seraphita-第21章

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question　each　other　and　reply　without　mistake'；　and　yet　there　are

mineral　substances　which　exhibit　sympathies　as　far　off　from　each　other

as　those　of　which　I　speak。　You　believe　in　the　power　of　the　electricity

which　you　find　in　the　magnet　and　you　deny　that　which　emanates　from　the

soul！　According　to　you；　the　moon；　whose　influence　upon　the　tides　you

think　fixed；　has　none　whatever　upon　the　winds；　nor　upon　navigation；

nor　upon　men；　she　moves　the　sea；　but　she　must　not　affect　the　sick

folk；　she　has　undeniable　relations　with　one　half　of　humanity；　and

nothing　at　all　to　do　with　the　other　half。　These　are　your　vaunted

certainties！



〃Let　us　go　a　step　further。　You　believe　in　physics。　But　your　physics

begin；　like　the　Catholic　religion；　with　an　ACT　OF　FAITH。　Do　they　not

pre…suppose　some　external　force　distinct　from　substance　to　which　it

communicates　motion？　You　see　its　effects；　but　what　is　it？　where　is　it？

what　is　the　essence　of　its　nature；　its　life？　has　it　any　limits？and

yet；　you　deny　God！



〃Thus；　the　majority　of　your　scientific　axioms；　true　to　their　relation

to　man；　are　false　in　relation　to　the　Great　Whole。　Science　is　One；　but

you　have　divided　it。　To　know　the　real　meaning　of　the　laws　of　phenomena

must　we　not　know　the　correlations　which　exist　between　phenomena　and

the　law　of　the　Whole？　There　is；　in　all　things；　an　appearance　which

strikes　your　senses；　under　that　appearance　stirs　a　soul；　a　body　is

there　and　a　faculty　is　there。　Where　do　you　teach　the　study　of　the

relations　which　bind　things　to　each　other？　Nowhere。　Consequently　you

have　nothing　positive。　Your　strongest　certainties　rest　upon　the

analysis　of　material　forms　whose　essence　you　persistently　ignore。



〃There　is　a　Higher　Knowledge　of　which；　too　late；　some　men　obtain　a

glimpse；　though　they　dare　not　avow　it。　Such　men　comprehend　the

necessity　of　considering　substances　not　merely　in　their　mathematical

properties　but　also　in　their　entirety；　in　their　occult　relations　and

affinities。　The　greatest　man　among　you　divined；　in　his　latter　days；

that　all　was　reciprocally　cause　and　effect；　that　the　visible　worlds

were　co…ordinated　among　themselves　and　subject　to　worlds　invisible。　He

groaned　at　the　recollection　of　having　tried　to　establish　fixed

precepts。　Counting　up　his　worlds；　like　grape…seeds　scattered　through

ether；　he　had　explained　their　coherence　by　the　laws　of　planetary　and

molecular　attraction。　You　bowed　before　that　man　of　sciencewell！　I

tell　you　that　he　died　in　despair。　By　supposing　that　the　centrifugal

and　centripetal　forces；　which　he　had　invented　to　explain　to　himself

the　universe；　were　equal；　he　stopped　the　universe；　yet　he　admitted

motion　in　an　indeterminate　sense；　but　supposing　those　forces　unequal；

then　utter　confusion　of　the　planetary　system　ensued。　His　laws

therefore　were　not　absolute；　some　higher　problem　existed　than　the

principle　on　which　his　false　glory　rested。　The　connection　of　the　stars

with　one　another　and　the　centripetal　action　of　their　internal　motion

did　not　deter　him　from　seeking　the　parent　stalk　on　which　his　clusters

hung。　Alas；　poor　man！　the　more　he　widened　space　the　heavier　his　burden

grew。　He　told　you　how　there　came　to　be　equilibrium　among　the　parts；

but　whither　went　the　whole？　His　mind　contemplated　the　vast　extent；

illimitable　to　human　eyes；　filled　with　those　groups　of　worlds　a　mere

fraction　of　which　is　all　our　telescopes　can　reach；　but　whose　immensity

is　revealed　by　the　rapidity　of　light。　This　sublime　contemplation

enabled　him　to　perceive　myriads　of　worlds；　planted　in　space　like

flowers　in　a　field；　which　are　born　like　infants；　grow　like　men；　die　as

