Scene 5

Scene 5A subterranean rock-temple: a hidden site of the Mysteries of the Hierophants.At the right of the stage, Johannes is seen in deep meditation.Benedictus(in the East):Ye, who have been companions unto meIn the domain of everlasting life,Here in your midst I stand today to askThe help of which I stand in need from youTo weave the thread of destiny for one,Who from our midst must now receive the light.Through bitter trials and sorrows hath he passed,And hath in deepest agony of soulPrepared the way to consecrate his lifeAnd thus attain to knowledge of the truth.Accomplished now the task assigned to me,As spirit-messenger, to bring to menThe treasured wisdom of this temple’s shrine.And now, ye brethren, ’tis your sacred taskTo bring my work to full accomplishment.I showed to him the light that proved the guideTo his first vision of the spirit-world,But that this vision may be turned to truthYour work must needs be added unto mine.My words proceed from mine own mouth alone,But through your lips world-spirits do sound forth.Theodosius(in the South):Thus speaks the power of love, which bindeth worldsAnd filleth beings with the breath of life:—Let warmth flow in his heart that he may graspHow by the sacrificing of that vainIllusion of his personalityHe doth draw near the spirit of the world.His sight from sleep of sense thou hast set free;Love’s warmth will wake the spirit in his soul:His Self from carnal covering thou hast drawn;And love itself will crystallize his soulThat it may be a mirror to reflectAll that doth happen in the spirit-world.Love too will give him strength to feel himselfA spirit, and will fashion thus his earThat it can hear and know the spirit-speech.Romanus(in the West):Nor are my words the revelation trueOf mine own self. Through me the world-will speaks.And since thou hast thus raised unto the powerTo live in spirit-realms the man to theeEntrusted, now this power shall lead him forthBeyond the bounds of space and ends of time.To those realms shall he pass wherein do workCreative spirits, who shall there revealThemselves to him; demanding from him deeds;And willingly will he perform their work.The purposes of Him who moulds the worldsShall fill his soul with life; there too the earth’sPrimeval sources shall enspirit him;World potencies shall there empower him;The mights of spheres shall there enlighten him,And rulers of the worlds fill him with fire.Retardus(in the North):From the foundation of the world ye haveBeen forced to suffer me within your midst.So must ye also to my words give earIn your deliberations here today.Some little time must surely yet elapseBefore ye can fulfil and bring to passWhat ye have set forth in such beauteous words.No sign as yet hath come to us from earthThat she doth long for new initiates.So long as this spot, where we council hold,Hath not been trodden by the feet of thoseWho, uninitiate still, cannot set freeTheir spirit from realities of sense,So long the task is mine to check your zeal.First must they bring us message that the earthDoth seem in need of revelations new.For this cause hold I back your spirit-lightWithin this temple, lest it may bring harmInstead of health to souls that are not ripe.Out of myself I give to man on earthThat faculty which lets the truths of senseAppear to him the highest, just so longAs spirit wisdom would but blind his eyes.Nay more, e’en such belief may also leadHim nearer to the spirit, for the aimsFormed by his will may yet be guided rightThrough his blind tastes and gropings in the dark.Romanus:From the foundation of the world we haveBeen forced to suffer thee within our midst.But now at length the time hath run its courseThat was allotted to such work as thine.The world-will in me feels that they approach—(Felix Balde appears in his earthly shape: the Other Maria as a soul-form from out of the rock.)—Who, uninitiated, can releaseThe spirit from the outward show of sense.No more ’tis granted thee to check our steps.They near our temple of their own free willAnd bring to thee this message, that they wishTo help our spirit labours, joined with us.They found themselves till now not yet preparedFor union, since they clung to that beliefThat seership’s power with reason needs must part.Now have they learned whither mankind is ledBy reason, which, when severed from true sight,Doth err and wander in the depths of worlds.They now will speak to thee of fruits which needsMust ripen through thy power in human souls.Retardus:Ye, who unconsciously have forwardedMy work till now, ye shall still further help—If ye will distant keep from all that dothBelong unto my realm and that alone.Then shall ye surely find a place reservedFor you to work as hitherto ye worked.Felix Balde:A power, which speaks from very depths of earthUnto my spirit, hath commanded meTo come unto this consecrated place;Since it desires to speak to you through meOf all its bitter sorrow and its need.Benedictus:My friend, then tell us now how thou hast learnedThe woe of world-depths in thine own soul’s core.Felix Balde:The light that shines in men as learning’s fruitMust needs give nourishment to all the powersWhich serve world-cycles in the earth’s dark depths.Already now a long time have they starvedWell-nigh entirely reft of sustenance.For that which grows today in human brainsDoth only serve the surface of the earth,And doth not penetrate unto its depths.Some strange new superstition now doth hauntThese clever human heads: they turn their gazeUnto primeval origins of earthAnd will but spectres see in spirit spheres,Thought out by vain illusion of the sense.A merchant surely would consider madA purchaser, who would speak thus to him:‘The mists and fog, that hover in the vale,Can certainly condense to solid gold;And with such gold thou shalt be paid thy debt.’The merchant will not willingly awaitTo have his ducats made from fog and mist;And yet whene’er his soul doth thirst to findSolution of the riddles set by life,Should science offer him such payments thenFor spirit needs and debts, right willinglyWill he accept whole solar systems builtOut of primeval world-containing fog.The teacher who discovers some unknownAnd luckless layman, who hath raised himselfTo heights of science or of scholarshipWithout examinations duly passedWill surely threaten him with his contempt.Yet science doth not doubt that without proofAnd without spirit earth’s primeval beastsCould change themselves to men by their own power.Theodosius:Why dost thou not thyself reveal to menThe sources of this light of thine, which streamsForth from thy soul with such resplendent ray?Felix Balde:A fancy-monger and a man of dreamsThey call me, who are well-disposed to me:But others think of me as some dull foolWho, all untaught of them, doth follow outHis own peculiar bent of foolishness.Retardus:Thou show’st already how untaught thou artBy the simplicity of this thy speech:Thou dost not know that men of science haveSufficient shrewdness to make just the sameObjection to themselves as unto thee.And if they make it not they know well why.Felix Balde:I know full well that they are shrewd enoughTo understand objections they have made,But not so shrewd as to believe in them.Theodosius:What must we do that we may forthwith giveThe powers of earth what they do need so much?Felix Balde:So long as on the earth men only heedSuch men as these, who wish not to recallTheir spirit’s primal source, so long will starveThe mineral forces buried in earth’s depths.The Other Maria:I gather, brother Felix, from thy words,That thou dost think the time hath now expiredWhen we did serve earth’s purposes the bestThrough wisdom’s light, ourselves unconsecrate—When we showed forth from roots in our own lifeThe living way of spirit and of love.In thee the spirits of the earth aroseTo give thee light without the lore of books:In me did love hold sway, the love that dwellsAnd works within the life of men on earth.And now we wish to join our brethren here,—Who, consecrate, within this temple serve,—And bring forth fruitful work in human souls.Benedictus:If ye unite your labour now with us,Then must the consecrated work succeed.The wisdom which I gave unto my sonWill surely blossom forth in him as power.Theodosius:If ye unite your labour now with us,Then must the thirst for sacrifice arise.And through the soul life of whoever seeksThe spirit-path, will breathe the warmth of love.Romanus:If ye unite your labour now with us,Then must the fruits of spirit ripen fast.Deeds will spring up, which through the spirit’s workWill blossom from your soul’s discipleship.Retardus:If they unite their labour now with youWhat shall become of me? My deeds will proveFruitless to those who would the spirit seek.Benedictus:Then wilt thou change into thine other self:Since now thou hast accomplished all thy work.Theodosius:Henceforth thou wilt live on in sacrificeIf thou dost freely sacrifice thyself.Romanus:Thou wilt bear fruit on earth in human deedsIf I myself may tend the fruits for thee.Johannes(speaking out of his meditation, as in the previous scene):The brethren in the temple showed themselvesTo my soul-sight, resembling in their formMen whose appearance I already know.Yet Benedictus seemed a spirit too.He who stood on his left seemed like that manWho through the feelings only would draw nighThe spirit-realms. The third resembled him,Who doth but recognize the powers of lifeWhen they show forth through wheels and outward works.The fourth I do not know. The wife who sawThe spirit’s light after her husband’s death,I recognized in her own inmost being.And Felix Balde came just as in life.The curtain falls slowly.Scene 6Scene the same as the Fourth.(The Spirit of the Elements stands in the same place.)Felicia:Thou calledst me. What wouldst thou hear of me?Spirit:Two men did I present unto the earthWhose spirit-powers were fructified through thee.They found their soul’s awakening in thy wordsWhen meditation dry had lamed them both.Thy gifts to them make thee my debtor too.Their spirit doth not of itself sufficeTo render full repayment unto meFor all the service which I did for them.Felicia:For many years one of these men did comeTo our small cottage, that he might obtainThe strength that lent unto his words their fire.Later he brought the other with him too;And so they two consumed the fruits, whose worthWas then unknown to me: but little goodDid I receive from them as recompense.Their kind of knowledge to our son they gave,With good intent indeed, but yet the childFound nought therein but death unto his soul.He grew to manhood steeped in all the light,His father Felix, through the spirit-speech,Taught him from fountains and from rocks and hills:To this was joined all that had lived and grownIn my own soul from my first childhood’s years;And yet our son’s clear spirit-sense was killedBy the deep gloom of sombre sciences.Instead of some blithe happy child, there grewA man of desert soul and empty heart.And now forsooth thou dost demand of meThat I should pay what they do owe to thee!Spirit:It must be so, for thou at first didst serveThe earthly part in them; and so through meThe spirit bids thee now complete the work.Felicia:’Tis not my wont to shrink from any debt;But tell me first what detriment will growIn mine own self from this love-service done?Spirit:What thou at first didst do for them on earth,Robbed of his spirit-powers thine only son;And what thou givest to their spirits nowIs lost henceforth to thee from thine own self;Which lessening of the powers of life in theeWill show as ugliness in thine own flesh.Felicia:They robbed my child of all his spirit-power,And in return I needs must wander forthA monster in the sight of men, that fruitsMay ripen for them, which work little good!Spirit:Yet thy work aids the welfare of mankindAnd leads as well to thine own happiness.Thy mother’s beauty and thy child’s own lifeWill blossom for thee in a loftier way,When one day in the souls and hearts of men,New spirit-powers shall seed and fructify.Felicia:What must I do?Spirit:What must I do?Mankind thou hast inspiredFull often with thy words. Inspire then nowThe spirits of the rocks: in this same hourThou must bring forth from out thy treasured storeOf fairy pictures some one tale to giveThose beings who do serve me in my work.Felicia:So be it then:—A being once did liveWho flew from East to West, as runs the sun.He flew o’er lands and seas, and from this heightHe looked upon the doings of mankind.He saw how men did one another love,And, how in hatred they did persecute.Yet naught could stay this being in his flight,For love and hatred none the less bring forthFull many thousand times the same results.Yet o’er one house—there must the being stay;For therein dwelt a tired and weary man,Who pondered on the love of humankind,And pondered also over human hate.His contemplations had already gravedDeep furrows on his brow; his hair was white.And, grieving o’er this man, the being lostHis sun-guide’s leadership, and stayed with himWithin his room e’en when the sun went down.And when the sun arose again, once moreThe being joined the spirit of the sun;And once again he saw mankind pass throughThe cycle of the earth in love and hate.But when he came, still following the sun,A second time above that selfsame house,His gaze did fall upon a man quite dead.(Germanus, invisible behind the rock, speaks. As he speaks, he gradually drags his unwieldy size on to the stage; his feet like clogs are almost earth-bound.)Germanus:A man once lived, who went from East to West:Whose eager thirst for knowledge lured him onO’er land and sea; and with his wisdom’s sightHe looked upon the doings of mankind.He saw how men did one another love,And, how in hatred they did persecute;And at each turn of life the man did noteHow blind was wisdom’s eye to probe its depths.For, though the world is ruled by love and hate,Yet could he not combine them into law.A thousand single cases wrote he downYet still he lacked the comprehending eye.This dull, dry seeker after truth once metUpon his path a being formed of light;Who found existence fraught with heavinessSince it must live in constant combat withA darksome being formed of shadows black.‘Who art thou then?’ the dry truth-seeker asked.