Magas; or Long Ago, Part II [pp. 804-814]

Magas; or, Lontg Ago.
features are lighted up with an expression which defies description;
her eyes, deeply set as they are, dazzle with the intensity of their fire;
she does not declaim, she speaks in
a low yet in a distinct and earnest
tone which all hear, words which
seem to have been gathered at the
very fount of wisdom. There is an
indescribable melody in her voice,
which melts the heart, and communicates the persuasion that she knows
more than she says; that she holds
back something as fearing the light
would be too bright for our unaccustomed eyes: she infuses the desire
to know the truth, the certainty that
there is a truth; yet somehow, on
reflection, the truth itself seems
withheld, and we hope next time to
hear a fuller exposition of that which
no one doubts she possesses."
"What is her doctrine?"
"It would take herself to expound
it, in the clear, musical, irresistible
manner with which she enforces conviction. I am afraid I should only
spoil her discourse by repeating it."
"Try, nevertheless."
"She teaches that truth is one-an
immutable, eternal essence, contain ing within itself all good, all beauty,
all harmony, all being; and that in it
resides the creative power.
"She says this creative power is an
emanation of the Deity, or rather the
Deity himself made manifest. It is
termed the Word.
"And the Word or creative power
made the universe-made all those
orbs which we see move around us
by night and by day; and moreover,
breathed life and intelligence into or ganic forms, that they might become
conscious of, and enjoy existence.
But for man she claims a higher life;
she says he was created in harmony
with the eternal essence, that he
might know and enjoy a higher life
than that of animals,' but that he
disregarded the conditions on which
this higher life was held, and by violating them brought the disorder into
the world which now oppresses it.
Man is the only animal unfaithful to
his instincts; the only one who does
not trust his own nature; the only
one who is unhappy in the non-realization of his aspirations."
"But what remedy does she pro
pose?"
"She does not propose one; she
declares one. She says the Word became flesh, to communicate to man
the Holy Spirit he had lost, and by
losing which his misery was occasioned. This Holy Spirit comes alike
from the Eternal Essence, and from
the Word which is its manifestation,
and purifies the heart of man, and so
restores it to its primal state, or to a
more holy one yet."
"But how is this to be effected for
ourselves?"
"That is just where she disappoints
us. She gives glowing descriptions
of truth, beauty, beneficence in every
sort of manifestation, material and
mental, and shows how the aspira tions of the poets prove that a sub lime ideal raises man above the
practical existence we see him lead
every day; but how to obtain this
Holy Spirit we have not yet learnt."
"Has she given no rule?"
"None but material ones; and
according to her, material rules are
only types of spiritual ideas. She
says, as the body has assumed too
much sway, it must be subdued by
violence - that is, by maceration,
fasting, and such like. She says pas sion must give way to reason, and the
affections be rightly governed. This
we knew before; but what we want is
'power' to carry out in practice the
precepts we admire; or as she would
say,' how to obtain that Holy Spirit
which is to live in us and direct us."'
"And you think she knows how?"
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