the　aged　die；　and　live　by　assimilating　from　their　atmosphere　the

substances　suitable　for　their　nourishment；having　a　centre　and　a

principal　of　life；　guaranteeing　to　each　other　their　circuits；　absorbed

and　absorbing　like　plants；　and　forming　a　vast　Whole　endowed　with　life

and　possessing　a　destiny。



〃At　that　sight　your　man　of　science　trembled！　He　knew　that　life　is

produced　by　the　union　of　the　thing　and　its　principle；　that　death　or

inertia　or　gravity　is　produced　by　a　rupture　between　a　thing　and　the

movement　which　appertains　to　it。　Then　it　was　that　he　foresaw　the

crumbling　of　the　worlds　and　their　destruction　if　God　should　withdraw

the　Breath　of　His　Word。　He　searched　the　Apocalypse　for　the　traces　of

that　Word。　You　thought　him　mad。　Understand　him　better！　He　was　seeking

pardon　for　the　work　of　his　genius。



〃Wilfrid；　you　have　come　here　hoping　to　make　me　solve　equations；　or

rise　upon　a　rain…cloud；　or　plunge　into　the　fiord　and　reappear　a　swan。

If　science　or　miracles　were　the　end　and　object　of　humanity；　Moses

would　have　bequeathed　to　you　the　law　of　fluxions；　Jesus　Christ　would

have　lightened　the　darkness　of　your　sciences；　his　apostles　would　have

told　you　whence　come　those　vast　trains　of　gas　and　melted　metals；

attached　to　cores　which　revolve　and　solidify　as　they　dart　through

ether；　or　violently　enter　some　system　and　combine　with　a　star；

jostling　and　displacing　it　by　the　shock；　or　destroying　it　by　the

infiltration　of　their　deadly　gases；　Saint　Paul；　instead　of　telling　you

to　live　in　God；　would　have　explained　why　food　is　the　secret　bond　among

all　creations　and　the　evident　tie　between　all　living　Species。　In　these

days　the　greatest　miracle　of　all　would　be　the　discovery　of　the

squaring　of　the　circle；a　problem　which　you　hold　to　be　insoluble；　but

which　is　doubtless　solved　in　the　march　of　worlds　by　the　intersection

of　some　mathematical　lines　whose　course　is　visible　to　the　eye　of

spirits　who　have　reached　the　higher　spheres。　Believe　me；　miracles　are

in　us；　not　without　us。　Here　natural　facts　occur　which　men　call

supernatural。　God　would　have　been　strangely　unjust　had　he　confined　the

testimony　of　his　power　to　certain　generations　and　peoples　and　denied

them　to　others。　The　brazen　rod　belongs　to　all。　Neither　Moses；　nor

Jacob；　nor　Zoroaster；　nor　Paul；　nor　Pythagoras；　nor　Swedenborg；　not

the　humblest　Messenger　nor　the　loftiest　Prophet　of　the　Most　High　are

greater　than　you　are　capable　of　being。　Only；　there　come　to　nations　as

to　men　certain　periods　when　Faith　is　theirs。



〃If　material　sciences　be　the　end　and　object　of　human　effort；　tell　me；

both　of　you；　would　societies；those　great　centres　where　men

congregate；would　they　perpetually　be　dispersed？　If　civilization　were

the　object　of　our　Species；　would　intelligence　perish？　would　it

continue　purely　individual？　The　grandeur　of　all　nations　that　were

truly　great　was　based　on　exceptions；　when　the　exception　ceased　their

power　died。　If　such　were　the　End…all；　Prophets；　Seers；　and　Messengers

of　God　would　have　lent　their　hand　to　Science　rather　than　have　given　it

to　Belief。　Surely　they　would　have　quickened　your　brains　sooner　than

have　touched　your　hearts！　But　no；　one　and　all　they　came　to　lead　the

nations　back　to　God；　they　proclaimed　the　sacred　Path　in　simple　words

that　showed　the　way　to　heaven；　all　were　wrapped　in　love　and　faith；　all

were　inspired　by　that　WORD　which　hovers　above　the　inhabitants　of

earth；　enfolding　them；　inspiriting　them；　uplifting　them；　none　were

prompted　by　any　human　interest。　Your　great　geniuses；　your　poets；　your

kings；　your　learned　men　are　engulfed　with　their　cities；　while　the

names　of　these　good　pastors　of　humanity；　ever　blessed；　have　survived

