file which includes the original illustrations4 ,see #ebbbe-;h4htm or #ebbbe-;h4zip3 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/cache_/epu b_/#ebbbe_/pg#ebbbe-;images4html7 or 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/files_/#eb bbe_/ebbbe-;h4zip7 ,note3 ,images of the original pages are available through the ,google ,books ,library ,project4 ,see https3_/_/books4google4com_/books8id#i;g #i;,,eaaaayaaj ,transcriber's note3 ,text enclosed by underscores is in italics 7italics74 ,the o-e ligature is represented by oe4 ,,the ,,temptation ,,of ,,st4 ,,anthony by ,,gustave ,,flaubert ,translated by ,lafcadio ,hearn ,illustrations by ,odilon ,redon 7,added especially for this ,,pg e-book47 ,the ,alice ,harriman ,company ,new ,york and ,seattle #aiaj ,,introduction ,it was at some period between #ahge and #ahgf that ,lafcadio ,hearn--still a cub reporter on a daily paper in ,cincinnati--began his translation of ,flaubert's ,temptation of ,st4 ,anthony4 ,the definitive edition of the work1 over which the author had laboured for thirty years1 had appeared in #ahgd4 ,hearn was1 in his early youth1 singularly indifferent to the work of the ,englishmen of the ,victorian period4 ,though he knew the ,english masterpieces of that epoch1 their large1 unacademic freedom of manner awakened no echoes in his spirit4 ,his instinctive taste was for the exquisite in style3 for that peculiar kneading1 heightening1 and recasting which ,matthew ,arnold thought necessary for perfection4 ,neither did the matter1 more than the manner of the ,victorians appeal to him4 ,the circumstances of his life had at so many points set him out of touch with his fellows that the affectionate mockery of ,thackeray's pictures of ,english society were alien to his interest4 ,the laughing heartiness of ,dickens' studies of the man in the street hardly touched him4 ,browning's poignant analyses of souls were too rudely robust of manner to move him4 ,before essaying journalism ,hearn had served for a while as an assistant in the ,public ,library1 and there he had found and fallen under the spell1 of the great ,frenchman of the ,romantic ,school of the '#cj's--that period of rich flowering of the ,gallic genius4 ,gautier's tales of ancient weirdnesses fired his imagination4 ,the penetrating subtleties of his verse woke in the boy the felicitous emotions which the virtuoso knows in handling cameos and enamellings by hands which have long been dust4 ,so1 also1 ,hugo's revivals of the passions and terrors of the medival world stirred the young librarian's eager interest4 ,but most of all his spirit leapt to meet the tremendous drama of the ,temptation4 ,he comprehended at once its large significance1 its great import1 and in his enthusiastic recognition of its value and meaning he set at once about giving it a language understood of the people of his own tongue4 ,tunison tells of the little shy1 shabby1 half-blind boy--the long dull day of police reporting done--labouring at his desk into the small hours1 with the flickering gas jet whistling overhead1 and his myopic eyes bent close to the papers which he covered with beautiful1 almost microscopic characters--escaping thus from the crass1 raw world about him to delicately and painstakingly turn into ,english stories of ,cleopatra's cruel1 fantastic ,egyptian ,night's ,entertainment4 ,withdrawing himself to transliterate tales of pallid beautiful vampires draining the veins of ardent boys3 of lovely faded ghosts of great ladies descending from shadowy tapestries to coquette with romantic dreamers2 or to find an ,english voice for the tragedy of the soul of the ,alexandrian cenobite4 ,it was in such dreams and labours that he found refuge from the environment that was so antipathetic to his tastes1 and in his immersion in the works of these virtuosos of words1 in his passionate search for equivalents of the subtle nuances of their phrases1 he developed his own style4 ,a style full of intricate assonances1 of a texture close woven and iridescent4 ,one of ,cleopatra's ,night's--a translation of some of ,gautier's tales of glamour--was issued in #ahhb1 but at ,the ,temptation of ,st4 ,anthony the publishers altogether balked4 ,the manuscript could not achieve even so much as a reading4 ,america had in the '#gj's just begun to emerge from that state of provincial propriety in which we were accused of clothing even our piano legs in pantelettes4 ,the very name of the work was sufficient to start modest shivers down the spine of all well regulated purveyors of books4 ,it was largely due to the painters' conceptions of the nature of the hermit's trials that the story of ,saint ,anthony's spiritual struggle aroused instinctive terrors in all truly modest natures4 ,the painters--who so dearly love to display their skill in drawing legs and busts--had been wont to push the poor old saint into the obscure of the background1 and fill all the foreground with ladies of obviously the very lightest character1 in garments still lighter1 if possible4 ,what had reputable ,american citizens to do with such as these jades8 ,more especially such jades as seen through a ,french imagination6 ,that ,flaubert had brushed aside the gross and jejune conceptions of the painters the publishers would not even take the pains to learn4 ,it is amusing now to recall the nervous1 timid proprieties of those days4 ,at the time ,hearn failed to see the laughable side of it4 ,he was then too young and earnest1 too passionate and too melancholy to have a sense of its humours4 ,he had brought his unfinished manuscript from ,cincinnati to ,new ,orleans1 and had continued to work upon it in strange lodgings in gaunt1 old half-ruined ,creole houses2 at the tables of odd little ,french cafs1 or among the queer dishes in obscure ,spanish and ,chinese restaurants4 ,he had snatched minutes for it amidst the reading and clipping of exchanges in a newspaper office2 had toiled drippingly over it in the liquifying heats of tropic nights2 had arisen from the inexpungable langours of yellow fever to complete its last astounding pages4 ,i can remember applauding1 with ardent youthful sympathy1 his tirades against the stultifying influence of blind puritanism upon ,american literature4 ,i recall his scornful mocking at the inconsistency which complacently accepted the vulgar seduction1 and the theatrical ,brocken revels of ,faust1 while shrinking piously from ,flaubert's grim story of the soul of man struggling to answer the riddle of the universe4 ,he had however an almost equal contempt for the author's countrymen1 who received with eager interest and pleasure the deliberate analysis--in ,madame ,bovary--of a woman's degradation and ruin1 while they yawned over the amazing history of humanity's tremendous spiritual adventures4 ,hearn's own sensitiveness shrank in pain from the cold insight which uncovered layer by layer the brutal squalour of a woman's moral disintegration4 ,but he was moved and astounded by the revelation1 in ,st4 ,anthony1 of the tragedy and pathos of man's long search for some body of belief or philosophy by which he could explain to himself the strange great phenomena of life and death1 and the inscrutable cruelties of ,nature4 ,the young translator was filled with a sort of astonished despair at his inability to make others see the book as he did--not realizing1 in his youthful impatience1 that the average mind clings to the concrete1 and is puzzled and terrified by outlines of thought too large for its range of vision2 that the commonplace intelligence cannot see the wood for the trees1 and becomes confused and over-weighted when confronted with the huge outlines of so great a picture as that drawn by ,flaubert in his masterpiece4 ,there were many points of resemblance between ,lafcadio ,hearn and the grandson of the ,french veterinary4 ,a resemblance rather in certain qualities of the spirit than in social conditions and physical endowments4 ,flaubert1 born in #ahba1 was the son of a surgeon4 ,his father was long connected with the ,htel ,dieu of ,rouen1 in which the boy was born1 and in which he lived until his eighteenth year1 when he went to ,paris to study law4 ,one of the friends of his early ,parisian days describes him as a young ,greek4 ,tall1 supple1 and as graceful as an athlete4 ,he was charming1 mais un peu farouche4 ,quite unconscious of his physical and mental gifts2 very careless of the impression he produced1 and entirely indifferent to formalities4 ,his dress consisted of a red flannel shirt1 trousers of heavy blue cloth1 and a scarf of the same colour drawn tight about his slender waist4 ,his hat was worn 'any how' and often he abandoned it altogether4 ,when ,i spoke to him of fame or influence4444 he seemed superbly indifferent4 ,he had no desire for glory or gain4444 ,what was lacking in his nature was an interest in les choses extrieures1 choses utiles4 444 ,one who saw him in #ahgi found the young ,greek athlete--now close upon sixty1 and having in the interval created some of the great classics of ,french literature--a huge man1 a tremendous old man4 ,his long1 straggling gray hair was brushed back4 ,his red face was that of a soldier1 or a sheik--divided by drooping white moustaches4 ,a trumpet was his voice1 and he gesticulated freely 444 the colour of his eyes a bit of faded blue sky4 ,the study of the law did not hold ,flaubert long4 ,it was one of those choses extrieures1 choses utiles to which he was so profoundly indifferent4 ,paris bored him4 ,he longed for ,rouen1 and for his little student chamber4 ,there he had lain upon his bed whole days at a time2 apparently as lazy as a lizard2 smoking1 dreaming2 pondering the large1 inchoate1 formless dreams of youth4 ,in #ahde his father died1 and in the following year he lost his sister ,caroline1 whom he had passionately loved1 and for whom he grieved all his life4 ,he rejoined his mother1 and they established themselves at ,croisset1 near ,rouen1 upon a small inherited property4 ,it was an agreeable house1 pleasantly situated in sight of the ,seine4 ,flaubert nourished with pleasure a local legend that ,pascal had once inhabited the old ,croisset homestead1 and that the ,abb ,prevost had written ,manon ,lescaut within its walls4 ,near the house--now gone--he built for himself a pavilion to serve as a study1 and in this he spent the greater portion of the following thirty-four years in passionate1 unremitting labour4 ,he made a voyage to ,corsica in his youth2 one to ,brittany1 with ,maxime du ,camp1 in #ahdf2 and spent some months in ,egypt1 ,palestine1 ,turkey1 and ,greece in #ahdi4 ,this ,oriental experience gave him the most intense pleasure1 and was the germ of ,salammbo1 and of the ,temptation of ,st4 ,anthony4 ,he never repeated it1 though he constantly talked of doing so4 ,he nursed a persistent1 but unrealized dream of going as far as ,ceylon1 whose ancient name1 ,taprobana1 he was never weary of repeating2 utterance of its melifluous syllables becoming a positive tic with him4 ,despite these yearnings he remained at home4 ,despite his full-blooded physique he would take no more exercise than his terrace afforded1 or an occasional swim in the ,seine4 ,he smoked incessantly1 and for months at a stretch worked fifteen hours out of the twenty-four at his desk4 ,three hundred volumes might be annotated for a page of facts4 ,he would write twenty pages1 and reduce these by exquisite concisions1 by fastidious rejections to three2 would search for hours for the one word that perfectly conveyed the colour of his thought1 and would--as in the case of the ,temptation--wait fifteen years for a sense of satisfaction with a manuscript before allowing it to see the light4 ,to ,maxime du ,camp1 who urged him to hasten the completion of his book in order to take advantage of a favourable opportunity1 he wrote angrily3 ,tu me parais avoir mon endroit un tic ou vice rdhibitoire4 ,il ne m'embte pas2 n'aie aucune crainte2 mon parti est pris l-dessus depuis long temps4 ,je te dirai seulement que tous ces mots2 se dpcher1 c'est le moment1 place prise1 se poser1 444 sont pour moi un vocabulaire vide de sens4444 ,in one of his letters he says that on occasion he worked violently for eight hours to achieve one page4 ,he endeavoured never to repeat a word in that page1 and tried to force every phrase to respond to a rhythmic law4 ,guy do ,maupassant1 his nephew and pupil1 says that to ensure this rhythm ,flaubert prenait sa feuille de papier1 relevait la hauteur du regard et1 s'appuyant sur un coude1 dclaimait1 d'une voix mordant et haute4 ,il coutait la rythme de sa prose1 s'arrtait comme pour saisir une sonorit fuyant1 combinait les tons1 loignait les assonances1 disposait les virgules avec conscience1 commes les haltes d'un long chemin4 444 ,flaubert said himself1 une phrase est viable quand elle correspond toutes les ncessits de respiration4 ,je sais qu'elle est bonne lorsqu'elle peut tre lu tout haut4 ,henry ,irving used to say of himself that it was necessary he should work harder than other actors because nature had dowered him with flexibility of neither voice nor feature1 and ,faguet says that ,flaubert was forced to this excessive toil and incessant watchfulness because he did not write well naturally4 ,nevertheless ,flaubert's work did not smell of the lamp4 ,whatever shape his ideas may have worn at birth when full grown they moved with large classic grace and freedom1 simple1 sincere1 and beautiful in form4 ,franois ,coppe calls him the ,beethoven of ,french prose4 ,so conscientious a workman1 so laborious and self-sacrificing an artist had a natural attraction for ,lafcadio ,hearn1 who even in boyhood began to feel his vocation as a literary monk4 ,the whole tendency of his tastes prepared him to understand the true importance of ,flaubert's masterpiece1 fitted him especially of all living writers to turn that masterpiece into its true ,english equivalent4 ,the two men had much in common4 ,both were proud and timid4 ,both had a fundamental indifference to choses extrieures1 choses utiles4 ,both were realists of the soul4 ,actions interested each but slightly2 the emotions from which actions sprung very much4 ,to both stupidity was even more antipathetic than wickedness1 because each realized that nearly all cruelty and vice have their germ in ignorance and stupidity rather than in innate rascality4 ,flaubert declared1 with a sort of rage1 that la btise entre dans mes pores4 ,he might too have been speaking for ,hearn when he said that the grotesque1 the strange1 and the monstrous had for him an inexplicable charm4 ,it corresponds1 he says1 to the intimate needs of my nature--it does not cause me to laugh1 but to dream long dreams4 ,hearn1 however1 mixed with this triste interest a quality that ,flaubert seemed almost wholly to lack--a great tenderness for all things humble1 feeble1 ugly and helpless4 ,both from childhood were curious of poignant sensations1 of the sad1 the mysterious and the exotic4 ,and for both the tropics had an irresistible fascination4 ,flaubert says1 in one of his letters3 ,i carry with me the melancholy of the barbaric races1 with their instincts of migration1 and their innate distaste of life1 which forced them to quit their homes in order to escape from themselves4 ,they loved the sun1 all those barbarians who came to die in ,italy2 they had a frenzied aspiration toward the light1 toward the blue skies1 toward an ardent existence4444 ,think that perhaps ,i will never see ,china1 will never be rocked to sleep by the cadenced footsteps of camels 444 will never see the shine of a tiger's eyes in the forest4444 ,you can treat all this as little worthy of pity1 but ,i suffer so much when ,i think of it 444 as of something lamentable and irremediable4 ,this is the nostalgia for the strange1 for the unaccustomed1 that all born wanderers know4 ,fate arranges it for many of them that their lives shall be uneventful1 passed in dull1 provincial narrowness2 but behind these bars the clipped wings of their spirit are always flutteringly spread for flight4 ,they know not what they seek1 what desire drives them1 but a sense of the great adventure unachieved keeps them restless until they die4 ,it is such as these1 these voyageurs empassions1 when condemned by fortune to a static existence--who find their outlet in mental wanderings amid the unusual1 the grotesque1 and the monstrous4 ,hearn and ,flaubert both were at heart nomads1 seekers of the unaccustomed2 stretching toward immensities of space and time1 toward the ghostly1 the hidden1 the unrealized4 ,like that wild fantastic ,chimera of the ,temptation each such soul declares je cherche des parfums nouveaux1 des fleurs plus large1 des plaisirs inprouvs4 ,flaubert was but twenty-six when the first suggestion of his masterpiece came to him4 ,for ,la ,tentation de ,st4 ,antoine1 it is coming to be understood1 is his masterpiece2 is one of the greatest literary achievements of the ,french mind4 ,madame ,bovary is more widely famous and popular1 but ,flaubert himself always deeply resented this preference1 and was always astonished at the comparative indifference of the world to the ,temptation4 ,he1 too1 found it difficult to realize how hardly the average mind is awakened to an interest in the incorporeal2 how surely cosmic generalizations escape the grasp of the commonplace intelligence4 ,wagner waited a lifetime before the world was dragged reluctantly and resentfully up to a point from which it could discern the superiority of the tremendous finale of the ,gtterdmmerung to the ,christmas-card chorus of angels chanting me chaste et pure to the beatified ,marguerite4 ,the whole prodigious structure of ,wagner's dramatic and musical thought might have remained a mere adumbration in the soul of one ,german had chance not set a mad genius upon the throne of ,bavaria4 ,the bourgeoisie would--lacking this royal bullying--have continued to prefer ,goethe and ,gounod4 ,flaubert's great work unfortunately failed of such patronage4 ,it was in #ahde that an old picture by ,breughel1 seen at ,genoa1 first inspired ,flaubert to attempt the story of ,st4 ,anthony4 ,he sought out an engraving of this conception of ,peter the ,younger 7surnamed ,hell-,breughel for his fondness for such subjects71 hung it on his walls at ,croisset1 and after three years of brooding upon it began1 ,may #bd1 #ahdh1 ,la ,tentation de ,st4 ,antoine4 ,in twelve months he had finished the first draught of the work1 which bulked to #edj pages4 ,it was laid aside for ,bovary1 and a second version of the ,temptation was completed in #ahef1 but this time the manuscript had been reduced to #aic pages1 and the blazing phrases1 the jewelled words1 the turbulence1 the comedy1 the mysticism of the first version had been superseded by a larger1 more dramatic conception4 ,in #ahgb he made still a new draught1 and by this time it had shrunk to #acf pages4 ,he even then eliminated three chapters1 and finally gave to the world in #ahgd this wonderful coloured panorama of philosophy1 this ,gulliver-like travelling amid the master ideas of the antique and early ,christian worlds4 ,faguet says1 ,in its primitive and legendary state the temptation of ,st4 ,anthony was nothing more than the story of a recluse tempted by the ,devil through the flesh1 by all the artifices at the ,devil's disposal4 ,in the definite thought of ,flaubert the temptation of ,st4 ,anthony has become man's soul tempted by all the illusions of human thought and imagination4 ,st4 ,anthony to the eyes of the first naive hagiologists is a second ,adam1 seduced by woman1 who was inspired by ,satan4 ,st4 ,anthony conceived by ,flaubert is a more thoughtful ,faust2 a ,faust incapable of irony1 not a ,faust who could play with illusions and with himself--secretly persuaded that he could withdraw when he chose to give himself the trouble to do so--rather a ,faust who approached1 accosted1 caressed all possible forms of universal illusions4 ,flaubert's studies for the ,temptation were tremendous4 ,for nearly thirty years he touched and retouched1 altered1 enlarged1 condensed4 ,he kneaded into its substance the knowledge1 incessantly sought1 of all religions and philosophies2 of all the forms man's speculations had taken in his endless endeavours to explain to himself ,life and ,fate2 humanity's untiring1 passionate effort to find the meaning of its mysterious origin and purpose1 and final destiny4 ,how terrible1 how naive1 how fantastic1 bloody1 grovelling1 and outrageous were most of the solutions accepted1 the gigantic panorama of the book startlingly sets forth4 ,what gory agonies1 what mystic exaltations1 what dark cruelties1 frenzied abandons1 and inhuman self denials have marked those puzzled gropings for light and truth are revealed as by lightning flashes in the crowding scenes of the epic4 ,for the ,temptation of ,st4 ,anthony is an epic4 ,not a drama of man's actions1 as all previous epics have been1 but a drama of the soul4 ,all its movement is in the adventure and conflict of the spirit4 ,st4 ,anthony remains always in the one place1 almost as moveless as a mirror4 ,his vision--clarified of the sensual and the actual by his fastings and macerations--becomes like the surface of an unruffled lake4 ,a lake reflecting the aberrant forms of thoughts that1 like clouds1 drift between man and the infinite depths of knowledge4 ,clouds of illusion forever changing1 melting1 fusing2 assuming forms grotesque1 monstrous1 intolerable2 until at last the writhing mists of speculation and ignorance are drunk up by the widening light of wisdom and the fogs and phantasms vanish1 leaving his consciousness aware1 in poignant ecstasy1 of the cloudless deeps of truth4 ,the temptation of the flesh is but a passing episode4 ,an eidolon of ,sheba's queen offers him luxury1 wealth1 voluptuous beauty1 power1 dainty delights of eye and palate in vain4 ,man has never found his most dangerous seductions in the appetites4 ,more lamentable disintegration has grown from his attempts to pierce beyond the body's veil4 ,the parched and tortured saint is whirled by vertiginous visions through cycles of man's straining efforts to know why1 whence1 whither4 ,he assists at the rites of ,mithira1 the prostrations of serpent-and-devil-worshippers1 worshippers of fire1 of light1 of the ,greeks' deified forces of nature2 of the northern enthronement of brute force and war4 ,he is swept by the soothing breath of ,quietism1 plunges into every heresy and philosophy1 sees the orgies1 the flagellations1 the self mutilations1 the battles and furies of sects1 each convinced that it has found the answer at last to the ,great ,question1 and endeavouring to constrain the rest of humanity to accept the answer4 ,he meets the ,sphinx--embodied interrogation--and the ,chimera--the simulacrum of the fantasies of the imagination--dashing madly about the stolid querist4 ,lucifer--spirit of doubt of all dogmatic solutions--mounts with ,anthony into illimitable space4 ,they rise beyond these struggles and furies into the cold uttermost of the universe2 among innumerable worlds2 worlds yet vaguely forming in the womb of time1 newly come to birth1 lustily grown to maturity2 worlds dying1 decaying1 crumbling again into atomic dust4 ,overcome by the intolerable ,vast1 ,anthony sinks once more to his cell1 and ,lucifer1 who has shown him the macrocosm1 opens to him the equal immensity of the microcosm4 ,makes him see the swarming life that permeates the seas1 the earth and atmosphere1 the incredible numerousness of the invisible lives that people every drop of water1 every grain of sand1 every breath of air4 ,the unity of life dawns upon him1 and his heart1 withered by dubiety1 melts into joyousness and peace4 ,as the day dawns in gold he beholds the face of ,christ4 ,flaubert's ,lucifer has no relation to the jejune ,devil of man's early conception of material evil1 nor does he resemble ,goethe's ,mephistopheles2 embodiment of the ,eighteenth ,century's spirit of sneering disbeliefs and negation4 ,he is rather our own tempter--,science4 ,he is the spirit of ,knowledge3 ,nature itself calling us to look into the immensities and read just our dogmas by this new and terrible widening of our mental and moral horizons4 ,this last experience of the ,saint reproduces the spiritual experiences of the modern man2 cast loose from his ancient moorings1 and yet finding at last in his new knowledge a truer conception of the brotherhood of all life in all its forms1 and seeing still1 in the growing light1 the benignant eyes of ,god4 ,it is not remarkable that ,flaubert resented the banality1 the dull grossness of the reception of his work1 or that ,hearn shared his amazement and bitterness4 ,even yet the world wakes but slowly to the true character of this masterpiece2 this epic wrought with so great a care and patience1 so instinct with genius1 dealing perhaps more profoundly than any other mind has ever done with the ,great ,adventure of humanity's eternal search for ,truth4 ,,elizabeth ,,bisland4 ,,argument ,,frailty ,sunset in the desert4 ,enfeebled by prolonged fasting1 the hermit finds himself unable to concentrate his mind upon holy things4 ,his thoughts wonder2 memories of youth evoke regrets that his relaxed will can no longer find strength to suppress1--and1 remembrance begetting remembrance1 his fancy leads him upon dangerous ground4 ,he dreams of his flight from home1--of ,ammonaria1 his sister's playmate1--of his misery in the waste1--his visit to ,alexandria with the blind monk ,didymus1--the unholy sights of the luxurious city4 ,involuntarily he yields to the nervous dissatisfaction growing upon him4 ,he laments his solitude1 his joylessness1 his poverty1 the obscurity of his life2 grace departs from him2 hope burns low within his heart4 ,suddenly revolting against his weakness1 he seeks refuge from distraction in the study of the ,scriptures4 ,vain effort6 ,an invisible hand turns the leaves1 placing perilous texts before his eyes4 ,he dreams of the ,maccabees slaughtering their enemies1 and desires that he might do likewise with the ,arians of ,alexandria2--he becomes inspired with admiration of ,king ,nebuchadnezzar2--he meditates voluptuously upon the visit of ,sheba's queen of ,solomon2--discovers a text in the ,acts of the ,apostles antagonistic to principles of monkish ascetism1--indulges in reveries regarding the riches of ,biblical kings and holy men4 ,the ,tempter comes to tempt him with evil hallucinations for which the ,saint's momentary frailty has paved the way2 and with the ,evil ,one come also ,,the ,,seven ,,deadly ,,sins ,phantom gold is piled up to excite ,covetousness2 shadowy banquets appear to evoke ,gluttony4 ,the scene shifts to aid the temptations of ,anger and of ,pride4444 ,anthony finds himself in ,alexandria1 at the head of a wild army of monks slaughtering the heretics and the pagans1 without mercy for age or sex4 ,in fantastic obedience to the course of his fancy while reading the ,scriptures a while before1 and like an invisible echo of his evil thoughts1 the scene changes again4 ,alexandria is transformed into ,constantinople4 ,anthony finds himself the honoured of the ,emperor4 ,he beholds the vast circus in all its splendour1 the ocean of faces1 the tumult of excitement4 ,simultaneously he beholds his enemies degraded to the condition of slaves1 toiling in the stables of ,constantine4 ,he feels joy in the degradation of the ,fathers of ,nica4 ,then all is transformed4 ,it is no longer the splendour of ,constantinople he beholds under the luminosity of a ,greek day2 but the prodigious palace of ,nebuchadnezzar by night4 ,he beholds the orgies1 the luxuries1 the abominations2--and the spirit of ,pride enters triumphantly into him as the spirit of ,nebuchadnezzar4444 ,awaking as from a dream1 he finds himself again before his hermitage4 ,a vast caravan approaches1 halts2 and the ,queen of ,sheba descends to tempt the ,saint with the deadliest of all temptations4 ,her beauty is enhanced by oriental splendour of adornment2 her converse is a song of withcraft4 ,the ,saint remains firm4444 ,the ,seven ,deadly ,sins depart from him4 ,,the ,,heresiarchs ,but now the tempter assumes a subtler form4 ,under the guise of a former disciple of ,anthony1--,hilarion1--the demon1 while pretending to seek instruction1 endeavours to poison the mind of ,anthony with hatred of the fathers of the church4 ,he repeats all the scandals amassed by ecclesiastical intriguers1 all the calumnies created by malice2--he cites texts only to foment doubt1 and quotes the evangels only to make confusion4 ,under the pretext of obtaining mental enlightenment from the wisest of men1 he induces ,anthony to enter with him into a spectral basilica1 wherein are assembled all the ,heresiarchs of the third century4 ,the hermit is confounded by the multitude of tenets1--horrified by the blasphemies and abominations of ,elkes1 ,corpocrates1 ,valentinus1 ,manes1 ,cerdo1--disgusted by the perversions of the ,paternians1 ,marcosians1 ,montanists1 ,serptians1--bewildered by the apocryphal ,gospels of ,eve and of ,judas1 of the ,lord1 and of ,thomas4 ,and ,hilarion grows taller4 ,,the ,,martyrs ,anthony finds himself in the dungeons of a vast amphitheatre1 among ,christians condemned to the wild beasts4 ,by this hallucination the tempter would prove to the ,saint that martyrdom is not always suffered for purest motives4 ,anthony finds the martyrs possessed by bigotry and insincerity4 ,he sees many compelled to die against their will2 many who would forswear their faith could it avail them aught4 ,he beholds heretics die for their heterodoxy more nobly than orthodox believers4 ,and he finds himself transported to the tombs of the martyrs4 ,he witnesses the meetings of ,christian women at the sepulchres4 ,he beholds the touching ceremonies of prayer1 change into orgies1--lamentations give place to amorous dalliance4 ,,the ,,magicians ,then the ,tempter seeks to shake ,anthony's faith in the excellence and evidence of miracles4 ,he assumes the form of a ,hindoo ,brahmin1 terminating a life of wondrous holiness by self-cremation2--he appears as ,simon ,magus and ,helen of ,tyre1--as ,appollonius of ,tyans1 greatest of all thaumaturgists1 who claims superiority to ,christ4 ,all the marvels related by ,philostratus are embodied in the converse of ,apollonius and ,damis4 ,,the ,,gods ,hilarion reappears taller than ever1 growing more gigantic in proportion to the increasing weakness of the ,saint4 ,standing beside ,anthony he evokes all the deities of the antique world4 ,they defile before him in a marvellous panorama3--,gods of ,egypt and ,india1 ,chaldea and ,hellas1 ,babylon and ,ultima ,thule1--monstrous and multiform1 phallic and ithyphallic1 fantastic or obscene4 ,some intoxicate by their beauty2 others appall by their foulness4 ,the ,buddha recounts the story of his wondrous life2 ,venus displays the rounded daintiness of her nudity2 ,isis utters awful soliloquy4 ,lastly the phantom of ,jehovah appears1 as the shadow of a god passing away forever4 ,suddenly the stature of ,hilarion towers to the stars2 he assumes the likeness and luminosity of ,lucifer2 he announces himself as ,,science ,and ,anthony is lifted upon mighty wings and borne away beyond the world1 above the solar system1 above the starry arch of the ,milky ,way4 ,all future discoveries of ,astronomy are revealed to him4 ,he is tempted by the revelation of innumerable worlds1--by the refutation of all his previous ideas of the nature of the ,universe1--by the enigmas of infinity1--by all the marvels that conflict with faith4 ,even in the night of immensity the demon renews the temptation of reason3 ,anthony wavers upon the verge of pantheism4 ,,lust ,,and ,,death ,anthony abandoned by the spirit of ,science comes to himself in the desert4 ,then the ,tempter returns under a two-fold aspect3 as the ,spirit of ,lust and the ,spirit of ,destruction4 ,the latter urges him to suicide1--the former to indulgence of sense4 ,they inspire him with strong fancies of palingenesis1 of the illusion of death1 of the continuity of life4 ,the pantheistic temptation intensified4 ,,the ,,monsters ,anthony in reveries meditates upon the monstrous symbols painted upon the walls of certain ancient temples4 ,could he know their meaning he might learn also something of the secret lien between ,matter and ,thought4 ,forthwith a phantasmagoria of monsters commence to pass before his eyes3--the ,sphinx and the ,chimera1 the ,blemmyes and ,astomi1 the ,cynocephali and all creatures of mythologie creation4 ,he beholds the fabulous beings of ,oriental imagining1--the abnormities described by ,pliny and ,herodotus1 the fantasticalities to be later adopted by heraldry1--the grotesqueries of future medieval illumination made animate2--the goblinries and foulnesses of superstitious fancy1--the ,witches' ,sabbath of abominations4 ,,metamorphosis ,the multitude of monsters melts away2 the land changes into an ,ocean2 the creatures of the briny abysses appear4 ,and the waters in turn also change2 seaweeds are transformed to herbs1 forests of coral give place to forests of trees1 polypous life changes to vegetation4 ,metals crystallize2 frosts effloresce2 plants become living things1 inanimate matter takes animate form1 monads vibrate1 the pantheism of nature makes itself manifest4 ,anthony feels a delirious desire to unite himself with the ,spirit of ,universal ,being4444 ,the vision vanishes4 ,the sun arises4 ,the face of ,christ is revealed4 ,the temptation has passed2 ,anthony kneels in prayer4 ,l4 ,h4 ,,the ,,temptation ,,of ,,st4 ,,anthony ,it is in the ,thebaid at the summit of a mountain1 upon a platform1 rounded off into the form of a demilune1 and enclosed by huge stones4 ,the ,hermit's cabin appears in the background4 ,it is built of mud and reeds1 it is flat-roofed and doorless4 ,a pitcher and a loaf of black bread can be distinguished within also1 in the middle of the apartment a large book resting on a wooden ,,stela2 while here and there1 fragments of basketwork1 two or three mats1 a basket1 and a knife lie upon the ground4 ,some ten paces from the hut1 there is a long cross planted in the soil2 and1 at the other end of the platform1 an aged and twisted palm tree leans over the abyss2 for the sides of the mountain are perpendicular1 and the ,nile appears to form a lake at the foot of the cliff4 ,the view to right and left is broken by the barrier of rocks4 ,but on the desert-side1 like a vast succession of sandy beaches1 immense undulations of an ashen-blonde color extend one behind the other1 rising higher as they recede2 and far in the distance1 beyond the sands1 the ,libyan chain forms a chalk-colored wall1 lightly shaded by violet mists4 ,on the opposite side the sun is sinking4 ,in the north the sky is of a pearl-gray tint1 while at the zenith purple clouds disposed like the tufts of a gigantic mane1 lengthen themselves against the blue vault4 ,these streaks of flame take darker tones2 the azure spots turn to a nacreous pallor2 the shrubs1 the pebbles1 the earth1 all now seem hard as bronze2 and throughout space there floats a golden dust so fine as to become confounded with the vibrations of the light4 ,saint ,anthony1 who has a long beard1 long hair1 and wears a tunic of goatskin1 is seated on the ground cross-legged1 and is occupied in weaving mats4 ,as soon as the sun disappears1 he utters a deep sigh1 and1 gazing upon the horizon1 exclaims3-- ,another day6 another day gone6 ,nevertheless formerly ,i used not to be so wretched4 ,before the end of the night ,i commenced my orisons2 then ,i descended to the river to get water1 and remounted the rugged pathway with the skin upon my shoulder1 singing hymns on the way4 ,then ,i would amuse myself by arranging everything in my hut4 ,i would make my tools2 ,i tried to make all my mats exactly equal in size1 and all my baskets light2 for then my least actions seemed to me duties in nowise difficult or painful of accomplishment4 ,then at regular hours ,i ceased working2 and when ,i prayed with my arms extended1 ,i felt as though a fountain of mercy were pouring from the height of heaven into my heart4 ,that fountain is now dried up4 ,why8 7,he walks up and down slowly1 within the circuit of the rocks47 ,all blamed me when ,i left the house4 ,my mother sank to the ground1 dying2 my sister from afar off made signs to me to return2 and the other--wept1 ,ammonaria1 the child whom ,i used to meet every evening at the cistern1 when she took the oxen to drink4 ,she ran after me4 ,her foot rings glittered in the dust2 and her tunic1 open at the hips1 fluttered loosely in the wind4 ,the aged anchorite who was leading me away called her vile names4 ,our two camels galloped forward without respite2 and ,i have seen none of my people since that day4 ,at first1 ,i selected for my dwelling place1 the tomb of a ,pharaoh4 ,but an enchantment circulates through all those subterranean palaces1 where the darkness seems to have been thickened by the ancient smoke of the aromatics4 ,from the depths of ,sarcophagi1 ,i heard doleful voices arise1 and call my name2 or else1 ,i suddenly beheld the abominable things painted upon the walls live and move2 and ,i fled away to the shore of the ,red ,sea1 and took refuge in a ruined citadel4 ,there my only companions were the scorpions dragging themselves among the stones1 and the eagles continually wheeling above my head1 in the blue of heaven4 ,at night ,i was torn by claws1 bitten by beaks2 soft wings brushed against me2 and frightful demons1 shrieking in my ears1 flung me upon the ground4 ,once ,i was even rescued by the people of a caravan going to ,alexandria2 and they took me away with them4 ,then ,i sought to obtain instruction from the good old man ,didymus4 ,although blind1 none equalled him in the knowledge of the ,scriptures4 ,when the lesson was finished1 he used to ask me to give him my arm to lean upon1 that we might walk together4 ,then ,i would conduct him to the ,paneum1 whence may be seen the ,pharos and the open sea4 ,then we would return by way of the post1 elbowing men of all nations1 even ,cimmerians clad in the skins of bears and ,gymnosophists of the ,ganges anointed with cow-dung4 ,but there was always some fighting in the streets--either on account of the ,jews refusing to pay taxes1 or of seditious people who wished to drive the ,romans from the city4 ,moreover1 the city is full of heretics--followers of ,manes2 ,valentinus1 ,basilides1 ,arius--all seeking to engross my attention in order to argue with me and to convince me4 ,their discourses often come back to my memory4 ,vainly do ,i seek to banish them from my mind4 ,they trouble me6 ,i took refuge at ,colzin1 and there lived a life of such penance that ,i ceased to fear ,god4 ,a few men1 desirous of becoming anchorites1 gathered about me4 ,i imposed a practical rule of life upon them1 hating1 as ,i did1 the extravagance of ,gnosus and the assertions of the philosophers4 ,messages were sent to me from all parts1 and men came from afar off to visit me4 ,meanwhile the people were torturing the confessors2 and the thirst of martyrdom drew me to ,alexandria4 ,the persecution had ceased three days before ,i arrived there6 ,while returning thence1 ,i was stopped by a great crowd assembled before the temple of ,serapis4 ,they told me it was a last example which the ,governor had resolved to make4 ,in the centre of the portico1 under the sunlight1 a naked woman was fettered to a column1 and two soldiers were flogging her with thongs2 at every blow her whole body writhed4 ,she turned round1 her mouth open2 and over the heads of the crowd1 through the long hair half hiding her face1 ,i thought that ,i could recognize ,ammonaria4444 ,illustration3 444 through the long hair half hiding her face1 ,i thought that ,i could recognize ,ammonaria ,nevertheless 444 this one was taller 444 and beautiful 444 prodigiously beautiful6 7,he passes his hands over his forehead47 ,no6 no6 ,i must not think of it6 ,another time ,athanasius summoned me to assist him against the ,arians4 ,the contest was limited to invectives and laughter4 ,but since that time he has been calumniated1 dispossessed of his see1 obliged to fly for safety elsewhere4 ,where is he now8 ,i do not know6 ,the people give themselves very little trouble to bring me news4 ,all my disciples have abandoned me--,hilarion like the rest4 ,he was perhaps fifteen years of age when he first came to me and his intelligence was so remarkable that he asked me questions incessantly4 ,then he used to listen to me with a pensive air1 and whatever ,i needed he brought it to me without a murmur--nimbler than a kid1 merry enough to make even the patriarchs laugh4 ,he was a son to me4 7,the sky is red2 the earth completely black4 ,long drifts of sand follow the course of the gusts of wind1 rising like great shrouds and falling again4 ,suddenly against a bright space in the sky a flock of birds pass1 forming a triangular battalion1 gleaming like one sheet of metal1 of which the edges alone seem to quiver4 ,anthony watches them47 ,ah1 how ,i should like to follow them4 ,how often also have ,i enviously gazed upon those long vessels1 whose sails resemble wings--and above all when they were bearing far away those ,i had received at my hermitage6 ,what pleasant hours we passed6--what out-pourings of feeling6 ,no one ever interested me more than ,ammon3 he told me of his voyage to ,rome1 of the ,catacombs1 the ,coliseum1 the piety of illustrious women1 and a thousand other things6--and it grieved me to part with him6 ,wherefore my obstinacy in continuing to live such a life as this8 ,i would have done well to remain with the monks of ,nitria1 inasmuch as they supplicated me to do so4 ,they have cells apart1 and nevertheless communicate with each other4 ,on ,sundays a trumpet summons them to assemble at the church1 where one may see three scourges hanging up1 which serve to punish delinquents1 robbers1 and intruders2 for their discipline is severe4 ,nevertheless they are not without some enjoyments4 ,the faithful bring them eggs1 fruits1 and even instruments with which they can extract thorns from their feet4 ,there are vineyards about ,prisperi2 those dwelling at ,pabena have a raft on which they may journey when they go to seek provisions4 ,but ,i might have served my brethren better as a simple priest4 ,as a priest one may aid the poor1 administer the sacraments1 and exercise authority over families4 ,furthermore1 all laics are not necessarily damned1 and it only depended upon my own choice to become--for example--a grammarian1 a philosopher4 ,i would then have had in my chamber a sphere of reeds1 and tablets always ready at hand1 young men around me1 and a wreath of laurel suspended above my door1 as a sign4 ,but there is too much pride in triumphs such as those4 ,a soldier's life would have been preferable4 ,i was robust and bold3 bold enough to fasten the cables of the military machines--to traverse dark forests1 or to enter1 armed and helmeted1 into smoking cities4444 ,neither was there anything to have prevented me from purchasing with my money the position of publican at the toll-office of some bridge2 and travellers would have taught me many strange things1 and told me strange stories1 the while showing me many curious objects packed up among their baggage4444 ,the merchants of ,alexandria sail upon the river ,canopus on holidays1 and drink wine in the chalices of lotus-flowers1 to a music of tambourines which makes the taverns along the shore tremble6 ,beyond1 trees1 made cone-shaped by pruning1 protect the quiet farms against the wind of the south4 ,the roof of the lofty house leans upon thin colonettes placed as closely together as the laths of a lattice2 and through their interspaces the master1 reclining upon his long couch1 beholds his plains stretching about him--the hunter among the wheat-fields--the winepress where the vintage is being converted into wine1 the oxen treading out the wheat4 ,his children play upon the floor around him2 his wife bends down to kiss him4 7,against the grey dimness of the twilight1 here and there appear pointed muzzles1 with straight1 pointed ears and bright eyes4 ,anthony advances toward them4 ,there is a sound of gravel crumbling down2 the animals take flight4 ,it was a troop of jackals4 ,one still remains1 rising upon his hinder legs1 with his body half arched and head raised in an attitude full of defiance47 ,how pretty he is6 ,i would like to stroke his back gently6 7,anthony whistles to coax him to approach4 ,the jackal disappears47 ,ah6 he is off to join the others4 ,what solitude6 what weariness6 7,laughing bitterly47 ,a happy life this indeed6--bending palm-branches in the fire to make shepherds' crooks1 fashioning baskets1 stitching mats together--and then exchanging these things with the ,nomads for bread which breaks one's teeth6 ,ah6 woe1 woe is me6 will this never end8 ,surely death were preferable6 ,i can endure it no more6 ,enough6 enough6 7,he stamps his foot upon the ground1 and rushes frantically to and fro among the rocks2 then pauses1 out of breath1 bursts into tears1 and lies down upon the ground1 on his side4 ,the night is calm2 multitudes of stars are palpitating2 only the crackling noise made by the tarantulas is audible4 ,the two arms of the cross make a shadow upon the sand2 ,anthony1 who is weeping1 observes it47 ,am ,i1 then1 so weak1 ,o my ,god6 ,courage1 let me rise from here6 7,he enters his hut1 turns over a pile of cinders1 finds a live ember1 lights his torch and fixes it upon the wooden desk1 so as to throw a light upon the great book47 ,suppose ,i take the ,acts of the ,apostles8--yes6--no matter where6 ',and he saw the heaven opened1 and a certain vessel descending1 as it were a great linen sheet let down by the four corners from heaven to the earth--wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts1 and creeping things of the earth and fowls of the air4 ,and there came a voice to him3 ,arise1 ,peter6 ,kill and eat6'#a ,then the ,lord desired that his apostle should eat of all things8444 while ,i4444 7,anthony remains thoughtful1 his chin resting against his breast4 ,the rustling of the pages1 agitated by the wind1 causes him to lift his head again2 and he reads37 ',so the ,jews made a great slaughter of their enemies with the sword1 and killed them1 repaying according to what they had prepared to do to them4444#b ,then1 comes the number of people slain by them--seventy-five thousand4 ,they had suffered so much6 ,moreover1 their enemies were the enemies of the true ,god4 ,and how they must have delighted in avenging themselves thus by the massacre of idolaters6 ,doubtless the city must have been crammed with the dead6 ,there must have been corpses at the thresholds of the garden gates1 upon the stairways1 in all the chambers1 and piled up so high that the doors could no longer move upon their hinges6444 ,but lo6 here ,i am permitting my mind to dwell upon ideas of murder and of blood6444 7,he opens the book at another place47 ',then ,king ,nabuchodonosor fell on his face1 and worshipped ,daniel4444'#c ,ah6 that was just6 ,the ,most ,high exalts his prophets above ,kings2 yet that monarch spent his life in banqueting1 perpetually drunk with pleasure and pride4 ,but ,god1 to punish him1 changed him into a beast6 ,he walked upon four feet6 7,anthony begins to laugh2 and in extending his arms1 involuntarily disarranges the leaves of the book with the tips of his fingers4 ,his eyes fell upon this phrase3--7 ',and ,ezechias rejoiced at their coming1 and he showed them the house of his aromatical spices1 and the gold and the silver1 and divers precious odours and ointments1 and the house of his vessels1 and all that he had in his treasures4444'#d ,i can imagine that spectacle2 they must have beheld precious stones1 diamonds and darics heaped up to the very roof4 ,one who possesses so vast an accumulation of wealth is no longer like other men4 ,while handling his riches he knows that he controls the total result of innumerable human efforts--as it were the life of nations drained by him and stored up1 which he can pour forth at will4 ,it is a commendable precaution on the part of ,kings4 ,even the ,wisest of all did not neglect it4 ,his navy brought him elephants' teeth and apes4444 ,where is that passage8 7,he turns the leaves over rapidly47 ,ah6 here it is3 ',and the ,queen of ,saba1 having heard of the fame of ,solomon in the name of the ,lord1 came to try him with hard questions4'#e ,how did she hope to tempt him8 ,the ,devil indeed sought to tempt ,jesus6 ,but ,jesus triumphed because he was ,god2 and ,solomon1 perhaps1 owing this knowledge of magic6 ,it is sublime--that science6 ,for the world--as a philosopher once explained it to me1 forms a whole1 of which all parts mutually influence one another1 like the organs of one body4 ,it is science which enables us to know the natural loves and natural repulsions of all things1 and to play upon them8444 ,therefore1 it is really possible to modify what appears to be the immutable order of the universe8 7,then the two shadows formed behind him by the arms of the cross1 suddenly lengthen and project themselves before him4 ,they assume the form of two great horns4 ,anthony cries out3--7 ,help me6 ,o my ,god6 ,illustration3 ,saint ,anthony3 ,help me1 ,o my ,god6 7,the shadows shrink back to their former place47 ,ah6444 it was an illusion 444 nothing more4 ,it is needless for me to torment my mind further6 ,i can do nothing6--absolutely nothing4 7,he sits down and folds his arms47 ,nevertheless 444 it seems to me that ,i felt the approach of4444 ,but why should ,he come8 ,besides1 do ,i not know all his artifices8 ,i repulsed the monstrous anchorite who laughingly offered me little loaves of warm1 fresh bread1 the centaur who sought to carry me away upon his croup1 and that black child who appeared to me in the midst of the sands1 who was very beautiful1 and who told me that he was called the ,spirit of ,lust6 7,anthony rises and walks rapidly up and down1 first to the right1 then to the left47 ,it was by my order that this multitude of holy retreats was constructed--full of monks all wearing sackcloth of camel's hair beneath their garments of goatskin1 and numerous enough to form an army4 ,i have cured the sick from afar off2 ,i have cast out demons2 ,i have passed the river in the midst of crocodiles2 the ,emperor ,constantine wrote me throe letters2 ,balacius1 who had spat upon mine1 was torn to pieces by his own horses2 when ,i reappeared the people of ,alexandria fought for the pleasure of seeing me1 and ,athanasius himself escorted me on the way back4 ,but what works have ,i not accomplished ,lo6 for these thirty years and more ,i have been dwelling and groaning unceasingly in the desert6 ,like ,eusebius1 ,i have carried thirty-eight pounds of bronze upon my loins2 like ,macarius1 ,i have exposed my body to the stings of insects2 like ,pacomus1 ,i have passed fifty-three nights without closing my eyes2 and those who are decapitated1 tortured with red hot pincers1 or burned alive1 are perhaps less meritorious than ,i1 seeing that my whole life is but one prolonged martyrdom4 7,anthony slackens his pace47 ,assuredly there is no human being in a condition of such unutterable misery6 ,charitable hearts are becoming scarcer4 ,i no longer receive aught from any one4 ,my mantle is worn out4 ,i have no sandals--,i have not even a porringer6--for ,i have distributed all ,i possessed to the poor and to my family1 without retaining so much as one obolus4 ,yet surely ,i ought to have a little money to obtain the tools indispensable to my work8 ,oh1 not much6 a very small sum4444 ,i would be very saving of it4444 ,the fathers of ,nica1 clad in purple robes1 sat like magi1 upon thrones ranged along the walls2 and they were entertained at a great banquet and overwhelmed with honours1 especially ,paphnutius1 because he is one-eyed and lame1 since the persecution of ,diocletian6 ,the ,emperor kissed his blind eye several times2 what foolishness6 ,besides1 there were such infamous men members of that ,council6 ,a bishop of ,scythia1 ,theophilus6 another of ,persia1 ,john6 a keeper of beasts1 ,spiridion6 ,alexander was too old4 ,athanasius ought to have shown more gentleness towards the ,arians1 so as to have obtained concessions from them4 ,yet would they have made any8 ,they would not hear me6 ,the one who spoke against me--a tall young man with a curly beard--uttered the most captious objections to my argument2 and while ,i was seeking words to express my views they all stared at me with their wicked faces1 and barked like hyenas4 ,ah6 why cannot ,i have them all exiled by the ,emperor6 or rather have them beaten1 crushed1 and see them suffer6 ,i suffer enough myself4 7,he leans against his cabin in a fainting condition47 ,it is because ,i have fasted too long2 my strength is leaving me4 ,if ,i could eat--only once more--a piece of meat4 7,he half closes his eyes with languor47 ,ah6 some red flesh--a bunch of grapes to bite into 444 curdled milk that trembles on a plate6444 ,but what has come upon me8 ,what is the matter with me8 ,i feel my heart enlarging like the sea1 when it swells before the storm4 ,an unspeakable feebleness weighs down upon me1 and the warm air seems to waft me the perfume of a woman's hair4 ,no woman has approached this place2 nevertheless8-- 7,he gazes toward the little pathway between the rocks47 ,that is the path by which they come1 rocked in their litters by the black arms of the eunuchs4 ,they descend and joining their hands1 heavy with rings1 kneel down before me4 ,they relate to me all their troubles4 ,the desire of human pleasure tortures them2 they would gladly die2 they have seen in their dreams ,god calling to them 444 and all the while the hems of their robes fall upon my feet4 ,i repel them from me4 ',ah6 no6' they cry1 'not yet6 ,what shall ,i do8' ,they gladly accept any penitence ,i impose on them4 ,they ask for the hardest of all2 they beg to share mine and to live with me4 ,it is now a long time since ,i have seen any of them6 ,perhaps some of them will come6 why not8 ,if ,i could only hear again1 all of a sudden1 the tinkling of mule-bells among the mountains4 ,it seems to me4444 7,anthony clambers upon a rock at the entrance of the pathway1 and leans over1 darting his eyes into the darkness47 ,yes6 over there1 far off ,i see a mass moving1 like a band of travellers seeking the way4 ,she is there6444 ,they are making a mistake4 7,calling47 ,this way6 ,come6 ,come6 7,echo repeats3 ,come6 ,come6 he lets his arms fall1 stupefied47 ,what shame for me6 ,alas6 poor ,anthony4 7,and all of a sudden he hears a whisper3--,poor ,anthony67 ,who is there8 ,speak6 7,the wind passing through the intervals between the rocks1 makes modulations2 and in those confused sonorities he distinguishes ,voices1 as though the air itself were speaking4 ,they are low1 insinuating1 hissing47 ,the ,first3 ,dost thou desire women8 ,the ,second3 ,great heaps of money1 rather6 ,the ,third3 ,a glittering sword8 7and7 ,the ,others3 ,all the people admire thee6 ,sleep6 ,thou shalt slay them all1 aye1 thou shalt slay them6 7,at the same moment objects become transformed4 ,at the edge of the cliff1 the old palm tree with its tuft of yellow leaves1 changes into the torso of a woman leaning over the abyss1 her long hair waving in the wind4 ,anthony turns toward his cabin2 and the stool supporting the great book whose pages are covered with black letters1 seems to him changed into a bush all covered with nightingales47 ,it must be the torch which is making this strange play of light4444 ,let us put it out6 7,he extinguishes it2 the obscurity becomes deeper1 the darkness profound4 ,and suddenly in the air above there appear and disappear successively--first1 a stretch of water2 then the figure of a prostitute2 the corner of a temple1 a soldier2 a chariot with two white horses1 prancing4 ,these images appear suddenly1 as in flashes--outlined against the background of the night1 like scarlet paintings executed upon ebony4 ,their motion accelerates4 ,they defile by with vertiginous rapidity4 ,sometimes again1 they pause and gradually pale and melt away2 or else float off out of sight1 to be immediately succeeded by others4 ,anthony closes his eyelids4 ,they multiply1 surround him1 besiege him4 ,an unspeakable fear takes possession of him2 and he feels nothing more of living sensation1 save a burning contraction of the epigastrium4 ,in spite of the tumult in his brain1 he is aware of an enormous silence which separates him from the world4 ,he tries to speak2--impossible6 ,he feels as though all the bands of his life were breaking and dissolving2--and1 no longer able to resist1 ,anthony falls prostrate upon his mat47 #a ,acts ,x3 #aa-ac--,t4 #b ,esther ,,ix3 #e--,t4 #c ,daniel ,,ii3 #df4--,t4 #d ,kings ,,xx3 #ac 7,vulg474--,t4 #e ,,iii ,kings ,x3 ,i 7,vulg474--,t4 ,,ii 7,then a great shadow1 subtler than any natural shadow1 and festooned by other shadows along its edges1 defines itself upon the ground4 ,it is the ,devil1 leaning upon the roof of the hut1 and bearing beneath his wings--like some gigantic bat suckling its little ones--the ,seven ,deadly ,sins1 whose grimacing heads are dimly distinguishable4 ,with eyes still closed1 ,anthony yields to the pleasure of inaction2 and stretches his limbs upon the mat4 ,it seems to him quite soft1 and yet softer--so that it becomes as if padded2 it rises up2 it becomes a bed4 ,the bed becomes a shallop2 water laps against its sides4 ,to right and left rise two long tongues of land1 overlooking low cultivated plains1 with a sycamore tree here and there4 ,in the distance there is a tinkling of bells1 a sound of drums and of singers4 ,it is a party going to ,canopus to sleep upon the temple of ,serapis1 in order to have dreams4 ,anthony knows this2 and impelled by the wind1 his boat glides along between the banks4 ,papyrus-leaves and the red flowers of the nympha1 larger than the body of a man1 bend over him4 ,he is lying at the bottom of the boat2 one oar at the stem1 drags in the water4 ,from time to time1 a lukewarm wind blows2 and the slender reeds rub one against the other1 and rustle4 ,then the sobbing of the wavelets becomes indistinct4 ,a heavy drowsiness falls upon him4 ,he dreams that he is a ,solitary of ,egypt4 ,then he awakes with a start47 ,did ,i dream8 ,it was all so vivid that ,i can scarcely believe ,i was dreaming6 ,my tongue burns4 ,i am thirsty4 7,he enters the cabin1 and gropes at random in the dark47 ,the ground is wet2 can it have been raining8 ,what can this mean6 ,my pitcher is broken into atoms6 ,but the goatskin8 7,he finds it47 ,empty6--completely empty6 ,in order to get down to the river1 ,i should have to walk for at least three hours2 and the night is so dark that ,i could not see my way4 ,there is a gnawing in my entrails4 ,where is the bread6 7,after long searching1 he picks up a crust not so large as an egg47 ,what8 ,have the jackals taken it8 ,ah6 malediction6 7,and he flings the bread upon the ground with fury4 ,no sooner has the action occurred than a table makes its appearance1 covered with all things that are good to eat4 ,the byssus cloth1 striated like the bandelets of the sphinx1 produces of itself luminous undulations4 ,upon it are enormous quarters of red meats2 huge fish2 birds cooked in their plumage1 and quadrupeds in their skins2 fruits with colors and tints almost human in appearance2 while fragments of cooling ice1 and flagons of violet crystal reflect each other's glittering4 ,anthony notices in the middle of the table a boar smoking at every pore--with legs doubled up under its belly1 and eyes half closed--and the idea of being able to eat so formidable an animal greatly delights him4 ,then many things appear which he has never seen before--black hashes1 jellies1 the color of gold1 ragouts in which mushrooms float like nenuphars upon ponds1 dishes of whipt cream light as clouds4 ,and the aroma of all this comes to him together with the salt smell of the ocean1 the coolness of mountains1 the great perfumes of the woods4 ,he dilates his nostrils to their fullest extent2 his mouth waters2 he thinks to himself that he has enough before him for a year1 for ten years1 for his whole life6 ,as he gazes with widely-opened eyes at all these viands1 others appear2 they accumulate1 forming a pyramid crumbling at all its angles4 ,the wines begin to flow over--the fish palpitate--the blood seethes in the dishes--the pulp of the fruit protrudes like amorous lips--and the table rises as high as his breast1 up to his very chin at last--now bearing only one plate and a single loaf of bread1 placed exactly in front of him4 ,he extends his hand to seize the loaf4 ,other loaves immediately present themselves to his grasp47 ,for me6444 all these6 ,but 444 7,anthony suddenly draws back47 ,instead of one which was there1 lo6 there are many6 ,it must be a miracle1 then1 the same as our ,lord wrought6 ,yet for what purpose8444 ,ah6 all the rest of these things are equally incomprehensible6 ,demon1 begone from me6 depart6 begone6 7,he kicks the table from him4 ,it disappears47 ,nothing more8--no6 7,he draws a lung breath47 ,ah6 the temptation was strong6 ,but how well ,i delivered myself from it6 7,he lifts his head1 and at the same time stumbles over some sonorous object47 ,why6 what can that be8 7,anthony stoops down47 ,how6 a cup6 ,some traveller must have lost it here4 ,there is nothing extraordinary4444 7,he wets his finger1 and rubs47 ,it glitters6--metal6 ,still1 ,i cannot see very clearly4444 7,he lights his torch1 and examines the cup47 ,it is silver1 ornamented with ovules about the rim1 with a medal at the bottom of it4 7,he detaches the medal with his nail67 ,it is a piece of money worth about seven or eight drachmas--not more6 ,it matters not6 even with that ,i could easily buy myself a sheepskin4 7,a sudden flash of the torch lights up the cup47 ,impossible6 gold8 ,yes1 all gold1 solid gold6 7,a still larger piece of money appears at the bottom4 ,under it he perceives several others47 ,why1 this is a sum 444 large enough to purchase three oxen 444 and a little field6 7,the cup is now filled with pieces of gold47 ,what6 what6444 a hundred slaves1 soldiers1 a host 444 enough to buy4444 7,the granulations of the rim1 detaching themselves form a necklace of pearls47 ,with such a marvel of jewelry as that1 one could win even the wife of the ,emperor6 7,by a sudden jerk1 ,anthony makes the necklace slip down over his wrist4 ,he holds the cup in his left hand1 and with his right lifts up the torch so as to throw the light upon it4 ,as water streams overflowing from the basin of a fountain1 so diamonds1 carbuncles1 and sapphires1 all mingled with broad pieces of gold bearing the effigies of ,kings1 overflow from the cup in never ceasing streams1 to form a glittering hillock upon the sand47 ,what6 how6 ,staters1 cycles1 dariacs1 aryandics2 ,alexander1 ,demetrius1 the ,ptolemies1 ,csar6--yet not one of them all possessed so much6 ,nothing is now impossible6 no more suffering for me6 how these gleams dazzle my eyes6 ,ah6 my heart overflows6 how delightful it is6 yes--yes6--more yet6 never could there be enough6 ,vainly ,i might continually fling it into the sea1 there would always be plenty remaining for me4 ,why should ,i lose any of it8 ,i will keep all1 and say nothing to any one about it2 ,i will have a chamber hollowed out for me in the rock1 and lined with plates of bronze1 and ,i will come here from time to time to feel the gold sinking down under the weight of my heel2 ,i will plunge my arms into it as into sacks of grain6 ,i will rub my face with it1 ,i will lie down upon it6 7,he flings down the torch in order to embrace the glittering heap1 and falls flat upon the ground4 ,he rises to his feet4 ,the place is wholly empty47 ,what have ,i done6 ,had ,i died during those moments1 ,i should have gone to hell--to irrevocable damnation4 7,he trembles in every limb47 ,am ,i1 then1 accursed8 ,ah6 no2 it is my own fault6 ,i allow myself to be caught in every snare6 ,no man could be more imbecile1 more infamous6 ,i should like to beat myself1 or rather to tear myself out of my own body6 ,i have restrained myself too long4 ,i feel the want of vengeance--the necessity of striking1 of killing6--as though ,i had a pack of wild beasts within me6 ,would that ,i could hew my way with an axe1 through the midst of a multitude4444 ,ah1 a poniard6444 7,he perceives his knife1 and rushes to seize it4 ,the knife slips from his hand2 and ,anthony remains leaning against the wall of his hut1 with wide-open mouth1 motionless1 cataleptic4 ,everything about him has disappeared4 ,he thinks himself at ,alexandria1 upon the ,paneum--an artificial mountain in the centre of the city1 encircled by a winding stairway4 ,before him lies ,lake ,mareolis2 on his right hand is the sea1 on his left the country2 and immediately beneath him a vast confusion of flat roofs1 traversed from north to south and from east to west by two streets which intercross1 and which offer throughout their entire length the spectacle of files of porticoes with ,corinthian columns4 ,the houses overhanging this double colonnade have windows of stained glass4 ,some of them support exteriorly enormous wooden cages1 into which the fresh air rushes from without4 ,monuments of various architecture tower up in close proximity4 ,egyptian pylons dominate ,greek temples4 ,obelisks appear like lances above battlements of red brick4 ,in the middle of public squares there are figures of ,hermes with pointed ears1 and of ,anubis with the head of a dog4 ,anthony can distinguish the mosaic pavements of the courtyards1 and tapestries suspended from the beams of ceilings4 ,he beholds at one glance1 the two ports 7the ,great ,port and the ,eunostus71 both round as circuses1 and separated by a mole connecting ,alexandria with the craggy island upon which the ,pharos-tower rises--quadrangular1 five hundred cubits high1 nine storied1 having at its summit a smoking heap of black coals4 ,small interior ports open into the larger ones4 ,the mole terminates at each end in a bridge supported upon marble columns planted in the sea4 ,sailing vessels pass beneath it1 while heavy lighters overladen with merchandise1 thalamegii#a inlaid with ivory1 gondolas covered with awnings1 triremes1 biremes1 and all sorts of vessels are moving to and fro1 or lie moored at the wharves4 ,about the ,great ,port extends an unbroken array of royal construction3 the palace of the ,ptolomies1 the ,museum1 the ,posidium1 the ,csareum1 the ,timonium where ,mark ,anthony sought refuge1 the ,soma which contains the tomb of ,alexander2 while at the other extremity of the city1 beyond the ,eunostus1 the great glass factories1 perfume factories1 and papyrus factories may be perceived in a suburban quarter4 ,strolling peddlers1 porters1 ass-drivers run and jostle together4 ,here and there one observes some priest of ,isis wearing a panther skin on his shoulders1 a ,roman soldier with his bronze helmet1 and many negroes4 ,at the thresholds of the shops women pause1 artisans ply their trades2 and the grinding noise of chariot wheels puts to flight the birds that devour the detritus of the butcher-shops and the morsels of fish left upon the ground4 ,the general outline of the streets seems like a black network flung upon the white uniformity of the houses4 ,the markets stocked with herbs make green bouquets in the midst of it2 the drying-yards of the dyers1 blotches of color2 the golden ornaments of the temple-pediments1 luminous points--all comprised within the oval enclosure of the grey ramparts1 under the vault of the blue heaven1 beside the motionless sea4 ,but suddenly the movement of the crowd ceases2 all turn their eyes toward the west1 whence enormous whirlwinds of dust are seen approaching4 ,it is the coming of the monks of the ,thebaid1 all clad in goatskins1 armed with cudgels1 roaring a canticle of battle and of faith with the refrain3 ,where are they8 ,where are they8 ,anthony understands that they are coming to kill the ,arians4 ,the streets are suddenly emptied--only flying feet are visible4 ,the ,solitaries are now in the city4 ,their formidable cudgels1 studded with nails1 whirl in the air like suns of steel4 ,the crash of things broken in the houses is heard4 ,there are intervals of silence4 ,then great screams arise4 ,from one end of the street to the other there is a continual eddy of terrified people4 ,many grasp pikes4 ,sometimes two bands meet1 rush into one2 and this mass of men slips upon the pavement--fighting1 disjointing1 knocking down4 ,but the men with the long hair always reappear4 ,threads of smoke begin to escape from the corners of edifices6 folding doors burst open4 ,portions of walls crumble down4 ,architraves fall4 ,anthony finds all his enemies again1 one after the other4 ,he even recognizes some whom he had altogether forgotten2 before killing them he outrages them4 ,he disembowels--he severs throats--he fells as in a slaughter house--he hales old men by the beard1 crushes children1 smites the wounded4 ,and vengeance is taken upon luxury1 those who do not know how to read tear up hooks2 others smash and deface the statues1 paintings1 furniture1 caskets1--a thousand dainty things the use of which they do not know1 and which simply for that reason exasperates them4 ,at intervals they pause1 out of breath1 in the work of destruction2 then they recommence4 ,the inhabitants moan in the courtyards where they have sought refuge4 ,the women raise their tearful eyes and lift their naked arms to heaven4 ,in hope of moving the ,solitaries they embrace their knees2 the men cast them off and fling them down1 and the blood gushes to the ceilings1 falls back upon the walls like sheets of rain1 streams from the trunks of decapitated corpses1 fills the aqueducts1 forms huge red pools upon the ground4 ,anthony is up to his knees in it4 ,he wades in it2 he sucks up the blood-spray on his lips2 he is thrilled with joy as he feels it upon his limbs1 under his hair-tunic which is soaked through with it4 ,night comes4 ,the immense uproar dies away4 ,the ,solitaries have disappeared4 ,suddenly1 upon the outer galleries corresponding to each of the nine stories of the ,pharos1 ,anthony observes thick black lines forming1 like lines of crows perching4 ,he hurries thither2 and soon finds himself at the summit4 ,a huge mirror of brass turned toward the open sea1 reflects the forms of the vessels in the offing4 ,anthony amuses himself by watching them2 and while he watches1 their number increases4 ,they are grouped together within a gulf which has the form of a crescent4 ,upon a promontory in the background1 towers a new city of ,roman architecture1 with cupolas of stone1 conical roofs1 gleams of pink and blue marbles1 and a profusion of brazen ornamentation applied to the volutes of the capitals1 to the angles of the cornices1 to the summits of the edifices4 ,a cypress-wood overhangs the city4 ,the line of the sea is greener1 the air colder4 ,the mountains lining the horizon are capped with snow4 ,anthony is trying to find his way1 when a man approaches him1 and says3 ,come6 they are waiting for you4 ,he traverses a forum1 enters a great court1 stoops beneath a low door2 and he arrives before the facade of the palace1 decorated with a group in wax1 representing ,constantine overcoming a dragon4 ,there is a porphyry basin1 from the centre of which rises a golden conch-shell full of nuts4 ,his guide tells him that he may take some of them4 ,he does so4 ,then he is lost1 as it were1 in a long succession of apartments4 ,there are mosaics upon the walls representing generals presenting the ,emperor with conquered cities1 which they hold out upon the palms of their hands4 ,and there are columns of basalt everywhere1 trellis-work in silver filigree1 ivory chairs1 tapestries embroidered with pearls4 ,the light falls from the vaults above2 ,anthony still proceeds4 ,warm exhalations circulate about him2 occasionally he hears the discreet clapping sound of sandals upon the pavement4 ,posted in the anti-chambers are guards1 who resemble automata1 holding wands of vermillion upon their shoulders4 ,illustration3 ,and there are columns of basalt everywhere1444 ,the light falls from the vaults above ,at last he finds himself in a great hall1 with hyacinth-colored curtains at the further end4 ,they part1 and display the ,emperor seated on a throne1 clad in a violet tunic1 and wearing red shoes striped with bands of black4 ,a diadem of pearls surround his head2 his locks are arranged symmetrically in rouleaux4 ,he has a straight nose1 drooping eyelids1 a heavy and cunning physiognomy4 ,at the four corners of the dais stretched above his head are placed four golden doves2 and at the foot of the throne are two lions in enamel crouching4 ,the doves begin to sing1 the lions to roar4 ,the ,emperor rolls his eyes2 ,anthony advances2 and forthwith1 without preamble1 they commence to converse about recent events4 ,in the cities of ,antioch1 ,ephesus1 and ,alexandria1 the temples have been sacked1 and the statues of the gods converted into pots and cooking utensils2 the ,emperor laughs heartily about it4 ,anthony reproaches him with his tolerance toward the ,novations4 ,but the ,emperor becomes vexed4 ,novations1 ,arians or ,meletians--he is sick of them all6 ,nevertheless1 he admires the episcopate2 for inasmuch as the ,christians maintain bishops1 who depend for their position upon five or six important personages1 it is only necessary to gain over the latter1 in order to have all the rest on one's side4 ,therefore he did not fail to furnish them with large sums4 ,but he detests the ,fathers of the ,council of ,nica4 ,let us go and see them6 ,anthony follows him4 ,and they find themselves on a terrace1 upon the same floor4 ,it overlooks a hippodrome thronged with people1 and surmounted by porticoes where other spectators are walking to and fro4 ,from the centre of the race-course rises a narrow platform of hewn stone1 supporting a little temple of ,mercury1 the statue of ,constantine1 and three serpents of brass twisted into a column2 there are three huge wooden eggs at one end1 and at the other a group of seven dolphins with their tails in the air4 ,behind the imperial pavilion sit the ,prefects of the ,chambers1 the ,counts of the ,domestics1 and the ,patricians--in ranks rising by tiers to the first story of a church whose windows are thronged with women4 ,on the right is the tribune of the ,blue ,faction2 on the left1 that of the ,green2 below1 a picket of soldiers is stationed2 and on a level with the arena is a row of ,corinthian arches1 forming the entrances to the stables4 ,the races are about to commence2 the horses are drawn up in line4 ,lofty plumes1 fastened between their ears1 bend to the wind like saplings2 and with every restive bound1 they shake their chariots violently1 which are shell-shaped1 and conducted by charioteers clad in a sort of multi-colored cuirass1 having sleeves tight at the wrist and wide in the arms2 their legs are bare2 their beards1 faces and foreheads are shaven after the manner of the ,huns4 ,anthony is at first deafened by the billowy sound of voices4 ,from the summit of the hippodrome to its lowest tiers1 he sees only faces painted with rouge1 garments checkered and variegated with many colors1 flashing jewelry2 and the sand of the arena1 all white1 gleams like a mirror4 ,the ,emperor entertains him4 ,he confides to him many matters of high importance1 many secrets2 he confesses the assassination of his son ,criopus1 and even asks ,anthony for advice regarding his health4 ,meanwhile ,anthony notices some slaves in the rear portion of the stables below4 ,they are the ,fathers of ,nica1 ragged and abject4 ,the martyr ,paphnutius is brushing the mane of one horse2 ,theophilus is washing the legs of another2 ,john is painting the hoofs of a third2 ,alexander is collecting dung in a basket4 ,anthony passes through the midst of them4 ,they range