‘Love,’ said the one; the other answered, ‘Hate.’But these two beings’ words fell on deaf ears;The man heard not, but wandered blindly onIn his dry search for truth from East to West.Felicia:And who art thou, who thus against my wishDost parody my words in his own wayUntil they sound a very mockery?Germanus:Only a dwarf-like image of me livesIn man, and therein many things are thought,That are but mockery of their own selves.When I do show them in the actual size,In which they do appear within my brain.Felicia:And therefore dost thou also mock at me?Germanus:I must right often ply this trade of mine;Yet mostly men do hear me not, so nowI seized for once this opportunityTo speak as well where men can hear my words.Johannes(out of his meditation):This was the man, who of himself did sayThat spirit-light grew of its own accordWithin his brain; and Dame Felicia came,Just like her husband, as she is in life.CurtainScene 7The domain of spirit: a scene of various coloured crystal rocks and a few trees. Maria, Philia, Astrid, Luna; the child; Johannes, first at a distance, then coming nearer; Theodora; lastly Benedictus.Maria:Ye sisters, who so often proved of oldMy helpers, help me also in this hour;That I may cause to vibrate in itselfThe ether of the worlds. Let it resoundIn harmony, and thus resounding reachAnd permeate a soul with knowledge true.Signs can I see which guide us to our work;For your work must unite itself with mine.Johannes, he who strives, by our designsTo real existence shall be lifted up.The brethren in the temple counsel tookHow they should guide him to the heights of lightOut of the depths, and they expect of usTo fill his soul with power for such high flight.Thou shalt absorb for me, my Philia,The light’s clear essence from the breadths of space;And fill thyself with all the charm of sound,Which wells from out the soul’s creative power;That thou mayst then impart to me the giftsWhich thou dost gather from the spirit’s depths.Then can I weave their perfect harmoniesIn the soul-stirring rhythmic dance of spheres.Thou, Astrid, too, loved mirror of my soul,Thou shalt produce within the flowing light,The power of shade that colours may shine forth;Thou shalt give shape to formless harmonies,That as world-substance weaveth to and froIt may sound forth upon its living way.So am I able to entrust to man,When he doth seek, a spirit-consciousness.And thou, strong Luna, firm in thine own self,E’en like the living marrow, which doth growWithin the centre of the tree, do thouUnite unto thy sisters’ gifts thine own;Impress thereon thy personality,That he who seeks may wisdom’s surety find.Philia:With clearest essence of the light will IFrom world-wide breadths of space myself imbue;From distant ether-bounds will I breathe deepLiving sound-substance that such things may causeThy work, beloved sister, to succeed.Astrid:I will weave through the beaming web of lightSubduing darkness, and I will condenseThe living sounds, that, sounding, they may glow,And glowing, sound; that thou mayst thus direct,Beloved sister, soul-life’s radiant beam.Luna:Soul-substance will I warm; and will make hardThe living ether; that they may condense,And feel themselves as living entitiesWith active power to fashion their own life;That thou, beloved sister, mayst createTrue wisdom’s surety in man’s seeking soul.Maria:From Philia’s realm shall stream forth conscious joy;And water nymphs with their transforming powerShall then unfold receptiveness of soul;That the awakened one may undergoAnd live the mirth and sorrow of the world.From Astrid’s web shall grow the joy of love;And sylphs, that live in air, shall then inciteThe soul’s desire to willing sacrifice;That thus the consecrated one may giveNew life to sorrow-laden souls of men,And comfort those who crave for happiness.From Luna’s power shall stream forth solid strength;And salamanders with their fiery breathShall then create security of soul;That he who knows may find himself againIn weaving soul-streams and the life of worlds.Philia:I shall implore the spirits of the worldThat their own being’s light may so enchantThe senses of the soul; and their words’ soundSo fill with happiness the spirit ears;That he, whose wakening nears, may thus ascendThe path of souls unto celestial heights.Astrid:The streams of love, which warm the worlds, will IDirect unto his consecrated heart;That he may bring into his work on earthThe grace of heaven, and create desireFor consecration in the hearts of men.Luna:From earth’s primeval powers will I imploreCourage and strength, that may lay them deepWithin the seeker’s heart; that confidenceIn his own Self may guide him through his life.Then shall he feel secure in his own soulAnd pluck each moment’s ripened fruit, and drawThe seeds therefrom to found eternities.Maria:With you, my sisters, joined in noble workI shall succeed in what I long to do.But hark! There rises to our world of lightThe cry of him who hath been sorely tried.(Johannes appears.)Johannes:’Tis thou, Maria! Then my sufferingHath at the last born richest fruit for me.It hath withdrawn me from the phantom shapeWhich I at first did make out of myself,And which then held me fast, a prisoner.Pain do I thank for thus enabling meTo reach thee o’er the pathways of the soul.Maria:And what then was the path that led thee here?Johannes:I felt myself from bonds of sense released:My sight was freed from that close barrier,Which hid all but the present from mine eyes.Quite otherwise I viewed the life of oneI knew on earth, and looked beyond the spaceBound by the present moment’s narrow ring.Capesius, who in his older yearsHath but employed the sight of sense—this manThe spirit placed before my soul a youth,As first he entered on life’s thorny pathFull of those dreams of hope, which ofttimes broughtA group of faithful hearers to his feet.And Strader, also could I see e’en thusAs he appeared in earthly life when young,E’er he had full outgrown his cloistered youth:And I could see what he might once have been,If he had followed out in that same wayThe goal he set before himself of old.And only those who in their earthly lifeAre filled already with the spirit’s powerAppear unchanged within the spirit-realms.Both Dame Felicia and good Felix tooHad kept the forms in which they lived on earth,When I beheld them with my spirit’s sight.And then my guides showed kindness unto me,And spake of gifts which shall one day be mineWhen I can reach to wisdom’s lofty heights.And many things besides have I beheldWith spirit-organs which sense-sight at firstHad shown to me in its own narrow way.For judgment’s all-illuminating lightIrradiated this new world of mine.But whether I lived in some shadowy dream,Or whether spirit-truth surrounded meAlready, I could not as yet decide.Whether my spirit-sight was really stirredBy other things, or whether mine own selfExpanded into some world of its own,I knew not. Then didst thou appear thyself;Not as thou seemest at the present time,Nor as the past beheld thee; nay—I sawThee as thou art in spirit evermore.Not human was thy nature: in thy soulClear could I recognize the spirit-light,Which worked not as man clothed in flesh doth work.As spirit did it act, that strives to doSuch work as in eternity hath root.And only now, when I dare stand completeIn spirit nigh thee, doth the full light glow.In thee my sight of sense already graspedReality so fast, that certaintyDoth meet me even here in spirit-realms;And well I know that now before me standsNo phantom shape. ’Tis thy true characterIn which I met thee yonder, and in which’Tis now permitted me to meet thee here.Theodora:I feel compelled to speak. A glow of lightFrom out thy brow, Maria, upward mounts.This glow takes shape, and grows to human form.It is a man with spirit deep imbued,And other men do gather round his feet.I gaze into dim times, long passed awayOn that good man who rose from out thy head:His eyes do shine with perfect peace of soul;And deep true feeling glows in every lineAnd feature of his noble countenance.A woman facing him mine eye doth see,Who listens with devotion to the wordsProceeding from his mouth; which words I hear,And thus they sound: ‘Ye have unto your godsLooked up with awed devotion until now.These gods I love, as ye love them yourselves.They did present unto your thought its power,And planted courage in your heart; but yetTheir gifts spring from a higher spirit still.’I see how rage doth spread amongst the throngAt this man’s words. I hear their mad wild cries:‘Kill him; for he desires to take from usThe gifts the gods have given to our race.’But unconcernedly the man speaks on.He tells now of that God in human form,Who did descend to earth and conquer death.He tells of Christ; and as his words flow onThe souls around grow calm and pacified.One only of the heathen hearts resists,And swears it will wreak vengeance on the man.I recognize this heart; it beats againIn yonder child, that nestles at thy side.The messenger of Christ speaks to it thus:‘Thy fate doth not permit thee to draw nighIn this life; but I shall wait patiently,For thy path leads thee to me in the end.’The woman who doth stand before the manFalls at his feet and feels herself transformed.A soul prays to the God in human form;A heart doth love God’s messenger on earth.(Johannes sinks upon his knees before Maria.)Maria:Johannes, that which dawneth in thy mindThou shalt awaken to full consciousness.E’en now within thee hath thy memoryWrenched itself free from fetterings of sense.Thou hast found me, and thou hast felt myself,As we were joined in former life on earth.Thou wast the woman whom the seeress saw,For so didst thou lie prostrate at my feet,When I as messenger of Christ did comeUnto thy tribe in days long since gone by.What in Hibernia’s consecrated shrinesWas then entrusted to me by that God,Who dwelt in human form, and did becomeA conqueror o’er all the powers of death,I had to bring to tribes, in whom still livedA soul that brought a willing sacrifice,To mighty Odin, and with sorrow thoughtUpon the death of Balder, god of light.The power, which from that message grew in thee,Attracted thee to me from the first dayThine eyes of sense beheld me in this life.And since it strove so mightily in us,And yet remained unrecognized by both,It wove into our life those sufferings,Which we o’ercame. Yet in that pain itselfThere lay the power to guide us on our wayTo spirit-realms, where we might recognizeAnd know in very truth each other’s soul.Intolerably did thy pain increaseThrough all the men who thronged thee round about,With whom by fate’s decree thou art conjoined.Hence was the revelation of their selvesAble so fiercely to convulse thine heart.These men hath Karma gathered round thee now,To wake in thee the power that once did urgeThee on the path of life, which selfsame powerHath thus far roused thee, that, from body freed,Thou couldst ascend into the spirit-world.Thou standest nearest to my soul, since thouHast kept through pain thy steadfast faith in me.And therefore hath it fallen to my lotThat consecration to complete in thee,To which thou owest this thy spirit-light.The brethren, who within the temple serve,Have wakened sight in thee; yet canst thou knowThat what thou seest is very truth indeed,Only when thou dost find in spirit-realmsA being, unto whom in worlds of senseThou wast united in thine inmost soul.And that this being might thus meet thee here,Before thee did the brethren send me out.And this did prove the hardest of thy tests,When I was summoned here to wait for thee.Our leader, Benedictus, did I askTo solve for me the riddle of my life,That seemed to be so cruel and unkind;And blessedness streamed from his every word,Telling of his own mission and of mine.He told me of the spirit I must serveWith all the power which I have found in me.And at his words it seemed to me as though,All in a moment clearest spirit-lightStreamed through and through my soul, and sufferingWas changed to joyous blessedness; one thoughtAlone then filled my soul;—he gave me light,Yea, light, that gave to me the power of sight;—It was the will that lived within the thoughtWholly to give myself to spirit-life,To make me ready for the sacrificeWhich would unto our leader draw me near.This thought did generate the highest power:It gave wings to my soul and wafted meInto that realm where thou hast found me now.In that same moment when I felt releasedFrom my sense body, I was free to turnMy spirit’s eye upon thee, and I sawNot only thee, Johannes, standing there;I saw the woman too, that followed meIn ancient times; and had bound close to mineHer destiny. E’en thus was spirit-truthRevealed to me in spirit-realms through thee,Who in the world of sense already wastMade one with me in inmost consciousness.So did I gain this spirit-certaintyAnd was endowed to give it unto thee.Sending a ray of highest, tenderest loveTo Benedictus, I went on before;And he hath given unto thee the powerTo follow me into the spirit-spheres.(Benedictus appears.)Benedictus:Ye here have found yourselves in spirit-realmsAnd so it is permitted unto meTo stand once more beside you in these realms.I could confer the power that urged you here,But I could not conduct you here myself.Thus read the law, which I must needs obey:—Ye must through your own selves first gain the eyeOf spirit, which doth here make visibleMy spirit to you. Ye have just begunE’en now the path of spirit-pilgrimage.Henceforth indeed upon the plane of senseEndowed with novel powers shall ye both stand,And with the spirit in your hearts unsealedThe cause of human progress shall ye serve,For Fate itself hath so united you,That ye together may unfold the powersWhich needs must serve divine creative work.And as ye journey on the path of soulsWisdom herself will teach you that the heightsMay only be obtained by souls of men,Who have gained spirit-certainty, when theyUnite in faith to do salvation’s work.My spirit-guidance hath united youTo realize each other: now do yeUnite yourselves to do the spirit’s work.May powers that dwell within this realm conferOn you through these my lips this Word of strength:—‘The weaving essence of the light streams forthFrom man to man to fill all worlds with truth.The grace of love spreads warmth from soul to soulTo work out bliss eternal for all worlds.And spirit-messengers come forth to wedMan’s works of love and grace to cosmic aims.And when a man who dwells amongst mankindCan wed these twain, there doth stream forth on earthTrue spirit-light from his warm loving soul.’Curtain

