seraphita-第33节

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bodies；　or　that　it　raised　their　spirits　above　those　bodies；　certain　it

is　that　they　felt　within　them　a　rending　of　the　pure　from　the　impure。



The　tears　of　the　Seraph　rose　about　them　like　a　vapor；　which　hid　the

lower　worlds　from　their　knowledge；　held　them　in　its　folds；　bore　them

upwards；　gave　them　forgetfulness　of　earthly　meanings　and　the　power　of

comprehending　the　meanings　of　things　divine。



The　True　Light　shone；　it　illumined　the　Creations；　which　seemed　to　them

barren　when　they　saw　the　source　from　which　all　worldsTerrestrial；

Spiritual；　and　Divine…derived　their　Motion。



Each　world　possessed　a　centre　to　which　converged　all　points　of　its

circumference。　These　worlds　were　themselves　the　points　which　moved

toward　the　centre　of　their　system。　Each　system　had　its　centre　in　great

celestial　regions　which　communicated　with　the　flaming　and　quenchless

MOTOR　OF　ALL　THAT　IS。



Thus；　from　the　greatest　to　the　smallest　of　the　worlds；　and　from　the

smallest　of　the　worlds　to　the　smallest　portion　of　the　beings　who

compose　it；　all　was　individual；　and　all　was；　nevertheless；　One　and

indivisible。



What　was　the　design　of　the　Being；　fixed　in　His　essence　and　in　His

faculties；　who　transmitted　that　essence　and　those　faculties　without

losing　them？　who　manifested　them　outside　of　Himself　without　separating

them　from　Himself？　who　rendered　his　creations　outside　of　Himself　fixed

in　their　essence　and　mutable　in　their　form？　The　pair　thus　called　to

the　celestial　festival　could　only　see　the　order　and　arrangement　of

created　beings　and　admire　the　immediate　result。　The　Angels　alone　see

more。　They　know　the　means；　they　comprehend　the　final　end。



But　what　the　two　Elect　were　granted　power　to　contemplate；　what　they

were　able　to　bring　back　as　a　testimony　which　enlightened　their　minds

forever　after；　was　the　proof　of　the　action　of　the　Worlds　and　of

Beings；　the　consciousness　of　the　effort　with　which　they　all　converge

to　the　Result。



They　heard　the　divers　parts　of　the　Infinite　forming　one　living　melody；

and　each　time　that　the　accord　made　itself　felt　like　a　mighty

respiration；　the　Worlds　drawn　by　the　concordant　movement　inclined

themselves　toward　the　Supreme　Being　who；　from　His　impenetrable　centre；

issued　all　things　and　recalled　all　things　to　Himself。



This　ceaseless　alternation　of　voices　and　silence　seemed　the　rhythm　of

the　sacred　hymn　which　resounds　and　prolongs　its　sound　from　age　to　age。



Wilfrid　and　Minna　were　enabled　to　understand　some　of　the　mysterious

sayings　of　Him　who　had　appeared　on　earth　in　the　form　which　to　each　of

them　had　rendered　him　comprehensible；to　one　Seraphitus；　to　the　other

Seraphita；for　they　saw　that　all　was　homogeneous　in　the　sphere　where

he　now　was。



Light　gave　birth　to　melody；　melody　gave　birth　to　light；　colors　were

light　and　melody；　motion　was　a　Number　endowed　with　Utterance；　all

things　were　at　once　sonorous；　diaphanous；　and　mobile；　so　that　each

interpenetrated　the　other；　the　whole　vast　area　was　unobstructed　and

the　Angels　could　survey　it　from　the　depths　of　the　Infinite。



They　perceived　the　puerility　of　human　sciences；　of　which　he　had　spoken

to　them。



The　scene　was　to　them　a　prospect　without　horizon；　a　boundless　space

into　which　an　all…consuming　desire　prompted　them　to　plunge。　But；

fastened　to　their　miserable　bodies；　they　had　the　desire　without　the

power　to　fulfil　it。



The　SERAPH；　preparing　for　his　flight；　no　longer　looked　towards　them；

he　had　nothing　now　in　common　with　Earth。



Upward　he　rose；　the　shadow　of　his　luminous　presence　covered　the　two

Seers　like　a　merciful　veil；　enabling　them　to　raise　their　eyes　and　see

him；　rising　in　his　glory　to　Heaven　in　company　with　the　glad　Archangel。



He　rose　as　the　sun　from　the　bosom　of　the　Eastern　waves；　but；　more

majestic　than　the　orb　and　vowed　to　higher　destinies；　he　could　not　be

enchained　like　inferior　creations　in　the　spiral　movement　of　the

worlds；　he　followed　the　line　of　the　Infinite；　pointing　without

deviation　to　the　One　Centre；　there　to　enter　his　eternal　life；to

receive　there；　in　his　faculties　and　in　his　essence；　the　power　to　enjoy

through　Love；　and　the　gift　of　comprehending　through　Wisdom。



The　scene　which　suddenly　unveiled　itself　to　the　eyes　of　the　two　Seers

crushed　them　with　a　sense　of　its　vastness；　they　felt　like　atoms；　whose

minuteness　was　not　to　be　compared　even　to　the　smallest　particle　which

the　infinite　of　divisibility　enabled　the　mind　of　man　to　imagine；