themselves on either side respectfully2 they beseech his intercession2 they kiss his hands4 ,the whole assemblage of spectators hoots at them2 and he enjoys the spectacle with immeasurable pleasure4 ,lo6 he is now one of the grandees of the ,court--the ,emperor's confidant--the prime minister6 ,constantine places his own diadem upon his brows4 ,anthony allows it to remain upon his head1 thinking this honor quite natural4 ,and suddenly in the midst of the darkness a vast hall appears1 illuminated by golden candelabra4 ,candles so lofty that they are half lost in the darkness1 stretch away in huge files beyond the lines of banquet-tables1 which seem to extend to the horizon1 where through a luminous haze loom superpositions of stairways1 suites of arcades1 colossi1 towers1 and beyond all a vague border of palace walls1 above which rise the crests of cedars1 making yet blacker masses of blackness against the darkness4 ,the guests1 crowned with violet wreaths1 recline upon very low couches and are leaning upon their elbows4 ,along the whole length of this double line of couches1 wine is being poured out from amphor1 and at the further end1 all alone1 coiffed with the tiara and blazing with carbuncles1 ,king ,nebuchadnezzar eats and drinks4 ,on his right and left1 two bands of priests in pointed caps are swinging censers4 ,on the pavement below crawl the captive kings whose hands and feet have been cut off2 from time to time he flings them bones to gnaw4 ,further off sit his brothers1 with bandages across their eyes1 being all blind4 ,from the depths of the ergastula arise moans of ceaseless pain4 ,sweet slow sounds of a hydraulic organ alternate with choruses of song2 and one feels that all about the palace without extends an immeasurable city--an ocean of human life whose waves break against the walls4 ,the slaves run hither and thither carrying dishes4 ,women walk between the ranks of guests1 offering drinks to all2 the baskets groan under their burthen of loaves2 and a dromedary1 laden with perforated water-skins3 passes and repasses through the hall1 sprinkling and cooling the pavement with vervain4 ,lion tamers are leading tamed lions about4 ,dancing girls--their hair confined in nets--balance themselves and turn upon their hands1 emitting fire through their nostrils2 negro boatmen are juggling2 naked children pelt each other with pellets of snow1 which burst against the bright silverware4 ,there is an awful clamor as of a tempest2 and a huge cloud hangs over the banquet--so numerous are the meats and breaths4 ,sometimes a flake of fire torn from the great flambeaux by the wind1 traverses the night like a shooting star4 ,the king wipes the perfumes from his face with his arm4 ,he eats from the sacred vessels--then breaks them2 and secretly reckons up the number of his fleets1 his armies1 and his subjects4 ,by and by1 for a new caprice1 he will burn his palace with all its guests4 ,he dreams of rebuilding the tower of ,babel1 and dethroning ,god4 ,anthony1 from afar off1 reads all these thoughts upon his brow4 ,they penetrate his own brain1 and he becomes ,nebuchadnezzar4 ,immediately he is cloyed with orgiastic excesses1 sated with fury of extermination2 and a great desire comes upon him to wallow in vileness4 ,for the degradation of that which terrifies men is an outrage inflicted upon their minds--it affords yet one more way to stupefy them2 and as nothing is viler than a brute1 ,anthony goes upon the table on all fours1 and bellows like a bull4 ,he feels a sudden pain in his hand--a pebble has accidentally wounded him--and he finds himself once more in front of his cabin4 ,the circle of the rocks is empty4 ,the stars are glowing in the sky4 ,all is hushed47 ,again have ,i allowed myself to be deceived6 ,why these things8 ,they come from the rebellion of the flesh4 ,ah6 wretch6 7,he rushes into his cabin1 and seizes a bunch of thongs1 with metallic hooks attached to their ends1 strips himself to the waist and1 lifting his eyes to heaven exclaims37 ,accept my penance1 ,o my ,god3 disdain it not for its feebleness4 ,render it sharp1 prolonged1 excessive6 ,it is time1 indeed6--to the work6 7,he gives himself a vigorous lash--and shrieks47 ,no6 no6--without mercy it must be4 7,he recommences47 ,oh6 oh6 oh6 each lash tears my skin1 rends my limbs6 ,it burns me horribly6 ,nay6--it is not so very terrible after all6--one becomes accustomed to it4 ,it even seems to me4444 7,anthony pauses47 ,continue1 coward6 continue6 ,good6 good6--upon the arms1 on the back1 on the breast1 on the belly--everywhere6 ,hiss1 ye thongs6 bite me6 tear me6 ,i would that my blood could spurt to the stars6--let my bones crack6--let my tendons be laid bare6 ,o for pincers1 racks1 and melted lead6 ,the martyrs have endured far worse2 have they not1 ,ammonaria8 7,the shadow of the ,devil's horns reappears47 ,i might have been bound to the column opposite to thine1--face to face--under thy eyes--answering thy shrieks by my sighs2 and our pangs might have been interblended1 our souls intermingled4 7,he lashes himself with fury47 ,what6 what6 again4 ,take that6--,but how strange a titillation thrills me6 ,what punishment6 what pleasure6 ,i feel as though receiving invisible kisses2 the very marrow of my bones seems to melt4 ,i die4444 ,and he sees before him three cavaliers1 mounted upon onagers1 clad in robes of green--each holding a lily in his hand1 and all resembling each other in feature4 ,anthony turns round1 and beholds three other cavaliers exactly similar1 riding upon similar onagers1 and preserving the same attitude4 ,he draws back4 ,then all the onagers advance one pace at the same time1 and rub their noses against him1 trying to bite his garment4 ,voices shout3-- ,here6 here6 this way6 ,and between the clefts of the mountain1 appear standards1--camels' heads with halters of red silk--mules laden with baggage1 and women covered with yellow veils1 bestriding piebald horses4 ,the panting beasts lie down2 the slaves rush to the bales and packages1 motley-striped carpets are unrolled2 precious glimmering things are laid upon the ground4 ,a white elephant1 caparisoned with a golden net1 trots forward1 shaking the tuft of ostrich plumes attached to his head-band4 ,upon his back1 perched on cushions of blue wool1 with her legs crossed1 her eyes half closed1 her comely head sleepily nodding1 is a woman so splendidly clad that she radiates light about her4 ,the crowd falls prostrate2 the elephant bends his knees2 and ,,the ,,queen ,,of ,,sheba letting herself glide down from his shoulder upon the carpets spread to receive her1 approaches ,saint ,anthony4 ,her robe of gold brocade1 regularly divided by furbelows of pearls1 of jet1 and of sapphires1 sheaths her figure closely with its tight-fitting bodice1 set off by colored designs representing the twelve signs of the ,zodiac4 ,she wears very high pattens--one of which is black1 and sprinkled with silver stars1 with a moon crescent2 the other1 which is white1 is sprinkled with a spray of gold1 with a golden sun in the middle4 ,her wide sleeves1 decorated with emeralds and bird-plumes1 leave exposed her little round bare arms1 clasped at the wrist by ebony bracelets2 and her hands1 loaded with precious rings1 are terminated by nails so sharply pointed that the ends of her fingers seem almost like needles4 ,a chain of dead gold1 passing under her chin1 is caught up on either side of her face1 and spirally coiled about her coiffure1 whence1 redescending1 it grazes her shoulders and is attached upon her bosom to a diamond scorpion1 which protrudes a jewelled tongue between her breasts4 ,two immense blond pearls depend heavily from her ears4 ,the borders of her eyelids are painted black4 ,there is a natural brown spot upon her left cheek2 and she opens her mouth in breathing1 as if her corset inconvenienced her4 ,she shakes1 as she approaches1 a green parasol with an ivory handle1 and silver-gilt bells attached to its rim2 twelve little woolly-haired negro-boys support the long train of her robe1 whereof an ape holds the extremity1 which it raises up from time to time4 ,she exclaims3 ,ah6 handsome hermit6 handsome hermit6--my heart swoons6 ,by dint of stamping upon the ground with impatience1 callosities have formed upon my heel1 and ,i have broken one of my nails4 ,i sent out shepherds1 who remained upon the mountain tops1 shading their eyes with their hands--and hunters who shouted thy name in all the forests--and spies who travelled along the highways1 asking every passer-by3 ',hast thou seen him8' ,by night ,i wept1 with my face turned to the wall4 ,and at last my tears made two little holes in the mosaic1 like two pools of water among the rocks2--for ,i love thee6--oh6 how ,i love thee6 7,she takes him by the beard47 ,laugh now1 handsome hermit6 laugh6 ,i am very joyous1 very gay3 thou shalt soon see6 ,i play the lyre2 ,i dance like a bee2 and ,i know a host of merry tales to tell1 each more diverting than the other4 ,thou canst not even imagine how mighty a journey we have made4 ,see6 the onagers upon which the green couriers rode are dead with fatigue6 7,the onagers are lying motionless upon the ground47 ,for three long moons they never ceased to gallop on with the same equal pace1 holdings flints between their teeth to cut the wind1 their tails ever streaming out behind them1 their sinews perpetually strained to the uttermost1 always galloping1 galloping4 ,never can others be found like them4 ,they were bequeathed me by my paternal grand-father1 the ,emperor ,saharil1 son of ,iakhschab1 son of ,iaarab1 son of ,kastan4 ,ah6 if they were still alive1 we should harness them to a litter that they might bear us back speedily to the palace6 ,but 444 what ails thee8--of what art thou dreaming8 7,she stares at him1 examines him closely47 ,ah1 when thou shalt be my husband1 ,i will robe thee1 ,i will perfume thee1 ,i will depilate thee4 7,anthony remains motionless1 more rigid than a stake1 more pallid than a corpse47 ,thou hast a sad look--is it because of leaving thy hermitage8 ,yet ,i have left everything for thee--even ,king ,solomon1 who1 nevertheless1 possesses much wisdom1 twenty thousand chariots of war1 and a beautiful beard4 ,i have brought thee my wedding gifts4 ,choose6 7,she walks to and fro among the ranks of slaves and the piles of precious goods47 ,here is ,genezareth balm1 incense from ,cape ,gardefui1 labdanum1 cinnamon1 and silphium--good to mingle with sauces4 ,in that bale are ,assyrian embroideries1 ivory from the ,ganges1 purple from ,elissa2 and that box of snow contains a skin of chalybon1 the wine1 which is reserved for the ,kings of ,assyria1 and which is drunk from the horn of a unicorn4 ,here are necklaces1 brooches1 nets for the hair1 parasols1 gold powder from ,baasa1 cassiteria from ,tartessus1 blue wood from ,pandio1 white furs from ,issidonia1 carbuncles from the ,island ,palsimondus1 and toothpicks made of the bristles of the tachas--that lost animal which is found under the earth4 ,these cushions come from ,emath1 and these mantle-fringes from ,palmyra4 ,on this ,babylonian carpet there is4444 ,but come hither6 come6 come6 7,she pulls ,saint ,anthony by the sleeve4 ,he resists4 ,she continues37 ,this thin tissue which crackles under the finger with a sound as of sparks1 is the famous yellow cloth which the merchants of ,bactria bring us4 ,i will have robes made of it for thee1 which thou shalt wear in the house4 ,unfasten the hooks of that sycamore box1 and hand me also the little ivory casket tied to my elephant's shoulder4 7,they take something round out of a box--something covered with a cloth--and also bring a little ivory casket covered with carving47 ,dost thou desire the buckler of ,dgian-ben-,dgian1 who built the pyramids8--behold it6--,it is formed of seven dragon-skins laid one over the other1 tanned in the bile of parricides1 and fastened together by adamantine screws4 ,upon one side are represented all the wars that have taken place since the invention of weapons2 and upon the other1 all the wars that will take place until the end of the world4 ,the lightning itself rebounds from it like a ball of cork4 ,i am going to place it upon thy arm2 and thou wilt carry it during the chase4 ,but if thou didst only know what ,i have in this little box of mine6 ,turn it over and over again6 try to open it6 ,no one could ever succeed in doing that4 ,kiss me6 and ,i will tell thee how to open it4 7,she takes ,saint ,anthony by both cheeks4 ,he pushes her away at arms' length47 ,it was one night that ,king ,solomon lost his head4 ,at last we concluded a bargain4 ,he arose1 and stealing out on tiptoe4444 7,she suddenly executes a pirouette47 ,ah1 ah6 comely hermit1 thou shalt not know it6 thou shalt not know6 7,she shakes her parasol1 making all its little bells tinkle47 ,and ,i possess many other strange things--oh6 yes6 ,i have treasures concealed in winding galleries where one would lose one's way1 as in a forest4 ,i have summer-palaces constructed in trellis-work of reeds1 and winter-palaces all built of black marble4 ,in the midst of lakes vast as seas1 ,i have islands round as pieces of silver1 and all covered with mother-of-pearl1--islands whose shores make music to the lapping of tepid waves upon the sand4 ,the slaves of my kitchens catch birds in my aviaries1 and fish in my fishponds4 ,i have engravers continually seated at their benches to hollow out my likeness in hard jewel-stones1 and panting molders forever casting statues of me1 and perfumers incessantly mingling the sap of rare plants with vinegar1 or preparing cosmetic pastes4 ,i have female dressmakers cutting out patterns in richest material1 goldsmiths cutting and mounting jewels of price1 and careful painters pouring upon my palace wainscoting boiling resins1 which they subsequently cool with fans4 ,i have enough female attendants to form a harem1 eunuchs enough to make an army4 ,i have armies likewise2 ,i have nations6 ,in the vestibule of my palace ,i keep a guard of dwarfs--all bearing ivory trumpets at their backs4 7,anthony sighs47 ,i have teams of trained gazelles2 ,i have elephant quadrig2 ,i have hundreds of pairs of camels1 and mares whose manes are so long that their hoofs become entangled therein when they gallop1 and herds of cattle with horns so broad that when they go forth to graze the woods have to be hewn down before them4 ,i have giraffes wandering in my gardens2 they stretch their heads over the edge of my roof1 when ,i take the air after dinner4 ,seated in a shell drawn over the waters by dolphins1 ,i travel through the grottoes1 listening lo the dropping of the water from the stalactites4 ,i go down to the land of diamonds1 where my friends the magicians allow me to choose the finest3 then ,i reascend to earth and return to my home4 7,she utters a sharp whistle2 and a great bird1 descending from the sky1 alights upon her hair1 from which it makes the blue powder fall4 ,its orange-colored plumage seems formed of metallic scales4 ,its little head1 crested with a silver tuft1 has a human face4 ,it has four wings1 the feet of a vulture1 and an immense peacock's tail which it spreads open like a fan4 ,it seizes the ,queen's parasol in its beak1 reels a moment ere obtaining its balance2 then it erects all its plumes1 and remains motionless47 ,thanks6 my beautiful ,simorg-,anka6--thou didst tell me where the loving one was hiding6 ,thanks6 thanks6 my heart's messenger6 ,he flies swiftly as ,desire6 ,he circles the world in his flight4 ,at eve he returns2 he perches at the foot of my couch and tells me all he has seen--the seas that have passed far beneath him with all their fishes and ships1 the great void deserts he has contemplated from the heights of the sky1 the harvests that were bowing in the valleys1 and the plants that were growing upon the walls of cities abandoned4 7,she wrings her hands1 languorously47 ,oh6 if thou wast willing6 if thou wast willing6444 ,i have a pavilion on a promontory in the middle of an isthmus dividing two oceans4 ,it is all wain-scoted with sheets of glass1 and floored with tortoise shell1 and open to the four winds of heaven4 ,from its height ,i watch my fleets come in1 and my nations toiling up the mountain-slopes with burthens upon their shoulders4 ,there would we sleep upon downs softer than clouds2 we would drink cool draughts from fruit-shells1 and we would gaze at the sun through emeralds6 ,come6 444 7,anthony draws back4 ,she approaches him again1 and exclaims in a tone of vexation3--7 ,how8 neither the rich1 nor the coquettish1 nor the amorous woman can charm thee3 is it so8 ,none but a lascivious woman1 with a hoarse voice and lusty person1 with fire-colored hair and superabundant flesh8 ,dost thou prefer a body cold as the skin of a serpent1 or rather great dark eyes deeper than the mystic caverns8--behold them1 my eyes6--look into them6 7,anthony1 in spite of him1 gazes into her eyes47 ,all the women thou hast ever met--from the leman of the cross-roads1 singing under the light of her lantern1 even to the patrician lady scattering rose-petals abroad from her litter1--all the forms thou hast ever obtained glimpses of--all the imaginations of thy desire thou hast only to ask for them6 ,i am not a woman3 ,i am a world6 ,my cloak has only to fall in order that thou mayest discover a succession of mysteries4 7,anthony's teeth chatter47 ,place but thy finger upon my shoulder3 it will be as though a stream of fire shot through all thy veins4 ,the possession of the least part of me will fill thee with a joy more vehement than the conquest of an ,empire could give thee6 ,approach thy lips3 there is a sweetness in my kisses as of a fruit dissolving within thy heart4 ,ah6 how thou wilt lose thyself beneath my long hair1 inhale the perfume of my bosom1 madden thyself with the beauty of my limbs3 and thus1 consumed by the fire of my eyes1 clasped within my arms as in a whirlwind4444 ,illustration3 444 there is a sweetness in my kisses as of a fruit dissolving within thy heart 7,anthony makes the sign of the cross47 ,thou disdainest me6 farewell6 7,she departs1 weeping2 then1 suddenly turning round3--7 ,art quite sure8--so beautiful a woman4444 7,she laughs1 and the ape that bears her train1 lifts it up47 ,thou wilt regret it1 my comely hermit6 thou wilt yet weep6 thou wilt again feel weary of thy life2 but ,i care not a whit6 ,la6 la6 la6--oh6 oh6 oh6 7,she takes her departure1 hopping upon one foot and covering her face with her hands4 ,all the slaves file off before ,saint ,anthony--the horses1 the dromedaries1 the elephant1 the female attendants1 the mules 7which have been reloaded71 the negro boys1 the ape1 the green couriers each holding his broken lily in his hand2 and the ,queen of ,sheba departs1 uttering a convulsive hiccough at intervals1 which might be taken either for a sound of hysterical sobbing1 or the half-suppressed laughter of mockery47 #a ,thalamegii--pleasure-boats having apartments4 ,,iii 7,when she has disappeared in the distance1 ,anthony observes a child seated upon the threshold of his cabin47 ,it is one of the ,queen's servants1 no doubt1 7he thinks74 7,this child is small like a dwarf1 and nevertheless squat of build1 like one of the ,cabiri2 deformed withal1 and wretched of aspect4 ,his prodigiously large head is covered with white hair2 and he shivers under a shabby tunic1 all the while clutching a roll of papyrus4 ,the light of the moon passing through a cloud falls upon him47 ,,anthony 7watches him from a distance1 and is afraid of him47 ,who art thou8 ,,the ,,child 7replies74 ,thy ancient disciple1 ,hilarion4 ,,anthony4 ,thou liest6 ,hilarion hath been dwelling in ,palestine for many long years4 ,,hilarion4 ,i have returned6 ,it is really ,i6 ,,anthony 7draws near and examines him closely74 ,yet his face was radiant as the dawn1 candid1 joyous4 ,this face is the face of one gloomy and old4 ,,hilarion4 ,long and arduous labor hath wearied me6 ,,anthony4 ,the voice is also different4 ,it hath an icy tone4 ,,hilarion4 ,because ,i have nourished me with bitter things6 ,,anthony4 ,and those white hairs8 ,,hilarion4 ,i have endured many woes6 ,,anthony 7aside74 ,could it be possible8 ,,hilarion4 ,i was not so far from thee as thou doest imagine4 ,the hermit ,paul visited thee this year1 during the month of ,schebar4 ,it is just twenty days since the ,nomads brought thee bread4 ,thou didst tell a sailor1 the day before yesterday1 to send thee three bodkins4 ,,anthony4 ,he knows all6 ,,hilarion4 ,know further more that ,i have never left thee4 ,but there are long periods during which thou hast no knowledge of my presence4 ,,anthony4 ,how can that be8 ,yet it is true that my head is so much troubled--this night especially4 ,,hilarion4 ,all the ,capital ,sins came hither4 ,but their wretched snares can avail nothing against such a ,saint as thou4 ,,anthony4 ,oh6 no6--no6 ,i fall at every moment6 ,why am ,i not of those whose souls are ever intrepid1 whose minds are always firm1--for example1 the great ,athanasius8 ,,hilarion4 ,he was illegally ordained by seven bishops4 ,,anthony4 ,what matter if his virtue4444 ,,hilarion4 ,go to6--a most vainglorious and cruel man1 forever involved in intrigues1 and exiled at last as a monopolist4#a ,,anthony4 ,calumny6 ,,hilarion4 ,thou wilt not deny that he sought to corrupt ,eustates1 the treasurer of largesses8 ,,anthony4 ,it is affirmed1 ,i acknowledge4 ,,hilarion4 ,through vengeance he burned down the house of ,arsenius4 ,,anthony4 ,alas6 ,,hilarion4 ,at the council of ,nica he said in speaking of ,jesus3 ',the man of the ,lord4' ,,anthony4 ,ah6 that is a blasphemy6 ,,hilarion4 ,so limited in understanding1 moreover1 that he confesses he comprehends nothing of the nature of the ,word6 ,,anthony 7smiling with gratification74 ,in sooth his intelligence is not 444 very lofty4 ,,hilarion4 ,hypocrite6 burying thyself in solitude only in order the more fully to abandon thyself to the indulgence of thy envious desires6 ,what if thou dost deprive thyself of meats1 of wine1 of warmth1 of bath1 of slaves1 or honours8--dost thou not permit thy imagination to offer thee banquets1 perfumes1 women1 and the applause of multitudes8 ,thy chastity is but a more subtle form of corruption1 and thy contempt of this world is but the impotence of thy hatred against it6 ,either this it is that makes such as thyself so lugubrious1 or else 'tis doubt4 ,the possession of truth giveth joy4 ,was ,jesus sad8 ,did he not travel in the company of friends1 repose beneath the shade of olive trees1 enter the house of the publican1 drink many cups of wine1 pardon the sinning woman1 and assuage all sorrows8 ,thou6--thou hast no pity save for thine own misery6 ,it is like a remorse that gnaws thee1 a savage madness that impels thee to repel the caress of a dog or to frown upon the smile of a child4 ,,anthony 7bursting into tears74 ,enough6 enough6 thou dost wound my heart deeply4 ,,hilarion4 ,shake the vermin from thy rags6 ,rise up from thy filth6 ,thy ,god is not a ,moloch who demands human flesh in sacrifice6 ,,anthony4 ,yet suffering is blessed4 ,the cherubim stoop to receive the blood of confessors4 ,,hilarion4 ,admire1 then1 the ,montanists6--they surpass all others4 ,,anthony4 ,but it is the truth of the doctrine which makes the martyrdom4 ,,hilarion4 ,how can martyrdom prove the excellence of the doctrine1 inasmuch as it bears equal witness for error8 ,,hilarion4 ,silence6--thou viper6 ,,anthony4 ,perhaps martyrdom is not so difficult as thou dost imagine6 ,the exhortations of friends1 the pleasure of insulting the people1 the oath one has taken1 a certain dizzy excitement1 a thousand circumstances all aid the resolution of the martyrs4444 7,anthony turns his back upon ,hilarion1 and moves away from him4 ,hilarion follows him47 444 ,moreover this manner of dying often brings about great disorders4 ,dionysius1 ,cyprian and ,gregory fled from it4 ,peter of ,alexandria has condemned it2 and the council of ,elvira4444 ,,anthony 7stops his ears74 ,i will listen to thee no longer6 ,,hilarion 7raising his voice74 ,lo6 thou fallest again into the habitual sin1 which is sloth6 ,ignorance is the foam of pride4 ,one says1 forsoth3--',my conviction is formed6 wherefore argue further8'--and one despises the doctors1 the philosophers1 tradition itself1 and even the text of the law whereof one is ignorant6 ,dost thou imagine that thou dost hold all wisdom in the hollow of thy hand8 ,,anthony4 ,i hear him still6 ,his loud words fill my brain4 ,,hilarion4 ,the efforts of others to comprehend ,god are mightier than all thy mortifications to move ,him4 ,we obtain merit only by our thirst for truth4 ,religion alone cannot explain all things2 and the solution of problems ignored by thee can render faith still more invulnerable and noble4 ,therefore1 for our salvation we must communicate with our brethren--otherwise the ,church1 the assembly of the faithful1 would be a meaningless word--and we must listen to all reasoning1 despising nothing1 nor any person4 ,the magician ,balaam1 the poet ,aeschylus1 and the ,sybil of ,cum--all foretold the ,saviour4 ,dionysius1 the ,alexandrian1 received from heaven the command to read all books4 ,saint ,clement orders us to cultivate ,greek letters4 ,hennas was converted by the illusion of a woman he had loved4444 ,,anthony4 ,what an aspect of authority6 ,it seems to me thou art growing taller4444 7,and1 in very truth1 the stature of ,hilarion is gradually increasing2 and ,anthony shuts his eyes1 that he may not see him47 ,,hilarion4 ,reassure thyself1 good ,hermit4 ,let us seat ourselves there1 upon that great stone1 as we used to do in other years1 when1 at the first dawn of day1 ,i was wont to salute thee with the appellation1 ',clear star of morning'--and thou wouldst therewith commence to instruct me4 ,yet my instruction is not yet completed4 ,the moon gives us light enough4 ,i am prepared to hear thy words4 7,he has drawn a calamus from his girdle1 and seating himself cross-legged upon the ground1 with the papyrus roll still in his hand1 he lifts his face toward ,saint ,anthony1 who sits near him1 with head bowed down4 ,after a moment of silence ,hilarion continues3--7 ,is not the word of ,god confirmed for us by miracles8 ,nevertheless the magicians of ,pharaoh performed miracles2 other imposters can perform them2 one may be thereby deceived4 ,what then is a miracle8 ,an event which seems to us outside of nature4 ,but do we indeed know all of ,nature's powers2 and because a common occurrence causes us no astonishment1 does it therefore follow that we understand it4 ,,anthony4 ,it matters little6 ,we must believe the ,scriptures6 ,,hilarion4 ,saint ,paul1 ,origen1 and many others did not understand the ,scriptures in a literal sense3 yet if ,holy ,writ be explained by allegories it becomes the portion of a small number1 and the evidence of the truth disappears4 ,what must we do8 ,,anthony4 ,we must rely upon the ,church6 ,,hilarion4 ,then the ,scriptures are useless8 ,,anthony4 ,no6 no6 although ,i acknowledge that in the ,old ,testament there are some 444 some obscurities4 ,but the ,new shines with purest light4 ,,hilarion4 ,nevertheless1 the ,angel of the annunciation1 in ,matthew1 appears to ,joseph2 while1 in ,luke1 he appears to ,mary4 ,the anointing of ,jesus by a woman takes place1 according to the first ,gospel1 at the commencement of his public life2 and1 according to the other three1 a few days before his death4 ,the drink offered to him on the cross1 is1 in ,matthew1 vinegar mixed with gall2 in ,mark1 it is wine and myrrh4 ,according to ,luke and ,matthew1 the apostles should take with them neither money nor scrip for their journey--not even sandals nor staff2 in ,mark1 on the contrary1 ,jesus bids them take nothing with them1 except sandals and a staff4 ,i am thereby bewildered6 ,,anthony 7in amazement74 ,aye1 indeed6444 in fact4444 ,,hilarion4 ,at the contact of the woman who had an issue of blood1 ,jesus turned and said1 ',who hath touched my garments8' ,he did not know1 then1 who had touched him8 ,that contradicts the omniscience of ,jesus6 ,if the tomb was watched by guards1 the women need have felt no anxiety about finding help to roll away the stone from the tomb4 ,therefore there were no guards1 or the holy women were not there4 ,at ,emmaus1 he eats with his disciples and makes them feel his wounds4 ,it is a human body1 a material and ponderable object2 and nevertheless it passes through walls6 ,is that possible8 ,,anthony4 ,it would require much time to answer thee properly6 ,,hilarion4 ,why did he receive the ,holy ,spirit1 being himself ,son of the ,holy ,spirit8 ,what need had he of baptism if he was the ,word8 ,how could the ,devil have tempted him1 inasmuch as he was ,god8 ,have these thoughts never occurred to thee8 ,,anthony4 ,yes6444 often6 ,sometimes torpid1 sometimes furious--they remain forever in my conscience4 ,i crush them2 they rise again1 they stifle me2 and sometimes ,i think that ,i am accursed4 ,,hilarion4 ,then it is needless for thee to serve ,god8 ,,anthony4 ,i shall always need to adore ,him4 7,after a long silence ,hilarion continues37 ,but aside from dogma1 all researches are allowed us4 ,dost thou desire to know the hierarchy of the ,angels1 the virtue of the ,numbers1 the reason of germs and of metamorphoses8 ,,anthony4 ,yes6 yes6 my thought struggles wildly to escape from its prison4 ,it seems to me that by exerting all my force ,i might succeed4 ,sometimes1 for an instant1 brief as a lightning flash1 ,i even feel myself as thought uplifted1--then ,i fall back again6 ,,hilarion4 ,the secret thou wouldst obtain is guarded by sages4 ,they dwell in a distant land2 they are seated beneath giant trees2 they are robed in white2 they are calm as ,gods6 ,a warm air gives them sufficient nourishment4 ,all about them1 leopards tread upon grassy turf4 ,the murmuring of fountains and the neighing of unicorns mingle with their voices4 ,thou shalt hear them2 and the face of the ,unknown shall be unveiled6 ,,anthony 7sighing74 ,the way is long2 and ,i am old4 ,,hilarion4 ,oh6 oh6 wise men are not rare6 there are some even very nigh thee6--here6 ,let us enter6 #a ,gibbon1 a sincere admirer of ,athanasius1 gives a curious history of these charges1 and expresses his disbelief in their truth4 ,the story regarding the design to intercept the corn-fleet of ,alexandria is referred to in the use of the word monopolist4 ,,iv 7,and ,anthony beholds before him a vast basilica4 ,the light gushes from the further end1 marvellous as a multi-colored sun4 ,it illuminates the innumerable heads of the crowd that fills the nave1 and that eddies about the columns toward the side-aisles--where can be perceived1 in wooden compartments1 altars1 beds1 little chains of blue stones linked together1 and constellations painted upon the walls4 ,in the midst of the throng there are groups which remain motionless4 ,men standing upon stools harangue with fingers uplifted2 others are praying1 with arms outstretched in form of a cross2 others are lying prostrate upon the pavement1 or singing hymns1 or drinking wine2 others of the faithful1 seated about a table1 celebrate their agape2#a martyrs are unbandaging their limbs in order to show their wounds2 and aged men1 leaning upon staffs1 recount their voyages4 ,there are some from the country of the ,germans1 from ,thrace also1 and from the ,gauls1 from ,scythia and from the ,indies1 with snow upon their beards1 feathers in their hair2 thorns in the fringe of their garments2 the sandals of some are black with dust1 their skins are burnt by the sun4 ,there is a vast confusion of costumes1 mantles of purple and robes of linen1 embroidered dalmaticas1 hair shirts1 sailors' caps1 bishops' mitres4 ,their eyes fulgurate strangely4 ,they have the look of executioners1 or the look of eunuchs4 ,hilarion advances into their midst4 ,all salute him4 ,anthony1 shrinking closer to his shoulder1 observes them4 ,he remarks the presence of a great many women4 ,some of these are attired like men1 and have their hair cut short4 ,anthony feels afraid of them47 ,,hilarion4 ,those are ,christian women who have converted their husbands4 ,besides1 the women were always upon the side of ,jesus1 even the idolatrous ones1 for example1 ,procula1 the wife of ,pilate1 and ,poppa1 the concubine of ,nero4 ,do not tremble6--come on4 7,and others are continually arriving4 ,they seem to multiply1 to double themselves by self-division1 light as shadows--all the while making an immense clamour1 in which yells of rage1 cries of love1 canticles and objurgations intermingle47 ,,anthony 7in a low voice74 ,what do they desire8 ,,hilarion4 ,the ,lord said3 ',i have yet many things to say to you4444 '#b ,they possess the knowledge of those things4 7,and he pushes ,anthony forward to a golden throne approached by five steps1 whereon--surrounded by ninety-five disciples1 all very thin and pale1 and anointed with oil--sits the prophet ,manes4 ,he is beautiful as an archangel1 immobile as a statue2 he is clad in an ,indian robe2 carbuncles gleam in his plaited hair2 at his left hand lies a book of painted images2 his right reposes upon a globe4 ,the images represent the creatures that erst slumbered in ,chaos4 ,anthony bends forward to look upon them4 ,then----7 ,,manes 7makes his globe revolve2 and regulating the tone of his words by a lyre which gives forth crystalline sounds1 exclaims3--7 ,the celestial earth is at the superior extremity2 the terrestrial earth at the inferior extremity4 ,it is sustained by two angels--the ,angel ,splenditeneus1 and ,omophorus1 whose faces are six4 ,at the summit of the highest heaven reigns the impassible ,divinity2 below1 face to face1 are the ,son of ,god and the ,prince of ,darkness4 ,when the darkness had advanced even to his kingdom1 ,god evolved from his own essence a virtue which produced the first man2 and he environed him with the five elements4 ,but the demons of darkness stole from him a part2 and that part is the soul4 ,there is but one soul1 universally diffused1 even as the waters of a river divided into many branches4 ,it is this universal soul that sighs in the wind--that shrieks in the marble under the teeth of the saw--that roars in the voice of the sea--that weeps tears of milk when the leaves of the fig tree are torn off4 ,the souls that leave this world emigrate to the stars1 which are themselves animated beings4 ,,anthony 7bursts into a laugh74 ,ah6 ah6 what an absurd imagination6 ,a ,,man 7having no beard1 and of a most austere aspect74 ,wherefore absurd8 7,anthony is about to reply when ,hilarion tells him in a low voice that the questioner is none other than the tremendous ,origen himself2 and3--7 ,,manes 7continues74 ,but first they remain awhile in the ,moon1 where they are purified4 ,then they rise into the sun4 ,,anthony 7slowly74 ,i do not know of anything 444 which prevents us 444 from believing it4 ,,manes4 ,the proper aim of every creature is the deliverance of the ray of celestial light imprisoned within matter4 ,it finds easier escape through the medium of perfumes1 spices1 the aroma of warmed wine1 the light things which resemble thoughts4 ,but the acts of life retain it within its prison4 ,the murderer shall be born again in the form of a celephus2 he that kills an animal shall become that animal2 if thou plantest a vine1 thou shalt be thyself bound within its boughs4 ,food absorbs the celestial light4444 ,therefore abstain6 fast6 ,,hilarion4 ,thou seest1 they are temperate6 ,,manes4 ,there is much of it in meats1 less of it in herbs4 ,moreover the ,pure ,ones1 by means of their great merits1 despoil vegetation of this luminous essence2 and1 thus liberated1 it reascends to its source4 ,but through generation1 animals keep it imprisoned within the flesh6 ,therefore1 avoid women6 ,,hilarion4 ,admire their continence4 ,,manes4 ,or rather contrive that they shall not create44444444444444#c ,,anthony4 ,oh--abomination6 ,,hilarion4 ,what signifies the hierarchy of turpitudes8 ,the ,church has1 forsooth1 made marriage a sacrament6 ,,saturninus 7in ,syrian costume74 ,he teaches a most dismal system of the universe6444 ,the ,father1 desiring to punish the angels who had revolted1 ordered them to create the world4 ,christ came1 in order that the ,god of the ,jews1 who was one of those angels4444 ,,anthony4 ,he an angel6 the ,creator6 ,,cerdo4 ,did he not seek to kill ,moses1 to deceive his own prophets1 to seduce nations8--did he not sow falsehood and idolatry broadcast8 ,,marcion4 ,certainly1 the ,creator is not the true ,god6 ,,saint ,,clement ,,of ,,alexandria4 ,matter is eternal6 ,,bardesanes 7in the costume of the ,babylonian magi74 ,it was formed by the ,seven ,planetary ,spirits4 ,,the ,,hermians4 ,souls were made by the angels4 ,,the ,,priscillianists4 ,it was the ,devil who made the world4 ,,anthony 7rushing back from the circle74 ,horror6 ,,hilarion 7supporting him74 ,thou despairest too hastily6--thou dost misapprehend their doctrine6 ,here is one who received his teaching directly from ,theodas1 the friend of ,st4 ,paul4 ,hearken to him4 7,and at a sign from ,hilarion ,,valentinus appears in a tunic of cloth of silver2 his skull is pointed at its summit2 his voice has a wheezing sound47 ,the world is the work of a ,god in delirium6 ,,anthony 7bending his head down74 ,the work of a ,god in delirium6444 7,after a long silence73 ,how can that be8 ,,valentine4 ,the most perfect of beings1 and of the ons1 the ,abyss2 dwelt in the womb of the ,deep together with ,thought4 ,by their union was begotten ,intelligence1 to whom ,truth was given as a companion4 ,intelligence and ,truth engendered the ,word and ,life1 who in their turn begat ,man and the ,church2 and that doth make eight ons6 7,he counts upon his fingers47 ,the ,word and ,truth also produced ten other ons--which is to say1 five couples4 ,man and the ,church had begotten twelve more--among these the ,paraclete and ,faith1 ,hope and ,charity1 ,perfection and ,wisdom--,sophia4 ,the union of these thirty ons constitutes the ,pleroma1 or ,universality of ,god4 ,thus1 