ,god40 ,i scarcely heard these words1 nor did ,i understand them2 for my mind was in a state of great agitation4 ,i had never been pious3 ,i was scarcely even religious in an external sense4 ,i knew little or nothing of conviction of sin1 penitence or repentance4 ,i was1 therefore1 amazed at the new sensations ,i experienced4 ,there was a painful sense of my own unregenerate condition2 a terrible self-reproach1 self-loathing1 self-abasement2 and with tears of contrition and humility ,i prostrated myself on my face4 ,it was the sphere of the ,lord1 the light of heaven1 the ,spirit of ,god penetrating my soul and revealing me to myself4 ,my father now raised me from the ground1 and fell upon my neck weeping4 8,be not astonished10 he said4 8,these are tears of joy6 ,you have been tested by the divine light4 ,there are remains of goodness and truth in your soul4 ,you will be saved4 ,heaven is yours40 ,this was more incomprehensible to me than anything yet1 but ,i said nothing2 for a sweet calm overspread my senses1 and ,i became aware of the proximity of holy and august presences4 ,i looked around me4 ,i saw a great multitude of good spirits before us4 ,all faces were directed to a group of figures which occupied a little knoll in their midst4 ,in the centre of that group1 ,i recognized ,jesus of ,nazareth6 ,his face shone as the sun1 and his raiment was white as the light4 ,dazzling as his form appeared1 his features were perfectly familiar1 but etherealized and glorified1 ,moses and ,elijah stood by him1 one on his right hand and the other on his left4 ,i recognized them at once2 for every ,jew has seen the statues and pictures of those national worthies4 ,notwithstanding all that ,john the ,baptist and my father had said1 my obtuse understanding had not yet grasped the idea1 that ,jesus ,christ was the ,messiah--the ,supreme ,being4 8,has ,jesus of ,nazareth died also10 ,i inquired1 8and been raised like myself from the natural into the spiritual world80 8,oh no60 said ,john1 smiling sweetly at my bewilderment4 8,he exists in both worlds1 in all worlds1 at the same time40 8,you speak enigmas10 said ,i2 8interpret them40 8,whom do you suppose this ,jesus to be80 inquired ,john1 earnestly4 8,some great prophet of ,god sent to perform miracles in ,judea1 and to preach a new gospel of peace and love40 8,jesus1 the anointed ,one1 is ,god himself10 said ,john1 with deep solemnity4 ,i answered nothing1 for my mind was blank with astonishment4 ,i gazed at the shining form with solemn awe4 ,i now observed that ,jesus was speaking or preaching to the multitude around him4 ,i did not1 however1 hear a word he said4 8,these are good spirits10 said ,john1 in explanation1 8whom the ,lord has liberated from the bondage of the evil spirits who infest this intermediate state4 ,he is teaching them the spiritual truths adapted to their new condition1 which correspond to the truths he is simultaneously teaching his disciples on earth4 8,you are not permitted to hear what he says1 because the fallacies of your natural life have not been sufficiently removed2 and your mind would pervert his divine truths1 or change them into the opposite falsities4 ,you will be instructed in due season1 and all things necessary to your life and happiness will be given you4 8,in the mean time10 he continued1 8let us be seated under this beautiful tree1 whose boughs make mysterious music1 while ,i endeavor to bring it clearly to your mind that ,jesus is ,god2 for without an acknowledgment of his supreme divinity1 no genuine spiritual truth can be received4 ,the idea of ,god is a fundamental idea2 and every one's state depends upon it or is determined by it4 ,if that be false all is false2 the mind is a dark chamber full of motes and cobwebs4 8,did not the ,jews stone ,jesus for affirming his equality and identity with ,god8 ,did not ,jesus declare his pre-existence in saying that before ,abraham lived1 he lived8 ,did he not teach his omnipotence1 his infinity1 when he claimed to be one with the ,father1 and told his disciples that whoever had seen him1 had seen the ,father8 ,is not his name ,immanuel--#8,god with us8'0 8,yes40 8,did not the prophets affirm that the ,messiah who was to be born of a virgin1 and to redeem ,israel in the form of a man1 was really the mighty ,counselor1 the ,prince of ,peace1 the everlasting ,father1 ,jehovah8 ,did they not repeatedly mention the ,holy ,one of ,israel1 the ,messiah that was to come1 under such titles as #8the ,lord of hosts1' #8the ,god of the whole earth1' and other names applicable only to the ,supreme ,being80 8,true40 8,why then should you be astonished that ,god is present in both worlds at the same time8 ,is ,he not omnipresent8 ubiquitous8 ,unlimited by time or space1 does ,he not manifest ,himself to his creatures in all times and in all places8 ,can ,he not1 if ,he will1 appear simultaneously to all created intelligences in all the natural and spiritual spheres ,he has created8 8,this ,jesus1 the ,messiah1 is everywhere4 ,if you ascend into the heaven next above us1 on fitting occasions you would see ,him there in a more glorified form4 ,if you mount still higher1 you will only be coming nearer to ,him1 and behold ,him in still more transcendent glory4 ,sometimes ,he appears to the angels as a ,divine ,man standing in the sun of the spiritual world4 ,it was this truth1 transmitted by tradition to the ancient people of ,asia1 which gave rise 7as they fell into naturalism7 to the worship of the natural sun and the adoration of fire40 ,at these words ,i seemed to see my good and generous uncle ,beltrezzor bowing his head reverently to the great luminary1 from which the celestial face of ,jesus looked down1 smiling benediction upon the childlike old man4 8,what you tell me10 said ,i1 8of ,christ1 is so strange that at first sight it appears incomprehensible4 ,i perceive1 indeed1 that if ,jesus be the supreme ,god of the universe1 ,he may be seen simultaneously from every stand-point in the spiritual world1 in every sphere1 in every society1 and by every individual soul1 and everywhere take on a form accommodated to the spiritual states of those who behold ,him4 ,the difficulty in my mind lies in identifying the man ,jesus whom ,i knew in ,bethany1 with this sublime resemblance of ,him that ,i see in the world of spirits2 and in comprehending that they are one person leading a simultaneous life in two spheres2 and1 finally1 that this one person is the ,supreme ,god4 8,my difficulty is increased when ,i remember that ,jesus in his earth-life is accustomed to call himself the ,son of ,god4 ,although he said plainly that he and the ,father were one1 yet he sometimes speaks of the ,father as greater than himself3 of praying to the ,father for his disciples2 and of ascending to the ,father on the consummation of his work40 8,he has certainly left the impression upon his hearers that there are two persons in the ,godhead2 one higher1 superior1 interior2 the other1 a man among men2 and that between these two there is some mystical union incomprehensible to the human mind40 8,most of his disciples accept this idea blindly1 as a holy mystery4 ,persons of philosophic culture1 who have studied ,jesus as a phenomenon1 regard him as a ,son of ,god1 or rather an emanation from ,god1 in the same sense that ,brahma1 ,osiris1 ,zoroaster1 ,moses1 and ,plato1 are sons of ,god1 or manifestations of divine truth4 ,the mystical union between ,father and ,son is supposed to be an incorporation of the soul of man1 by a life of obedience and goodness1 with the essential ,divine nature from which as a parent it was derived4 8,in estimating the difference10 said ,john1 8between ,jesus and other teachers of divine truth1 the fact of deepest significance is1 that he was born of a virgin4 ,the soul of man is derived from his father4 ,jesus ,christ had no earthly father2 therefore1 as to his inmost he was different from all other men4 ,he was not some angelic form returning into the flesh1 or let down from heaven into it2 for that is impossible4 ,and if it were so1 his claims to omnipotence1 infinity1 eternity1 the ,godhead1 would be preposterous4 ,no3 the soul of ,jesus ,christ was not introduced into his earthly body through the agency or intermediation of any created intelligence4 ,his soul is the ,divine ,life1 the ,supreme ,spirit4 8,seen from this earthly side1 ,jesus has no father4 ,seen from the spiritual side1 he is the ,father4 ,spirits and angels know ,him only as the ,father4 ,they have never heard the term ,son1 in the earthly sense1 applied to ,him4 ,there is no ,father beyond him or above him4 ,here he never prays to the ,father4 ,here he is himself recognized as the ,father1 ,jehovah1 the ,i ,,am4 8,the term ,son of ,god is used in accommodation to the sensuous states of the natural mind4 ,it is peculiar to the earth-life1 and cannot rise above the plane which separates the spiritual from the natural4 ,it is only the human natural mind1 divorcing the spiritual from the natural1 that sees ,god in a double form1 calling ,him when invisible1 the ,father1 and when visible1 the ,son40 8,these things are wonderful10 said ,i2 8but how to explain them to men1 who cannot think spiritually1 however much they may think about spiritual things80 8,there is another and profounder reason10 continued my instructor1 8why ,jesus speaks of himself on earth as the ,son of ,god1 and so frequently prays to an invisible ,father4 ,by subjecting himself in a finite form to the limitations of time and space1 he subjects his own spiritual consciousness1 so far as it is united1 to obscuration4 ,in his human body he thinks and feels as a finite being1 the ,son2 while at the same moment in his spiritual form here ,he thinks and feels as the ,divine ,wisdom itself4 8,the grand purpose of the incarnation was1 to assume a human form in which he could be tempted as we are1 in which he could be assaulted by evil spirits and devils2 in which he could conquer death1 hell and the grave1 and become the ,mediator1 the ,way1 the ,life and the ,resurrection4 ,the infestations of evil ones obscure his mental vision and take away from him at times his perception of identity with the ,father4 ,thus he has two earthly states of life1 one of glorification or spiritual insight1 when he feels conscious of his ,fatherhood2 and one of humiliation1 when he is sorely tempted and tried1 and when he lifts his heart in prayer to that ,fountain of love and light which is the centre of his own infinite bosom40 8,these things amaze me10 said ,i1 8beyond expression4 ,nor do ,i believe that any human being has any true conception of the character of ,jesus1 of the mission he is filling1 or of his plan of redemption4 ,certainly none of the thoughts you have communicated to me have ever dawned on the minds of his disciples40 8,nor is it probable10 said ,john1 8that mankind will be prepared1 for many centuries1 to understand what can only be comprehended from a spiritual stand-point4 ,the least portion of the work of ,jesus is apparent to men in the world4 ,the sublime and far more difficult portion is wholly invisible to them1 as it occurs here in the world of spirits which is not open to their perception40 ,my angelic friend was about giving me further light on this lofty theme1 when ,jesus and the happy multitude that surrounded him seemed to approach nearer to us4 ,my reader--if this manuscript ever finds a reader--may wonder why ,i did not approach the ,divine ,man and speak to him1 after ,i had discovered that my earthly friend was the ,supreme ,being manifested in the human form4 ,ah6 they know nothing of the sphere of the ,lord6 ,i could not even lift up my eyes to his feet4 ,i was overwhelmed with wonder and awe4 ,had not so many other spirits been present to engage my attention1 to divert my thoughts and to impart courage and life to me1 ,i should have swooned and fallen4 ,oppressed by the heavenly sphere1 whose nearer approach ,i was not prepared for1 ,i seized my father by the hand and he led me away4 ,the scene faded behind us2 and we went down into a little green valley filled with small white flowers and watered by a little brook4 ,there ,i was freed from the terrible sense of oppression1 and recovered my composure4 ,we sat down in this valley of humiliation1 where the small white flowers were the innocent thoughts of the new life1 and the musical voice of the brook was a hymn of contrition4 8,o my father60 said ,i1 8is it always thus in the spiritual world1 that the divine sphere of ,jesus agitates the mind and pains the heart1 so as to almost suffocate the life within us80 8,when the sphere of heaven approaches those who are in evil and falsity10 answered my father1 8it occasions intense pain in their interiors1 and they cry out2 #8,why art thou come hither1 ,o ,christ6 to torment us8' ,such is the judgment3 and the wicked call upon the mountains and the rocks to hide them from the wrath of ,god40 ,the wrath of ,god6 monstrous conception6 ,it is the gentle breath of the ,divine ,love which is converted into a burning fire when it enters the perverted and corrupt forms of their own souls6 8,the same sphere of divine light approaching those who have some remnants of good and truth1 and who can be saved1 produces a profound self-abasement1 a trembling contrition1 a suffocation of the old life with all its wicked desires1 and an inexpressible longing for a new life of purity1 peace and love40 ,i now understood it all4 ,i felt the self-abasement1 the contrition1 the inexpressible longing4 ,the sun had already disappeared4 ,the sun of the spiritual world does not rise and set like ours2 but it brightens or pales in appearance with the changing states of the spirit4 ,then shone out innumerable stars in a blue dome1 like the friendly faces of cherubim and seraphim smiling on us4 ,at length the wearied new-comer into the spiritual world passed into that mysterious realm of profoundest sleep1 which is common to all worlds1 and in which the unconscious soul is alone with ,god4 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,xvii4 ,,judgment ,,of ,,the ,,jews4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,when ,i awoke1 the sun was shining through a golden mist3 the dew glittered like a rainbow fallen upon the grass and flowers3 the air was full of sweet odors and the voices of birds3 a strange warmth and vigor pervaded my body1 and a delightful activity reigned in my soul4 8,come10 said my father1 8the first awakening thought should be always a prayer40 ,he then repeated those beautiful words by which ,jesus taught his disciples to pray4 ,i will not describe the spiritual phenomena which attended this prayer4 ,the multitude of ideas and influxes and perceptions which were crowded into every sentence1 would be incomprehensible to men4 ,it seemed to be an epitome of the universe1 and to bring the soul into loving contact with all the spheres of the divine creation4 8,has ,jesus taught that prayer in the world of spirits also80 ,i inquired4 8,yes4 ,this prayer is the universal prayer which binds the heavens and all the angels together4 ,it is the holiest thing of religion4 ,it descends from ,god to angels and men2 and blessed is he who receives it into his heart6 8,we are now ready10 continued my father1 8by the divine permission and under the divine protection1 to explore some of the evil spheres which have congregated in the world of spirits1 and which infuse their deadly poisons into men in the world4 ,you will then understand a part of the great work which ,christ is performing in this intermediate state40 ,thereupon he examined my face1 head and hands with the utmost minuteness4 ,a man's whole life is written upon these2 and angels1 having a perfect knowledge of correspondences1 the key of symbolism1 can read from them your whole history as from a book4 8,i perceived10 said he1 8that in your earth-life you have been brought into contact with the corrupt sphere of the ,jewish ,church1 with the sensuousness of ,grecian art and philosophy1 with the splendors of ,roman ambition1 and with the ancient and subtle power of ,egyptian magic4 ,you have seen these things on the natural or earthly side4 ,i will show them to you on the spiritual and interior side1 so that you may comprehend the dreadful condition of the human race1 and see the necessity of the ,divine incarnation40 ,the geography1 if we may use the expression1 of the world of spirits is ever changing4 ,the ,church of the ,lord1 meaning those who come from the world and possess a divine revelation1 always occupies the centre2 other nations with different religions are arranged in successive zones around it2 the farthest off in the circumference being those pagans who have received the least portion of the divine light and life4 8,behold the mutations of the world10 said my father4 8,those remotest people1 away off in the darkness and cold of the circumference1 were once the chosen people of ,god1 his church1 occupying the centre1 immediately under the down-falling rays of the ,divine ,sun4 ,they proved faithless to their trust4 ,they became so evil that a terrible spiritual catastrophe overwhelmed them1 described as a flood1--for they were engulfed in a flood of falsities4 ,they were the antediluvians1 of celestial genius1 the most richly endowed1 the most beautiful of all2 and now their descendants1 the most hideous and debased1 are the black and bronzed barbarians and savages of the world40 8,we are accustomed to think10 said ,i1 8that those lower types of mankind are the last created1 and therefore the least perfect40 8,no6 they are the descendants of the first created and most perfect4 ,they are not imperfect but degraded types4 ,imperfect types would progress upward and onward by natural law4 ,these barbarians of ,africa will never make the least advance until new causes which do not now exist1 are put in operation4 ,this great mystery of the ,divine ,providence will not be solved for many1 many ages to come4 8,after the destruction of that antediluvian church1 another succeeded1 possessing a written ,word1 a splendid ceremonial and boundless treasures of spiritual wisdom4 ,they also forfeited their birth-right and betrayed their trust4 ,their judgment occurred in this world of spirits when ,sodom and ,gomorrah were destroyed by fire4 ,abraham and his family were the remnant saved from that church for the beginning of a new1 as ,noah and his family had been the remnant saved from the preceding4 8,the descendants of this lost church compose chiefly the nationalities of ,asia4 ,they have remained for ages and will remain for ages to come in a stationary1 semi-petrified condition1 possessing no genuine truth1 no vital religion1 no element of progress2 but living upon fables and myths which are the fragments of spiritual truth1 whose interior light has long been lost to their understandings4 8,for many centuries now of natural time1 the ,jewish ,church has held the centre of the world of spirits4 ,it also has become thoroughly corrupt1 and is about to be removed to the circumference4 ,its great judgment is impending2 its destruction approaches2 but of this1 that church itself is profoundly ignorant40 ,during this conversation we had ascended by insensible degrees to the summit of a high mountain4 ,i was astonished at the splendid panorama spread out beneath us4 ,it was the whole land of ,canaan1 from the ,jordan on the east to the borders of ,philistia on the west2 from ,damascus and ,antioch gleaming away to the north1 down to the great desert that frowned along the southern boundary4 ,immediately beneath us was a city of ,jerusalem1 ten times as large as our earthly capital2 and a holy temple of corresponding proportions1 all transcending in glory and grandeur anything ever seen on earth4 8,behold10 said my father1 8the creation of spiritual fantasy1 the imaginary heaven of the ,jews1 which will pass away like a scroll at the breath of the ,lord when ,he comes in judgment upon them4 8,you seem astonished10 he continued1 8that spirits should reproduce around themselves these spiritual semblances of the cities and countries they have left behind4 ,nothing is more simple and rational4 ,these people are gross and sensual in their nature1 with little or nothing of the celestial or spiritual about them4 ,they loved material things exclusively2 their thoughts never rose above outward1 civil1 and political affairs4 ,here their interior life is reproduced in exteriors4 ,therefore they create around themselves their old homes1 cities1 and countries2 and re-enact1 as far as possible1 their earthly life1 because all their affections and thoughts are earthly40 8,this mountain10 said ,i1 8upon which we are standing puzzles me2 for there is no similar elevation in the neighborhood of ,jerusalem40 8,this mountain10 answered my father1 8is symbolical of the lofty state of spiritual pride and presumption in which the ,jewish ,church now is--a state of self-glorification which precedes its judgment and final destruction4 ,it is only from this height1 corresponding to their own spiritual state1 that you can see the holy city and temple as they appear to them4 8,is it strange that a people1 so gross1 so unspiritual1 so near their extinction as a church1 should be so inflated with spiritual and theological conceit8 ,they appear in their own eyes to have the most glorious city1 the most holy church1 and the most august ceremonials that ever existed2 accounting all others unfit for heaven and unworthy of the ,divine favor4 8,it was on the pinnacle of that colossal temple which you now see1 that the evil spirit placed ,jesus1 and attempted to infuse into his heart the arrogant self-glorification of the corrupt priesthood1 which imagines itself the special care of all the angels of heaven40 8,we had always supposed that that temptation occurred on the temple in ,jerusalem40 8,oh1 no60 said my father1 8the temptations of the ,lord always occur in the world of spirits4 ,evil spirits do not move around upon the temples and mountain-tops of the natural world4 ,the ,lord's spiritual senses were opened into this world1 which is the scene of his trials1 his temptations1 his combats with hell2 and will be the scene of his final glorification and ascension40 8,these ideas are all new to me10 ,i said1 8but very rational40 8,you will now see10 my father continued1 8how this imaginary heaven of the ,jews1 with its proud and worldly magnates1 appears in the genuine light of heaven4 ,an invisible angel accompanies us1 who is commissioned to let in the heavenly light upon these scenes1 to show you the internal and real character of this church40 ,thereupon a ray of white light seemed to shoot down from the zenith4 ,a black cloud immediately arose from the ,salt ,sea1 and spread itself like a canopy over the whole land4 ,fearful thunderings and red lightnings issued from the bosom of this terrible cloud4 ,the whole country around became a desolation--a dreary waste full of stone-heaps and pitfalls4 ,the holy city sank into the earth2 and in its place there rose a great lake1 black as a mountain tarn unruffled by the wind4 ,floating in the midst of it was the gorgeous temple converted into a huge wooden house or ,noah's ark1 from the innumerable windows of which looked out the hideous faces of wild beasts and the heads of enormous serpents4 ,i was at first terrified at these sights2 but my father observed3 8,this is a representation1 a pictorial prophecy of a reality yet to come1 before ,christ has finished his conquering work in the world of spirits4 ,these people do not see the things we see4 ,this heavenly light has come into our minds that we may discover what their interior life really is1--devoid of all spiritual vitality2 desolate1 dark1 lurid2 full of evil beasts and unclean birds and creeping things40 ,this sphere of ecclesiastical pride and presumption is not peculiar to the ,jewish ,church or nation4 ,it is predominant in all religions1 churches and individuals1 when the religious instincts are satisfied and delighted with grandeur1 power1 numbers1 fashion1 wealth and glory4 8,what will be the effect10 ,i inquired1 8of this disastrous judgment in the world of spirits1 upon the ,jewish nation in the natural world80 8,there will be fearful dissensions and conflicts2 wars within and without2 the city and the temple will be destroyed2 the country made desolate2 the people scattered as exiles and vagabonds among all nations4 ,their descendants1 coming into the world of spirits1 will recede toward the circumference among the pagans4 ,a new church springing up among other nations1 will take the central place1 and give rise upon earth1 after great struggles1 to a purer religion and a nobler civilization4 8,you will now see1 in symbolic representation1 the three great classes into which the ,church will be dissolved at its judgment40 ,then there appeared before us a great many domestic animals2 oxen1 horses1 asses1 camels1 sheep1 fowls1 etc42 all mingled together in confusion1 and all looking poor1 jaded1 filthy and wretched4 8,these are the beasts of burden10 said my father2 8the ignorant and innocent masses1 presided over by a corrupt and cruel theocracy1 which desecrates the name of ,god by imposing upon his children a spiritual despotism4 8,advance nearer to these creatures1 and you will behold a wonderful sight1 such as can never appear in the natural world1 but is common enough in the world of spirits40 ,we came nearer1 and lo6 all the animals were found to be men and women4 ,some of their forms and faces seemed taken from my memory2 for ,i thought ,i recognized the crowds which followed ,jesus in the world4 8,from these people10 said my father1 8the remnant will be taken--the remnant about which the prophets speak so often4 ,this remnant of ,israel1 starting with the apostles chosen by ,christ1 will be the seed and starting-point of a new ,church4 8,such are the forms of those who are interiorly good4 ,observe now the forms of those who are interiorly wicked40 ,the former scene passed away and three wild beasts appeared standing at the mouth of an immense black cavern1 in front of which many human bones were scattered4 ,the animals were a wild boar1 a wolf and a tiger1 all of gigantic size and terrible ferocity4 ,we advanced nearer to these also1 and they changed into men2 the wild boar into ,caiaphas1 the high priest2 the wolf into the cunning and cruel ,magistus2 and the tiger into the robber ,barabbas4 ,the meaning of this tableaux ,i perceived intuitively without explanation4 8,between these two extremes10 continued my father1 8is a great class who are in mixed states of good and evil4 ,their sufferings will be severe before they can put off either kind of life so as to live entirely in the other2 for a separation of good and evil must be effected1--if not upon earth1 at least in the world of spirits40 ,a sandy wilderness then arose to view1 in which ,i saw but two figures2 a zebra1 wild1 beautiful1 intractable1 snuffing proudly the air of the desert2 and a white dove which was struggling frantically to escape from the jaws of a monstrous serpent4 ,these ,i approached more eagerly2 for ,i was impelled by an earnest desire to caress the beautiful zebra1 and to rescue the dove from the fangs of the serpent4 ,they changed also in the twinkling of an eye4 ,the zebra was our friend the ,son of the ,desert1 and the dove was ,mary ,magdalen4 ,as the latter stepped forward1 a shining and beautiful woman1 the serpent shriveled and fell behind her like a black garment cast upon the ground4 ,as the last picture faded away1 my father resumed his instructions4 8,the scenes you have witnessed are phantasmagoric1 but symbolical and full of spiritual truth4 ,they illustrate the law of appearances which governs in the spiritual world4 ,the phenomenal world around us1 animal1 vegetable and mineral1 is all representative of the life within us2 not by accident or with confusion1 but according to fixed and eternal laws4 8,the sphere of life radiates from a spirit like heat from the sun1 or like perfume from a flower4 ,it flows forth and falls into successive zones or belts of spiritual substance1 in each of which it produces some spiritual form representative of itself4 ,outside of his human sphere1 the life of a spirit takes form in the first zone as an animal1 in the second as a planet or flower1 in the third as a mineral1 a stone1 a drop of water1 a cloud1 a star4 8,the life which animates a wicked spirit becomes a corresponding wild beast in the first zone2 a loathsome fungus in the second2 a poisonous mineral in the third4 ,the sweet spiritual life of a good heart becomes the innocent lamb in one zone2 the beautiful rose in the next2 the brilliant gem in the last4 8,observe1 however1 that each spirit always appears to himself in the human form2 and always so to others when they are near him4 ,he only takes on these typical or correspondential forms in the eyes of others1 when he recedes to or approaches from a distance40 8,what a deep philosophy you are unfolding60 ,i exclaimed4 8,i see already in what you have told me the germs of a thousand brilliant ideas4 ,oh that ,i could teach these beautiful things in the porticoes of ,athens6 ,how they would ravish the ,grecian heart60 8,you are mistaken10 said my father4 8,some simple soul from whom you least expected it1 would accept your doctrines1 weeping for joy4 ,the great1 the rich1 the learned1 the powerful1 would scornfully reject them as fables or dreams40 8,that is strange and sad40 8,yes--but it is true4 ,the mind which is wedded to falsities in religion or philosophy1 is proud1 self-reliant1 self-satisfied1 bigoted and intolerant4 ,the genuine truth which makes the soul free1 makes it also liberal and loving40 8,will the ,jews on earth reject the ,messiah1 proving his mission as he does by stupendous miracles80 8,yes3 miracles avail nothing with the unbelieving4 ,truth is not seen merely because it is truth4 ,no truth is received or seen but that which corresponds to some love in the heart4 ,the hatred which these ,jewish spirits feel for holy things1 will descend by influx into the priests and scribes at ,jerusalem3 and the tender seed of the ,new ,dispensation will be sown in darkness and watered with tears and blood4 8,do not suppose10 added my father1 8that spirits and angels have any special power to foresee the future4 ,oh no6 ,we only live nearer to the ,fountain of causes1 and reason more acutely from cause to effect40 ,i treasured these strange things in my mind1 having only a faint perception of either their truth or value4 ,i was especially surprised at the fact1 that a church could actually come to an end1 a dispensation be spiritually closed and a new one inaugurated1 while the adherents of the old were in the full flush of power and numbers1 and regarded themselves as the favored repositories and faithful interpreters of divine truth6 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,xviii4 ,,imaginary ,,heavens4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,after these things we were taken up another high mountain1 whence we had a view of all the kingdoms in the world of spirits at once4 ,hither it was that ,jesus was carried by the evil spirit who offered him all this power and glory1 if he would fall down and worship him4 ,there is no mountain in the natural world from which such an outlook were possible4 8,this great height10 said my father1 8represents the infernal sphere of self-aggrandizement1 which aspires to universal dominion4 ,it is that ambition which corrodes the heart with envious passion so long as anything remains unconquered4 ,this spirit is common to nations and individuals1 to the greatest and the least4 ,this mountain rears its awful summit in every human breast4 ,this is the spiritual mountain which is to be cast into the sea by faith40 ,looking down1 ,i now beheld a city of ,rome as before ,i had seen a city of ,jerusalem4 ,beautiful1 shadowy pictures of cities1 homes of spirits1 vastly magnified and made glorious with ethereal colors6 ,man cannot imagine the splendid creations which spirits can instantaneously produce from the plastic substance of the spiritual world4 ,these cities and countries1 however1 are peculiar to the intermediate state4 ,they do not exist in heaven4 ,the ,romans risen from the dead had reconstructed their imperial city of precious stones1 so that it always shone from afar as if some grand illumination were going on1 whose splendors were again reflected from the clouds which floated above it4 ,we looked into this marvelous city1 its capital and palaces1 its temples and amphitheatres4 ,the great avenues were crowded with a vast and gorgeous procession4 ,many kings and queens and nobles were walking in chains1 brought as prisoners from so many conquered countries4 ,the treasures of these plundered captives were borne by thousands of slaves of all colors and nationalities1 in massive and curiously-carved vessels of gold and silver4 ,specimens of wild animals from all regions of the ,roman world1 drawn in gilded cages1 and of the more wonderful plants and flowers carried upon the shoulders of men1 and screened from the sun by flaming canopies of silk1 added to the picturesqueness and grandeur of the scene4 ,the ,roman senators1 generals and magnates were seen heading the different divisions of this vast multitude1 riding in blazing chariots drawn by superb horses richly caparisoned4 ,on both sides of the captives marched the victorious armies of ,rome2 so that the very air above them was golden with the flash of helmets1 spears and shields1 and the gleam of ,roman eagles4 ,these were the spirits of that vain-glorious and indomitable race who had changed the geography of the natural world1 and were now celebrating their victories with transcendent magnificence in the intermediate state4 ,the sphere of their interior character was wafted to my spiritual perceptions1 and ,i felt as ,i did in the ,hall of ,apollo when ,hortensius and his guests fixed their haughty and contemptuous gaze upon ,anthony and myself4 8,how unutterably base1 cruel and sensual10 exclaimed my father1 8is the spirit of man when he loves himself supremely1 and overreaches and overrides his fellow-creatures4 ,behold the spiritual side to this magnificent exterior60 ,thereupon the light from a higher sphere streamed down1 and the pomp1 the glory1 the beauty of the whole scene disappeared4 ,we beheld a vast crowd of beggars in filthy rags1 and a confused heap of low buildings made of mud and straw4 ,the proud and fierce ,romans were all slaves themselves1 wearing long chains and driven by infernal spirits in the shape of grinning apes4 ,where the ,capitol had stood1 appeared a pool of blood-colored water1 in which a dragon of hideous dimensions lay1 spouting from his mouth a stream of fire4 ,a lurid twilight hung over all1 prognosticating a wild and tempestuous night4 8,such10 said my father1 8will be the fate of ambition when the ,lord comes in judgment4 ,let us now descend to a lower region1 and see a people greater than these1 but who have sunk into darker depths2 a people now destitute of spiritual pride or civil ambition2 a degenerate1 effeminate1 corrupt race1 dead to all genuine and ennobling aspirations1 and immersed like beasts in the life of the senses40 ,we seemed to go down to the sea-coast--for the blue ocean girdles also the world of spirits4 ,soon we came into the sphere of the ,grecian souls who had risen from the dead1 and who had reconstructed about them1 according to spiritual laws1 their own charming and ethereal country4 ,the scene was not far from ,athens1 whose marble-crowned ,acropolis gleamed in the distance1 with clouds more beautiful than itself floating above it4 ,the poetic faculty1 full of the inspiration of ,grecian art1 can alone appreciate what ,i next witnessed4 ,the ,hall of ,apollo in the palace of ,hortensius was a beggarly chamber in comparison with this great hall of nature in which ,pan presided1 and in which earth1 sky and ocean had each its part4 ,the guests also of the luxurious ,roman were