Rosa Alchemica-第4章

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rs；　brought　them　together　in　the　garden　of　an　inn　in　the　south　of　france；　and　while　they　talked　together　the　thought　came　to　them　that　alchemy　was　the　gradual　distillation　of　the　contents　of　the　soul；　until　they　were　ready　to　put　off　the　mortal　and　put　on　the　immortal。　an　owl　passed；　rustling　among　the　vine？leaves　overhead；　and　then　an　old　woman　came；　leaning　upon　a　stick；　and；　sitting　close　to　them；　took　up　the　thought　where　they　had　dropped　it。　having　expounded　the　whole　principle　of　spiritual　alchemy；　and　bid　them　found　the　order　of　the　alchemical　rose；　she　passed　from　among　them；　and　when　they　would　have　followed　she　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。　they　formed　themselves　into　an　order；　holding　their　goods　and　making　their　researches　in　mon；　and；　as　they　became　perfect　in　the　alchemical　doctrine；　apparitions　came　and　went　among　them；　and　taught　them　more　and　more　marvellous　mysteries。　the　book　then　went　on　to　expound　so　much　of　these　as　the　neophyte　was　permitted　to　know；　dealing　at　the　outset　and　at　considerable　length　with　the　independent　reality　of　our　thoughts；　which　was；　it　declared；　the　doctrine　from　which　all　true　doctrines　rose。　if　you　imagine；　it　said；　the　semblance　of　a　living　　being；　it　is　at　once　possessed　by　a　wandering　soul；　and　goes　hither　and　thither　working　good　or　evil；　until　the　moment　of　its　death　has　e；　and　gave　many　examples；　received；　it　said；　from　many　gods。　eros　had　taught　them　how　to　fashion　forms　in　which　a　divine　soul　could　dwell；　and　whisper　what　they　would　into　sleeping　minds；　and　ate　forms　from　which　demonic　beings　could　pour　madness；　or　unquiet　dreams；　into　sleeping　blood；　and　hermes；　that　if　you　powerfully　imagined　a　hound　at　your　bedside　it　would　keep　watch　there　until　you　woke；　and　drive　away　all　but　the　mightiest　demons；　but　that　if　your　imagination　was　weakly；　the　hound　would　be　weakly　also；　and　the　demons　prevail；　and　the　hound　soon　die；　and　aphrodite；　that　if　you　made；　by　a　strong　imagining；　a　dove　crowned　with　silver　and　had　it　flutter　over　your　head；　its　soft　cooing　would　make　sweet　dreams　of　immortal　love　gather　and　brood　over　mortal　sleep；　and　all　divinities　alike　had　revealed　with　many　warnings　and　lamentations　that　all　minds　are　continually　giving　birth　to　such　beings；　and　sending　them　forth　to　work　health　or　disease；　joy　or　madness。　if　you　would　give　forms　to　the　evil　powers；　it　went　on；　you　were　to　make　them　ugly；　thrusting　out　a　lip；　with　the　thirsts　of　life；　or　breaking　the　proportions　of　a　body　with　the　burdens　of　life；　but　the　divine　powers　would　only　appear　in　beautiful　shapes；　which　are　but；　as　it　were；　shapes　trembling　out　of　existence；　folding　up　into　a　timeless　ecstasy；　drifting　with　half？shut　eyes；　into　a　sleepy　stillness。　the　bodiless　souls　who　descended　into　these　forms　were　what　men　called　the　moods；　and　worked　all　great　changes　in　the　world；　for　just　as　the　magician　or　the　artist　could　call　them　when　he　would；　so　they　could　call　out　of　the　mind　of　the　magician　or　the　artist；　or　if　they　were　demons；　out　of　the　mind　of　the　mad　or　the　ignoble；　what　shape　they　would；　and　through　its　voice　and　its　gestures　pour　themselves　out　upon　the　world。　in　this　way　all　great　events　were　acplished；　a　mood；　a　divinity；　or　a　demon；　first　descending　like　a　faint　sigh　into　mens　minds　and　then　changing　their　thoughts　and　their　actions　until　hair　that　was　yellow　had　grown　black；　or　hair　that　was　black　had　grown　yellow；　and　empires　moved　their　border；　as　though　they　were　but　drifts　of　leaves。　the　rest　of　the　book　contained　symbols　of　form；　and　sound；　and　colour；　and　their　attribution　to　divinities　and　demons；　so　that　the　initiate　might　fashion　a　shape　for　any　divinity　or　any　demon；　and　be　as　powerful　as　avicenna　among　those　who　live　under　the　roots　of　tears　and　of　laughter。