A subterranean rock-temple: a hidden site of the Mysteries of the Hierophants.

At the right of the stage, Johannes is seen in deep meditation.

Benedictus(in the East):Ye, who have been companions unto meIn the domain of everlasting life,Here in your midst I stand today to askThe help of which I stand in need from youTo weave the thread of destiny for one,Who from our midst must now receive the light.Through bitter trials and sorrows hath he passed,And hath in deepest agony of soulPrepared the way to consecrate his lifeAnd thus attain to knowledge of the truth.Accomplished now the task assigned to me,As spirit-messenger, to bring to menThe treasured wisdom of this temple’s shrine.And now, ye brethren, ’tis your sacred taskTo bring my work to full accomplishment.I showed to him the light that proved the guideTo his first vision of the spirit-world,But that this vision may be turned to truthYour work must needs be added unto mine.My words proceed from mine own mouth alone,But through your lips world-spirits do sound forth.

Benedictus(in the East):

Ye, who have been companions unto me

In the domain of everlasting life,

Here in your midst I stand today to ask

The help of which I stand in need from you

To weave the thread of destiny for one,

Who from our midst must now receive the light.

Through bitter trials and sorrows hath he passed,

And hath in deepest agony of soul

Prepared the way to consecrate his life

And thus attain to knowledge of the truth.

Accomplished now the task assigned to me,

As spirit-messenger, to bring to men

The treasured wisdom of this temple’s shrine.

And now, ye brethren, ’tis your sacred task

To bring my work to full accomplishment.

I showed to him the light that proved the guide

To his first vision of the spirit-world,

But that this vision may be turned to truth

Your work must needs be added unto mine.

My words proceed from mine own mouth alone,

But through your lips world-spirits do sound forth.

Theodosius(in the South):Thus speaks the power of love, which bindeth worldsAnd filleth beings with the breath of life:—Let warmth flow in his heart that he may graspHow by the sacrificing of that vainIllusion of his personalityHe doth draw near the spirit of the world.His sight from sleep of sense thou hast set free;Love’s warmth will wake the spirit in his soul:His Self from carnal covering thou hast drawn;And love itself will crystallize his soulThat it may be a mirror to reflectAll that doth happen in the spirit-world.Love too will give him strength to feel himselfA spirit, and will fashion thus his earThat it can hear and know the spirit-speech.

Theodosius(in the South):

Thus speaks the power of love, which bindeth worlds

And filleth beings with the breath of life:—

Let warmth flow in his heart that he may grasp

How by the sacrificing of that vain

Illusion of his personality

He doth draw near the spirit of the world.

His sight from sleep of sense thou hast set free;

Love’s warmth will wake the spirit in his soul:

His Self from carnal covering thou hast drawn;

And love itself will crystallize his soul

That it may be a mirror to reflect

All that doth happen in the spirit-world.

Love too will give him strength to feel himself

A spirit, and will fashion thus his ear

That it can hear and know the spirit-speech.

Romanus(in the West):Nor are my words the revelation trueOf mine own self. Through me the world-will speaks.And since thou hast thus raised unto the powerTo live in spirit-realms the man to theeEntrusted, now this power shall lead him forthBeyond the bounds of space and ends of time.To those realms shall he pass wherein do workCreative spirits, who shall there revealThemselves to him; demanding from him deeds;And willingly will he perform their work.The purposes of Him who moulds the worldsShall fill his soul with life; there too the earth’sPrimeval sources shall enspirit him;World potencies shall there empower him;The mights of spheres shall there enlighten him,And rulers of the worlds fill him with fire.

Romanus(in the West):

Nor are my words the revelation true

Of mine own self. Through me the world-will speaks.

And since thou hast thus raised unto the power

To live in spirit-realms the man to thee

Entrusted, now this power shall lead him forth

Beyond the bounds of space and ends of time.

To those realms shall he pass wherein do work

Creative spirits, who shall there reveal

Themselves to him; demanding from him deeds;

And willingly will he perform their work.

The purposes of Him who moulds the worlds

Shall fill his soul with life; there too the earth’s

Primeval sources shall enspirit him;

World potencies shall there empower him;

The mights of spheres shall there enlighten him,

And rulers of the worlds fill him with fire.

Retardus(in the North):From the foundation of the world ye haveBeen forced to suffer me within your midst.So must ye also to my words give earIn your deliberations here today.Some little time must surely yet elapseBefore ye can fulfil and bring to passWhat ye have set forth in such beauteous words.No sign as yet hath come to us from earthThat she doth long for new initiates.So long as this spot, where we council hold,Hath not been trodden by the feet of thoseWho, uninitiate still, cannot set freeTheir spirit from realities of sense,So long the task is mine to check your zeal.First must they bring us message that the earthDoth seem in need of revelations new.For this cause hold I back your spirit-lightWithin this temple, lest it may bring harmInstead of health to souls that are not ripe.Out of myself I give to man on earthThat faculty which lets the truths of senseAppear to him the highest, just so longAs spirit wisdom would but blind his eyes.Nay more, e’en such belief may also leadHim nearer to the spirit, for the aimsFormed by his will may yet be guided rightThrough his blind tastes and gropings in the dark.

Retardus(in the North):

From the foundation of the world ye have

Been forced to suffer me within your midst.

So must ye also to my words give ear

In your deliberations here today.

Some little time must surely yet elapse

Before ye can fulfil and bring to pass

What ye have set forth in such beauteous words.

No sign as yet hath come to us from earth

That she doth long for new initiates.

So long as this spot, where we council hold,

Hath not been trodden by the feet of those

Who, uninitiate still, cannot set free

Their spirit from realities of sense,

So long the task is mine to check your zeal.

First must they bring us message that the earth

Doth seem in need of revelations new.

For this cause hold I back your spirit-light

Within this temple, lest it may bring harm

Instead of health to souls that are not ripe.

Out of myself I give to man on earth

That faculty which lets the truths of sense

Appear to him the highest, just so long

As spirit wisdom would but blind his eyes.

Nay more, e’en such belief may also lead

Him nearer to the spirit, for the aims

Formed by his will may yet be guided right

Through his blind tastes and gropings in the dark.

Romanus:From the foundation of the world we haveBeen forced to suffer thee within our midst.But now at length the time hath run its courseThat was allotted to such work as thine.The world-will in me feels that they approach—

Romanus:

From the foundation of the world we have

Been forced to suffer thee within our midst.

But now at length the time hath run its course

That was allotted to such work as thine.

The world-will in me feels that they approach—

(Felix Balde appears in his earthly shape: the Other Maria as a soul-form from out of the rock.)

—Who, uninitiated, can releaseThe spirit from the outward show of sense.No more ’tis granted thee to check our steps.They near our temple of their own free willAnd bring to thee this message, that they wishTo help our spirit labours, joined with us.They found themselves till now not yet preparedFor union, since they clung to that beliefThat seership’s power with reason needs must part.Now have they learned whither mankind is ledBy reason, which, when severed from true sight,Doth err and wander in the depths of worlds.They now will speak to thee of fruits which needsMust ripen through thy power in human souls.

—Who, uninitiated, can release

The spirit from the outward show of sense.

No more ’tis granted thee to check our steps.

They near our temple of their own free will

And bring to thee this message, that they wish

To help our spirit labours, joined with us.

They found themselves till now not yet prepared

For union, since they clung to that belief

That seership’s power with reason needs must part.

Now have they learned whither mankind is led

By reason, which, when severed from true sight,

Doth err and wander in the depths of worlds.

They now will speak to thee of fruits which needs

Must ripen through thy power in human souls.

Retardus:Ye, who unconsciously have forwardedMy work till now, ye shall still further help—If ye will distant keep from all that dothBelong unto my realm and that alone.Then shall ye surely find a place reservedFor you to work as hitherto ye worked.

Retardus:

Ye, who unconsciously have forwarded

My work till now, ye shall still further help—

If ye will distant keep from all that doth

Belong unto my realm and that alone.

Then shall ye surely find a place reserved

For you to work as hitherto ye worked.

Felix Balde:A power, which speaks from very depths of earthUnto my spirit, hath commanded meTo come unto this consecrated place;Since it desires to speak to you through meOf all its bitter sorrow and its need.

Felix Balde:

A power, which speaks from very depths of earth

Unto my spirit, hath commanded me

To come unto this consecrated place;

Since it desires to speak to you through me

Of all its bitter sorrow and its need.

Benedictus:My friend, then tell us now how thou hast learnedThe woe of world-depths in thine own soul’s core.

Benedictus:

My friend, then tell us now how thou hast learned

The woe of world-depths in thine own soul’s core.

Felix Balde:The light that shines in men as learning’s fruitMust needs give nourishment to all the powersWhich serve world-cycles in the earth’s dark depths.Already now a long time have they starvedWell-nigh entirely reft of sustenance.For that which grows today in human brainsDoth only serve the surface of the earth,And doth not penetrate unto its depths.Some strange new superstition now doth hauntThese clever human heads: they turn their gazeUnto primeval origins of earthAnd will but spectres see in spirit spheres,Thought out by vain illusion of the sense.A merchant surely would consider madA purchaser, who would speak thus to him:‘The mists and fog, that hover in the vale,Can certainly condense to solid gold;And with such gold thou shalt be paid thy debt.’The merchant will not willingly awaitTo have his ducats made from fog and mist;And yet whene’er his soul doth thirst to findSolution of the riddles set by life,Should science offer him such payments thenFor spirit needs and debts, right willinglyWill he accept whole solar systems builtOut of primeval world-containing fog.The teacher who discovers some unknownAnd luckless layman, who hath raised himselfTo heights of science or of scholarshipWithout examinations duly passedWill surely threaten him with his contempt.Yet science doth not doubt that without proofAnd without spirit earth’s primeval beastsCould change themselves to men by their own power.