mere schoolboys in comparison with the august assembly before us1 which was gathered to a feast in the imaginary heaven of the ,greeks4 ,we seemed to be standing on a hill that sloped and fell by beautiful green terraces down to the silver beach of a placid sea4 ,the summit of that hill was long1 broad and level1 and crowned with a grove of extraordinary beauty4 ,the trees were far apart1 and rose like emerald columns to a great height before they branched4 ,their foliage was pruned and led by threads of invisible wire to intertwine overhead1 forming a delicate arch for a roof4 ,the ground was carpeted with an inwrought tissue of living flowers1 which yielded elastically to the tread1 sending up continually a delicious perfume4 ,in this immense grove were spread a thousand tables seemingly of solid precious stones1 and crowned with great vases of wine and cups of crystal1 and adorned with ethereal fruits and flowers4 ,at these tables were seated or reclining thousands and thousands of the ancient heroes and heroines of ,greece1 served by thousands of beautiful nymphs1 ,dryads and ,naiads1 who had left the woods and the waters to bestow their charms on these happy souls4 ,the gods and goddesses were also in attendance2 for heaven and earth were thrown together in such admirable confusion that each partook the qualities of the other4 ,the sky and the air were literally full of divinities4 ,on a rose-and-purple cloud condensed into a throne1 and lowered half-way between the ceiling and the floor1 sat ,venus1 crowned with myrtles and presiding at the feast4 ,the ,graces were kneeling at her feet1 while her swans and doves were grouped about her4 ,near by stood ,cupid twanging his bow1 and laughing at the sight of his empty quiver2 for every heart in the crowd had been pierced by one of his golden arrows4 ,looking out to the sea1 we saw ,neptune1 of colossal proportions1 riding in his chariot constructed of shells1 and drawn by horses with brazen hoofs and gilded manes4 ,myriads of sea-nymphs and sea-monsters sported and gamboled about him1 sometimes in the air1 sometimes on the shining surface of the deep4 ,in mid-sky ,apollo in person drove the chariot of the sun1 attended by the ,muses and the flying ,hours4 ,in the west1 ,iris the messenger of ,juno1 planted her rainbow on a passing cloud1 and smiled in colors to the world4 ,afar off1 in the east1 the ,seasons had opened the massive ,gates of ,cloud1 and we had a glimpse of the old ,olympian gods in conclave august1 feasting upon ambrosial food4 ,thousands of these beautiful figures were nude2 and ,i saw the spiritual models which had inspired and immortalized ,grecian art4 ,thousands also were draped1 and with such infinite variety and beauty1 that it seemed no work of human ingenuity1 but as if ,nature herself had invested them with her forms and colors4 8,oh1 my father60 said ,i excitedly1 8surely this is real2 this is heaven4 ,these things will not vanish also1 or change into something hideous and terrible40 ,a shade of sadness came over my father's face2 for he saw that the subtile and powerful sphere of this ,grecian nature-worship had awakened the activities of my own sensuous life4 8,yes1 my son2 these are phantasms4 ,these are wicked ,grecian spirits who are personating their gods and goddesses1 their heroes and heroines4 ,you see before you what wonders spirits can achieve by magic and fantasy4 ,this is the sphere which flows into and governs the present population of ,greece4 ,these spirits would1 if they could1 obsess and control the human race4 ,the interior state of these souls is terrible40 8,o1 do not show it to me yet10 ,i exclaimed4 8,let me contemplate a little longer this marvelous scene40 8,when all these spirits are judged10 continued my father1 8and cast out of the world of spirits1 the ,greece and ,rome of the natural world will become feeble and death-stricken4 ,their oracles will become silent2 their arts will fail2 their glory perish2 their civilization decay4 ,their very languages will die4 ,their exact modes of thought will no more be possible to men4 ,ages of bondage and darkness will ensue1 after the light they have perverted and the liberty they have profaned40 ,i scarcely heard these last words2 for the vast assembly of gods and men1 which had been in comparative repose1 became suddenly animated by a wild excitement4 ,there issued from the cool and leafy forests on all sides a crowd of beautiful nymphs headed by ,diana1 resplendent as a statue of pearl1 clad in an apron of green leaves and flowers1 and with a constellation of fire-flies in her hair4 ,her merry troop of nymphs1 arrayed like herself1 were flying in affected fear from the jolly god ,bacchus1 who appeared in pursuit1 crowned with vine leaves and berries and drawn by his ,indian tigers striped with ebony and gold4 ,he was followed by a rabble rout of ,fauns and ,satyrs and bacchanalian revelers1 male and female4 ,this beautiful chaos threw itself pell-mell1 reeling and whirling and dancing1 shouting and singing1 into the midst of the brilliant assembly4 ,a scene of the wildest carnival followed4 ,the heroes and heroines caught the contagious frenzy1 and soon all were entangled in the embraces of the maddest dance that ever was witnessed4 ,neptune and his water-nymphs sprang high into the air to view the scene2 and all the deities in ,olympus crowded down to the ,gates of ,cloud1 which they illumined afar off by the sun-like radiance of their presence4 ,i was gazing on this scene with the utmost astonishment1 when my eyes fell suddenly upon ,helena1 the beautiful daughter of ,calisthenes4 8,my father10 said ,i1 with profound emotion1 8do you not see that superb figure of a woman more beautiful than all these goddesses1 leaning against yonder tree and clapping her hands with delight at the drunken ,bacchus making love to ,venus8 ,that is ,helena of ,athens6 the dream of my life1 the idol of my soul40 8,not so10 said my father1 8it is a phantasm--a spirit resembling your earthly ,helena2 perhaps some cunning ,syren who has assumed her form to allure you to herself40 8,oh no60 said ,i1 8impossible60 feasting my eyes and heart on the lovely apparition4 8,every one10 continued my monitor1 8fresh from the natural world1 who enters this magical and fantastic sphere1 sees1 or thinks he sees1 some wondrous woman1 whom he declares to be the idol and dream of his soul4 ,beware1 my son1 of these seductive emotions4 ,the light of heaven will dispel for us all these illusions40 8,oh no60 said ,i1 wildly1 8it cannot2 it must not4 ,this1 this1 is heaven1 and all else is illusion40 ,my heart beat with passionate fervor1 and ,i sprang forward to meet my beloved4 ,my father suddenly disappeared from my sight6 ,in the spiritual world1 when two persons enter into totally different states of thought and feeling1 they mutually vanish from each other's sight4 ,heaven and hell are thus separated1 and the existence of each is even unknown to the other4 ,i noticed the fact that my father had vanished2 but ,i cared nothing about it1 for my infatuated soul thought only of ,helena4 ,i advanced toward her4 ,she turned upon me a look of beautiful recognition2 and stretching out her ivory arms1 exclaimed with a sun-burst of her old bewitching smiles3 8,my boy-lover of ,bethany6 welcome6 ,i thought ,i had killed you with love60 8,then love me back into life60 ,i exclaimed4 ,when an appalling change came suddenly over all things4 ,the light of heaven streamed down upon me1 and those other lights were turned into shadows1 the beauty into ugliness1 the joy into horror1 life into death4 ,the deities became phantom skeletons grinning as they fled away into the darkness4 ,the men assumed the forms of filthy swine or goats1 and the women those of writhing vipers4 ,the charming creature into whose delicate arms ,i was about throwing myself1 became a scaly serpent of frightful size4 ,i fell swooning to the ground1 with the terrible sensations of one who is falling headlong from a precipice into the sea4 ,i returned slowly and painfully to consciousness1 like one who has had a long sleep and harassing dreams1 and finds it difficult to pick up the fallen thread of his yesterday's life4 ,i found myself pillowed on a soft green bank in a delicious atmosphere of repose4 ,without opening my eyes ,i reverted to all that had happened1 and a feeling of desolation came over me1 and a sense of deep shame and contrition4 ,what a revelation of the sensual affinities of my own interior nature6 ,what blindness6 ,what madness6 ,alas6 how low had ,i fallen6 ,i was afraid to meet my father and the good ,john4 ,i was wretched4 ,my meditations were interrupted by the voice of some one near me1 singing in low sweet tones1 pervaded by a certain divine sadness1 the beautiful words of ,scripture3 8,rejoice not against me1 ,o mine enemy3 ,when ,i fall ,i shall arise3 ,when ,i sit in darkness ,the ,lord shall be a light unto me40 ,then another voice overhead1 clearer1 more thoughtful1 more musical than the first1 sang sweetly3 8,jehovah upholdeth all that fall1 ,and raiseth up all who are bowed down40 ,thereupon the first voice near me proceeded in the same low sweet tones full of sadness3 8,but as for me1 my feet were almost gone1 ,my steps had well nigh slipped40 ,the higher1 nobler voice continued the heavenly consolations of ,scripture3 8,nevertheless ,i am ever with thee60 ,the voices1 the music1 the refrain1 the holy words of the ,psalmist1 stirred in the tenderest manner the very depths of my soul4 ,i wept4 ,a new faith1 a new hope1 a new divine resolution were born within me4 ,like a singer who has been overcome with emotion1 but dries her tears and resumes her singing1--the sadness overshadowed by a modest courage1--the first voice was heard again3 8,thou hast held me by my right hand1 ,thou shalt guide me by thy counsel1 ,and afterward shalt receive me into glory40 ,then there was a burst of divine music as from a hidden choir of angels1 in which the two voices joined2 and this was the hymn3 8,the ,lord is my ,shepherd2 ,i shall not want3 ,he maketh me to lie down in green pastures2 ,he leadeth me beside the still waters2 ,he restoreth my soul60 ,the strains died softly away1 lingering long on my charmed ear and leaving my heart in a sacred calm4 ,i prayed with intense earnestness3 8,from self-love and the love of the world2 from self-righteousness1 presumption and hypocrisy2 from pride1 ambition and sensuality2 all of which ,i have seen so fearfully unmasked3 8,good ,lord6 deliver me40 ,i opened my eyes1 and my father and the seraph-faced forerunner of ,jesus stood before me4 ,the latter took my hand tenderly in his own1 and said3 8,all the experiences of life1 both in the world of men and in the world of spirits1 are given to teach us the difference between good and evil1 between the true and the false2 to show us the deformity of sin and the beauty of holiness2 to deliver our souls from the bondage of hell1 and lift them into the peace of heaven40 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,xix4 ,,the ,,magicians ,,in ,,hell4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,we had then a long conversation about the mysteries of regeneration or the new birth1 scarcely any of which are known to mankind1 or would be believed if they were revealed4 ,this knowledge is so peculiarly spiritual and angelic that it seems useless for me to say anything about it4 ,if a church on earth ever comprehends these divine arcana1 it will only be when the ,lord sees fit to open his heavens anew1 and to unfold the spiritual meaning of his ,word4 8,you have now seen10 said my father1 8the three great spheres which represent the three degrees of the human mind4 ,that ,jesus ,christ met and resisted the powers of hell in all these spheres1 is shown in his temptations in the wilderness4 ,by conquering these evil spheres in his human form and through his divine power1 ,he is enabled henceforth to deliver all men from similar infestations4 ,this was the great purpose of his incarnation4 ,his temptation will appear to men as an historical event enacted at a certain time and space4 ,to angels it seems a condensed statement of his whole spiritual life1 of his entire redemptive work1 from the assumption of humanity to his final and perfect glorification40 8,who is the devil10 said ,i1 8that was capable of tempting the ,holy ,one so severely80 8,the devil is no single individual1 but the whole combined evil world1 speaking and acting through one medium4 ,you seem surprised2 but nothing is more common in the spiritual world than for a whole society of spirits1 even millions in number1 to think1 feel1 and express themselves simultaneously through one of their number4 8,do you not remember that when ,jesus asked a certain maniac his name1 the devil within him replied3 8#8,my name is ,legion3 for we are many4'0 ,this led to the strange subject of demoniac possession4 ,i told my father that the ,greek philosophers and physicians1 who were considered the profoundest thinkers in the world1 scouted the idea of evil spirits taking possession of men4 ,they attributed all such cases to the effect of physical disease4 8,they know nothing whatever10 said my guide1 8of the relation between spirit and matter4 ,their philosophy of man1 history1 and nature is superficial and false4 ,their boasted light is darkness to our spiritual perceptions1 and their scientific verbiage the merest babble4 8,it is true1 my son1 that devils are continually aspiring to break through from hell into the world of spirits2 and by means of evil spirits in this world1 especially those fresh from the earth1 to possess and govern men in the natural world4 ,if the divine hand were not put forth to arrest this influx of hell into the world of nature1 three centuries would not elapse before all mankind would be imbecile or insane1 and would destroy each other like wild beasts40 8,mankind10 said ,i1 8are totally ignorant of the fearful dangers which hang over them40 8,of course they are4 ,these dangers come from the unseen spiritual side4 ,they know nothing and believe nothing of the unseen40 8,can you tell me anything of the spiritual philosophy of magic80 8,a sphere inconceivably subtle and wicked6 ,it obtained its first foothold in ,egypt ages before the historic period1 and has penetrated thence1 under different forms and names1 into all the countries of the world40 8,we had some painful experiences with it soon after your departure from the natural world2 but my philosophic studies at ,athens led me to suppose that magic was an imposture based upon absurd superstitions40 8,magic1 my son1 is at present a fearful reality4 ,it is the means by which the wicked can summon around them the worst spirits1 and obtain control over man and nature4 ,by its means they can overcome physical obstacles2 can see and hear at incredible distances2 can produce dreams and illusions2 can make one thing appear another2 effect transformations which seem miraculous2 call up the spirits of the dead2 take absolute possession of the fancy and the will2 and control their victim in all his thoughts and actions4 ,they can give wise answers and frequently foretell future events4 ,they can imitate good and heavenly things with such marvelous accuracy1 as to impose themselves as illumined teachers and prophets upon mankind40 8,how could such a fearful thing have originated8 ,whence is its power80 8,from the perversion and profanation of holy things2 from the abuse of the knowledge of correspondence1 which is the secret bond between spirit and matter1 and for that reason is now concealed from mankind4 ,when the sons of ,aaron put strange fire upon the altar of the ,lord1 they were consumed4 ,when the sons of the prophet shred the wild vine into the pot1 there was death in the pottage4 ,that strange fire1 that wild vine is magic4 ,magic is the perversion of truth--the science and the religion of hell40 8,can you foresee the future of this terrible power80 8,yes--so far as we can infer that certain material effects must flow in time from certain spiritual causes4 ,the great judgment which ,christ is now executing in this world of spirits1 will cast all these magical powers into hell and shut them up for ever4 ,this is a part of the saving work of the ,redeemer4 ,he delivers men1 not from the punishment but from the bondage of sin4 ,magic will then cease upon earth4 ,the fragments and shadows of it may annoy mankind for ages2 but its central power will have been bruised and broken1 and it will become such barefaced superstition1 trickery1 and sleight-of-hand1 that future generations will find it difficult to believe that it ever was anything else4 8,come60 he added2 8,i am permitted to show you one of the old ,egyptians at his work40 ,we now descended into a dark cavern which appeared on our left1 but which ,i had not noticed before4 ,it sloped downward1 with ragged black rocks protruding from its walls4 ,the atmosphere was at first so stifling that ,i could hardly proceed4 ,we emerged after a while into a level country under a sky of a dark gray color4 ,a blood-red sun1 never setting1 stood low in the west1 casting a lurid light over all things4 ,our path was along the bank of a large river1 moving sluggishly and darkly between gigantic reeds and rushes4 ,huge crocodiles and monstrous beasts ,i had never seen before1 lay here and there1 half in the mud and half in the water4 ,away in the distance rose many colossal forms1 pyramids1 sphynxes1 obelisks1 palaces1 temples--vast shadows as it were against the sky4 ,now and then we passed a statue of stone or bronze1 higher than the tallest trees1 and so sad1 stern and lifelike1 it was difficult not to believe that it was the lost soul of some old ,egyptian king1 doomed to perpetual misery in the outward form of eternal repose4 8,you must know10 said my father1 8that to enable us to enter these awful gateways of hell1 an invisible guard of thousands of angels is necessary40 ,i was relieved by this thought2 for a sensation of fear had already begun to oppress me4 ,i had learned enough of the spiritual world to know that all this wild and grotesque scenery was the outbirth of the life and memories of evil spirits1 and could be dissipated in a moment1 or changed into something horrible by the revealing light of heaven4 ,we now came to a great palace which seemed built of ebony1 with foundations1 doors1 and cornices of bronze4 ,the gates leading to its courtyard were of immense size1 and constructed of dingy brass4 ,a strange inscription ran across the arch1 which ,i asked my father to interpret4 8,that10 said he1 8is the ,ten ,commandments reversed1 representing the laws which govern in this evil sphere4 ,much of it is too dim for one to read2 but see6 8,thou shalt kill4 8,thou shalt steal4 8,thou shalt commit adultery40 8,hold60 said ,i1 8what profanation6 what blasphemy40 8,yes1 my son6 ,hell is the opposite of heaven40 ,the courtyard was laid out in curious geometric figures1 and adorned with many extraordinary plants and flowers1 but mainly of yellow and purple hues4 8,flowers at the doorway of hell6 ,i thought that flowers were the children of heaven1 the fragments of divine wisdom showered upon men in the disguise of beautiful forms1 fragrances and colors40 8,so they are10 said my father2 8and the floral kingdom here is antipodal to the floral kingdom in heaven2 the concentration of all that is malignant and baleful in the thoughts and feelings of the inhabitants of that doleful place40 ,i shuddered as ,i passed these infernal flowers2 and we mounted the iron steps of the palace1 walking between the statues of two great brazen bulls as we entered the hall4 ,a servant came forward to receive us1 of such hideous form that ,i started back in terror4 ,he was nearly naked1 and thousands of hieroglyphic figures had been burned into his body in black and red colors4 ,his face was the face of an embalmed person1 long dead1 shriveled and ghastly4 ,while we were speaking to this frightful personage1 a hoarse1 sepulchral voice issued from a half-open door3 8,bring them in4 ,i have felt their coming40 ,we passed into a chamber of immense size1--for everything in the shadowy world seemed to me colossal4 ,i instantly perceived that it was the counterpart of the chamber of magic in the house of ,magistus1 so minutely described to me by my sister ,martha4 8,behold the source of inspiration to ,simon ,magus60 said ,i to myself4 ,i recognized all the objects mentioned by the eyewitnesses of that remarkable scene between ,simon and the magicians2 the marble platform2 the black table with the zodiac upon it2 the images on the wall4 ,even the leopard and serpent were there4 ,the magician was an old man1 stern-featured1 cruel-eyed1 worn and wasted1 with some personal resemblance to ,simon ,magus4 8,i have had violent pains about my heart and difficult breathing10 said the evil spirit slowly1 8ever since you entered my kingdom4 ,i know who you are and who protects you4 ,your presence tortures me2 so be brief with your mission4 ,i will answer you truthfully1 for the experience of ages has taught me that it is useless to resist that sphere4 ,be quick and release me40 8,this10 said my father1 8is one of the magicians of ,egypt1 who imitated the miracles of ,moses and ,aaron4 ,he is the most cunning and powerful of the species40 ,addressing the magician1 he continued3 8,i am instructing this novitiate spirit who accompanies me1 in the relation between the spiritual and the natural worlds4 ,i have told him that all false and evil things are breathed into men by wicked spirits3 that magic is the science of evil springing from the perversion of good1 and a means by which you attempt to govern men40 8,you speak truly10 said the evil spirit1 rubbing his hands with glee2 8you speak truly4 ,our power is immense3 our wisdom is incredible4 ,we have vastly more influence over men than the angels4 ,you have heard of the witch of ,endor who brought ,samuel from the dead4 ,we can reverse that wonderful art4 ,we can bring those living upon earth into our presence4 ,i will show you one of my favorite slaves1 a fellow of great capacity and boundless ambition2 a genius worthy of the grand inspiration with which ,i animate his soul40 ,thereupon his servant unrolled a great white curtain against the wall4 ,the spirit went through sundry unintelligible incantations3 and slowly the perfect portrait of ,simon ,magus appeared before our eyes4 8,he seems to be in a paroxysm of rage10 said ,i4 8,yes10 answered the spirit4 8,he derived it from me a few moments ago4 ,i was foaming with passion just before you entered my palace3 and now the fury is expending itself on him40 8,the evil passions of men10 said my father1 8have previously passed through the dark and filthy souls of evil spirits40 8,ha6 ha6 ha60 laughed the magician4 8,my victim thinks it is original with himself4 ,indeed1 the deluded fellow believes he controls me and a vast number of other spirits4 ,the merest tool in our hands1 the dull1 slow machine through which we work our fiery wills1 our stupendous plans2 he conceives himself to be possessed of miraculous power6 ,men who think they control spirits1 are always controlled by them4 ,ha6 ha6 ha60 8,beware10 said my father2 8are your own inspirations original8 ,have you ever heard of ,ja-bol-he-moth80 8,yes--and seen him10 he answered trembling4 8,alas6 alas60 he added slowly and painfully4 8,we govern men from our stand-point3 but there are deeper and more direful hells that govern us4 ,we are slaves also4 8,oh6 if ,ja-bol-he-moth10 he suddenly exclaimed with a fierce earnestness1 8if ,ja-bol-he-moth and other great antediluvian giants could only escape from their imprisonment1 we would soon transform the whole earth to our liking40 8,unhappy spirit60 said ,i1 8do you find pleasure in the contemplation of such a thought80 8,the only pleasure that is left me10 he replied2 and passed into a frigid state with a deadly1 stony stare1 more like a statue than a man4 8,come10 said my father1 8our sphere has paralyzed him4 ,i have one more strange thing to show you before we return to the world of spirits40 ,we left the ebony palace2 and turning from the dark river with its colossal reeds and rushes1 we passed into a wilderness of sand1 over which hung a gloomier twilight than any we had before witnessed4 ,presently there appeared before us a great black dome of iron1 reaching across the horizon from east to west1 and sloping upward from the sand even to the sky4 ,the blackness1 the immensity1 the gloom of this strange object cast a fearful shadow on my soul4 8,this10 said my father with deep solemnity1 8is the tomb of the antediluvian world1 which none can open or shut but ,christ4 ,in the terrible abysses underneath are imprisoned the evil spirits whose judgment is described in the ,scriptures as a flood4 ,unless the ,messiah had come in the flesh1 this antediluvian sphere would have broken forth and deluged the world of spirits and the world of men40 8,what would be the consequence80 said ,i4 8,the total suffocation of the spiritual life1 as the natural life is suffocated by drowning2 a complete torpor of the moral sense1 a paralysis of the intellectual faculties4 ,mankind would relapse into barbarism4 ,the physical system would degenerate4 ,the skin would become black and fetid2 the hair woolly1 the nose flat1 the forehead low and debased4 ,one step more1 and from barbarians men would become beasts4 8,this process of degeneration had already made sad havoc with a large portion of the human race1 when the closure of the antediluvian hells and the institution of a new order of things arrested its march4 ,so the ,african now stands torpid1 unprogressive1 sensual1 barbaric1 bearing on his very body the typical shadows of hell40 8,is there no hope for him80 said ,i1 sadly1--for my mind reverted to my trusty friends1 ,ethopus and ,anthony4 8,oh yes10 said my father1 8,jehovah is good to all1 and his tender mercies are over all his works4 8,the ,lord in the form of a ,divine ,man will close these ancient hells and beat back the waves of evil4 ,great organic changes will go in the spiritual and natural worlds4 ,in the far-off ages there will be a last judgment in the world of spirits and a new church upon earth4 ,new causes will be set in operation2 and these ,africans at last will be delivered from their hereditary curse1 and restored to the form of beauty and wisdom which their ancestors enjoyed in the beginning of the world40 ,i rejoiced at this glorious prophecy4 ,and while thinking of the tender and noble emotions which seemed to govern the only ,africans ,i had ever known1 we ascended into the world of spirits1 whose beautiful and peace-giving light ,i hailed with unspeakable pleasure4 8,how little the inhabitants of earth know10 said ,i1 to myself1 8of the spiritual philosophy of history60 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,xx4 ,,friends ,,in ,,heaven4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,heaven is above the world of spirits1 as the latter is above the earth4 ,the way to heaven is through the world of spirits2 but it is not reached by a process of death1 but by a process of preparation4 ,we are prepared for heaven by putting off the evils and falsities and imperfections that we carry with us from the natural world4 ,we are then taught to feel1 think and act in unison and love with thousands and millions of other beings4 ,it takes a long time and a great deal of instruction in the world of spirits to bring some people to this degree of social development4 ,the harmony of souls in heaven is like that of an immense choir of music4 ,each has a distinct part1 and each must be perfect in his part4 ,imagine thousands of good and pure spirits living in choirs of thought1 choirs of feeling1 choirs of acting2 and you will begin to have a faint idea of the order1 peace1 beauty and felicity of the social life in heaven4 ,new-comers into the world of spirits are always anxious to be admitted into heaven4 ,there is a process by which they can be elevated into heavenly societies1 and shown the wonders and glories of the celestial life4 ,this favor is extended to all1 and their legitimate curiosity is gratified4 ,they then return into the world of spirits for judgment and preparation1 and to undergo those organic changes which are necessary to a permanent residence in the higher spheres4 ,i was delighted to hear my father say that ,i had been unconsciously prepared for this wonderful journey4 ,walking along with a glad heart1 engaged in pleasant conversation about the difference between the world of spirits and heaven1 ,i suddenly perceived a beautiful road ascending a mountain deeply shaded with overhanging trees and bordered with brilliant flowers4 8,this is our way10 said my father4 8,the roads which lead out of the world of spirits1 either up into heaven or down into hell1 are invisible to all but those who have been prepared to follow them4 ,there is no danger of any one going astray4 ,no mistakes are made here2 no revelations but to the proper parties4 ,all the art and cunning of ,simon ,magus or his master demons could not enable them to discover this little road leading up into the heaven where our loved ones reside40 ,how easy1 how buoyant1 how charming was that ascent6 ,no fatigue1 no hurry1 no impatience1 no terrestrial sensations4 ,our bodies seemed to grow lighter and stronger1 and our minds clearer and happier as we ascended4 ,the air grew fresher and sweeter2 the trees and flowers more beautiful2 the sky softer and more brilliant4 ,as we neared the summit we saw the most exquisite green lawns and terraces1 which seemed to have been dipped in a golden ether4 ,here and there was a flock of sheep4 ,now a swarm of pearl and crimson butterflies would sport around us2 and then a flock of birds like little flying rainbows would illumine the air4 8,these things10 said my father1 8are typical of the thoughts and affections of the blessed people whose homes we are approaching40 ,the vista from the summit exceeded in magnificence and beauty everything ,i had ever imagined4 ,there were two interminable series of green knolls1 one on the right hand and the other on the left1 separated by a charming little valley with the softest1 brightest verdure ,i had ever seen4 ,on every knoll was a resplendent palace built of precious stones4 ,the grand rainbow-like illumination produced by these mineral splendors flashing in the sun1 is altogether indescribable4 ,away in the east where the palaces seemed to approach each other1 the view was terminated by a great temple resembling the temple at ,jerusalem1 and shining like a gem in the distance4 ,the valley between these palaces was laid out in lawns1 parks and gardens1 adorned with flowers1 statues1 fountains1 lakes1 and picturesque walks and arbors4 ,these things are common enough on earth2 but here each of them exceeded the corresponding earthly form in all the elements of artistic beauty1 as much as the most precious diamond in the world exceeds the commonest pebble on the sea-shore4 ,this was the heaven of a society of angels1 all belonging to the tribe of ,benjamin1 and all interiorly united by similar thoughts and affections4 ,now for the first time ,i learned that all angels were once men upon our earth or some other2 that the physical universe is the indestructible basis of the spiritual2 and that all things first receive root and form and substance in the former1 to rise and expand indefinitely1 in the latter4 ,the earth is the footstool of the ,lord1 and is established for ever4 ,i now noticed that ,i had on different garments from those ,i had worn in the world of spirits1 and much more beautiful4 8,these garments are given you10 said my father1 8to adapt you to the sphere which you have entered4 ,we are clothed here imperceptibly to ourselves1 as the trees and flowers in the natural world are clothed with forms and colors by a generous nature4 ,all our external things arise spontaneously around us1 without our thought or care or labor1 being perfect correspondences and mirrors of the things within us40 8,here is the home of your brother10 said he2 and we stood before a palace of marvelous splendor4 ,twelve steps of lustrous pearl led up to a grand piazza covered with a dazzling arch and supported by twelve columns of gold4 ,we entered the spacious hall1 and before ,i had time to observe its beauties1 a youthful spirit advanced1 strongly resembling my father2 and with a face full of light and love1 and a voice overflowing with kindness1 welcomed me to that little spot1 as he called it1 of the ,lord's spiritual kingdom4 8,you shall see me as ,i used to be10 he said 8and then you will know me better40 ,thereupon he underwent the same series of spiritual changes by which my father revealed himself to me as the poor old leper of the wilderness4 ,he returned into the states and forms of his boyhood1 as a full-blown rose might shut1 leaf after leaf1 contracting itself slowly into a beautiful bud again4 ,he was the same little ,samuel who sported with my sisters and myself in our garden in ,bethany1 and whose withdrawal from us had left so dark a cloud on the sunny places of our childhood4 ,reassuming his angelic form while ,i gazed at him with admiration and joy1 he pointed to a chamber1 the half-open door of which was one superb crystal4 ,from it there issued a beautiful female form1 clad in a silk robe of lustrous white4 ,her face was radiant with smiles and beauty1 and a single rose was in her hair4 ,the extreme gentleness and gracefulness of her movements1 her manners1 her tones1 revealed the pure soul of this bright angel4 8,behold my wife60 said my brother4 ,bewildered and delighted1 ,i pressed timidly a brotherly kiss upon her cheek1 and said3 8,this is to me the greatest wonder of all in this realm of wonders4 ,married in heaven6 ,husbands and wives living together in wedded bliss6 ,enlighten my darkness2 tell me something of this great and beautiful mystery40 8,i perceive10 said my brother1 seriously1 8by the glance of your eye and the tone of your voice1 that you cannot yet be initiated into the sublime and heavenly secrets of the spiritual marriage4 ,you have not been sufficiently divested of your earthly and sensuous state of thought to penetrate those truths which are only visible in the light of heaven4 ,be satisfied for the present to know that sex and marriage are universal and eternal2 that love is inextinguishable1 and becomes purer and holier the higher it rises2 and that conjugal pairs live together in heaven in eternal youth and eternal bliss40 8,a most delightful and ennobling thought10 said ,i2 8and ,i am willing to believe what you say1 and to wait my own spiritual development before being able to comprehend its meaning40 ,i was then seized with an intense desire to see my mother4 ,and lo6 before ,i could give it utterance in words1 she appeared before us1 an angel as young and beautiful as my sister-in-law1 but grown the female counterpart of my father by long and loving contemplation of his virtues4 8,i was attracted hither10 she exclaimed1 in charming trepidation1 8by strange gushes of maternal feeling4 ,who is it that calls me80 ,mother and child passed simultaneously into the old forms of the earth-life1 and into the long dormant states of the natural memory4 ,she was a ,jewish matron in ,bethany1 and ,i a little boy of five years old4 ,how frantically she kissed my face and hands6 ,how madly she pressed me to her heart6 ,how we wept together6 ,when we came back to our last form and state1 she exclaimed1 still weeping for joy3 8,oh that ,i could see you continually in that charming little shape6 ,i shall make you resume it over and over again1 until ,i satisfy my hungry heart with the graces of your boyish form4 ,ah6 nothing is lost4 ,all is given back to us40 ,we discoursed on a thousand topics1 and floods of spiritual light were poured upon my benighted1 undeveloped mind4 ,walking with these angelic friends on the grand piazza of the palace1 and gazing at the architectural grandeur which