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Rosa　AlchemicaIV

＊＝
a　couple　of　hours　after　sunset　michael　robartes　returned　and　told　me　that　i　would　have　to　learn　the　steps　of　an　exceedingly　antique　dance；　because　before　my　initiation　could　be　perfected　i　had　to　join　three　times　in　a　magical　dance；　for　rhythm　was　the　wheel　of　eternity；　on　which　alone　the　transient　and　accidental　could　be　broken；　and　the　spirit　set　free。　i　found　that　the　steps；　which　were　simple　enough；　resembled　certain　antique　greek　dances；　and　having　been　a　good　dancer　in　my　youth　and　the　master　of　many　curious　gaelic　steps；　i　soon　had　them　in　my　memory。　he　then　robed　me　and　himself　in　a　costume　which　suggested　by　its　shape　both　greece　and　egypt；　but　by　its　crimson　colour　a　more　passionate　life　than　theirs；　and　having　put　into　my　hands　a　little　chainless　censer　of　bronze；　wrought　into　the　likeness　of　a　rose；　by　some　modern　craftsman；　he　told　me　to　open　a　small　door　opposite　to　the　door　by　which　i　had　entered。　i　put　my　hand　to　the　handle；　but　the　moment　i　did　so　the　fumes　of　the　incense；　helped　perhaps　by　his　mysterious　glamour；　made　me　fall　again　into　a　dream；　in　which　i　seemed　to　be　a　mask；　lying　on　the　counter　of　a　little　eastern　shop。　many　persons；　with　eyes　so　bright　and　still　that　i　knew　them　for　more　than　human；　came　in　and　tried　me　on　their　faces；　but　at　last　flung　me　into　a　corner　with　a　little　laughter；　but　all　this　passed　in　a　moment；　for　when　i　awoke　my　hand　was　still　upon　the　handle。　i　opened　the　door；　and　found　myself　in　a　marvellous　passage；　along　whose　sides　were　many　divinities　wrought　in　a　mosaic；　not　less　beautiful　than　the　mosaic　in　the　baptistery　at　ravenna；　but　of　a　less　severe　beauty；　the　predominant　colour　of　each　divinity；　which　was　surely　a　symbolic　colour；　being　repeated　in　the　lamps　that　hung　from　the　ceiling；　a　curiously？scented　lamp　before　every　divinity。　i　passed　on；　marvelling　exceedingly　how　these　enthusiasts　could　have　created　all　this　beauty　in　so　remote　a　place；　and　half　persuaded　to　believe　in　a　material　alchemy；　by　the　sight　of　so　much　hidden　wealth；　the　censer　filling　the　air；　as　i　passed；　with　smoke　of　ever？changing　colour。

i　stopped　before　a　door；　on　whose　bronze　panels　were　wrought　great　waves　in　whose　shadow　were　faint　suggestions　of　terrible　faces。　those　beyond　it　seemed　to　have　heard　our　steps；　for　a　voice　cried：　is　the　work　of　the　incorruptible　fire　at　an　end？　and　immediately　michael　robartes　answered：　the　perfect　gold　has　e　from　the　atbanor。　the　door　swung　open；　and　we　were　in　a　great　circular　room；　and　among　men　and　women　　who　were　dancing　slowly　in　crimson　robes。　upon　the　ceiling　was　an　immense　rose　wrought　in　mosaic；　and　about　the　walls；　also　in　mosaic；　was　a　battle　of　gods　and　angels；　the　gods　glimmering　like　rubies　and　sapphires；　and　the　angels　of　the　one　greyness；　because；　as　michael　robartes　whispered；　they　had　renounced　their　divinity；　and　turned　from　the　unfolding　of　their　separate　hearts；　out　of　love　for　a　god　of　humility　and　sorrow。　pillars　supported　the　roof　and　made　a　kind　of　circular　cloister；　each　pillar　being　a　column　of　confused　shapes；　divinities；　it　seemed；　of　the　wind；　who　rose　as　in　a　whirling　dance　of　more　than　human　vehemence；　and　playing　upon　pipes　and　cymbals；　and　from　among　these　shapes　were　thrust　out　hands；　and　in　these　hands　were　censers。　i　was　bid　place　my　censer　also　in　a　hand　and　take　my　place　and　dance；　and　as　i　turned　from　the　pillars　towards　the　dancers；　i　saw　that　the　floor　was　of　a　green　stone；　and　that　a　pale　christ　on　a　pale　cross　was　wrought　in　the　midst。　i　asked　robartes　the　meaning　of　this；　and　was　told　that　they　desired　to　trouble　his　unity　with　their　multitudinous　feet。　the　dance　wound　in　and　out；　tracing　upon　the　floor　the　shapes　of　petals　that　copied　the　petals　in　the　rose　overhead；　and　to　the　sound　of　hidden　instruments　which　were　perhaps　of　an　antique　pattern；　for　i　have　never　heard　the　like；　and　every　moment　the　dance　was　more　passionate；　until　all　the　winds　of　the　world　seemed　to　have　awakened　under　our　feet。　after　a　little　i　had　grown　weary；　and　stood　under　a　pillar　watching　the　ing　and　going　of　those　flame？like　figures；　until　gradually　i　sank　into　a　half？dream；　from　which　i　was　awakened　by　seeing　the　petals　of　the　great　rose；　which　had　no　longer　the　look　of　mosaic；　falling　slowly　through　the　incense？heavy　air；　and；　as　they　fell；　shaping　into　the　likeness　of　living　beings　of　an　extraordinary　beauty。　still　faint　and　cloud？like；　they　began　to　dance；　and　as　they　danced　took　a　more　and　more　definite　shape；　so　that　i　was　able　to　distinguish　beautiful　grecian　faces　and　august　egyptian　faces；　and　now　and　again　to　name　a　divinity　by　the　staff　in　his　hand　or　by　a　bird　fluttering　over　his　head；　and　soon　every　mortal　foot　danced　by　the　white　foot　of　an　immortal；　and　in　the　troubled　eyes　that　looked　into　untroubled　shadowy　eyes；　i　saw　the　brightness　of　uttermost　desire　as　though　they　had　found　at　length；　after　unreckonable　wandering；　the　lost　love　of　their　youth。　sometimes；　but　only　for　a　moment；　i　saw　a　faint　solitary　figure　with　a　rosa　veiled　face；　and　carrying　a　faint　torch；　flit　among　the　dancers；　but　like　a　dream　within　a　dream；　like　a　shadow　of　a　shadow；　and　i　knew　by　an　understanding　born　from　a　deeper　fountain　than　thought；　that　it　was　eros　himself；　and　that　his　face　was　veiled　because　no　man　or　woman　from　the　beginning　of　the　world　has　ever　known　what　love　is；　or　looked　into　his　eyes；　for　eros　alone　of　divinities　is　altogether　a　spirit；　and　hides　in　passions　not　of　his　essence　if　he　would　mune　with　a