even as the echo of a passing voice1 as the effluvia of a perfume evaporating1 as the fires of the setting sun1 the ,powers that emanated from the ,principle1 forever continue to grow weaker4 ,but ,sophia1 desirous to know the ,father1 darted from the ,pleroma2 and the ,word then made another couple1 ,christ and the ,holy ,ghost1 who reunited all the ons2 and all together formed ,jesus1 the flower of the ,pleroma4 ,but the effort of ,sophia to flee away had left in the void an image of her--an evil substance1 ,acharamoth4#d ,the ,saviour took pity upon her1 freed her from all passion2 and from the smile of ,acharamoth redeemed1 light was born2 her tears formed the waters2 by her sorrow was dark matter begotten4 ,of ,acharamoth was born the ,demiurgos1--the fabricator of worlds1 the creator of the heaven and of the ,devil4 ,he dwells far below the ,pleroma--so far that he cannot behold it--so that he deems himself to be the true ,god1 and repeats by the mouths of his prophets--',there is no other ,god but ,i4' ,then he made man1 and instilled into his soul the immaterial ,seed which was the ,church--a reflection of the other ,church established in the ,pleroma4 ,one day ,acharamoth shall reach the highest region and unite herself with the ,saviour2 the fire that is hidden in the world shall annihilate all matter1 and shall even devour itself and men1 becoming pure spirits1 shall espouse the angels6 ,,origen4 ,then shall the ,demon be over-thrown and the reign of ,god commence6 7,anthony expresses a cry1 and forthwith7 ,,basilides 7taking him by the elbow1 exclaims3--7 ,the ,supreme ,being with all the infinite emanations is called ,abraxas2 and the ,saviour with all his virtues1 ,kaulakau--otherwise1 line-upon-line1 rectitude upon rectitude4 ,the power of ,kaulakau is obtained by the aid of certain words1 which are inscribed upon this chalcedony to help the memory4 7,and he points to a little stone suspended at his neck1 upon which stone fantastic characters are graven47 ,then thou wilt be transported into the ,invisible and placed above all law2 thou shalt contemn all things--even virtue6 ,we1 the ,pure1 must flee from pain1 after the example of ,kaulakau4 ,,anthony4 ,what6 and the cross8 ,,the ,,elkhesaites 7in robes of hyacinth answers him74 ,the woe and the degradation1 the condemnation and oppression of my fathers#e are blotted out1 through the mission which has come4 ,one may deny the inferior ,christ1 the man--,jesus2 but the other ,christ must be adored--whose personality was evolved under the brooding of the ,dove's wings4 ,honor marriage2 the ,holy ,spirit is feminine6 7,hilarion has disappeared2 and ,anthony1 carried along by the crowd1 arrives in the presence of--7 ,,the ,,carpocratians 7reclining with women upon scarlet cushions47 ,before entering into the ,only thou shalt pass through a series of conditions and of actions4 ,to free thyself from the powers of darkness1 thou must at once accomplish their works4 ,the husband shall say to the wife3 ',have charity for thy brother'--and she will kiss thee4 ,,the ,,nicolaitans 7gathered about a mass of smoking meats37 ,this is a portion of the meat offered to idols2--partake of it6 ,apostasy is permissible when the heart is pure4 ,gorge thy flesh with all that it demands4 ,seek to exterminate it by dint of debauchery6 ,prounikos1 the ,mother of ,heaven1 wallowed in ignominies4 ,,the ,,marcosians 7wearing rings of gold1 and glistening with precious balm and unguents37 ,enter among us that thou mayst unite thyself to the ,spirit6 ,enter among us that thou mayst quaff the draught of immortality6 7,and one of them shows him1 behind a tapestry-hanging1 the body of a man terminated by the head of an ass4 ,this represents ,sabaoth1 father of the ,devil4 ,he spits upon the image in token of detestation4 ,another shows him a very low bed1 strewn with flowers1 exclaiming37 ,the spiritual marriage is about to be consummated4 7,a third1 who holds a cup of glass1 utters an invocation2--blood suddenly appears in the cup37 ,ah6 behold it6 behold it6--the blood of ,christ6 7,anthony withdraws1 but finds himself be-spattered by water splashed from a cistern47 ,,the ,,helvidians 7are flinging themselves into it head foremost1 muttering3--7 ,the man regenerated by baptism is impeccable6 7,then he passes by a great fire at which the ,adamites are warming themselves--all completely naked in imitation of the purity of ,paradise2 and he stumbles over7 ,,the ,,messalines 7wallowing upon the pavement1 half-slumbering1 stupid37 ,oh6 crush us if thou wilt6 we shall not move6 ,work is crime2 all occupation is evil4 7,behind these1 the abject7 ,,paternians 7--men1 women1 and children lying pell mell upon a heap of filth1 lift their hideous faces1 wine-besmeared1 and they cry aloud37 ,the inferior parts of the body1 which were created by the ,devil1 belong to him6 ,let us eat1 drink1 and sin6 ,,tius4 ,crimes are necessities beneath the notice of ,god6 7,but suddenly--7 ,a ,,man 7--clad in a ,carthaginian mantle1 bounds into their midst1 brandishing a scourge of thongs in his hand2 and strikes violently and indiscriminately at all in his path37 ,ah6 imposters6 simonists1 heretics and demons6--vermin of the schools6--dregs of hell6 ,marcion1 there1 is a sailor of ,sinopus excommunicated for incest2--,carpocrates was banished for being a magician2 tius stole his concubine2 ,nicholas prostituted his wife2 and this ,manes1 who calls himself the ,buddha1 and whose real name is ,cubricus1 was flayed alive with the point of a reed1 so that his skin even now hangs at the gates of ,ctesiphon6 ,,anthony 7recognizing ,tertullian1 rushes to join him73 ,master6 help6 help6 ,,tertullian 7continuing73 ,break the images6 veil the virgins6 ,pray1 fast1 weep and mortify yourselves6 ,no philosophy6 no books6 ,after ,jesus1 science is useless6 7,all have fled away2 and ,anthony beholds1 in lieu of ,tertullian1 a woman seated upon a bench of stone4 ,she sobs2 leaning her head against a column2 her hair is loose2 her body1 weakened by grief1 is clad in a long brown simar4 ,then they find themselves face to face and alone1 far from the crowd2 and a silence1 an extraordinary stillness falls--as in the woods when the winds are lulled1 and the leaves of the trees suddenly cease to whisper4 ,this woman is still very beautiful1 although faded1 and pale as a sepulcher4 ,they look at one another2 and their eyes send to each other waves1 as it were1 of thoughts1 bearing drift of a thousand ancient things1 confused1 mysterious4 ,at last--7 ,,priscilla 7speaks37 ,i was in the last chamber of the baths2 and the rumbling sounds of the street caused a sleep to fall upon me4 ,suddenly ,i heard a clamour of voices4 ,men were shouting--',it is a magician6--it is the ,devil6' ,and the crowd stopped before our house1 in front of the ,temple sculapius4 ,i drew myself up with my hands to the little window4 ,upon the peristyle of the temple1 there stood a man who wore about his neck a collar of iron4 ,he took burning coals out of a chafing-dish1 and with them drew lines across his breast1 the while crying out--',jesus6 ,jesus6' ,the people shouted--',this is not lawful6 let us stone him6' ,but he continued4 ,oh6 those were unheard of marvels--things which transported men who beheld them6 ,flowers broad as suns circled before my eyes1 and ,i heard in the spaces above me the vibrations of a golden harp4 ,day died4 ,my hands loosened their grasp of the window-bars2 my body fell back1 and when he had led me away to his house4444 ,,anthony4 ,but of whom art thou speaking8 ,,priscilla4 ,why1 of ,montanus6 ,,anthony4 ,montanus is dead6 ,,priscilla4 ,it is not true6 ,a ,,voice4 ,no3 ,montanus is not dead6 7,anthony turns2 and sees upon the bench near him1 on the opposite side1 another woman sitting2 she is fair1 and even paler than the other2 there are swellings under her eyes1 as though she had wept a long time4 ,she speaks without being questioned37 ,,maximilla4 ,we were returning from ,tarsus by way of the mountains1 when1 at a turn in the road1 we saw a man under a fig tree4 ,he cried from afar off3 ',stop6 stop6' and rushed toward us1 uttering words of abuse4 ,the slaves ran up2 he burst into a loud laugh4 ,the horses reared2 the molossi all barked4 ,he stood before us4 ,the sweat streamed from his forehead2 his mantle napped in the wind4 ,and calling us each by our names1 he reproached us with the vanity of our work1 the infamy of our bodies2 and he shook his fist at the dromedaries because of the silver bells hanging below their mouths4 ,his fury now filled my very entrails with fear and yet there was a strange pleasure in it which fascinated me1 intoxicated me6 ,first the slaves came4 ',master1' they said1 'our animals are weary4' ,then the women said1 ',we are frightened1' and the slaves departed4 ,then the children began to weep1--',we are hungry4' ,and as the women were not answered1 they disappeared also from our view4 ,he still spoke4 ,i felt some one near me4 ,it was my husband2 but ,i listened only to the other4 ,my husband crawled to me upon his knees among the stones1 and cried--',dost thou abandon me1' and ,i replied3 ',yes6 go thy way6' that ,i might accompany ,montanus4 ,,anthony4 ,a eunuch6 ,,priscilla4 ,ah6 does that astound thee1 vulgar soul6 ,yet ,magdalen1 ,johanna1 ,martha and ,susannah did not share the couch of the ,saviour4 ,souls may know the delirium of embrace better than bodies4 ,that he might keep ,eustolia with impunity1 the bishop ,leontius mutilated himself--loving his love more than his virility4 ,and then1 it was no fault of mine4 ,sotas could not cure me2 a spirit constrained me4 ,it is cruel1 nevertheless6 ,but what matter8 ,i am the last of the prophetesses2 and after me the end of the world shall come4 ,,maximilla4 ,he showered his gifts upon me4 ,moreover1 no one loves him as ,i1 nor is any other so well beloved by him6 ,,priscilla4 ,thou liest6 ,i am the most beloved6 ,,maximilla4 ,no3 it is ,i6 7,they fight4 ,between their shoulders suddenly appears the head of a negro47 ,,montanus 7clad in a black mantle1 clasped by two cross-bones73 ,peace1 my doves6 ,incapable of terrestrial happiness1 we have obtained the celestial plentitude of our union4 ,after the age of the ,father1 the age of the ,son2 and ,i inaugurate the third1 which is that of the ,paraclete4 ,his light descended upon me during those forty nights when the heavenly ,jerusalem appeared shining in the firmament1 above my house at ,pepuzza4 ,ah1 how ye cry out with anguish when the thongs of the scourge lacerate6 how your suffering bodies submit to the ardor of my spiritual discipline6 how ye languish with irrealizable longing6 ,so strong has that desire become that it has enabled you to behold the invisible world2 and ye can now perceive souls even with the eyes of the body6 ,,anthony4 7,makes a gesture of astonishment47 ,,tertullian 7who appears again1 standing beside ,montanus73 ,without doubt2 for the soul has a body1 and that which is bodiless has no existence4 ,,montanus4 ,in order to render it yet more subtle1 ,i have instituted many mortifications1 three ,lents a year1 and prayers to be uttered nightly by the mind only1 keeping the mouth closed1 lest breathing might tarnish thought4 ,it is necessary to abstain from second marriages1 or rather from all marriage6 ,the ,angels themselves have sinned with women6 ,,the ,,archontics 7wearing cilices of hair73 ,the ,saviour said3 ',i come to destroy the work of the ,woman6' ,,the ,,tatianites 7wearing cilices of reed73 ,she is the tree of evil4 ,our bodies are but garments of skin4 7,and continuing to advance along the same side1 ,anthony meets3--7 ,,the ,,valesians 7extended upon the ground1 with red wounds below their bellies1 and blood saturating their tunics4 ,they offer him a knife47 ,do as ,origen did and as we have done6 ,is it the pain that thou fearest1 coward8 ,is it the love of thy flesh that restrains thee1 hypocrite8 7,and while he watches them writhing upon their backs1 in a pool of blood--7 ,,the ,,cainites 7wearing knotted vipers as fillets about their hair1 pass by1 vociferating in his ear73-- ,glory to ,cain6 ,glory to ,sodom6 ,glory be to ,judas6 ,cain made the race of the strong2 ,sodom terrified the earth by her punishment1 and it was by ,judas that ,god saved the world6 ,yes6 by ,judas3 without him there would have been no death and no redemption6 7,they disappear beneath the horde of the--7 ,,circumcelliones 7all clad in the skins of wolves1 crowned with thorns1 and armed with maces of iron74 ,crush the fruit6 befoul the spring6 drown the child6 ,pillage the rich who are happy--who cat their fill6 ,beat the poor who envy the ass his saddle-cloth1 the dog his meal1 the bird his nest1--and who is wretched at knowing that others are not as miserable as himself4 ,we1 the ,saints1 poison1 burn1 massacre1 that we may hasten the end of the world4 ,salvation may be obtained through martyrdom only4 ,we give ourselves martyrdom4 ,we tear the skin from our heads with pincers2 we expose our members to the plough2 we cast ourselves into the mouths of furnaces6 ,out upon baptism6 out upon the ,eucharist6 out upon marriage6 universal damnation6 7,then throughout all the basilica there is a redoubling of fury4 ,the ,audians shoot arrows against the ,devil2 the ,collyridians throw blue cloths toward the roof2 the ,ascites prostrate themselves before a waterskin2 the ,marcionites baptise a dead man with oil4 ,a woman1 standing near ,appelles1 exhibits a round loaf within a bottle1 in order the better to explain her idea4 ,another1 standing in the midst of an assembly of ,sampseans distributes1 as a sacrament1 the dust of her own sandals4 ,upon the rose-strewn bed of the ,marcosians1 two lovers embrace4 ,the ,circumcellionites slaughter one another2 the ,valesians utter the death-rattle2 ,bardesanes sings2 ,carpocras dances2 ,maximilla and ,priscilla moan2 and the false prophetess of ,cappadocia1 completely naked1 leaning upon a lion1 and brandishing three torches1 shrieks the ,terrible ,invocation4 ,the columns of the temple sway to and fro like the trunks of trees in a tempest2 the amulets suspended about the necks of the ,heresiarchs seem to cross each other in lines of fire2 the constellations in the chapels palpitate2 and the walls recoil with the ebb and flow of the crowd1 in which each head is a wave that leaps and roars4 ,nevertheless1 from the midst of the clamor arises the sound of a song1 in which the name of ,jesus is often repeated1 accompanied by bursts of laughter4 ,the singers belong to the rabble of the people2 they all keep time to the song by clapping their hands4 ,in their midst stands--7 ,,artus 7in a deacon's vestments73 ,the fools who declaim against me pretend to explain the absurd2 and in order to confound them utterly1 ,i have composed ditties so droll that they are learned by heart in all the mills1 in the taverns and along the ports4 ,no6 a thousand times no6--the ,son is not coeternal with the ,father1 nor of the same substance6 ,otherwise he would not have said3 ',father1 remove this chalice from me6 ,why dost thou call me good8 ,god alone is good6 ,i go to my ,god1 to your ,god6'--and many other things testifying to his character of creature4 ,the fact is further demonstrated for us by all his names3--lamb1 shepherd1 fountain1 wisdom1 son-of-man1 prophet2 the way1 the corner-stone6 ,,sabellius4 ,i hold that both are identical4 ,,arius4 ,the ,council of ,antioch has decided the contrary4 ,,anthony4 ,then what is the ,word8444 ,what was ,jesus8 ,,the ,,valentinians4 ,he was the husband of ,acharamoth repentant6 ,,the ,,sethianians4 ,he was ,shem1 the son of ,noah6 ,,the ,,theodotians4 ,he was ,melchisedech6 ,,the ,,merinthians4 ,he was only a man6 ,,the ,,apollinarists4 ,he assumed the appearance of one6 ,he simulated the ,passion6 ,,marcel ,,of ,,ancyra4 ,he was a development of the ,father6 ,,pope ,,calixtus4 ,father and ,son are but two modes of one ,god's manifestation6 ,,methodius4 ,he was first in ,adam1 then in man6 ,,cerinthus4 ,and ,he will rise again6 ,,valentinus4 ,impossible--his body being celestial6 ,,paul ,,of ,,samosata4 ,he became ,god only from the time of his baptism6 ,,hermogenes4 ,he dwells in the sun6 7,and all the ,heresiarchs form a circle about ,anthony1 who weeps1 covering his face with his hands47 ,a ,,jew 7with a red beard1 and spots of leprosy upon his shin1 approaches close to ,anthony1 and1 with a hideous sneer1 exclaims73 ,his soul was the soul of ,esau6 ,he suffered from the ,bellephorentian sickness4 ,was not his mother1 the seller of perfumes1 seduced by a ,roman soldier1 one ,pantherus844444444444444444444444444 #f ,,anthony 7suddenly raising his head1 looks at them a moment in silence2 then advancing boldly upon them1 exclaims73 ,doctors1 magicians1 bishops1 and deacons1 men and phantoms1 away from me6 begone6 ,ye are all lies6 ,,the ,,heresiarchs4 ,we have martyrs more martyrs than thine1 prayers that are more difficult1 outbursts of love more sublime1 ecstasies as prolonged as thine are4 ,,anthony4 ,but ye have no revelation6 no proofs6 7,they all at once brandish in the air their rolls of papyrus1 tablets of wood1 scrolls of leather1 rolls of woven stuff bearing inscriptions2 and elbowing2 and pushing each other1 they all shout to ,anthony47 ,,the ,,cerinthians4 ,behold the ,gospel of the ,hebrews6 ,,the ,,marcionites4 ,behold the ,gospel of the ,lord6 ,,the ,,marcosians4 ,the ,gospel of ,eve6 ,,the ,,eucratites4 ,the ,gospel of ,thomas6 ,,the ,,cainites4 ,the ,gospel of ,judas6 ,,basilides4 ,the ,treatise upon the ,destiny of the ,soul6 ,,manes4 ,the ,prophecy of ,barkouf6 7,anthony struggles1 breaks from them1 escapes them2 and in a shadowy corner perceives--7 ,,the ,,aged ,,ebionites 7withered as mummies1 their eyes dull and dim1 their eyebrows white as frost4 ,in tremulous voices they exclaim3--7 ,we have known him1 we have seen him6 ,we knew the ,carpenter's ,son6 ,we were then the same age as he2 we dwelt in the same street4 ,he used to amuse himself by modelling little birds of mud2 aided his father at his work without fear of the sharp tools1 or selected for his mother the skeins of dyed wool4 ,then he made a voyage to ,egypt1 from whence he brought back wondrous secrets4 ,we were at ,jericho when he came to find the ,eater of ,locusts4 ,they talked together in a low voice1 so that no one could hear what was said4 ,but it was from that time that his name began to be noised abroad in ,galilee1 and that men began to relate many fables regarding him4 7,they reiterate1 tremulously37 ,we knew him6 we others1 we knew him6 ,,anthony4 ,ah1 speak on1 speak6 ,what was his face like8 ,,tertullian4 ,his face was wild and repulsive2 forasmuch as he had burthened himself with all the crimes1 all the woes1 all the deformities of mankind4 ,,anthony4 ,oh6 no1 no6 ,i imagine1 on the contrary1 that his entire person must have been glorious with a beauty greater than the beauty of man6 ,,eusebius ,,of ,c,,sarea4 ,there is indeed1 at ,paneades1 propped up against the walls of a crumbling edifice surrounded by a wilderness of weeds and creeping plants1 a certain statue of stone which1 some say1 was erected by the ,woman healed of the issue of blood4 ,but time has gnawed the face of the statue1 and the rains have worn the inscription away4 7,a woman steps forward from the group of the ,carpocratians47 ,,marcellina4 ,i was once a deaconess at ,rome1 in a little church1 where ,i used to exhibit to the faithful1 the silver images1 of ,saint ,paul1 ,homer1 ,pythagoras and ,jesus ,christ4 ,i have only kept that of ,jesus4 7,she half opens her mantle47 ,dost thou desire it8 ,a ,,voice4 ,he reappears himself when we call upon him6 ,it is the hour6--come6 7,and ,anthony feels a brutal hand seize him by the arm1 and drag him away4 ,he mounts a stairway in complete darkness2 and after having ascended many steps1 he finds himself before a door4 ,then the one who is leading him--7is it ,hilarion8--he does not know7--whispers in the ear of another3 ,the ,lord is about to come6--and they are admitted into a chamber1 with a very low ceiling1 and without furniture4 ,the first object which attracts his attention is a long blood-colored chrysalis1 with a human head surrounded by rays1 and the word ,knouphus inscribed all around it in ,greek characters4 ,it is placed upon the shaft of a column1 which is in turn supported by a broad pedestal4 ,hanging upon the walls of the chamber are medallions of polished iron representing the heads of various animals3--the head of an ox1 the head of a lion1 the head of an eagle1 the head of a dog1 and the head of an ass--again6 ,illustration3 444 a long blood-colored chrysalis ,earthen lamps1 suspended below these images1 create a vacillating light4 ,through a hole in the wall1 ,anthony can see the moon shining far off upon the waves2 he can even hear the feeble regular sound of lapping water2 together with the heavy thud occasionally caused by the bumping of a ship's hull against the stones of the mole4 ,there are men crouching down1 with their faces hidden by their mantles4 ,from time to time they utter sounds resembling a smothered bark4 ,there are women also1 sleeping with their foreheads resting upon their arms1 and their arms supported by their knees2 they are so hidden by their garments as to resemble heaps of cloth piled up at intervals against the wall4 ,near them are half naked children1 whose persons swarm with vermin4 ,they watch with idiotic stare the burning of the lamps2 and nothing is done3 all are waiting for something4 ,they talk in undertones about family matters1 or recommend to each other various remedies for their ailments4 ,some of them must embark at earliest daylight2 the persecution is becoming too terrible to be endured4 ,nevertheless1 the pagans are easily enough deceived3--,the fools imagine that we are really adoring ,knouphus6 ,but one of the brethren1 feeling himself suddenly inspired1 takes his place before the column1 where a basket has already been placed1 filled with fennel and aristolochia4 ,on the top of the basket is placed a loaf47 ,,the ,,inspired ,,brother 7unrolling a placard covered with designs representing cylinders blending with and fitting into one another1 commences to pray37 ,the ray of the ,word descended upon the darknesses2 and there arose a mighty cry1 like unto the voice of ,light4 ,,all 7swaying their bodies in unison1 respond73 ,kyrie eleison6 ,,the ,,inspired ,,brother4 ,then was ,man created by the infamous ,god of ,israel1 aided by those who are these 7pointing to the medallions7--,astophaios1 ,oraios1 ,sabaoth1 ,adonai1 ,eloi1 ,iao6 ,and ,man1 hideous1 feeble1 formless and thoughtless1 lay upon the slime of the earth4 ,,all 7in plaintive accents73 ,kyrie eleison6 ,,the ,,inspired ,,brother4 ,but ,sophia1 compassionating him1 vivified him with a spark of her own soul4 ,then ,god1 beholding ,man so beautiful1 waxed wroth2 and imprisoned him within ,his own kingdom1 forbidding him to touch the ,tree of ,knowledge4 ,again did the other succor him4 ,she sent to him the ,serpent1 who1 by many long subterfuges1 made him disobey that law of hate4 ,and ,man1 having tasted knowledge1 understood celestial things4 ,,all 7raising their voices73 ,kyrie ,eleison6 ,,the ,,inspired ,,brother4 ,but ,iabdalaoth through vengeance cast down man into the world of matter1 and the ,serpent with him4 ,,all 7in a very low tone73 ,kyrie ,eleison6 7,then all hold their peace1 and there is silence4 ,the odors of the port mingle with the smoke of the lamps in the warm air4 ,the lamp-wicks crepitate2 their flames are about to go out1 long mosquitoes flit in rapid circlings about them4 ,and ,anthony groans in an agony of anguish1 as with the feeling that a monstrosity is floating about him1 as with the fear of a crime that is about to be accomplished4 ,but--7 ,,the ,,inspired ,,brother 7stamping his heel upon the floor1 snapping his fingers1 tossing his head wildly1 suddenly chants to a furious rhythm1 with accompaniment of cymbals and a shrill flute3--7 ,come6 come6 come6--issue from thy cavern6 ,o swift one1 who runneth without feet1 captor who seizeth without hand6 ,sinuous as the rivers1 orbicular as the sun1 black1 with spots of gold1 like the firmament star-besprinkled6 ,like unto the intertwinings of the vine1 and the circumvolutions of entrails6 ,unengendered6 eater of earth6 immortally young6 unfailing perspicacious6 honored at ,epidaurus6 ,kindly to man6 thou who didst heal ,king ,ptolemy1 and the warriors1 of ,moses1 and ,glaucus1 son of ,minos6 ,come6 come6 come6--issue from thy cavern6 ,,all 7repeat73 ,come6 come6 come6--issue from thy cavern6 7,nevertheless1 nothing yet appears47 ,why8 ,what aileth him8 7,and they concert together1 devise means4 ,an old man presents a clod of turf as an offering4 ,then something upheaves within the basket4 ,the mass of verdure shakes2 the flowers fall1 and the head of a python appears4 ,illustration3 444 the flowers fall and the head of a python appears ,it passes slowly around the edge of the loaf1 like a circle moving around an immovable disk2--then it unfolds itself1 lengthens out2 it is enormous and of great weight4 ,lest it should touch the floor1 the men uphold it against their breasts1 the women support it upon their heads1 the children hold it up at arms' length2 and its tail1 issuing through the hole in the wall1 stretches away indefinitely to the bottom of the sea4 ,its coils double2 they fill the chamber2 they enclose ,anthony47 ,,the ,,faithful 7press their mouths against its skin1 snatch from one another the loaf which it has bitten1 and cry aloud3--7 ,it is thou6 it is thou6 ,first raised up by ,moses1 broken by ,ezechias1 re-established by the ,messiah4 ,he drank thee in the waters of baptism2 but thou didst leave him in the ,garden of ,olives2 and then indeed he felt his own weakness6 ,writhing about the arms of the cross1 and above his head1 while casting thy slime upon the crown of thorns1 thou didst behold him die6 ,for thou art not ,jesus1 thou6--thou art the ,word6 thou art the ,christ6 7,anthony faints with horror1 and falls prostrate in front of his hut upon the splinters of wood1 where the torch that had slipped from his hand1 is burning low4 ,the shock arouses him4 ,opening his eyes again1 he perceives the ,nile1 brightly undulating under the moon1 like a vast serpent winding over the sands2 so that the hallucination returns upon him again2 he has not left the company of the ,ophites2 they surround him1 call him2 he sees them carrying baggage1 descending to the port4 ,he embarks along with them4 ,an inappreciable time elapses4 ,then the vaults of a prison environ him4 ,iron bars in front of him make black lines against a background of blue2 and in the darkness beside him people are praying and weeping surrounded by others who exhort and console4 ,illustration3 444 and in the darkness beside him people are praying ,without1 there is a murmur like the deep humming of a vast crowd1 and there is splendour as of a summer's day4 ,shrill voices announce watermelons for sale1 iced drinks1 and cushions of woven grass to sit upon4 ,from time to time there are bursts of applause4 ,he hears the sound of footsteps above his head4 ,suddenly a long roar is heard1 mighty and cavernous as the roar of water in an aqueduct4 ,and he sees1 directly opposite1 behind the bars of another compartment across the arena a lion walking to and fro1 then a line of sandals1 bare legs1 and purple fringes4 ,beyond are the vast circling wreaths of people1 in symmetrical tiers1 enlarging as they rise1 from the lowest which hems in the arena to the uppermost above which masts rise to sustain a hyacinth-colored awning1 suspended in air by ropes4 ,stairways radiating toward the centre1 divide these huge circles of stone at regular intervals4 ,the benches disappear under a host of spectators--knights1 senators1 soldiers1 plebeians1 vestals1 and courtesans--in woollen hoods1 in silken maniples1 in fallow-colored tunics2 together with aigrettes of precious stones1 plumes of feathers1 the fasces of lictors2 and all this swarming multitude deafens and stupefies ,anthony with its shoutings1 its tumultuous fury1 as of an enormous boiling vat4 ,in the middle of the arena1 a vase of incense smokes upon an altar4 ,anthony thus knows that the people with him are ,christians condemned to be thrown to the wild beasts4 ,the men wear the red mantle of the pontiffs of ,saturn2 the women1 the bandellettes of ,ceres4 ,their friends divide among themselves shreds of their garments1 and rings4 ,to obtain access to the prison1 they say1 costs a great deal of money4 ,but what matter6 ,they will remain until it is all over4 ,anthony notices among these consolers1 a certain bald-headed man1 in a black tunic3 ,anthony has seen that face somewhere before4 ,the consoler discourses to them concerning the nothingness of this world1 and the felicity of the ,elect4 ,anthony feels within him a transport of celestial love2 he longs for the opportunity to lay down his life for the ,saviour--not knowing as yet whether he himself is to be numbered among the martyrs4 ,but all--except a certain ,phrygian1 with long hair1 who stands with his arms uplifted--have a look of woe4 ,one old man is sobbing upon a bench2 a youth standing close by1 with drooping head1 abandons himself to a reverie of sorrow4 ,,the ,,old ,,man had refused to pay the customary contribution before the statue of ,minerva1 erected at the angle of the cross-roads2 and he gazes at his companions with a look that signifies3--7 ,ye ought to have succored me6 ,communities can sometimes so arrange matters as to insure their being left in peace4 ,some among ye also procured those letters which falsely allege that one has sacrificed to idols4 7,he asks aloud3--7 ,was it not ,petrus of ,alexandria who laid down the rule concerning what should be done by those who have yielded to torture8 7,then1 to himself3--7 ,ah6 how cruel this at my age6 ,my infirmities make me so weak6 ,nevertheless1 ,i might easily have lived until the coming winter1 or longer6 7,the memory of his little garden makes him sad1 and he gazes toward the altar47 ,,the ,,young ,,man 7who disturbed the festival of ,apollo by violence and blows1 murmurs3--7 ,yet it would have been easy for me to have fled to the mountains6 7,one of the brothers answers3--7 ,but the soldiers would have captured thee6 ,,the ,,young ,,man4 ,oh6 ,i would have done as ,cyprian did--,i would have returned1 and the second time ,i would surely have had more force6 7,then he thinks of the innumerable days that he might have lived1 of all the joys that he might have known1 but will never know2 and he gazes toward the altar4 ,but--7 ,,the ,,man ,,in ,,the ,,black ,,tunic 7rushes to his side47 ,what scandal6 ,what6 ,thou6 a victim of ,god's own choice6 ,and all these women here who are looking at thee6 ,nay1 think what thou art doing6 ,moreover1 remember that ,god sometimes vouchsafes to perform a miracle4 ,pionius numbed and made powerless the hands of his executioners2 the blood of ,polycarp extinguished the fire of the stake4 7,then he turns to the ,old ,man3--7 ,father1 father6 it behooves thee to edify us by thy death6 ,by longer delaying it1 thou wouldst doubtless commit some evil action that would lose thee the fruit of all thy good works4 ,remember1 also1 that the power of ,god is infinite2 and it may come to pass that all the people will be converted by thy example4 7,and in the great den opposite1 the lions stride back and forth1 ceaselessly1 with a rapid continuous motion4 ,the largest suddenly looks at ,anthony and roars1 and a vapour issues from his jaws4 ,the women are huddled against the men47 ,,the ,,consoler 7goes from one to the other47 ,what would ye say1 what wouldst thou say if thou wert to be burned with red-hot irons1 if thou wert to be torn asunder by horses1 if thou hadst been condemned to have thy body smeared with honey1 and thus exposed to be devoured by flies6 ,as it is1 thou wilt only suffer the death of a hunter surprised by a beast in the woods4 7,anthony would prefer all those things to death by the fangs of the horrible wild beasts2 he fancies already that he feels their teeth and their claws1 that he hears his bones cracking between their jaws4 ,a keeper enters the dungeon2 the martyrs tremble4 ,only one remains impassable1 the ,phrygian1 who prays standing apart from the rest4 ,he has burned three temples2 and he advances with arms uplifted1 mouth open1 face turned toward heaven1 seeing nothing around him1 like a somnambulist47 ,,the ,,consoler 7shouts74 ,back6 back6 lest the spirit of ,montanus might come upon you4 ,,all 7recoil from the ,phrygian1 and vociferate7 ,damnation to the ,montanist6 7,they insult him1 spit upon him1 excite each other to beat him4 ,the rearing lions bite each other's manes27 ,,the ,,people ,to the beasts with them1 to the beasts4 ,the ,martyrs burst into sobs1 and embrace each other passionately4 ,a cup of narcotic wine is offered them4 ,it is passed from hand to hand1 quickly4 ,another keeper1 standing at the door of the den1 awaits the signal4 ,the den opens2 a lion comes out4 ,he crosses the arena with great oblique strides4 ,other lions follow in file after him2 then a bear1 three panthers1 and some leopards4 ,they scatter through the arena like a flock in a meadow4 ,the crack of a whip resounds4 ,the ,christians stagger forward2 and their brethren push them1 that it may be over the sooner4 ,anthony closes his eyes4 ,he opens them again4 ,but darkness envelopes him4 ,soon the darkness brightens2 and he beholds an arid plain1 mamillated with knolls1 such as might be seen about abandoned quarries4 ,illustration3 444 and he beholds an arid plain1 mamillated with knolls ,here and there a tuft of shrubbery rises among the slabs of stone1 level with the soil2 and there are white figures1 vaguer than clouds1 bending over the slabs4 ,others approach1 softly1 silently4 ,eyes gleam through the slits of long veils4 ,by the easy indifference of their walk1 and the perfumes exhaled from their garments1 ,anthony knows they are patrician women4 ,there are men also1 but of inferior condition2 for their faces are at once simple-looking and coarse4 7,one of the ,women1 taking a long breath37 ,ah6 how good the cool air of night is1 among the sepulchers6 ,i am so weary of the softness of beds1 the turmoil of days1 the heavy heat of the sun6 7,her maid-servant takes from a canvas bag1 a torch which she ignites4 ,the faithful light other torches by it1 and plant them upon the tombs47 ,a ,,woman 7panting74 ,i am here at last6 ,oh how wearisome to be the wife of an idolator6 ,,another4 ,these visits to the prisons1 interviews with our brethren1 are all matters of suspicion to our husbands6 ,and we must even hide ourselves in order to make the sign of the cross2 they would take it for a magical conjuration6 ,,another4 ,with my husband it was a quarrel every day4 ,i would not submit myself to his brutal exactions2 therefore he has had me prosecuted as a ,christian4 ,,another4 ,do you remember ,lucius1 that young man who was so beautiful1 who was dragged like ,hector1 with his heels attached to a chariot1 from the ,esquiline ,gate to the mountains of ,tibur8--and how his blood spattered the bushes on either side of the road8 ,i gathered up the drops of his blood4 ,behold it6 7,she drags a black sponge from her bosom1 covers it with kisses1 and flings herself down upon the slabs1 crying aloud3--7 ,illustration3 ,she drags a black sponge from her bosom1 covers it with kisses 444 ,ah6 my friend6 my friend6 ,a ,,man4 ,it is just three years to-day since ,domitilla died4 ,they stoned her at the further end of the ,grove of ,proserpine4 ,i gathered her bones1 which shone like glowworms in the grass4 ,the earth how covers them4 7,he casts himself down upon a tomb47 ,o my betrothed6 my betrothed6 7,and all the others scattered over the plain3--7 ,o my sister6 ,o my brother6 ,o my daughter6 ,o my mother6 7,some kneel1 covering their faces with their hands2 others lie down upon the ground with their arms extended2 and the sobs they smother shake their breasts with such violence as though their hearts were breaking with grief4 ,sometimes they look up to heaven1 exclaiming3--7 ,have mercy upon her soul1 ,o my ,god6 ,she languishes in the sojourn of ,shades2 vouchsafe to admit her to thy ,resurrection1 that she may enjoy ,thy ,light6 7,or1 with eyes fixed upon the gravestones1 they murmur to the dead3--7 ,be at peace1 beloved6 and suffer not6 ,i have brought thee wine and meats6 ,a ,,widow4 ,here is pultis1 made by my own hands1 as he used to like it1 with plenty of eggs and a double measure of flour6 ,we are going to eat it together as in other days1 are we not8 7,she lifts a little piece to her lips1 and suddenly bursts into an extravagant and frenzied laugh4 ,the others also nibble a little bit as she does and drink a mouthful of wine4 ,they recount to each other the stories of their martyrs2 grief becomes exalted6 libations redouble4 ,their tear-swimming eyes are fixed upon each other's faces4 ,they stammer with intoxication and grief2 gradually hands touch hands1 lips join themselves to lips1 and they seek each other upon the tombs1 between the cups and the torches4 ,the sky begins to whiten4 ,the fog makes damp their garments2 and1 without appearing even to know one another1 they depart by different ways and seek their homes4 ,the sun shines2 the weeds and the grass have grown higher2 the face of the plain is changed4 ,and ,anthony1 looking between tall bamboos1 sees distinctly a forest of columns1 of bluish-grey color4 ,these are tree-trunks1 all originating from one vast trunk4 ,from each branch of the colossal tree descend other branches which may bury themselves in the soil2 and the aspect of all these horizontal and perpendicular lines1 indefinitely multiplied1 would closely resemble a monstrous timber-work1 were it not that they have small figs#g growing upon them here and there1 and a blackish foliage1 like that of the sycamore4 ,he perceives