surrounded us1 ,i was filled with an exhilaration of spirits too great for earthly utterance1 never to be comprehended by any one until he meets his friends1 whom he calls dead1 in the divine light of the heavenly world4 ,when ,i new recall these things1 poor1 old1 desolate1 heartbroken man that ,i am1 bearing my earthly burdens again and doomed to another death1 they all seem to me like a delightful dream6 ,that ,i walked and talked with friends in heaven6 surveyed their houses6 discussed their laws1 their government1 their worship1 their occupations1 face to face as man with man6 ,impossible6 ,incredible6 ,what did ,i say8 ,it was no dream4 ,it was no hallucination4 ,it is possible4 ,it is credible4 ,it was a fact4 ,my memory does not betray me4 ,my imagination does not mislead me4 ,it was all true2 and ,i shall see them1 hear them1 live with them again1 never to return to earth1 so soon as ,i once more give up this mortal breath and render this feeble body back to the dust whence it came4 ,how long1 ,o ,lord6 how long8 ,i learned from my brother that the societies in heaven1 which are innumerable1 are arranged according to the uses they perform1 which depend upon the bent of the inclinations and the expansion of the intellectual faculties of those who compose them4 ,men on earth receive their vitalizing impulses1 their attractions to all that is good and true1 from these societies through the medium of good spirits in the intermediate world4 ,some of these societies inspire the love of nature and art2 some the genius and power for civil government2 some the taste for science and practical life4 ,some animate especially the devotional nature2 some the social2 some the poetic2 and others1 again1 act as intermediate powers1 balancing and harmonizing the different activities of the soul4 ,the society to which my brother belonged was one which presided over and secretly vivified the architectural tastes and genius of man4 ,near by1 upon mountains whose purple summits ,i saw in the distance1 was a large society which presided over music4 ,great societies which were the secret life and soul of poetry1 history1 oratory1 statuary1 painting and other fine arts1 were grouped around1 more or less remote1 all holding the most delightful communications and interchanges with each other4 ,i was astonished to learn that the peace and joy and highest happiness of the angels spring from the exercise of their faculties in the performance of useful service to each other4 ,they are never idle1 but continually engaged in doing something useful from the love of use4 ,i learned that in this the angels find their chief delight2 and that1 although they occasionally meet for formal and social worship1 and unite in prayer and songs of praise as people do on earth1 they nevertheless regard the loving and faithful performance of the duties of their respective vocations as the highest kind of worship4 ,this they call real worship2 and the formal kind in which they sometimes engage1 is merely to fit them for the higher and more real kind4 8,do you ever see your earthly friends10 ,i asked1 8struggling and toiling in the dark abyss of nature1 before they cast off their earthly covering and rise into the light and beauty of these higher worlds80 8,not directly60 replied my brother1 8for there is no continuity between spirit and matter4 ,to speak philosophically1 there is continuity and correspondence2 but spirit and matter are not degrees of the same substance1 differing only in tenuity1 as is commonly supposed4 ,it is impossible for us to see or hear anything in the natural world1 except through the medium of some living man whose interiors have also been opened4 8,wonderful as it may seem to you1 the spirits of men still living in the flesh are really in the spiritual world1 all the time connected secretly with spiritual societies4 ,they are invisible to us1 however1 because their thoughts1 affections and senses all open downward and outward into nature4 ,they become dimly visible1 but do not communicate1 when they are in states of profound abstraction or great spiritual elevation4 8,we see them occasionally also by correspondences1 which would appear to you like visions or dreams4 ,in every society these manifestations are different1 depending on the nature and functions of the society4 ,in ours1 for instance1 the mental states of our earthly friends are sometimes revealed to us architecturally4 ,that is1 we see them as in a dream building houses3 and without knowing their names or earthly whereabouts1 we judge of their characters by the materials1 the progress1 the execution1 even to the minutest details of the work they seem to be doing40 8,wonderful and beautiful60 ,i exclaimed4 8,i can show you this wonderful thing more easily than ,i can explain it4 ,we have here the power1 incomprehensible to you at present1 of recalling these symbolic images and making them appear before us again1 as if they were external and real things4 8,look10 he said1 and the horizon toward the north seemed overcast4 ,a thin veil of mist arose before us1 and through it we discovered a dim range of hills1 upon each of which a house was in process of erection4 8,every man in the flesh10 said my brother1 8is always engaged1 unconsciously to himself1 in building his future house in the spiritual world2 for the entire spiritual life of a man is represented symbolically by his residence here and its appointments4 ,all the activities of your hands1 heart and brain in the good and true things of the earthly state1 are so many contributions to the materials1 style1 form1 color and finish of your eternal home4 8,observe10 he continued1 8that some of those houses are nearly finished1 others are barely begun4 ,some of them are in styles of great grandeur1 others are very plain4 ,the materials1 too1 and the execution differ immensely4 ,observe also that a man alone is at work on some2 a man and a woman on others40 8,why is that80 8,when a man and woman are truly married1 they assist each other in building the same house2 for they will live together as husband and wife for ever in heaven4 ,sometimes persons not married in the world1 are seen working together here4 ,such persons have strong interior affinities1 unknown it may be to each other on earth1 and will be united in heaven40 8,strange and beautiful60 said ,i4 8,and true60 he exclaimed1 earnestly4 8,the true is always strange and beautiful4 8,if you will look closely10 he continued1 8you will see many faint and shadowy forms that are earnestly assisting these men and women in carrying the heavy materials and putting everything into its proper place4 ,these are attendant good spirits invisible to the workers themselves4 ,when a house is finished1 we know that the architect has been released from the bondage of the earth-life1 and will soon occupy the same house vastly beautified and glorified in some heavenly society40 ,thus are spiritual houses--houses not made with hands1 eternal in the heavens--builded by our prayers1 our faith1 our hopes1 our loving thoughts1 our useful and unselfish deeds4 8,i see some houses10 ,i remarked1 8upon which no one is working4 ,they seem to be falling to decay40 8,the builders have been led away into temptation by evil spirits4 ,the work of regeneration appears to be arrested or retroceding4 ,the ,lord will lead them by ways they know not1 and they will renew their labors40 ,while gazing at this strange scene and scrutinizing these shadowy architects of future homes1 ,i suddenly recognized my own figure toiling along under a great beam which was to constitute one of the door-posts on the ground-floor4 ,my house was scarcely begun4 8,see1 brother10 said ,i1 8,i have passed into the spiritual world and my house is not finished40 8,i never saw it so before10 he said4 8,i would say confidently from this1 that your earthly mission is not ended40 ,while he was speaking1 my attention was arrested by a woman in a black robe on the side of the hill opposite to where my own figure was4 ,this woman was bent almost to the earth under a great block of stone1 which she was bearing to put into the walls4 ,several shadowy forms were busy around her assisting in the difficult task4 8,and that woman80 said ,i4 8,is probably your future wife40 ,an insatiable desire immediately seized me to behold her face4 ,forgetting my painful experience in the imaginary heaven of the ,greeks1 ,i thought only of ,helena4 8,it is she10 said ,i1 to myself4 8,she is a pagan4 ,she is surrounded by evil spheres4 ,she is unregenerate4 ,her regeneration will be painful and difficult4 ,the good angels are assisting her4 ,the foundations of our house are laid2 the structure will rise2 the joint work of our secretly united souls4 ,i always knew it and felt it4 ,it cannot be otherwise60 ,in this ecstasy of thought ,i watched the bowed figure in the black robe4 8,oh that ,helena could see and know that ,i am with her and she with me1 laying the invisible foundations of our eternal home6 ,what felicity that would be6 ,let me speak to her6 ,let me see her face60 ,the intense desire of a strong will is at once granted in the spiritual world4 ,the woman in the black robe slowly raised her eyes to heaven and turned her face toward me4 ,it was the pale1 sorrowing face of ,mary ,magdalen6 ,mary ,magdalen6 ,the blood all seemed to rush back upon my heart1 and ,i stood with a chilling1 suffocating sense of disappointment hard to describe4 ,but the loss of ,helena1 grievous as it was1 was not the only ingredient in my cup4 ,there was vexation as well as disappointment4 ,a deep sense of mortification overpowered me at the substitution of ,mary ,magdalen1 a woman without character or friends1 recently possessed of seven devils--a creature miserable1 outcast1 forlorn4 ,secret feelings of social superiority1 self-righteousness1 and offended dignity1 embodied themselves in my exclamation of contempt3 8,mary ,magdalen60 ,i brought upon myself immediately the operation of one of those spiritual laws which excite so much astonishment in the new-comer4 ,my angelic friends were total strangers to earthly passions1 to the frenzy of love1 the rage of disappointment1 the sentiment of superiority1 the feeling of contempt4 ,loving all alike with infinite tenderness and pity1 the angels of ,god do not see any difference between the self-righteous saint and the audacious sinner4 ,my outburst of unregenerate passion separated me at once from my heavenly companions4 ,it appeared to them that the ground opened and swallowed me up4 ,they no doubt exclaimed to each other3 8,poor fellow6 ,he is not yet prepared to enter upon the heavenly life4 ,we will wait on the ,lord1 who bringeth all things to pass40 ,my sensations were different4 ,the architectural heavens of the tribe of ,benjamin vanished from my sight2 all was dark for a moment2 and1 remitted into my former state1 ,i found myself in the world of spirits just where ,i had been raised from the dead4 ,my faithful friend ,john the ,baptist was near me1 and extended his generous hand4 8,have ,i visited heaven10 said ,i1 8or have ,i been dreaming80 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,xxi4 ,,the ,,spiritually ,,dead4 ,illustration3 ,initial 8,you now understand10 said my father1 who had rejoined us1 8the spiritual law which separates heaven from hell4 ,similarity of mental states produces presence2 dissimilarity separates4 ,societies are held together by the cohesive power of spiritual affinity4 ,in heaven they are all in perfect light and perfect peace1 because they all obey the spiritual attractions of the ,sun of heaven1 which is the ,lord40 8,heaven1 then10 said ,i1 8is open to all1 but none can live there save those who are as good and wise as its inhabitants80 8,precisely so4 ,whenever a false or sensual idea arises in the mind of the new-comer1 or some unrighteous feeling is aroused in his heart1 he disappears from his heavenly associates and they from him40 8,how then can one be prepared for heaven80 asked ,i1 sadly2 8for it seems that ,i am very1 very far from that state of perfection40 8,one is prepared for heaven by his life on earth4 ,the life of a man is the aggregate of his loves4 ,the state of the heart determines the hereafter4 ,it is the intellect only which is anxious about many things--many dogmas1 many creeds1 many questions4 ,to the heart there is but one thing needful1 one care1 one duty--to cast out the love of self1 or duly subordinate it to the love of the ,lord and the neighbor4 8,kindly feeling toward the neighbor1 acts of civility and charity unconnected with the hope of reward1 deeds of self-sacrifice1 generous emotions1 pure affections1 the spirit of forgiveness1 reverence for ,god1 obedience to law1 humility1 patience2 these are the angels of the heart and the powers which build up the heavenly character in the soul1 and the future heavenly world in which it resides40 8,my life upon earth is then a poor warrant of a life in heaven10 ,i answered pensively4 8,i do not know that ,i have any faith at all4 ,i have no purified motives1 no fixed principles4 ,i have no love for spiritual things4 ,i have a certain taste for the true and beautiful1 a certain admiration for the pure and good4 ,i am kind and affectionate by hereditary organization2 but ,i have never thought of devoting myself to the good of others4 ,no aspirations beyond the sensuous life have been kindled in my soul40 8,do not despair1 my son4 ,you have1 without doubt1 the basis on which the heavenly superstructure can be reared4 ,your house in the heavens was not finished1 but it was begun4 ,you will pass through various stages of instruction1 and even through trials and sufferings in the world of spirits40 8,and in the world of nature also1 where his period of probation will be extended for many years to come10 added ,john the ,baptist4 ,as we both looked to him anxiously for an explanation of these singular words1 he continued3 8,as the herald of the ,lord1 forerunning ,his work in the world of spirits as ,i did in the natural world1 ,i have become acquainted with an extraordinary fact1 which it is my business here to announce4 ,you are to leave us and return into your natural body4 ,you disappeared from your earthly friends and became visible to us2 you will now disappear from us and become visible to them4 ,christ will recall you from the dead after your body has lain four days in the grave4 ,you will be the subject of a great miracle of the ,lord2 and your story will animate the faith and hope and love of the ,church in all ages of the world40 ,i was bewildered at these words4 8,how can ,i return into nature80 said ,i4 8,how can ,i get back into the natural body8 ,how can ,i die here when there is no death80 8,the difficulties which seem to you impossibilities10 said ,john1 8are easily met4 ,the process is perfectly intelligible from the spiritual stand-point4 ,attend to my elucidation of it2 for it involves the true nature of miracles and of the redemptive work of the ,lord4 8,you understand that ,christ exists consciously and actively in both worlds at the same time2 in his spiritual body here1 in his natural body upon earth4 ,you know this1 for you have seem ,him in both spheres4 8,he is performing a series of divine works in both worlds at once2 and a wonderful parallelism exists between his works here and his works there4 ,what he does in this sphere is repeated in that in a different but corresponding form4 8,this is the world of causes1 that is the world of effects4 ,there is no effect without a cause4 ,it seems to men in the flesh that the miracles of ,jesus are performed by his word alone--by the breath of his mouth4 ,that is a mistake4 ,they are the natural effects of spiritual causes4 ,jesus is engaged in this world of spirits in instituting a series of causes which are to produce certain natural effects2 among them1 his benevolent works called miracles4 8,miracles are not violations of natural law4 ,they are only proofs that spiritual or divine forces govern in all the transformations of matter4 ,they teach men the true source and origin of causes1 and the true relation between the spiritual and natural worlds4 ,all things are miracles4 ,they are only wonderful when the events are new1 extraordinary1 not understood1 or misinterpreted4 8,christ could not restore natural sight to a blind man1 unless he excited into activity those spiritual causes which produce both spiritual and natural sight4 ,imparting spiritual light or wisdom to the spiritually blind in this world1 he originates a force which1 passing through his own natural body1 restores vision to the correspondingly blind man on the earth upon whom he lays his hands4 8,he here infuses moral vigor into souls who had lost the power of performing their spiritual duties4 ,this becomes a cause producing a corresponding effect upon earth2 namely1 that the touch even of the hem of his garment will restore muscular strength and will to the paralytic4 8,when the ,divine ,man resists and subdues the evil spirits who would destroy him1 the natural effect is1 that ,he stills the tempest and treads upon the waves1--that even the winds and the seas obey him4 8,when he preaches spiritual truth to those who have never risen above the perception of natural things1 and their minds are lifted from the natural to the spiritual degree of thought1 the natural effect is1 that he turns water into wine4 8,so of all his miracles1 even that of raising the dead4 ,when he imparts spiritual life here to those who are spiritually dead1 he sets in operation a spiritual cause which imparts life again to those who are dead in the natural sense4 8,such is the spiritual philosophy of miracles1 which men in their ignorance suppose to be contraventions of natural law1 designed to prove the possession of divine power4 ,god violates no law either spiritual or natural4 ,he is ,law itself4 ,it would be a contravention of the eternal organic law if miracles did not ensue1 after the institution of their specific causes in the world of spirits40 8,you draw indeed10 said ,i1 8a wonderful and beautiful parallel between the spiritual and the natural works of ,christ4 ,it is clear that the biography of the ,divine ,man can only be written from the spiritual side4 ,i understand also1 in some measure1 your philosophy of miracles2 still ,i do not perceive how ,i am to get back into the natural world40 8,i will make it plain to you presently4 ,when you come within the power of an evil sphere1 it endeavors to absorb your individuality1 and to assimilate you entirely to itself4 ,if you approach the sphere of spiritual pride and self-righteousness1 unless you are under divine protection1 you will become proud and self-righteous4 ,approach the sphere of ambition1 and you become fired with the insatiable lust of dominion4 ,approach the sphere of sensuality1 and your heart1 blood1 brain1 are all set on fire with hell4 8,such is the contagion of evil4 ,contagion1 whether moral or physical1 is simply the influence of spheres--the imposition of one's state upon another--the transference of conditions4 8,now if under certain circumstances you enter the evil spheres of this world1 you will be reduced to the state of the spiritually blind1 deaf1 dumb1 paralytic or dead as the case may be4 ,you will then be connected interiorly and by correspondence with the blind1 deaf1 dumb1 paralytic or dead1 in the natural world4 ,do you not see80 8,go on10 said ,i1 following with deep interest the chain of his reasoning4 8,well1 you will descend among these people whom we call the spiritually dead4 ,you will enter into their spiritual state4 ,your spiritual body will be then reconnected by correspondence with your natural body now lying in the sepulchre2 all without your co-operation1 without your consciousness40 8,well--and then what80 8,when ,christ in his judgment approaches the sphere of those who are spiritually dead1 he will cast out the evil spirits who possess them4 ,spiritual life will begin to dawn on their souls4 ,both spiritual and natural life will spring up for you simultaneously40 8,why for me alone8 ,why will not their dead bodies also arise80 8,because their connection with nature has been long and totally sundered4 ,on the contrary1 you have still a natural body not yet disorganized2 indeed1 preserved by special providence for your resumption at the proper moment--thus manifesting the power and glory of ,god4 8,your spiritual companions will be delivered from their bondage to hell1 and will emerge into the activities of spiritual life4 ,you will be correspondently delivered from the bondage of hell and the grave2 and will be raised from the dead and restored to your friends in ,judea40 ,i contemplated with awe the extraordinary fate that awaited me4 ,i felt some reluctance at leaving a sphere so bright and beautiful1 where ,i had been initiated by such charming friends into high and holy truths4 ,i felt deeply convinced1 however1 that ,i was unprepared for heaven1 and was grateful for a more extended probation on earth4 ,an encouragement also to resignation was the thought that ,i was going back to comfort and protect my loving and lovely sisters1 ,martha and ,mary4 8,but these people who are spiritually dead10 said ,i4 8,are their corpses here1 also1 and sepulchres and monumental inscriptions80 8,oh no60 said my father1 who took up the conversation2 8you are now thinking from your natural stand-point4 ,the spiritually blind are those who are blind to spiritual things4 ,the spiritually dead are those who are dead to spiritual things4 ,they comprise an innumerable multitude of souls who have lived a merely sensual life1 and who have no knowledge or love of anything higher or better or purer than the wretched existence they led in the life of nature40 ,during this conversation we had been advancing toward the north4 ,we came now to the brow of a great hill1 whence the country sloped suddenly downward and spread into a vast plain4 ,it had a cheerless and wintry aspect2 for the cities and villages and fields were all covered with snow4 ,afar off along the line of the horizon was a dim blue ocean1 full of icebergs of enormous size4 ,a gray twilight hung over this cold region1 the darkness of which was occasionally illumined by electric flashes in the sky4 8,there are spiritual as well as natural zones10 said my father--8zones of thought and affection1 in which the heat and light vary in intensity according to the interior states of the dwellers4 ,cold and darkness arise always in this world from the want of spiritual heat and light1 which are love and wisdom4 8,here we take our adieu10 he continued1 in a tone which revealed a touch of sadness4 8,that great light just rising in the east and south indicates the approach of the ,lord with all his hosts of ministering angels and spirits4 ,his presence will disperse the demons of darkness1 who have so long sat like ghouls upon the hearts of myriads of feeble and helpless beings4 8,ah6 how the love and faith of the ,church in heaven have watched over these dead souls6 and have wept and prayed for them1 like two lovely sisters weeping and praying over the body of a dead brother6 ,how have they longed for this day of the ,lord1 and how have they wondered1 sorrowing1 that ,he has so long delayed his coming6 8,he comes6 ,he who is the resurrection and the life6 and these dry bones shall live2 these dead souls from all pagan lands shall come out of their graves2 and the power of death and hell shall be overthrown6 8,descend1 my son1 into the grave that leads you back into life40 ,my spirit-friends now bade me a tender adieu1 pronouncing benedictions upon me and speaking words of encouragement4 ,bewildered and amazed1 wondering and fearing what would happen next1 ,i went down the steep slope toward the cold and silent plain4 ,as ,i moved along1 a great change came over my spirit4 ,there was a perceptible closure of some window from above1 through which the vital currents descend into the soul4 ,this was followed by a loss of memory1 a vanishing of thought1 a sense of fainting or death4 ,the last thing ,i remember was the music of a sweet hymn wafted softly from the brow of the hill4 ,the words were these3 8,yea1 though ,i walk through the valley of the shadow of death1 ,i will fear no evil40 ,it was my father and ,john the ,baptist comforting to the last the forlorn spirit that was sinking in the waters of ,lethe4 ,of what occurred after ,i reached the plain1 ,i have not the slightest recollection1 if indeed ,i ever knew4 ,what kind of people ,i saw1 what they were doing1 what ,christ and his angels did1 what changes followed--all is a perfect blank to me4 ,i cannot account for this fact4 ,it will all be made plain to me when ,i ascend again into the spiritual world4 ,certain it is1 that a sublime scene of judgment and deliverance took place1 but that it did not come within the range of my consciousness4 ,the first thing ,i became aware of1 was a sense of infinite pity4 ,i did not know whether ,i was in the spiritual or in the natural world4 ,i was flooded with a vast1 deep1 boundless spirit of compassion4 ,i wept--,i did not know why4 ,this was the communication to my soul of the life flowing from the ,divine ,man4 8,jesus wept40 ,he was not only weeping for me1 as the ,jews supposed who witnessed the external side alone of this wonderful scene4 ,the loving heart of the ,divine ,being was touched with infinite1 celestial pity for the innumerable multitude of the spiritually dead4 ,it was a drop of that infinite pity which stirred my soul from the sleep of death4 ,it was a drop of that infinite pity which trickled down the face of ,jesus1 as he wept in the garden for the brother of ,martha and ,mary4 ,that communication of the divine grief to me must have come from the spiritual side of my perceptions4 ,i passed again into a dreamy1 almost unconscious state1 from which ,i was aroused by a clear sweet voice1 saying1 8,lazarus6 come forth60 ,i started to my feet4 ,blind1 bound1 bewildered1 ,i staggered toward the voice4 ,the fresh air struck sweetly on me1 and ,i revived4 ,the voice continued3 8,loose him and let him go60 ,oh how many myriads of invisible but happy spirits heard at the same moment similar words of deliverance and comfort1 from the omnipresent ,god speaking in the world of spirits as ,he had spoken on earth6 ,i was freed from the shackles of the grave and looked around me4 ,i was in the sweet garden of ,bethany1 standing by the stone which had been rolled away from the sepulchre1 beneath a bright and beautiful sky4 ,a crowd of friends1 with faces full of wonder and joy1 were grouped around4 ,my sisters had swooned at the feet of ,jesus1 who was smiling benignantly upon me4 ,i took in the whole situation at a glance4 ,remembering everything2 remembering my former unbelief and indifference2 remembering the wonderful scenes ,i had witnessed2 remembering ,jesus in his spiritual body1 seen also by the three disciples on the mount2 remembering his divine character1 his warfare with hell1 his judgments1 his mercies2 and now understanding in part the divine mystery of the incarnation2 ,i knelt at his feet in the deepest humility and the most undoubting faith1 exclaiming1 8,my ,lord and my ,god60 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,xxii4 ,,back ,,to ,,earth4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,i was borne to my bed-chamber by my friends2 for ,i was not able to walk4 ,the curious crowd followed us to the gate1 but very few persons were admitted into the house4 ,they judiciously forebore attempting to converse with me1 and ,i fell immediately into a refreshing sleep4 ,when ,i awoke my sisters were ready with stimulants and nourishment4 ,looking up into their sweet1 eager1 happy faces1 ,i found stimulus and nourishment of a higher kind4 8,back in the world again60 ,i exclaimed1 as soon as ,i could breathe for the kisses they were showering upon me4 8,yes--raised from the dead60 said ,martha2 8,praise be to the ,son of ,god60 8,raised from the dead60 echoed ,mary with deep solemnity1 her voice faltering with emotion4 ,trying to recall what had happened1 ,i was struck with a curious impression which had been left on my mind4 ,it was the impression that a very long time--months1 years1 many years1 had elapsed since ,i died4 ,i had passed through so many wonderful states1 had seen so many astounding things1 and been initiated into so many spiritual mysteries1 that when ,i came to think of them from my earthly stand-point1 it seemed impossible that so much experience could have been crowded into a few days4 8,if this be really ,lazarus10 said ,i aloud1 8he ought to be a gray-headed old man1 and his sisters wrinkled old women2 for surely many years have passed since he fell sick in ,bethany40 ,the words disquieted my sisters1 who were afraid of returning delirium4 ,they enjoined upon me absolute silence on the plea of my great weakness4 ,so ,i lay upon my couch1 looking alternately out of the two windows of my room4 ,one of them opened upon the inner courtyard with its little fountain of water1 as beautiful to my eyes as if it had been a great column of crystal4 ,from the other ,i saw the summit of the ,mount of ,olives1 beyond which lay the ,holy ,city1 concealed as heaven is concealed from us by the intervening heights of our earthly passions4 ,mary sat near me engaged on some fine needlework2 ,martha at a little table close by1 poring over a beautiful golden-clasped parchment of the ,psalms of ,david4 ,they occasionally lifted their eyes with watchful interest to my face4 ,it was a soothing pleasure to contemplate these lovely women4 ,there was a soft1 pure1 heavenly atmosphere about them1 which reminded me of the heaven ,i had left2 and ,i understood the words of the ,psalmist1 that man was created only a little lower than the angels4 8,where is ,jesus1 our benefactor80 ,i inquired1 breaking through their injunction to keep silence4 8,gone into ,jerusalem10 was the reply4 8,if our good father was here10 said ,i1 8he would tell us what great change in the world of spirits was coming next2 for every movement of ,jesus on earth is significative of wonderful things going on in the sphere above us4 ,but alas6 from this earthly point of view1 all is darkness60 ,the startled expression of my sisters' faces showed that they thought my mind was wandering4 ,they only replied by putting their fingers warningly upon their lips4 ,so ,i shut my eyes and addressed myself to sleep again2 but pictures from that museum of ,art which memory builds for us all1 came floating before me4 ,mary standing silent and downcast at the mouth of the deserted cave2 the ,son of the ,desert1 the zebra of my vision1 wearing in his wild life the ring which ,martha had given him2 ,ethopus parting with his treasure to rescue his brother2 the haughty stare of the guests of ,hortensius in the ,hall of ,apollo2 ,helena1 the beautiful1 leaning against the emerald tree and clapping her hands at the drunken ,bacchus2 ,mary ,magdalen toiling up the hill under the terrible load1 and comforted by invisible spirits2 the great snow-fields and ice-mountains of the spiritually dead1 whom ,i felt but did not see2 all these things and many more passed and repassed before my mind's eye1 until1 lulled as if by the ceaseless patter of rain1 ,i fell a second time into a deep slumber4 ,i was thoroughly restored when ,i awoke the next morning4 ,i immediately repeated the ,lord's ,prayer after my father's example2 and entered1 upon the first page of the book of my new life1 a firm resolution to prepare my soul by faith and obedience for an eternal home in the heaven ,i had visited1 but for which ,i was yet unfit4 ,as my strength increased ,i gave audience to my friends--to very few at first2 but recovering day by day1 ,i soon had the house thrown open to all who wished to examine for themselves the facts in evidence of the great miracle4 ,the story had gone far and wide4 ,the death1 the burial1 the four days in the grave1 and the resurrection1 were all susceptible of positive proof4 ,there were scores of intelligent and truthful witnesses on every point4 ,crowds of people came to see the house1 to inspect the grave1 and to converse with me4 ,i was examined and cross-examined by ,scribes and ,pharisees1 by ,jews and ,greeks1 by ,romans and ,egyptians1 by infidels and disciples4 ,i soon discovered that1 although everybody was intensely interested in the story of my sensations when dying and when coming to life again1 very few appeared to be long entertained by my wonderful experiences in the world of spirits4 ,they seemed instinctively to refer all my statements on that point to the class of dreams and visions4 ,at first ,i was astonished and even annoyed at this indifference and unbelief4 ,but ,i soon learned that man at present is so immersed in the life of the senses1 that faith in a spiritual world is more nominal than real2 a faith so vague1 shadowy and fanciful1 that he will not accept as true any positive statements about the spiritual world4 ,men yearn for the great veil to be lifted2 to communicate with departed friends2 to see the patriarchs and prophets2 to learn the mysteries of the heavenly kingdom4 ,oh that some one1 say they1 could return from the unseen world and tell us all about these things6 ,with what solemnity would we listen to his words6 with what joy6 with what faith6 ,they are the victims of delusion4 ,if their dearest friends were raised from the dead after a year's burial1 they would find themselves disappointed4 ,they would regard them at first with wonder and awe4 ,they would believe until they began speaking4 ,but when they described the resurrection which happens to all as it did to me2 when they taught the doctrine of a spiritual body2 the reality and substantiality of the spiritual world2 the civil1 social and religious life of heaven2 doubt after doubt would crowd upon their minds1 until they would reject the whole story as a dream or a fabrication4 ,christ himself declared that the appearance of one from the dead would convince no man4 ,it is a strange declaration1 but my own case is evidence of its truth4 ,the grounds upon which the incredulity of my visitors was based1 were of the most contradictory and sometimes of the most irrational nature4 ,one disbelieved because ,i had not seen ,abraham1 ,isaac and ,jacob2 and because ,i declared that no earthly names exist in heaven1 and that respect is there entertained1 not for persons1 but for character or quality4 ,another doubted my report because ,i said that ,david was not king of all the ,jews in the spiritual world4 ,one man1 a great patriot1 was indignant because ,i affirmed that all the ,romans did not go to hell4 ,another1 equally zealous for ,judea1 was personally abusive because ,i declared that more people were saved from the pagan or gentile nations than from the ,jewish ,church4 ,another was shocked because ,i said the angels were not always engaged in singing and praising ,god4 ,another1 an ideologist1 scouted the idea that there was any form1 shape or substance to the soul1 or even in the spiritual world4 ,the most ignorant and conceited of the ,scribes and ,pharisees denounced me bitterly as teaching doctrines utterly at variance with ,scripture and subversive of the interests of vital religion4 ,on the other extreme1 our worthy old ,greek gardener laughed at my narrative as a tissue of hallucinations1 because ,i had not been rowed over the river ,styx by ,charon the ferryman1 but honestly declared that ,i had seen neither ,charon nor the ,stygian river4 ,the majority insisted that ,i had not been dead at all2 that my condition was only a trance1 which had often occurred before1 and had been prolonged to even a greater period4 ,to this the ,pharisees added1 that it was no doubt a trick of magic in which ,i was guilty of collusion1 and which was designed to extend the fame and influence of ,jesus of ,nazareth4 ,some believed in the fact of my resurrection2 and the more enthusiastic went so far as to affirm that my body had been decomposed in the grave4 ,these were actually