brought　into　the　presence　of　the　infinite　of　Numbers；　which　God　alone

can　comprehend　as　He　alone　can　comprehend　Himself。



Strength　and　Love！　what　heights；　what　depths　in　those　two　entities；

whom　the　Seraph's　first　prayer　placed　like　two　links；　as　it　were；　to

unite　the　immensities　of　the　lower　worlds　with　the　immensity　of　the

higher　universe！



They　comprehended　the　invisible　ties　by　which　the　material　worlds　are

bound　to　the　spiritual　worlds。　Remembering　the　sublime　efforts　of

human　genius；　they　were　able　to　perceive　the　principle　of　all　melody

in　the　songs　of　heaven　which　gave　sensations　of　color；　of　perfume；　of

thought；　which　recalled　the　innumerable　details　of　all　creations；　as

the　songs　of　earth　revive　the　infinite　memories　of　love。



Brought　by　the　exaltation　of　their　faculties　to　a　point　that　cannot　be

described　in　any　language；　they　were　able　to　cast　their　eyes　for　an

instant　into　the　Divine　World。　There　all　was　Rejoicing。



Myriads　of　angels　were　flocking　together；　without　confusion；　all　alike

yet　all　dissimilar；　simple　as　the　flower　of　the　fields；　majestic　as

the　universe。



Wilfrid　and　Minna　saw　neither　their　coming　nor　their　going；　they

appeared　suddenly　in　the　Infinite　and　filled　it　with　their　presence；

as　the　stars　shine　in　the　invisible　ether。



The　scintillations　of　their　united　diadems　illumined　space　like　the

fires　of　the　sky　at　dawn　upon　the　mountains。　Waves　of　light　flowed

from　their　hair；　and　their　movements　created　tremulous　undulations　in

space　like　the　billows　of　a　phosphorescent　sea。



The　two　Seers　beheld　the　SERAPH　dimly　in　the　midst　of　the　immortal

legions。　Suddenly；　as　though　all　the　arrows　of　a　quiver　had　darted

together；　the　Spirits　swept　away　with　a　breath　the　last　vestiges　of

the　human　form；　as　the　SERAPH　rose　he　became　yet　purer；　soon　he　seemed

to　them　but　a　faint　outline　of　what　he　had　been　at　the　moment　of　his

transfiguration；lines　of　fire　without　shadow。



Higher　he　rose；　receiving　from　circle　to　circle　some　new　gift；　while

the　sign　of　his　election　was　transmitted　to　each　sphere　into　which；

more　and　more　purified；　he　entered。



No　voice　was　silent；　the　hymn　diffused　and　multiplied　itself　in　all

its　modulations：



〃Hail　to　him　who　enters　living！　Come；　flower　of　the　Worlds！　diamond

from　the　fires　of　suffering！　pearl　without　spot；　desire　without　flesh；

new　link　of　earth　and　heaven；　be　Light！　Conquering　spirit；　Queen　of

the　world；　come　for　thy　crown！　Victor　of　earth；　receive　thy　diadem！

Thou　art　of　us！〃



The　virtues　of　the　SERAPH　shone　forth　in　all　their　beauty。



His　earliest　desire　for　heaven　re…appeared；　tender　as　childhood。　The

deeds　of　his　life；　like　constellations；　adorned　him　with　their

brightness。　His　acts　of　faith　shone　like　the　Jacinth　of　heaven；　the

color　of　sidereal　fires。　The　pearls　of　Charity　were　upon　him；a

chaplet　of　garnered　tears！　Love　divine　surrounded　him　with　roses；　and

the　whiteness　of　his　Resignation　obliterated　all　earthly　trace。



Soon；　to　the　eyes　of　the　Seers；　he　was　but　a　point　of　flame；　growing

brighter　and　brighter　as　its　motion　was　lost　in　the　melodious

acclamations　which　welcomed　his　entrance　into　heaven。



The　celestial　accents　made　the　two　exiles　weep。



Suddenly　a　silence　as　of　death　spread　like　a　mourning　veil　from　the

first　to　the　highest　sphere；　throwing　Wilfrid　and　Minna　into　a　state

of　intolerable　expectation。



At　this　moment　the　SERAPH　was　lost　to　sight　within　the　SANCTUARY；

receiving　there　the　gift　of　Life　Eternal。



A　movement　of　adoration　made　by　the　Host　of　heaven　filled　the　two

Seers　with　ecstasy　mingled　with　terror。　They　felt　that　all　were

prostrate　before　the　Throne；　in　all　the　spheres；　in　the　Spheres

Divine；　in　the　Spiritual　Spheres；　and　in　the　Worlds　of　Darkness。



The　Angels　bent　the　knee　to　celebrate　the　SERAPH'S　glory；　the　Spirits

bent　the　knee　in　token　of　their　impatience；　others　bent　the　knee　in

the　dark　abysses；　shuddering　with　awe。



A　mighty　cry　of　joy　gushed　forth；　as　the　spring　gushes　forth　to　its

millions　of　flowering　herbs　sparkling　with　diamond　dew…drops　in　the

sunlight；　at　that　instant　the　SERAPH　reappeared；　effulgent；　crying；

〃ETERNAL！　ETERNAL！　ETERNAL！〃



The　universe　heard　the　cry　and　understood　it；　it　penetrated　the

spheres　as　God　penetrates　them；　it　took　possession　of　the　infinite；

the　Seven　Divine　Worlds　heard　the　Voice　and　answered。



A　mighty　movement　was　perceptible；　as　though　whole　planets；　purified；

were　rising　in　dazzling　light　to　become　Eternal。