in the forkings of their branches1 hanging bunches of yellow flowers1 violet flowers also1 and ferns that resemble the plumes of splendid birds4 ,under the lowest branches the horns of a bubalus gleam at intervals1 and the bright eyes of antelopes are visible2 there are hosts of parrots2 there are butterflies flittering hither and thither2 lizards lazily drag themselves up or down2 flies buzz and hum2 and in the midst of the silence1 a sound is audible as of the palpitation of a deep and mighty life4 ,seated upon a sort of pyre at the entrance of the wood is a strange being--a man--besmeared with cow-dung1 completely naked1 more withered than a mummy2 his articulations form knots at the termination of bones that resemble sticks4 ,he has bunches of shells suspended from his ears2 his face is very long1 and his nose like a vulture's beak4 ,his left arm remains motionlessly erect in air1 anchylosed1 rigid as a stake2 and he has been seated here so long that birds have made themselves a nest in his long hair4 ,at the four corners of his wooden pyre flame four fires4 ,the sun is directly in front of him4 ,he gazes steadily at it with widely-opened eyes2 and1 then without looking at ,anthony1 asks him3--7 ,brahmin from the shores of the ,nile1 what hast thou to say regarding these things8 7,flames suddenly burst out on all sides of him1 through the intervals between the logs of the pyre2 and--7 ,,the ,,gymnosophist 7continues74 ,lo6 ,i have buried myself in solitude1 like the rhinoceros4 ,i dwelt in the tree behind me4 ,illustration3 ,i have buried myself in solitude1 like the rhinoceros4 ,i dwelt in the tree behind me4 7,the vast fig-tree1 indeed1 shows in one of its groves1 a natural excavation about the size of a man47 ,and ,i nourished me with flowers and fruits1 observing the precepts so rigidly that not even a dog ever beheld me eat4 ,inasmuch as existence originates from corruption1 corruption from desire1 desire from sensation1 sensation from contact1 ,i have ever avoided all action1 all contact1 and perpetually--motionless as the stela of a tomb1 exhaling my breath from my two nostrils1 fixing my eyes upon my nose1 and contemplating the ether in my mind1 the world in my members1 the moon in my heart--,i dreamed of the essence of the great ,soul whence continually escape the principles of life1 even as sparks escape from fire4 ,thus at last ,i found the supreme ,soul in all beings1 and all beings in the supreme ,soul2 and ,i have been able to make mine own soul all my senses4 ,i receive knowledge directly from heaven1 like the bird ,tchataka1 who quenches his thirst from falling rain only4 ,even by so much as things are known to me1 things no longer exist4 ,for me now there is no more hope1 no more anguish1 there is neither happiness nor virtue1 nor day nor night1 nor ,thou nor ,i--absolutely nothing6 ,my awful austerities have made me superior to the ,powers4 ,a single contraction of my thought would suffice to kill a hundred sons of kings1 to dethrone gods1 to overturn the world4 7,he utters all these things in a monotonous voice4 ,the surrounding leaves shrivel up4 ,fleeing rats rush over the ground4 ,he slowly turns his eyes downward toward the rising flames1 and then continues3--7 ,i have loathed ,form1 ,i have loathed ,perception1 ,i have loathed even ,knowledge itself1 for the thought does not survive the transitory fact which caused it2 and mind1 like all else1 is only an illusion4 ,all that is engendered will perish2 all that is dead must live again2 the beings that have even now disappeared shall sojourn again in wombs as yet unformed1 and shall again return to earth to serve in woe other creatures4 ,but inasmuch as ,i have rolled through the revolution of an indefinite multitude of existences1 under the envelopes of gods1 of men1 and of animals1 ,i renounce further wanderings2 ,i will endure this weariness no more6 ,i abandon the filthy hostelry of this body of mine1 built with flesh1 reddened with blood1 covered with a hideous skin1 full of uncleanliness2 and1 for my recompense1 ,i go at last to slumber in the deepest deeps of the ,absolute--in ,annihilation4 7,the flames rise to his chest1 then envelope him4 ,his head rises through them as through a hole in the wall4 ,his cavernous eyes still remain icicle open1 gazing47 ,,anthony 7rises74 7,the torch1 which had fallen to the ground1 has ignited the splinters of wood2 and the flames have singed his beard4 ,with a loud cry1 ,anthony tramples the fire out2 and1 when nothing remains but ashes1 he exclaims3--7 ,where can ,hilarion be8 ,he was here a moment ago4 ,i saw him6 ,what6 ,no2 it is impossible2 ,i must have been mistaken6 ,yet why8444 ,perhaps my cabin1 these stones1 this sand1 have no real existence4 ,i am becoming mad6 ,let me be calm6 ,where was ,i8 ,what was it that happened8 ,ah6 the gymnosophist6444 ,such a death is frequent among the sages of ,india4 ,kalanos burned himself before ,alexander2 another did likewise in the time of ,augustus4 ,what hatred of life men must have to do thus6 ,unless1 indeed1 they are impelled by pride alone8444 ,yet in any event they have the intrepidity of martyrs4444 ,as for the latter1 ,i can now well believe what has been told me regarding the debauchery they cause4 ,and before that8 ,yes3 ,i remember now6 the host of the ,heresiarchs6 ,what outcries6 ,what eyes6 ,yet why so much rebellion of the flesh1 so much dissoluteness1 so many aberrations of the intellect4 ,they claim1 nevertheless1 to seek ,god through all those ways6 ,what right have ,i to curse them--,i1 who stumble so often in mine own path8 ,i was perhaps about to learn more of them at the moment when they disappeared4 ,too rapid was the whirl2 ,i had no time to answer4 ,now ,i feel as though there were more space1 more light in my understanding4 ,i am calm4 ,i even feel myself able to4444 ,what is this8 ,i thought ,i had put out the fire6 7,a flame flits among the rocks2 and soon there comes the sound of a voice--broken1 convulsed as by sobs--from afar off1 among the mountains47 ,can it be the cry of a hyena1 or the lamentation of some traveler that has lost his way8 7,anthony listens4 ,the flame draws nearer4 ,and he beholds a weeping woman approach1 leaning upon the shoulder of a white-bearded man4 ,she is covered with a purple robe in rags4 ,he is bareheaded like lier1 wears a tunic of the same color1 and carries in his hands a brazen vase1 whence arises a thin blue flame4 ,anthony feels a fear come upon him1 and wishes to know who this woman may be47 ,,the ,,stranger ,,simon4 ,it is a young girl1 a poor child that ,i lead about with me everywhere4 7,he uplifts the brazen vase4 ,anthony contemplates the girl1 by the light of its vacillating flame4 ,there are marks of bites upon her face1 traces of blows upon her arms2 her dishevelled hair entangles itself in the rents of her rags2 her eyes appear to be insensible to light47 ,,simon4 ,sometimes she remains thus for a long1 long time without speaking2 then all at once she revives1 and discourses of marvellous things4 ,,anthony4 ,in truth8 ,,simon4 ,ennoia2 ,ennoia6 ,ennoia6--tell us what thou hast to say6 7,she rolls her eyes like one awaking from a dream1 slowly passes her fingers over her brows1 and in a mournful voice1 speaks3--7 ,helena#h 7,ennoia74 ,illustration3 ,helena - ,ennoia ,i remember a distant land1 of the color of emerald4 ,only one tree grows there4 7,anthony starts74 ,upon each of its tiers of broad-extending arms1 a pair of ,spirits dwell in air4 ,all about them the branches intercross1 like the veins of a body2 and they watch the eternal ,life circulating1 from the roots deep plunging into darkness even to the leafy summit that rises higher than the sun4 ,i1 dwelling upon the second branch1 illuminated the nights of ,summer with my face4 ,,anthony1 7tapping his own forehead3--7 ,ah6 ah6 ,i comprehend6 her head6444 ,,simon 7placing his finger to his lips3--7 ,hush6 ,,helena4 ,the sail remained well filled by the wind2 the keel cleft the foam4 ,he said to me3 ',what though ,i afflict my country1 though ,i lose my kingdom6 ,thou wilt belong to me1 in my house6' ,how sweet was the lofty chamber of his palace6 ,lying upon the ivory bed1 he caressed my long hair1 singing amorously the while4 ,even at the close of the day ,i beheld the two camps1 the watchfires being lighted1 ,ulysses at the entrance of his tent1 armed ,achilles driving a chariot along the sea-beach4 ,,anthony4 ,why6 she is utterly mad6 ,how came this to pass8444 ,,simon4 ,hush6 hush6 ,,helena4 ,they anointed me with unguents1 and sold me to the people that ,i might amuse them4 ,one evening ,i was standing with the sistrum in my hand1 making music for some ,greek sailors who were dancing4 ,the rain was falling upon the roof of the tavern like a cataract1 and the cups of warm wine were smoking4 ,a man suddenly entered1 although the door was not opened to let him pass4 ,,simon4 ,it was ,i6 ,i found thee again6 ,behold her1 ,anthony1 she whom they call ,sigeh1 ,ennoia1 ,barbelo1 ,prounikos6 ,the ,spirits governing the world were jealous of her2 and they imprisoned her within the body of a woman4 ,she was that ,helen of ,troy1 whose memory was cursed by the poet ,stesichorus4 ,she was ,lucretia1 the patrician woman violated by a king4 ,she was ,delilah1 by whom ,samson's locks were shorn4444 ,she has loved adultery1 idolatry1 lying and foolishness4 ,she has prostituted herself to all nations4 ,she has sung at the angles of all cross-roads4 ,she has kissed the faces of all men4 ,at ,tyre1 she1 the ,syrian1 was the mistress of robbers4 ,she caroused with them during the nights2 and she concealed assassins amidst the vermin of her tepid bed4 ,,anthony4 ,ah6 what is this to me8444 ,,simon 7with a furious look3--7 ,i tell thee that ,i have redeemed her1 and re-established her in her former splendor2 insomuch that ,caius ,csar ,caligula became enamoured of her1 desiring to sleep with the ,moon6 ,,anthony4 ,what then8444 ,,simon4 ,why this1 that she herself is the ,moon6 ,has not ,pope ,clement written how she was imprisoned in a tower8 ,three hundred persons surrounded the tower to watch it2 and the moon was seen at each of the loop-holes at the same time1 although there is not more than one moon in the world1 nor more than one ,ennoia6 ,,anthony4 ,yes 444 it seems to me that ,i remember4444 7,he falls into a reverie47 ,,simon4 ,innocent as the ,christ who died for men1 so did she devote herself for women4 ,for the impotence of ,jehovah is proven by the transgression of ,adama1 and we must shake off the yoke of the old law1 which is antipathetic to the order of things4#i ,i have preached the revival in ,ephraim and in ,issachar by the torrent of ,bizor1 beyond the ,lake of ,houleh1 in the valley of ,maggedo1 further than the mountains1 at ,bostra and at ,damascus4 ,let all come to me who are covered with wine1 who are covered with filth1 who are covered with blood6 and ,i shall take away their uncleanliness with the ,holy ,spirit1 called ,minerva by the ,greeks4 ,she is ,minerva6 she is the ,holy ,spirit6 ,i am ,jupiter1 ,apollo1 the ,christ1 the ,paraclete1 the great might of ,god1 incarnated in the person of ,simon6 ,,anthony4 ,ah6 it is thou6444 so it is thou6 ,but ,i know thy crimes6 ,thou wast born at ,gittoi near ,samaria1 ,dositheas1 thy first master1 drove thee from him4 ,thou didst execrate ,saint ,paul because he converted one of thy wives2 and1 vanquished by ,saint ,peter1 in thy rage and terror thou didst cast into the waves the bag which contained thy artifices6 ,,simon4 ,dost thou desire them8 7,anthony looks at him1 and an interior voice whispers hi his heart3--,why not87 ,,simon 7continues74 ,he who knows the forces of ,nature and the essence of ,spirits must be able to perform miracles4 ,it has been the dream of all sages2 it is the desire which even now gnaws thee6--confess it6 ,in the sight of the multitude of the ,romans1 ,i flew in the air so high that none could behold me move4 ,nero ordered that ,i should be decapitated2 but it was the head of a sheep which fell upon the ground in lieu of mine4 ,at last they buried me alive2 but ,i rose again upon the third day4 ,the proof is that thou dost behold me before thee6 7,he presents his hands to ,anthony to smell4 ,they have the stench of corpse-flesh4 ,anthony recoils with loathing47 ,i can make serpents of bronze writhe2 ,i can make marble statues laugh2 ,i can make dogs speak4 ,i will show thee vast quantities of gold2 ,i will reestablish kings2 thou shalt see nations prostrate themselves in adoration before me6 ,i can walk upon the clouds and upon the waves1 ,i can pass through mountains1 ,i can make myself appear as a youth1 as an old man1 as a tiger1 or as an ant2 ,i can assume thy features2 ,i can give thee mine2 ,i can make the thunder follow after me4 ,dost hear it8 7,the thunder rumbles2 flashes of lightning succeed47 ,it is the voice of the ,most ,high2 for 'the ,lord thy ,god is a fire2' and all creations are accomplished by sparks from the fire-centre of all things4 ,thou shalt even now receive the baptism of it--that second baptism announced by ,jesus1 which fell upon the apostles on a day of tempest when the windows were open6 7,and stirring up the flame with his hand1 slowly1 as though preparing to sprinkle ,anthony with it1 he continues3--7 ,mother of mercies1 thou who discoverest all secrets1 in order that we may find rest in the eighth mansion4444 ,,anthony 7cries out3--7 ,oh6 that ,i had only some holy water6444 7,the flame goes out1 producing much smoke4 ,ennoia and ,simon have disappeared4 ,an exceedingly cold1 opaque and foetid mist fills the atmosphere47 ,,anthony 7groping with his hands like a blind man3--7 ,where am ,i8444 ,i fear lest ,i fall into the abyss6 ,and the cross1 surely1 is too far from me4 ,ah6 what a night6 what a terrible night6 7,the mist is parted by a gust of wind2 and ,anthony sees two men covered with long white tunics4 ,the first is of lofty stature1 with a gentle face1 and a grave mien4 ,his blond hair1 parted like that of ,christ1 falls upon his shoulders4 ,he has cast aside a wand that he had been holding in his hand2 his companion takes it up1 making a reverence after the fashion of the ,orientals4 ,the latter is small of stature1 thick set1 flat-nosed2 his neck and shoulders expresses good natured simplicity4 ,both are barefooted1 bareheaded1 and dusty1 like persons who have made a long journey47 ,,anthony 7starting up3--7 ,what do ye seek8 ,speak6444 ,begone from here6 ,,damis 7who is a little man74 ,nay6 nay6 be not angered1 good hermit4 ,as for that ,i seek1 ,i know not myself what it is6 ,here is the ,master6 7,he sits down4 ,the other stranger remains standing4 ,silence47 ,,anthony 7asks74 ,then ye come8444 ,,damis4 ,oh6 from afar off--very far off6 ,,anthony4 ,and ye go8444 ,,damis 7pointing to the other7 ,whithersoever he shall desire6 ,,anthony4 ,but who may he be8 ,,damis4 ,look well upon him6 ,,anthony 7aside74 ,he looks like a saint6 ,if ,i could only dare4444 7,the mist is all gone4 ,the night is very clear4 ,the moon shines47 ,,damis4 ,of what art thou dreaming1 that thou dost not speak8 ,,anthony4 ,i was thinking4444 ,oh6 nothing6 ,,damis 7approaches ,apollonius1 and walks all round him several times1 bending himself as he walks1 never raising his head3--7 ,master1 here is a ,galilean hermit who desires to know the beginnings of wisdom4 ,,apollonius4 ,let him approach6 7,anthony hesitates47 ,,damis4 ,approach6 ,,apollonius 7in a voice of thunder3--7 ,approach6 ,thou wouldst know who ,i am1 what ,i have done1 and what ,i think1--is it not so1 child8 ,,anthony4 ,always supposing that these things can contribute to the salvation of my soul4 ,,apollonius4 ,rejoice6 ,i am about to inform thee of them6 ,,damis 7in an undertone1 to ,anthony3--7 ,is it possible8 ,he must surely have at the first glance discerned in thee extraordinary aptitude for philosophy4 ,i shall also strive to profit by his instruction4 ,,apollonius4 ,first of all1 ,i shall tell thee of the long course which ,i have followed in order to obtain the doctrine2 and if thou canst discover in all my life one evil action1 thou shalt bid me pause1 for he who hath erred in his actions may well give scandal by his words4 ,,damis 7to ,anthony74 ,how just a man8 ,is he not8 ,,anthony4 ,indeed ,i believe him to be sincere4 ,,apollonius4 ,upon the night of my birth1 my mother imagined that she was gathering flowers by the shore of a great lake4 ,a flash of lightning appeared2 and she brought me into the world to the music of the voices of swans singing to her in her dream4 ,until ,i had reached the age of fifteen ,i was plunged thrice a day into the fountain1 ,asbadeus1 whose waters make perjurers hydropical2 and my body was rubbed with the leaves of the onyza1 that ,i might be chaste4 ,a ,palmyrian princess came one evening to seek me1 offering me treasures that she knew to be in the tombs4 ,a hierodule of the temple of ,diana1 slew herself in despair with the sacrificial knife2 and the governor of ,cilicia1 finding all his promises of no avail1 cried out in the presence of my family that he would cause my death2 but it was he that died only three days after1 assassinated by the ,romans4 ,,damis 7nudging ,anthony with his elbow74 ,eh8 did ,i not tell thee8 ,what a man6 ,,apollonius4 ,for the space of four successive years ,i maintained the unbroken silence of the ,pythagoreans4 ,the most sudden and unexpected pain never extorted a sigh from me2 and when ,i used to enter the theatre1 all drew away from me1 as from a phantom4 ,,damis4 ,wouldst thou have done so much8--thou8 ,,apollonius4 ,after the period of my trial had been accomplished1 ,i undertook to instruct the priests regarding the tradition they had lost4 ,,anthony4 ,what tradition8 ,,damis4 ,interrupt him not6 ,be silent6 ,,apollonius4 ,i have conversed with the ,samaneans of the ,ganges1 with the astrologers of ,chaldea1 with the magi of ,babylon1 with the ,gaulish ,druids1 with the priests of the negroes6 ,i have ascended the fourteen ,olympii2 ,i have sounded the ,scythian lakes2 ,i have measured the breadth of the ,desert6 ,,damis4 ,it is all true6 ,i was with him the while6 ,,apollonius4 ,but first ,i had visited the ,hyrcanian ,sea2 ,i made the tour of it2 and descending by way of the country of the ,baraomati1 where ,bucephalus is buried1 ,i approached the city of ,nineveh4 ,at the gates of the city1 a man drew near me4444 ,,damis4 ,i--even ,i1 good master6 ,i loved thee from the first4 ,thou wert gentler than a girl and more beautiful than a god6 ,,apollonius 7without hearing him74 ,he asked me to accompany him1 that he might serve as interpreter4 ,,damis4 ,but thou didst reply that all languages were familiar to thee1 and that thou couldst divine all thoughts4 ,then ,i kissed the hem of thy mantle1 and proceeded to walk behind thee4 ,,apollonius4 ,after ,ctesiphon1 we entered upon the territory of ,babylon4 ,,damis4 ,and the ,satrap cried aloud on beholding a man so pale4 ,,anthony 7aside74 ,what signifies this8444 ,,apollonius4 ,the king received me standing1 near a throne of silver1 in a hall constellated with stars2 from the cupola hung suspended by invisible threads four great birds of gold1 with wings extended4 ,,anthony 7dreamily74 ,can there be such things in the world8 ,,damis4 ,ah6 that is a city6 that ,babylon6 everybody there is rich6 ,the houses1 which are painted blue1 have doors of bronze1 and flights of steps descending to the river4 7,drawing lines upon the ground1 with his stick37 ,like that1 seest thou8 ,and then there are temples1 there are squares1 there are baths1 there are aqueducts6 ,the palaces are roofed with red brass2 and the interior 444 ah6 if thou only knewest6 ,,apollonius4 ,upon the north wall rises a tower which supports a second1 a third1 a fourth1 a fifth1 and there are also three others6 ,the eighth is a chapel containing a bed4 ,no one enters it save the woman chosen by the priests for the ,god ,belus4 ,i was lodged there by order of the ,king of ,babylon4 ,,damis4 ,as for me1 they hardly deigned to give me any attention6 ,so ,i walked through the streets all by myself4 ,i informed myself regarding the customs of the people2 ,i visited the workshops2 ,i examined the great machines that carry water to the gardens4 ,but ,i soon wearied of being separated from the ,master4 ,,apollonius4 ,at last we left ,babylon2 and as we travelled by the light of the moon1 we suddenly beheld an ,empusa4 ,,damis4 ,aye1 indeed6 ,she leaped upon her iron hoof2 she brayed like an ass2 she galloped among the rocks4 ,he shouted imprecations at her2 she disappeared4 ,,anthony 7aside74 ,what can be their motive8 ,,apollonius4 ,at ,taxilla1 the capital of five thousand fortresses1 ,phraortes1 ,king of the ,ganges1 showed us his guard of black men1 whose stature was five cubits1 and under a pavilion of green brocade in his gardens1 an enormous elephant1 which the queens amused themselves by perfuming4 ,it was the elephant of ,porus which had taken flight after the death of ,alexander4 ,,damis4 ,and which had been found again in a forest4 ,,anthony4 ,their speech is superabundant1 like that of drunken men6 ,,apollonius4 ,phraortes seated us at his own table4 ,,damis4 ,how strange a country that was6 ,during their drinking carousels1 the lords used to amuse-themselves by shooting arrows under the feet of a dancing child4 ,but ,i do not approve4444 ,,apollonius4 ,when ,i was ready to depart1 the king gave me a parasol1 and he said to me3 ',i have a stud of white camels upon the ,indus4 ,when thou shalt have no further use for them1 blow in their ears4 ,they will come back4' ,we descended along the river1 marching at night by the light of the fire-flies1 which glimmered among the bamboos4 ,the slave whistled an air to drive away the serpents2 and our camels bent down in passing below the branches of the trees1 as if passing under low gates4 ,one day a black child1 who held a golden caduceus in his hand1 conducted us to the ,college of the ,sages4 ,iarchas1 their chief1 spoke to me of my ancestors1 told me of all my thoughts1 of all my actions1 of all my existences4 ,in former time he had been the ,river ,indus2 and he reminded me that ,i had once been a boatman upon the ,nile1 in the time of ,king ,sesostris4 ,,damis4 ,as for me1 they told me nothing2 so that ,i know not who or what ,i have been4 ,,anthony4 ,they have a vague look1 like shadows6 ,,apollonius4 ,upon the shores of the sea we met with the milk-gorged ,cynocephali1 who were returning from their expedition to the ,island ,taprobana4 ,the tepid waves rolled blond pearls to our feet4 ,the amber crackled beneath our steps4 ,whale-skeletons were whitening in the crevasses of the cliffs4 ,at last the land became narrow as a sandal2 and after casting drops of ocean water toward the sun1 we turned to the right to return4 ,so we returned through the ,region of ,aromatics1 by way of the country of the ,gangarides1 the promontory of ,comaria1 the country of the ,sachalites1 of the ,adramites and of the ,homerites2 then1 across the ,cassanian mountains1 the ,red ,sea1 and the ,island ,topazos1 we penetrated into ,ethiopia through the country of the ,pygmies4 ,,anthony 7to himself74 ,how vast the world is6 ,,damis4 ,and after we had returned home1 we found that all those whom we used to know1 were dead4 7,anthony lowers his head4 ,silence47 ,,apollonius 7continues74 ,then men began to talk of me the world over4 ,the plague was ravaging ,ephesus2 ,i made them stone an old mendicant there4 ,,damis4 ,and forthwith the plague departed4 ,,anthony4 ,what6 ,does he drive away pestilence8 ,,apollonius4 ,at ,cnidos1 ,i cured the man that had become enamored of ,venus4 ,,damis4 ,aye6 a fool who had even vowed to espouse her6 ,to love a woman is at least comprehensible2 but to love a statue--what madness6 ,the ,master placed his hand upon the young man's heart2 and the fire of that love was at once extinguished4 ,,anthony4 ,how6 does he also cast out devils8 ,,apollonius4 ,at ,tarentum they were carrying the dead body of a young girl to the funeral pyre4 ,,damis4 ,the ,master touched her lips2 and she arose and called her mother4 ,,anthony4 ,what6 he raises the dead6 ,,apollonius4 ,i predicted to ,vespasian his accession to power4 ,,anthony4 ,what6 he foretells the future6 ,,damis4 ,at ,corinth there was a 444 ,,apollonius4 ,it was when ,i was at table with him1 at the waters of ,baia 444 ,,anthony4 ,excuse me1 strangers--it is very late 444 ,,damis4 ,at ,corinth there was a young man called ,menippus 444 ,,anthony4 ,no6 no6--go ye away6 ,,apollonius4 ,a dog came in1 bearing a severed hand in his mouth4 ,,damis4 ,one evening1 in one of the suburbs1 he met a woman4 ,,anthony4 ,do ye not hear me8 ,begone6 ,,apollonius4 ,he wandered in a bewildered way around the couches 444 ,,anthony4 ,enough6 ,,apollonius4 ,they sought to drive him out4 ,,damis4 ,so ,menippus went with her to her house2 they loved one another4 ,,apollonius4 ,and gently beating the mosaic pavement with his tail1 he laid the severed hand upon the knees of ,flavius4 ,,damis4 ,but next morning1 during the lessons in the school1 ,menippus was pale4 ,,anthony 7starting up in anger74 ,still continuing6 ,ah6 then let them continue till they be weary1 inasmuch as there is no 444 ,,damis4 ,the ,master said to him3 ',o beautiful youth1 thou dost caress a serpent2 by a serpent thou art caressed6 ,and when shall be the nuptials8' ,we all went to the wedding4 ,,anthony4 ,assuredly ,i am doing wrong1 to hearken to such a story6 ,,damis4 ,servants were hurrying to and fro in the vestibule2 doors were opening2 nevertheless there was no sound made either by the fall of the footsteps nor the closing of the doors4 ,the ,master placed himself beside ,menippus4 ,and the bride forthwith became angered against the philosophers4 ,but the vessels of gold1 the cupbearers1 the cooks1 the panthers disappeared2 the roof receded and vanished into air2 the walls crumbled down2 and ,apollonius stood alone with the woman at his feet1 all in tears4 ,she was a vampire who satisfied the beautiful young men in order to devour their flesh1 for nothing is more desirable for such phantoms than the blood of amorous youths4 ,,apollonius4 ,if thou shouldst desire to learn the art 444 ,,anthony4 ,i do not wish to learn anything6 ,,apollonius4 ,the same evening that we arrived at the gates of ,rome 444 ,,anthony4 ,oh6 yes6--speak to me rather of the ,city of ,popes6 ,,apollonius4 ,a drunken man accosted us1 who was singing in a low voice4 ,the song was an epithalamium of ,nero2 and he had the power to cause the death of whosoever should hear it with indifference4 ,in a box upon his shoulders he carried a string taken from the ,emperor's cithara4 ,i shrugged my shoulders4 ,he flung mud in our faces4 ,then ,i unfastened my girdle and placed it in this hand4 ,,damis4 ,in sooth1 thou wert most imprudent6 ,,apollonius4 ,during the night the ,emperor summoned me to his house4 ,he was playing at osselets with ,sporus1 supporting his left arm upon a table of agate4 ,he turned and1 knitting his brows1 demanded3 ',how comes it that thou dost not fear me8' ',because1' ,i replied1 'the ,god who made thee terrible1 also made me intrepid4 ,,anthony 7to himself74 ,there is something inexplicable that terrifies me6 7,silence47 ,,damis 7breaking the silence with his shrill voice74 ,moreover1 all ,asia can tell thee 444 ,,anthony 7starting up74 ,i am ill6 let me be6 ,,damis4 ,but listen6 ,at ,ephesus1 he beheld them killing ,domitian1 who was at ,rome4 ,,anthony 7with a forced laugh74 ,is it possible8 ,,damis4 ,yes3 at the theatre at noon-day1 the fourteenth of the ,kalenda of ,october1 he suddenly cried out3 ',csar is being murdered6' and from time to time he would continue to ejaculate3 ',he rolls upon the pavement 444 ,oh6 how he struggles 444 ,he rises 444 ,he tries to flee 444 ,the doors are fastened 444 ,ah6 it is all over6 ,he is dead6' ,and in fact ,titus ,flavius ,domitianus was assassinated upon that very day1 as thou knowest4 ,,anthony4 ,without the aid of the ,devil 444 certainly 444 ,,apollonius4 ,he had purposed putting me to death1 that same ,domitian6 ,damis had taken flight according to my order1 and ,i remained alone in my prison4 ,,damis4 ,a terrible hardihood on thy part1 it must be confessed6 ,,apollonius4 ,about the fifth hour1 the soldiers led me before the tribunal4 ,i had my harangue all ready hidden beneath my mantle4 ,,damis4 ,we others were then upon the shores of ,puteoli1 we believed thee dead2 we were all weeping1 when all of a sudden about the sixth hour1 thou didst suddenly appear before us1 exclaiming3 ',it is ,i4' ,,anthony 7to himself74 ,even as ,he4446 ,,damis 7in a very loud voice74 ,precisely6 ,,anthony4 ,oh6 no6 ye lie6 is it not so8--ye lie6 ,,apollonius4 ,he descended from heaven4 ,i rise thither1 by the power of my virtue that has lifted me up even to the height of the ,principle of all things6 ,,damis4 ,thyana1 his natal city1 has established in his honor a temple and a priesthood6 ,,apollonius 7draws near ,anthony1 and shouts in his ear3--7 ,it is because ,i know all gods1 all rites1 all prayers1 all oracles6 ,i have penetrated into the cave of ,trophonius1 son of ,apollo6 ,i have kneaded for ,syracusan women the cakes which they carry to the mountains4 ,i have endured the eighty tests of ,mithra6 ,i have pressed to my heart the serpent of ,sabasius6 ,i have received the scarf of ,kabiri6 ,i have laved ,cybele in the waters of the ,campanian gulfs6 and ,i have passed three moons in the caverns of ,samothracia6 ,,damis 7with a stupid laugh74 ,ah6 ah6 ah6 at the mysteries of the good ,goddess6 ,,apollonius4 ,and now we recommence our pilgrimage4 ,we go to the ,north to the land of ,swans and of snows4 ,upon the vast white plains1 the blind hippopodes break with the tips of their feet the ultramarine plant4 ,,damis4 ,hasten6 it is already dawn4 ,the cock has crowed1 the horse has neighed1 the sail is hoisted6 ,,anthony4 ,the cock has not crowed6 ,i hear the locusts in the sands1 and ,i see the moon still in her place4 ,,apollonius4 ,we go to the ,south1 beyond the mountains and the mighty waters1 to seek in perfumes the secret source of love4 ,thou shalt inhale the odor of myrrhodion which makes the weak die4 ,thou shalt bathe thy body in the lake of ,rose-oil which is in the ,island ,junonia4 ,thou shalt see slumbering upon primroses that ,lizard which awakes every hundred years when the carbuncle upon its forehead1 arriving at maturity1 falls to the ground4 ,the stars palpitate like eyes2 the cascades sing like the melody of lyres2 strange intoxication is exhaled by blossoming flowers2 thy mind shall grow vaster in that air2 and thy heart shall change even as thy face4 ,,damis4 ,master6 it is time6 ,the wind has risen1 the swallows awaken1 the myrtle leaves are blown away4 ,,apollonius4 ,yes6 let us go6 ,,anthony4 ,nay6 ,i remain here6 ,,apollonius4 ,shall ,i tell thee where grows the plant ,balis1 that resurrects the dead8 ,,damis ,nay2 ask him rather for the audrodamas which attracts silver1 iron and brass6 ,,anthony4 ,oh6 how ,i suffer6 how ,i suffer6 ,,damis4 ,thou shalt comprehend the voices of all living creatures1 the roarings1 the cooings6 ,,apollonius4 ,i shall enable thee to ride upon unicorns and upon dragons1 upon hippocentaurs and dolphins6 ,,anthony 7weeping74 ,oh 444 oh6444 oh6 ,,apollonius4 ,thou shalt know the demons that dwell in the caverns1 the demons that mutter in the woods1 the demons that move in the waves1 the demons that push the clouds6 ,,damis4 ,tighten thy girdle1 fasten thy sandals6 ,,apollonius4 ,i shall explain to thee the reason of divine forms--why ,apollo stands1 why ,jupiter is seated1 why ,venus is black1 at ,corinth1 square-shaped at ,athens1 conical at ,paphos4 ,,anthony 7clasping his hands74 ,let them begone6 let them begone6 ,,apollonius4 ,in thy presence ,i will tear down the panoplies of the ,gods2 we shall force open the sanctuaries1 ,i will enable thee to violate the ,pythoness6 ,,anthony4 ,help6 ,o my ,god6 7,he rushes to the cross47 ,,apollonius4 ,what is thy desire8 ,what is thy dream8 ,thou needst only devote the moment of time necessary to think of it 444 ,,anthony4 ,jesus6 ,jesus6 ,help me6 ,,apollonius4 ,dost thou wish me to make him appear1 thy ,jesus8 ,,anthony4 ,what8 ,how6 ,,apollonius4 ,it shall be ,he6--no other6 ,he will cast off his crown1 and we shall converse face to face6 ,,damis 7in an undertone74 ,say thou dost indeed wish it6 say thou dost desire it6 7,anthony kneeling before the cross1 murmurs prayers4 ,damis walks around him1 with wheedling gestures47 ,nay1 nay6 good hermit4 ,be not horrified6 ,these are only exaggerated forms of speech1 borrowed from the ,orientals4 ,that need in no way 444 ,,apollonius4 ,let him alone1 ,damis6 ,he believes1 like a brute1 in the reality of things4 ,the terror which he entertains of the ,gods prevents him from comprehending them2 and he debases his own ,god to the level of a jealous king6 ,but thou1 my son1 do not leave me6 7,he moves to the edge of the cliff1 walking backward1 passes beyond the verge of the precipice1 and remains suspended in air47 ,above all forms1 further than the ends of the earth1 beyond the heavens themselves1 lies the world of ,idea1 replete with the splendor of the ,word6 ,with one bound we shall traverse the impending spaces1 and thou shalt behold in all his infinity1 the ,eternal1 the ,absolute1 the ,being6 ,come6 give me thy hand6 ,let us rise4 7,side by side1 both rise up through the air1 slowly4 ,anthony1 clinging to the cross1 watches them rise4 ,they disappear47 #a ,agape4--,love-feast of the primitive ,christians4 #b ,john ,,xvi3 #ab4--,t4 #c ,see note at end4 #d ,masheim gives ,achamoth4 ,i prefer to remain faithful to the orthography given by ,flaubert4 #e ,the ,french text gives mes pres not nos pres4 ,elxai1 or ,elkhai1 who established his sect in the reign of ,trajan1 was a ,jew4 #f ,see note4 #g ,the banyan is a fig-tree--the ,ficus indicus4--,trans4 #h ,readers may remember ,longfellow's exquisite poem ,helena of ,tyre4 #i ,see the second part of ,faust1 and ,kundry in ,parsifal4 ,v4 ,,anthony 7walking to and fro1 slowly74 ,that one1 indeed1 seems in himself equal to all the powers of ,hell6 ,nebuchadnezzar did not so much dazzle me with his splendours2--the ,queen of ,sheba herself charmed me less deeply4 ,his manner of speaking of the gods compels one to feel a desire to know them4 ,i remember having beheld hundreds of them at one time1 in the island of ,elephantius1 in the time of ,diocletian4 ,the emperor had ceded to the ,nomads a great tract of country1 upon the condition that they should guard the frontiers2 and the treaty was concluded in the name of the ',powers ,invisible4' ,for the gods of each people were unknown unto the other people4 ,the ,barbarians had brought theirs with them4 ,they occupied the sand-hills bordering the river4 ,we saw them supporting their idols in their arms1 like great paralytic children2--others1 paddling through the cataracts upon trunks of palm tree1 displayed from afar off the amulets hung about their necks1 the tattooings upon their breasts2 and these things were not more sinful than the religion of the ,greeks1 the ,asiatics1 and the ,romans6 ,when ,i was dwelling in the temple of ,heliopolis ,i would often consider the things ,i beheld upon the walls3--vultures bearing sceptres1 crocodiles playing upon lyres1 faces of men with the bodies of serpents1 cow-headed women prostrating themselves before ithyphallic gods3--and their supernatural forms attracted my thoughts to other worlds4 ,i longed to know that which drew the gaze of all those calm and mysterious eyes4 ,if matter can exert such power1 it must surely contain a spirit4 ,the souls of the ,gods are attached to their images 444 ,those possessing the beauty of forms might seduce4 ,but the others 444 those of loathsome or terrible aspect 444 how can men believe in them8444 7,and he beholds passing over the surface of the ground1--leaves1 stones1 shells1 branches of trees1--then a variety of hydropical dwarfs3 these are gods4 ,he bursts into a laugh4 ,he hears another laugh behind him2--and ,hilarion appears1 in the garb of a hermit1 far taller than before1 colossal47 ,,anthony 7who feels no surprise at seeing him74 ,how stupid one must be to worship such things6 ,,hilarion4 ,aye6--exceedingly stupid6 7,then idols of all nations and of all epochs--of wood1 of metal1 of granite1 of feathers1 of skins sewn together1--pass before them4 ,the most ancient of all anterior to the ,deluge are hidden under masses of seaweed hanging down over them like manes4 ,some that are too long for their bases1 crack in all their joints1 and break their own backs in walking4 ,others have rents torn in their bellies through which sand trickles out4 ,anthony and ,hilarion are prodigiously amused4 ,they hold their sides for laughter4 ,then appear sheep-headed idols4 ,they totter upon their bandy-legs1 half-open their eye-lids1 and stutter like the dumb1 ,ba6 ba6 ba6 ,the more that the idols commence to resemble the human forms1 the more they irritate ,anthony4 ,he strikes them with his fist1 kicks them1 attacks them with fury4 ,they become frightful1--with lofty plumes1 eyes like balls1 fingers terminated by claws1 the jaws of sharks4 ,and before these gods men are slaughtered upon altars of stone2 others are brayed alive in huge mortars1 crushed under chariots1 nailed upon trees4 ,there is one all of red-hot iron with the horns of a bull1 who devours children47 ,,anthony4 ,horror6 ,,hilarion4 ,but the gods always demand tortures--and suffering4 ,even thine desired 444 ,,anthony 7weeping74 ,ah6 say no more6--do not speak to me6 7,the space girdled by the rocks suddenly changes into a valley4 ,a herd of cattle are feeding upon the short grass4 ,the herdman who leads them1 observes a cloud2--and in a sharp voice1 shouts out words of command1 as if to heaven47 ,,hilarion4 ,because he needs rain1 he seeks by certain chants to compel the ,king of heaven to open the