angry with me when ,i declared that1 although ,i was so far dead as to be living consciously in another world1 yet my separation from nature was not organic and final1 my natural body being preserved in a peculiar manner for a reunion with its spiritual form4 ,i soon became wearied and disgusted with unprofitable discussions1 and with credulities and incredulities equally absurd4 ,failing to convince my hearers1 or to elevate their minds into the heavenly light which ,i myself enjoyed1 ,i became more and more reserved2 and at last ,i would not speak on the subject to any one but ,mary and ,martha4 ,these dear women listened with unfailing delight to all ,i had to say4 ,the divine intuitions of woman recognize always a new truth before the calculating reason of man endorses it4 ,martha indeed doubted occasionally and criticised sharply1 but was always satisfied after consulting the ,scriptures and comparing what ,i related with their sacred teachings4 ,mary1 full of love and trust1 believed unquestioningly every word ,i said4 ,when the crowd was greatest and the excitement highest1 our old enemy ,magistus1 assuming the garb of friendship1 came to see me4 ,he had heard of my death with great pleasure1 for he expected to regain possession of the property and of my sisters4 ,he was at heart greatly incensed at my return to life1 and vowed to wreak his vengeance on the ,divine ,man who raised me from the dead4 ,he entered with affected friendliness of manner1 and congratulated me on my happy escape from the world of shadows4 ,he hoped1 with sanctimonious earnestness1 that after this solemn warning1 ,i would discard all my pagan ideas and proclivities1 and consecrate my whole soul to the service of the only true and living ,god4 ,i told him that ,i was rather to be pitied than congratulated on returning to a world so vastly inferior in beauty1 peace1 and joy to the one ,i had visited4 ,i told him also that ,i had been instructed in the true doctrine of ,god in the world of spirits1 and that ,i had seen the terrible dangers which were impending over the ,jewish people and church on account of the blindness and wickedness of their hearts4 8,you will be delighted to hear10 ,i continued1 8that my guide and instructor was my beloved father1 who passed from the wilderness into heaven1 exchanging a poor leprous body for the radiant form of an angel40 ,whether my looks and tones displeased him1 or my statements aroused his anger2 or whether the sphere of truth1 like the revealing light of heaven1 compelled him to show himself in his true colors2 ,magistus dropped the mask1 scowled upon me with a face full of hateful passion1 and retired1 turning at the door to exclaim3 8,beware1 young man6 lest this pretended resurrection prove the cause of your real death40 ,i had hardly felt myself in full and healthful possession of my natural body again1 when ,i made inquiries after that beautiful and fascinating woman1 the love of whom1 unrequited and consuming1 had been the principal cause of my death4 ,one might suppose that after my strange experience with ,helena or her attendant demon--an experience seemingly designed to apprise me of her true character--she would have been the last person on earth ,i desired to see4 ,alas6 it was not so4 ,the enchantments of the senses strike deep into the soul4 ,the dream of love first engendered in the fervid brain of youth is not easily forgotten4 ,her beautiful face and bewitching figure were constantly before me4 ,and it was with the deepest anguish that ,i heard she had fled from her father and friends1 and had gone down into ,egypt with ,simon ,magus4 ,i found it impossible to turn my thoughts from this ,greek siren whose own evil passions had thus borne her out of my reach1 and to concentrate them upon that other woman whom ,providence had decreed to be my eternal partner1 and who was silently1 painfully1 unconsciously1 co-operating with me in building that palace in the architectural heaven of my tribe4 ,mary ,magdalen followed ,jesus as usual1 and came occasionally with the crowd into the front courtyard of our house4 ,the love of ,helena so preoccupied my thoughts and desires1 that ,i could not make up my mind to speak to her forlorn rival1 or to invite her into the guest-chamber with the other disciples4 ,so the future wife of my soul stood without among the unwelcomed crowd1 outcast1 solitary1 unfriended1 patiently bearing the burden of life for both herself and me4 ,jesus spent his evenings at our house1 until the violent spirit of the chief ,priests and ,scribes1 on account of my resurrection1 became so apparent1 that he withdrew for a season to ,ephraim1 where he had several devoted followers4 ,he passed the time in pleasant conversation with his disciples1 or in reading and expounding to us the ,scriptures4 ,with what eyes and thoughts1 different from the others1 did ,i now regard this ,divine ,being1 seated as a man among men--among the creatures of his own breath6 ,my spiritual experiences with regard to ,him had cast a spell of silence and awe upon my soul4 ,i could not speak to ,jesus as before4 ,in his presence ,i could scarcely speak at all4 ,sometimes ,i found it impossible to lift my eyes to his face4 ,while the others ate and chatted respectfully but familiarly with this ,divine ,man1 knowing ,him only as a man1 ,i sat silent and reverential1 my heart humbled in the dust before ,him1 thinking of the great golden light which preceded ,him in the world of spirits1 and of his divine face shining like a sun upon the angels of the celestial heaven4 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,xxiii4 ,,imprisoned4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,jesus at length came up from ,ephraim and prepared for that triumphal entry into ,jerusalem which aroused the animosity of the ,sanhedrim to the highest pitch1 and gave color to the charge which they brought against him1 that he meditated a political conspiracy and sought the temporal authority and kingdom of ,judea4 ,many1 indeed1 of his ignorant followers expected him to seize the reins of civil government1 and to maintain his position by miraculous power4 ,then they supposed he would raise ,jerusalem and the ,jewish people to the pinnacle of earthly glory4 ,these boasted openly of their expectations2 and the chief priests and rulers no doubt congratulated themselves1 in their subsequent proceedings1 that they were extinguishing a false religion and a civil war by the same energetic blow4 ,on the eve before this entry into ,jerusalem my sisters gave a supper to ,jesus and his disciples4 ,it was a brilliant and beautiful scene1 crowned1 however1 with a certain solemnity and sadness2 for the great events about to transpire cast shadows before them which fell upon every heart4 ,it was there that my sister ,mary drew forth1 from a golden box which had been given her by our good uncle ,beltrezzor1 a costly ,persian ointment and anointed the feet of ,jesus4 ,judas ,iscariot reproved her conduct as extravagant2 and ,jesus responded that she was anointing him for his burial4 ,this prediction of death on the eve of apparent triumph and glory1 bewildered the minds and saddened the hearts of his hearers4 ,if ,i had known at that moment1 upon what a frightful precipice ,i was standing1 and what lifelong tribulation awaited me1 ,i would have been the saddest of them all4 ,but the skeleton stands invisible at our feasts1 and the serpent coils undiscovered among the flowers4 ,jesus1 with his favorite disciples1 ,peter1 ,james and ,john1 lodged at our dwelling2 but most of the guests returned to ,jerusalem at a late hour4 ,i accompanied them through the grove which crowned the ,mount of ,olives1 and down the western slope1 over the spot where ,jesus was afterward betrayed1 and from which also he ascended to heaven4 ,i parted with my friends at the long arched bridge which crosses the valley and lands you near the gate of the temple called ,beautiful4 ,as the last footsteps died away on the bridge1 ,i turned to go back1 when ,i was startled by the dark figure of a man advancing from behind a tree4 ,the moon had just gone down and the wind sighed mournfully through the olive leaves4 ,this man was ,judas ,iscariot4 8,i have something10 he said in a low tone1 8of the deepest importance to reveal to you4 ,i know your attachment to our ,master4 ,i know your discretion and your courage4 ,i have discovered a plot against the life of ,jesus4 ,two hirelings in the pay of the ,sanhedrim1 conscience-stricken1 or more probably afraid of the miraculous power of ,jesus1 have betrayed a part of the plan4 ,they are now underneath one of the arches of that bridge1 waiting for me4 ,i wish you to accompany me into the valley1 to question these men1 to satisfy yourself of the nature and extent of the danger1 and to aid me with your counsel and if necessary with your arm40 ,i was deeply agitated at these words4 ,i knew the animosity of the chief priests to ,jesus1 and ,i believed they would not hesitate to employ the knife of the assassin1 if they could not arrest his career by a public process4 ,i had no cause to doubt the report of ,judas2 but for some inexplicable reason ,i had a great aversion to the man4 ,he must have read doubt or suspicion in my manner2 for he immediately exclaimed in a tone of surprise3 8,why do you hesitate8 ,is my word not sufficient8 ,i have chosen you to share in this mission of honor and danger1 because you are indebted to ,jesus for your own life1 and because he is at this moment a guest in your house4 ,had ,i communicated this to the brave ,peter or the resolute ,james--0 8,enough60 said ,i1 interrupting him and taking his arm2 and we groped our way along the narrow path that wound down the steep hill into the valley4 ,reaching the level ground1 ,judas gave a low whistle and four men started up from behind the pillars of the bridge4 ,one of them led a mule by the bridle4 ,we approached them4 8,here is your man10 said ,judas1 suddenly stepping behind me and seizing me with great strength by the shoulders4 ,the men rushed upon me1 and notwithstanding my desperate struggle they bound me hand and foot in a few seconds4 8,vile traitor60 was the only exclamation that passed my lips before they were tightly closed by a strong leathern muzzle which was strapped securely over my head and behind my neck4 ,i was then blindfolded and put upon the mule4 ,we moved around to one of the city gates4 ,the passwords were given1 for the party were emissaries of the ,sanhedrim4 ,we traversed the streets a good distance1 when we halted and ,i was conducted into a house4 ,when released from my bonds ,i found myself in a large stone chamber with a small iron door and two lofty1 iron-grated windows4 8,in prison80 ,i exclaimed4 ,judas1 who stood in the doorway1 rubbed his hands with insulting glee and said3 8,your uncle ,magistus pays me handsomely for this40 8,if ,jesus is ever murdered10 said ,i1 with indignant scorn1 8you will be the murderer40 ,he sneered and went out4 ,i saw him no more4 ,alas6 ,i never saw the natural form of ,jesus again4 ,he who betrayed the disciple1 was already bargaining for the thirty pieces of silver at which he estimated the life of his ,lord4 ,the cause of my imprisonment was not doubtful4 ,i had become obnoxious to the ,sanhedrim from the mere fact of my resurrection4 ,the attention it attracted1 the prestige it conferred on ,jesus1 the increasing crowd that followed him1 all annoyed and vexed them4 ,i was a living proof of the power and glory of the new religion1 a standing protest and menace against the old4 ,it was necessary that ,i should be put out of the way4 ,i was shut out from the world2 a pallet of straw for my bed2 a rough table and a stool my only furniture4 ,a fierce1 silent guard brought me a daily supply of water and coarse food4 ,i saw and heard nothing of the great sea of human life which was surging outside of my stone walls4 ,several days and nights passed in this manner4 ,what had become of my sisters8 ,what had become of ,jesus8 ,if ,i had been made the first victim1 surely these others would fall shortly beneath the malice and cruelty of such unscrupulous enemies4 ,these thoughts1 attended with gloomy forebodings1 pressed with painful reiteration upon my mind4 ,i could not eat4 ,i could not sleep4 ,i was all eye1 all ear4 ,i was startled one night by a strange uproar in the street4 ,i was so watchful1 so quick of hearing1 that ,i detected it a great way off4 ,it gradually came nearer and nearer4 ,it was a riot or street-fight or battle creeping in the direction of my prison4 ,there were at last plainly heard shouts1 groans1 curses1 the hurrying of feet1 the clash of arms1 and all the exciting accompaniments of a bloody contest between two enraged factions4 ,from the triumphant cries and the great flare of torches which came in at my window1 ,i perceived that one party had driven the other before it1 and now occupied the ground in front of the building in which ,i was imprisoned4 ,i put the table against the wall and the stool on the table4 ,mounting thus to one of the windows1 ,i could see partially what was going on in the street4 ,what a crowd of ruffians of all nations and colors1 fantastically dressed and variously armed6 ,while ,i was gazing on this hideous rabble1 a man of huge proportions rode up on a horse finely caparisoned1 which had evidently been the late property of some dashing ,roman officer4 ,this man had a horribly bruised and swollen face1 and an immense1 dingy1 yellow beard4 ,i recognized ,barabbas the robber4 8,break open the doors and release the prisoners60 he cried in a terrible voice4 ,beams used like battering-rams were soon brought to bear upon the iron-barred and bolted doors1 until the whole building resounded with the tremendous strokes4 ,how my heart leaped at the thought of a speedy deliverance6 ,i determined in the confusion to elude both parties and escape to ,bethany4 ,at this moment a great outcry arose3 8,the ,romans6 ,the ,romans60 and the swift clatter of horses' feet and the renewal of all the sounds of a fierce fight1 assured me that the rioters had been attacked by a squadron of ,roman cavalry4 ,suddenly ,i heard a loud1 clear1 sweet voice shouting with wild enthusiasm3 8,death to the ,romans60 8,freedom to ,judea60 ,i recognized the familiar tones before ,i discovered the tall figure of the ,son of the ,desert4 ,he was bare-headed1 and his fine bronzed face1 his scimitar and his crimson scarf gleamed in the torchlight as he rushed bravely forward4 ,anthony1 my old servant1 was at his side1 watching his movements with admiration and echoing his words4 ,the ,son of the ,desert was bringing up a large party of stalwart fellows1 armed with pikes and scimitars1 to meet the advancing column of horse4 ,i called to him loudly1 waving my arms eagerly between the bars4 ,at that moment a strong pressure backward from the front1 held the party stationary for a second4 ,my old friend looked up at my window surprised1 and smiled his recognition4 ,he kissed his hand to me and pointed to the ring on his finger which ,martha had given him4 ,anthony also recognized me1 and saluted me with frantic gestures and every demonstration of childish joy4 ,the party suddenly surged forward1 and the ,son of the ,desert raised his battle-cry3 8,death to the ,romans60 8,freedom to ,judea60 ,just then my guard1 who had entered the room1 commanded me to come down from the window1 threatening to transfix me with his javelin if ,i did not obey4 ,i descended and seated myself quietly on the stool1 listening in silence to the progress of the fight4 ,knowing the irresistible power of the ,roman arms1 and wondering why the ,son of the ,desert had been led into such a hopeless enterprise1 ,i was grieved1 although not disappointed1 when ,i distinguished by the varying sounds of the conflict1 that the disciplined cavalry of ,pilate's legion were masters of the field4 ,the torchlight faded away2 the tumult ceased4 ,nothing was heard but a solitary horseman patrolling the deserted streets4 ,the enterprise1 whatever it was1 had failed4 ,i was not to be rescued4 ,i was not to rejoin my sisters4 ,i was to know nothing that was going on in the busy world around me4 ,i sank upon my straw1 dispirited1 despairing4 ,toward daylight ,i slept2 and ,i dreamed of that terrible night by the ,dead ,sea and of the words of my uncle ,beltrezzor4 ,it seems that the riot made my jailers suspect that my prison was insecure4 ,a few nights after this grand excitement1 ,i was startled by several men in masks entering my room4 ,i was bound1 muzzled and blindfolded again4 ,i was placed in some kind of a vehicle4 ,we traversed the city2 we passed the gate2 we descended a slope4 ,the fresh air of the country broke sweetly and soothingly upon me4 ,we ascended a long hill1 as ,i knew by the motion to which ,i was subjected4 ,no one spoke4 ,at last the vehicle stopped4 ,i was led between two men into a house4 ,we walked through a very narrow passage where only two could pass at a time4 ,suddenly ,i was stopped1 seized by the arms1 and let down into a kind of vault4 ,previous to this ,i was stripped of my bandages2 but it was so dark that ,i could distinguish nothing4 ,it was not deliverance4 ,it was not death1 that happiest deliverance of all6 ,it was a change of prisons--from dark to darker4 ,my heart sank within me4 ,i trembled4 ,strange sounds above me at the point of my entrance now attracted my attention6 ,i listened with the utmost tension of ear1 endeavoring to conjecture what my jailers were doing4 ,at last ,i comprehended it6 ,they were bringing brick and mortar1 and all in the dark6 ,they were walling up the space by which ,i had been lowered into the vault4 ,horrible idea6 ,my former prison was a dungeon2 this was a grave6 ,i was to be buried alive6 ,the thought overpowered me and ,i swooned4 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,xxiv4 ,,buried ,,alive4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,when ,i recovered my senses ,i examined as well as ,i could the strange place into which ,i had been plunged4 ,it must have been broad daylight out of doors1 for there was a kind of twilight about me that revealed plainly the contour of my dungeon4 ,when evening came on ,i was shrouded in impenetrable darkness4 ,such was the only difference between my day and my night4 ,the chamber was about ten feet square1 and its walls rose to a considerable height4 ,it was evidently an old secret dungeon partly underground1 damp and mouldy1 the scene perhaps of many sufferings and many crimes4 ,there was an opening into this vault1 so that ,i was not literally buried alive4 ,the workmen who had sealed up the space by which ,i had entered1 had left a little square hole like a window about ten feet above the flooring4 ,i could see a brick wall beyond it1 so that there was evidently a narrow passage by which some rays of light came to me4 ,when a door1 opening into this passage1 was left open1 the light was considerable4 ,if ,i could have reached that window ,i could have escaped2 for it was large enough to admit the head and shoulders of a man1 as ,i soon had occasion to know4 ,i made many frantic efforts to do so1 but could barely touch the edge of it with the tips of my fingers4 ,there was not an object in the room to assist me in reaching it4 ,my chamber was perfectly bare--not a stool1 not a pallet of straw4 ,while ,i was contemplating sadly the frightful fate which was in store for me1 a little lid or trap-door in the ceiling about a foot square was opened1 and a basket was lowered by a cord4 ,this basket contained a loaf of bread and a bottle of water4 ,i took out the bread and water2 the basket rose again by the cord1 and the lid was closed4 ,this was the routine1 day after day1 without variation4 ,not even an arm or a hand could be detected when the lid was raised4 ,nothing could be seen or heard4 ,there was one thing that varied the monotony1 and only one4 ,every day1 about noon1 the door in the passage was opened1 the light admitted1 and the ugly face and head of ,magistus were protruded through the little window4 ,there he stood gazing at me for some minutes1 sometimes for half an hour1 on several occasions for one or two hours4 ,he did not speak4 ,he glared at me with a stony malignity which is indescribable4 ,when he had satiated his cruel appetite with a sight of my sufferings1 he retired4 ,thus passed away week after week1 month after month4 ,my sufferings were horrible4 ,i wasted and weakened day by day both in mind and body4 ,the air of the dungeon had become foul and sickening4 ,the bread and water had become tasteless and repulsive4 ,the silence1 the solitude1 the darkness1 were fearful4 ,magistus came every day to enjoy with secret satisfaction the cruel death he was inflicting on me4 ,i regarded him with such repugnance and scorn1 that ,i did not speak to him or even look at him4 ,this no doubt inflamed his hatred4 ,i walked about my narrow prison1 whistling or talking to myself until he went away4 ,my insulting indifference did not seem to disturb him in the least4 ,he did nothing to attract my attention4 ,he only looked4 ,and now a strange and almost incredible thing occurred4 ,i do not believe any one can comprehend what ,i have to say1 unless he has been shut up alone in the dark for weeks and months2 with the mind preying morbidly on itself for want of external objects to give it healthful activity2 wasted by low diet and a mephitic atmosphere1 by silence whose terror is indescribable1 and by solitude which of itself can drive to madness4 ,i did not look at the stony1 cruel face of ,magistus2 but the idea that he was looking at me began to take a singular and painful possession of my mind4 ,i could not get rid of it4 ,i walked1 whistled1 talked1 sang to myself1 all in vain4 ,the idea that a hideous face was in the window2 that the black1 fierce eyes were fixed upon me2 that ,i could not prevent it2 hung over my mind like the vultures gnawing at the heart of the chained ,prometheus4 ,it became a positive torture4 ,an irresistible desire to look him full in the face seized me4 ,whether it was a secret magnetic attraction compelling me to do so1 or whether ,i thought it might mitigate my painful and absurd tension of thought on the subject1 ,i yielded at last4 ,from that moment his triumph was complete4 ,it was veritably the fascination of the bird by the serpent4 ,i could not help gazing at him4 ,he seemed to absorb my whole nervous life1 to suck out the very spirit of my blood1 so that ,i was left breathless1 dizzy1 bewildered1 helpless1 after each of his terrible visitations4 ,thus ,i lived a daily death for many weeks2 ignorant of all things without2 never hearing the sound of a human voice2 buried alive2 until hope died in my bosom1 and despair became my bedfellow1 and fear my familiar1 and even memory ceased to weave her beautiful airy tissues1 consoling me for the loss of a future by her glorification of the past4 ,at first ,i used to love to review all the incidents of my life1 both on earth and in the world of spirits4 ,i spent my long and lonesome leisure in organizing my knowledge1 analyzing my experiences1 and building up from them a grand philosophy of mind and matter4 ,i saw plainly that such a philosophy was needed to give intellectual strength and stability to the young church of ,christ4 ,i knew that no height of piety1 no fervor of faith1 no frenzy of love can secure a church from the cold and critical assaults of the human understanding4 ,devotion may be the soul of a church1 but ,truth is its body3 and no religion without an impregnable basis of philosophy1 can be anything but a transient fervor4 ,it must inevitably perish by a gradual disintegration4 ,for this mode of thinking ,i was indebted to the ,athenian philosophers4 ,the disciples of ,christ had no such foundation upon which to erect the great theological truths they were going to teach4 ,i saw plainly that such a philosophy cannot be discovered by the human intellect3 and moreover that it can only be revealed to mankind through some one who has lived consciously for a while in both worlds4 ,by divine permission and protection ,i had so lived4 ,i had been put into possession of truths of the utmost importance to the infant church and the world4 ,surely ,i could not thus perish in a dungeon6 ,surely the ,lord who had raised me from the dead1 would deliver me also from this great snare2 so that ,i could delight and instruct mankind with what ,i had seen and heard in the spiritual world4 ,i therefore arranged all my ideas into philosophical form1 and contemplated with intense pleasure the perfect system of spiritual and natural truth which ,i had eliminated from my accumulated materials4 ,it is astonishing how one spiritual truth leads to another2 how all things are connected together2 so that the greatest things are repeated in the least1 and the smallest fragment is an image of the whole4 ,with increasing debility and despair ,i ceased to think steadily of these grand and beautiful subjects4 ,i spent much of the time in praying for deliverance1 and much in brooding over the possible fate and sorrows of my poor sisters4 ,after a while ,i discovered that my ideas were strangely confused1 especially after those terrible visits of ,magistus1 which ,i began to regard with absolute horror4 ,i could not distinguish between what had happened in one world and what in the other2 between dreams and realities2 between my hopes and my fears4 ,the awful suspicion broke upon me that ,i was losing my reason1 that ,i was on the verge of madness4 ,then it was that my courage failed and my pride humbled itself2 for when ,magistus next appeared1 ,i raised my hands supplicatingly to him and exclaimed3 8,oh1 my uncle6 why do you thus persecute an innocent and helpless creature8 ,may ,god have mercy on your soul as you shall have mercy on me60 ,he made no reply1 but stared fixedly at me4 ,not a muscle of his face moved4 ,no ray of emotion was visible on his features4 ,he seemed to be as deaf and dumb as a statue4 ,i might as well have appealed to a tiger or a crocodile for pity4 ,i was about to repeat my supplication1 but his look appalled me2 and ,i sank1 pale1 rigid and stupefied under the old spell of fascination4 ,there was no hope4 ,let no one suppose that this instance of cruelty is incredible4 ,its hereditary germ is concealed in our hearts4 ,it begins developing in the child when he tortures the dumb creatures in his power4 ,to delight in witnessing pain is the basest and most infernal of all our passions2 but it is common enough4 ,every court1 every camp1 every government1 and alas6 almost every religion in the world1 has its secret records which could unfold tales of horror worse even than this4 ,man invested with irresponsible power1 is naturally a tyrant2 and the difference between a tyrant and a devil consists only in their different degrees of development4 ,i learned1 moreover1 in the spiritual world the singular fact1 that men or women addicted to sensual pleasures unregulated by religious ideas1 however kind and gentle they may seem1 have in their hearts a tendency to the most direful cruelties which rarely come to the surface in this world1 but which rage in hell with unabating fury4 ,one morning a wonderful thing occurred4 ,how small a thing may seem wonderful to those who are shut out from the sweet presences of man and nature6 ,on taking the bread and water out of the basket1 ,i found a delicate little rose-bud at the bottom of it4 ,let those who see every day a thousand flowers in the golden palaces of the spring1 pity and excuse the frantic pleasure which this tiny one gave to a poor prisoner1 who had been shut up for months in darkness1 surrounded by stone walls and demons4 ,i seized the sweet messenger of love1 for such ,i construed it to be2 strained my eyes in the twilight to discover the green and crimson of its livery2 and imagined that its delicate perfume was a little voice whispering to me of pity and of succor4 ,i wept over it4 ,i kissed it4 ,i invested it with life4 ,i called it ,mercury1 ,iris1 ,hebe1 ,cupid1 ,apollo--as a child endows her doll with vitality1 speaks to it1 caresses it1 nurses it4 ,perhaps all nature would be alive to us if our hearts were only childlike4 ,this flower was a link that reconnected me with the great world above1 so long lost to me4 ,it was a delicate thread that led me up into the open air under the blue sky1 and out into the green fields and into the gardens where the winds wrestled playfully with the trees1 and all the flowers ducked their little heads at the great rough sport of the larger creatures4 ,the beautiful forms and colors of a luxuriant nature rushed upon me with a ravishing sweetness4 ,my memory and imagination were stimulated into rosy life4 ,i wept for joy4 ,the secret of all this happiness was1 that the rose-bud reconnected me with my fellow-men4 ,some one had got hold of the basket who knew my sad story1 pitied my fate1 and had sent me a message of comfort4 ,i was confirmed in this idea when ,i broke open my loaf of bread2 for ,i found a slice of meat concealed within it1 juicy and delicious4 ,this was the first variation from my diet of slow starvation4 ,it was clearly the secret1 cautious work of a friend4 ,help was coming2 my heart danced with hope4 ,this little event shed still greater light and blessing upon me4 ,my mind became clear2 my memory acute2 the fear of madness left me4 ,my past sufferings seemed like a dream4 ,with hope ,i received new life1 new courage4 ,when ,magistus came1 ,i found that ,i was freed from the spell of his fascination4 ,i did not look at him4 ,i sat down immediately underneath his window4 ,i repeated comforting verses of ,scripture to myself until he went away4 ,that day was spent in the most delicious castle-building4 ,at night ,i slept1 but was visited by a disagreeable dream4 ,i thought ,magistus had taken my rose-bud from me1 and buried it in the ground2 and ,i awoke with a great cry1 for ,i suddenly remembered that what we had called the rose-bud was my sister ,mary4 ,how eagerly ,i watched the next descent of the basket1 for more comfort1 more tokens of love1 more hope6 ,it came2 but there was in it only bread and water4 ,my heart sank within me4 ,i would have called out loudly to my unseen friend1 to know why ,i was deserted2 but ,i feared my unseen enemy2 for ,i felt certain that ,magistus always watched the person who let down the basket4 ,magistus came as usual2 and ,i sat1 not noticing him1 underneath the window4 ,he seemed annoyed at my indifference4 ,he shifted his position often and stayed a great while4 ,he missed the pleasure of contemplating his work in my ghastly and pallid face4 ,the same things occurred the next day and the next4 ,no more flowers2 no more meat2 no messages2 no hopes2 only bread1 water and ,magistus4 ,was it all a hallucination8 ,again ,i began to sicken and despair4 ,one morning the basket came down with only bread in it4 ,no water6 ,i knew it was a sentence of death4 ,magistus was revenging my escape from the fascination of his evil eye4 ,before night ,i began to feel the horrors of thirst4 ,awful sensation6 ,i dreamed of water2 of the fountain in my father's courtyard2 of the blue gean near ,athens1 so soft1 so beautiful2 of the ,salt ,sea and the tent of ,barabbas2 of the snow-fields and icebergs of the frozen zone in the world of spirits4 ,all1 all depended on the next descent of the little basket4 ,i watched its coming as a prisoner listens to the voice of the judge1 for life or death4 ,alas6 bread alone2 no water4 ,torture1 madness1 death1 were now inevitable4 ,i took out the loaf1 which somehow or other seemed heavier than usual4 ,to my amazement1 the basket did not rise1 but was jerked impatiently up and down by the person holding the cord4 8,what can this mean80 said ,i to myself4 ,i broke the loaf4 ,it was scooped out and contained1 in the cavity thus formed1 a piece of parchment and a very small ink-horn with a pen4 ,i hastily examined the parchment and found on one side of it in great sprawling letters1 like a child's writing1 these words3 8,what shall ,i do80 ,a light came into my mind as brilliant as the sun4 ,i was calm and self-possessed2 my good angel recalled to me the friendly words of ,pilate at our parting3 8,send for me if you get into trouble40 ,i wrote as clearly and as rapidly as possible in the dim twilight3 8,tell all to ,pontius ,pilate4 ,be quick or ,i die60 ,i put the parchment into the loaf and pressed its crust closely together again4 ,i now heard the stern voice of ,magistus exclaim to some one3 8,what are you dallying about80 ,the basket ascended4 ,i trembled4 ,i almost fainted4 ,my entire hope1 my life1 hung upon a thread--upon a hair6 ,how fortunate it was that ,i did not send up the parchment alone6 ,my good angel guided me4 ,magistus looked into the basket1 and seeing it ascend with the loaf in it1 exclaimed1 8,he is too weak to take out his bread4 ,i will give him a little wine40 ,he seemed to walk away and my heart commenced beating again4 ,at that moment another little flower1 another sunbeam1 fell from the ceiling to my feet3 and the lid was closed4 ,high hope in my soul obliterated for a time even the torture of thirst4 ,i was calm4 ,i was happy4 ,my invisible friend had received my message4 ,if he delivered it1 ,i was safe3 for ,pilate would certainly release me4 ,what if ,pilate was absent or dead or displaced8 ,such thoughts were torture4 ,still1 the new governor1 whoever he was1 would befriend me4 ,i determined not to give way until night4 ,magistus came earlier than usual1 and threw me down a goat-skin bottle of wine and water4 ,i thanked him with the utmost deliberation4 ,he did not speak in reply4 ,he only wished to fan the embers of life1 to prolong my sufferings4 ,human nature revolts at the contemplation of such a demon4 ,such men are indeed rare1 but such evil spirits are common4 ,they are present to our souls2 cunning1 cruel1 malignant2 infusing their poison into our thoughts and affections2 endeavoring to make us such as ,magistus4 ,the worst evils here are moderated and repressed by the counteracting pressure of good spheres4 ,to see evil in its true light1 you must see it in the world of spirits and in hell--evil utterly divorced from good1 projecting itself outwardly in its own brutal forms1 and working out its frightful destiny4 ,i waited for my deliverance with a sublime hope1 a calm and fixed faith4 ,i knew it was coming4 ,it came4 ,magistus had at length reached1 as all wicked men do either in this world or the next1 the limit of his power1 the fatal line2 after which comes the rebound1 the reaction1 the punishment1 the disgrace1 the sure recoil upon one's self of all the evil he meditates against others4 ,early in the afternoon ,i became aware that a great commotion was going on in the house4 ,the door into the narrow passage was broken open by axes2 for ,magistus always carried the key1 and he could not be found4 ,a ,roman centurion soon appeared at the window where ,magistus had so often stood4 ,oh what a picture was his brave1 handsome1 indignant face6 ,soldiers came in4 ,the brick and mortar were soon torn away4 ,i was lifted out and carried into the open air4 ,i was so overcome with joy that ,i fainted4 ,the men who beheld my ghastly features and emaciated form were loud in their curses of ,magistus4 ,i was laid on a bed in the house1 and nurses were assigned me4 ,the kindly centurion did not leave me until ,i was comfortably fixed and had recovered from my swoon4 8,pontius ,pilate10 said he1 8desired me to present you his congratulations1 and to say that he will visit you to-morrow when you have been refreshed and strengthened by food and a night's rest2 and will then hear your story from your own lips40 ,i thanked him warmly4 8,and my deliverer80 said ,i1 8my unseen1 faithful friend and deliverer6 ,where is he8 ,who is he80 ,no one present knew anything about my deliverer4 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,xxv4 ,,what ,,had ,,happened4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,pontius ,pilate fulfilled his promise2 and ,i told him my whole story from the time of my resurrection until my happy release by his good centurion4 ,when ,i was speaking about the invisible friend1 the flower let down in the basket1 and the parchment with its rude letters1 his face grew sad4 ,when ,i finished by asking him to inform me how and from whom he learned my condition1 so that ,i could discover1 reward and love my deliverer as he deserved1 he drew a deep sigh and said3 8,i fear ,i have done a very hasty and cruel thing6 8,the man who informed me of your condition was the ,african who accompanied you to ,rome1 and who endeavored to rescue the slave from the fish-pond of ,hortensius40 8,my brave and good ,anthony60 ,i exclaimed eagerly4 8,he eluded my guards2 and although wounded by one of them for his temerity1 he rushed into my presence as ,i was finishing my morning meal4 ,the words he spoke were substantially these3 8#8,lazarus1 whom you brought from ,rome1 is confined in a dungeon underneath the house of ,magistus1 in ,bethany4 ,they have starved him nearly to death1 and he has been without water for a day and a night4 ,send help to him speedily1 or it will be too late4'0 8,noble1 courageous ,anthony60 ,i exclaimed4 8,he shall have half of my possessions60 but ,i was disquieted by the darkening brow of ,pilate4 8,i asked him10 continued the ,roman governor1 8if he had been in your employ since our return from ,rome4 8#8,no6' he replied1 #8,i have seen him but once1 and that was in prison4'0 8,he spoke the truth10 said ,i2 8he always spoke the truth60 8,i thought he was a messenger sent by some friend of yours4 ,i remembered him immediately1 and ,i remembered also my promise to ,hortensius4 ,i saw in him only an audacious criminal1 returning without leave from an exile which had been decreed perpetual40 8,and you threw him into prison80 8,if ,i had known of his beautiful and heroic devotion to you1 his fate would have been different40 ,the evident remorse of ,pilate startled me4 8,and his fate8 ,what was his fate8 ,he is not dead10 said ,i1 elevating my voice4 8,he was beheaded immediately40 8,o cruel1 cruel1 cruel fate60 ,i exclaimed2 and regardless of ceremony1 ,i mourned for my dead friend with bitter tears and bitter words in the presence of his august murderer4 8,i feel10 said ,pilate1 when he bade me a friendly adieu--8,i feel that ,i have discharged a severe duty in this matter2 but the generous conduct of this ,african1--for he certainly must have known that he endangered his own life by appearing before me1--would have entitled him to a full pardon1 which ,i would have given with pleasure for his own merits as well as for your sake40 ,as soon as my ,christian friends heard of my reappearance1 they crowded to see me4 ,from them ,i learned the sorrows and trials my sisters had undergone1 as well as the strange events which preceded1 accompanied and followed the crucifixion of ,jesus4 ,magistus and ,caiaphas had set afloat the story that ,i was engaged in the raid upon the city of ,jerusalem1 made for the double purpose of robbery and murder1 by ,barabbas and his party2 many of whom were deluded into the enterprise under the idea that it was a patriotic rebellion against the ,roman yoke4 ,they also suborned witnesses to prove that ,i was killed in the night attack1 and was buried by them with a crowd of other rioters who fell by the ,roman arms4 ,this led to the confiscation of our estates2 and as ,mary and ,martha were helpless and beautiful young women without relatives to protect them1 they were assigned to the special guardianship of ,magistus4 ,caiaphas approved in strong terms this decree of the ,sanhedrim1 eulogized ,magistus for his generous character and patriarchal virtues1 and congratulated the sisters of a vile robber1 themselves the disciples of a base impostor1 on their extraordinary good fortune in being placed under the enviable protection of one of the shining lights of ,israel4 ,the wickedness and duplicity of this high priest will be almost incredible to future times4 ,but the age was evil2 the church was corrupt2 and public and private morality reduced to the lowest ebb4 ,the priesthood was a matter of bargain and sale4 ,the office of high priest1 the holiest and highest in the ,jewish theocracy1 was obtained by bribery and fraud and in more than one instance by murder4 ,caiaphas was one of the most consummate hypocrites that ever entered the holy of holies4 ,he might have changed places with ,barabbas1 and justice and religion would not have fared the worse for it4 ,my sisters1 terrified at the thought of falling into the power of ,magistus1 their remembrance of whom was anything but pleasant1 fled from our house and concealed themselves with some of the disciples of ,jesus4 ,the two chief miscreants of the ,sanhedrim seemed determined to get possession of these unhappy and forlorn women2 and they instituted the most rigorous search through the houses of all persons who were suspected of harboring them4 ,their evil passions seemed only half gratified by my destruction and the seizure of our property4 ,fearful would have been the fate of these angelic friends of ,jesus1 had they fallen at that time into the hands of his fiercest enemies4 ,spies and detectives fully authorized to search1 arrest1 bribe1 intimidate and even kill1 were set upon their track in every direction4 ,the country became so unsafe for them1 that they were conveyed by stealthy night marches to the hut of some friendly fishermen away down on the sea of ,galilee4 ,even there they were pursued2 and ,peter the apostle rowed them across the sea on a dark and stormy night1 and concealed them in the very tombs whence issued the maniac out of whom ,jesus cast a legion of devils4 ,after many sufferings and hair-breadth escapes1 they were conveyed out of the country1 and at that moment were living concealed in the city of ,antioch1 at the house of a poor but worthy man--himself a ,christian1 for ,christ had cured him and nine others of the leprosy2 and he alone of the ten had turned back to give thanks4 ,i wept when ,i thought of the unhappiness of my poor sisters2 and ,i felt an urgent desire to regain my shattered strength and rejoin them4 ,the story of the crucifixion of the ,lord struck me with wonder and awe4 ,i was not surprised that ,judas ,iscariot had betrayed him4 ,but the pathetic incidents of his last supper1 his betrayal1 his trial1 his crucifixion1 his resurrection1 his appearance to his disciples1 and his ascension1 affected me to tears1 and filled me with a spirit of humility1 love and prayer4 8,those are pictures10 said ,i1 to my friends1 8which will be painted on the heart of the ,christian ,church in the colors of heaven1 and which the powers of death and hell can never efface4 8,if such10 thought ,i to myself--8if such is the effect of this divine history as it appears in the literal form to man1 what must be the power and glory of the spiritual signification of these great and holy things1 when they are studied by angels in the light of heaven60 ,barabbas and his bravest lieutenants1 including the ,son of the ,desert1 had fallen into the hands of the rulers4 ,barabbas conveyed to ,magistus a threat1 that if he were not released he would expose to the ,sanhedrim his attempt to murder his nephew4 ,whether ,magistus and ,caiaphas1 who acted always in concert1 feared an exposure of this kind1 which is not probable1 considering the source whence the charge would come1 or whether they followed spontaneously the wicked instincts of their own souls1 they procured the release of ,barabbas and the crucifixion of ,christ4 ,the mercy extended to ,barabbas was not given to his followers2 and two of them were selected to be crucified with ,jesus1 to increase the ignominy of his execution4 ,and so ,christ was crucified between two thieves--or men so reputed4 ,one of these was the ,son of the ,desert4 ,this brave1 wild man1 strangely compounded of good and evil1 was heavily ironed and cast into the deepest dungeon4 ,magistus had a habit1 consistent with his cruel disposition1 of visiting prisoners condemned to death1 and enjoying the terrors with which they contemplated their approaching fate4 ,the ,son of the ,desert did not gratify his passion for witnessing the sufferings of abject misery4 ,he was singularly cheerful and buoyant4 ,he declared himself not only willing but anxious to die4 ,he had nothing to contemplate with pleasure when he looked back2 and as to the future1 if the soul were really immortal and a second life were given him1 he was determined to start upon it with new principles and motives4 ,magistus was astonished at the calm1 philosophic spirit of this poor wretch1 who had never heard of philosophy4 ,when ,magistus was leaving1 the ,son of the ,desert took a ring from his finger and said3 8,you are not too proud to do one little favor for a condemned criminal4 ,give this ring to ,martha1 the sister of ,lazarus4 ,tell her it has accomplished the mission upon which she sent it4 ,she can touch it without shame4 ,it has been an angel of light to me4 ,since ,i have worn it1 ,i have seized no man's goods1 ,i have taken no man's life except in lawful battle4 ,if ,i have adhered to my band1 it was to moderate their passions1 to stay the hand of violence1 to plead for mercy1 to assist the captive1 and where possible to make restitution4 ,it found me a slave1 it has made me a freeman4 ,it found me a robber1 it has made me a patriot40 ,he was about to say more1 but suddenly checking some rising emotion1 he clenched one hand upon his heart1 and waving the other1 exclaimed3 8,adieu6 adieu60 ,neither the message nor the ring was delivered to ,martha4 ,the story was told to members of the ,sanhedrim1 in whom it awakened no generous sentiment1 but only excited their amusement or mockery4 ,the ring was taken to ,ulema1 my poor aunt1 who still retained her wonderful clairvoyant power1 which indeed seemed to increase as her general health declined4 ,magistus expected by the ring to obtain knowledge of all the movements and actions of the formidable band of ,barabbas2 for the clairvoyant can see the past as well as the present1 and with the proper clue1 can go far back1 on the stream of time1 to the very origin of things4 ,rumor says that the ring made strange and unexpected revelations1 not only about the band of ,barabbas1 but about the early history of the ,son of the ,desert4 ,ulema found in the last possessor of the ring her own only and lost child1 who had been stolen from the court-yard by one of a prowling party of ,egyptians1 when he was a very little boy4 ,no discovery was ever made of his whereabouts1 and her grief at the event was one cause of her after seclusion and ill health4 ,magistus was astounded1 and perhaps pained1 on finding that his own child had been crucified with ,jesus4 ,it was too late to do aught but bury the whole matter with the other painful things in his memory4 ,he said nothing to ,ulema on the subject1 who was of course unconscious of it all in her waking state4 ,a strange thing1 however1 now took place4 ,the moment she passed into her trance state1 she began to weep and wail over her lost child4 ,her clairvoyance put her in full possession of all the facts of his life and death4 ,the mother's heart broke under the immense sorrow4 ,she pined rapidly1 and her white hands were soon folded in that sweet sleep which precedes the celestial waking4 ,we have a life within our life1 like a wheel within a wheel6 ,with no knowledge of his parentage1 no friend in whom to confide1 no heart to receive and give a last adieu1 the ,son of the ,desert bore his own cross up ,calvary1 and was nailed upon it by the ,roman soldiers4 ,he had never seen ,jesus before4 ,he had heard of him only through enemies4 ,he supposed him to be some fanatic or impostor1 or perhaps some political maniac who aspired to the crown of ,judea4 ,at first he joined his fellow-sufferer on the other side of ,christ in railing against the king and miracle-worker1 whose sceptre and miraculous powers seemed so useless to himself and others in his last extremity4 ,but the conduct and words of ,jesus smote him to the heart4 ,through that secret affiliation and sympathy by which one brave and good man recognizes another in the hour of sternest trial1 the ,son of the ,desert1 educated only in heart1 perceived with the heart that the kingdom of ,christ was a spiritual kingdom4 ,divining intuitively the mission of infinite love in which the ,lord was engaged1 he confesses his own sin1 rebukes and silences his fellow-sinner1 and pleads for remembrance in the hour of triumph which he sees is approaching for the ,king of kings4 ,brave1 repentant soul6 ,jesus is everywhere2 in heaven2 in earth2 in hell4 ,and shortly thou wast with ,him and ,he with thee1 in that paradise or garden of the soul1 in which the new life1 forgetful of the old1 begins to bud and blossom6 ,the great tragedy was enacted4 ,the disciples at first stood afar off4 ,but as the death-scenes drew nearer1 and the curiosity of the crowd increased1 military discipline was somewhat relaxed1 and the people were permitted to press closer1 and those who had special claims were allowed to come up and stand very near the dying sufferers4 ,it was thus that the ,apostle ,john1 and ,mary the mother of the ,lord1 were in speaking distance in his last moments4 ,it was then that ,he gave each of them so tenderly to the other4 ,aside from this awful central scene1 which will shine in all history as the pivotal event of the world1 a pathetic side-scene was enacted1 of which there is no historian but myself2 and even ,i was not present1 but relate it at second-hand4 ,my authority1 however1 was a man of truth1 ,john the ,apostle1 the exile of ,patmos4 ,far off in the crowd was a solitary being whose eyes were fixed continually on the ,son of the ,desert4 ,he stood with his brawny arms folded spasmodically across his chest4 ,great tears ran slowly down his cheeks4 ,that man was poor and ignorant and ragged and black1 but he had a noble soul4 ,it was ,anthony1 the ,ethiopian1 who1 exiled by ,pilate into the desert1 had there met ,barabbas and his band4 ,he soon attached himself by a certain instinct to the only noble spirit in the party4 ,he followed the fortunes of this man2 and1 true to his ,african genius1 he imitated his character4 ,the ,son of the ,desert was not ashamed of his humble disciple4 ,anthony escaped death and capture on the terrible night of the riot4 ,but his master was taken2 and the faithful servant prowled about the suburbs and the prisons1 risking detection and arrest in order to catch a glimpse1 if possible1 of him whom his soul loved4 ,it was all in vain4 ,he followed the vast crowd which went out to the crucifixion1 pushed aside by the spears of the soldiers1 and found himself on ,calvary a witness of the last act in the great drama--an act which disclosed the mighty power of ,love1 and foreshadowed and meant the redemption of the world4 ,when the people were permitted to approach nearer to the crosses1 ,anthony came very close to that whereon his master1 the ,zebra of the ,desert1 hung in agony4 ,no one noticed the ragged black man4 ,he at last caught the eye of the poor sufferer1 who smiled a sweet recognition4 ,he was cheered4 ,he felt happy to have one follower1 one soul that loved and pitied him4 ,poor ,anthony wept as if his heart would break4 ,he procured a large goat-skin bottle full of water1 and stood at the cross bathing his master's wounded feet with the cooling stream4 ,the guards wearied1 sickened with the prolonged sufferings of the victims1 did not prevent him4 ,he listened to the conversation between ,christ and the repentant sinner2 and for the first time he seemed aware that there was another great tragedy going on besides the one in which he was especially interested4 ,he sat or squatted upon the ground in front of these dying men1 looking first at one and then at the other2 studying also the faces of the group of holy women1 who with the good ,john stood near the central cross4 ,a great idea was dawning on the benighted soul of the ,ethiopian1 a great light1 a great glory4 ,why is it that the beams of celestial light pass by the palace and illumine the hut8--pass by the cultivated and learned and gladden the hearts of the simple and child-like8 ,when the ,divine ,man1 praying for his enemies1 gave up the ghost2 when the great shadows came over the sun2 when the bereaved women raised their wail of sorrow2 when the centurion exclaimed1 8,truly this was the ,son of ,god20 another convert--humbler1 lowlier than they all--was kneeling at the foot of the cross1 praying to ,him who hung upon it3 8,lord1 remember me also when thou comest into thy kingdom40 ,anthony assisted the disciples in taking down the body of ,jesus from the cross4 ,that night1 aided by ,john and two other disciples who had witnessed his tender devotion to the ,son of the ,desert1 he took down the body of his master1 wrapped it in a new winding-sheet1 and buried it in a corner of the ,potter's ,field4 ,when washing the body for this lowly burial1 they discovered some beautiful red letters pricked or burned into the skin immediately over the heart4 ,they were these3 8,martha1 sister of ,lazarus40 ,anthony followed ,john to his home and became his servant4 ,he soon learned the anxieties and conjectures which prevailed about my sudden disappearance4 ,remembering my face at the prison window1 he became convinced that ,i was still a prisoner4 ,he determined1 with ,john's approval1 to devote himself to finding and delivering me4 ,he had no adviser1 for ,john was busy in saving my sisters from the cruel ,magistus1 and was at ,ephesus when ,i was delivered from the dungeon4 ,how well he executed his trust1 the reader already knows4 ,but how he did it2 how he discovered my whereabouts2 how he got into ,magistus' employ2 how he obtained the post whence he could aid me2 his difficulties1 his hopes1 his fears1 his emotions--all were buried with him--alas6 ,he will tell the whole story to me when ,i meet him in heaven1 as ,i most assuredly shall4 ,poor ,anthony6 brave to impetuosity1 extravagantly generous1 meek to the deepest humility1 faithful to the last degree6 ,in his short1 obscure life is concentrated a glory superior to all ,greek or ,roman fame4 ,one more piece of news occasioned me as much surprise as anything already narrated4 ,this1 however1 unlike the rest1 was joyful4 ,about a week before my deliverance1 my good uncle ,beltrezzor had arrived in ,jerusalem from ,persia4 ,he had heard1 through his correspondent in the ,holy ,city1 of my supposed death1 of the crucifixion of ,jesus1 and the mysterious disappearance of my sisters4 ,he at once suspected some evil1 and determined to hasten to their assistance4 ,he found considerable difficulty in converting all his property into jewels and precious stones2 and still more in bringing everything safely through countries which were at war and infested by prowling bands of deserters and thieves4 ,he had started for ,antioch only the day before1 having heard that ,john had conducted my sisters safely to that city4 ,pilate was not slow in bringing ,magistus to justice4 ,finding that an exposure of his infamously cruel character was already made1 and that the ,roman governor himself had taken part against him1 hundreds of people whom he had injured in person or property came forward to assist in the prosecution4 ,he was convicted of many crimes1 his estates confiscated2 he was exiled the country and forbidden to return under penalty of death4 ,it was ten days before ,i was able to travel4 ,i chid the tardy hours that kept me from my beloved sisters and my dear old uncle1 the disciple of ,zoroaster4 ,at last the word came3 8,to ,antioch60 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,xxvi4 ,,the ,,city ,,of ,,colonnades4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,strange things were going on at ,antioch4 ,antioch1 the seat of the ,roman government in ,syria1 was a centre in which met all the peculiarities and eccentricities of the civilized world4 ,it was situated on the river ,orontes1 several miles above its confluence with the sea4 ,by an extensive system of artificial works the river was made navigable for the largest vessels1 so that ,antioch was in rapport with the maritime world4 ,it was the city of amalgamations2 the point of contact between the ,east and the ,west2 the receptacle of all races and nations4 ,notwithstanding its wealth1 beauty and splendor1 the society of ,antioch was inconceivably corrupt and degraded4 ,all kinds of strange doctrines and unhealthy superstitions were rampant there4 ,magicians1 sorcerers1 miracle-workers1 impostors1 buffoons and courtesans were in high favor with all classes4 ,life and death were equally disregarded4 ,races1 games1 ftes1 debauches1 combats1 processions1 seemed to occupy the whole time of the excitable and licentious populace4 ,simon ,magus1 after spending three or four months in ,egypt with ,helena1 came to ,antioch and began an extraordinary course of public teachings4 ,it was a rich field for his peculiar genius4 ,he combined philosophy with sorcery1 theology with magic4 ,of his cruel deeds1 his infernal plots1 his insane ambition the world was ignorant4 ,he was greatly changed4 ,the inspiration of evil had taken demoniac possession of him4 ,he had grown leaner and darker4 ,his eye1 always eloquent and powerful1 was fierce and restless4 ,he had a singular habit of grasping at his breast1 with an expression of suffering on his face1 as if a violent pain shot through his heart4 ,he had lost much of that calm1 self-possessed1 imposing exterior which commanded respect by its apparent strength and dignity4 ,he was louder in his speech1 more rapid in his gestures1 prouder and more defiant in his attitude4 ,this gained him a larger but more vulgar audience4 ,the magician was on the eve of madness1 if not actually mad4 ,it was the age of insanity4 ,it was the age of imposture and false miracles1 of convulsion and persecution1 of moral and physical turpitude1 of direful cruelty and bloodshed1 of the wildest fanaticism1 of the most revolting excesses1 of actual possession by devils4 ,nothing like it was ever seen before or ever will be again1 because all these things were the effects and collateral issues of the spiritual combat between good and evil1 between ,christ and hell2 the throes of the great demons of past ages before their final expulsion from their thrones and the inauguration of a new spiritual power in the world4 ,such was the state of society at ,antioch when ,simon ,magus appeared in that city and claimed to be an incarnation of the ,deity1 exercising miraculous power4 ,he seemed to be possessed of boundless wealth4 ,the splendor of his palace1 the rare and gorgeous beauty of his equipage1 his singular and dazzling dress1 the wild grandeur of his manner1 the wonderful eloquence of his speech1 and the astounding feats of magic which he certainly did perform1 all created a bewildering impression on the excitable and unthinking people of the ,city of ,colonnades1 as ,antioch was called on account of its architectural beauty4 ,on his first arrival he had directed his subtle energies to obtain the ear and the faith of the ruler of the province1 the ,roman governor1 whose name was ,lelius4 ,the appliances which he brought to bear upon the heart1 the brain1 the senses of this weak and vain man1 were finally successful4 ,in a few weeks ,lelius was not only the dupe1 but the mere creature of ,simon ,magus4 ,helena shared with her pretended husband the glory and the shame of this royal conquest4 ,such was the state of things when the apostle ,john arrived at ,antioch with the two unhappy fugitives--my sisters4 ,they were attended by ,mary ,magdalen in the humble capacity of servant4 ,this zealous disciple of ,christ had kept modestly aloof from them in their prosperity2 but when thrown together by common sorrows and persecutions1 she tendered her services and proved through life a most faithful and efficient friend4 ,john obtained lodgings for the party with ,salothel1 the restored leper4 ,hoping still further to shield them by drawing the pursuit after himself1 he traveled on westward as far as ,ephesus1 where he had friends1 and where he began preaching the new gospel of ,christ4 ,the sisters remained concealed for a long time1 until their fears were quieted and they began to be intensely anxious to hear from ,judea4 ,they had always doubted the story of my death1 and were continually hoping to get news of me4 ,emboldened by their long repose1 ,mary and ,martha closely veiled took a walk one afternoon with ,salothel through the grand street of colonnades1 and sat down to rest in one of the beautiful public squares4 ,a triumphant procession in honor of the ,roman arms was passing by2 and it was precisely in a great crowd1 passing and repassing1 that our recluses thought there was least danger of being specially observed4 ,suddenly two men stopped near them1 and one gazed earnestly at the sisters4 ,that man was ,simon ,magus1 thoroughly-disguised4 ,he had received letters from his old disciple ,magistus1 telling him how his nieces had eluded his vigilant pursuit1 and requesting him to keep a lookout for them4 ,simon also had not forgotten the defeat of his great scheme at ,bethany1 and he desired above all things to get possession of ,mary for his own private ends4 ,it is needless to say that when a man of ,simon's genius and power gets upon the fresh trail of a poor helpless woman1 it is but a short time before he secures his prey4 ,mary1 innocent1 unsuspecting1 loving creature as she was1 the very next day was decoyed from the house of ,salothel by a very old gray-haired1 heavenly-faced man1 a devout ,christian1 who managed to see her alone1 and who wished to conduct her without a moment's delay to her suffering brother ,lazarus4 ,of course the devout old ,christian was a disguised emissary of ,simon2 and ,mary found herself immured in a secret chamber of his palace4 ,what to do with her8 was now the question4 ,simon ,magus had such intense faith in the incantations of ,ja-bol-he-moth1 the old demon of the ,lybian desert1 that he was ready to abandon his great theological mission and convey ,mary to the ruins of the ancient city which was buried in the sand4 ,if he had permitted ,helena to remain in possession of his palace under the protection of ,lelius1 that beautiful person would have approved his enterprise1 and would have given him her blessing with her farewell4 ,but ,simon was obstinately resolved that she should accompany him1 and share the dangers and the glory of the expedition4 ,helena positively refused to return to ,egypt2 and as she was as fierce and implacable as she was beautiful1 ,simon was at last obliged to submit to a compromise4 ,mary was not to be conveyed into ,africa2 but she was to be murdered1 her heart extracted1 burned into a cinder and pulverized1 to constitute a magical powder of extraordinary virtues4 ,thus ,simon was to be gratified by an addition to his necromantic treasures1 and ,helena was to enjoy the dissipation of ,antioch4 8,and how it will delight our friend ,magistus60 said ,helena4 ,simon felt too insecure in his new surroundings to venture upon the secret murder of the young girl4 ,it might be difficult to dispose of the body after the heart was abstracted4 ,the untried creatures and slaves around him might discover the deed and betray him4 ,his new claim to divinity would be sadly compromised by his sudden exposure as an assassin4 ,simon and ,helena devised a cunning plan by which they could attain their ends without the least danger to themselves4 ,simon represented to ,lelius that a strange and dangerous conspiracy against government and religion was taking root in ,antioch4 ,he described ,jesus as a subtle impostor1 who1 under the cloak of extraordinary sanctity1 meditated the grandest political revolutions4 ,he painted the disciples in the blackest colors as the secret enemies of peace and order4 8,the leader10 said he1 8of these turbulent spirits was crucified by ,pontius ,pilate1 whose probity and leniency are known to the whole world4 ,his followers1 driven from ,jerusalem1 have spread as firebrands in different countries2 and secretly associated together1 they are now plotting against the stability of all existing civil and religious institutions40 ,he claimed to have discovered their plots by magical power2 and he solemnly assured his credulous listener that he had not exaggerated their importance or danger4 ,he predicted that in a few years a decree of extermination would be issued by all civilized powers against these people1 and he begged ,lelius to initiate those measures of destruction which would entitle him to the gratitude of mankind4 8,i know10 he continued1 8that one of the most cunning of all these emissaries is now in the city3 a woman1 beautiful1 accomplished1 designing2 concealing under the garb of modesty and humility1 the spirit of universal anarchy4 ,she anointed this ,jesus as king in the presence of his chosen officers and lieutenants on the night before his grand entry into ,jerusalem1 when the mad populace shouted his claims to the throne of ,judea4 ,to satisfy your mind of the true nature of this formidable doctrine growing up around us1 let me bring this woman before you and question her in your presence40 ,lelius assented to this proposition1 and ,mary was led or rather dragged into the august presence of the ,roman governor4 ,simon ,magus proceeded to question her in the most adroit manner1 drawing from her exactly such answers as were best calculated to shock and disgust the ignorant and arrogant pagan who held in his single hand the power of life and death4 ,mary1 terrified and unsuspecting1 answered all his queries in a simple and truthful manner4 ,she was thus made to say1 that she had known and loved ,jesus of ,nazareth2 that she had anointed him on the eve of his royal entry into ,jerusalem2 that she believed his teachings2 that he had risen from the dead and ascended into heaven2 that she prayed to him as ,god2 that he was coming again to restore ,israel and to judge the world4 ,this seemed like the wildest folly and fanaticism to the proud ,roman2 and he smiled at the thought that there were people with the semblance of rationality who could credit such absurdities4 ,but ,simon's work was only half done4 ,questioning and cross-questioning his artless victim1 he drew from her facts of a far more serious and practical bearing4 ,mary believed1 and candidly acknowledged it1 that all the religions sanctioned by the laws of the ,roman empire1 were false religions2 that their gods were no gods at all1 or demons2 that their boasted oracles were evil spirits2 that the tendency of these religions was only evil1 and that their devotees were living in sin and doomed to hell4 ,moreover1 that the religion of ,christ was to supersede them all2 that no compromise could be permitted2 that it was a life-and-death struggle between the old religion and the new gospel4 ,in addition she was made to say--never dreaming to what conclusions her admissions were leading her pagan judge--that ,jesus had set apart a great many persons1 twelve at one time and seventy at another1 to go forth into the world and preach this gospel2 that he had given them miraculous power wherewith to achieve their ends2 that angels delivered them from prisons2 that they could strike their enemies blind or dumb or powerless2 that they could raise the dead2 that they had a secret organization with signs and symbols2 that they had started or were going to start on their grand mission which was to overturn the powers of pagan darkness and prepare the minds of men for the universal reign of ,christ at his second coming4 ,when ,mary was removed by the guards1 ,simon had no difficulty in convincing ,lelius that his own allegations had been well founded4 ,torturing the meaning of ,mary's words and giving them a purely literal construction1 he inflamed the indignation and zeal of ,lelius to such a pitch1 that he despatched private letters to the governors of the neighboring provinces1 informing them of the existence1 motives and plans of this new and desperate conspiracy against all that was stable1 glorious and venerable in the civilizations of ,greece and ,rome4 ,the next thing was to determine what should be done to extinguish a heresy which meant revolution1 in his own province4 ,to this conference ,helena was admitted2 for ,aspasia had less influence over ,pericles than ,helena over ,lelius4 ,the ,roman governor was weak-minded1 easily led1 and without moral sensibility4 ,he was passionately fond of new sensations1 extraordinary excitements1 and the bloody sports of the amphitheatre4 ,he was soon induced to sanction a magnificent scheme concocted by that subtle brain which received its inspiration from the old magician of ,pharaoh4 ,our good uncle ,beltrezzor arrived at ,antioch the day after ,mary's disappearance4 ,he found the household of ,salothel in the profoundest consternation and distress4 ,he was welcomed with frantic joy1 and joined them in the most painful and laborious search for his lost niece4 ,day after day these sad1 anxious souls traversed the city1 walking1 looking1 inquiring everywhere4 ,among half a million or more of people the lost are not easily found1 especially if cunning and unscrupulous power gets them in its clutches and conceals them from view4 ,in the course of his inquiries1 ,beltrezzor discovered that ,simon ,magus lived in the city in great grandeur and authority4 ,a fearful suspicion entered his mind2 for he remembered the night-scene in ,bethany1 and the foiled abduction4 ,he did not communicate his fears to ,martha or the rest1 but insisted upon their remaining in the utmost seclusion1 while he conducted the search alone4 ,he said he had discovered something important1 but which demanded great caution and secresy2 and he endeavored to inspire a hope which he did not feel4 ,the next day1 passing a crowd in one of the squares1 he observed the herald of ,lelius reading a proclamation to the people1 which excited the greatest enthusiasm4 ,he came near and listened to its second reading4 ,it announced officially1 with great pomp of words1 that the government1 determined to protect the safety and morals of the people1 had taken measures to extirpate a certain secret association of conspirators1 which had been founded in ,judea by one ,jesus ,christ1 whom ,pontius ,pilate had crucified as an impostor and revolutionist4 ,that the first step in this righteous undertaking1 would be the public execution of a young woman1 who was an agent and emissary of these outlaws1 and who had anointed the said ,jesus king of the ,jews1 according to the old ,jewish custom of installing into the royal office4 ,that in order to strike terror into these evil-doers1 and to warn them of the fate which awaited them if they attempted to teach the doctrines of ,jesus1 the young woman1 ,mary of ,bethany1 high-priestess of this new and dangerous religion1 would be thrown to an immense ,nmean lion just arrived from ,africa1 in the grand amphitheatre on the afternoon of a certain day which would be the second ,sabbath following1 according to the ,jewish calendar4 ,that1 to illustrate the clemency of the government1 a full pardon would be given to the said ,mary if she publicly recanted her heresies and revealed the names of the other conspirators4 ,beltrezzor stood aghast at this terrible document1 full of false affirmations4 ,the old man's heart was pierced with grief and terror in contemplating the frightful toils into which his innocent and beautiful niece had fallen4 ,to conceal the awful fact from ,martha was his first thought--and then he was prepared for any labor1 for any sacrifice to rescue ,mary4 ,the whole city was in a blaze of excitement over this new sensation4 ,it was the great topic of conversation everywhere4 ,and her crime8 ,oh6 said the people1 it is