seraphita-第26节

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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　answered。



〃He　was　gentler　on　the　Falberg；〃　Minna　whispered　to　herself。



Seraphita　passed　her　hand　across　her　eyes　and　then　she　said；

smiling：



〃You　are　very　thoughtful　to…night；　gentlemen。　You　treat　Minna　and　me

as　though　we　were　men　to　whom　you　must　talk　politics　or　commerce；

whereas　we　are　young　girls；　and　you　ought　to　tell　us　tales　while　you

drink　your　tea。　That　is　what　we　do；　Monsieur　Wilfrid；　in　our　long

Norwegian　evenings。　Come；　dear　pastor；　tell　me　some　Saga　that　I　have

not　heard；that　of　Frithiof；　the　chronicle　that　you　believe　and　have

so　often　promised　me。　Tell　us　the　story　of　the　peasant　lad　who　owned

the　ship　that　talked　and　had　a　soul。　Come！　I　dream　of　the　frigate

Ellida；　the　fairy　with　the　sails　young　girls　should　navigate！〃



〃Since　we　have　returned　to　the　regions　of　Jarvis；〃　said　Wilfrid；　whose

eyes　were　fastened　on　Seraphita　as　those　of　a　robber；　lurking　in　the

darkness；　fasten　on　the　spot　where　he　knows　the　jewels　lie；　〃tell　me

why　you　do　not　marry？〃



〃You　are　all　born　widows　and　widowers；〃　she　replied；　〃but　my　marriage

was　arranged　at　my　birth。　I　am　betrothed。〃



〃To　whom？〃　they　cried。



〃Ask　not　my　secret；〃　she　said；　〃I　will　promise；　if　our　father　permits

it；　to　invite　you　to　these　mysterious　nuptials。〃



〃Will　they　be　soon？〃



〃I　think　so。〃



A　long　silence　followed　these　words。



〃The　spring　has　come！〃　said　Seraphita；　suddenly。　〃The　noise　of　the

waters　and　the　breaking　of　the　ice　begins。　Come；　let　us　welcome　the

first　spring　of　the　new　century。〃



She　rose；　followed　by　Wilfrid；　and　together　they　went　to　a　window

which　David　had　opened。　After　the　long　silence　of　winter；　the　waters

stirred　beneath　the　ice　and　resounded　through　the　fiord　like　music；

for　there　are　sounds　which　space　refines；　so　that　they　reach　the　ear

in　waves　of　light　and　freshness。



〃Wilfrid；　cease　to　nourish　evil　thoughts　whose　triumph　would　be　hard

to　bear。　Your　desires　are　easily　read　in　the　fire　of　your　eyes。　Be

kind；　take　one　step　forward　in　well…doing。　Advance　beyond　the　love　of

man　and　sacrifice　yourself　completely　to　the　happiness　of　her　you

love。　Obey　me；　I　will　lead　you　in　a　path　where　you　shall　obtain　the

distinctions　which　you　crave；　and　where　Love　is　infinite　indeed。〃



She　left　him　thoughtful。



〃That　soft　creature！〃　he　said　within　himself；　〃is　she　indeed　the

prophetess　whose　eyes　have　just　flashed　lightnings；　whose　voice　has

rung　through　worlds；　whose　hand　has　wielded　the　axe　of　doubt　against

our　sciences？　Have　we　been　dreaming？　Am　I　awake？〃



〃Minna；〃　said　Seraphita；　returning　to　the　young　girl；　〃the　eagle

swoops　where　the　carrion　lies；　but　the　dove　seeks　the　mountain　spring

beneath　the　peaceful　greenery　of　the　glades。　The　eagle　soars　to

heaven；　the　dove　descends　from　it。　Cease　to　venture　into　regions　where

thou　canst　find　no　spring　of　waters；　no　umbrageous　shade。　If　on　the

Falberg　thou　couldst　not　gaze　into