Rosa Alchemica-第2章

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ne　kind　with　the　flowers　that　laid　their　heavy　purple　petals　upon　the　hands　and　upon　the　hair　and　upon　the　feet　of　christ　in　the　garden　of　gethsemane；　and　folded　him　in　their　heavy　breath；　until　he　cried　against　the　cross　and　his　destiny。　he　shook　some　dust　into　the　censer　out　of　a　small　silk　bag；　and　set　the　censer　upon　the　floor　and　lit　the　dust　which　sent　up　a　blue　stream　of　smoke；　that　spread　out　over　the　ceiling；　and　flowed　downwards　again　until　it　was　like　miltons　banyan　tree。　it　filled　me；　as　incense　often　does；　with　a　faint　sleepiness；　so　that　i　started　when　he　said；　i　have　e　to　ask　you　that　question　which　i　asked　you　in　paris；　and　which　you　left　paris　rather　than　answer。

he　had　turned　his　eyes　towards　me；　and　i　saw　them　glitter　in　the　firelight；　and　through　the　incense；　as　i　replied：　you　mean；　will　i　bee　an　initiate　of　your　order　of　the　alchemical　rose？　i　would　not　consent　in　paris；　when　i　was　full　of　unsatisfied　desire；　and　now　that　i　have　at　last　fashioned　my　life　according　to　my　desire；　am　i　likely　to　consent？

you　have　changed　greatly　since　then；　he　answered。　i　have　read　your　books；　and　now　i　see　you　among　all　these　images；　and　i　understand　you　better　than　you　do　yourself；　for　i　have　been　with　many　and　many　dreamers　at　the　same　cross？ways。　you　have　shut　away　the　world　and　gathered　the　gods　about　you；　and　if　you　do　not　throw　yourself　at　their　feet；　you　will　be　always　full　of　lassitude；　and　of　wavering　purpose；　for　a　man　must　forget　he　is　miserable　in　the　bustle　and　noise　of　the　multitude　in　this　world　and　in　time；　or　seek　a　mystical　union　with　the　multitude　who　govern　this　world　and　time。　and　then　he　murmured　something　i　could　not　hear；　and　as　though　to　someone　i　could　not　see。

for　a　moment　the　room　appeared　to　darken；　as　it　used　to　do　when　he　was　about　to　perform　some　singular　experiment；　and　in　the　darkness　the　peacocks　upon　the　doors　seemed　to　glow　with　a　more　intense　colour。　i　cast　off　the　illusion；　which　was；　i　believe；　merely　caused　by　memory；　and　by　the　twilight　of　incense；　for　i　would　not　acknowledge　that　he　could　overe　my　now　mature　intellect；　and　i　said：　even　if　i　grant　that　i　need　a　spiritual　belief　and　some　form　of　worship；　why　should　i　go　to　eleusis　and　not　to　calvary？　he　leaned　forward　and　began　speaking　with　a　slightly　rhythmical　intonation；　and　as　he　spoke　i　had　to　struggle　again　with　the　shadow；　as　of　some　older　night　than　the　night　of　the　sun；　which　began　to　dim　the　light　of　the　candles　and　to　blot　out　the　little　gleams　upon　the　corner　of　picture？　frames　and　on　the　bronze　divinities；　and　to　turn　the　blue　of　the　incense　to　a　heavy　purple；　while　it　left　the　peacocks　to　glimmer　and　glow　as　though　each　separate　colour　were　a　living　spirit。　i　had　fallen　into　a　profound　dream？like　reverie　in　which　i　heard　him　speaking　as　at　a　distance。　and　yet　there　is　no　one　who　munes　with　only　one　god；　he　was　saying；　and　the　more　a　man　lives　in　imagination　and　in　a　refined　understanding；　the　more　gods　does　he　meet　with　and　talk　with；　and　the　more　does　he　e　under　the　power　of　roland；　who　sounded　in　the　valley　of　roncesvalles　the　last　trumpet　of　the　bodys　will　and　pleasure；　and　of　hamlet；　who　saw　them　perishing　away；　and　sighed；　and　of　faust；　who　looked　for　them　up　and　down　the　world　and　could　not　find　them；　and　under　the　power　of　all　those　countless　divinities　who　have　taken　upon　themselves　spiritual　bodies　in　the　minds　of　the　modern　poets　and　romance　writers；　and　under　the　power　of　the　old　divinities；　who　since　the　renaissance　have　won　everything　of　their　ancient　worship　except　the　sacrifice　of　birds　and　fishes；　the　fragrance　of　garlands　and　the　smoke　of　incense。