terrible6 ,a female atheist6 denying all the gods1 and worshiping a ,jew who was crucified between two thieves6 ,all agreed that she deserved her fate2 and that it would be the most entertaining sight of the season1 and a death-blow to the conspiracy4 8,and see60 said they1 8the noble mercy of ,lelius6 ,if she recants at any time before the opening of the amphitheatre1 she will be released40 ,then they all agreed that it would be very cowardly and disgusting in her to recant4 ,they admired an unbending and not a repentant sinner4 ,beltrezzor was a plain1 childlike man1 having no ingenuity for indirect attacks1 or for unraveling difficult questions4 ,thoroughly truthful and honest1 he always went to work in an open1 straightforward way4 ,he felt that1 in the great work before him1 he had but one hope1 one resource--his immense wealth4 ,if he had loved money more than he did1 his hope would have been greater2 for he would have believed that all men could be bought with a bribe4 ,unpurchasable himself1 he doubted the power of money4 ,still he was compelled to test its efficacy1 for it was plainly his only resource4 ,he studied the situation thoroughly1 deliberately4 ,he became convinced that the whole thing was the conjoint work of ,simon ,magus and the ,roman governor4 ,he was sure that ,simon ,magus1 a fanatic almost to lunacy1 could not be deterred or withheld from a favorite project by pecuniary considerations4 ,the government could not withdraw its proclamation without a sacrifice of dignity2 and if ,lelius were approached on the subject1 he would probably refer it to ,simon1 by whom all proposals would be rejected4 ,he thought it best to keep away from these high dignitaries altogether1 and to sound the subordinates4 ,he was afraid1 moreover1 that if ,simon learned of a wealthy element working in ,mary's behalf1 he would increase his vigilance and double his guards1 so that bribery and escape would be alike impossible4 ,it was best to let him believe that ,mary was alone1 helpless and friendless4 ,he visited the amphitheatre and sought out the keeper of the prison connected with that immense establishment4 ,the keeper had already been questioned out of his patience by crowds of people to whom he gave surly and unsatisfactory answers4 ,he was a ,gaul by birth1 a ,roman soldier by captivity and necessity1 ,euphorbus by name4 ,he was taciturn and apparently ill-natured4 ,beltrezzor went straight to the point4 ,he asked him no questions4 ,he said softly3 8,a word to you in a private room may be valuable40 ,euphorbus looked fixedly at him a moment1 and led the way to a small office within4 ,beltrezzor produced a sparkling gem of considerable value4 8,i wish to speak with the young woman who is confined in the amphitheatre40 8,impossible60 said the keeper1 gruffly4 8,i am her uncle40 8,no admittance to anyone on pain of death10 said the ,gaul1 casting a wistful eye on the jewel4 ,beltrezzor drew forth a precious stone of remarkable size and immense value4 8,these are yours1 my friend1 for a single brief interview with my niece40 8,hark you60 said ,euphorbus1 taking the jewels into his hand4 8,i am willing to gratify and befriend you2 but there are four ,roman soldiers at the door of her cell1 who permit no one but myself to go in or out40 8,are they not under your command80 8,no4 ,they belong to ,simon ,magus1 and obey only his word40 8,lead me to them40 ,the old man made a touching appeal to these rough men for permission to see his niece4 ,some large gold coins that he offered them had more influence than his eloquence4 ,the assurance of the keeper that he would shield them as far as possible1 decided the matter2 and ,beltrezzor was admitted into ,mary's dungeon4 ,the meeting between uncle and niece was affecting in the extreme4 ,mary had greatly changed since her imprisonment4 ,a deadly pallor pervaded her beautiful countenance1 and she had the air of one whose delicate nerves had almost given way under prolonged terrors4 ,the old man clasped her in his arms1 and the bitter tears fell from his face upon her golden hair4 8,oh uncle60 said she1 8is it not horrible to contemplate8 ,a young girl stripped and thrown to a lion before thousands of people6 ,are they not devils in human form who can witness such things80 ,she trembled2 her eyeballs started with horror2 the cold drops stood on her forehead2 she clung frantically to her uncle4 8,oh6 ,i have thought of it10 she said1 8until ,i shall go mad6 ,and then to hear the lion roaring at night6 ,it is fearful4 ,he is kept very1 very near me4 ,is not that cruel1 cruel8 ,i hear every sound he makes4 ,i hear him growling and crunching when they feed him4 ,i hear him yawning and whining as he impatiently paces his cage4 ,then at night he roars as if he thought he was in the pathless forest4 ,oh it freezes me6 ,i cannot eat4 ,i cannot sleep4 ,i shall die60 ,the head of the young woman fell upon the old man's breast4 8,have you never thought1 my child10 he said1 tremulously1 8of saving your life by renouncing your religion80 8,no1 uncle6 never6 never60 8,that's a brave girl60 said he1 tenderly kissing her forehead2 8and you shall be saved without it40 8,i am not afraid of death1 uncle1 but of the lion4 ,but ,i doubt not--oh6 ,i doubt not that ,jesus will support me even in that last extremity4 ,i cannot1 however1 control my fears40 ,the old man cheered her with many tender words and promises of help and assurances of speedy rescue4 ,promising to visit her twice every day1 he departed to mature some plan for her deliverance4 ,that evening he was plunged in a deep and painful reverie4 ,neither ,martha nor ,mary ,magdalen could engage him in conversation4 ,he sat with head between his hands4 ,he retired early4 ,during the night ,martha heard groans issuing from his chamber4 ,she lit her lamp and entered softly4 ,beltrezzor1 pale and haggard1 lay upon his back with his face upturned to heaven4 ,he had been weeping in his sleep4 ,his lips were moving as if in prayer4 ,faithful1 loving old man6 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,xxvii4 ,,helena ,,again4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,when my uncle came out to his morning meal1 a strange transformation had taken place4 ,he was buoyant and cheerful2 his face was radiant with a pleasing vivacity4 ,indeed he was absolutely mirthful4 ,martha regarded him with profound astonishment1 which gave way to fear that the dear old man had lost his reason1 when he burst out into the following speech3 8,rejoice1 my friends6 rejoice1 my children6 ,i have got it fixed4 ,i see our way clearly out of all our troubles4 ,get ready1 as quickly but as quietly as you can1 to leave this horrible place4 ,be silent as the grave4 ,a ship will be ready for us on ,sunday afternoon2 and while these mad people are yelling in their vile amphitheatre1 she will weigh anchor1 slip her cable1 and with ,mary on board and angels smiling on the voyage1 her prow will point steadily for the land of ,gaul40 ,during this speech he was rubbing his hands with glee2 and at the conclusion of it he waved them over his head in an excited manner4 ,his listeners showed by their silence and the tears in their eyes what they thought of this singular conduct4 8,come1 come60 said the old man1 resuming his usual gravity1 8,i am in earnest4 ,god has revealed what ,i must do1 in a dream4 ,i know exactly where ,mary is4 ,she is well and will soon be happy4 ,you must obey me4 ,ask me no questions4 ,trust in me implicitly4 ,all will be right40 ,seeing ,beltrezzor so thoroughly in earnest1 the little group became hopeful and cheerful1 and proceeded with alacrity to make preparations for the sudden and strange journey4 ,beltrezzor went out into the city1 and was incessantly occupied in arranging and working for his remarkable enterprise4 ,he barely came home to sleep at night1 so much had he to do in so little time4 ,he continued as vivacious as ever4 ,his spirits1 his hope1 his assurance1 seemed to rise every hour4 ,at last1 the evening before the ,sabbath1 the little party with their baggage were quietly transferred after nightfall from the house of ,salothel to a beautiful new ship anchored away up at the very end of the long pier which adorns the river front of ,antioch4 ,when they were all safe on board the vessel1 ,beltrezzor took ,martha into the cabin1 and opening a closet1 he showed her several boxes of rosewood bound with brass bands4 8,this10 he said1 8is full of golden coins of various sizes and value4 ,this contains jewels of incalculable splendor wrought by the greatest artificers in the ,east4 ,this conceals precious stones of great beauty and high price4 ,and this last contains some genuine diamonds1 brought from the remotest ,india1 and which would excite the envy of kings and queens4 8,here are the keys to them all4 ,take them40 8,and all this immense wealth10 said ,martha in amazement4 8,one half of it is for you and ,mary40 8,and the other half80 8,is for the man who brings ,mary to this vessel to-morrow and conducts it to ,gaul40 8,oh1 generous uncle2 and for yourself80 8,something far more valuable than all that40 ,my uncle returned to the house of ,salothel to sleep1 fearing lest its sudden evacuation should excite the suspicion of the neighbors4 ,several servants also1 bribed to profound secrecy1 were to remain until after the ,sabbath4 ,beltrezzor was obliged to move with great caution4 ,a single false step might ruin everything4 ,if the parties who were plotting the destruction of ,mary obtained the least clue to his movements1 his whole scheme might be thwarted4 ,mary would be given to the lion1 the rest seized and perhaps murdered1 and his splendid estate confiscated4 ,he could not sleep a moment under the weight of such tremendous responsibilities4 ,it was the next morning1 the day of the ,jewish ,sabbath1 when the grand exhibition was to take place at the amphitheatre1 that ,i arrived at ,antioch4 ,just as my uncle was leaving the house for ever1 he met me at the door4 ,i thought he would have started from me as from a ghost4 ,but he was one of those quiet men whom nothing ever surprised4 ,he gave me a sedate but cordial welcome1 just as if he had been expecting me4 ,he had difficulty in calming my excitement and fury when ,i learned what a shocking fate was impending over my youngest and most beautiful sister4 ,he would not tell me anything about the means he had adopted for ,mary's deliverance4 ,i was very restive under this burden of secrecy and mystery4 8,be quiet1 my son10 he said1 8or you will mar all4 ,you have come into the fight too late to understand the exact state of the parties and to take command4 ,be patient4 ,do the part ,i give you4 ,do it well1 and trust to me for the rest4 ,we must not be seen together1 for you may be watched1 and that might betray me4 ,you must not go to the ship until the hour of starting1 for you might be followed there1 and that might ruin us both4 8,stay in the house until nearly four o'clock4 ,at four o'clock precisely be at the north-east angle of the amphitheatre on the opposite side of the street4 ,you will see a chariot standing there with the letter ,g in gilt upon its side4 ,a servant will be holding a gray horse a few paces off4 ,at four1 precisely1 two persons will come out of one of the rear doors of the amphitheatre4 ,they will enter the chariot and drive away rapidly4 ,mount the horse and follow them4 ,ten minutes afterward you will be in the arms of your sisters60 ,i was very much dissatisfied with this arrangement4 ,i felt that the stake was too immense and sacred for the whole work to be left to the knowledge1 the discretion and the energy of one man4 ,but my uncle was resolute in keeping his plan for ,mary's deliverance entirely to himself4 ,he bade me adieu4 ,there was a singular tenderness in his words3 8,good-bye1 ,lazarus4 ,i need not conceal from you the fact that there is danger in this enterprise4 ,you may never see me again4 ,you will take care of your sisters in my place4 ,be honest1 be faithful1 be good4 ,if my plan succeeds1 this will be the greatest1 happiest day of my life4 ,courage6 ,adieu40 ,the old sweet smile irradiated his face1 and he went off as gayly as if he were going to a feast instead of entering upon a dangerous enterprise4 ,i went up stairs in the now deserted house of ,salothel1 and sat down at an open window1 looking out on a beautiful public square4 ,at any other time ,i would have been delighted with the scene4 ,my heart would have been cheered by the tender green of the soft grass1 by the rustling of the leaves in the wind1 and the twittering of the birds among the branches4 ,i would have admired the splendid domes and spires of ,antioch rising all around above the tree-tops1 and the brilliant tints of an eastern sky flecked with fantastic and fleecy clouds4 ,but the glories of nature and art were alike powerless on a spirit sunk into the deepest abyss of sorrow and fear4 ,my heart was full of the direst forebodings4 ,the morning hours passed gloomily away4 ,my restlessness became insupportable4 ,it must have been about noon1 when1 looking down into the public square1 ,i saw a young man seated upon one of the iron benches1 whose face immediately riveted my attention4 ,it was my old friend and fellow-student1 ,demetrius1 the brother of ,helena4 ,a powerful temptation immediately assailed me4 ,it was to do something for my poor sister independently of ,beltrezzor's schemes1 so that if one failed the other might succeed4 ,one resource only seemed so little to depend upon4 ,i was nearly frantic waiting thus in idleness for the fruition of an unknown plan which might fail at the very moment when its success was expected4 ,i said to myself3 8,i will speak to ,demetrius4 ,he has a good heart and a clear brain4 ,he may suggest something which may lead to good4 ,he may enlist ,helena in our behalf1 if ,helena is here4 ,i cannot see what harm can come of it40 ,i went down into the square4 ,demetrius was overjoyed to see me4 ,he did not1 however1 seem surprised to find me in ,antioch4 ,we sat down together and ,i told him all our troubles4 ,i unbosomed my whole grief to him like a brother4 ,i had the discretion to say nothing of ,beltrezzor1 resolving to let the old man work out his own plan alone4 ,if harm came to any one1 it could only be to myself4 ,demetrius knew that the condemned woman was my sister1 and professed the deepest interest and sympathy in her case4 ,i pleaded the youth1 and the innocent and sweet character of ,mary1 against the charge of foul and dangerous heresy4 ,he seemed to think the heresy was bad enough1 for he indulged in the most contemptuous expressions against ,jesus and his disciples4 8,but10 said he1 8it is all the work of ,lelius4 ,no one can aid you so efficiently as ,simon ,magus4 ,great magician and sorcerer as he has been and is still1 he is a noble and generous man4 ,i am confident he will assist you in delivering your sister from her fearful peril4 ,he is now lecturing to a select audience on the great points of his new philosophy4 ,come with me to his palace and hear him4 ,when he has finished1 we will consult together as to what is to be done40 ,i followed him2 and ascending the marble steps of a princely mansion1 and passing through a great hall adorned with statues and immense vases of flowers1 we were ushered into a room of moderate size1 but superbly furnished4 ,the audience nearly filled the place1 for there were but two or three chairs near the door4 ,simon ,magus1 on a raised platform1 was in the very heat and height of an eloquent discourse4 ,his subject was the nature of the soul and its transformations4 ,his voice was winning1 his gestures expressive1 his eye a blaze of intellectual fire4 ,his language was full of ,orientalisms and ,egyptian mysticisms4 ,taught in the severer school of ,grecian philosophy1 and blessed with the far greater analytic light of spiritual knowledge1 ,i perceived at once that the influx of ideas into his mind came from cunning1 subtle1 evil spirits1 and that the tendency of his words was to bewilder1 dazzle and betray4 8,you saw me10 said he1 8turn water into wine just now4 ,you saw me turn silver into gold4 ,you saw me resolve a rose into nothing2 you saw me restore it as it was before4 ,these things1 ,i told you1 were symbolic of spiritual transformations4 8,when the spirit by prayer1 by faith1 by watching1 by study1 by abstinence1 by suffering--is purified and etherealized1 it undergoes similar transformations1 and from water becomes wine2 from silver becomes gold2 from human becomes divine4 ,thus it is that ,i have become the power of ,god--the ,son of ,god--the ,word of ,god2 and that ,i have still a holier name1 incommunicable to you4 8,in this state ,i have supreme control over matter4 ,you saw me a little while ago take up a deadly serpent4 ,it bit a dog before your eyes and the creature died in a minute4 ,it fastened itself upon my hands and my cheeks2 ,i was unhurt4 ,you saw me swallow balls of fire4 ,i am unharmed4 ,so ,i can float in the air like a bird2 ,i can live under water like a fish4 ,i can point my finger at a tree1 and it will wither4 ,i can call to a cloud1 and it comes to me4 ,i can curse a city1 and it will sink into the sea40 ,there was an excited and admiring murmur among his credulous hearers4 ,the fanatical impostor continued3 8,these powers are awful and incomprehensible to you who do not possess them4 ,they are only given to the wise who use them wisely4 ,but ,i have attained to a height of glory1 in comparison with which these first labors and results are insignificant4 ,having become the emanation of ,god1 ,i can create souls out of nothing4 ,i can restore souls to life which had been given to annihilation4 ,i will show you a soul ,i have created40 ,there was a great murmur of astonishment and applause4 ,the curtains were now drawn and the room darkened4 ,the wall behind ,simon appeared to open1 and the most beautiful sight was presented to view that ,i have ever witnessed4 ,the chamber beyond was one resplendent glory of golden light4 ,it did not seem to be lighted1 but to be filled with light as a golden vapor4 ,in the midst of the room1 half-way between the floor and ceiling1 both of which seemed to be mirrors of shining brass1 hung or floated a rosy cloud1 shaped like a throne1 over which was a canopy of celestial azure4 ,on that throne was seated ,helena1 my first and only love4 ,i turned to look ,demetrius in the face at this splendid creation 787 of his gifted brother-in-law4 ,demetrius had left the room unobserved4 8,simon10 said ,i to myself1 8has lost his old sublime faith in his diabolical art1 and has resorted to magical impostures40 ,i turned my attention to ,helena4 ,now ,i solemnly avow that the woman1 her chair and all1 whatever they may have been1 were ten feet in the air1 entirely unsupported by anything visible to mortal eye4 ,whether this was some magical trick1 really explicable by natural law1 or effected by the assistance of evil spirits1 ,i do not know4 ,of this1 however1 ,i am certain1 from experience and knowledge acquired in the spiritual world1 that evil spirits can1 under certain conditions1 lift the heaviest articles high in the air and keep them there for a considerable time4 8,this10 said ,simon ,magus1 enjoying the ineffable amazement of his hearers--8this is the soul of ,helen of ,sparta1 who caused the ,trojan war4 ,she was annihilated for her extreme wickedness4 ,i have recalled her to life2 and1 wonderful to relate1 ,i have purified and spiritualized her whole nature by the sanctifying influence of my presence40 ,i gazed upon this strange scene with intense interest1 and was soon enchanted with the face of ,helena4 ,never in this world have ,i seen features of such exquisite beauty2 and neither in this world nor in the other have ,i seen a face expressive of such womanly love1 tenderness1 sweetness and purity4 ,the white peace of heaven was enthroned upon her brow1 and the softness of infinite pity beamed in her eyes4 ,if she was a picture1 it was a subject for boundless enthusiasm4 ,if she was living1 she was an object for profound adoration4 ,so thought every one who looked on4 ,it is strange that ,i did not remember what ,i had been taught in the world of spirits1 that syrens and wicked women there can counterfeit angelic forms so cunningly as to deceive the angels themselves for a while4 8,there10 said ,i1 to myself1 8is a gentleness1 a holiness1 a purity1 a mercy which ,i know will save my sister from the lion40 ,the curtain or wall or whatever it was1 was closed1 and ,simon went on with his lecture4 ,i did not hear a word of it1 so rapt was ,i in the contemplation of ,helena's seraphic face4 8,oh1 if ,i could speak to that vision of superlative beauty1 ,i am sure she would befriend my poor sister40 ,suddenly ,demetrius touched me on the shoulder and whispered3 8,my sister wishes to see you40 ,i followed him1 asking no questions1 bewildered1 unthinking1 but whispering to myself1 8,helena wishes to see me60 ,we passed through the superb hall1 and opening a door near the end of it1 ,demetrius ushered me into the room without entering himself4 ,helena advanced to meet me4 ,i was delighted with the extraordinary warmth of her reception4 ,if we had been passionate lovers long separated1 she could not have manifested more pleasure at seeing me6 ,superbly beautiful as she was1 that heavenly radiance and purity which ,i had seen upon her countenance a few moments before1 had vanished4 ,there was nothing spiritual in her expression4 ,she was plainly no spirit and no soul just created1 but a perfectly formed1 glowing1 enchanting woman of flesh and blood4 ,i was about questioning her on the subject of her extraordinary deception1 when she spoke3 8,i knew you wanted to see me4 ,i sent ,demetrius out to look for you4 ,you are in trouble1 and ,i long to assist you4 ,sit down with me on these cushions and tell me all your story40 ,she touched a little bell1 and a tall1 stately servant appeared at the door4 8,wine and refreshments10 said ,helena4 ,we sat down together1 and ,i told her all about poor ,mary1 still wisely omitting the part of ,beltrezzor4 ,the tears glistened in her brilliant eyes1 and she exclaimed3 8,as soon as ,simon finishes his lecture1 ,i will persuade him to grant your request4 ,i have great power over him40 ,a pang shot through my heart as ,i thought of ,simon--the husband of this resplendent object of my youthful adoration4 ,alas6 what was ,helena to me8 ,why did ,i not remember the fatal effect of her love upon me8 ,why did ,i not remember the lessons of the spiritual world8 ,are there not passions which we can never conquer1 struggle as we may8 ,are there not ,canaanites of the soul that can never be expelled8 ,the wine and refreshments were brought1 and ,helena whispered something to the servant4 ,i heard only the last words1 8,tell him to make haste40 ,i thought it was a message to ,simon1 and that my dear benefactress was impatient to intercede for my sister4 8,come10 she said1 8pledge our future joys in this delicate wine1 and then tell me all about that wonderful voyage they say you made into the world of spirits40 ,fool that ,i was6 excited by the powerful liquor1 and still more intoxicated by the presence and smiles of that bewitching woman who repeatedly took my hand in hers1 ,i profaned sacred things by lowering them to the level of her vulgar and sensual mind4 ,she seemed vastly entertained by my story2 and when ,i described the great feast of ,grecian spirits1 and her own splendid appearance in the scene1 and her terrible metamorphosis1 she laughed uproariously1 and said it was one of the most charming stories she had ever heard in her life4 ,there was a sound of footsteps in the adjoining room4 8,come10 she said1 filling my glass1 8drink to the morrow which shall be happier than to-day40 ,there was a rap or signal upon the wall4 8,simon's lecture is over10 she said1 rising4 8,this is his audience-chamber in which he receives a few pupils who question him on the deeper points of his subject4 ,their conversation would be very dull to us in our mood4 ,let us retire into my chamber1 until they disperse1 when we can speak to ,simon alone40 ,i followed her to the door of the room from which the signal had come4 ,i hesitated1 abashed1 at the thought of entering her chamber4 8,oh come along10 she said1 grasping my arm4 8,do not be afraid of my chamber4 ,it has carpets which render your feet inaudible4 ,it has pictures and statues which ravish your senses40 ,with that she drew me into the room4 ,i was immediately seized from behind by several powerful men1 and thrown to the floor4 ,with a peal of devilish laughter1 my betrayer fled back into the audience-chamber4 ,i looked up1 and ,magistus was regarding me with a diabolical smile4 ,a man was standing by him who riveted my attention4 ,he was black1 but his face was full of hideous white spots4 ,one eye was gone1 lids and all1 so as to leave a frightful deep hole in its place4 ,he wore a red turban4 ,this strange1 repulsive creature stooped to fasten a kind of iron bracelet on my feet4 ,i watched him in silence4 ,he softly kissed the top of my foot unseen by the others4 ,i knew him4 ,it was ,ethopus4 ,poor ,ethopus6 ,helena peered in at the door with her beautiful1 laughing face4 8,how does my boy-lover like my bed-chamber80 8,how could you betray me in this atrocious manner80 said ,i1 indignantly4 8,magistus offered me a beautiful diamond ring to get you into his power4 ,you know we women could never resist the fascination of diamond rings60 8,and my poor sister60 ,i exclaimed1 in despair4 8,true1 ,i had forgotten about her4 ,it is time to dress for the amphitheatre4 ,the gladiators interest me very little1 but ,i would not miss seeing a woman eaten up by the lion1 even for a diamond ring4 ,good-bye40 ,the demon departed4 ,the vision of the woman-serpent in the world of spirits was a prophecy4 ,i had fallen again--this time how low6 into what an abyss6 ,the amphitheatre was open6 and great ,heavens6 ,i was bound hand and foot and cast into a dungeon4 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,xxviii4 ,,to ,,the ,,lion4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,the day preceding these surprising events1 ,beltrezzor had taken the keeper of the prison aboard the new ship which lay at the pier4 ,he had shown him the immense treasures in his rosewood boxes--the accumulation of a long life and successful trade in the far ,eastern countries which abound in diamonds and precious stones4 ,euphorbus opened his eyes in great astonishment4 ,he had never seen so much wealth before4 ,to his feeble arithmetic it was absolutely incalculable4 8,euphorbus10 said my uncle1 looking toward the blue line of the sea which was visible in the distance1 8if this vessel sails from this point to-morrow evening at four o'clock1 do you think she could get out of the river and to sea before night came on1 to escape any vessel started in pursuit of her half an hour after she weighed anchor80 8,yes1 she could not be overtaken by any sail now in the river80 8,i make liberal calculations4 ,i say half an hour1 but she will have an hour or two hours the start40 8,then she is perfectly safe10 said the other4 8,euphorbus60 continued my uncle1 looking him in the face1 8you are a ,gaul4 ,away over there lies your beautiful country1 with its glorious mountains1 its swift rivers1 its rich fields1 its vineyards1 its brave warriors4 ,do you not wish to see it again80 8,yes10 said the soldier with a sigh4 8,here you are a stranger1 an exile1 a prisoner yourself4 ,what are these ,romans to you1 hereditary enemies1 that you should obey them8 robbers and murderers of your friends and countrymen1 that you should love them80 8,i despise them10 said ,euphorbus1 gruffly4 8,in ,gaul you could be happy4 ,you could return to your old home perhaps40 8,the ,romans have burnt it40 8,you could rebuild it4 ,you could take care of your mother in her old age4 ,you could have a wife at your side and children about your knees40 8,do not talk about these things60 said the ,gaul4 8,they sadden me40 8,talk about them8 ,you shall have them2 they are yours4 ,this vessel is yours2 one-half of that immense treasure is yours40 8,mine8 mine80 8,yes1 yours1 on one condition40 8,what condition80 8,that you bring my little ,mary out of the amphitheatre to-morrow--0 and the old man1 overpowered by the strain upon his feelings1 burst into tears4 ,euphorbus was deeply moved4 8,you ask an impossibility6 ,oh that ,i could--0 8,will you if you can80 exclaimed the old man1 earnestly seizing him by the hand4 8,certainly ,i will--0 8,it is all ,i ask60 said ,beltrezzor4 8,leave it to me4 ,let me into your private room at three o'clock and ,i will explain everything to you4 ,if you are not satisfied you can then refuse40 8,you speak mysteries10 said the ,gaul2 8but you yourself are a mystery4 ,come1 as you promise4 ,my life is not much1 and ,i am willing to risk it for you and your little ,mary as you call her40 ,my uncle had been twice every day to visit his niece4 ,the more he saw of her helplessness1 her purity1 her suffering and her terror1 the more she entwined herself about his heart1 and the more resolutely did he labor to achieve her deliverance4 ,she clung to him so tenderly1 and as the fatal hour approached her fear of the lion became so heartrending1 that the old man could hardly tear himself from her embraces4 ,the ,roman guard1 accustomed to him1 received his coins smilingly and scarcely noticed his coming out4 ,for three days before the ,sabbath he had worn a green shade over his eyes4 8,i got dust in them10 said he to the soldiers1 8and an old man's eyes are weak40 ,three o'clock1 ,sabbath1 arrived4 ,beltrezzor was admitted into the private room of the keeper4 ,the amphitheatre was crowded1 and crowds were still pressing on the outside for admission4 ,the games and combats were going on1 to the great delight of the immense audience1 for they occasionally shook the building with shouts of laughter and thunders of applause4 ,the huge lion1 irritated by these noises and raging with hunger1 sent up roar after roar1 which appalled the stoutest hearts among the spectators4 ,euphorbus1 stern and pale1 came into his office4 8,now for your plan10 said he to ,beltrezzor4 8,it is now or never40 ,my uncle drew from the ample folds of his robe a package1 which he laid on a table4 8,now10 said he1 8attention6 ,mary and ,i are to change places4 ,she is to come out with you1 disguised as her uncle4 ,i am to remain in the dungeon1 disguised as ,mary40 ,euphorbus staggered back with protruded eyes4 8,and to be thrown to the lion yourself80 8,it is the only way10 said the old man1 slowly and meekly4 ,euphorbus fell upon his neck and kissed his cheek3 8,i have heard that heroes were sometimes elevated into gods2 but you are the only man of whom ,i could believe it40 8,you see10 continued ,beltrezzor1 8here is a mask of the finest parchment1 painted in imitation of ,mary's face1 with long beautiful golden hair attached to the headpiece40 8,it is indeed an astonishing likeness4 ,the face is perfect4 ,and where is the mask in imitation of yours80 ,he untied a string behind his neck1 and drew off his hair and beard at once4 ,he was a beardless bald old man4 ,he wore his mask4 8,any one wearing this would be mistaken for me4 ,there was one difficulty about the eyes4 ,we got over that by wearing the green shade4 ,there was another about the nose and mouth4 ,she must hold her handkerchief to her face1 as is natural in grief4 ,the illusion will be complete4 8,here are two flat pieces of cork10 he continued1 8to be put into my sandals1 which are peculiarly constructed so as to conceal them4 ,that will add an inch to ,mary's height4 ,then you see my turban is so arranged that a little traction here elevates it an inch more4 ,that will make it right1 for she is nearly as tall as ,i am4 ,the robes you know we can simply exchange40 ,the old man dwelt upon these details until he convinced ,euphorbus that the singular exchange was perfectly feasible4 ,the voice of ,simon ,magus was now heard in the courtyard4 ,he had just looked into ,mary's window to see that his victim had not escaped4 ,he threw the guard some money4 ,he then spoke to three men who stood before him with long poles in their hands1 each pole having an iron hook at the end of it4 ,he spoke so loud that ,mary and every one heard him3 8,you will stand inside the iron railing and watch the lion's attack4 ,so long as he eats the neck and shoulders or the lower half of the body1 let him alone4 ,when he begins upon the chest1 drag the body away from him with your hooks4 ,remember6 ,i want the woman's heart uninjured4 ,if you cannot do it1 ,i will give the signal for the keepers to throw in the murderer ,trebonius4 ,that will save my prize and satisfy the people40 ,after this horrible speech he entered the amphitheatre by a private way and resumed his seat near the gorgeous chair of ,lelius4 8,the coast is clear10 said ,euphorbus4 8,now is our time40 ,they entered the courtyard4 ,euphorbus gave the guards double money4 8,our poor old friend10 said he1 8is overwhelmed with grief to-day4 ,he cannot speak4 ,it is his last visit40 ,they passed into the dungeon4 ,mary was crouching in one corner1 white as a corpse4 ,she sprang to her uncle's arms4 ,she could not speak2 she could not weep4 ,terror had paralyzed the fountains of thought and sorrow4 8,i have come to save you1 my child10 said the old man1 8,courage6 and you will be free in ten minutes4 ,lazarus is in the street waiting for you4 ,martha is on a beautiful ship waiting for you4 ,in one hour you will be on the blue sea sailing away from this awful city40 ,mary stared at him in wild surprise4 8,free8 ,lazarus waiting6 and ,martha80 ,the transition from total despair to hope was too much for her weak nerves4 ,she swooned4 ,the old man knelt by her side1 kissing her hands and chafing her temples while the great tears rolled down his cheeks4 8,too bad6 too bad60 said ,euphorbus1 8when time is so precious0--and he busied himself in forcing a stimulus into her mouth4 ,she revived presently and sat up4 8,you say ,i may be saved1 uncle4 ,now tell me how4 ,i am calm and can comprehend you perfectly40 ,beltrezzor proceeded to explain everything as he had done to ,euphorbus4 ,she heard him patiently1 and then said in a quiet tone3 8,and1 poor good man6 do you think ,i will permit you to be eaten by the lion in my place8 ,oh no1 that is impossible4 ,think of some other plan40 8,there is no other way4 ,i shall not be eaten by the lion40 8,why not80 8,because ,i am not a ,christian4 ,you are condemned for heresy4 ,i am a ,gentile40 8,but they will kill you for contriving my escape1 and this good keeper also40 8,oh no6 ,that offence is not punishable with death4 ,they will fine me heavily1 but ,i am rich and can pay4 ,the keeper will escape with you and protect you40 ,after much persuasion and argument on one side and many doubts and questionings on the other1 ,mary's scruples were at last overcome1 and the transformation in both parties effected so adroitly that detection seemed impossible4 ,mary suddenly turned her earnest eyes on ,beltrezzor's face4 8,uncle1 if you deceive me in this matter1 it will kill me40 8,courage6 my sweet girl10 said the old man1 smiling--8come what may4 ,i shall rest better to-night than ,i did last night2 and the sun will shine for me more beautifully to-morrow than it has to-day40 8,come1 come10 said ,euphorbus1 8we must be going40 ,oh the anguish of that parting6 ,mary put the green shade over her eyes and the handkerchief to her mouth and walked slowly but bravely out with the keeper4 ,the guard let them pass4 ,one fellow looked closely after them1 and then stepped to the window and looked in4 ,mary with her golden tresses falling over her shoulders was kneeling in prayer6 ,who can imagine the thoughts of that brave old man1 as he knelt in the woman's dress1 with the lion's growl in his ear6 ,how eagerly he listened6 ,how freely he breathed when he heard no