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Spiritual　worlds；　one　is　the　theory　of　finite　creations；　the　other　the

theory　of　the　infinite。　Man；　who　alone　in　the　world　has　a　knowledge　of

the　Infinite；　can　alone　know　the　straight　line；　he　alone　has　the　sense

of　verticality　placed　in　a　special　organ。　A　fondness　for　the　creations

of　the　curve　would　seem　to　be　in　certain　men　an　indication　of　the

impurity　of　their　nature　still　conjoined　to　the　material　substances

which　engender　us；　and　the　love　of　great　souls　for　the　straight　line

seems　to　show　in　them　an　intuition　of　heaven。　Between　these　two　lines

there　is　a　gulf　fixed　like　that　between　the　finite　and　the　infinite；

between　matter　and　spirit；　between　man　and　the　idea；　between　motion

and　the　object　moved；　between　the　creature　and　God。　Ask　Love　the

Divine　to　grant　you　his　wings　and　you　can　cross　that　gulf。　Beyond　it

begins　the　revelation　of　the　Word。



〃No　part　of　those　things　which　you　call　material　is　without　its　own

meaning；　lines　are　the　boundaries　of　solid　parts　and　imply　a　force　of

action　which　you　suppress　in　your　formulas；thus　rendering　those

formulas　false　in　relation　to　substances　taken　as　a　whole。　Hence　the

constant　destruction　of　the　monuments　of　human　labor；　which　you

supply；　unknown　to　yourselves；　with　acting　properties。　Nature　has

substances；　your　science　combines　only　their　appearances。　At　every

step　Nature　gives　the　lie　to　all　your　laws。　Can　you　find　a　single　one

that　is　not　disproved　by　a　fact？　Your　Static　laws　are　at　the　mercy　of

a　thousand　accidents；　a　fluid　can　overthrow　a　solid　mountain　and　prove

that　the　heaviest　substances　may　be　lifted　by　one　that　is

imponderable。



〃Your　laws　on　Acoustics　and　Optics　are　defied　by　the　sounds　which　you

hear　within　yourselves　in　sleep；　and　by　the　light　of　an　electric　sun

whose　rays　often　overcome　you。　You　know　no　more　how　light　makes　itself

seen　within　you；　than　you　know　the　simple　and　natural　process　which

changes　it　on　the　throats　of　tropic　birds　to　rubies；　sapphires；

emeralds；　and　opals；　or　keeps　it　gray　and　brown　on　the　breasts　of　the

same　birds　under　the　cloudy　skies　of　Europe；　or　whitens　it　here　in　the

bosom　of　our　polar　Nature。　You　know　not　how　to　decide　whether　color　is

a　faculty　with　which　all　substances　are　endowed；　or　an　effect　produced

by　an　effluence　of　light。　You　admit　the　saltness　of　the　sea　without

being　able　to　prove　that　the　water　is　salt　at　its　greatest　depth。　You

recognize　the　existence　of　various　substances　which　span　what　you

think　to　be　the　void；substances　which　are　not　tangible　under　any　of

the　forms　assumed　by　Matter；　although　they　put　themselves　in　harmony

with　Matter　in　spite　of　every　obstacle。



〃All　this　being　so；　you　believe　in　the　results　of　Chemistry；　although

that　science　still　knows　no　way　of　gauging　the　changes　produced　by　the

flux　and　reflux　of　substances　which　come　and　go　across　your　crystals

and　your　instruments　on　the　impalpable　filaments　of　heat　or　light

conducted　and　projected　by　the　affinities　of　metal　or　vitrified　flint。

You　obtain　none　but　dead　substances；　from　which　you　have　driven　the

unknown　force　that　holds　in　check　the　decomposition　of　all　things　here

below；　and　of　which　cohesion；　attraction；　vibration；　and　polarity　are

but　phenomena。　Life　is　the　thought　of　substances；　bodies　are　only　the

means　of　fixing　life　and　holding　it　to　its　way。　If　bodies　were　beings

living　of　themselves　they　would　be　Cause　itself；　and　could　not　die。



〃When　a　man　discovers　the　results　of　the　general　movement；　which　is

shared　by　all　creations　according　to　their　faculty　of　absorption；　you

proclaim　him　mighty　in　science；　as　though　genius　consisted　in

explaining　a　thing　that　is！　Genius　ought　to　cast　its　eyes　beyond

effects。　Your　men　of　science　would　laugh　if　you　said　to　them：　'There

exist　such　positive　relations　between　two　human　beings；　one　of　whom

may　be　here；　and　the　other　in　Java；　that　they　can　at　the　same　instant

feel　the　same　sensation；　and　be　conscious　of　so　doing；　they　can

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　dest