the　many　think　humanity　made　these　divinities；　and　that　it　can　unmake　them　again；　but　we　who　have　seen　them　pass　in　rattling　harness；　and　in　soft　robes；　and　heard　them　speak　with　articulate　voices　while　we　lay　in　deathlike　trance；　know　that　they　are　always　making　and　unmaking　humanity；　which　is　indeed　but　the　trembling　of　their　lips。

he　had　stood　up　and　begun　to　walk　to　and　fro；　and　had　bee　in　my　waking　dream　a　shuttle　weaving　an　immense　purple　web　whose　folds　had　begun　to　fill　the　room。　the　room　seemed　to　have　bee　inexplicably　silent；　as　though　all　but　the　web　and　the　weaving　were　at　an　end　in　the　world。　they　have　e　to　us；　they　　have　e　to　us；　the　voice　began　again；　all　that　have　ever　been　in　your　reverie；　all　that　you　have　met　with　in　books。　there　is　lear；　his　head　still　wet　with　the　thunder？storm；　and　he　laughs　because　you　thought　yourself　an　existence　who　are　but　a　shadow；　and　him　a　shadow　who　is　an　eternal　god；　and　there　is　beatrice；　with　her　lips　half　parted　in　a　smile；　as　though　all　the　stars　were　about　to　pass　away　in　a　sigh　of　love；　and　there　is　the　mother　of　the　god　of　humility　who　cast　so　great　a　spell　over　men　that　they　have　tried　to　unpeople　their　hearts　that　he　might　reign　alone；　but　she　holds　in　her　hand　the　rose　whose　every　petal　is　a　god；　and　there；　o　swiftly　she　es！　is　aphrodite　under　a　twilight　falling　from　the　wings　of　numberless　sparrows；　and　about　her　feet　are　the　grey　and　white　doves。　in　the　midst　of　my　dream　i　saw　him　hold　out　his　left　arm　and　pass　his　right　hand　over　it　as　though　he　stroked　the　wings　of　doves。　i　made　a　violent　effort　which　seemed　almost　to　tear　me　in　two；　and　said　with　forced　determination：　you　would　sweep　me　away　into　an　indefinite　world　which　fills　me　with　terror；　and　yet　a　man　is　a　great　man　just　in　so　far　as　he　can　make　his　mind　reflect　everything　with　indifferent　precision　like　a　mirror。　i　seemed　to　be　perfectly　master　of　myself；　and　went　on；　but　more　rapidly：　i　mand　you　to　leave　me　at　once；　for　your　ideas　and　phantasies　are　but　the　illusions　that　creep　like　maggots　into　civilizations　when　they　begin　to　decline；　and　into　minds　when　they　begin　to　decay。　i　had　grown　suddenly　angry；　and　seizing　the　alembic　from　the　table；　was　about　to　rise　and　strike　him　with　it；　when　the　peacocks　on　the　door　behind　him　appeared　to　grow　immense；　and　then　the　alembic　fell　from　my　fingers　and　i　was　drowned　in　a　tide　of　green　and　blue　and　bronze　feathers；　and　as　i　struggled　hopelessly　i　heard　a　distant　voice　saying：　our　master　avicenna　has　written　that　all　life　proceeds　out　of　corruption。　the　glittering　feathers　had　now　covered　me　pletely；　and　i　knew　that　i　had　struggled　for　hundreds　of　years；　and　was　conquered　at　last。　