interruption in the courtyard2 no outcry2 no alarm4 ,they are safe6 ,how he lifted his heart to heaven6 ,did he spend that last hour in prayer8 ,to what ,god did he pray8 ,what faith did he offer up as his claim to salvation8 ,what matters it8 ,had he not kept the commandments of ,god8 ,was not his soul free from irreverence and profanity and theft and murder and adultery and perjury and uncharitableness8 ,did he not love his neighbor more than himself8 ,this disciple of ,zoroaster1 was he not a child of ,god8 ,the hour passed4 ,there was a solemn hush in the grand amphitheatre4 ,the dead gladiators were dragged from the arena4 ,sliding panels were withdrawn and the great ,nmean lion was seen behind his iron bars furiously lashing his sides with his tail4 ,the herald of ,lelius cried with a loud voice3 8,bring forth the woman60 ,there was a great rustling and stir in the vast audience4 ,every one held his breath4 ,a sudden outcry was raised from the prison3 8,she has escaped60 ,it was echoed by a thousand hoarse whispers in the crowd--8,she has escaped60 ,there was a tremendous excitement4 ,all stood upon their feet4 ,how8 where8 when8 by whom8 echoed from all sides4 ,simon ,magus1 a picture of flaming wrath1 leaped into the arena and ran through the walk enclosed by iron railings that led into the prison4 ,he returned in a moment dragging the poor1 old1 bald-headed and beardless man by the arms1 and holding up the female mask in the air1 he exclaimed3 8,the woman and the keeper have fled2 but here is the miscreant2 here is the criminal6 ,clear the arena and give him to the lion40 8,give him to the lion60 echoed thousands of voices1 followed by thunders of applause4 ,a tall1 stern-looking man1 in the front row of seats1 sprang to his feet and looking over to ,lelius1 exclaimed3 8,justice6 justice6 ,this man is no ,christian2 this man is no heretic40 8,to the lion--to the lion60 interrupted the multitude with fiercer yells than before4 ,simon ,magus motioned significantly to the governor4 8,to the lion10 said ,lelius1 waving his hand4 8,i defy you10 said the speaker1 in a loud and stern voice--8,i defy you to throw him to the lion4 8,in the name of the ,senate and people of ,rome ,i warn you that this man1 ,beltrezzor of ,persia1 is a ,roman citizen40 ,silence was partly restored2 all eyes glaring upon the speaker as he continued4 8,not by birth nor by purchase1 but by special decree of the ,senate for commercial services rendered the ,roman empire by this man1 one of the wealthiest and noblest men of the ,east4 ,i am his agent and correspondent for ,antioch4 ,i have seen him before4 ,i know him1 and ,i can prove what ,i say40 8,release the ,roman citizen10 said ,lelius in a proud and haughty tone1 rising from his seat4 ,whilst he was speaking ,beltrezzor sank gently to the ground4 ,he had been released by an authority higher than that of ,rome4 8,he is dead60 exclaimed a thousand voices at once4 8,he died of fear10 said ,simon ,magus4 8,he died of joy10 said the voice from the benches2 8for that face is the face of an angel40 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,xxix4 ,,christian ,,candles4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,of all these things ,i was ignorant4 ,i was bound and in prison1 helpless1 unfriended1 unable to communicate with my friends4 ,i bitterly repented having disobeyed my uncle's orders4 ,i cursed ,demetrius and ,simon ,magus and ,helena and ,magistus4 ,i cursed myself4 ,mary perhaps was devoured by the lion6 ,or if saved1 she and ,martha and ,beltrezzor were out on the blue sea1 and ,i left to perish in my folly4 ,a day or two afterward ,i observed that our prison ward had received a considerable accession of captives4 ,i was then told by the keeper that a female heretic condemned to the lion had escaped1 and that ,lelius had ordered the arrest of all the ,christians in the city1 hoping to ferret out the parties who had assisted her4 ,how my heart leaped for joy6 ,my sister was saved6 ,my own captivity became a little more endurable4 ,i delighted to think of my friends sailing away over the white-crested waves for the happy land of ,gaul4 ,i seemed to feel the fresh sea wind in my own hair and to hear the cool water dashing against the sides of their vessel4 ,alas6 my own fate1 how different6 ,i expected every hour to see the ugly and cunning face of ,magistus peering in at my door4 ,several days and nights passed1 and he did not come4 ,i knew he had not forgotten me4 ,i knew he was only preparing himself for some extraordinary villainy and cruelty against me4 ,i was right4 ,late one evening my door suddenly opened1 and ,magistus entered the dungeon1 followed by ,ethopus4 ,the latter bore an immense roll of some kind of cloth under his arm4 ,magistus stood contemplating me for several minutes with folded arms and the old diabolical sneer on his face4 ,ethopus stepped behind him with downcast eyes4 8,now10 he said1 slowly1 8for the greatest1 sweetest revenge which any man in this world has ever enjoyed4 8,you have been the bane1 the curse1 the evil genius of my life4 ,i have always hated you2 ,i know not why1 but that it so pleased me4 ,if you had perished in the desert as ,i designed1 all would have been well4 ,simon would have procured the body of ,mary1 and we should have been gods in power and glory and pleasure4 ,if you had not escaped my dungeon in ,bethany1 ,i would not be at this moment an exile and an outcast4 ,you have eluded me twice4 ,you are cunning4 ,you have eluded the grave itself2 but now1 my amiable nephew1 your time has really come4 8,i respect my family too much1 ,i respect your own distinguished merits too much1 to doom you to any common ignoble death4 ,your friend ,helena and ,i have put our brains together to devise something for your especial honor4 ,we have achieved it4 ,it is striking1 original1 charming4 ,listen4 8,our plan could not be carried out without absolute power4 ,i have it4 ,do you see this diamond ring with this great seal upon it8 ,that is the ring of the ,roman governor4 ,he who presents it to any officer1 soldier1 jailer1 servant of the government1 is to pass untouched1 unquestioned4 ,his word is law4 ,when he speaks1 it is obedience or death4 ,this absolute power is given me for this whole evening by virtue of the ring4 8,helena obtained this favor from ,lelius4 ,who but she could have done it8 ,who can say how she did it8 ,ah6 she is deep2 she is cunning2 she is irresistible4 8,now see what we intend to do4 ,this cloth is a stiff heavy woollen1 thoroughly saturated with bituminous substances4 ,we intend to bind your arms down to your side and roll your body tightly up in this cloth1 merely leaving out your head4 ,this1 when ignited1 will burn slowly but brightly1 and make a beautiful candle of you4 8,but you will fall over1 you say4 ,oh no3 a strong iron rod run deep into the ground will pass through the outer layer of the cloth and keep you steady by penetrating in a long1 sharp1 needle-like point under your chin and through your mouth4 ,could there be anything more ingenious than that8 8,you will be taken out in a cart to the great public square opposite the palace of ,simon4 ,there are twelve of you4 ,christian candles ,i have named you4 ,you will be stationed immediately opposite our grand portico4 ,helena and ,i1 arm in arm1 will witness your combustion from that point4 ,it is pleasant in a great crowd to know where one's true love is standing4 8,it is time for the fireworks to begin4 ,the square is already crowded4 ,we have rolled up the others snugly4 ,they will call for you in a few minutes4 ,all the orders have been given and they will be obeyed4 8,come10 he continued1 turning to ,ethopus4 8,come1 my old jolly1 spotted dog of ,egypt6 get to work4 ,simon says his last training made a perfect machine of you4 ,be quick and bind this old friend and master of yours40 ,my feelings of horror and of terror during this diabolical monologue1 can be better imagined than described4 ,i was dumbfounded4 ,i said nothing4 ,i regarded a speedy death as now inevitable4 ,i looked anxiously at ,ethopus1 who stoically unrolled the cloth4 ,he took out a strong leather band or girdle4 ,he advanced toward me4 ,he seemed impassive as a stone4 ,i gave myself up in despair4 ,a moment of awful suspense--and all was changed4 ,quick as thought ,ethopus turned and dashed ,magistus against the wall1 throwing the band over his head at the same time4 ,he pulled it down over his chest and buckled it tightly1 securing his arms at his side4 ,he drew the signet-ring of ,lelius from his finger and threw it to me4 ,curses and struggles were in vain2 for ,ethopus seemed strong as a lion and animated with a terrible fury4 ,in another moment ,ethopus hurled him upon his back1 and seating himself upon his body1 took a knife from his pocket and cut off half his tongue4 ,he then deliberately passed a stout pin through the stump and tied a strong thread behind the pin4 ,he thus stopped the blood which was pouring out of the wretch's mouth and gurgling in his throat4 ,he was now dumb like ,ethopus4 ,he could not betray him4 ,he could not escape him4 ,this was one of the most horrible scenes ,i ever witnessed4 ,it had evidently been deliberately planned4 ,i was chained against the wall and could not stir4 ,i called out to ,ethopus to stop1 not to cut out his tongue1 not to roll him up in the cloth1 but to leave him bound and gagged until we escaped4 ,he paid no more attention to my entreaties1 to my excitement1 than if ,i was not present4 ,he seemed deaf1 dumb1 blind1 insensible to everything except to the one master resolution of his soul4 ,he wound the body carefully up in the bituminous cloth and secured it with leather thongs4 ,it was a shocking sight4 ,he then removed my bolts and chains and set me free4 ,he led me sternly and forcibly to the door1 and we passed out1 leaving ,magistus to his terrible fate4 ,he had fallen into the very pit that he had dug for me4 ,there was no one in the hall as we came out4 ,ethopus took the opposite way from that by which he and ,magistus came4 ,we soon met officers and guards4 ,i showed the signet-ring2 no questions were asked2 and we shortly found ourselves in the street and free4 ,what a release6 ,i did not know which way to go4 ,ethopus drew me toward the public square4 ,it was crowded with people4 ,swinging lamps of all colors were suspended from the trees4 ,there were bands of music and fireworks1 and dancing-girls and flower-girls1 and men with trained monkeys1 and all the strange sights and sounds which make a great city in high carnival so brilliant and attractive4 ,heralds had announced in the afternoon that twelve favorite disciples of the ,jewish impostor would be burned1 in the shape of candles1 that night4 ,the interest was intense4 ,we came very near to ,simon's palace4 ,it was brilliantly illuminated4 ,i recognized the figures of ,helena and ,lelius and ,simon and ,demetrius promenading with others on the grand portico4 ,the carts or wagons came along with the unhappy victims4 ,there was a great bustle in the crowd4 ,the figures were set up on a green knoll which elevated them above the heads of the people4 ,one of the ,christians sang1 with a clear1 sweet voice3 8,glory to ,god in the highest6 ,peace on earth and good-will toward men60 ,the mob hooted and yelled and applauded1 each in an uproarious manner4 8,ready10 cried an officer4 ,the torches were applied2 and twelve bright pillars of flame rose in the air4 ,there was wild cheering from the crowd2 but ,i heard a wilder cry from the spectators on the portico of ,simon4 ,the cry was3 8,magistus6 ,magistus60 ,his own friends recognized his face and witnessed his death-struggles6 ,such was the origin of the ,christian candles1 a mode of fatal torture afterward adopted on a grand scale by the emperor ,nero in his persecution of the disciples at ,rome4 ,poor children of ,christ6 ,they faced death in every shape4 ,they were crucified2 they were flayed alive2 they were thrown to wild beasts2 they were cast into pits full of serpents2 they were stoned2 they were starved2 they were frozen2 they were burned2 but there was no form of death which excelled in atrocity this invention of ,magistus and ,helena4 ,helena6 ,beautiful1 enchanting1 detestable woman6 ,from this point our currents of life diverged never again to meet4 ,when ,i look back1 ,i can scarcely comprehend the causes of the wonderful control she exercised over my spirit4 ,i was young1 enthusiastic1 and impressible2 and the senses1 educated first1 prolonged their sway over the rational faculties4 ,i have been so long delivered from the bondage of the sensuous life1 that ,i am astonished that ,i ever found any beauty unallied to goodness1 or any fascination in aught but a pure and virtuous love4 ,women who are given to luxury and pleasure2 who aspire to captivate men by the charms of the senses2 who live upon the flattering incense of lovers and admirers2 who are cunning1 proud1 vain1 ambitious and contemptuous toward others1 are ,helenas at heart4 ,circumstances beyond their control may curb their wills and prevent the outward development of their characters4 ,but the revealing light of the spiritual world will show them to be selfish1 sensual and cruel to a dreadful degree2 and they become the syrens of hell4 ,these characters are so fearfully wicked1 that some may think them gross exaggerations4 ,exceptional they may be1 even in these evil times2 but they are the genuine offspring of our natural lusts unsubdued and uncontrolled by the sacred laws and life of heaven4 ,they are the common1 every-day characters of the spheres of the unhappy in the spiritual world1 and they exist in potency1 if not in act1 in every human being whose heart is alienated from ,god1 or whose ruling love is the love of self4 ,i had no time to philosophize in this manner1 when ,i knew that the friends of ,magistus had recognized his face before it was concealed by the fatal flames4 ,a keen and rapid pursuit would immediately follow in every direction4 ,to get out of the city was our first thought1 our only safety4 ,if we took the roads to the interior of the country1 we could certainly be overtaken4 ,if we struck out eastwardly for the sea-beach1 we might pick up some fisherman's boat and escape to sea4 ,we took the latter course4 ,we walked rapidly1 and were many miles up the coast before midnight4 ,i was fresh and under high excitement1 and ,ethopus seemed capable of all endurance4 ,i occupied the time in telling him the whole history of his brother ,anthony1 and in thanking him over and over again for my extraordinary deliverance4 ,the poor1 dumb man could only manifest his delight by shaking my hand and patting me on the shoulder1 which he repeatedly did4 ,several hours more and ,i was thoroughly fatigued4 ,just before dawn we lay down under a great tree on the banks of a little stream which was perpetually tripping from the mountains toward the sea1 bearing its crystal tokens from the spirit of liberty in the one to the kindred soul in the other4 ,when ,i awoke1 the sun was high in the heavens4 ,ethopus was bathing his feet in the little river4 ,he could not bear to disturb me1 as ,i appeared so exhausted and so sound asleep4 ,he pointed smilingly to a little boat1 which we had not discovered in the darkness of the night4 ,there was one ark of hope and safety4 ,i felt reassured4 ,we had nothing to eat but some apples1 which we had plucked by the way4 ,we made this frugal meal1 and if we had put to sea immediately1 the whole story of my life1 from this point1 might have been different4 ,the morning was bright and balmy4 ,a little silver mist rose softly from the woods1 the leaves of which were twinkling with dew4 ,the sea's surf1 which at times is so white and boisterous1 rippled gently against the yellow beach4 ,the singing of birds was heard here and there in the branches1 and now and then a great shining fish flapped up out of the water4 ,the air was sweet and serene1 the sky soft and pure4 8,this heavenly peace and repose of nature10 said ,i to myself1 8is neither silence nor solitude60 ,one of the most beautiful things in the world to me is a little stream of clear water1 afar off in the country among the green hills1 breaking into sounds and colors over the stones and pebbles in its path4 ,i could sit by the hour on the banks of such a lovely rivulet1 looking into its face and listening to its music4 ,it is there1 if ever1 that the breathings of the spirit world upon the heart endeavor to break forth from the lips in poesy and song4 ,touched that morning with this delightful and child-like love of nature1 ,i could not rest satisfied until ,i had bathed my weary limbs and body in the cooling stream4 ,i dallied a long time among the ripples and in the shadow of the overhanging trees1 forgetful of the painful past and the uncertain future4 ,a sharp cry from ,ethopus1 who was getting the boat ready1 suddenly aroused me from my dream4 ,he pointed down the beach4 ,before ,i had put on my robe1 ,i heard the tramp of horses1 and in a few moments we were surrounded by a troop of cavalry and taken prisoners4 ,bound tightly and mounted behind two of the soldiers1 we were hurried back to ,antioch and cast into separate dungeons4 ,i lay there for several weeks neglected and alone4 ,i had at least no fear of a visit from ,magistus4 ,a visitor1 however1 at last appeared4 ,it was ,demetrius4 8,lazarus10 said he1 8,i reproach myself for the part ,i took in decoying you into the house of ,simon and betraying you into the hands of ,magistus4 ,it was not well done toward a fellow-student of the ,platonic philosophy4 ,i have labored to make you amends4 ,i have saved your life1 but it was a hard struggle4 ,ethopus was thrown to the lion4 ,helena pouted and fumed because you did not share his fate4 ,lelius was for a long time inflexible4 ,i have gained something for you1 although not much4 ,you are condemned for life to the chain-gang of criminals who are compelled to labor on the public works4 ,it is a sad fate1 but you are young4 ,time1 the revolutionist1 sometimes releases the bound40 8,life is sweet10 said ,i1 8and ,i thank you4 ,i forgive your wrong to me4 ,i forgive ,helena and ,simon4 ,i will pray for them and you4 ,and1 oh1 ,demetrius1 let a man1 henceforth dead to the world you live in1 beseech you to extricate yourself from this terrible network of evil that surrounds you4 ,aspire to be free1 just1 true and good1 and you will be happy40 8,where did you get this religious philosophy80 8,from a greater than ,plato--from ,christ40 ,he turned away4 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,xxx4 ,,the ,,great ,,combat4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,behold me then at the age of twenty-five1 innocent of crime1 sentenced to the life and labors of a convict6 ,my associates were the lowest ruffians imaginable4 ,my fare was coarse and sometimes revolting4 ,i was locked up alone at night in a dark cell4 ,i slept on a pallet of straw4 ,from sunrise to sunset ,i was compelled to labor on the public works1 chained by the leg to another creature as miserable as myself4 ,young as ,i was1 ,i had already met with strange adventures and made hairbreadth escapes4 ,i was long buoyant and hopeful1 and was constantly expecting some lucky turn of the wheel of fortune4 ,there was1 indeed1 very little rational ground of hope4 ,my uncle ,beltrezzor was dead4 ,my sisters had escaped to the other end of the world1 and were not likely to return4 ,not one of the few ,christians of the city knew anything about my being there1 for ,i had seen no one but ,beltrezzor4 ,demetrius alone knew my whereabouts1 and by command of ,simon he had entered a false name for me on the books of the prison4 ,so ,i was lost and buried from the social world in which ,i had moved4 ,i did not believe that my imprisonment would be of long duration4 ,young1 educated1 wealthy1 ,i thought ,i was needed by the infant ,church4 ,the subject of the greatest miracle of ,christ1 my very presence was an argument in favor of ,christianity4 ,then my experiences in the spiritual world had given me knowledge superior to that of all the disciples2 knowledge necessary to the organization of the faith upon truly rational principles4 ,to suspect even that one so valuable to the holy cause could be imprisoned for life1 without a future1 without a mission1 was to doubt the wisdom of ,providence and the verity of my death and resurrection4 ,it was thus that the secret pride of my selfhood buoyed me up in the direst adversity1 and that my own self-righteousness became the fountain of hope6 ,notwithstanding all this1 ,i remained a captive at hard labor for forty years of my manhood6 ,as long as the children of ,israel were in the wilderness1 so long was ,i in the convict prison of ,antioch6 ,terrible thought6 ,when ,i emerged from my prison-grave into the world and the ,church again1 ,i was old and feeble and bronzed and broken1 forgotten by all men1 a cipher in the sphere of thought and life in which ,i had expected to occupy so commanding a position4 ,the wicked and detestable emperors1 those monsters of nature1 ,tiberius1 ,caligula1 ,claudius and ,nero1 had successively governed and cursed the ,roman state4 ,the ,christian religion had spread into all countries2 into ,syria and ,parthia and ,arabia1 into ,egypt and ,abyssinia1 into ,spain and ,gaul and ,britain1 by the zealous labors and fiery devotion of ,paul and ,peter and ,barnabas and ,philip and ,james and hundreds of lesser lights of the new faith4 ,all this and thousands of other strange events had occurred without my knowledge1 without my participation4 ,the great world moved on without me4 ,i knew as little of it in my prison as a child knows of the sea1 who bathes his little feet in the surf that breaks upon the beach at his father's door4 ,this great lapse of time1 an entire manhood1 so devoid of incident1 so uninteresting to the general reader1 was my real life4 ,all that had happened previously was my childhood4 ,it was in this fearful school of captivity and sorrow and labor and solitude and darkness1 that ,i became a man and a ,christian4 ,looking backward1 ,i am filled with gratitude for the wisdom and goodness of ,god1 which infused such health and blessing into the cup of bitterness which ,i was compelled to drink4 ,i passed through three great spiritual eras during my captivity4 ,life does not consist in external events1 but in the revelation of spiritual states4 ,this alone is the true biography4 ,the first era was one of intense resistance to my fate4 ,my disagreeable surroundings annoyed and irritated me4 ,the unaccustomed labor in the burning sun was almost too great for my strength4 ,i loathed my companions and my keepers4 ,i loathed my tasks4 ,still greater suffering was occasioned by my losses2 the loss of friends and relatives2 of books and study2 of the delightful society of woman2 of all the thousand little things which constitute the comfort and charm of civilized life4 ,hope lingered long1 and died a slow but painful death in my heart4 ,i made many efforts to escape--all of which failed1 and brought upon me terrible punishments4 ,i was starved and scourged repeatedly1 and finally branded for an attack made upon one of my keepers1 in which ,i nearly succeeded in killing him4 ,these things called out and developed all the evil qualities of my nature4 ,let the smoothest-faced1 sweetest-tongued and gayest-hearted man in the world undergo what ,i have undergone1 and he will discover how many unrecognized devils have been dormant in the serene and undisturbed depths of his being4 ,wounded and bleeding in my self-love and self-respect1 my sufferings1 physical and mental1 seemed to have a destructive effect upon my spiritual nature4 ,destruction of the old precedes a new order of things4 ,along with hope1 faith also sickened and died4 ,for a long time ,i consoled myself by recalling my wonderful experiences in the spiritual world4 ,i prayed1 and recited to myself the sweet promises of ,scripture to those in affliction4 ,but as months and years rolled away1 despair overpowered me4 ,i began to doubt the truth of religion1 the reliability of my own memory1 and even the very existence of ,god4 ,so little depth of earth had the good seed found in my heart6 ,i1 who thought ,i loved and believed in ,christ2 who had seen him in both worlds2 who conceived myself ready and able to preach his true doctrine to mankind2 thus tried in the fiery furnace of temptation1 found myself all dross1 thoroughly skeptical and wicked1 worse than the ignorant convicts and keepers around me4 ,what mortal can comprehend the meaning of those mysterious words of the ,divine ,man on the cross3 8,my ,god6 my ,god6 why hast thou forsaken me80 ,i felt also that ,god had forsaken me4 ,when the little religious light ,i had1 faded away in my soul1 ,i was taken possession of by demons1 male and female4 ,i verily believe that ,i was1 for a while1 what the world calls insane4 ,i became proud1 and supercilious1 and scoffing4 ,i was ambitious as ,simon1 cruel as ,magistus1 sensual and abandoned as ,helena4 ,escaped from those wretches in the body1 my spirit became the sport and prey of infernal spirits similar to them4 ,i envied the power1 the glory1 the magic of ,simon4 ,at night ,i dreamed only of bacchanalian orgies in a ,grecian heaven1 and awoke parched and feverish and excited and maddened1 as if some syren-like ,helena had kissed me in my sleep4 ,this wretched state lasted about ten years4 ,it culminated in a great illness2 for relief or death had become the alternative4 ,the illness of a convict in prison6 ,cast upon my pallet of straw1 without friends1 without nurses1 without proper diet or medicine1 frequently without water2 what days and nights of suffering and anguish did ,i experience6 ,it was a long1 long sickness4 ,the stage of excitement was accompanied with wild delirium1 and my imagination was haunted by fiery figures of infernal spirits4 ,then exhaustion came1 and forgetfulness4 ,nature slowly rallied2 after that1 thought returned1 strength and feeling came back4 ,my sisters and ,beltrezzor and ,jesus loomed up away off1 as pleasant pictures or beautiful dreams4 ,many sweet little scenes of my happy childhood revisited me in charming memories4 ,i lay for hours in peaceful trances4 ,i had consoling visions4 ,the poor convict's cell was illumined with a glory not its own4 ,one night ,i saw the house that was building for me in the heavens4 ,it was rising in stately grandeur4 ,oh it was beautiful6 but still unfinished4 ,mary ,magdalen was toiling away with earnest brow and face more angelic than ever4 ,many shining spirits were about her4 ,i was lying some distance off1 asleep in the shadow of a great rock4 ,she said to her companions with a sweet smile3 8,he will awake presently and help me build40 ,one day ,i heard the voice of my father saying to ,john the ,baptist1 8,the crisis is over2 he will be saved2 we must teach him the power of the ,lord's ,prayer40 ,i know not whether this was a dream or a genuine vision4 ,but ,i repeated the ,lord's ,prayer feebly and with folded hands4 ,the effect was wonderful4 ,a great light shone around me4 ,the air was full of little cherub forms4 ,heavenly music was heard in the distance4 ,the deepest chords of my being were touched4 ,the flood-gates of contrition were reopened4 ,faith returned4 ,i wept4 ,i was happy--oh1 so happy6 ,this also may have been a dream1 but it was a potent medicine2 for after that1 my recovery was amazingly rapid4 ,i then entered into a second and very different phase of my spiritual life4 ,the devil1 after casting me repeatedly into the water and the fire1 and rending me sorely1 had departed4 ,but ,i knew full well that he only departs for a season--that his return is as sure as the rising of the tides4 ,i knew that the only way to keep him out1 was to refurnish my house on the heavenly model4 ,now my knowledge of spiritual things came to be of immense advantage4 ,not an abstract1 theoretical knowledge of them1 but a knowledge derived from sight and hearing4 ,i had seen1 felt and studied the angelic sphere of life4 ,i knew what it was4 ,i had discovered three great elements in that sphere1 and determined to put them all into action in my own life1 so as to bring my spirit into interior communion with angels and the ,lord4 ,the first element was profound humility and reverence4 ,god only enters the soul which is thoroughly emptied of self4 ,a proud ,christian is a devil in disguise4 ,the angels are so thoroughly divested of the selfhood1 that they live and labor only for others' good2 and that is living and laboring for ,god4 ,prayer is the means by which humility and reverence are cultivated4 ,it does not change the ,unchangeable2 it only brings the soul into that state in which it is receptive of the divine love and wisdom4 ,i determined1 therefore1 to pray--for ,i had long neglected prayer--and to pray regularly1 systematically1 earnestly1 and especially in the form or after the manner that the ,lord himself had appointed4 ,the second element of angelic life was cheerfulness4 ,the cheerfulness of angels flows from the peace and joy in which they live4 ,they cannot be present in a sphere of gloom and darkness4 ,the silent1 tearful1 mourning1 austere1 ascetic ,christian1 cuts himself off from angelic consolations1 and renders his regeneration doubly painful and difficult4 ,tears and fastings and scourgings and solitude and fantastic self-denials do not lead to heaven4 ,they block up the way thither with needless difficulties4 ,i determined1 therefore1 to be cheerful2 to accept my lot with graceful resignation2 to have a genial word and pleasant smile for every one2 to avoid reveries and broodings which kept the past continually in painful contrast with the present2 to make a final surrender of all my grand ambitions and glorious expectations2 and to take a heartfelt pleasure in the trifles of life1 such as may be found even within the walls of a prison4 ,the third element of the angelic life was useful activity4 ,an idle angel is an impossibility4 ,they are all busy as bees2 and like those little preachers to mankind1 each labors intently1 not for his own special benefit1 but for the good of all the rest4 ,their cheerfulness and usefulness run in equal and parallel streams1 and they are both proportioned to their reverence and humility4 ,i determined therefore to work willingly2 to accept my hard tasks as those appointed of ,god2 to be no longer an eye-servant but an earnest1 faithful1 intelligent co-operator in building1 repairing and improving the magnificent temples1 baths1 aqueducts1 walls1 quays and fortifications of ,antioch2 to treat my fellow-laborers as brethren1 not by descending to their gross level1 but by striving to lift them as well as myself up to the height of a noble and unselfish manhood4 ,all this was facile and beautiful in theory1 difficult and painful in practice4 ,the struggle was intense2 and many1 many dark and miserable days alternated with my bright ones4 ,it was the great warfare of my life1 less imposing than my struggles with ,magistus and ,helena1 but far more productive of results4 ,it was a process by which good was substituted for evil2 but as fast only as the evil was thoroughly repented of and put away4 ,it was a process of growth by which the germ of the heavenly life1 penetrating through the dead shell of the old nature1 passed upward into a serener light and larger liberty4 ,it was a death and a resurrection4 ,how small an affair was my first resurrection in comparison with this6 ,twenty years or more were spent in the great combat between my old natural man and the new spiritual man which was being conceived1 born1 nourished1 instructed and vitalized within me4 ,i am still engaged in the same conflict4 ,but after twenty years1 ,i felt that the good had attained a permanent ascendency--that duty had become pleasure--that self was so far subdued that ,i expected nothing1 desired nothing for myself alone1 and experienced a serene delight in promoting the happiness of others4 ,the reader need not think that a convict's prison afforded no opportunities for the great work of regeneration1 and for the development of ,christian character4 ,the rainbow that shines in the cloud1 and glitters in the dew-drop1 is the same4 ,the divine influx is identical in the greatest things and in the least4 ,the patience1 the meekness1 the kindness to others1 the obedience to law1 the truthfulness1 the industry1 the honesty which can be exhibited in the lowliest sphere of human life1 have no sweeter odor1 no greater worth in the sight of heaven when they are displayed on the throne of the ,csars4 ,i worked faithfully at all my tasks until my overseers respected me so much that they did not watch me at all4 ,i was always ready to assist every one with word and deed1 until my power over my fellow-prisoners was such that my voice of intercession could suspend a quarrel or even suppress a riot4 ,i delighted to instruct these poor degraded fellows in the truths of religion2 and when they turned a deaf ear to these1 ,i could still please them with scraps of poetry or history or science4 ,it was a special pleasure to nurse the sick2 and in the course of twenty or thirty years1 hundreds and even thousands felt the benefit and the blessing of my presence4 ,this steady growth of a good and useful character in spite of the sneers and rebuffs of the ill-disposed1 and in the face of mighty difficulties1 brought substantial comforts to myself also4 ,i was released from strict confinement2 ,i was made overseer of a considerable party2 ,i was allowed liberties ,i had not known before2 and ,i was fed with abundance from the officers' table4 ,thus1 with advancing years1 ,i became contented and happy1 and my means of being useful to others were greatly increased4 ,i was permitted to plant flowers and vines in the interior courtyard of our prison4 ,after long and patient labor ,i adorned and beautified the spot so greatly that it attracted the attention of every visitor4 ,the mission of flowers is like that of poetry1 to enchant1 to elevate1 and to purify4 ,therefore the ,spring comes annually to shower her myriads of fragrant little lyrics upon the world6 ,it seemed a shame to constrain these sweet and free children of the air and sunlight to illumine the interior of a dungeon and to live with criminals2 but ,i remembered that the angels whom they represent1 delight to visit the humblest spot and to assist the most forlorn and helpless creatures of ,god4 ,i had been in prison about fifteen years without seeing a book1 when a singular old ,greek character was confined with us for some nameless crime4 ,he was taciturn and stately1 and evidently a man of education4 ,he had a copy of the ,tragedies of ,eschylus which the guard had not taken from him1 although parchments so well executed as that1 were of considerable value4 ,he seemed to know ,eschylus by heart1 and he loaned the book to me4 ,with what delight ,i devoured it6 ,it was to me a whole flower-garden of sweets and beauties4 ,the sad fate of ,orestes1 haunted by the ,furies1 struck the tenderest chords in my heart2 and ,i contemplated with the joy of kinship and sympathy the grandeur of ,prometheus chained to the rock1 for holding in his possession secret knowledge which no tortures could compel him to reveal4 ,i1 too1 was to learn the sanctity of silence6 ,one day the old ,greek1 when working on a pier1 suddenly plunged twenty feet into the rapid ,orontes4 ,he struck out boldly down the river for the sea1 and the boat sent after him did not overtake the desperate swimmer4 ,he left ,eschylus behind him4 ,i had been in prison about twenty-five years1 when ,i came into possession of another and far greater book4 ,a young ,jew was condemned to hard labor for striking a ,roman officer who had insulted his sister4 ,he fell sick almost immediately1 and was carried off by grief and a rapid consumption4 ,i nursed him closely1 and he seemed much attached to me until he discovered that ,i was a ,christian4 ,he became at once stern and cold and uncommunicative1 and ended by requesting the keeper to provide him with another nurse or none at all4 ,he died not long after1 and ,i was surprised at receiving a message from his deathbed4 ,he thanked me for my kindness to him1 and begged me to accept from him a beautiful little copy of the ,psalms of ,david4 ,what a treasure ,i found it6 ,it was a mirror of my own struggles2 of my hopes and fears2 of my deep humiliations and my ecstatic triumphs4 ,it let me into the presence of angels4 ,it was like the voice of ,god calling to little ,samuel in the dead of night4 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,xxxi4 ,,free4 ,illustration3 ,initial ,one day ,i was summoned from my labors into a kind of reception-room to meet a visitor4 ,a visitor6 ,i had been imprisoned thirty years and no one had ever called to see me4 ,i had forgotten the outer world and supposed it had forgotten me4 ,it was with surprise and some trepidation that ,i advanced to present myself to the stranger4 ,he was of small size1 ugly1 stoop-shouldered and bald4 ,his face was sallow1 his nose aquiline1 his brows heavy and joined between his eyes4 ,his air was embarrassed and timid and his speech slow4 ,with this unprepossessing appearance1 his manner was cordial and engaging1 his tones agreeable1 and when warmed up in conversation1 his features were radiant with thought and genius4 ,this remarkable man was ,paul1 the apostle to the ,gentiles4 ,after satisfying himself that ,i had been thirty years in prison and that ,i was really ,lazarus whom ,christ raised from the dead1 he became very animated and communicative4 8,you will be interested10 said he1 8to know how ,i found you out4 ,i was called1 a few days before ,i left ,rome on this tour to the ,eastern churches1 to see a dying man4 ,he was one of the most miserable wrecks ,i have ever witnessed1 bearing the mark of the beast and the seal of sin4 ,he was a ,greek and his name was ,demetrius4 ,he wished to be baptized into the ,christian faith1 and to confess his sins before he died4 ,he told me that you had been sentenced for life under a false name to hard labor on the public works of ,antioch4 ,he begged1 as a favor to a dying sinner1 that ,i would visit you if possible1 and beg your pardon for the crimes he had committed against you40 ,it seemed that all my friends supposed ,i had been burned as one of the ,christian candles1 on the eventful night of the death of ,magistus4 ,my sisters and the disciples had mourned for me as one of the first martyrs of the new faith4 ,mary and ,martha had arrived safely in ,gaul1 and had founded a beautiful church with a convent and ,christian schools at ,marseilles4 ,their wealth had contributed immensely to the spread of ,christianity4 ,they were devoted and holy women1 and ,paul was eloquent in praise of their zeal and piety4 8,and ,mary ,magdalen80 said ,i1 with a slight tremor at pronouncing the name of a woman who had of late taken ardent possession of my thoughts4 8,the humblest1 sweetest1 gentlest creature in the world6 ,she always wears her black veil and devotes herself to the most menial offices4 ,she is the grandest type ,i have yet seen of the purifying and sanctifying influence of the religion of ,christ40 ,i felt a sweet glow of satisfaction at this announcement2 and old man as ,i was1 something like a blush mounted to my cheeks4 ,i learned from the great apostle the history of the ,church from its infancy to the present time4 ,he was modest and even depreciating in narrating his own share in the stupendous labors of the early disciples4 ,i was not slow in detecting1 from what he said1 the immense changes in thought and spirit which had taken place in the ,christian commonwealth since ,i had been withdrawn from its sphere4 ,jesus ,christ had left them a religion2 ,paul had made it a theology4 ,paul drew from me a narration of my experiences in the spiritual world4 ,i was very explicit and enthusiastic1 for ,i deemed my revelations of the utmost importance to the ,church and the world4 ,he listened with interest1 but with evident incredulity4 ,we exchanged ideas at some length on all the leading questions of theology4 ,i became more and more anxious to impress him with the truth of what ,i was saying4 8,remember10 said ,i1 8that the germs which you now plant in the ,church1 will expand in the form and direction you give them for hundreds and may be thousands of years4 ,the slightest deviations now from the genuine truth1 will grow into gigantic errors4 8,if you teach the destructibility of this physical globe and the resurrection of our dead bodies from the dust1 the ,church will not have a true conception of the spiritual world1 nor of the relation of that world to this4 8,if you teach the separate and distinct personality of the ,father1 ,son and ,holy ,ghost1 the proper or supreme divinity of ,jesus ,christ will not be understood1 and the germ of polytheism will take root in your creed4 8,if you ignore the great judgment executed by ,christ in the world of spirits1 you will fail to comprehend the true object of his incarnation2 and you will commit the sad mistake of supposing that the next and last judgment predicted1 will take place in the world of nature4 8,if you speak1 as you did just now1 of the blood of ,christ cleansing from sin1 your hearers may fall into the error of supposing that the material blood shed upon the cross is what cleanses and saves from sin2 whereas the truth is1 that the blood shed for the remission of sins1 is the wine of the ,new ,testament--the spiritual truth and spiritual life which flow forth from the ,divine ,man for the healing of the nations40 ,so ,i went on1 reiterating all the grand points of doctrine which distinguished the teachings of the angels ,i had conversed with1 from the teachings of ,paul4 ,he became more and more restive under my impetuous torrent of argument1 and at last rose to depart4 ,he excused himself on the plea of urgent business and short time4 ,he said he would call again if possible1 and would interest the ,church in ,antioch to labor for my release4 ,he left me with a pleasant smile4 ,he passed into a gallery where he met the governor of the prison4 ,they were conversing as they walked slowly along beneath a window at which ,i had stopped4 ,i heard ,paul say1 8,he is evidently insane40 8,i wish the world was full of such madmen10 was the bluff answer of the governor4 ,and that was the result of my interview with the great thinker1 the leading spirit of the ,christian world6 ,insane6 ,this visit of ,paul was of immense service to me4 ,it helped me to subdue one of the strongest points of my selfhood4 ,i still cherished the dream that my spiritual knowledge had been entrusted to me for the special benefit of the ,christian ,church4 ,my only reason for wishing to get out of prison1 was that ,i might communicate the ,doctrine of ,christ1 as it appears to the angels1 to my fellow-men4 ,after mature reflection upon my conversation with ,paul and its results1 ,i came to the conclusion that ,i had labored under a great mistake and had cherished an impossible hope4 ,there are certain successive steps in the grand evolution of the general human mind1 which make one revelation of truth necessary and proper at one time and another at another4 ,the world and the ,church were not ready for the knowledges which had been given to me4 ,the transition from ,jewish darkness to angelic light was too great1 too sudden4 ,a long period of twilight must intervene--a period of literal interpretations1 of janglings and wranglings and schisms4 ,in the fullness of time1 perhaps1 and after another judgment in the world of spirits1 another church may be instituted capable of receiving without adulteration the sublime verities of the spiritual world4 ,so ,i abandoned my mission4 ,god knew better than ,i did1 and ,i was satisfied4 ,it is strange what a new1 sweet1 beautiful life sprung up in my soul after ,i discovered that ,i had no mission in this world to fulfill1 but to spread cement between stones1 to plant flowers1 to read the ,psalms and to nurse my sick fellow-prisoners4 ,i was a new creature4 ,i then entered upon what ,i have designated as the third state or era of my spiritual life4 ,and this state was so marvelous1 so exceptional to all the experiences of my fellow-men1 that ,i shall not dwell long upon it4 ,it may be a thousand or two thousand years before ,providence repeats the phenomenon and produces another case like mine2 and although in the far-off perfection of the world they will be common enough1 the story of it will for centuries fall upon the ears of men as an idle dream4 ,the first intimation ,i had of a further change of state1 was received while ,i was reading the ,scriptures4 ,the good ,christians of ,antioch1 it seems1 failed in procuring my release2 but they contrived to send me a copy of the ancient ,scriptures and the ,gospel of ,matthew4 ,these were priceless jewels to an old man and a prisoner dead to all things except the life of religion4 ,one day when reading in the ,psalms and applying the thoughts to my own individual experience1 ,i became suddenly aware1 by a kind of interior illumination1 that the secret soul-life of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ in his combats with the powers of hell1 was embodied and concealed in the sacred pages4 ,they contain more wonderful things than all the heights and depths of this external nature which we so much admire4 ,they contain the mysteries of life and death4 ,every day brought new revelations to my mind of the interior meaning of the sacred writings4 ,i found that the spiritual history of the incarnation of ,christ was concealed in the narrative of the lives of ,abraham1 ,isaac and ,jacob4 ,the first chapters of ,genesis1 under the figure of the creation of the world1 revealed the successive steps by which the human soul is built up from its original chaos into the image of ,god4 ,the wanderings of the ,israelites from ,egypt to ,canaan1 was the spiritual history of every man's regeneration4 ,and the prophets--oh1 the prophets6 with their dark sayings and grand imagery1 concealed with a mystic veil the most beautiful and holy truths of the spiritual universe4 ,these things were not invented by my imagination4 ,they were not discovered by my ingenuity4 ,they pre-existed in the ,scriptures1 but are invisible to the mind which rests in the mere sense of the letter4 ,their existence was revealed to me by an interior light1 the operation of which ,i did not comprehend4 ,i learned also that this wonderful spiritual sense of the ,divine ,word was clearly understood in heaven1 and was the mental food of angels4 ,the ,gospel of ,matthew contains similar spiritual mysteries enfolded in the literal story of our ,lord4 ,the ,epistles of ,paul1 however1--glowing1 eloquent1 devout1 impressive as they are--contain no interior or spiritual signification4 ,i saw at once that they had no organic connection with the heavens2 in other words1 that they were not divinely inspired4 ,they were simply the earnest1 saintly utterances of a great and good man to his brethren4 8,and yet10 said ,i to myself1 8so potent has this zealous and eloquent apostle been in organizing the ,church1 and so dense is the darkness of the natural mind1 that it would not surprise me1 if in the far future the words of ,paul are reckoned of equal value with the history of ,jesus1 or with the ,law and the ,prophets40 ,the peace and joy inspired by the spiritual perception of the ,word1 were ineffable4 ,my mind was in a state of continual felicity4 ,i began also to have the most exquisite and beautiful dreams4 ,i was frequently awakened by strains of the most heavenly music1 and the darkness of my little cell was illumined by flashes of light1 auroral and rainbow colors darting and twinkling here and there in the most surprising manner4 ,i felt that some organic change in my spiritual constitution was impending4 ,one ,sabbath morning when ,i was reading in the ,prophets1 ,i became suddenly aware of a presence in my room2 and lifting my eyes ,i beheld my father standing before me4 ,he was as youthful and beautiful as ever4 ,he was clad in shining garment1 and said with a beaming smile3 8,do you understand what you read80 8,better than ,i ever did before4 ,but1 ,o father6 how is it that you have descended into the natural world80 8,have you so soon forgotten your instructions in the world of spirits8 ,i have not descended into the world of nature4 ,i see nothing material which surrounds you4 ,i am invisible to all eyes but yours4 ,the change is in yourself4 ,your spiritual sight has been partially opened into the world of spirits where ,i am--enough to see my form1 but not my surroundings4 ,you seem to come to me1 while ,i seem to come to you4 ,you see me with your spiritual eyes and your material surroundings with your natural eyes40 ,it is needless to explain the philosophy1 as it is impossible to describe the joy1 of this happy reunion4 ,suffice it to say that my father came frequently to see me1 or ,i went to see him1 however the case may be interpreted4 ,he assisted me in my studies of the ,word1 and we had many long discourses on the mysteries of regeneration4 ,many of these things are incommunicable in human language1 for when my spiritual sight was open1 ,i spoke unconsciously the language of spirits and not the language of men2 and ,i find it impossible to embody in material expressions what was perfectly intelligible in my spiritual state4 8,your case10 said my father1 8so strange and exceptional at present1 is a proof of the possibilities of the human spirit4 ,as long as the powers of hell reign on earth1 it will be fearfully dangerous for man to have communication with spirits2 and the ,lord in his mercy will1 as far as may be possible1 keep each world a secret from the other4 ,when ,he comes again with an open ,word and his angelic hosts in the far-off ages of terrestrial time1 such cases as yours may occur not unfrequently1 and will announce the approaching conjunction of heaven and earth40 ,this double life1 this wheel within a wheel1 is no part of my earthly autobiography4 ,i must draw the veil over its mysteries4 ,i am permitted1 however1 to tell my readers that my uncle ,beltrezzor was revealed to my eyes4 ,he appeared as a young man of unspeakable beauty1 clad in a purple robe of dazzling splendor4 ,he had become a member of a heavenly society situated nearest to the ,sun of the spiritual world4 ,the atmosphere in which they live is a tissue of golden light1 and the emblem of their spiritual love is a flame of sacred fire4 ,would you call that a convict's cell or the gate of paradise1 which was brightened by the halo of such presences8 ,the old man who thus lived in both worlds1 at once escaping the common limitations of time and space1 was not withdrawn from the practical discharge of his homely and difficult duties4 ,never in his life was he more faithful1 more zealous1 more careful in the little every-day affairs which really make the happiness or the misery of life4 ,one day ,i was working on the walls of a new palace4 ,the chief architect1 a man of noble character and great influence1 happened to approach very near me in one of his rounds of inspection4 ,he said in a pleasant tone3 8,you spread your cement with very great care40 8,so it ought to be10 said ,i1 8for the cement is the brotherly love which binds the hearts of the brethren together40 ,he lifted his hand and made a certain signal4 ,i responded to it with another4 8,i discover10 he said1 8that you are a member of that venerable and secret order instituted by king ,solomon and ,hiram ,abiff1 the widow's son40 8,yes--for more than forty years40 8,and has it been of service to you80 8,oh yes6 ,i have discovered in it a mine of spiritual treasures4 ,its symbols and ceremonies embody a system of universal philosophy unknown even to its members4 ,it is an epitome of the spiritual mysteries of the universe40 8,how comes it10 said he1 8that a disciple of the square and compass1 who has stood upon the tesselated pavement1 is confined at hard labor as a criminal80 8,ah sir6 ,i was quite a youth when ,i came here4 ,i was innocent1 but ,i had none to defend me40 8,is it possible60 said he1 and walked toward the governor of the prison1 with whom he entered into conversation4 ,the next day ,i received a full discharge from my sentence1 and a handsome present of money from the chief architect4 ,i was free6 ,illustration3 ,ornament ,illustration3 ,ornament ,,xxxii4 ,,what ,,remains8 ,illustration3 ,initial ,i purchased some new clothes1 and wandered all day about the streets of ,antioch1 astonished at my liberty4 ,i dined at an eating-house where several languages were spoken by the different guests1 and where every one stared at the long-bearded1 long-haired old man1 with the new robes and the rough1 brown hands4 ,toward dark ,i began to feel very lonely and miserable1 and at last returned to the prison like a dog to his kennel1 and begged the favor of a night's lodging in my old cell4 ,free6 ,free like a plant whose roots are dead1 and which1 with no attachment to the earth1 trembles at the mercy of the wind6 ,i met next day with some of the ,christians of ,antioch4 ,they seemed glad that ,i had been released and spoke kindly to me1 but remembered the visit of ,paul and his belief that ,i was insane4 ,if my opinions had been orthodox1 what a cordial reception they would have given to the man whom ,christ raised from the dead6 ,as ,i had learned the divine philosophy of silence1 ,i said nothing to them on spiritual subjects4 ,i was sixty-five years old and everything was new and strange4 ,the pages of history during my long incarceration had been written in blood and tears4 ,vespasian occupied the throne of the ,roman empire1 assisted by his son ,titus1 who had besieged and taken ,jerusalem4 ,the holy temple was reduced to ashes and the city of ,david was a pile of ruins4 ,the judgment in the world of spirits had descended upon the earth4 ,i was shocked by the horrible details of the persecution which the ,christian world had suffered from the detestable ,nero2 and of the crucifixion of ,peter1 the murder of ,paul and the martyrdom of many prominent disciples4 ,what ,lelius had begun at the private instigation of a sorcerer on the little stage of ,antioch1 too insignificant for historical notice1 had been repeated by the butcher of ,rome on the theatre of the world4 ,during this terrible persecution my sisters had been driven from ,marseilles4 ,flying for their lives1 they reached the bleak and distant shores of ,britain4 ,there they planted the gospel banner and preached ,christ to the pagan natives4 ,there they were still living at the last accounts1 lights in the darkness1 warmth in the coldness around them4 ,mary ,magdalen had refused to fly from the ,roman tyrants4 ,roused to a wild pitch of religious enthusiasm by the atrocities perpetrated upon her fellow-,christians1 she rushed defiantly into the presence of the heathen officers and demanded the pleasure and the glory of dying for the name of ,christ4 ,seeking martyrdom1 she escaped it4 ,astounded at this eloquent and brave woman with disheveled hair and face flashing a wild spiritual light1 the persecutors pronounced her mad1 and refused to put her to death4 ,she retired to a mountain in ,spain and occupied a cave overlooking the sea4 ,there she lived in solitude and prayer1 wearing out soul and body in contrition for the sins of her early youth4 ,her sanctity and power of healing were so great1 that many pilgrims came from remote places to receive her benediction or be healed by her touch4 ,helena1 the beautiful syren from whom my soul had so narrowly escaped1 deserted ,simon for ,lelius1 and ,lelius for some ,roman general1 and this last for a low favorite of ,caligula4 ,she was finally swallowed up in that hideous whirlpool of ,roman life1 which was kept in motion by the unbridled passions of male and female monsters1 such as the world has rarely seen4 ,simon ,magus had been driven from ,antioch at the instigation of ,helena1 who had unbounded control over the ,roman legate4 ,he retired into ,samaria1 where he acquired great power and fame by his magic and sorceries4 ,thousands of people in that rude country admitted his claim to divine power4 ,it was there that he came into contact with the disciples of ,christ4 ,simon had discovered by his acute genius that a great change had taken place in the relations between the spiritual and natural worlds since the death and ascension of ,jesus4 ,the old demons who had governed the world of spirits had been cast into hell4 ,no spells of incantation could recall ,ja-bol-he-moth or any of the great spirits to his consultations4 ,the magical formulas had lost their power4 ,the pagan oracles were becoming silent4 ,the influence formerly exercised by magicians over men and ,nature was evidently waning4 ,simon became sad1 suspicious1 fearful4 ,the ground was sinking under him4 ,he did not attribute these singular changes to the right cause4 ,he believed that ,jesus was only a magician more powerful than any or all others--one who1 by some mysterious method had monopolized the subtle forces of spirit over matter4 ,he therefore came to the disciples of ,jesus1 and was baptized into the ,church4 ,when he thought he had sufficiently ingratiated himself with the apostles1 he offered them a large sum of money for the magical secret by which they healed the sick and raised the dead4 ,peter answered him indignantly3 8,thy money perish with thee1 because thou hast thought that the gift of ,god may be purchased with money60 ,after that exposure he went to ,rome1 where his magical powers seemed to revive in the infernal atmosphere of that wicked city4 ,his conduct became more and more eccentric1 insolent and presumptuous4 ,he was clearly obsessed by devils4 ,he manifested great aversion to the name of ,christ1 and professed to repeat all of his miracles with the greatest ease4 ,he announced in the height of his madness1 that he would ascend to heaven with a chariot and horses on a certain day4 ,the amphitheatre was crowded to suffocation4 ,it was said that he rose about forty feet in the air1 when his chariot and horses fell back into the arena and crushed him to death4 ,thus perished a man whose character and actions will seem impossible to future generations1 but who was one of the typical products of a corrupt and doomed civilization4 ,i had never known the earthly heaven of home and wife and child4 ,i had no country2 no resting place2 for little ,bethany also was laid in ashes4 ,my old friends and my old enemies were dead4 ,the little church to which ,i belonged in heart1 was the feeblest of all religious powers2 and even that would have repudiated and expelled me on a full declaration of my faith4 ,the most advanced man in the world1 ,i was the most desolate4 ,my face1 my thoughts1 my heart turned fondly to ,britain4 ,the last time ,i beheld my sisters was on that eventful night in ,bethany1 when they gave the supper to ,jesus1 and when ,mary unwittingly anointed him for his burial4 ,i must see them again6 ,it was a long1 dangerous1 desolate journey for a poor old man to make alone4 ,but my sisters called to me at evening from the golden shadows of the west1 and beckoned to me in the night through the twinkling of the northern stars4 ,i sailed from ,antioch to ,rome4 ,not a ,christian cared enough for the old man with heretical opinions1 to pay a friendly visit or give a kindly farewell to him whom ,christ had raised from the dead4 ,as the ship passed close to one of the great piers1 some old convicts who were working upon it recognized me and waved me a hearty good-bye4 ,with tears in my eyes ,i kissed my hand to my only friends in the world4 ,on reaching ,rome ,i was delighted to find the apostle ,john who had extricated ,mary and ,martha from the toils of ,magistus1 and who gave me a most cordial reception4 ,this unexpected warmth of friendship and sympathy infused new life into me and almost made me happy again4 ,to my great surprise and pleasure1 this disciple whom ,jesus loved1 and to whose care he committed his mother1 agreed with almost everything ,i had to say4 ,he broke the seal ,i had imposed upon my lips2 for he had a sacred thirst for spiritual knowledge which ,i felt constrained to gratify4 ,he received my doctrines of the resurrection of the spiritual instead of the natural body1 of judgments in the spiritual and not in the natural world1 and the grand central truth of all truths--the supreme divinity and absolute fatherhood of ,jesus ,christ4 ,john regretted deeply the dissensions which had already distressed the little ,church1 and foresaw the errors which would probably arise from certain dubious phrases and unwarranted doctrines which had crept into its theology4 ,my whole story1 he said1 was so beautiful that it ought to be true2 and if true1 it certainly ought to be beautiful4 ,thus ,john endorsed the very teachings for which ,paul thought me insane6 ,just as ,i was starting for ,britain1 news was brought from that cold region which rendered my journey unnecessary4 ,my sisters were dead6 ,martha1 when traversing one dark night a desolate moor to relieve a person in deep distress1 was lost and perished in the snow4 ,when the corpse was discovered and laid out in the little chapel of their convent1 and ,mary approached it1 this new sorrow1 added to the multiplied cares and labors of her life1 was too much for the overburdened heart4 ,the silver cord was gently broken1 and she stretched her own body1 like a funeral pall1 upon that of her sister4 ,conjoined in their lives6 united in their death6 ,beautiful spirits1 clad always in virgin white6 ,brides of ,christ6 ,twin-stars of heaven6 ,farewell6--until this old body also shall drop into the dust1 and the strong bond of spiritual affinity shall draw us together again1 and bind us1 to each other for ever6 ,john1 the beloved disciple1 was only visiting ,rome4 ,he lived at ,ephesus4 ,he now entreated me to accompany him home and spend the remnant of my days in the peaceful shade of his humble cottage4 ,i thanked him warmly1 but declined his invitation4 ,there was one more person upon earth whom ,i felt a strong desire to see4 ,that person was ,mary ,magdalen1 the last link which connected me with the past4 ,the hunger of an old man's heart for home and friends1 for sympathy and love1 was reduced to this4 ,it was all that was left me4 ,my feelings toward ,mary ,magdalen had become clearly defined in the last ten years of my captivity4 ,the sad things of the past were buried and forgotten4 ,i had outlived1 outgrown the self-righteous conceit that ,i was better than she4 ,yea1 ,i had discovered that she was far better than ,i4 ,i was thoroughly ashamed of the neglect1 almost amounting to scorn1 with which ,i had treated her in my youth4 ,her grand devotion to the cause of ,christ1 her fiery zeal1 her contrition1 her penances1 her humility1 her self-sacrifice1 her solitude1 haunted my imagination4 ,the martyrdom of her life was continually before me4 ,i resolved to make a pilgrimage to her shrine2 for ,i now regarded her as the saint and myself as the repentant sinner4 ,i would not mention love to a heart so sorely stricken with the wounds of conscience and the sorrows of life4 ,i would tell her nothing4 ,i would leave all that to the revealing light of the spiritual world1 which was now so near us both4 ,i would merely see her and weep with her over the old1 sweet memories of ,jesus and ,martha and ,mary4 ,i would live near her4 ,i would work for her1 without her knowledge4 ,i would make her comfortable without her seeing whence it came4 ,i would visit her in sickness4 ,i would close her eyes in death4 ,all the rest should be buried deep1 deep in the recesses of a heart which had not grown old4 ,i reached ,marseilles and surveyed with silent grief the ashes of the convent my sisters had built4 ,i employed a snug little boat and coasted along1 west and south-west1 until we reached the shores of ,spain1 where the spurs of the ,pyrenees jut out into the ,great ,sea4 ,landing at a little village1 ,i was directed to a considerable mountain near by4 ,i made the ascent before the heat of the day4 ,the path made a sudden turn from a crag which stood a thousand feet above the water2 and ,i found myself at the dark mouth of a cave4 ,near the entrance1 on the right1 was a wooden cross planted in a little bed of violets1 wildly overgrown4 ,the sky was clear and beautiful4 ,a perfect silence reigned around4 ,my heart throbbed as ,i approached the last earthly home of the friend of my sisters4 ,i looked into the cave and started back4 ,a fearful sense of awe came over my soul4 ,my pilgrimage was in vain4 ,i stood in the presence of the dead6 ,in that dim and damp and empty cavern1 lay a human body1 stretched upon a couch of stone4 ,it was clad in rusty black1 with a black veil thrown over the face4 ,she had been long1 long dead2 for the feet which protruded from her robe were bones and not feet4 ,a scourge of leather thongs had fallen from her hands4 ,engraven deeply in the moist rock of the wall1 just above her prostrate figure1 was the single word1 ,,magdalen4 ,i advanced no nearer4 ,i knelt in prayer4 ,i did not weep4 ,he who has lived in both worlds1 cannot be greatly stirred by the mutations of this4 ,i turned away1 thinking of our beautiful house in the heavens1 and sighing to myself1 8,it is well6 ,it is well60 ,my heart now turned to ,john4 ,i sailed from ,marseilles1 bound for ,alexandria1 where ,i expected to take ship for ,ephesus4 ,we never reached ,alexandria4 ,after we passed the island of ,sicily a series of terrible storms commenced1 and our little vessel was driven about like a feather on the sea4 ,our hardships were great1 and our labor in vain4 ,after many days our vessel sprang a leak1 and we were compelled to abandon her1 or go to the bottom with her4 ,our boat stood bravely for the shore1 where some lofty mountains loomed up through the night air4 ,we were capsized1 and ,i lost consciousness4 ,when ,i recovered my senses it was daylight4 ,the little boat was beached quite near me4 ,my companions were all drowned4 ,i was utterly alone4 ,i was wrecked at the foot of the western range of ,mount ,lebanon1 on the coast of ,phenicia4 ,i found a large and dry cave half-way up the first great spur that overlooks the sea4 ,i have made this my home4 ,i turned fisherman for a living--for ,i had lost all with the ship--and the little boat was serviceable for that4 ,i exchanged my fish with the people a little way from the coast1 for other articles more needed4 ,thus ,i have lived for several years4 ,here ,i have written this manuscript4 ,i have chosen the ,greek language for its composition1 because ,i am familiar with it1 and because ,i believe the words of ,eschylus and ,homer will be more durable than the marbles of ,athens4 ,one more page and it will be finished4 ,its inspiration withdrawn from me1 my life will be more desolate than ever4 ,i shall seal it up carefully1 and conceal it in some safe place for the eyes and ears of a future generation wiser and better than this4 ,i shall then turn to ,death and say1 8,i salute thee40 ,i shall not wait long4 ,after ,i left my prison in ,antioch and mingled with the turbulent tide of human life1 my spiritual visions left me1 my spiritual senses were closed4 ,they are opening again4 ,i have the old1 beautiful dreams4 ,i hear the same heavenly music4 ,i see the same auroral and rainbow flashes of light4 ,these now are prophecies of death--nay1 rather of life1 of heaven4 ,the gates stand ajar4 ,my eyes1 my hopes1 my heart are steadily fixed on that ,land of ,beauty1 where the ,son of the ,desert will be united to ,martha2 and ,john the ,baptist to ,mary2 and ,lazarus to ,magdalen2 and all--all to ,christ6 ,,by ,,the ,,author ,,of ,,this ,,volume4 ,,our ,,children ,,in ,,heaven4 ,a ,,book ,,for ,,the ,,bereaved4 ,it divests theology of its gloom3 ,it robs death of its terror3 ,it brings genuine light and comfort3 ,it is an antidote to spiritualism3 ,it vindicates the ,divine ,providence4 ,,contents4 ,i4 ,is there no light8 ,,ii4 ,how are they raised8 ,,iii4 ,what bodies have they8 ,,iv4 ,where do they go8 ,v4 ,who takes care of them8 ,,vi4 ,what are they doing8 ,,vii4 ,can we communicate8 ,,viii4 ,why did not the ,lord prevent8 ,,ix4 ,why did they die8 ,x4 ,what good can come of it8 ,,opinions4 8,eloquent and intelligible2 clear and graceful40--,boston ,evening ,transcript4 8,new1 refreshing1 and elevated thoughts40--,round ,table4 8,its sweet pathos and comforting sympathy at once warm and interest us40--,albany ,journal4 8,rational1 beautiful1 soothing1 and uplifted too40--,n4 ,y4 ,liberal ,christian4 8,a beautiful and touching book40--,philadelphia ,presbyterian4 8,a high-toned religious book1 well written1 and which will be of real service to sorrow-vexed hearts40--,st4 ,louis ,democrat4 8,a work of genius sanctified by sorrow40--,new ,orleans ,crescent4 8,dr4 ,holcombe is a fine writer3 a master of style1 with a marvelous command of choice phrases4 ,he appears in this book to great advantage4 ,striking at times the deeper and finer chords of the human heart1 he causes them to vibrate in unison with all that is pure and holy in heaven and earth40--,southern ,quarterly ,review4 ,,the ,,sexes3 ,,here ,,and ,,hereafter4 ,this book is philosophic1 poetic1 religious1 without a word about medicine or physiology4 ,it is for young and old lovers1 for single and married1 for husbands and wives upon earth who would be husbands and wives hereafter4 ,,opinions4 8,it breathes a pure and elevated spirit1 and has many thoughts which will commend themselves sympathetically to the followers of all ,christian faiths40--,new ,york ,independent4 8,the most marked literary production of the season40--,san ,francisco ,bulletin4 8,a beautifully written volume40--,chicago ,tribune4 8,here is thought on a noble theme1 crystallized in beautiful1 bright1 and lasting gems4 ,it adorns1 exalts1 and etherealizes double-sexed humanity1 and endues marriage with supernal purity40--,new ,orleans ,bulletin4 8,a work of sustained elegance of style4 ,whatever may be said of its opinions1 ,dr4 ,holcombe's essay must be credited with unexceptionable purity and refinement4 ,its tone is religious and its theology orthodox1 accepting fully the supremacy of scriptural authority40--,lippincott's ,magazine4 8,rarely1 if ever1 has the marriage state been lifted into so lofty and elevating1 so spiritualized1 yet so sweetly human1 an ideal40--,new ,orleans ,picayune4 8,it is treated morally1 religiously1 and philosophically1 and the result is a good and valuable book among the piles of trash now being uttered and written on the subject of woman40--,st4 ,louis ,republican4 ,,transcriber',s ,,note ,the following changes have been made to the text3 page #e1 missing 8,i40 added page #aj1 8melanancholy0 changed to 8melancholy0 page #ga1 period added after 8closely0 page #hb1 8thorroughly0 changed to 8thoroughly0 page #hi1 8paralizing0 changed to 8paralyzing0 page #ii1 period added after 8gallery0 page #aef1 8,demeritus0 changed to 8,demetrius0 page #agb1 8impresssions0 changed to 8impressions0 page #agf1 8beaaty0 changed to 8beauty0 page #bai1 period added after 8race0 page #bbb1 8maddess0 changed to 8madness0 page #bbf1 8indvidual0 changed to 8individual0 page #bcf1 missing 8,,xx40 added page #beb1 8impossibilties0 changed to 8impossibilities0 page #cjb1 double 8when0 removed page #cae1 exclamation mark added after 8terrible0 page #caf1 8ampitheatre0 changed to 8amphitheatre0 page #cbj1 period added after 8,,again0 page #cci1 8,euphonbus0 changed to 8,euphorbus0 page #cfg1 8embarrased0 changed to 8embarrassed0 ,additionally1 quote marks have been normalized in many places4 ,variations in hyphenation 7e4g4 8childlike01 8child-like02 8rosebud01 8rose-bud07 and spelling 7e4g4 8schylus01 8,eschylus02 8syren01 8siren02 8secrecy01 8secresy07 have not been changed4