《Rosa Alchemica》第5章

okshelves；　and　found　one　of　the　most　exhaustive　alchemical　libraries　i　have　ever　seen。　there　were　the　works　of　morienus；　who　hid　his　immortal　body　under　a　shirt　of　hair？cloth；　of　avicenna；　who　was　a　drunkard　and　yet　controlled　numberless　legions　of　spirits；　of　alfarabi；　who　put　so　many　spirits　into　his　lute　that　he　could　make　men　laugh；　or　weep；　or　fall　in　deadly　trance　as　he　would；　of　lully；　who　transformed　himself　into　the　likeness　of　a　red　cock；　of　flamel；　who　with　his　wife　parnella　achieved　the　elixir　many　hundreds　of　years　ago；　and　is　fabled　to　live　still　in　arabia　among　the　dervishes；　and　of　many　of　less　fame。　there　were　very　few　mystics　but　alchemical　mystics；　and　because；　i　had　little　doubt；　of　the　devotion　to　one　god　of　the　greater　number　and　of　the　limited　sense　of　beauty；　which　robartes　would　hold　an　inevitable　consequence；　but　i　did　notice　a　plete　set　of　facsimiles　of　the　prophetical　writings　of　william　blake；　and　probably　because　of　the　multitudes　that　thronged　his　illumination　and　were　like　the　gay　fishes　on　the　wave　when　the　moon　sucks　up　the　dew。　i　noted　also　many　poets　and　prose　writers　of　every　age；　but　only　those　who　were　a　little　weary　of　life；　as　indeed　the　greatest　have　been　everywhere；　and　who　cast　their　imagination　to　us；　as　a　something　they　needed　no　longer　now　that　they　were　going　up　in　their　fiery　chariots。
presently　i　heard　a　tap　at　the　door；　and　a　woman　came　in　and　laid　a　little　fruit　upon　the　table。　i　judged　that　she　had　once　been　handsome；　but　her　cheeks　were　hollowed　by　what　i　would　have　held；　had　i　seen　her　anywhere　else；　an　excitement　of　the　flesh　and　a　thirst　for　pleasure；　instead　of　which　it　doubtless　was　an　excitement　of　the　imagination　and　a　thirst　for　beauty。　i　asked　her　some　question　concerning　the　ceremony；　but　getting　no　answer　except　a　shake　of　the　head；　saw　that　i　must　await　initiation　in　silence。　when　i　had　eaten；　she　came　again；　and　having　laid　a　curiously　wrought　bronze　box　on　the　table；　lighted　the　candles；　and　took　away　the　plates　and　the　remnants。　so　soon　as　i　was　alone；　i　turned　to　the　box；　and　found　that　the　peacocks　of　hera　spread　out　their　tails　over　the　sides　and　lid；　against　a　background；　on　which　were　wrought　great　stars；　as　though　to　affirm　that　the　heavens　were　a　part　of　their　glory。　in　the　box　was　a　book　bound　in　vellum；　and　having　upon　the　vellum　and　in　very　delicate　colours；　and　in　gold；　the　alchemical　rose　with　many　spears　thrusting　against　it；　but　in　vain；　as　was　shown　by　the　shattered　points　of　those　nearest　to　the　petals。　the　book　was　written　upon　vellum；　and　in　beautiful　clear　letters；　interspersed　with　symbolical　pictures　and　illuminations；　after　the　manner　of　the　splendor　soils。
the　first　chapter　described　how　situdents；　of　celtic　descent；　gave　themselves　separately　to　the　study　of　alchemy；　and　solved；　one　the　mystery　of　the　pelican；　another　the　mystery　of　the　green　dragon；　another　the　mystery　of　the　eagle；　another　that　of　salt　and　mercury。　what　seemed　a　succession　of　accidents；　but　was；　the　book　declared；　the　contrivance　of　preternatural　powers；　brought　them　together　in　the　garden　of　an　inn　in　the　south　of　france；　and　while　they　talked　together　the　thought　came　to　them　that　alchemy　was　the　gradual　distillation　of　the　contents　of　the　soul；　until　they　were　ready　to　put　off　the　mortal　and　put　on　the　immortal。　an　owl　passed；　rustling　among　the　vine？leaves　overhead；　and　then　an　old　woman　came；　leaning　upon　a　stick；　and；　sitting　close　to　them；　took　up　the　thought　where　they　had　dropped　it。　having　expounded　the　whole　principle　of　spiritual　alchemy；　and　bid　them　found　the　order　of　the　alchemical　rose；　she　passed　from　among　them；　and　when　they　would　have　followed　she　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。　they　formed　themselves　into　an　order；　holding　their　goods　and　making　their　researches　in　mon；　and；　as　they　became　perfect　in　the　alchemical　doctrine；　apparitions　came　and　went　among　them；　and　taught　them　more　and　more　marvellous　mysteries。　the　book　then　went　on　to　expound　so　much　of　these　as　the　neophyte　was　permitted　to　know；　dealing　at　the　outset　and　at　considerable　length　with　the　independent　reality　of　our　thoughts；　which　was；　it　declared；　the　doctrine　from　which　all　true　doctrines　rose。　if　you　imagine；　it　said；　the　semblance　of　a　living being；　it　is　at　once　possessed　by　a　wandering　soul；　and　goes　hither　and　thither　working　good　or　evil；　until　the　moment　of　its　death　has　e；　and　gave　many　examples；　received；　it　said；　from　many　gods。　eros　had　taught　them　how　to　fashion　forms　in　which　a　divine　soul　could　dwell；　and　whisper　what　they　would　into　sleeping　minds；　and　ate　forms　from　which　demonic　beings　could　pour　madness；　or　unquiet　dreams；　into　sleeping　blood；　and　hermes；　that　if　you　powerfully　imagined　a　hound　at　your　bedside　it　would　keep　watch　there　until　you　woke；　and　drive　away　all　but　the　mightiest　demons；　but　that　if　your　imagination　was　weakly；　the　hound　would　be　weakly　also；　and　the　demons　prevail；　and　the　hound　soon　die；　and　aphrodite；　that　if　you　made；　by　a　strong　imagining；　a　dove　crowned　with　silver　and　had　it　flutter　over　your　head；　its　soft　cooing　would　make　sweet　dreams　of　immortal　love　gather　and　brood　over　mortal　sleep；　and　all　divinities　alike　had　revealed　with　many　warnings　and　lamentations　that　all　minds　are　continually　giving　birth　to　such　beings；　and　sending　them　forth　to　work　health　or　disease；　joy　or　madness。　if　you　would　give　forms　to　the　evil　powers；　it　went　on；　you　were　to　make　them　ugly；　thrusting　out　a　lip；　with　the　thirsts　of　life；　or　breaking　the　proportions　of　a　body　with　the　burdens　of　life；　but　the　divine　powers　would　only　appear　in　beautiful　shapes；　which　are　but；　as　it　were；　shapes　trembling　out　of　existence；　folding　up　into　a　timeless　ecstasy；　drifting　with　half？shut　eyes；　into　a　sleepy　stillness。　the　bodiless　souls　who　descended　into　these　forms　were　what　men　called　the　moods；　and　worked　all　great　changes　in　the　world；　for　just　as　the　magician　or　the　artist　could　call　them　when　he　would；　so　they　could　call　out　of　the　mind　of　the　magician　or　the　artist；　or　if　they　were　demons；　out　of　the　mind　of　the　mad　or　the　ignoble；　what　shape　they　would；　and　through　its　voice　and　its　gestures　pour　themselves　out　upon　the　world。　in　this　way　all　great　e