Felix Balde:

The light that shines in men as learning’s fruit

Must needs give nourishment to all the powers

Which serve world-cycles in the earth’s dark depths.

Already now a long time have they starved

Well-nigh entirely reft of sustenance.

For that which grows today in human brains

Doth only serve the surface of the earth,

And doth not penetrate unto its depths.

Some strange new superstition now doth haunt

These clever human heads: they turn their gaze

Unto primeval origins of earth

And will but spectres see in spirit spheres,

Thought out by vain illusion of the sense.

A merchant surely would consider mad

A purchaser, who would speak thus to him:

‘The mists and fog, that hover in the vale,

Can certainly condense to solid gold;

And with such gold thou shalt be paid thy debt.’

The merchant will not willingly await

To have his ducats made from fog and mist;

And yet whene’er his soul doth thirst to find

Solution of the riddles set by life,

Should science offer him such payments then

For spirit needs and debts, right willingly

Will he accept whole solar systems built

Out of primeval world-containing fog.

The teacher who discovers some unknown

And luckless layman, who hath raised himself

To heights of science or of scholarship

Without examinations duly passed

Will surely threaten him with his contempt.

Yet science doth not doubt that without proof

And without spirit earth’s primeval beasts

Could change themselves to men by their own power.

Theodosius:Why dost thou not thyself reveal to menThe sources of this light of thine, which streamsForth from thy soul with such resplendent ray?

Theodosius:

Why dost thou not thyself reveal to men

The sources of this light of thine, which streams

Forth from thy soul with such resplendent ray?

Felix Balde:A fancy-monger and a man of dreamsThey call me, who are well-disposed to me:But others think of me as some dull foolWho, all untaught of them, doth follow outHis own peculiar bent of foolishness.

Felix Balde:

A fancy-monger and a man of dreams

They call me, who are well-disposed to me:

But others think of me as some dull fool

Who, all untaught of them, doth follow out

His own peculiar bent of foolishness.

Retardus:Thou show’st already how untaught thou artBy the simplicity of this thy speech:Thou dost not know that men of science haveSufficient shrewdness to make just the sameObjection to themselves as unto thee.And if they make it not they know well why.

Retardus:

Thou show’st already how untaught thou art

By the simplicity of this thy speech:

Thou dost not know that men of science have

Sufficient shrewdness to make just the same

Objection to themselves as unto thee.

And if they make it not they know well why.

Felix Balde:I know full well that they are shrewd enoughTo understand objections they have made,But not so shrewd as to believe in them.

Felix Balde:

I know full well that they are shrewd enough

To understand objections they have made,

But not so shrewd as to believe in them.

Theodosius:What must we do that we may forthwith giveThe powers of earth what they do need so much?

Theodosius:

What must we do that we may forthwith give

The powers of earth what they do need so much?

Felix Balde:So long as on the earth men only heedSuch men as these, who wish not to recallTheir spirit’s primal source, so long will starveThe mineral forces buried in earth’s depths.

Felix Balde:

So long as on the earth men only heed

Such men as these, who wish not to recall

Their spirit’s primal source, so long will starve

The mineral forces buried in earth’s depths.

The Other Maria:I gather, brother Felix, from thy words,That thou dost think the time hath now expiredWhen we did serve earth’s purposes the bestThrough wisdom’s light, ourselves unconsecrate—When we showed forth from roots in our own lifeThe living way of spirit and of love.In thee the spirits of the earth aroseTo give thee light without the lore of books:In me did love hold sway, the love that dwellsAnd works within the life of men on earth.And now we wish to join our brethren here,—Who, consecrate, within this temple serve,—And bring forth fruitful work in human souls.

The Other Maria:

I gather, brother Felix, from thy words,

That thou dost think the time hath now expired

When we did serve earth’s purposes the best

Through wisdom’s light, ourselves unconsecrate—

When we showed forth from roots in our own life

The living way of spirit and of love.

In thee the spirits of the earth arose

To give thee light without the lore of books:

In me did love hold sway, the love that dwells

And works within the life of men on earth.

And now we wish to join our brethren here,—

Who, consecrate, within this temple serve,—

And bring forth fruitful work in human souls.

Benedictus:If ye unite your labour now with us,Then must the consecrated work succeed.The wisdom which I gave unto my sonWill surely blossom forth in him as power.

Benedictus:

If ye unite your labour now with us,

Then must the consecrated work succeed.

The wisdom which I gave unto my son

Will surely blossom forth in him as power.

Theodosius:If ye unite your labour now with us,Then must the thirst for sacrifice arise.And through the soul life of whoever seeksThe spirit-path, will breathe the warmth of love.

Theodosius:

If ye unite your labour now with us,

Then must the thirst for sacrifice arise.

And through the soul life of whoever seeks

The spirit-path, will breathe the warmth of love.

Romanus:If ye unite your labour now with us,Then must the fruits of spirit ripen fast.Deeds will spring up, which through the spirit’s workWill blossom from your soul’s discipleship.

Romanus:

If ye unite your labour now with us,

Then must the fruits of spirit ripen fast.

Deeds will spring up, which through the spirit’s work

Will blossom from your soul’s discipleship.

Retardus:If they unite their labour now with youWhat shall become of me? My deeds will proveFruitless to those who would the spirit seek.

Retardus:

If they unite their labour now with you

What shall become of me? My deeds will prove

Fruitless to those who would the spirit seek.

Benedictus:Then wilt thou change into thine other self:Since now thou hast accomplished all thy work.

Benedictus:

Then wilt thou change into thine other self:

Since now thou hast accomplished all thy work.

Theodosius:Henceforth thou wilt live on in sacrificeIf thou dost freely sacrifice thyself.

Theodosius:

Henceforth thou wilt live on in sacrifice

If thou dost freely sacrifice thyself.

Romanus:Thou wilt bear fruit on earth in human deedsIf I myself may tend the fruits for thee.

Romanus:

Thou wilt bear fruit on earth in human deeds

If I myself may tend the fruits for thee.

Johannes(speaking out of his meditation, as in the previous scene):The brethren in the temple showed themselvesTo my soul-sight, resembling in their formMen whose appearance I already know.Yet Benedictus seemed a spirit too.He who stood on his left seemed like that manWho through the feelings only would draw nighThe spirit-realms. The third resembled him,Who doth but recognize the powers of lifeWhen they show forth through wheels and outward works.The fourth I do not know. The wife who sawThe spirit’s light after her husband’s death,I recognized in her own inmost being.And Felix Balde came just as in life.

Johannes(speaking out of his meditation, as in the previous scene):

The brethren in the temple showed themselves

To my soul-sight, resembling in their form

Men whose appearance I already know.

Yet Benedictus seemed a spirit too.

He who stood on his left seemed like that man

Who through the feelings only would draw nigh

The spirit-realms. The third resembled him,

Who doth but recognize the powers of life

When they show forth through wheels and outward works.

The fourth I do not know. The wife who saw

The spirit’s light after her husband’s death,

I recognized in her own inmost being.

And Felix Balde came just as in life.

The curtain falls slowly.

Scene 6Scene the same as the Fourth.(The Spirit of the Elements stands in the same place.)Felicia:Thou calledst me. What wouldst thou hear of me?Spirit:Two men did I present unto the earthWhose spirit-powers were fructified through thee.They found their soul’s awakening in thy wordsWhen meditation dry had lamed them both.Thy gifts to them make thee my debtor too.Their spirit doth not of itself sufficeTo render full repayment unto meFor all the service which I did for them.Felicia:For many years one of these men did comeTo our small cottage, that he might obtainThe strength that lent unto his words their fire.Later he brought the other with him too;And so they two consumed the fruits, whose worthWas then unknown to me: but little goodDid I receive from them as recompense.Their kind of knowledge to our son they gave,With good intent indeed, but yet the childFound nought therein but death unto his soul.He grew to manhood steeped in all the light,His father Felix, through the spirit-speech,Taught him from fountains and from rocks and hills:To this was joined all that had lived and grownIn my own soul from my first childhood’s years;And yet our son’s clear spirit-sense was killedBy the deep gloom of sombre sciences.Instead of some blithe happy child, there grewA man of desert soul and empty heart.And now forsooth thou dost demand of meThat I should pay what they do owe to thee!Spirit:It must be so, for thou at first didst serveThe earthly part in them; and so through meThe spirit bids thee now complete the work.Felicia:’Tis not my wont to shrink from any debt;But tell me first what detriment will growIn mine own self from this love-service done?Spirit:What thou at first didst do for them on earth,Robbed of his spirit-powers thine only son;And what thou givest to their spirits nowIs lost henceforth to thee from thine own self;Which lessening of the powers of life in theeWill show as ugliness in thine own flesh.Felicia:They robbed my child of all his spirit-power,And in return I needs must wander forthA monster in the sight of men, that fruitsMay ripen for them, which work little good!Spirit:Yet thy work aids the welfare of mankindAnd leads as well to thine own happiness.Thy mother’s beauty and thy child’s own lifeWill blossom for thee in a loftier way,When one day in the souls and hearts of men,New spirit-powers shall seed and fructify.Felicia:What must I do?Spirit:What must I do?Mankind thou hast inspiredFull often with thy words. Inspire then nowThe spirits of the rocks: in this same hourThou must bring forth from out thy treasured storeOf fairy pictures some one tale to giveThose beings who do serve me in my work.Felicia:So be it then:—A being once did liveWho flew from East to West, as runs the sun.He flew o’er lands and seas, and from this heightHe looked upon the doings of mankind.He saw how men did one another love,And, how in hatred they did persecute.Yet naught could stay this being in his flight,For love and hatred none the less bring forthFull many thousand times the same results.Yet o’er one house—there must the being stay;For therein dwelt a tired and weary man,Who pondered on the love of humankind,And pondered also over human hate.His contemplations had already gravedDeep furrows on his brow; his hair was white.And, grieving o’er this man, the being lostHis sun-guide’s leadership, and stayed with himWithin his room e’en when the sun went down.And when the sun arose again, once moreThe being joined the spirit of the sun;And once again he saw mankind pass throughThe cycle of the earth in love and hate.But when he came, still following the sun,A second time above that selfsame house,His gaze did fall upon a man quite dead.(Germanus, invisible behind the rock, speaks. As he speaks, he gradually drags his unwieldy size on to the stage; his feet like clogs are almost earth-bound.)Germanus:A man once lived, who went from East to West:Whose eager thirst for knowledge lured him onO’er land and sea; and with his wisdom’s sightHe looked upon the doings of mankind.He saw how men did one another love,And, how in hatred they did persecute;And at each turn of life the man did noteHow blind was wisdom’s eye to probe its depths.For, though the world is ruled by love and hate,Yet could he not combine them into law.A thousand single cases wrote he downYet still he lacked the comprehending eye.This dull, dry seeker after truth once metUpon his path a being formed of light;Who found existence fraught with heavinessSince it must live in constant combat withA darksome being formed of shadows black.‘Who art thou then?’ the dry truth-seeker asked.‘Love,’ said the one; the other answered, ‘Hate.’But these two beings’ words fell on deaf ears;The man heard not, but wandered blindly onIn his dry search for truth from East to West.Felicia:And who art thou, who thus against my wishDost parody my words in his own wayUntil they sound a very mockery?Germanus:Only a dwarf-like image of me livesIn man, and therein many things are thought,That are but mockery of their own selves.When I do show them in the actual size,In which they do appear within my brain.Felicia:And therefore dost thou also mock at me?Germanus:I must right often ply this trade of mine;Yet mostly men do hear me not, so nowI seized for once this opportunityTo speak as well where men can hear my words.Johannes(out of his meditation):This was the man, who of himself did sayThat spirit-light grew of its own accordWithin his brain; and Dame Felicia came,Just like her husband, as she is in life.Curtain

Scene the same as the Fourth.