i　was　sinking　into　the　depth　when　the　green　and　blue　and　bronze　that　seemed　to　fill　the　world　became　a　sea　of　flame　and　swept　me　away；　and　as　i　was　swirled　along　i　heard　a　voice　over　my　head　cry；　the　mirror　is　broken　in　two　pieces；　and　another　voice　answer；　the　mirror　is　broken　in　four　pieces；　and　a　more　distant　voice　cry　with　an　exultant　cry；　the　mirror　is　broken　into　numberless　pieces；　and　then　a　multitude　of　pale　hands　were　reaching　towards　me；　and　strange　gentle　faces　bending　above　me；　and　half　wailing　and　half　caressing　voices　uttering　words　that　were　forgotten　the　moment　they　were　spoken。　i　was　being　lifted　out　of　the　tide　of　flame；　and　felt　my　memories；　my　hopes；　my　thoughts；　my　will；　everything　i　held　to　be　myself；　melting　away；　then　i　seemed　to　rise　through　numberless　panies　of　beings　who　were；　i　understood；　in　some　way　more　certain　than　thought；　each　wrapped　in　his　eternal　moment；　in　the　perfect　lifting　of　an　arm；　in　a　little　circlet　of　rhythmical　words；　in　dreaming　with　dim　eyes　and　half？closed　eyelids。　and　then　i　passed　beyond　these　forms；　which　were　so　beautiful　they　had　almost　ceased　to　be；　and；　having　endured　strange　moods；　melancholy；　as　it　seemed；　with　the　weight　of　many　worlds；　i　passed　into　that　death　which　is　beauty　herself；　and　into　that　loneliness　which　all　the　multitudes　desire　without　ceasing。　all　things　that　had　ever　lived　seemed　to　e　and　dwell　in　my　heart；　and　i　in　theirs；　and　i　had　never　again　known　mortality　or　tears；　had　i　not　suddenly　fallen　from　the　certainty　of　vision　into　the　uncertainty　of　dream；　and　bee　a　drop　of　molten　gold　falling　with　immense　rapidity；　through　a　night　elaborate　with　stars；　and　all　about　me　a　melancholy　exultant　wailing。　i　fell　and　fell　and　fell；　and　then　the　wailing　was　but　the　wailing　of　the　wind　in　the　chimney；　and　i　awoke　to　find　myself　leaning　upon　the　table　and　supporting　my　head　with　my　hands。　i　saw　the　alembic　swaying　from　side　to　side　in　the　distant　corner　it　had　rolled　to；　and　michael　robartes　watching　me　and　waiting。　i　will　go　wherever　you　will；　i　said；　and　do　whatever　you　bid　me；　for　i　have　been　with　eternal　things。　i　knew；　he　replied；　you　must　need　answer　as　you　have　answered；　when　i　heard　the　storm　begin。　you　must　e　to　a　great　distance；　for　we　were　manded　to　build　our　temple　between　the　pure　multitude　by　the　waves　and　the　impure　multitude　of　men。

．co



Rosa　AlchemicaIII

。
i　did　not　speak　as　we　drove　through　the　deserted　streets；　for　my　mind　was　curiously　empty　of　familiar　thoughts　and　experiences；　it　seemed　to　have　been　plucked　out　of　the　definite　world　and　cast　naked　upon　a　shoreless　sea。　there　were　moments　when　the　vision　appeared　on　the　point　of　returning；　and　i　would　half？remember；　with　an　ecstasy　of　joy　or　sorrow；　crimes　and　heroisms；　fortunes　and　misfortunes；　or　begin　to　contemplate；　with　a　sudden　leaping　of　the　heart；　hopes　and　terrors；　desires　and　ambitions；　alien　to　my　orderly　and　careful　life；　and　then　i　would　awake　shuddering　at