all　cataclysms。



〃Alas！　we　cannot　understand　each　other　on　any　point。　We　are　separated

by　an　abyss。　You　are　on　the　side　of　darkness；　while　II　live　in　the

light；　the　true　Light！　Is　this　the　word　that　you　ask　of　me？　I　say　it

with　joy；　it　may　change　you。　Know　this：　there　are　sciences　of　matter

and　sciences　of　spirit。　There；　where　you　see　substances；　I　see　forces

that　stretch　one　toward　another　with　generating　power。　To　me；　the

character　of　bodies　is　the　indication　of　their　principles　and　the　sign

of　their　properties。　Those　principles　beget　affinities　which　escape

your　knowledge；　and　which　are　linked　to　centres。　The　different　species

among　which　life　is　distributed　are　unfailing　streams　which　correspond

unfailingly　among　themselves。　Each　has　his　own　vocation。　Man　is　effect

and　cause。　He　is　fed；　but　he　feeds　in　turn。　When　you　call　God　a

Creator；　you　dwarf　Him。　He　did　not　create；　as　you　think　He　did；　plants

or　animals　or　stars。　Could　He　proceed　by　a　variety　of　means？　Must　He

not　act　by　unity　of　composition？　Moreover；　He　gave　forth　principles　to

be　developed；　according　to　His　universal　law；　at　the　will　of　the

surroundings　in　which　they　were　placed。　Hence　a　single　substance　and

motion；　a　single　plant；　a　single　animal；　but　correlations　everywhere。

In　fact；　all　affinities　are　linked　together　by　contiguous　similitudes；

the　life　of　the　worlds　is　drawn　toward　the　centres　by　famished

aspiration；　as　you　are　drawn　by　hunger　to　seek　food。



〃To　give　you　an　example　of　affinities　linked　to　similitudes　（a

secondary　law　on　which　the　creations　of　your　thought　are　based）；

music；　that　celestial　art；　is　the　working　out　of　this　principle；　for

is　it　not　a　complement　of　sounds　harmonized　by　number？　Is　not　sound　a

modification　of　air；　compressed；　dilated；　echoed？　You　know　the

composition　of　air；oxygen；　nitrogen；　and　carbon。　As　you　cannot

obtain　sound　from　the　void；　it　is　plain　that　music　and　the　human　voice

are　the　result　of　organized　chemical　substances；　which　put　themselves

in　unison　with　the　same　substances　prepared　within　you　by　your

thought；　co…ordinated　by　means　of　light；　the　great　nourisher　of　your

globe。　Have　you　ever　meditated　on　the　masses　of　nitre　deposited　by　the

snow；　have　you　ever　observed　a　thunderstorm　and　seen　the　plants

breathing　in　from　the　air　about　them　the　metal　it　contains；　without

concluding　that　the　sun　has　fused　and　distributed　the　subtle　essence

which　nourishes　all　things　here　below？　Swedenborg　has　said；　'The　earth

is　a　man。'



〃Your　Science；　which　makes　you　great　in　your　own　eyes；　is　paltry

indeed　beside　the　light　which　bathes　a　Seer。　Cease；　cease　to　question

me；　our　languages　are　different。　For　a　moment　I　have　used　yours　to

cast；　if　it　be　possible；　a　ray　of　faith　into　your　soul；　to　give　you；

as　it　were；　the　hem　of　my　garment　and　draw　you　up　into　the　regions　of

Prayer。　Can　God　abase　Himself　to　you？　Is　it　not　for　you　to　rise　to

Him？　If　human　reason　finds　the　ladder　of　its　own　strength　too　weak　to

bring　God　down　to　it；　is　it　not　evident　that　you　must　find　some　other

path　to　reach　Him？　That　Path　is　in　ourselves。　The　Seer　and　the

Believer　find　eyes　within　their　souls　more　piercing　far　than　eyes　that

probe　the　things　of　earth；they　see　the　Dawn。　Hear　this　truth：　Your

science；　let　it　be　never　so　exact；　your　meditations；　however　bold；

your　noblest　lights　are　Clouds。　Above；　above　is　the　Sanctuary　whence

the　true　Light　flows。〃



She　sat　down　and　remained　silent；　her　calm　face　bore　no　sign　of　the

agitation　which　orators　betray　after　their　least　fervid

improvisations。



Wilfrid　bent　toward　Monsieur　Becker　and　said　in　a　low　voice；　〃Who

taught　her　that？〃



〃I　do　not　know；〃　he　answer