(The Spirit of the Elements stands in the same place.)

Felicia:Thou calledst me. What wouldst thou hear of me?

Felicia:

Thou calledst me. What wouldst thou hear of me?

Spirit:Two men did I present unto the earthWhose spirit-powers were fructified through thee.They found their soul’s awakening in thy wordsWhen meditation dry had lamed them both.Thy gifts to them make thee my debtor too.Their spirit doth not of itself sufficeTo render full repayment unto meFor all the service which I did for them.

Spirit:

Two men did I present unto the earth

Whose spirit-powers were fructified through thee.

They found their soul’s awakening in thy words

When meditation dry had lamed them both.

Thy gifts to them make thee my debtor too.

Their spirit doth not of itself suffice

To render full repayment unto me

For all the service which I did for them.

Felicia:For many years one of these men did comeTo our small cottage, that he might obtainThe strength that lent unto his words their fire.Later he brought the other with him too;And so they two consumed the fruits, whose worthWas then unknown to me: but little goodDid I receive from them as recompense.Their kind of knowledge to our son they gave,With good intent indeed, but yet the childFound nought therein but death unto his soul.He grew to manhood steeped in all the light,His father Felix, through the spirit-speech,Taught him from fountains and from rocks and hills:To this was joined all that had lived and grownIn my own soul from my first childhood’s years;And yet our son’s clear spirit-sense was killedBy the deep gloom of sombre sciences.Instead of some blithe happy child, there grewA man of desert soul and empty heart.And now forsooth thou dost demand of meThat I should pay what they do owe to thee!

Felicia:

For many years one of these men did come

To our small cottage, that he might obtain

The strength that lent unto his words their fire.

Later he brought the other with him too;

And so they two consumed the fruits, whose worth

Was then unknown to me: but little good

Did I receive from them as recompense.

Their kind of knowledge to our son they gave,

With good intent indeed, but yet the child

Found nought therein but death unto his soul.

He grew to manhood steeped in all the light,

His father Felix, through the spirit-speech,

Taught him from fountains and from rocks and hills:

To this was joined all that had lived and grown

In my own soul from my first childhood’s years;

And yet our son’s clear spirit-sense was killed

By the deep gloom of sombre sciences.

Instead of some blithe happy child, there grew

A man of desert soul and empty heart.

And now forsooth thou dost demand of me

That I should pay what they do owe to thee!

Spirit:It must be so, for thou at first didst serveThe earthly part in them; and so through meThe spirit bids thee now complete the work.

Spirit:

It must be so, for thou at first didst serve

The earthly part in them; and so through me

The spirit bids thee now complete the work.

Felicia:’Tis not my wont to shrink from any debt;But tell me first what detriment will growIn mine own self from this love-service done?

Felicia:

’Tis not my wont to shrink from any debt;

But tell me first what detriment will grow

In mine own self from this love-service done?

Spirit:What thou at first didst do for them on earth,Robbed of his spirit-powers thine only son;And what thou givest to their spirits nowIs lost henceforth to thee from thine own self;Which lessening of the powers of life in theeWill show as ugliness in thine own flesh.

Spirit:

What thou at first didst do for them on earth,

Robbed of his spirit-powers thine only son;

And what thou givest to their spirits now

Is lost henceforth to thee from thine own self;

Which lessening of the powers of life in thee

Will show as ugliness in thine own flesh.

Felicia:They robbed my child of all his spirit-power,And in return I needs must wander forthA monster in the sight of men, that fruitsMay ripen for them, which work little good!

Felicia:

They robbed my child of all his spirit-power,

And in return I needs must wander forth

A monster in the sight of men, that fruits

May ripen for them, which work little good!

Spirit:Yet thy work aids the welfare of mankindAnd leads as well to thine own happiness.Thy mother’s beauty and thy child’s own lifeWill blossom for thee in a loftier way,When one day in the souls and hearts of men,New spirit-powers shall seed and fructify.

Spirit:

Yet thy work aids the welfare of mankind

And leads as well to thine own happiness.

Thy mother’s beauty and thy child’s own life

Will blossom for thee in a loftier way,

When one day in the souls and hearts of men,

New spirit-powers shall seed and fructify.

Felicia:What must I do?

Felicia:

What must I do?

Spirit:What must I do?Mankind thou hast inspiredFull often with thy words. Inspire then nowThe spirits of the rocks: in this same hourThou must bring forth from out thy treasured storeOf fairy pictures some one tale to giveThose beings who do serve me in my work.

Spirit:

What must I do?Mankind thou hast inspired

Full often with thy words. Inspire then now

The spirits of the rocks: in this same hour

Thou must bring forth from out thy treasured store

Of fairy pictures some one tale to give

Those beings who do serve me in my work.

Felicia:So be it then:—A being once did liveWho flew from East to West, as runs the sun.He flew o’er lands and seas, and from this heightHe looked upon the doings of mankind.He saw how men did one another love,And, how in hatred they did persecute.Yet naught could stay this being in his flight,For love and hatred none the less bring forthFull many thousand times the same results.Yet o’er one house—there must the being stay;For therein dwelt a tired and weary man,Who pondered on the love of humankind,And pondered also over human hate.His contemplations had already gravedDeep furrows on his brow; his hair was white.And, grieving o’er this man, the being lostHis sun-guide’s leadership, and stayed with himWithin his room e’en when the sun went down.And when the sun arose again, once moreThe being joined the spirit of the sun;And once again he saw mankind pass throughThe cycle of the earth in love and hate.But when he came, still following the sun,A second time above that selfsame house,His gaze did fall upon a man quite dead.

Felicia:

So be it then:—A being once did live

Who flew from East to West, as runs the sun.

He flew o’er lands and seas, and from this height

He looked upon the doings of mankind.

He saw how men did one another love,

And, how in hatred they did persecute.

Yet naught could stay this being in his flight,

For love and hatred none the less bring forth

Full many thousand times the same results.

Yet o’er one house—there must the being stay;

For therein dwelt a tired and weary man,

Who pondered on the love of humankind,

And pondered also over human hate.

His contemplations had already graved

Deep furrows on his brow; his hair was white.

And, grieving o’er this man, the being lost

His sun-guide’s leadership, and stayed with him

Within his room e’en when the sun went down.

And when the sun arose again, once more

The being joined the spirit of the sun;

And once again he saw mankind pass through

The cycle of the earth in love and hate.

But when he came, still following the sun,

A second time above that selfsame house,

His gaze did fall upon a man quite dead.

(Germanus, invisible behind the rock, speaks. As he speaks, he gradually drags his unwieldy size on to the stage; his feet like clogs are almost earth-bound.)

Germanus:A man once lived, who went from East to West:Whose eager thirst for knowledge lured him onO’er land and sea; and with his wisdom’s sightHe looked upon the doings of mankind.He saw how men did one another love,And, how in hatred they did persecute;And at each turn of life the man did noteHow blind was wisdom’s eye to probe its depths.For, though the world is ruled by love and hate,Yet could he not combine them into law.A thousand single cases wrote he downYet still he lacked the comprehending eye.This dull, dry seeker after truth once metUpon his path a being formed of light;Who found existence fraught with heavinessSince it must live in constant combat withA darksome being formed of shadows black.‘Who art thou then?’ the dry truth-seeker asked.‘Love,’ said the one; the other answered, ‘Hate.’But these two beings’ words fell on deaf ears;The man heard not, but wandered blindly onIn his dry search for truth from East to West.

Germanus:

A man once lived, who went from East to West:

Whose eager thirst for knowledge lured him on

O’er land and sea; and with his wisdom’s sight

He looked upon the doings of mankind.

He saw how men did one another love,

And, how in hatred they did persecute;

And at each turn of life the man did note

How blind was wisdom’s eye to probe its depths.

For, though the world is ruled by love and hate,

Yet could he not combine them into law.

A thousand single cases wrote he down

Yet still he lacked the comprehending eye.

This dull, dry seeker after truth once met

Upon his path a being formed of light;

Who found existence fraught with heaviness

Since it must live in constant combat with

A darksome being formed of shadows black.

‘Who art thou then?’ the dry truth-seeker asked.

‘Love,’ said the one; the other answered, ‘Hate.’

But these two beings’ words fell on deaf ears;

The man heard not, but wandered blindly on

In his dry search for truth from East to West.

Felicia:And who art thou, who thus against my wishDost parody my words in his own wayUntil they sound a very mockery?

Felicia:

And who art thou, who thus against my wish

Dost parody my words in his own way

Until they sound a very mockery?

Germanus:Only a dwarf-like image of me livesIn man, and therein many things are thought,That are but mockery of their own selves.When I do show them in the actual size,In which they do appear within my brain.

Germanus:

Only a dwarf-like image of me lives

In man, and therein many things are thought,

That are but mockery of their own selves.

When I do show them in the actual size,

In which they do appear within my brain.

Felicia:And therefore dost thou also mock at me?

Felicia:

And therefore dost thou also mock at me?

Germanus:I must right often ply this trade of mine;Yet mostly men do hear me not, so nowI seized for once this opportunityTo speak as well where men can hear my words.

Germanus:

I must right often ply this trade of mine;

Yet mostly men do hear me not, so now

I seized for once this opportunity

To speak as well where men can hear my words.

Johannes(out of his meditation):This was the man, who of himself did sayThat spirit-light grew of its own accordWithin his brain; and Dame Felicia came,Just like her husband, as she is in life.

Johannes(out of his meditation):

This was the man, who of himself did say

That spirit-light grew of its own accord

Within his brain; and Dame Felicia came,

Just like her husband, as she is in life.