fecund cloud4 ,,anthony 7laughing74 ,verily1 such pride is the extreme of foolishness6 ,,hilarion4 ,why dost thou utter exorcisms8 7,the valley changes into a sea of milk1 motionless and infinite4 ,in its midst floats a long cradle formed by the coils of a serpent1 whose many curving heads shade1 like a dais1 the god slumbering upon its body4 ,he is beardless1 young1 more beautiful than a girl1 and covered with diaphanous veils4 ,the pearls of his tiara gleam softly like moons2 a chaplet of stars is entwined many times about his breast1 and with one hand beneath his head1 he slumbers with the look of one who dreams after wine4 ,a woman crouching at his feet1 awaits the moment of his awaking47 ,,hilarion4 ,such is the primordial duality of the ,brahmans1--the ,absolute being inexpressible by any form4 7,from the navel of the god has grown the stem of a lotus flower2 it blossoms1 and within its chalice appears another god with three faces47 ,,anthony4 ,how strange an invention6 ,,hilarion4 ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,spirit are but one and the same ,person6 7,the three faces separate2 and three great gods appear4 ,the first1 who is pink1 bites the end of his great toe4 ,the second1 who is blue1 uplifts his four arms4 ,the third1 who is green1 wears a necklace of human skulls4 ,before them instantly arise three goddesses--one is enveloped in a net2 another offers a cup2 the third brandishes a bow4 ,illustration3 444 instantly arise three goddesses ,and these gods1 these goddesses1 decuple themselves1 multiply4 ,arms grow from their shoulders2 at the end of these arms hands appear bearing standards1 axes1 bucklers1 swords1 parasols and drums4 ,fountains gush from their heads1 plants grow from their nostrils4 ,riding upon birds rocked in palanquins1 enthroned upon seats of gold1 standing in ivory niches1--they dream1 voyage1 command1 drink wine1 respire the breath of flowers4 ,dancing girls whirl in the dance2 giants pursue monsters2 at the entrances of grottoes solitaries meditate4 ,eyes cannot be distinguished from stars2 nor clouds from banderolles2 peacocks quench their thirst at rivers of gold dust2 the embroidery of pavilions seems to blend with the spots of leopards2 coloured rays intercross in the blue air1 together with flying arrows1 and swinging censers4 ,and all this develops like a lofty frieze1 resting its base upon the rocks1 and rising to the sky47 ,,anthony 7dazzled by the sight74 ,how vast is their number6 ,what do they seek8 ,,hilarion4 ,the god who rubs his abdomen with his elephant-trunk1 is the solar ,deity1 the inspiring spirit of wisdom4 ,that other whose six heads are crowned with towers1 and whose fourteen arms wield javelins1--is the prince of armies1--the ,fire-,consumer4 ,the old man riding the crocodile washes the soul of the dead upon the shore4 ,they will be tormented by that black woman with the putrid teeth1 who is the ,ruler of ,hell4 ,that chariot drawn by red mares1 driven by one who has no legs1 bears the master of the sun through heaven's azure4 ,the moon-god accompanies him1 in a litter drawn by three gazelles4 ,kneeling upon the back of a parrot1 the ,goddess of ,beauty presents to ,love1 her son1 her rounded breast4 ,behold her now1 further off1 leaping for joy in the meadows4 ,look6 ,look6 ,coiffed with dazzling mitre1 she trips lightly over the ears of growing wheat1 over the waves2 she rises in air1 extending her power over all elements4 ,and among these gods are the ,genii of the winds1 of the planets1 of the months1 of the days1--a hundred thousand others2--multiple are their aspects1 rapid their transformations4 ,behold1 there is one who changes from a fish into a tortoise3 he assumes the form of a boar1 the shape of a dwarf4 ,,anthony4 ,wherefore8 ,,hilarion4 ,that he may preserve the equilibrium of the universe1 and combat the works of evil4 ,but life exhausts itself2 forms wear away2 and they must achieve progression in their metamorphoses4 7,all upon a sudden appears a ,,naked ,,man seated in the midst of the sand1 with legs crossed47 7,a large halo vibrates1 suspended in air behind him4 ,the little ringlets of his black hair in which blueish tints shift symmetrically surround a protuberance upon the summit of his skull4 ,his arms1 which are very long1 hang down against his sides4 ,his two hands rest flat upon his thighs1 with the palms open4 ,the soles of his feet are like the faces of two blazing suns2 and he remains completely motionless--before ,anthony and ,hilarion--with all the gods around him1 rising in tiers above the rocks1 as if upon the benches of some vast circus4 ,his lips1 half-open2 and he speaks in a deep voice73 ,i am the ,master of great charities1 the succor of all creatures2 and not less to the profane than to believers1 do ,i expound the law4 ,that ,i might deliver the world1 ,i resolved to be born among men4 ,the gods wept when ,i departed from them4 ,i sought me first a woman worthy to give me birth3 a woman of warrior race1 the wife of a king1 exceedingly good1 excessively beautiful1 with body firm as adamant2--and at time of the full moon1 without the auxiliation of any male1 ,i entered her womb4 ,i issued from it by the right side4 ,stars stopped in their courses4 ,,hilarion 7murmurs between his teeth74 ,and seeing the star1 they rejoiced with exceeding great joy6#a 7,anthony watches more attentively47 ,,the ,,buddha#b 7continuing74 ,from the furthest recesses of the ,himalayas1 a holy man one hundred years of age1 hurried to see me4 ,,hilarion4 ,a man named ,simeon 444 who should not see death1 before he had seen the ,christ of the ,lord4#c ,,the ,,buddha4 ,i was led unto the schools2 and it was found that ,i knew more than the teachers4 ,,hilarion4 444 ,in the midst of the doctors 444 and all that heard him were astonished at his wisdom6#d 7,anthony makes a sign to ,hilarion to be silent47 ,,the ,,buddha4 ,continually did ,i meditate in the gardens4 ,the shadows of the trees turned with the turning of the sun2 but the shadow of that which sheltered me turned not4 ,none could equal me in the knowledge of the ,scriptures1 the enumeration of atoms1 the conduct of elephants1 the working of wax1 astronomy1 poetry1 pugilism1 all the exercises and all the arts6 ,in accordance with custom1 ,i took to myself a wife2 and ,i passed the days in my kingly palace2--clad in pearls1 under a rain of perfumes1 refreshed by the fans of thirty thousand women1--watching my peoples from the height of my terraces adorned with fringes of resonant bells4 ,but the sight of the miseries of the world turned me away from pleasure4 ,i fled4 ,i begged my way upon the high roads1 clad myself in rags gathered within the sepulchres2--and1 hearing of a most learned hermit1 ,i chose to become his slave4 ,i guarded his gate6 ,i washed his feet4 ,thus ,i annihilated all sensation1 all joy1 all languor4 ,then1 concentrating my thoughts within vaster meditation1 ,i learned to know the essence of things1 the illusion of forms4 ,soon ,i exhausted the science of the ,brahmans4 ,they are gnawed by covetousness and desire under their outward aspect of austerity2 they daub themselves with filth1 they live upon thorns1--hoping to arrive at happiness by the path of death6 ,,hilarion4444 ,pharisees1 hypocrites1 whited sepulchres1 generation of vipers6 ,,the ,,buddha4 ,i also accomplished wondrous things1--eating but one grain of rice each day 7and the grains of rice in those times were no larger than at present7--my hair fell off2 my body became black2 my eyes receding within their sockets1 seemed even as stars beheld at the bottom of a well4 ,during six years ,i kept myself motionless1 exposed to the flies1 the lions and the serpents2 and the great summer suns1 the torrential rains1 lightnings and snows1 hails and tempests1--all of these ,i endured without even the shelter of my lifted hand4 ,the travellers who passed by1 believing me dead1 cast clods of earth upon me6 ,only the temptation of the ,devil remained6 ,i summoned him4 ,his sons came1--hideous1 scale-covered1 nauseous as charnel-houses1--shrieking1 hissing1 bellowing2 interclashing their panoplies1 rattling together the bones of dead men4 ,some belched flame through their nostrils2 some made darkness about me with their wings2 some wore chaplets of severed fingers2 some drank serpent-venom from the hollows of their hands2--they were swine-headed2 they were rhinoceros-headed or toad-headed2 they assumed all forms that inspire loathing or affright4 ,,anthony 7to himself74 ,i also endured all that in other days6 ,,the ,,buddha4 ,then did he send me his daughters--beautiful with daintily painted faces1 and wearing girdles of gold4 ,their teeth were whiter than the jasmine-flower2 their thighs round as the trunk of an elephant4 ,some extended their arms and yawned1 that they might so display the dimples of their elbows2 some winked their eyes2 some laughed2 some half-opened their garments4 ,there were blushing virgins1 matrons replete with dignity1 queens who came with great trains of baggage and of slaves4 ,,anthony 7aside74 ,ah6 he too 444 ,,the ,,buddha4 ,having vanquished the ,demon1 ,i nourished myself for twelve years with perfumes only2--and as ,i had acquired the five virtues1 the five faculties1 the ten forces1 the eighteen substances1 and had entered into the four spheres of the invisible world1 ,intelligence became mine6 ,i became the ,buddha4 ,illustration3 ,intelligence became mine6 ,i became the ,buddha4 7,all the gods bow themselves down4 ,those having several heads1 bend them all simultaneously4 ,he lifts his mighty hand aloft1 and resumes37 ,that ,i might effect the deliverance of beings1 ,i have made hundreds of thousands of sacrifices6 ,to the poor ,i gave robes of silk1 beds1 chariots1 houses1 heaps of gold and of diamonds4 ,i gave my hands to the one-handed1 my legs to the lame1 my eyes to the blind2--even my head ,i severed for the sake of the decapitated4 ,in the day that ,i was ,king1 ,i gave away provinces2--when ,i was a ,brahman ,i despised no one4 ,when ,i was a solitary1 ,i spake kindly words to the robber who slew me4 ,when ,i was a tiger ,i allowed myself to die of hunger4 ,and having1 in this last existence1 preached the law1 nothing now remains for me to do4 ,the great period is accomplished6 ,men1 animals1 the gods1 the bamboos1 the oceans1 the mountains1 the sand-grains of the ,ganges1 together with the myriad myriads of the stars1--all shall die2--and until the time of the new births1 a flame shall dance upon the wrecks of worlds destroyed6 7,then a great dizziness comes upon the gods4 ,they stagger1 fall into convulsions1 and vomit forth their existences4 ,their crowns burst apart2 their banners fly away4 ,they tear off their attributes1 their sexes1 fling over their shoulders the cups from which they quaffed immortality1 strangle themselves with their serpents1 vanish in smoke2--and when all have disappeared 4447 ,,hilarion 7solemnly exclaims73 ,thou hast even now beheld the belief of many hundreds of millions of men4 7,anthony is prostrate upon the ground1 covering his face with his hands4 ,hilarion1 with his back turned to the cross1 stands near him and watches him4 ,a considerable time elapses4 ,then a singular being appears--having the head of a man upon the body of a fish4 ,he approaches through the air1 upright1 beating the sand from time to time with his tail2 and the patriarchal aspect of his face by contrast with his puny little arms1 causes ,anthony to laugh47 ,,oannes 7in a plaintive voice73 ,respect me6 ,i am the contemporary of beginnings4 ,i dwelt in that formless world where hermaphroditic creatures slumbered1 under the weight of an opaque atmosphere1 in the deeps of dark waters--when fingers1 fins1 and wings were blended1 and eyes without heads were floating like mollusks1 among human-headed bulls1 and dog-footed serpents4 ,illustration3 444 and eyes without heads were floating like mollusks ,above the whole of these beings1 ,,omoroca1 bent like a hoop1 extended her woman-body4 ,but ,belus cleft her in two halves2 with one he made the earth2 with the other1 heaven2--and the two equal worlds do mutually contemplate each other4 ,i1 the first consciousness of ,,chaos1 arose from the abyss that ,i might harden matter1 and give a law unto forms3--also ,i taught men to fish and to sow3 ,i gave them knowledge of writing1 and of the history of the gods4 ,illustration3 ,i1 the first consciousness of ,chaos1 arose from the abyss that ,i might harden matter1 and give a law unto forms 444 ,since then ,i have dwelt in the deep pools left by the ,deluge4 ,but the desert grows vaster about them2 the winds cast sand into them2 the sun devours them2--and ,i die upon my couch of slime1 gazing at the stars through the water4 ,thither ,i return6 7,he leaps and disappears in the ,nile47 ,,hilarion4 ,that is an ancient ,god of the ,chaldans6 ,,anthony 7ironically74 ,what1 then1 were those of ,babylon8 ,,hilarion4 ,thou canst behold them6 7,and they find themselves upon the platform of a lofty quadrangular tower dominating six other towers1 which1 narrowing as they rise1 form one monstrous pyramid4 ,far below a great black mass is visible--the city1 doubtless--extending over the plains4 ,the air is cold2 the sky darkly blue2 multitudes of stars palpitate above4 ,in the midst of the platform rises a column of white stone4 ,priests in linen robes pass and repass around it1 so as to describe by their evolutions a moving circle2 and with faces uplifted1 they gaze upon the stars4 4447 ,,hilarion4 7pointing out several of these stars to ,anthony73 ,there are thirty principal stars4 ,fifteen look upon the upper side of the earth2 fifteen below4 ,at regular intervals one shoots from the upper regions to those below2 while another abandons the inferior deeps to rise to sublime altitudes 444 ,of the seven planets1 two are beneficent2 two evil2 three ambiguous3--all things in the world depend upon the influence of these eternal fires4 ,according to their position or movement presages may be drawn2--and here thou dost tread the most venerable place upon earth4 ,here ,pythagoras and ,zoroaster have met2--here for twelve thousand years these men have observed the skies that they might better learn to know the gods4 ,,anthony4 ,the stars are not gods4 ,,hilarion4 ,aye1 they say the stars are gods2 for all things about us pass away2--the heavens only remain immutable as eternity4 ,,anthony4 ,yet there is a master6 ,,hilarion 7pointing to the column73 ,he6 ,belus6--the first ray1 the ,sun1 the ,male6 ,the ,other1 whom he fecundates1 is beneath him6 7,anthony beholds a garden1 illuminated by lamps3 ,he finds himself in the midst of the crowd1 in an avenue of cypress-trees4 ,to right and left are little pathways leading to huts constructed within a wood of pomegranate trees1 and enclosed by treillages of bamboo4 ,most of the men wear pointed caps1 and garments bedizened like the plumage of a peacock4 ,but there are also people from the ,north clad in bearskins1 nomads wearing mantles of brown wool1 pallid ,gangarides with long earrings2--and there seems to be as much confusion of rank as there is confusion of nations2 for sailors and stone-cutters elbow the princes who wear tiaras blazing with carbuncles and who carry long canes with carven knobs4 ,all proceed upon their way with dilated nostrils1 absorbed by the same desire4 ,from time to time1 they draw aside to make way for some long covered wagon drawn by oxen1 or some ass jolting upon his back a woman bundled up in thick veils1 who finally disappears in the direction of the cabins4 ,anthony feels afraid2 he half-resolves to turn back4 ,but an unutterable curiosity takes possession of him1 and draws him on4 ,at the foot of the cypress-trees there are ranks of women squatting upon deerskins1 all wearing in lieu of diadem1 a plaited fillet of ropes4 ,some1 magnificently attired1 loudly call upon the passers-by4 ,others1 more timid1 seek to veil their faces with their arms1 while some matron standing behind them1 their mother doubtless1 exhorts them4 ,others1 their heads veiled with a black shawl1 and their bodies entirely nude1 seem from afar off to be statues of flesh4 ,as soon as a man has thrown some money upon their knees1 they arise4 ,and the sound of kisses is heard under the foliage1--sometimes a great sharp cry47 ,,hilarion4 ,these are the virgins of ,babylon1 who prostitute themselves to the goddess4 ,,anthony4 ,what goddess8 ,,hilarion4 ,behold her6 7,and he shows him at the further end of the avenue1 upon the threshold of an illuminated grotto1 a block of stone representing a woman47 ,,anthony4 ,ignominy6--how abominable to give a sex to ,god6 ,,hilarion4 ,thou thyself dost figure him in thy mind as a living person6 7,anthony again finds himself in darkness4 ,he beholds in the air a luminous circle1 poised upon horizontal wings4 ,this ring of light1 girdles like a loose belt1 the waist of a little man wearing a mitre upon his head and carrying a wreath in his hand4 ,the lower part of his figure is completely concealed by immense feathers outspreading about him like a petticoat4 ,it is--,,ormuzd--the ,god of the ,persians4 ,he hovers in the air above1 crying aloud37 ,i fear6 ,i can see his monstrous jaws6 ,i did vanquish thee1 ,o ,ahriman6 ,but again thou dost war against me4 ,first revolting against me1 thou didst destroy the eldest of creatures1 ,kaiomortz1 the ,man-,bull4 ,then didst thou seduce the first human couple1 ,meschia and ,meschian2 and thou didst fill all hearts with darkness1 thou didst urge thy battalions against heaven6 ,i also had mine own1 the people of the stars2 and from the height of my throne ,i contemplated the marshalling of the astral hosts4 ,mithra1 my son1 dwelt in heavens inaccessible4 ,there he received souls1 from thence did he send them forth2 and he arose each morning to pour forth the abundance of his riches4 ,the earth reflected the splendour of the firmament4 ,fire blazed upon the crests of the mountains1--symbolizing that other fire of which ,i had created all creatures4 ,and that the holy flame might not be polluted1 the bodies of the dead were not burned2 the beaks of birds carried them aloft toward heaven4 ,i gave to men the laws regulating pastures1 labour1 the choice of wood for the sacrifices1 the form of cups1 the words to be uttered in hours of sleeplessness2--and my priests unceasingly offered up prayers1 so that worship might be as the eternity of ,god in its endlessness4 ,men purified themselves with water2 loaves were offered upon the altars1 sins were confessed aloud4 ,homa#e gave himself to men to be drank1 that they might have his strength communicated to them while the ,genii of heaven were combating the demons1 the children of ,iran were pursuing the serpents4 ,the ,king1 whom an innumerable host of courtiers served upon their knees1 represented me in his person1 and wore my coiffure4 ,his gardens had the magnificence of a heaven upon earth2 and his tomb represented him in the act of slaying a monster1--emblem of ,good destroying ,evil4 ,for it was destined that ,i should one day definitely conquer ,ahriman1 by the aid of ,time-without-limits4 ,but the interval between us disappears2--the deep night rises6 ,to me6 ye ,amschaspands1 ye ,izeds1 ye ,ferouers6 ,succor me1 ,mithra6 seize thy sword6 ,and thou1 ,kaosyac1 who shall return for the universal deliverance1 defend me6 ,what6--none to aid6 ,ah6 ,i die6 ,thou art the victor1 ,ahriman6 7,hilarion1 standing behind ,anthony1 restrains a cry of joy2--and ,,ormuzd is swallowed up in the darkness47 7,then appears37 ,,the ,,great ,,diana ,,of ,,ephesus 7black with enamelled eyes1 her elbows pressed to her side1 her forearms extended1 with hands open4 ,lions crawl upon her shoulders2 fruits1 flowers1 and stars intercross upon her bosom2 further down three rows of breasts appear2 and from her belly to her feet she is covered with a tightly fitting sheath from which bulls1 stags1 griffins1 and bees1 seem about to spring1 their bodies half-protruding from it4 ,she is illuminated by the white light emanating from a disk of silver1 round as the full moon1 placed behind her head47 ,where is my temple8 ,where are my ,amazons8 ,what is this ,i feel8--,i1 the ,incorruptible6--a strange faintness comes upon me6444 7,her flowers wither1 her over-ripe fruits become detached and fall4 ,the lions and the bulls hang their heads2 the deer foam at the mouth1 with a slimy foam1 as though exhausted2 the buzzing bees die upon the ground4 ,she presses her breasts1 one after the other4 ,all are empty6 ,but under a desperate effort her sheath bursts4 ,she seizes it by the bottom1 like the skirt of a robe1 throws her animals1 her fruits1 her flowers1 into it1--then withdraws into the darkness4 ,and afar off there are voices1 murmuring1 growling1 roaring1 bellowing1 belling4 ,the density of the night is augmented by breaths4 ,drops of warm rain fall47 ,,anthony4 ,how sweet the odour of the palm trees1 the trembling of leaves1 the transparency of springs6 ,i feel the desire to lie flat upon the ,earth that ,i might feel her against my heart2 and my life would be reinvigorated by her eternal youth6 7,he hears the sound of castanets and of cymbals2 and men appear1 clad in white tunics with red stripes1--leading through the midst of a rustic crowd an ass1 richly harnessed1 its tail decorated with knots of ribbons1 and its hoofs painted4 ,a box1 covered with a saddle-cloth#f of yellow material shakes to and fro upon its back1 between two baskets1--one receives the offerings contributed1--eggs1 grapes1 pears1 cheeses1 fowls1 little coins2 and the other basket is full of roses1 which the leaders of the ass pluck to pieces as they walk before the animal1 shedding the leaves upon the ground4 ,they wear earrings and large mantles2 their locks are plaited1 their cheeks painted1 olive-wreaths are fastened upon their foreheads by medallions bearing figurines2--all wear poniards in their belts1 and brandish ebony-handled whips1 having three thongs to which osselets are attached4#g ,those who form the rear of the procession1 place upon the soil1--so as to remain upright as a candelabrum1--a tall pine1 which burns at its summit1 and shades under its lower branches a lamb4 ,the ass halts4 ,the saddle-cloth is removed4 ,underneath appears a second covering of black felt4 ,then one of the men in white tunics begins to dance1 rattling his crotali2--another1 kneeling before the box1 beats a tambourine and--7 ,,the ,,oldest ,,of ,,the ,,band1 begins3-- ,here is the ,good ,goddess1 the ,idan of the mountains1 the ,great ,mother of ,syria6 ,come ye hither1 good people all6 ,illustration3 ,here is the ,good ,goddess1 the ,idan of the mountains 444 ,she gives joy to men1 she heals the sick2 she sends inheritances2 she satisfies the hunger of love6 ,we bear her through the land1 rain or shine1 in fair weather1 or in foul4 ,oft times we lie in the open air1 and our table is not always well served4 ,robbers dwell in the woods4 ,wild beasts rush from their caverns4 ,slippery paths border the precipices4 ,behold her6 behold her6 7,they lift off the covering2 and a box is seen1 inlaid with little pebbles47 ,loftier than the cedars1 she looks down from the blue ether4 ,vaster than the wind she encircles the world4 ,her breath is exhaled by the nostrils of tigers2 the rumbling of her voice is heard beneath the volcanoes2 her wrath is the tempest2 the pallor of her face has whitened the moon4 ,she ripens the harvest2 by her the tree-bark swells with sap2 she makes the beard to grow4 ,give her something2 for she hates the avaricious6 7,the box opens2 and under a little pavilion of blue silk appears a small image of ,cybele--glittering with spangles1 crowned with towers1 and seated in a chariot of red stone1 drawn by two lions1 with uplifted paws4 ,the crowd presses forward to see47 ,,the ,,archigallus 7continues73 ,she loves the sound of resounding tympanums1 the echo of dancing feet1 the howling of wolves1 the sonorous mountains and the deep gorges1 the flower of the almond tree1 the pomegranate and the green fig1 the whirling dance1 the snoring flute1 the sugary sap1 the salty tear1--blood6 ,to thee1 to thee6--,mother of the mountains6 7,they scourge themselves with their whips2 and their chests resound with the blows2--the skins of the tambourines vibrate almost to bursting4 ,they seize their knives2 they gash their arms47 ,she is sorrowful2 let us be sorrowful6 ,thereby your sins will be remitted4 ,blood purifies all--fling its red drops abroad like blossoms6 ,she1 the ,great ,mother1 demands the blood of another creature--of a pure being6 7,the ,archigallus raises his knife above the head of a lamb47 ,,anthony 7seized with horror73 ,do not slay the lamb6 7,there is a gush of purple blood4 ,the priest sprinkles the crowd with it2 and all--including ,anthony and ,hilarion--standing around the burning tree1 silently watch the last palpitations of the victim4 ,a ,woman comes forth from the midst of the priests2 she resembles exactly the image within the little box4 ,she pauses1 perceiving before her a ,young ,man wearing a ,phrygian cap4 ,his thighs are covered with a pair of narrow trousers1 with lozenge-shaped openings here and there at regular intervals1 closed by bow knots of coloured material4 ,he stands in an attitude of languor1 resting his elbow against a branch of the tree1 holding a flute in his hand47 ,,cybele 7flinging her arms about his waist74 ,i have traversed all regions of the earth to join thee--and famine ravaged the fields ,thou hast deceived me6 ,it matters not6 ,i love thee6 ,warm my body in thine embrace6 ,let us be united6 ,,atys4 ,the springtime will never again return1 ,o eternal ,mother6 ,despite my love1 it is no longer possible for me to penetrate thy essence6 ,would that ,i might cover myself with a painted robe like thine6 ,i envy thy breasts1 swelling with milk1 the length of thy tresses1 thy vast flanks that have borne and brought forth all creatures6 ,why am ,i not thou8--,why am ,i not a woman8--,no1 never6 depart from me6 ,my virility fills me with horror6 7,with a sharp stone he dismembers himself1 and runs furiously from her 444 ,the priests imitate the god2 the faithful do even as the priests4 ,men and women exchange garments1 embrace2--and the tumult of bleeding flesh passes away1 while the sound of voices remaining1 becomes even more strident1--like the shrieking of mourners1 like the voices heard at funerals4 444 ,a huge catafalque1 hung with purple1 supports upon its summit an ebony bed1 surrounded by torches and baskets of silver filagree1 in which are verdant leaves of lettuce1 mallow and fennel4 ,upon the steps of the construction1 from summit to base1 sit women all clad in black1 with loosened girdles and bare feet1 holding in their hands with a melancholy air1 great bouquets of flowers4 ,at each corner of the estrade urns of alabaster1 filled with myrrh1 slowly send up their smoke4 ,upon the bed can be perceived the corpse of a man4 ,blood flows from his thigh4 ,one of his arms hangs down lifelessly2--and a dog licks his finger nails and howls4 ,the row of torches placed closely together1 prevents his face from being seen2 and ,anthony feels a strange anguish within him4 ,he fears lest he should recognize some one4 ,the sobs of the women cease--and after an interval of silence17 ,,all 7psalmody together73 ,fair6 fair6--all fair he is6 ,thou hast slept enough6--lift thy head6--arise6 ,inhale the perfume of our flowers--narcissus--blossoms and anemones1 gathered in thine own gardens to please thee4 ,arouse thee6 thou dost make us fear for thee6 ,speak to us6 ,what dost thou desire8 ,wilt thou drink wine8--wilt thou lie in our beds8--dost wish to eat the honeycakes which have the form of little birds8 ,let us press his lips1--kiss his breast6 ,now6--now6--dost thou not feel our ring-laden fingers passing over thy body8--and our lips that seek thy mouth8--and our tresses that sweep thy thighs8 ,o faint ,god1 deaf to our prayers6 7,they cry aloud1 and rend their faces with their nails2 then all rush1--and the howling of the dog continues in the silence47 ,alas6 alas6 ,woe6--the black blood trickles over his snowy flesh6 ,see6 his knees writhe6--his sides sink in6 ,the bloom of his face hath dampened the purple4 ,he is dead1 dead6 ,o weep for him6 ,lament for him6 7,in long procession they ascend to lay between the torches the offerings of their several tresses1 that seem from afar off like serpents1 black or blond2--and the catafalque is lowered gently to the level of1 a grotto1--the opening of a shadowy sepulchre that yawns behind it4 ,then--7 ,a ,,woman 7bends over the corpse4 ,her long hair1 uncut1 envelopes her from head to feet4 ,she sheds tears so abundantly that her grief cannot be as that of the others1 but more than human--infinite6 ,anthony dreams of the ,mother of ,jesus4 ,she speaks3--7 ,thou didst emerge from the ,orient1 and didst take me1 all trembling with the dew1 into thy arms1 ,o ,sun6 ,doves fluttered upon the azure of thy mantle2 our kisses evoked low breezes among the foliage2 and ,i abandoned myself wholly to thy love1 delighting in the pleasure of my weakness4 ,alas6 alas--,why didst thou depart1 to run upon the mountains6 ,a boar did wound thee at the time of the autumnal equinox6 ,thou art dead2 and the fountains weep1--the trees bend down4 ,the wind of winter whistles through the naked brushwood4 ,my eyes are about to close1 seeing that darkness covers them6 ,now thou dwellest in the underworld near the mightiest of my rivals4 ,o ,persephone1 all that is beautiful descends to thee1 never to return6 7,even while she speaks1 her companions lift the dead1 to place him within the sepulchre4 ,he remains in their hands6 ,it was only a waxen corpse4 ,wherefore ,anthony feels something resembling relief4 ,all vanish2--and the hut1 the rocks1 and the cross reappear4 ,but upon the other side of the ,nile1 ,anthony beholds a ,woman1 standing in the midst of the desert4 ,she retains in her hand the lower part of a long black veil that hides all her face2 supporting with her left arm a little child to whom she is giving suck4 ,a great ape crouches down in the sand beside her4 ,she uplifts her head toward heaven2 and in spite of the great distance1 her voice is distinctly heard37 ,,isis4 ,o ,neith1 ,beginning of all things6 ,ammon1 ,lord of ,eternity2 ,pthah1 demiurgos2 ,thoth1 his intelligence2 gods of the ,amenthi1 particular triads of the ,nomes1--falcons in the azure of heaven1 sphinxes before the temples1 ibises perched between the horns of oxen1 planets1 constellations1 shore1 murmurs of the wind1 gleams of the light1--tell me where ,i may find ,osiris4 ,i have sought him in all the canals and all the lakes--aye1 further yet1 even to ,phoenician ,byblos4 ,anubis1 with ears pricked up1 leaped about me1 and yelped1 and thrust his muzzle searchingly into the tufts of the tamarinds4 ,thanks1 good ,cynocephalos--thanks to thee6 7,she gives the ape two or three friendly little taps upon the head47 ,hideous ,typhon1 the red-haired slew him1 tore him in pieces6 ,we have found all his members4 ,but ,i have not that which rendered me fecund6 7,she utters wild lamentations47 ,,anthony 7is filled with fury4 ,he casts stones at her1 reviles her47 ,begone6 thou shameless one6--,begone6 ,,hilarion4 ,nay6 respect her6 ,her religion was the faith of thy fathers6--thou didst wear her amulets when thou wert a child in the cradle6 ,,isis4 ,in the summers of long ago1 the inundation drove the impure beasts into the desert4 ,the dykes were opened1 the boats dashed against each other2 the panting earth drank the river with the intoxication of joy4 ,then1 ,o ,god1 with the horns of the bull1 thou didst lie upon my breast1 and then was heard1 the lowings of the ,eternal ,cow6 ,the seasons of sowing and reaping1 of threshing and of vintage1 followed each other in regular order with the years4 ,in the eternal purity of the nights1 broad stars beamed and glowed4 ,the days were bathed in never-varying splendour4 ,like a royal couple the ,sun and the ,moon appeared simultaneously1 at either end of the horizon4 ,then did we both reign above a sublimer world1 twin-monarchs1 wedded within1 the womb of eternity--he bearing a concupha-headed sceptre2 ,i1 the sceptre that is tipped with a lotus-flower2 both of us erect with hands joined2 and the crumblings of empires affected not our attitude4 ,egypt extended1 below us1 monumental and awful1 long-shaped like the corridor of a temple2 with obelisks on the right1 pyramids on the left1 and its labyrinth in the midst4 ,and everywhere were avenues of monsters1 forests of columns1 massive pylons flanking gates summit-crowned with the mysterious globe--the globe of the world1 between two wings4 ,the animals of her ,zodiac also existed in her pasture lands2 and filled her mysterious writing with their forms and colours4 ,divided into twelve regions as the year is divided into-twelve months--each month1 each day also having its own god--she reproduced the immutable order of heaven4 ,and man even in dying changed not his face2 but saturated with perfumes1 invulnerable to decay1 he lay down to sleep for three thousand years in another and silent ,egypt4 ,and that ,egypt1 vaster than the ,egypt of the living1 extended beneath the earth4 ,thither one descended by dark stairways leading into halls where were represented the joys of the good1 the tortures of the wicked1 all that passes in the third and invisible world4 ,ranged along the wall the dead in their painted coffins awaited their turn2 and the soul1 exempted from migrations1 continued its heavy slumber until the awakening into a new life4 ,nevertheless1 ,osiris sometimes came to see me4 ,and by his ghost ,i became the mother of ,harpocrates4 7,she contemplates the child47 ,aye6 it is he4 ,those are his eyes2 those are his locks1 plaited into ram horns6 ,thou shalt recommence his works4 ,we shall bloom again like the lotus4 ,i am still the ,great ,isis6--none has yet lifted my veil6 ,my fruit is the ,sun6 ,illustration3 ,i am still the ,great ,isis6none has yet lifted my veil6 ,my fruit is the ,sun6 ,sim of ,springtime1 clouds now obscure thy face6 ,the breath of ,typhon devours the pyramids4 ,but a little while ago ,i beheld the ,sphinx flee away4 ,he was galloping like a jackal4 ,i look for my priests1--my priests clad in mantles of linen1 with their great harps1 and bearing a mysterious bark1 adorned with silver pateras4 ,there are no more festivals upon the lakes6--no more illuminations in my delta6--no more cups of milk at ,phil6 ,apis has long ceased to reappear4 ,egypt6 ,egypt6 thy great motionless gods have their shoulders already whitened by the dung of birds2 and the wind that passes over the desert rolls with it and the ashes of thy dead6--,anubis1 guardian of ghosts1 abandon me not6 7,the ,cynocephalos has vanished4 ,she shakes her child47 ,but 444 what ails thee 444 thy hands are cold1 thy head droops6 7,harpocrates expires4 ,then she cries aloud with a cry so piercing1 funereal1 heart-rending1 that ,anthony answers it with another cry1 extending his arms as to support her4 ,she is no longer there4 ,he lowers his face1 overwhelmed by shame4 ,all that he has seen becomes confused within his mind4 ,it is like the bewilderment of travel1 the illness of drunkenness4 ,he wishes to hate2 but a vague and vast pity fills his heart4 ,he begins to weep1 and weeps abundantly47 ,,hilarion4 ,what makes thee sorrowful8 ,,anthony 7after having long sought within himself for a reply73 ,i think of all the souls that have been lost through these false gods6 ,,hilarion4 ,dost thou not think that they 444 sometimes 444 bear much resemblance to the ,,true8 ,,anthony4 ,that is but a device of the ,devil to seduce the faithful more easily4 ,he attacks the strong through the mind1 the weak through the flesh4 ,,hilarion4 ,but luxury1 in its greatest fury1 has all the disinterestedness of penitence4 ,the frenzied love of the body accelerates the destruction thereof1--and proclaims the extent of the impossible by the exposition of the body's weakness4 ,,anthony4 ,what signifies that to me6 ,my heart sickens with disgust of these beautiful bestial gods1 forever busied with carnages and incests6 ,,hilarion4 ,yet recollect all those things in the ,scripture which scandalize thee because thou art unable to comprehend them6 ,so also may these ,gods conceal under their sinful forms some mighty truth4 ,there are more of them yet to be seen4 ,look around6 ,,anthony4 ,no1 no6--it is dangerous6 ,,hilarion4 ,but a little while ago thou didst desire to know them6 ,is it because thy faith might vacillate in the presence of lies8 ,what fearest thou8 7,the rocks fronting ,anthony have become as a mountain4 ,a line of clouds obscures the mountain half way between summit and base2 and above the clouds appears another mountain1 enormous1 all green1 unequally hollowed by valleys nestling in its slopes1 and supporting at its summit1 in the midst of laurel-groves a palace of bronze1 roofed with tiles of gold1 and supported by columns having capitals of ivory4 ,in the centre of the peristyle ,jupiter1--colossal1 with torso nude1--holds ,victory in one hand1 his thunderbolts in the other2 and his eagle1 perched between his feet1 rears its head4 ,juno1 seated near him1 rolls her large eyes1 beneath a diadem whence her wind-blown veil escapes like a vapour4 ,behind them1 ,minerva1 standing upon a pedestal1 leans on her spear4 ,the skin of the ,gorgon covers her breast1 and a linen peplos falls in regular folds to the nails of her toes4 ,her glaucous eyes1 which gleam beneath her vizor1 gaze afar off1 attentively4 ,on the right of the palace1 the aged ,neptune bestrides a dolphin beating with its fins a vast azure expanse which may be sea or sky1 for the perspective of the ,ocean seems a continuation of the blue ether3 the two elements are interblended4 ,on the other side weird ,pluto in night-black mantle1 crowned with diamond tiara and bearing a sceptre of ebony1 sits in the midst of an islet surrounded