Curtain

Scene 7The domain of spirit: a scene of various coloured crystal rocks and a few trees. Maria, Philia, Astrid, Luna; the child; Johannes, first at a distance, then coming nearer; Theodora; lastly Benedictus.Maria:Ye sisters, who so often proved of oldMy helpers, help me also in this hour;That I may cause to vibrate in itselfThe ether of the worlds. Let it resoundIn harmony, and thus resounding reachAnd permeate a soul with knowledge true.Signs can I see which guide us to our work;For your work must unite itself with mine.Johannes, he who strives, by our designsTo real existence shall be lifted up.The brethren in the temple counsel tookHow they should guide him to the heights of lightOut of the depths, and they expect of usTo fill his soul with power for such high flight.Thou shalt absorb for me, my Philia,The light’s clear essence from the breadths of space;And fill thyself with all the charm of sound,Which wells from out the soul’s creative power;That thou mayst then impart to me the giftsWhich thou dost gather from the spirit’s depths.Then can I weave their perfect harmoniesIn the soul-stirring rhythmic dance of spheres.Thou, Astrid, too, loved mirror of my soul,Thou shalt produce within the flowing light,The power of shade that colours may shine forth;Thou shalt give shape to formless harmonies,That as world-substance weaveth to and froIt may sound forth upon its living way.So am I able to entrust to man,When he doth seek, a spirit-consciousness.And thou, strong Luna, firm in thine own self,E’en like the living marrow, which doth growWithin the centre of the tree, do thouUnite unto thy sisters’ gifts thine own;Impress thereon thy personality,That he who seeks may wisdom’s surety find.Philia:With clearest essence of the light will IFrom world-wide breadths of space myself imbue;From distant ether-bounds will I breathe deepLiving sound-substance that such things may causeThy work, beloved sister, to succeed.Astrid:I will weave through the beaming web of lightSubduing darkness, and I will condenseThe living sounds, that, sounding, they may glow,And glowing, sound; that thou mayst thus direct,Beloved sister, soul-life’s radiant beam.Luna:Soul-substance will I warm; and will make hardThe living ether; that they may condense,And feel themselves as living entitiesWith active power to fashion their own life;That thou, beloved sister, mayst createTrue wisdom’s surety in man’s seeking soul.Maria:From Philia’s realm shall stream forth conscious joy;And water nymphs with their transforming powerShall then unfold receptiveness of soul;That the awakened one may undergoAnd live the mirth and sorrow of the world.From Astrid’s web shall grow the joy of love;And sylphs, that live in air, shall then inciteThe soul’s desire to willing sacrifice;That thus the consecrated one may giveNew life to sorrow-laden souls of men,And comfort those who crave for happiness.From Luna’s power shall stream forth solid strength;And salamanders with their fiery breathShall then create security of soul;That he who knows may find himself againIn weaving soul-streams and the life of worlds.Philia:I shall implore the spirits of the worldThat their own being’s light may so enchantThe senses of the soul; and their words’ soundSo fill with happiness the spirit ears;That he, whose wakening nears, may thus ascendThe path of souls unto celestial heights.Astrid:The streams of love, which warm the worlds, will IDirect unto his consecrated heart;That he may bring into his work on earthThe grace of heaven, and create desireFor consecration in the hearts of men.Luna:From earth’s primeval powers will I imploreCourage and strength, that may lay them deepWithin the seeker’s heart; that confidenceIn his own Self may guide him through his life.Then shall he feel secure in his own soulAnd pluck each moment’s ripened fruit, and drawThe seeds therefrom to found eternities.Maria:With you, my sisters, joined in noble workI shall succeed in what I long to do.But hark! There rises to our world of lightThe cry of him who hath been sorely tried.(Johannes appears.)Johannes:’Tis thou, Maria! Then my sufferingHath at the last born richest fruit for me.It hath withdrawn me from the phantom shapeWhich I at first did make out of myself,And which then held me fast, a prisoner.Pain do I thank for thus enabling meTo reach thee o’er the pathways of the soul.Maria:And what then was the path that led thee here?Johannes:I felt myself from bonds of sense released:My sight was freed from that close barrier,Which hid all but the present from mine eyes.Quite otherwise I viewed the life of oneI knew on earth, and looked beyond the spaceBound by the present moment’s narrow ring.Capesius, who in his older yearsHath but employed the sight of sense—this manThe spirit placed before my soul a youth,As first he entered on life’s thorny pathFull of those dreams of hope, which ofttimes broughtA group of faithful hearers to his feet.And Strader, also could I see e’en thusAs he appeared in earthly life when young,E’er he had full outgrown his cloistered youth:And I could see what he might once have been,If he had followed out in that same wayThe goal he set before himself of old.And only those who in their earthly lifeAre filled already with the spirit’s powerAppear unchanged within the spirit-realms.Both Dame Felicia and good Felix tooHad kept the forms in which they lived on earth,When I beheld them with my spirit’s sight.And then my guides showed kindness unto me,And spake of gifts which shall one day be mineWhen I can reach to wisdom’s lofty heights.And many things besides have I beheldWith spirit-organs which sense-sight at firstHad shown to me in its own narrow way.For judgment’s all-illuminating lightIrradiated this new world of mine.But whether I lived in some shadowy dream,Or whether spirit-truth surrounded meAlready, I could not as yet decide.Whether my spirit-sight was really stirredBy other things, or whether mine own selfExpanded into some world of its own,I knew not. Then didst thou appear thyself;Not as thou seemest at the present time,Nor as the past beheld thee; nay—I sawThee as thou art in spirit evermore.Not human was thy nature: in thy soulClear could I recognize the spirit-light,Which worked not as man clothed in flesh doth work.As spirit did it act, that strives to doSuch work as in eternity hath root.And only now, when I dare stand completeIn spirit nigh thee, doth the full light glow.In thee my sight of sense already graspedReality so fast, that certaintyDoth meet me even here in spirit-realms;And well I know that now before me standsNo phantom shape. ’Tis thy true characterIn which I met thee yonder, and in which’Tis now permitted me to meet thee here.Theodora:I feel compelled to speak. A glow of lightFrom out thy brow, Maria, upward mounts.This glow takes shape, and grows to human form.It is a man with spirit deep imbued,And other men do gather round his feet.I gaze into dim times, long passed awayOn that good man who rose from out thy head:His eyes do shine with perfect peace of soul;And deep true feeling glows in every lineAnd feature of his noble countenance.A woman facing him mine eye doth see,Who listens with devotion to the wordsProceeding from his mouth; which words I hear,And thus they sound: ‘Ye have unto your godsLooked up with awed devotion until now.These gods I love, as ye love them yourselves.They did present unto your thought its power,And planted courage in your heart; but yetTheir gifts spring from a higher spirit still.’I see how rage doth spread amongst the throngAt this man’s words. I hear their mad wild cries:‘Kill him; for he desires to take from usThe gifts the gods have given to our race.’But unconcernedly the man speaks on.He tells now of that God in human form,Who did descend to earth and conquer death.He tells of Christ; and as his words flow onThe souls around grow calm and pacified.One only of the heathen hearts resists,And swears it will wreak vengeance on the man.I recognize this heart; it beats againIn yonder child, that nestles at thy side.The messenger of Christ speaks to it thus:‘Thy fate doth not permit thee to draw nighIn this life; but I shall wait patiently,For thy path leads thee to me in the end.’The woman who doth stand before the manFalls at his feet and feels herself transformed.A soul prays to the God in human form;A heart doth love God’s messenger on earth.(Johannes sinks upon his knees before Maria.)Maria:Johannes, that which dawneth in thy mindThou shalt awaken to full consciousness.E’en now within thee hath thy memoryWrenched itself free from fetterings of sense.Thou hast found me, and thou hast felt myself,As we were joined in former life on earth.Thou wast the woman whom the seeress saw,For so didst thou lie prostrate at my feet,When I as messenger of Christ did comeUnto thy tribe in days long since gone by.What in Hibernia’s consecrated shrinesWas then entrusted to me by that God,Who dwelt in human form, and did becomeA conqueror o’er all the powers of death,I had to bring to tribes, in whom still livedA soul that brought a willing sacrifice,To mighty Odin, and with sorrow thoughtUpon the death of Balder, god of light.The power, which from that message grew in thee,Attracted thee to me from the first dayThine eyes of sense beheld me in this life.And since it strove so mightily in us,And yet remained unrecognized by both,It wove into our life those sufferings,Which we o’ercame. Yet in that pain itselfThere lay the power to guide us on our wayTo spirit-realms, where we might recognizeAnd know in very truth each other’s soul.Intolerably did thy pain increaseThrough all the men who thronged thee round about,With whom by fate’s decree thou art conjoined.Hence was the revelation of their selvesAble so fiercely to convulse thine heart.These men hath Karma gathered round thee now,To wake in thee the power that once did urgeThee on the path of life, which selfsame powerHath thus far roused thee, that, from body freed,Thou couldst ascend into the spirit-world.Thou standest nearest to my soul, since thouHast kept through pain thy steadfast faith in me.And therefore hath it fallen to my lotThat consecration to complete in thee,To which thou owest this thy spirit-light.The brethren, who within the temple serve,Have wakened sight in thee; yet canst thou knowThat what thou seest is very truth indeed,Only when thou dost find in spirit-realmsA being, unto whom in worlds of senseThou wast united in thine inmost soul.And that this being might thus meet thee here,Before thee did the brethren send me out.And this did prove the hardest of thy tests,When I was summoned here to wait for thee.Our leader, Benedictus, did I askTo solve for me the riddle of my life,That seemed to be so cruel and unkind;And blessedness streamed from his every word,Telling of his own mission and of mine.He told me of the spirit I must serveWith all the power which I have found in me.And at his words it seemed to me as though,All in a moment clearest spirit-lightStreamed through and through my soul, and sufferingWas changed to joyous blessedness; one thoughtAlone then filled my soul;—he gave me light,Yea, light, that gave to me the power of sight;—It was the will that lived within the thoughtWholly to give myself to spirit-life,To make me ready for the sacrificeWhich would unto our leader draw me near.This thought did generate the highest power:It gave wings to my soul and wafted meInto that realm where thou hast found me now.In that same moment when I felt releasedFrom my sense body, I was free to turnMy spirit’s eye upon thee, and I sawNot only thee, Johannes, standing there;I saw the woman too, that followed meIn ancient times; and had bound close to mineHer destiny. E’en thus was spirit-truthRevealed to me in spirit-realms through thee,Who in the world of sense already wastMade one with me in inmost consciousness.So did I gain this spirit-certaintyAnd was endowed to give it unto thee.Sending a ray of highest, tenderest loveTo Benedictus, I went on before;And he hath given unto thee the powerTo follow me into the spirit-spheres.(Benedictus appears.)Benedictus:Ye here have found yourselves in spirit-realmsAnd so it is permitted unto meTo stand once more beside you in these realms.I could confer the power that urged you here,But I could not conduct you here myself.Thus read the law, which I must needs obey:—Ye must through your own selves first gain the eyeOf spirit, which doth here make visibleMy spirit to you. Ye have just begunE’en now the path of spirit-pilgrimage.Henceforth indeed upon the plane of senseEndowed with novel powers shall ye both stand,And with the spirit in your hearts unsealedThe cause of human progress shall ye serve,For Fate itself hath so united you,That ye together may unfold the powersWhich needs must serve divine creative work.And as ye journey on the path of soulsWisdom herself will teach you that the heightsMay only be obtained by souls of men,Who have gained spirit-certainty, when theyUnite in faith to do salvation’s work.My spirit-guidance hath united youTo realize each other: now do yeUnite yourselves to do the spirit’s work.May powers that dwell within this realm conferOn you through these my lips this Word of strength:—‘The weaving essence of the light streams forthFrom man to man to fill all worlds with truth.The grace of love spreads warmth from soul to soulTo work out bliss eternal for all worlds.And spirit-messengers come forth to wedMan’s works of love and grace to cosmic aims.And when a man who dwells amongst mankindCan wed these twain, there doth stream forth on earthTrue spirit-light from his warm loving soul.’Curtain

The domain of spirit: a scene of various coloured crystal rocks and a few trees. Maria, Philia, Astrid, Luna; the child; Johannes, first at a distance, then coming nearer; Theodora; lastly Benedictus.

Maria:Ye sisters, who so often proved of oldMy helpers, help me also in this hour;That I may cause to vibrate in itselfThe ether of the worlds. Let it resoundIn harmony, and thus resounding reachAnd permeate a soul with knowledge true.Signs can I see which guide us to our work;For your work must unite itself with mine.Johannes, he who strives, by our designsTo real existence shall be lifted up.The brethren in the temple counsel tookHow they should guide him to the heights of lightOut of the depths, and they expect of usTo fill his soul with power for such high flight.Thou shalt absorb for me, my Philia,The light’s clear essence from the breadths of space;And fill thyself with all the charm of sound,Which wells from out the soul’s creative power;That thou mayst then impart to me the giftsWhich thou dost gather from the spirit’s depths.Then can I weave their perfect harmoniesIn the soul-stirring rhythmic dance of spheres.Thou, Astrid, too, loved mirror of my soul,Thou shalt produce within the flowing light,The power of shade that colours may shine forth;Thou shalt give shape to formless harmonies,That as world-substance weaveth to and froIt may sound forth upon its living way.So am I able to entrust to man,When he doth seek, a spirit-consciousness.And thou, strong Luna, firm in thine own self,E’en like the living marrow, which doth growWithin the centre of the tree, do thouUnite unto thy sisters’ gifts thine own;Impress thereon thy personality,That he who seeks may wisdom’s surety find.