by the circumvolutions of the ,styx2--and this river of shadow empties itself into the darknesses1 which form a vast black gulf below the cliff1--a bottomless abyss6 ,mars1 clad in brass1 brandishes as in wrath his broad shield and his sword4 ,hercules1 leaning upon his club1 gazes at him from below4 ,apollo1 his face ablaze with light1 grasps with outstretched right arm the reins of four white horses urged to a gallop2 and ,ceres in her ox-drawn chariot advances toward him with a sickle in her hand4 ,behind her comes ,bacchus1 riding in a very low chariot1 gently drawn by lynxes4 ,plump and beardless1 with vine leaves garlanding his brow1 he passes by holding in his hand an overflowing cup of wine4 ,silenus riding beside him reels upon his ass4 ,pan of the pointed ears1 blows upon his syrinx2 the ,mimalonides beat drums2 the ,mnads strew flowers2 the ,bacchantes turn in the dance with heads thrown back and hair dishevelled4 ,diana1 with tunic tucked up1 issues from the wood together with her nymphs4 ,at the further end of a cavern1 ,vulcan among his ,cabiri1 hammers the heated iron2 here and there the aged ,rivers leaning recumbent upon green rocks pour water from their urns2 the ,muses stand singing in the valleys4 ,the ,hours1 all of equal stature1 link hands2 and ,mercury poses obliquely upon a rainbow1 with his caduceus1 winged sandals1 and winged petasus4 ,but at the summit of the stairway of the ,gods1--among clouds soft as down1 from whose turning volutes a rain of roses falls1--,venus ,anadyomene stands gazing at herself in a mirror3--her eyes move languorously beneath their slumbrous lids4 ,she has masses of rich blond hair rolling down over her shoulders2 her breasts are small2 her waist is slender2 her hips curve out like the sweeping curves of a lyre2 her thighs are perfectly rounded2 there are dimples about her knees2 her feet are delicate3 a butterfly hovers near her mouth4 ,the splendour of her body makes a nacreous-tinted halo of bright light about her2 while all the rest of ,olympus is bathed in a pink dawn1 rising gradually to the heights of the blue sky47 ,,anthony4 ,ah6 my heart swells6 ,a joy never known before thrills me to the depths of my soul6 ,how beautiful1 how beautiful it is6 ,,hilarion4 ,they leaned from the heights of cloud to direct the way of swords2 one used to meet them upon the high roads2 men had them in their houses--and this familiarity divinized life4 ,life's aim was only to be free and beautiful4 ,nobility of attitude was facilitated by the looseness of garments4 ,the voice of the orator1 trained by the sea1 rolled its sonorous waves against the porticoes of marble4 ,the ephebus1 anointed with oil1 wrestled all naked in the full light of the sun4 ,the holiest of actions was to expose perfection of forms to all4 ,and these men respected wives1 aged men1 suppliants4 ,behind the temple of ,hercules there was an altar erected to ,pity4 ,victims were immolated with flowers wreathed about the fingers of the sacrificer4 ,even memory was exempted from thoughts of the rottenness of death4 ,nothing remained but a little pile of ashes4 ,and the ,soul1 mingling with the boundless ether1 rose up to ,god4 7,bending to whisper in ,anthony's ear3--7 ,and they still live6 ,the ,emperor ,constantine adores ,apollo4 ,thou wilt find the ,trinity in ,samothracian mysteries1--baptism in the religion of ,isis1--redemption in the faith of ,mithra1--a martyrdom of a ,god in the festivals of ,bacchus4 ,prosperpine is the ,virgin6444 ,aristus is ,jesus6 ,,anthony 7remains awhile with downcast eyes1 as if in deep thought2 then suddenly repeats aloud the ,symbol of ,jerusalem1 as he remembers it1 uttering a long sigh between each phrase73-- ,i believe in one only ,god1 the ,father1--and in one only ,lord1 ,jesus ,christ1--the first born son of ,god1 who was incarnated and made man1--who was crucified1 and buried1--who ascended into ,heaven1--who will come to judge the living and the dead1--of whose ,kingdom there shall be no end2--and in one ,holy ,spirit1--and in one baptism of repentance1--and in one ,holy ,catholic ,church1--and in the resurrection of the flesh1--and in the life everlasting6 7,immediately the cross becomes loftier and loftier2 it pierces the clouds1 and casts its shadow upon the heaven of the gods4 ,all grow pale2--,olympus shudders4 ,and at its base ,anthony beholds vast bodies enchained1 sustaining the rocks upon their shoulders1--giant figures half buried in the deeps of caverns4 ,these are the ,titans1 the ,giants1 the ,hecatonchires1 the ,cyclops47 ,a ,,voice 7rises1 indistinct and awful1 like the far roar of leaves1 like the voice of forests in time of tempest1 like the mighty moaning of the wind among the precipices73 ,we knew these things6--we knew them6 ,there must come an end even for the ,gods6 ,uranus was mutilated by ,saturn1--,saturn by ,jupiter4 ,and ,jupiter himself shall be annihilated4 ,each in his turn2--it is ,destiny6 7,and little by little they sink into the mountain1 and disappear4 ,meanwhile the golden tiles of the palace rise and fly away47 ,,jupiter 7has descended from his throne4 ,at his feet the thunderbolts lie1 smoking like burning coals about to expire2--and the great eagle bends its neck to pick up its falling feathers73 ,then ,i am no longer the master of all things1--most holy1 most mighty1 god of the phatrias and ,greek peoples1--ancestor of all the ,kings1--,agamemnon of heaven4 ,eagle of apotheoses1 what wind from ,erebus has wafted thee to me8 or1 fleeing from the ,campus ,martins1 dost thou bear me the soul of the last of the ,emperors8 ,i no longer desire to receive those of men4 ,let the ,earth keep them2 and let them move upon the level of its baseness4 ,their hearts are now the hearts of slaves2--they forget injuries1 forget their ancestors1 forget their oaths1--and everywhere the folly of crowds1 the mediocrity of individuals1 the hideousness of races1 hold sway6 7,he pants with such violence that his sides seem ready to burst asunder2 he clenches his hands4 ,weeping1 ,,hebe offers him a cup4 ,he seizes it47 ,no1 no6 ,so long as there shall be a brain enclosing a thought1 in whatsoever part of the world2--so long as there shall exist a mind hating disorder1 creating ,,law1--so long will the spirit of ,jupiter live6 7,but the cup is empty4 ,he turns its edge down over his thumbnail47 ,not one drop left6 ,when the ambrosia fails1 the ,immortals must indeed depart6 7,the cup drops from his hands2 and he leans against a column1 feeling himself about to die47 ,,juno4 ,thou shouldst not have had so many amours6 ,eagle1 bull1 swan1 rain of gold1 cloud and flame1 thou didst assume all forms1--dissipate thy light in all elements1--lose thy hair upon all beds6 ,this time the divorce is irrevocable2 and our domination1 our very existence1 dissolved4 7,she passes away in air47 ,,minerva 7has no longer her spear2 and the ravens nesting among the sculptures of the friezes1 wheel about her1 peeking at her helmet47 ,let me see whether my vessels cleave the bright sea1 returning to my three ports1--let me discover why the fields are deserted1 and learn what the daughters of ,athens are now doing4 ,in the month of ,hecatombeon my whole people came to worship me1 under the guidance of their magistrates and priests4 ,then1 all in white robes and wearing chitons of gold1 they advanced the long line of virgins bearing cups1 baskets1 parasols2 then the three hundred sacrificial oxen1 and the old men having green boughs1 the soldiers with clashing of armour1 the ephebi singing hymns1 flute players1 lyre players1 rhapsodists1 dancing women2--and lastly attached to the mast of a trireme mounted upon wheel1 my great veil embroidered by virgins who had been nourished in a particular way for a whole year4 ,and when it had been displayed in all the streets1 in all the squares1 and before the temples1 in the midst of the ever-chanting procession1 it was borne step by step up the hill of the ,acropolis1 grazed the ,propyla1 and entered the ,parthenon4444 ,but a strange feebleness comes upon me1--me the ,industrious ,one6 ,what6 what6 not one idea comes to me6 ,lo6 ,i am trembling more than a woman6 7,she turns1 beholds a ruin behind her1 utters a cry1 and stricken by a fallen fragment1 falls backward upon the ground47 ,,hercules 7has flung away his lion-skin2 and with feet firmly braced1 back arched1 teeth clenched1 he exhausts himself in immeasurable efforts to bear up the mass of crumbling ,olympus47 ,i vanquished the ,cercopes1 the ,amazons1 and the ,centaurs4 ,many were the kings ,i slew4 ,i broke the horn of the great river1 ,achelous4 ,i cut the mountains asunder2 ,i freed nations from slavery2 and ,i peopled lands that were desolate4 ,i travelled through the countries of ,gaul2 ,i traversed the deserts where thirst prevails4 ,i defended the gods from their enemies2 and ,i freed myself from ,omphale4 ,but the weight of ,olympus is too great for me4 ,my arms grow feebler3--,i die6 7,he is crushed beneath the ruins47 ,,pluto4 ,it is thy fault1 ,amphytrionad2--wherefore didst thou descend into my empire8 ,the vulture that gnaws the entrails of ,tityus lifted its head2--the lips of ,tantalus were moistened2--the wheel of ,ixion stopped4 ,meanwhile the ,kres extended their claws to snatch back the escaping ghosts2 the ,furies tore the serpents of their locks2 and ,cerberus fettered by thee with a chain1 sounded the death rattle in his throat1 and foamed at all his three mouths4 ,thou didst leave the gate ajar2 others have come4 ,the daylight of men has entered into ,tartarus6 7,he sinks into the darkness47 ,,neptune4 ,my trident can no longer call up the tempests4 ,the monsters that terrified of old1 lie rotting at the bottom of the sea4 ,amphitrite whose white feet tripped lightly over the foam1 the green ,nereids seen afar off in the horizon1 the scaly ,sirens who stopped the passing vessels to tell stories1 and the ancient ,tritons mightily blowing upon their shells1 all have passed away4 ,all is desolate and dead2 the gaiety of the great ,sea is no more6 7,he vanishes beneath the azure47 ,,diana 7clad in black and surrounded by her dogs1 which have been changed into wolves74 ,the freedom of the deep forests once intoxicated me2 the odours of the wild beasts and the exhalations of the marshes made me as one drank with joy4 ,but the women whose maternity ,i protected1 now bring dead children into the world4 ,the moon trembles with the incantations of witches4 ,desires of violence1 of immensity1 seize me1 fill me6 ,i wish to drink poisons1--to lose myself in vapours1 in dreams4446 7,and a passing cloud carries her away47 ,,mars 7unhelmed and covered with blood74 ,at first ,i fought alone2--singlehanded ,i would provoke a whole army by my insults1--caring nothing for countries or nations1 demanding battle for the pleasure of carnage alone4 ,afterward ,i had comrades4 ,they marched to the sound of flutes1 in good order1 with equal step1 respiring above their bucklers1 with plumes loftily nodding1 lances oblique4 ,then on rushed to battle with mighty eagle cries4 ,war was joyous as a banquet4 ,three hundred men strove against all ,asia4 ,but the ,barbarians are returning2--by myriads they come1 by millions6 ,ah6 since numbers1 and engines1 and cunning are stronger than valour1 it were better that ,i die the death of the brave6 7,he kills himself47 ,,vulcan 7sponging the sweat from his limbs73 ,the world is growing cold4 ,the source of heat must be nourished1 the volcanoes and rivers of flowing metal underground4 ,strike harder6--with full swing of the arms1--with might and main6 7,the ,cabiri wound themselves with their hammers1 blind themselves with sparks1 and groping1 lose themselves in the darkness47 ,,ceres 7standing in her chariot1 impelled by wheels having wings at their hubs73 ,stop6 ,stop6 ,ah6 it was with good reason that the exclusion of strangers1 atheists1 ,epicureans1 and ,christians was commended6 ,now the mystery of the basket has been unveiled2 the sanctuary profaned3 all is lost6 7,she descends a precipitous slope--shrieking1 despairing1 tearing her hair47 ,ah6 lies1 lies6 ,daira has not been restored to me4 ,the voice of brass calls me to the dead4 ,this is another ,tartarus1 whence there is no return6 ,horror6 7,the abyss engulfs her47 ,,bacchus 7with a frenzied laugh74 ,what matters it8 ,the ,archon's wife is my spouse6 ,the law itself reels in drunkenness6 ,to me the new song1 the multiplied forms6 ,the fire by which my mother was devoured1 flows in my veins6 ,let it burn yet more fiercely1 even though ,i perish6 ,male and female1 complaisant to all1 ,i abandon myself to you1 ,bacchantes6 ,i abandon myself to you1 ,bacchanalians6--and the vine shall twine herself about the tree-trunks6 ,howl6 dance6 writhe6 ,loosen the tiger and the slave6--rend flesh with ferocious bitings6 7,and ,pan1 ,silenus1 the ,bacchantes1 the ,mimalonides1 and the ,mnads1--with their serpents1 torches1 sable masks1--cast flowers at each other 444 shake their tympanums1 strike their thyrsi1 pelt each other with shells1 devour grapes1 strangle a goat1 and tear ,bacchus asunder47 ,,apollo 7furiously whipping his coursers1 while his blanching locks are falling from his head73 ,i have left far behind me stony ,delos1 so pure that all now there seems dead2 and ,i must strive to reach ,delphi ere its inspiring vapour be wholly lost4 ,the mules browse in its laurel groves4 ,the ,pythoness has wandered away1 and cannot be found4 ,by a stronger concentration of my power1 ,i will obtain sublime hymns1 eternal monuments2 and all matter will be penetrated by the vibrations of my cithara6 7,he strikes the strings of the instrument4 ,they burst1 lashing his face with their broken ends4 ,he flings the cithara away2 and furiously whipping his quadriga1 cries73 ,no6 enough of forms6--,further1 higher6--to the very summit6--to the realm of pure thought6 7,but the horses back1 rear1 dash the chariot to pieces4 ,entangled by the harness1 caught by the fragments of the broken pole1 he falls head foremost into the abyss4 ,illustration3 444 he falls head foremost into the abyss4 ,the sky is darkened47 ,,venus 7blue with cold1 shivering73 ,once with my girdle ,i made all the horizon of ,hellas4 ,her fields glowed with the roses of my cheeks2 her shores were outlined after the fashion of my lips2 and her mountains1 whiter than my doves1 palpitated beneath the hands of the statuaries4 ,my spirit's manifestation was found in the ordinances of the festivals1 in the arrangement of coiffures1 in the dialogues of philosophers1 in the constitution of republics4 ,but ,i have doted too much upon men6 ,it is ,love that has dishonoured me6 7,she casts herself back weeping73 ,this world is abominable2--there is no air for me to breathe6 ,o ,mercury1 inventor of the lyre1 conductor of souls1 take me away6 7,she places one finger upon her lips1 and describing an immense parabola1 falls into the abyss4 ,nothing is now visible4 ,the darkness is complete4 ,only1 that from the eyes of ,hilarion escape two flashes1 two rays of lurid light47 ,,anthony 7begins at last to notice his immense stature73 ,already several times1 while thou wert speaking1 it seemed to me thou wert growing taller2 and it was no illusion6 ,how8 ,explain to me 444 ,thy aspect terrifies me6 7,footsteps are heard approaching47 ,what is that8 ,,hilarion 7extending his arm73 ,look6 7,then1 under a pale beam of moonlight1 ,anthony distinguishes an interminable caravan defiling over the summit of the rocks2--and each voyager1 one after the other1 falls from the cliff into the gulf below4 ,first comes the three great gods of ,samothrace1--,,axieros1 ,,axiokeros1 ,,axiokersa1--united together as in a fascia1 purple-masked1 all with hands uplifted4 sculapius advances with a melancholy air1 not even perceiving ,samos and ,telesphorus1 who question him with gestures of anguish4 ,,elean ,,sosipolis1 of python-form1 rolls his coils toward the abyss4 ,,dosipoena1 becomes dizzy1 leaps in of her own accord4 ,,britomartis1 shrieking with fear1 clutches fast the meshes of her net4 ,the ,centaurs come at a wild gallop1 and roll pell-mell into the black gulf4 ,behind them1 all limping1 advance the bands of the mourning ,nymphs4 ,those of the meadows are covered with dust2 those of the woods moan and bleed2 wounded by the axes of the woodcutters4 ,the ,gelludes1 the ,strygii1 the ,empus1 all the infernal goddesses1 form one pyramid of blended fangs1 vipers1 and torches2--and seated upon a vulture-skin at its summit1 ,eurynome1 blue as the flies that corrupt meat1 devours her own arms4 ,then in one great whirl simultaneously disappear the bloody ,orthia1 ,hymina of ,orchomenus1 the ,laphria of the ,patrns1 ,aphia of ,agina1 ,bendis of ,thrace1 ,stymphalia with thighs like a bird's4 ,triopas1 in lieu of three eyes1 has now but three empty orbits4 ,erichthonius1 his legs paralysed1 crawls upon his hands like a cripple47 ,,hilarion4 ,what a pleasure1 is it not6--to see them all in the abjection of their death-agony6 ,climb up here beside me1 on this rock2 and thou shalt be even as ,xerxes1 reviewing his army4 ,beyond there1 very far1 dost thou behold that fair-bearded giant1 who even now lets fall his sword crimsoned with blood8--that is the ,scythian ,zalmoxis between two planets1--,artimpasa1 ,venus1 and ,orsiloche1 the ,moon4 ,still further away1 now emerging from pallid clouds1 are the gods whom the ,cimmerians adore1 even beyond ,thule4 ,their huge halls were warm1 and by the gleam of swords that tapestried the vault1 they drank their hydromel from horns of ivory4 ,they ate the liver of the whale in dishes of brass wrought by the hammers of demons2 or1 betimes1 they listened to captive sorcerers whose fingers played upon harps of stone4 ,they are feeble6 ,they are cold6 ,the snow makes heavy their bearskins2 and their feet show through the rents in their sandals4 ,they weep for the vast fields upon whose grassy knolls they were wont to draw breath in pauses of battle2 they weep for the long ships whose prows forced a way through the mountains of ice2--and the skates wherewith they followed the orb of the poles1 upbearing at the length of their mighty arms all the firmament that turned with them4 7,a gust of frosty wind carries them off4 ,anthony turns his eyes another way4 ,and he perceives--outlined in black against a red background--certain strange personages1 with chinbands and gauntlets1 who throw balls at one another1 leap over each other's heads1 make grimaces1 dance a frenzied dance47 ,,hilarion4 ,those are the divinities of ,etruria1 the innumerable sars4 ,there is ,tages1 by whom augury was invented4 ,with one hand he seeks to augment the divisions of the sky2 with the other he supports himself upon the earth3 let him sink therein6 ,nortia gazes at the wall into which she drave nails to mark the number of the passing years4 ,its whole surface is now covered2 and the period is accomplished4 ,like two travellers overtaken by a storm1 ,kastur and ,pulutuk1 trembling1 seek to shelter themselves beneath the same mantle4 ,,anthony 7closes his eyes73 ,enough6 ,enough6 7,but with a mighty noise of wings1 all the ,victories of the ,capitol pass through the air1--hiding their faces with their hands1 dropping the trophies hanging upon their arms4 ,janus1--lord of crepuscules1--flees upon a black ram2 and one of his two faces is already putrified2 the other slumbers with fatigue4 ,summanus1 the headless god of the dark heavens1 presses against his heart an odd cake shaped like a wheel4 ,vesta1 beneath a ruined cupola1 tries to relight her extinguished lamp4 ,bellona gashes her cheeks1--without being able to make that blood flow by which her devotees were purified47 ,,anthony4 ,mercy6--they weary me6 ,,hilarion4 ,before1 they amused thee6 7,and he shows him in a grove of bean-trees1 ,a ,,woman1 naked4444 444444444and a black man1 holding in each hand a torch4#h7 ,it is the goddess of ,aricia1 with the demon ,virbius4 ,her sacerdote1 the ,king of the grove1 had to be an assassin2#i and the fugitive slaves1 the despoilers of corpses1 the brigands of the ,via ,salaria1 the cripples of the ,pons ,sublicius1 all the human vermin of the ,suburra worshipped no deities so fervently4 ,in the time of ,marcus ,antonius the patrician women preferred ,libitina4 7,and he shows him under the shadow of cypresses and rose-trees1 ,,another ,,woman1 clad in gauze4 ,around her lie spades1 litters1 black hangings1 all the paraphernalia of funerals4 ,she smiles4 ,her diamonds shine afar off through spiders' webs4 ,the ,larv1 like skeletons1 show their bones through the branches2 and the ,lemures1 who are phantoms1 extend their bat-like wings4 ,at the end of a field lies the god ,terminus1 uprooted1 and covered with ordures4 ,in the centre of a furrow1 the great corpse of ,vertumnus is being devoured by red dogs4 ,the rustic deities all depart1 weeping3--,sartor1 ,sarrator1 ,vervactor1 ,collina1 ,vallona1 ,hostilinus--all wearing little hooded mantles1 and carrying either a hoe1 a pitchfork1 a hurdle1 or a boar-spear47 ,,hilarion4 ,their spirits made prosperous the villa1--with its dovecots1 its parks of dormice1 its poultry-yards protected by nets1 its warm stables fragrant with odours of cedar4 ,also they protected all the wretched population who dragged the irons upon their legs over the flinty ways of the ,sabine country1--those who called the swine together by sound of horn1--those who were wont to gather the bunches at the very summits of the elms1--those who drove the asses1 laden with manure1 over the winding bypaths4 ,the panting labourer1 leaning over the handle of his plough1 prayed them to give strength to his arms2 and under the shade of the lindens1 beside calabashes filled with milk1 the cow-herds were wont1 in turn1 to sound their praises upon flutes of reed4 ,,anthony 7sighs47 7,and in the centre of a chamber1 upon a lofty estrade1 an ivory bed is visible1 surrounded by persons bearing torches of pine47 ,those are the deities of marriage4 ,they await the coming of the bride4 ,domiduca should lead her in1--,virgo unfasten her girdle1--,subigo place her in the bed1--and ,prma open her arms1 and whisper sweet words into her ear4 ,but she will not come6--and they dismiss the others3--,nona and ,decima who watch by sick-beds2 the three ,nixii who preside over child-birth2 the two nurses1 ,educa and ,potina2 and ,carna1 guardian of the cradle1 whose bouquet of hawthorne keeps evil dreams from the child4 ,afterwards1 ,ossipago should strengthen his knees2--,barbatus give him his first beard2 ,stimula inspire his first desires2 ,volupia grant him his first enjoyment2 ,fabulimus should have taught him to speak1 ,numera to count1 ,camoena to sing1 ,consus to reflect4 7,this chamber is empty2 and there remains only the centenarian ,nnia beside the bed1--muttering to herself the dirge she was wont to howl at the funerals of aged men4 ,but her voice is soon drowned by sharp cries4 ,these are uttered by-- ,the ,,lares ,,domestici1 crouching at the further end of the atrium1 clad in dog-skins1 with flowers wreathed about their bodies1--pressing their clenched hands against their cheeks1 and weeping as loudly as they can47 ,where is the portion of food we received at each repast1 the kindly care of the maid-servant1 the smile of the matron1 the merriment of the little boys playing at knuckle-bones on the mosaic pavement of the court-yard8 ,when grown up1 they used to hang about our necks their bull of gold or leather6 ,what happiness it was1 when on the evening of a triumph1 the master1 entering1 turned his humid eyes upon us6 ,he would recount his combats2 and the little house would be prouder than a palace2 sacred as a temple6 ,how sweet were the family repasts1 above all on the morrow of the ,feralia6 ,tenderness for the dead appeased all discords2 all kissed each other1 while drinking to the glories of the past1 and the hopes of the future4 ,but the ancestors1 of painted wax1 locked up behind us1 are slowly becoming covered with mold4 ,the new races1 visiting their own deceptions upon us1 have shattered our jaws2 our wooden bodies are disappearing piece-meal under the teeth of rats4 7,and the innumerable gods1 watching over doors1 kitchens1 cellars1 baths1 disperse in every direction--under the form of enormous ants running over the pavement1 or great butterflies soaring away4 ,then a roll of thunder is heard47 ,a ,,voice3 ,i was the ,god of ,armies1 the ,lord1 the ,lord ,god6 ,i pitched the tents of ,jacob on the hills2 and in the midst of the sands ,i nourished my chosen people in their flight4 ,it was ,i who consumed the city of ,sodom with fire6 ,it was ,i who overwhelmed the world with the waters of the ,deluge6 ,it was ,i that drowned ,pharaoh1 with all the princes1 sons of ,kings1--making the sea to swallow up his chariots of war1 and his charioteers6 ,i1 the ,jealous ,god1 held all other gods in abomination4 ,i brayed the impure in my anger2 the mighty ,i cast down2 and swiftly the desolation of my wrath ran to the right and to the left1 like a dromedary loosened in a field of maize4 ,i chose the humble to deliver ,israel4 ,angels1 flame-winged1 spake to them from out the bushes4 ,perfumed with spikenard1 with cinnamon and myrrh1 clad in transparent robes1 and shod with high-heeled sandals1--women of valiant heart went forth to slay captains4 ,the passing wind carried my prophets with it4 ,my law ,i graved upon tables of stone4 ,within that law my people were enclosed1 as within a strong citadel4 ,they were my people4 ,i was their ,god6 ,the land was mine2 the men also belonged to me1 together with their every thought1 and all their works1 and the tools they wrought with1 and their prosperity4 ,my ark reposed within a triple sanctuary1--surrounded by curtains of purple and lighted candelabra4 ,i had a whole tribe to serve me as servants1 swinging censers2 and the high-priest1 robed in robes of hyacinth1 wore upon his breast precious stones disposed in symmetrical order4 ,woe6 ,woe6 the ,holy of ,holies is open1 the veil is rent1 the perfumes of the holocaust are dissipated by all the winds of heaven6 ,the jackal whines in the sepulchres2 my temple is destroyed2 my people dispersed6 ,the priests have been strangled with the girdles of their robes4 ,the women languish in captivity2 the holy vessels have all been melted6 7,the voice1 becoming more distant73 ,i was the ,god of ,armies2 the ,lord1 the ,lord ,god6 7,an enormous silence follows1--and deepest night47 ,,anthony4 ,all have passed away6 ,,some ,,one 7replies73 ,i remain6 7,and ,hilarion stands before him--but transfigured wholly1--beautiful as an archangel1 luminous as a sun1 and so lofty that in order to behold his face-- ,,anthony is compelled to throw back his head1 to look up as though gazing as a star73 ,who art thou8 ,,hilarion4 ,my kingdom is vast as the universe2 and my desire knows no limits4 ,i go on forever1--freeing minds1 weighing worlds1--without hatred1 without fear1 without pity1 without love1 and without ,god4 ,men call me ,,science6 ,,anthony 7recoiling from him73 ,say1 rather1 that thou art 444 the ,devil6 ,,hilarion 7fixing his eyes upon him37 ,wouldst thou behold him8 ,,anthony 7cannot detach his eyes from that mighty gaze3--the curiosity of the ,devil comes upon him4 ,his terror augments2 yet his wish grows even to boundlessness73 ,yet if ,i should see him 444 if ,i were to see him6 7,then in a sudden spasm of wrath73 ,the horror that ,i have of him will free me from his presence forever6444 ,yes6 7,a cloven foot appears4 ,anthony regrets his wish4 ,but the ,devil flings him upon his horns and bears him away47 #a ,matthew ,,ii3 #aj--,t4 #b ,buddha1 or more correctly1 the ,buddha1 for ,buddha is an appellative meaning ,enlightened4--,max ,mller 7,chips1 ,vol4 ,i41 #bjf74 #c ,luke ,,ii3 #be-bf4--,t4 #d ,ibid ,,ii3 #df-dg4--,t4 #e ,or1 ,haoma1 also ,hom1 the sacred plant1 whose fermented juice occupied an important place in the practical rites of ,iran4 ,supposed to be the same plant known in botany as ,sarcostemma viminalis4 ,deified in ,iranian worship1 like the sacred drink ,soma in the ,vedic hymns4 ,the ,soma was the fermented extract of the ,asclepias acida or ,sarcostemma ritalis4 ,see ,marius ,fontane1 ,l',inde ,vdique1 ,les ,iraniens4--,trans4 #f ,apuleius says1 a silken mantle4--,trans4 #g ,apuleius says1 strung with knuckle-bones of sheep4--,trans4 #h ,this scene1 like certain paintings in the ,naples museum1 is all suited for public exhibition4--,trans4 #i ,readers will recollect the lines in ,macaulay's ,lays of ,ancient ,rome3 ,beneath ,aricia's trees1 ,those trees in whose dim shadow ,a ghastly priest doth reign1 ,the priest who slew the slayer1 ,and must himself be slain4 ,,vi 7,he flies beneath him1 outstretched like a swimmer2 his vast-spreading wings1 wholly concealing him1 seem like one huge cloud47 ,,anthony4 ,whither do ,i go8 ,but a little while ago ,i beheld in a glimpse the form of the ,accurst4 ,nay6--'tis a cloud that upbears me6 ,perhaps ,i am dead1 and am ascending to ,god4444 ,how freely ,i respire4 ,the immaculate air seems to vivify my soul4 ,no sense of weight6--no more suffering4 ,far below me the lightning breaks1--the horizon broadens1 widens1--the rivers cross each other4 ,that blond-bright spot is the desert2 that pool of water the ocean6 ,and other oceans appear6--vast regions of which ,i knew nothing6 ,there are the countries of the blacks1 which seem to smoke like brasiers6--then is the zone of snows always made dim by fog6 ,would ,i might behold those mountains where the sun1 each evening1 sinks to rest6 ,,the ,,devil4 ,the sun never sinks to rest2 the sun never rests6 7,anthony is not surprised at this voice4 ,it seems to him an echo of his own thought--a response made by his own memory4 ,meanwhile the earth gradually assumes the shape of a ball2 and he beholds it in the midst of the azure1 turning upon its poles1 and revolving with the sun47 ,,the ,,devil4 ,so it does not form the centre of the universe6 ,pride of man6 humiliate thyself6 ,,anthony4 ,now ,i can scarcely distinguish it4 ,it mingles confusedly with other glowing worlds4 ,the firmament itself is but one tissue of stars4 7,and they still rise47 ,no sound6--not even the hoarse cry of eagles6 ,nothing8 ,i listen for the harmony of the spheres4 ,,the ,,devil4 ,thou wilt not hear them6 ,nor wilt thou behold the antichtonus of ,plato1--or the central furnace of ,philolas1--or the spheres of ,aristotle1 or the seven heavens of the ,jews1 with the great waters above the vault of crystal6 ,,anthony4 ,yet from below the vault seemed solid as a wall6--on the contrary ,i penetrate it1 ,i lose myself in it6 7,and he beholds the moon1--like a rounded fragment of ice filled with motionless light47 ,,the ,,devil4 ,formerly it was the sojourn of souls6 ,even the good ,pythagoras adorned it with magnificent flowers1 populated it with birds6 ,,anthony4 ,i can see only desolate plains there1 with extinct craters yawning under a black sky6 ,let us go towards those milder-beaming stars1 that we may contemplate the angels who uphold them at arms' length1 like torches6 ,,the ,,devil 7bears him into the midst of the stars73 ,they attract at the same time that they repel each other4 ,the action of each one results from that of others1 and contributes thereunto1--without the aid of any auxiliary1 by the force of a law1 the virtue of order alone6 ,,anthony4 ,yes6444yes6 ,my intelligence grasps the great truth6 ,it is a joy greater than all tender pleasures6 ,breathless ,i find myself with astonishment at the enormity of ,god6 ,,the ,,devil4 ,even as the firmament ever rises as thou dost ascend1 so with the expansion of thy thought will ,he become greater to thee2 and after this discovery of the universe thou wilt feel thy joy augment with the broadening and deepening of the infinite4 ,,anthony4 ,ah6 higher6--higher still6--- forever higher6 7,then the stars multiply1 scintillate4 ,the ,milky ,way develops in the zenith like a monstrous belt1 with holes at intervals2 through these rents in its brightness stretches of prolonged darkness are visible4 ,there are rains of stars1 long trains of golden dust1 luminous vapours that float and dissolve4 ,at times a comet suddenly passes by2 then the tranquillity of innumerable lights recommences4 ,anthony1 with outstretched arms1 supports himself upon the ,devil's horns1 and thus occupies all the space between them4 ,he remembers with disdain the ignorance of other days1 the mediocrity of his dreams4 ,and now those luminous globes he was wont to gaze upon from below1 are close to him4 ,he distinguishes the intercrossing of the lines of their orbits1 the complexity of their courses4 ,he beholds them coming from afar1--and1 like stones suspended in a sling1 describe their circles1 form their hyperbolas4 ,he perceives1 all within the field of his vision at once1 the ,southern ,cross and the ,great ,bear1 the ,lynx and the ,centaur1 the nebula of ,dorado1 the six suns in the constellation of ,orion1 ,jupiter with his four satellites1 and the triple ring of the monstrous ,saturn6--all the planets1 all the stars that men will discover in the future4 ,he fills his eyes with their light2 he over-burthens his mind with calculation of their distances3 then1 bowing his head1 he murmurs73 ,what is the purpose of all that8 ,,the ,,devil4 ,there is no purpose4 ,how could ,god have a purpose8 ,what experience could have instructed him8--what reflection determined him8 ,illustration3 ,anthony3 ,what is the purpose of all that8 ,the ,devil3 ,there is no purpose4 ,before the beginning he could not have acted2--and now his action would be useless4 ,,anthony4 ,yet he created the world1 at one time1 by his word only4 ,,the ,,devil4 ,but the beings that people the earth come upon it successively4 ,so also1 in heaven1 new stars arise--different effects of varying causes4 ,,anthony4 ,the varying of causes is the will of ,god6 ,,the ,,devil4 ,but to admit several acts of will in ,god is to admit various causes1 and therefore to deny his unity4 ,his will is inseparable from his essence4 ,he can have but one will1 having but one essence2 and inasmuch as he externally exists1 he acts eternally4 ,contemplate the sun6 ,from its surface leap vast jets of flame1 casting forth sparks that disperse beyond to become worlds here-after2--and further than the last1 far beyond those deeps where thou seest only night1 whirl other suns1--and behind them others again1 and beyond those yet others 444 without end6 ,,anthony4 ,enough6 ,enough6 ,i fear6--,i will fall into the abyss6 ,,the ,,devil 7pauses1 and rocks ,anthony gently in the midst of space74 ,nothingness is--not--there is no void6 ,everywhere and forever bodies move upon the immovable deeps of space6 ,were there boundaries to space1 it would not be space1 but a body only3 it is limitless6 ,,anthony 7stupefied by wonder73 ,limitless6 ,,the ,,devil4 ,ascend skyward forever and forever1--yet thou wilt not attain the summit4 ,descend below the earth for billions of billions of centuries3 never wilt thou reach the bottom4 ,for there is no summit1 there is no bottom2 there is no ,above1 no ,below--nor height1 nor depth as signified by the terms of human utterance4 ,and ,space itself is comprised in ,god1 who is not a portion thereof of such or such a size1--but is ,immensity itself6 ,,anthony 7slowly73 ,matter 4441 then1 444 must be a part of ,god8 ,,the ,,devil4 ,why not8 ,canst thou know the end of ,god8 ,,anthony4 ,nay3 on the contrary1 ,i prostrate1 ,i crush myself beneath his mightiness6 ,,the ,,devil4 ,and yet thou dost pretend to move him6 ,thou dost speak to him1--thou dost even adorn him with virtues1--with goodness1 justice1 mercy1--in lieu of recognising that all perfections are his6 ,to conceive aught beyond him is to conceive ,god above ,god1 the ,being above the ,being4 ,for ,he is the only being1 the only substance4 ,if the ,substance could be divided1 it would not be the ,substance1 it would lose its nature3 ,god could not exist4 ,he is therefore indivisible as infinite2--and if he had a body1 he would be composed of parts1 he would not be ,one--he would not be infinite4 ,therefore he is not a ,person6 ,,anthony4 ,what8 my prayers1 my sobs1 my groans1 the sufferings of my flesh1 the transports of my love1--have all these things gone out to a lie1--to emptiness1 unavailingly--like the cry of a bird1 like a whirl of dead leaves8 7,weeping73 ,oh1 no6--there is ,some ,one above all things1--a great ,soul1 a ,lord1 a ,father whom my heart adores and who must love me6 ,,the ,,devil4 ,thou dost desire that ,god were not ,god2--for did he feel love1 or anger1 or pity1--he would abandon his perfection for a greater or a lesser perfection4 ,he can stoop to no sentiment1 nor be contained in any form4 ,,anthony4 ,one day1 nevertheless1 ,i shall see him6 ,,the ,,devil4 ,with the blessed1 is it not8--when the finite shall enjoy the infinite in some restricted place1 containing the ,absolute6 ,,anthony4 ,matters not6--there must be a paradise for the good1 as there is a hell for the wicked4 ,,the ,,devil4 ,can the desire of thy mind create the law of the universe8 ,without doubt evil is indifferent to ,god1--forasmuch as the ,earth is covered with it6 ,is it through impotence that he endures it1 or through cruelty that he maintains it8 ,dost thou fancy that he is eternally readjusting the world1 like an imperfect machine8--that he is forever watching the movements of all beings1 from the flight of a butterfly to the thought of a man8 ,if he have created the universe1 his providence is superfluous4 ,if ,providence exists1 then creation is defective4 ,but evil and good concern only thee--even like night and day1 pleasure and pain1 death and birth1 which are relative only to one corner of space1 to a special centre1 to a particular interest4 ,since the ,infinite is permanent1 the ,infinite is2--and that is all4 7,the ,devil's wings have been gradually expanding3 now they cover all space47 ,,anthony 7now perceives nothing3 a great faintness comes upon him73 ,a hideous cold freezes me1 even to the depths of my soul6 ,this is beyond the extreme of pain6 ,it is like a death that is deeper than death6 ,i roll in the immensity of darkness2 and the darkness itself enters within me4 ,my consciousness bursts beneath this dilation of nothingness6 ,,the ,,devil4 ,yet the knowledge of things comes to thee only through the medium of thy mind4 ,even as a concave mirror1 it deforms the objects it reflects2 and thou hast no means whatever of verifying their exactitude4 ,never canst thou know the universe in all its vastness2 consequently it will never be possible for thee to obtain an idea of its cause1 to have a just notion of ,god1 nor even to say that the universe is infinite1--for thou must first be able to know what the ,infinite is6 ,may not ,form be1 perhaps1 an error of thy senses1--,substance a figment of thy imagination8 ,unless1 indeed1 that the world being a perpetual flux#a of things1 appearance1 on the contrary1 be wholly true2 illusion the only reality4 ,but art thou sure thou dost see8--art thou even sure thou dost live8 ,perhaps nothing exists6 7,the ,devil has seized ,anthony1 and1 holding him at arms' length1 glares at him with mouth yawning as though to devour him73 ,adore me1 then6--and curse the phantom thou callest ,god6 7,anthony lifts his eyes with a last effort of hope4 ,the ,devil abandons him47 #a ,the original text seems to me slightly obscure4 ,the idea of the universe being a perpetual ebb and flow of shapes1 is that of forms passing away to reappear like waves1 is that of the ,nidana-,sutris3 ,individuality is only a form 444 ,everything is only a flux of aggregates1 interminably uniting and disuniting1 as ,barth observes in his ,religions of ,india4--,trans4 ,,vii ,,anthony 7finds himself lying upon his back1 at the verge of the cliff4 ,the sky commences to blanch47 ,is it the glow of dawn1 or only an effect of moonlight8 7,he tries to rise1 falls back1--his teeth chattering73 ,i feel such a helplessness of weakness1 as though all my bones were broken6 ,why8 ,ah6 the ,devil6--,i remember6--he even repeated to me all that ,i learned from the aged ,didymus respecting the opinions of ,xenophanes1 ,heraclitus1 of ,melissus1 of ,anaxagoras1--concerning the infinite1 the creation1 the impossibility of knowing anything6 ,and yet ,i believed that ,i could unite myself to ,god6 7,laughing bitterly73 ,ah6 madness6 madness6 ,is the fault mine8 ,prayer has become intolerable to me6 ,my heart is dry as a rock6 ,once1 it was wont to overflow with love6444 ,the sand used to smoke of mornings like the odourous dust of a censer2--at sunset flowers of fire used to bloom upon the cross2 and in the middle of the night1 it often seemed as though all beings and all things1 lying under the same awful silence1 were adoring the ,lord with me4 ,o charms of prayer1 felicities of ecstasy1 gifts of heaven1--what have become of you8 ,i remember a voyage ,i made with ,ammon in search of a solitary place suited for the establishment of a monastery4 ,it was the last evening2 we hastened our steps1 walked side by side1 murmuring hymns1 without conversing4 ,as the sun sank1 the shadows of our bodies lengthened like two obelisks1 continually growing taller1 and moving before us4 ,here and there we planted crosses1 made with fragments of our sticks1 to mark the site of a future cell4 ,night was tardy in her coming2 and waves of darkness overspread the earth1 even while a vast rose-coloured light still glowed in heaven4 ,when ,i was a child1 ,i used to amuse myself by building hermitages with pebbles4 ,my mother sitting beside me would watch me so attentively6 ,will she not have cursed me for having abandoned her8--will she not have plucked out her white hair by handfuls in the despair of her grief8 ,and her corpse remains lying on the floor of the hut1 under the roof of reeds1 between the crumbling walls4 ,through an orifice a hyena1 snuffing1 thrusts his head1 advances his mouth 444 horror6 horror6 7,sobbing73 ,no3 ,ammonaria will not have abandoned her6 ,where is she now1--,ammonaria8 ,perhaps at the further end of a bathroom1 she removes her garments one after the other3 first the mantle1 then the girdle1 then the first tunic1 the second lighter tunic1 all her necklaces1--and the vapour of cinnamon envelops her naked limbs4 ,at last she lies down upon the tepid mosaic4 ,her long hair spreading below the curve of her hips1 seems like a sable fleece2 and the oppressiveness of the heated air causes her to pant2 her waist arched1 her breasts standing out 444 ,what6 my flesh rebels again6 ,even in the midst of grief am ,i tortured by concupiscence4 ,to be subjected thus unto two tortures at once is beyond endurance6 ,i can no longer bear myself6 7,he leans over1 and gazes into the abyss47 ,the man who should fall would be killed4 ,nothing easier3 it were only necessary to roll over upon my left side3--only one movement--one6 7,then suddenly appears--,,an ,,aged ,,woman4 ,anthony starts to his feet in affright4 ,it seems to him that he beholds his mother arisen4 ,but this woman is far older1 and prodigiously thin4 ,a shroud1 knotted about her head1 hangs down1 together with her white hair1 so as to cover her legs1 slender as crutches4 ,the brilliancy of her ivory-coloured teeth make her earthy skin darker still4 ,the orbits of her eyes are full of shadow2 and far back within them two flames vacillate1 like the lamps of sepulchres4 ,she exclaims73 ,advance6 ,what hinders thee8 ,,anthony 7stammering73 ,i fear 444 to commit a sin6 ,,she 7replies73 ,but ,king ,saul killed himself6 ,razias1 a just man1 killed himself6 ,saint ,pelagia of ,antioch killed herself6 ,dommina of ,aleppo and her two daughters--all three saints--killed themselves3 and remember also how many confessors delivered themselves up to the executioner in their impatient longing for death6 ,that they might enjoy death more speedily1 the virgins of ,miletus strangled themselves with their girdles4 ,at ,syracuse the philosopher ,hegesias preached so eloquently upon death that men deserted the lupanars to go hang themselves in the fields4 ,the patricians of ,borne sought for death as a new form of debauch4 ,,anthony4 ,aye6 the love of death is strong2 and many a anchorite has succumbed to it4 ,,the ,,old ,,woman4 ,to do that which will make thee equal unto ,god--think6 ,he created thee3 thou wilt destroy his work--thou6 and by thy courage1--of thy own free will6 ,the enjoyment that ,erostratus knew was not greater than this4 ,and moreover thy body has so long mocked thy soul that it is full time thou shouldst take vengeance upon it4 ,thou wilt not suffer4 ,it will soon be over4 ,of what art thou afraid8--a wide1 black hole6 ,perhaps it is a void6 ,illustration3 ,the ,old ,woman3 ,of what art thou afraid8a wide1 black hole6 ,perhaps it is a void6 7,anthony hearkens without replying2 and upon the other side appears-- ,,another ,,woman--young and marvellously beautiful4 ,at first he takes her to be ,ammonaria4 ,but she is taller1 blond as honey1 very plump1 with paint upon her cheeks and roses upon her head4 ,her long robe1 weighty with spangles1 gleams with metallic lustre2--her fleshy lips are sanguinolent2 and her somewhat heavy eyelids are so drowned with languor that one would almost take her to be blind4 ,she murmurs73 ,nay1 live6 enjoy6 ,solomon counsels joy6 ,follow the guiding of thy heart and the desire of thine eyes6 ,,anthony4 ,what joy is there for me8 ,my heart is weary2 my eyes are dim6 ,,she 7answers73 ,seek the suburb of ,racotis2 push open a door that is painted blue2--and when thou shalt be in the atrium where a fountain jet murmurs unceasingly1 a woman will present herself before thee--in peplos of white silk striped with gold2 her hair is unloosed1 her laugh like the clatter of crotali4 ,she is skilful4 ,in her caress thou wilt taste the pride of initiation and the appeasement of desire4 ,hast ever pressed to thy bosom a virgin who loved thee8 ,dost remember the surrenders of her modesty1--the passing away of her remorse in a sweet flow of tears8 ,thou canst even now imagine thyself walking with her--canst thou not8--in the wood by the light of the moon8 ,at each pressure of your joined hands1 a sweet shuddering passes through you both1--looking closely into each other your eyes seem to outpour into one another something like immaterial fluid2--and thy heart fills3 it bursts3 it is a suave whirl of eddying passion1 an overflowing of intoxication4444 ,,the ,,old ,,woman4 ,one need not possess joys in order to taste their bitterness6 ,even to view them from afar off begets loathing of them4 ,thou must be fatigued by the monotony of the same actions1 the length of the days1 the hideousness of the world1 the stupidity of the sun8 ,,anthony4 ,aye1 indeed6--,i loathe all that he shines upon4 ,,the ,,young ,,woman4 ,hermit6 hermit6 thou wilt find diamonds among the flints1 fountains beneath the sand1 a delectation in all the hazards thou dost despise2 and there are even upon earth places of such beauty that the sight of them would make thee desire to press the whole world against thy heart with love6 ,,the ,,old ,,woman4 ,each evening that thou liest down upon the earth to slumber1 thou dost hope that it may soon lie upon thee and cover thee4 ,,the ,,young ,,woman4 ,yet thou dost believe in the resurrection of the flesh--which is but the translation of life into eternity6 7,even as she speaks1 the ,old ,woman becomes still more fleshless2 and above her skull1 from which the white hair has disappeared1 a bat circles in the air4 ,the ,young ,woman has become fatter4 ,her robe gleams with shifting colours2 her nostrils palpitate1 her eyes roll softly47 ,,the ,,former 7opening her arms1 exclaiming73 ,come to me6--,i am ,consolation1 repose1 oblivion1 eternal calm6 ,,the ,,other4 ,i am the sleep-giver1 life1 happiness inexhaustible6 7,anthony turns to fee from them4 ,each lays a hand on his shoulder4 ,the ,shroud parts1 exposes the ,skeleton of ,death4 ,the robe splits asunder1 and leaves the whole body of ,lust exposed3--her waist is slender2 her long and undulating hair flutters in the wind4 ,anthony stands motionless between the two1 considering them73 ,,death 7says to him73 ,what matters it1 whether now or at another time6 ,thou art mine1--like suns1 nations1 cities1 kings1 mountain-snows1 and the grasses of the fields4 ,i fly higher than the hawks of heaven4 ,i run more swiftly than the gazelle2 ,i overtake even ,hope2 ,i vanquished the ,son of ,god6 ,,lust4 ,resist not6 ,i am the ,omnipotent6 ,the forests re-echo with my sighs2 the waters tremble with my agitations4 ,virtue1 courage1 piety1 dissolve in the perfume of my mouth4 ,man ,i accompany in every step that he makes2 and even from the threshold of the tomb he turns to me6 ,,death4 ,i will find for thee that which thou hast vainly sought for1 by the gleam of torches1 upon the faces of the dead1--or among those awful sands that are formed of human remains1 where thou wast wont to wander beyond the ,pyramids4 ,from time to time1 the fragment of a skull rolled under thy sandal4 ,thou didst take up the dust3 thou didst let it trickle through thy fingers2 and thy thought1 blending with it1 sank into nothingness4 ,,lust4 ,my gulf is deeper6 ,marbles have inspired loves4 ,men rush to conjunctures that terrify4 ,fetters are riveted that the fettered curse4 ,whence the bewitchment of courtesans1 the extravagance of dreams1 the immensity of my sadness8 ,,death4 ,mine irony depasseth all others6 ,there are convulsions of delight at the funerals of kings1 at the extermination of a whole people2 and war is made with music1 with plumes1 with harness of gold1--with vast display of ceremony that my due of homage may be greater6 ,illustration3 ,death3 ,mine irony depasseth all others6 ,,lust4 ,my rage equals thine6 ,i also yell2 ,i bite6 ,i1 too1 have sweats of agony1 and aspects cadaverous6 ,,death4 ,it is ,i that make thee awful6 ,let us intertwine6 ,illustration3 ,death3 ,it is ,i that make thee awful6 ,let us intertwine6 7,death laughs mockingly2 ,lust roars4 ,they clasp each other about the waist1 and chant alternately73 ,i hasten the dissolution of matter6 ,i facilitate the dispersion of germs6 ,thou dost destroy for my renovations6 ,thou dost engender for my destructions6 ,ever-active my power6 ,fecund1 my putrefaction6 7,and their voices1 whose rolling echoes fill the horizon1 deepen and become so mighty that ,anthony falls backward as if thunder-stricken4 ,a shock from time to time causes him to reopen his eyes2 and he perceives in the midst of the darkness a manner of monster before him4 ,it is a skull1 crowned with roses1 dominating the torso of a woman nacreously white4 ,below1 a shroud starred with specks of gold forms something like a tail2 and the whole body undulates1 after the fashion of a gigantic worm erect on end4 ,the vision attenuates1--disappears47 ,,anthony 7rising to his feet73 ,the ,devil yet again1 and under his two-fold aspect3 the spirit of fornication1 and the spirit of destruction4 ,neither affrights me6 ,i repel happiness2 and ,i know myself to be eternal4 ,thus death is only an illusion1 a veil-masking betimes the continuity of life4 ,but ,substance being unique1 wherefore should forms be varied8 ,somewhere there must be primordial figures1 whose bodily forms are only symbols4 ,could ,i but see them1 ,i would know the link between matter and thought2 ,i would know in what ,being consists4 ,illustration3 ,anthony3 ,somewhere there must be primordial figures1 whose bodily forms are only symbols4 ,such were the figures painted at ,babylon upon the walls of the temple of ,belus2 and others like them covered a mosaic in the port of ,carthage4 ,i myself have sometime beheld in the sky1 as it were1 forms of spirits4 ,those who cross the desert meet with animals surpassing all conception4444 ,illustration3 ,i myself have sometime beheld in the sky1 as it were1 forms of spirits4 7,and opposite1 upon the further side of the ,nile1 suddenly appears the ,sphinx4#a ,he stretches his paws1 shakes the bandelets upon his forehead1 and crouches upon his belly4 ,leaping1 flying1 spitting fire through her nostrils1 lashing her winged sides with her dragon-tail1 the green-eyed ,chimera circles1 barks4 ,the thick curls of her head tossed back upon one side mingle with the hair of her loins2 on the other side they hang down to the sand1 quivering with the swinging of her body1 to and fro47 ,,the ,,sphinx 7remaining motionless1 and gazing at the ,chimera73 ,hither1 ,chimera6 rest awhile6 ,,the ,,chimera4 ,no6 never6 ,,the ,,sphinx4 ,do not run so fast1 do not fly so high1 do not bark so loudly6 ,,the ,,chimera4 ,,do not call me6--call me no more2 since thou must remain forever dumb4 ,,the ,,sphinx4 ,cease casting thy flames in my face1 and uttering thy yells in my ear3 thou canst not melt my granite4 ,,the ,,chimera4 ,thou shalt not seize me1 terrible sphinx6 ,,the ,,sphinx4 ,thou art too mad to dwell with me6 ,,the ,,chimera4 ,thou art too heavy to follow me6 ,,the ,,sphinx4 ,yet whither goest thou1 that thou shouldst run so fast8 ,,the ,,chimera4 ,i gallop in the corridors of the ,labyrinth--,i hover above the mountains--,i graze the waves in my flight--,i yelp at the bottom of precipices--,i suspend myself with my mouth from the skirts of clouds--,i sweep the shores with my dragging tail2 and the curves of the hills have taken their form from the shape of my shoulders6 ,but thee ,i find perpetually immobile1 or perhaps making strange designs with thy claws upon the sand4 ,,the ,,sphinx4 ,it is because ,i keep my secret2--,i dream and calculate4 ,the sea returns to its bed2 the wheat bends back and forth in the wind2 the caravans pass by2 the dust flies2 cities crumble2 and yet my gaze1 which naught can deviate1 remains fixed1 gazing through all intervening things1 upon a horizon that none may reach4 ,illustration3 ,the ,sphinx3 444 and yet my gaze1 which naught can deviate1 remains fixed1 gazing through all intervening things1 upon a horizon that none may reach4 ,the ,chimera3 ,i am light and joyous6 ,,the ,,chimera4 ,i am light and joyous6 ,i offer to the eyes of men dazzling perspectives with ,paradise in the clouds above1 and unspeakable felicity afar off4 ,into their souls ,i pour the eternal madnesses2 projects of happiness1 plans for the future1 dreams of glory and vows of love1 and all virtuous resolutions4 ,i urge men to perilous voyages and great enterprises4 ,i have chiselled with my claws the wonders of architecture4 ,it was ,i who suspended the little bells above the tomb of ,porsenna1 and surrounded the quays of ,atlantis with a wall of orichalcum4 ,i seek for new perfumes1 for vaster flowers1 for pleasures never felt before4 ,if ,i perceive in any place a man whose mind reposes in wisdom1 ,i fall upon him1 and strangle him4 ,,the ,,sphinx4 ,all those tormented by the desire of ,god1 ,i have devoured4 ,in order to climb up to my royal brow1 the strongest ascend upon the flutings of my bandelets as upon the steps of a stairway4 ,then a great lassitude comes upon them1 and they fall backward4 7,anthony begins to tremble4 ,he is no longer before his cabin1 but in the desert itself1 with those two monsters beside him1 whose breath is hot upon his shoulders47 ,,the ,,sphinx4 ,o thou ,fantasy1 bear me away upon thy wings that my sadness may be lightened6 ,,the ,,chimera4 ,o thou ,unknown1 ,i am enamoured of thine eyes6 ,like a hyena in heat ,i turn about thee1 soliciting those fecundations whereof the desires devour me6 ,ope thy mouth1 lift thy feet--mount upon my back6 ,,the ,,sphinx4 ,my feet1 since they have been outstretched1 can move no more4 ,the lichen1 like an eruption1 has formed upon my jaws4 ,by dint of long dreaming ,i have no longer aught to say4 ,,the ,,chimera4 ,thou liest1 hypocrite ,sphinx6 ,wherefore dost thou always call me and always disown me6 ,,the ,,sphinx4 ,it is thou1 indomitable caprice1 that dost forever pass and repass1 whirling in thy course6 ,,the ,,chimera4 ,is the fault mine8 ,what8 ,let me be6 7,she barks47 ,,the ,,sphinx4 ,thou movest away6 thou dost escape me6 7,he growls47 ,,the ,,chimera4 ,essay6--,thou crushest me6 ,,the ,,sphinx4 ,nay6--impossible6 7,and gradually sinking down he disappears in the sand2 while the ,chimera1 ramping with tongue protruding1 departs1 describing circles on her way4 ,the breath of her mouth has produced a fog4 ,through this mist ,anthony perceives wreathings of clouds1 undecided curves4 ,at last he can distinguish something like the appearance of human bodies4 ,and first3-- ,,the ,,astomi--approach1 like bubbles of air traversed by sunlight4 ,they cry73 ,do not breathe too hard6 ,the drops of rain bruise us1 false notes excoriate us1 darknesses blind us6 ,composed wholly of breezes and of perfumes1 we float along1 we roll along3--a little more than ,dreams1 yet not quite beings4444 ,,the ,,nisnas 7have only one eye1 one cheek1 one hand1 one leg1 half a body1 half a heart4 ,they say73 ,we live quite in our halves of houses1 with our halves of wives and our halves of children6 ,,the ,,blemmyes 7who have no head at all73 ,our shoulders are all the broader2--and there is no ox1 rhinoceros1 or elephant able to carry what we carry4 ,something dimly resembling features--as it were a vague face--imprinted upon our breasts3 that is all6 ,we think digestions2 we subtleize secretions4 ,god1 in our belief1 floats peacefully within the interior chyles4 ,we go straight upon our way1 through all mires1 crossing all morasses1 skirting the edges of all abysses3 and we are the most laborious1 the most happy1 the most virtuous of all peoples6 ,,the ,,pygmies3 ,we1 good little men1 swarm upon the world like vermin upon the hump of a dromedary4 ,we are burned1 drowned1 crushed2 and we always reappear1 more vivacious and countless than before--terrible by reason of our numbers6 ,,the ,,sciapods3 ,fettered to the earth by our hair1 long as lianas1 we vegetate beneath the shelter of our feet1 broad as parasols2 and the light comes to us through the thickness of our heels4 ,no annoyances for us1 no work6 ,the head as low as possible--,that is the secret of happiness4 ,illustration3 ,the ,sciapods3 ,the head as low as possible,that is the secret of happiness4 7,their lifted thighs1--resembling the trunks of trees1--multiply4 ,and a forest appears4 ,great apes clamber through it on all fours3--these are men with the heads of dogs47 ,,the ,,cynocephali3 ,we leap from branch to branch in search of eggs to suck2 and we pluck the little fledglings alive2 then we put their nests upon our heads in lieu of caps4 ,we tear off the teats of cows2 and we put out the eyes of lynxes3 we let fall our dung from the heights of the trees--we parade our turpitude in the full light of the sun4 ,lacerating the flowers1 crushing the fruits1 befouling the springs1 violating women1 we are the masters of all1--by the strength of our arms1 and the ferocity of our hearts4 ,ho6 companions6--gnash with your jaws6 7,blood and milk pour down their chops4 ,the rain streams over their hairy backs4 ,anthony inhales the freshness of the green leaves4 ,there is a movement among them1 a clashing of branches2 and all of a sudden appears a huge black stag1 with the head of a bull1 having between his ears a thicket of white horns47 ,,the ,,sadhuzag3 ,my seventy-four antlers are hollow like flutes4 ,when ,i turn me toward the wind of the ,south1 there issue from them sounds that draw all the ravished animals around me4 ,the serpents twine about my legs2 the wasps cluster in my nostrils2 and the parrots1 the doves1 the ibises1 alight upon the branches of my horns4 ,listen6 7,he throws back his horns1 whence issues a music of sweetness ineffable4 ,anthony presses both hands upon his heart4 ,it seems to him as though his soul were being borne away by the melody47 ,,the ,,sadhuzag3 ,but when ,i turn me toward the wind of the ,north1 my antlers1 more thickly bristling than a battalion of lances1 give forth a sound of howlings3 the forests are startled with fear2 the rivers remount toward their sources2 the husks of fruits burst open2 and the bending grasses stand erect on end1 like the hair of a coward4 ,listen6 7,he bends his branching antlers forward3 hideous and discordant cries proceed from them4 ,anthony feels as though his heart were torn asunder4 ,and his horror augments upon beholding7-- ,,the ,,martichoras 7,a gigantic red lion1 with human face1 and three rows of teeth73 ,the gleam of my scarlet hair mingles with the reflection of the great sands4 ,i breathe through my nostrils the terror of solitudes4 ,i spit forth plague4 ,i devour armies when they venture into the desert4 ,my claws are twisted like screws1 my teeth shaped like saws2 and my curving tail bristles with darts which ,i cast to right and left1 before and behind6 ,see6 see6 7,the ,martichoras shoots forth the keen bristles of his tail1 which irradiate in all directions like a volley of arrows4 ,drops of blood rain down1 spattering upon the foliage47 ,,the ,,catoblepas 7,a black buffalo with a pig's head1 falling to the ground1 and attached to his shoulders by a neck long1 thin1 and flaccid as an empty gut4 ,he wallows flat upon the ground1 and his feet entirely disappear beneath the enormous mane of coarse hair which covers his face73 ,fat1 melancholy1 fierce--thus ,i continually remain1 feeling against my belly the warmth of the mud4 ,so heavy is my skull that it is impossible for me to lift it4 ,i roll it slowly all around me1 open-mouthed2 and with my tongue ,i tear up the venemous plants bedewed with my breath4 ,once1 ,i even devoured my own feet without knowing it6 ,no one1 ,anthony1 has ever beheld mine eyes1--or at least1 those who have beheld them are dead4 ,were ,i to lift my eyelids--my pink and swollen eyelids1 thou wouldst forthwith die6 ,,anthony4 ,oh1 that one6 ,ugh6 ,as though ,i could desire it8--,yet his stupidity fascinates me6 ,no1 no6 ,i will not6 7,he gazes fixedly upon the ground4 ,but the weeds take fire2 and amidst the contorsions of the flames1 arises7-- ,,the ,,basilisk 7,a great violet serpent1 with trilobate crest1 and two fangs1 one above1 one below73 ,beware1 lest thou fall into my jaws6 ,i drink fire4 ,i am fire6--and ,i inhale it from all things3 from clouds1 from flints1 from dead trees1 the fur of animals1 the surface of marshes4 ,my temperature maintains the volcanoes3 ,i lend glitter to jewels3 ,i give colours to metals6 ,,the ,,griffin 7,a lion with a vulture's beak1 and white wings1 red paws and blue neck73 ,i am the master of deep splendours4 ,i know the secrets of the tombs wherein the ,kings of old do slumber4 ,a chain1 issuing from the wall1 maintains their heads upright4 ,near them1 in basins of porphyry1 the women they loved float upon the surfaces of black liquids4 ,their treasures are all arrayed in halls1 in lozenge-shaped designs1 in little heaps1 in pyramids2--and down below1 far below the tombs1 and to be reached only after long travelling through stifling darkness1 there are rivers of gold bordered by forests of diamonds1 there are fields of carbuncles and lakes of mercury4 ,addossed against the subterranean gate ,i remain with claws uplifted2 and my flaming eyes spy out those who seek to approach4 ,the vast and naked plain that stretches away to the end of the horizon is whitened with the bones of travellers4 ,but for thee the gates of bronze shall open2 and thou shalt inhale the vapour of the mines1 thou shalt descend into the caverns4444 ,quick6 quick6 7,he burrows into the earth with his paws1 and crows like a cock4 ,a thousand voices answer him4 ,the forest trembles4 ,and all manner of frightful creatures arise3--,the ,tragelaphus1 half deer1 half ox2 the ,myrmecoles1 lion before-and ant behind1 whose genitals are set reversely2 the python ,askar1 sixty cubits long1 that terrified ,moses2 the huge weasel ,pastinaca1 that kills the trees with her odour2 the ,presteros1 that makes those who touch it imbecile2 the ,mirag1 a horned hare1 that dwells in the islands of the sea4 ,the leopard ,phalmant bursts his belly by roaring2 the triple-headed bear ,senad tears her young by licking them with her tongue2 the dog ,cepus pours out the blue milk of her teats upon the rocks4 ,mosquitoes begin to hum1 toads commence to leap2 serpents hiss4 ,lightnings flicker4 ,hail falls4 ,then come gusts1 bearing with them marvellous anatomies3--,heads of alligators with hoofs of deer2 owls with serpent tails2 swine with tiger-muzzles2 goats with the crupper of an ass2 frogs hairy as bears2 chameleons huge as hippopotami2 calves with two heads1 one bellowing1 the other weeping2 winged bellies flitting hither and thither like gnats4 ,they rain from the sky1 they rise from the earth1 they pour from the rocks2 everywhere eyes flame1 mouths roar1 breasts bulge1 claws are extended1 teeth gnash1 flesh clacks against flesh4 ,some crouch2 some devour each other at a mouthful4 ,suffocating under their own numbers1 multiplying by their own contact1 they climb over one another2 and move about ,anthony with a surging motion as though the ground were the deck of a ship4 ,he feels the trail of snails upon the calves of his legs1 the chilliness of vipers upon his hands3--and spiders spinning about him enclose him within their network4 ,but the monstrous circle breaks1 parts2 the sky suddenly becomes blue2 and7-- ,,the ,,unicorn 7appears73 ,gallop6 ,gallop6 ,i have hoofs of ivory1 teeth of steel2 my head is the colour of purple1 my body the colour of snow2 and the horn of my forehead is bestreaked with the tints of the rainbow4 ,i travel from ,chaldea to the ,tartar desert1--upon the shores of the ,ganges and in ,mesopotamia4 ,i overtake the ostriches4 ,i run so swiftly that ,i draw the wind after me4 ,i rub my back against the palm-trees4 ,i roll among the bamboos4 ,i leap rivers with a single bound4 ,doves fly above me4 ,only a virgin can bridle me4 ,gallop6 ,gallop6 7,anthony watches him depart4 ,and as he gazes he beholds all the birds that nourish themselves with wind3 the ,gouith1 the ,ahuti1 the ,alphalim1 the ,iukneth1 of the mountains of ,kaf1 the homai of the ,arabs--which are the souls of murdered men4 ,he hears the parrots that utter human speech2 and the great ,pelasgian palmipeds that sob like children or chuckle like old women4 ,a saline air strikes his nostrils4 ,now a vast beach stretches before him4 ,in the distance jets of water arise1 spouted by whales2 and from the very end of the horizon come7-- ,,the ,,beasts ,,of ,,the ,,sea 7round as wineskins1 flat as blades1 denticulated like saws1 dragging themselves over the sand as they approach73 ,illustration3 ,the beasts of the sea round as wineskins 444 ,thou wilt accompany us to our immensities1 whither as yet no one has descended4 ,divers peoples inhabit the countries of the ,ocean4 ,some dwell in the sojourn of tempests2 others swim freely amid the transparency of chill waves2--or1 like oxen1 graze upon the coral plains1 or suck in through their trunks the reflux of the tides1--or bear upon their shoulders the vast weight of the sources of the sea4 ,illustration3 ,divers peoples inhabit the countries of the ,ocean4 7,phosphorences gleam in the moustaches of the seals1 shift in the scales of fish4 ,echini whirl like wheels2 ammonites uncoil like cables2 oysters make their shell hinges squeak2 polypi unfold their tentacles2 medus quiver like balls of crystal suspended2 sponges float hither and thither1 anemones ejaculate water2 wrack and sea-mosses have grown all about4 ,and all sorts of plants extend themselves into branches1 twist themselves into screws1 lengthen into points1 round themselves out like fans4 ,gourds take the appearance of breasts2 lianas interlace like serpents4 ,the ,dedaims of ,babylon1 which are trees1 bear human heads for fruit2 ,mandragoras sing2--the root ,baaras runs through the grass4 ,and now the vegetables are no longer distinguishable from the animals4 ,polyparies that seem like trees1 have arms upon their branches4 ,anthony thinks he sees a caterpillar between two leaves3 it is a butterfly that takes flight4 ,he is about to step on a pebble3 a grey locust leaps away4 ,one shrub is bedecked with insects that look like petals of roses2 fragments of ephemerides form a snowy layer upon the soil4 ,and then the plants become confounded with the stones4 ,flints assume the likeness of brains2 stalactites of breasts2 the flower of iron resembles a figured tapestry4#b ,he sees efflorescences in fragments of ice1 imprints of shrubs and shells--yet so that one cannot detect whether they be imprints only1 or the things themselves4 ,diamonds gleam like eyes2 metals palpitate4 ,and all fear has departed from him6 ,he throws himself down upon the ground1 and leaning upon his elbows1 watches breathlessly4 ,insects that have no stomachs persistently eat2 withered ferns bloom again and reflower2 absent members grow again4 ,at last he perceives tiny globular masses1 no larger than pinheads1 with cilia all round them4 ,they are agitated with a vibratile motion73 ,,anthony 7deliriously73 ,o joy6 ,o bliss6 ,i have beheld the birth of life6 ,i have seen the beginning of motion6 ,my pulses throb even to the point of bursting6 ,i long to fly1 to swim1 to bark1 to bellow1 to howl6 ,would that ,i had wings1 a carapace1 a shell1--that ,i could breathe out smoke1 wield a trunk1--make my body writhe1--divide myself everywhere1--be in everything1--emanate with odours1--develop myself like the plants1--flow like water1--vibrate like sound--shine like light1 squatting upon all forms--penetrate each atom--descend to the very bottom of matter1--be matter itself6 7,day at last appears2--and1 like tabernacle curtains uplifted1 clouds of gold uprolling in broad volutes unveil the sky4 ,even in the midst thereof1 and in the very disk of the sun1 beams the face of ,jesus ,christ4 ,illustration3 ,day at last appears 444 in the midst thereof and in the very disk of the sun1 beams the face of ,jesus ,christ4 ,anthony makes the sign of the cross1 and resumes his devotions47 ,,finis #a ,winkelmann claims to have been the first to discover that the ,egyptian sphinxes were bisexual--females before--males otherwise4 7,see ,book ,,ii1 chap4 ,i1 #be47 ,flaubert speaks of the ,sphinx in the masculine like ,philemon4 7,see also ,signor ,carlo ,fea's note upon the paragraph in ,winkelmann1 old ,french edition4 ,an ,,ii1 ,r4 ,f47--,trans4 #b ,fleurs de fer1 flowers of iron4 ,in mineralogy flos ferri1 a form of ,aragonite4--,trans4 ,,note ,those who compare this translation with the original will observe the omission of some few paragraphs on pages #gg1 #if and #baa4 ,they are speeches put in the mouths of certain ,heresiarchs1 or complaints of certain of the minor ,roman household gods4 ,the translator relegated these to an addenda1 which the publishers have omitted as being unnecessary4 ,those who are familiar with the original will be able to supply them1 and will realize that while they might be offensive to some persons1 they are in no respect an integral or important part of the great drama4 ,,addenda 7added by transcribers7 ,a4 ,observation of ,manes1 pages #hb-c1 original text2 page #hi of translation4 ,,manes ,ou plutt1 faites si bien qu'elle ne soit pas fcondes4 ,mieux vaut pour l'ame tomber sur la terre que de languir dans des entraves charnelles4 ,probably a calumny against ,manes2 for the ,eastern philosophy1 especially that of ,zoroaster1 which is said to have inspired the tenets of ,manichism1 advocated no such abominations4 ,b4 ,page #aje of original2 page #ajh translation4 ,the realistic phraseology of the original passage is rather brutal4 ,the ,french text reads3 ,il souffrait de la maladie ,bellerephontienne2 et sa mre1 la parfumeuse1 s'est livre ,pantherus1 un soldat ,romain1 sur des gerbes de mais1 un soir de moisson4 ,c4 ,descriptive text1 page #bcg original1 partly suppressed on page #bbc translation3 ,et il lui montre dans un bosquet d'aliziers ,une ,femme toute nue1 quatre pattes comme une bte1 et saillie par un homme noir1 tenant dans chaque main un flambeau4 ,d4 ,curious text of ,crepitus1 on page #bbh1 pages #bda-c of original3 ,,crepitus 7----se fait entendre73 ,moi aussi l'on m'honora jadis4 ,on me faisait des libations4 ,je fus un ,dieu6 ,l',athnien me saluait comme un presage de fortune1 tandis que le ,romain dvot me maudissait les poings levs et que le pontife d',egypte1 s'abstinant des fves1 tremblait ma voix et plissait mon odeur4 ,quand le vinaigre militaire coulait sur les barbes non rases1 qu'on se rgalait de glands1 de pois1 et d'oignons crus1 et que le bouc en morceau cuissait dans le beurre rance des pasteurs1 sans souci du voisin1 personne alors ne se gnait4 ,les nourritures solides faisaient digestions retentissantes4 ,au soleil de la campagne les hommes se soulageaient avec lenteur4 ,ainsi1 je passais sans scandale1 comme les autres besoins de la vie1 comme ,mena1 tourment des vierges1 et la douce ,rumina qui protge le sein de la nourrice1 gonfl1 des veines bleutres4 ,j'tais joyeux4 ,je faisais rire4 ,et se dilatant d'aise cause de moi1 le convive exhalait toute sa gaiet par les ouvertures de son corps4 ,j'ai eu mes jours d'orgeuil4 ,le bon ,aristophane me promena sur la scne1 et l'empereur ,claudius ,drusus#a me fit asseoir sa table4 ,dans les laticlaves des patriciens j'ai circul majestueusement6 ,les vases d'or1 comme des tympanons1 resonnaient sous moi2 et1 quand plein de murnes1 de truffles1 et de pts1 l'intestin du matre se dgageait avec fracas1 l'univers attentif apprenait que ,csar avait din6 ,mais prsent1 je suis confin dans la populace#b et l'on se rcrie1 mme mon nom6 ,et ,crepitus s'loigne1 en poussant un gmissement4444 ,e4 ,for descriptions of the ,martichoras and other monsters1 appearing page #bhg in the original and #bfc in the translation1 see also ,rabelais' ,pantagruel1 ,book ,v1 ,chap4 ,,xxx4 #a ,needless to refer to the comedies of ,aristophanes1 with which ,english readers have been familiarized through the ,bohn translations4 ,the reference to ,claudius ius ,drusus seems based upon the following lines in ,suetonius3 ,dicitur etiam meditatus edictum1 quo veniam daret flatum crepitumque ventris in convivio emittendi3 cum periclitatum quemdam prae pudore ex continentia reperisset4 7,suetonius-,tiberius ,claudius ,drusus3 #cb47 #b ,the so-called divinities1 ,deus ,crepitus1 ,dea ,pertunda1 ,deus ,stercutius1 ,dea ,rumina 7or ,rumilia71 ,dea ,mena1 concerning whose curious attributes the reader may consult ,english or ,french classical encyclopedists1 were doubtless regarded by the intelligent classes of antiquity much as certain religious superstitions are regarded by educated moderns4 ,it is true that they furnished grotesque themes to artists2 but many existing superstitions regarding elves and goblins have inspired modern sculptors1 painters and designers4 ,certainly1 seriously worshipped as deities1 ,priapus might seem equally contemptible as a divinity2 but his worship1 degenerate as it became in later years1 was primitively symbolical4 ,the obscene image merely typified the procreative ,spirit of ,nature4 ,the eccentric gods and goddesses above referred to had no such excuse for being4 ,as previously observed1 however1 ,flaubert artistically represents these divinities not as they were really considered in the antique world1 but rather as they would have appeared to the eyes of zealous ,christians in the third century--infamous and loathsome4--,translator4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's note3 ,this translation of the ,tentation by ,lafcadio ,hearn1 still regarded by many as the best up until now in ,english1 still misses some small fragments 7of a couple of words7 not deemed fit for the ,anglo-,saxon temperament of that time4 ,there is a contemporary version 7#bjjb7 of this translation available1 with introduction by ,michel ,foucault and the inclusion of some missing expressions4 ,the original ,french by ,gustave ,flaubert is also available at ,project ,gutenberg--see https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/ebooks_/#aj ihb