Maria:

Ye sisters, who so often proved of old

My helpers, help me also in this hour;

That I may cause to vibrate in itself

The ether of the worlds. Let it resound

In harmony, and thus resounding reach

And permeate a soul with knowledge true.

Signs can I see which guide us to our work;

For your work must unite itself with mine.

Johannes, he who strives, by our designs

To real existence shall be lifted up.

The brethren in the temple counsel took

How they should guide him to the heights of light

Out of the depths, and they expect of us

To fill his soul with power for such high flight.

Thou shalt absorb for me, my Philia,

The light’s clear essence from the breadths of space;

And fill thyself with all the charm of sound,

Which wells from out the soul’s creative power;

That thou mayst then impart to me the gifts

Which thou dost gather from the spirit’s depths.

Then can I weave their perfect harmonies

In the soul-stirring rhythmic dance of spheres.

Thou, Astrid, too, loved mirror of my soul,

Thou shalt produce within the flowing light,

The power of shade that colours may shine forth;

Thou shalt give shape to formless harmonies,

That as world-substance weaveth to and fro

It may sound forth upon its living way.

So am I able to entrust to man,

When he doth seek, a spirit-consciousness.

And thou, strong Luna, firm in thine own self,

E’en like the living marrow, which doth grow

Within the centre of the tree, do thou

Unite unto thy sisters’ gifts thine own;

Impress thereon thy personality,

That he who seeks may wisdom’s surety find.

Philia:With clearest essence of the light will IFrom world-wide breadths of space myself imbue;From distant ether-bounds will I breathe deepLiving sound-substance that such things may causeThy work, beloved sister, to succeed.

Philia:

With clearest essence of the light will I

From world-wide breadths of space myself imbue;

From distant ether-bounds will I breathe deep

Living sound-substance that such things may cause

Thy work, beloved sister, to succeed.

Astrid:I will weave through the beaming web of lightSubduing darkness, and I will condenseThe living sounds, that, sounding, they may glow,And glowing, sound; that thou mayst thus direct,Beloved sister, soul-life’s radiant beam.

Astrid:

I will weave through the beaming web of light

Subduing darkness, and I will condense

The living sounds, that, sounding, they may glow,

And glowing, sound; that thou mayst thus direct,

Beloved sister, soul-life’s radiant beam.

Luna:Soul-substance will I warm; and will make hardThe living ether; that they may condense,And feel themselves as living entitiesWith active power to fashion their own life;That thou, beloved sister, mayst createTrue wisdom’s surety in man’s seeking soul.

Luna:

Soul-substance will I warm; and will make hard

The living ether; that they may condense,

And feel themselves as living entities

With active power to fashion their own life;

That thou, beloved sister, mayst create

True wisdom’s surety in man’s seeking soul.

Maria:From Philia’s realm shall stream forth conscious joy;And water nymphs with their transforming powerShall then unfold receptiveness of soul;That the awakened one may undergoAnd live the mirth and sorrow of the world.From Astrid’s web shall grow the joy of love;And sylphs, that live in air, shall then inciteThe soul’s desire to willing sacrifice;That thus the consecrated one may giveNew life to sorrow-laden souls of men,And comfort those who crave for happiness.From Luna’s power shall stream forth solid strength;And salamanders with their fiery breathShall then create security of soul;That he who knows may find himself againIn weaving soul-streams and the life of worlds.

Maria:

From Philia’s realm shall stream forth conscious joy;

And water nymphs with their transforming power

Shall then unfold receptiveness of soul;

That the awakened one may undergo

And live the mirth and sorrow of the world.

From Astrid’s web shall grow the joy of love;

And sylphs, that live in air, shall then incite

The soul’s desire to willing sacrifice;

That thus the consecrated one may give

New life to sorrow-laden souls of men,

And comfort those who crave for happiness.

From Luna’s power shall stream forth solid strength;

And salamanders with their fiery breath

Shall then create security of soul;

That he who knows may find himself again

In weaving soul-streams and the life of worlds.

Philia:I shall implore the spirits of the worldThat their own being’s light may so enchantThe senses of the soul; and their words’ soundSo fill with happiness the spirit ears;That he, whose wakening nears, may thus ascendThe path of souls unto celestial heights.

Philia:

I shall implore the spirits of the world

That their own being’s light may so enchant

The senses of the soul; and their words’ sound

So fill with happiness the spirit ears;

That he, whose wakening nears, may thus ascend

The path of souls unto celestial heights.

Astrid:The streams of love, which warm the worlds, will IDirect unto his consecrated heart;That he may bring into his work on earthThe grace of heaven, and create desireFor consecration in the hearts of men.

Astrid:

The streams of love, which warm the worlds, will I

Direct unto his consecrated heart;

That he may bring into his work on earth

The grace of heaven, and create desire

For consecration in the hearts of men.

Luna:From earth’s primeval powers will I imploreCourage and strength, that may lay them deepWithin the seeker’s heart; that confidenceIn his own Self may guide him through his life.Then shall he feel secure in his own soulAnd pluck each moment’s ripened fruit, and drawThe seeds therefrom to found eternities.

Luna:

From earth’s primeval powers will I implore

Courage and strength, that may lay them deep

Within the seeker’s heart; that confidence

In his own Self may guide him through his life.

Then shall he feel secure in his own soul

And pluck each moment’s ripened fruit, and draw

The seeds therefrom to found eternities.

Maria:With you, my sisters, joined in noble workI shall succeed in what I long to do.But hark! There rises to our world of lightThe cry of him who hath been sorely tried.

Maria:

With you, my sisters, joined in noble work

I shall succeed in what I long to do.

But hark! There rises to our world of light

The cry of him who hath been sorely tried.

(Johannes appears.)

Johannes:’Tis thou, Maria! Then my sufferingHath at the last born richest fruit for me.It hath withdrawn me from the phantom shapeWhich I at first did make out of myself,And which then held me fast, a prisoner.Pain do I thank for thus enabling meTo reach thee o’er the pathways of the soul.

Johannes:

’Tis thou, Maria! Then my suffering

Hath at the last born richest fruit for me.

It hath withdrawn me from the phantom shape

Which I at first did make out of myself,

And which then held me fast, a prisoner.

Pain do I thank for thus enabling me

To reach thee o’er the pathways of the soul.

Maria:And what then was the path that led thee here?

Maria:

And what then was the path that led thee here?

Johannes:I felt myself from bonds of sense released:My sight was freed from that close barrier,Which hid all but the present from mine eyes.Quite otherwise I viewed the life of oneI knew on earth, and looked beyond the spaceBound by the present moment’s narrow ring.Capesius, who in his older yearsHath but employed the sight of sense—this manThe spirit placed before my soul a youth,As first he entered on life’s thorny pathFull of those dreams of hope, which ofttimes broughtA group of faithful hearers to his feet.And Strader, also could I see e’en thusAs he appeared in earthly life when young,E’er he had full outgrown his cloistered youth:And I could see what he might once have been,If he had followed out in that same wayThe goal he set before himself of old.And only those who in their earthly lifeAre filled already with the spirit’s powerAppear unchanged within the spirit-realms.Both Dame Felicia and good Felix tooHad kept the forms in which they lived on earth,When I beheld them with my spirit’s sight.And then my guides showed kindness unto me,And spake of gifts which shall one day be mineWhen I can reach to wisdom’s lofty heights.And many things besides have I beheldWith spirit-organs which sense-sight at firstHad shown to me in its own narrow way.For judgment’s all-illuminating lightIrradiated this new world of mine.But whether I lived in some shadowy dream,Or whether spirit-truth surrounded meAlready, I could not as yet decide.Whether my spirit-sight was really stirredBy other things, or whether mine own selfExpanded into some world of its own,I knew not. Then didst thou appear thyself;Not as thou seemest at the present time,Nor as the past beheld thee; nay—I sawThee as thou art in spirit evermore.Not human was thy nature: in thy soulClear could I recognize the spirit-light,Which worked not as man clothed in flesh doth work.As spirit did it act, that strives to doSuch work as in eternity hath root.And only now, when I dare stand completeIn spirit nigh thee, doth the full light glow.In thee my sight of sense already graspedReality so fast, that certaintyDoth meet me even here in spirit-realms;And well I know that now before me standsNo phantom shape. ’Tis thy true characterIn which I met thee yonder, and in which’Tis now permitted me to meet thee here.

Johannes:

I felt myself from bonds of sense released:

My sight was freed from that close barrier,

Which hid all but the present from mine eyes.

Quite otherwise I viewed the life of one

I knew on earth, and looked beyond the space

Bound by the present moment’s narrow ring.

Capesius, who in his older years

Hath but employed the sight of sense—this man

The spirit placed before my soul a youth,

As first he entered on life’s thorny path

Full of those dreams of hope, which ofttimes brought

A group of faithful hearers to his feet.

And Strader, also could I see e’en thus

As he appeared in earthly life when young,

E’er he had full outgrown his cloistered youth:

And I could see what he might once have been,

If he had followed out in that same way

The goal he set before himself of old.

And only those who in their earthly life

Are filled already with the spirit’s power

Appear unchanged within the spirit-realms.

Both Dame Felicia and good Felix too

Had kept the forms in which they lived on earth,

When I beheld them with my spirit’s sight.

And then my guides showed kindness unto me,

And spake of gifts which shall one day be mine

When I can reach to wisdom’s lofty heights.

And many things besides have I beheld

With spirit-organs which sense-sight at first

Had shown to me in its own narrow way.

For judgment’s all-illuminating light

Irradiated this new world of mine.

But whether I lived in some shadowy dream,

Or whether spirit-truth surrounded me

Already, I could not as yet decide.

Whether my spirit-sight was really stirred

By other things, or whether mine own self

Expanded into some world of its own,

I knew not. Then didst thou appear thyself;

Not as thou seemest at the present time,

Nor as the past beheld thee; nay—I saw

Thee as thou art in spirit evermore.

Not human was thy nature: in thy soul

Clear could I recognize the spirit-light,

Which worked not as man clothed in flesh doth work.

As spirit did it act, that strives to do

Such work as in eternity hath root.

And only now, when I dare stand complete

In spirit nigh thee, doth the full light glow.

In thee my sight of sense already grasped

Reality so fast, that certainty

Doth meet me even here in spirit-realms;

And well I know that now before me stands

No phantom shape. ’Tis thy true character

In which I met thee yonder, and in which

’Tis now permitted me to meet thee here.

Theodora:I feel compelled to speak. A glow of lightFrom out thy brow, Maria, upward mounts.This glow takes shape, and grows to human form.It is a man with spirit deep imbued,And other men do gather round his feet.I gaze into dim times, long passed awayOn that good man who rose from out thy head:His eyes do shine with perfect peace of soul;And deep true feeling glows in every lineAnd feature of his noble countenance.A woman facing him mine eye doth see,Who listens with devotion to the wordsProceeding from his mouth; which words I hear,And thus they sound: ‘Ye have unto your godsLooked up with awed devotion until now.These gods I love, as ye love them yourselves.They did present unto your thought its power,And planted courage in your heart; but yetTheir gifts spring from a higher spirit still.’I see how rage doth spread amongst the throngAt this man’s words. I hear their mad wild cries:‘Kill him; for he desires to take from usThe gifts the gods have given to our race.’But unconcernedly the man speaks on.He tells now of that God in human form,Who did descend to earth and conquer death.He tells of Christ; and as his words flow onThe souls around grow calm and pacified.One only of the heathen hearts resists,And swears it will wreak vengeance on the man.I recognize this heart; it beats againIn yonder child, that nestles at thy side.The messenger of Christ speaks to it thus:‘Thy fate doth not permit thee to draw nighIn this life; but I shall wait patiently,For thy path leads thee to me in the end.’The woman who doth stand before the manFalls at his feet and feels herself transformed.A soul prays to the God in human form;A heart doth love God’s messenger on earth.

Theodora:

I feel compelled to speak. A glow of light

From out thy brow, Maria, upward mounts.

This glow takes shape, and grows to human form.

It is a man with spirit deep imbued,

And other men do gather round his feet.

I gaze into dim times, long passed away

On that good man who rose from out thy head:

His eyes do shine with perfect peace of soul;

And deep true feeling glows in every line

And feature of his noble countenance.

A woman facing him mine eye doth see,

Who listens with devotion to the words

Proceeding from his mouth; which words I hear,

And thus they sound: ‘Ye have unto your gods

Looked up with awed devotion until now.

These gods I love, as ye love them yourselves.

They did present unto your thought its power,

And planted courage in your heart; but yet

Their gifts spring from a higher spirit still.’

I see how rage doth spread amongst the throng

At this man’s words. I hear their mad wild cries:

‘Kill him; for he desires to take from us

The gifts the gods have given to our race.’

But unconcernedly the man speaks on.

He tells now of that God in human form,

Who did descend to earth and conquer death.

He tells of Christ; and as his words flow on

The souls around grow calm and pacified.

One only of the heathen hearts resists,

And swears it will wreak vengeance on the man.

I recognize this heart; it beats again

In yonder child, that nestles at thy side.

The messenger of Christ speaks to it thus:

‘Thy fate doth not permit thee to draw nigh

In this life; but I shall wait patiently,

For thy path leads thee to me in the end.’

The woman who doth stand before the man

Falls at his feet and feels herself transformed.

A soul prays to the God in human form;

A heart doth love God’s messenger on earth.

(Johannes sinks upon his knees before Maria.)

Maria:Johannes, that which dawneth in thy mindThou shalt awaken to full consciousness.E’en now within thee hath thy memoryWrenched itself free from fetterings of sense.Thou hast found me, and thou hast felt myself,As we were joined in former life on earth.Thou wast the woman whom the seeress saw,For so didst thou lie prostrate at my feet,When I as messenger of Christ did comeUnto thy tribe in days long since gone by.What in Hibernia’s consecrated shrinesWas then entrusted to me by that God,Who dwelt in human form, and did becomeA conqueror o’er all the powers of death,I had to bring to tribes, in whom still livedA soul that brought a willing sacrifice,To mighty Odin, and with sorrow thoughtUpon the death of Balder, god of light.The power, which from that message grew in thee,Attracted thee to me from the first dayThine eyes of sense beheld me in this life.And since it strove so mightily in us,And yet remained unrecognized by both,It wove into our life those sufferings,Which we o’ercame. Yet in that pain itselfThere lay the power to guide us on our wayTo spirit-realms, where we might recognizeAnd know in very truth each other’s soul.Intolerably did thy pain increaseThrough all the men who thronged thee round about,With whom by fate’s decree thou art conjoined.Hence was the revelation of their selvesAble so fiercely to convulse thine heart.These men hath Karma gathered round thee now,To wake in thee the power that once did urgeThee on the path of life, which selfsame powerHath thus far roused thee, that, from body freed,Thou couldst ascend into the spirit-world.Thou standest nearest to my soul, since thouHast kept through pain thy steadfast faith in me.And therefore hath it fallen to my lotThat consecration to complete in thee,To which thou owest this thy spirit-light.The brethren, who within the temple serve,Have wakened sight in thee; yet canst thou knowThat what thou seest is very truth indeed,Only when thou dost find in spirit-realmsA being, unto whom in worlds of senseThou wast united in thine inmost soul.And that this being might thus meet thee here,Before thee did the brethren send me out.And this did prove the hardest of thy tests,When I was summoned here to wait for thee.Our leader, Benedictus, did I askTo solve for me the riddle of my life,That seemed to be so cruel and unkind;And blessedness streamed from his every word,Telling of his own mission and of mine.He told me of the spirit I must serveWith all the power which I have found in me.And at his words it seemed to me as though,All in a moment clearest spirit-lightStreamed through and through my soul, and sufferingWas changed to joyous blessedness; one thoughtAlone then filled my soul;—he gave me light,Yea, light, that gave to me the power of sight;—It was the will that lived within the thoughtWholly to give myself to spirit-life,To make me ready for the sacrificeWhich would unto our leader draw me near.This thought did generate the highest power:It gave wings to my soul and wafted meInto that realm where thou hast found me now.In that same moment when I felt releasedFrom my sense body, I was free to turnMy spirit’s eye upon thee, and I sawNot only thee, Johannes, standing there;I saw the woman too, that followed meIn ancient times; and had bound close to mineHer destiny. E’en thus was spirit-truthRevealed to me in spirit-realms through thee,Who in the world of sense already wastMade one with me in inmost consciousness.So did I gain this spirit-certaintyAnd was endowed to give it unto thee.Sending a ray of highest, tenderest loveTo Benedictus, I went on before;And he hath given unto thee the powerTo follow me into the spirit-spheres.

Maria:

Johannes, that which dawneth in thy mind

Thou shalt awaken to full consciousness.

E’en now within thee hath thy memory

Wrenched itself free from fetterings of sense.

Thou hast found me, and thou hast felt myself,

As we were joined in former life on earth.

Thou wast the woman whom the seeress saw,

For so didst thou lie prostrate at my feet,

When I as messenger of Christ did come

Unto thy tribe in days long since gone by.

What in Hibernia’s consecrated shrines

Was then entrusted to me by that God,

Who dwelt in human form, and did become

A conqueror o’er all the powers of death,

I had to bring to tribes, in whom still lived

A soul that brought a willing sacrifice,

To mighty Odin, and with sorrow thought

Upon the death of Balder, god of light.

The power, which from that message grew in thee,

Attracted thee to me from the first day

Thine eyes of sense beheld me in this life.

And since it strove so mightily in us,

And yet remained unrecognized by both,

It wove into our life those sufferings,

Which we o’ercame. Yet in that pain itself

There lay the power to guide us on our way

To spirit-realms, where we might recognize

And know in very truth each other’s soul.

Intolerably did thy pain increase

Through all the men who thronged thee round about,

With whom by fate’s decree thou art conjoined.

Hence was the revelation of their selves

Able so fiercely to convulse thine heart.

These men hath Karma gathered round thee now,

To wake in thee the power that once did urge

Thee on the path of life, which selfsame power

Hath thus far roused thee, that, from body freed,

Thou couldst ascend into the spirit-world.

Thou standest nearest to my soul, since thou

Hast kept through pain thy steadfast faith in me.

And therefore hath it fallen to my lot

That consecration to complete in thee,

To which thou owest this thy spirit-light.

The brethren, who within the temple serve,

Have wakened sight in thee; yet canst thou know

That what thou seest is very truth indeed,

Only when thou dost find in spirit-realms

A being, unto whom in worlds of sense

Thou wast united in thine inmost soul.

And that this being might thus meet thee here,

Before thee did the brethren send me out.

And this did prove the hardest of thy tests,

When I was summoned here to wait for thee.

Our leader, Benedictus, did I ask

To solve for me the riddle of my life,

That seemed to be so cruel and unkind;

And blessedness streamed from his every word,

Telling of his own mission and of mine.

He told me of the spirit I must serve

With all the power which I have found in me.

And at his words it seemed to me as though,

All in a moment clearest spirit-light

Streamed through and through my soul, and suffering

Was changed to joyous blessedness; one thought

Alone then filled my soul;—he gave me light,

Yea, light, that gave to me the power of sight;—

It was the will that lived within the thought

Wholly to give myself to spirit-life,

To make me ready for the sacrifice

Which would unto our leader draw me near.

This thought did generate the highest power:

It gave wings to my soul and wafted me

Into that realm where thou hast found me now.

In that same moment when I felt released

From my sense body, I was free to turn

My spirit’s eye upon thee, and I saw

Not only thee, Johannes, standing there;

I saw the woman too, that followed me

In ancient times; and had bound close to mine

Her destiny. E’en thus was spirit-truth

Revealed to me in spirit-realms through thee,

Who in the world of sense already wast

Made one with me in inmost consciousness.

So did I gain this spirit-certainty

And was endowed to give it unto thee.

Sending a ray of highest, tenderest love

To Benedictus, I went on before;

And he hath given unto thee the power

To follow me into the spirit-spheres.

(Benedictus appears.)

Benedictus:Ye here have found yourselves in spirit-realmsAnd so it is permitted unto meTo stand once more beside you in these realms.I could confer the power that urged you here,But I could not conduct you here myself.Thus read the law, which I must needs obey:—Ye must through your own selves first gain the eyeOf spirit, which doth here make visibleMy spirit to you. Ye have just begunE’en now the path of spirit-pilgrimage.Henceforth indeed upon the plane of senseEndowed with novel powers shall ye both stand,And with the spirit in your hearts unsealedThe cause of human progress shall ye serve,For Fate itself hath so united you,That ye together may unfold the powersWhich needs must serve divine creative work.And as ye journey on the path of soulsWisdom herself will teach you that the heightsMay only be obtained by souls of men,Who have gained spirit-certainty, when theyUnite in faith to do salvation’s work.My spirit-guidance hath united youTo realize each other: now do yeUnite yourselves to do the spirit’s work.May powers that dwell within this realm conferOn you through these my lips this Word of strength:—‘The weaving essence of the light streams forthFrom man to man to fill all worlds with truth.The grace of love spreads warmth from soul to soulTo work out bliss eternal for all worlds.And spirit-messengers come forth to wedMan’s works of love and grace to cosmic aims.And when a man who dwells amongst mankindCan wed these twain, there doth stream forth on earthTrue spirit-light from his warm loving soul.’

Benedictus:

Ye here have found yourselves in spirit-realms

And so it is permitted unto me

To stand once more beside you in these realms.

I could confer the power that urged you here,

But I could not conduct you here myself.

Thus read the law, which I must needs obey:—

Ye must through your own selves first gain the eye

Of spirit, which doth here make visible

My spirit to you. Ye have just begun

E’en now the path of spirit-pilgrimage.

Henceforth indeed upon the plane of sense

Endowed with novel powers shall ye both stand,

And with the spirit in your hearts unsealed

The cause of human progress shall ye serve,

For Fate itself hath so united you,

That ye together may unfold the powers

Which needs must serve divine creative work.

And as ye journey on the path of souls

Wisdom herself will teach you that the heights

May only be obtained by souls of men,

Who have gained spirit-certainty, when they

Unite in faith to do salvation’s work.

My spirit-guidance hath united you

To realize each other: now do ye

Unite yourselves to do the spirit’s work.

May powers that dwell within this realm confer

On you through these my lips this Word of strength:—

‘The weaving essence of the light streams forth

From man to man to fill all worlds with truth.

The grace of love spreads warmth from soul to soul

To work out bliss eternal for all worlds.

And spirit-messengers come forth to wed

Man’s works of love and grace to cosmic aims.

And when a man who dwells amongst mankind

Can wed these twain, there doth stream forth on earth

True spirit-light from his warm loving soul.’

Curtain

Back to Index Next