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diff --git a/old/64121-0.txt b/old/64121-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 6b03953..0000000 --- a/old/64121-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,23894 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Theosophical Path Illustrated Monthly -Volume 1, July-December, 1911, by Katherine Tingley - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The Theosophical Path Illustrated Monthly Volume 1, - July-December, 1911 - -Editor: Katherine Tingley - -Release Date: December 24, 2020 [eBook #64121] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Image source(s): https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433086301524 - -Produced by: Alan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at - https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images made - available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH ILLUSTRATED -MONTHLY VOLUME 1, JULY-DECEMBER, 1911 *** - - - - - THE - THEOSOPHICAL PATH - - ILLUSTRATED MONTHLY - - EDITED BY KATHERINE TINGLEY - - - Volume I - - July-December, 1911 - - - PUBLISHED BY THE NEW CENTURY CORPORATION - - POINT LOMA, CALIFORNIA, U. S. A. - - - - - [Illustration] - - THE ARYAN THEOSOPHICAL PRESS - Point Loma, California - - - - -INDEX TO THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH - -VOLUME I - -JULY-DECEMBER, 1911 - - - A - - America, Ancient (_ill._) An Archaeologist 323 - - American Nation, an Unknown (_ill._) H. S. Turner 347 - - American Woman in Poetry, The Grace Knoche 56 - - Archaeologists, Recent Admissions by Student 107 - - _Aroma of Athens, The_ (_ill._) Dramatic Critic 39 - - _Aroma of Athens_, Notes on _The_ (_ill._) Kenneth Morris 42 - - Art, The Scope of R. W. Machell 20 - - Astral Body, The H. Coryn, M. D., M. R. C. S. 24 - - Astronomy, Ancient (No. 1) F. J. Dick, M. INST. C. E. 64 - - Astronomical Notes C. J. Ryan 287 - - Australian Marsupials (_ill._) Nature Lover 296 - - - B - - Birth of Day, The (_verse_) A. F. W. 27 - - "Black Age," The Ariomardes 196 - - Blavatsky, H. P., and the Theosophical Society - (_with portrait_) W. Q. Judge 28 - - Blavatsky's Teachings, Recent Confirmation of H. P. - H. T. Edge, B. A. (Cantab.) 172 - - Blavatsky a Plagiarist? Was H. P. - H. T. Edge, B. A. (Cantab.) 271 - - Bluebells of Wernoleu, The: A Welsh Legend (_verse_) - Kenneth Morris 404 - - Book Reviews: _Life of Leonardo da Vinci_ (Osvald Sirén) - Carolus 233 - _Il est ressuscité_ (Charles Morice) H. A. Fussell 307 - _Commentary upon the Maya-Tsental Pérez Codex_ - (W. E. Gates) C. J. Ryan 378 - A New Magazine 383 - _The Strange Little Girl_ 385 - _Les derniers Barbares: Chine, Tibet, Mongolie_ - (d'Ollone) (_ill._) H. A. Fussell 452 - _The Plough and the Cross_ (W. P. O'Ryan) F. J. D. 456 - - Bridges of Paris, The (_ill._) G. K. 96 - - British Association, The Soul at the Henry Travers 406 - - Bronze, Incorrodible Henry Travers 148 - - Brynhyfryd Garden, Old (_verse_) Kenneth Morris 97 - - Buckingham Palace, London (_ill._) 275 - - - C - - Calendars, Ancient Henry Travers 205 - - Cathedrals in Ancient Crete a Student 262 - - Christianity, The Rebirth of H. T. Edge, B. A. (Cantab.) 11 - - Christmas Kenneth Morris 387 - - Confines of Science, The Investigator 349 - - Conflict of the Ages, The (_verse_) S. F. 435 - - Copán, and its Position in American History (_ill._) - W. E. Gates 419 - - Counterfeits vs. Reality, Tempting Lydia Ross, M. D. 126 - - Crucifixion, The Parable of the Cranstone Woodhead 328 - - Current Topics Observer 447 - - Cycle, The New H. P. Blavatsky 165 - - Cyrene, Classical Ariomardes 280 - - - D - - Dipylon and the outer Ceramicus, The (_ill._) - F. S. Darrow, A. M., PH. D. (Harv.) 189 - - Drama, Open-Air (_ill._) - Per Fernholm, M. E. (Roy. Inst. Tech., Stockholm) 415 - - Dutch House Court by Pieter de Hooch, A (_ill._) 338 - - - E - - Education Wasted? Is H. T. Edge, B. A. (Cantab.) 102 - - Egyptian Art, 26th Dynasty (_ill._) C. J. 200 - - Egyptology, and the Theosophical Records, The New (_ill._) - C. J. Ryan 15 - - Ekoi: Children of Nature, The H. T. Edge, B. A. (Cantab.) 344 - - Energy, Intra-Atomic H. Coryn, M. D., M. R. C. S. 417 - - English Lady's Letter, An (_ill._) F. D. Udall 442 - - Eros: Painting by Julius Kronberg (_ill._) R. W. Machell 125 - - Eucalypts? Who Made the (_ill._) Nature Lover 295 - - Evolution in the Light of Theosophy - H. T. Edge, B. A. (Cantab.) 311 - - - F - - Fairylands, The Two Kenneth Morris 115 - - Folk-music, The Origin and Nature of Kenneth Morris 174 - - Forest Waste, Saving Student 34 - - - G - - Geniuses, The Incarnation of H. Travers 339 - - Genius for Music, Cultivating E. A. Neresheimer 182 - - Glaciation, Past and Present (_ill._) T. Henry 209 - - God and the Child (_verse_) 211 - - - H - - Hawthorne's Psychology C. T. 51 - - Heredity and Biology H. T. Edge, B. A. (Cantab.) 145 - - Hoa-Haka-Nana-Ia (_ill._) P. A. Malpas 299 - - House of Lords, London, The (_ill._) R. 201 - - Humanity and Theosophical Education Elizabeth C. Spalding 375 - - - I - - Illusion and Reality Lydia Ross, M. D. 362 - - Irish Scenes (_ill._) - F. J. Dick, M. INST. C. E., M. INST. C. E. I. 400 - - - K - - Karma, Reincarnation, and Immortality - H. T. Edge, B. A. (Cantab.) 243 - - Killarney, Ireland (_ill._) - F. J. Dick, M. INST. C. E., M. INST. C. E. I. 282 - - - L - - Lands now Submerged, The D. Churchill 305 - - Lapland (_ill._) P. F. 180 - - Light Corpuscular? Is T. Henry 332 - - Light, Physical and Metaphysical H. Coryn, M. D. 122 - - Linnaeus and the Divining Rod P. F. 154 - - Lomaland Cañons (_ill._) W. J. Renshaw 155 - - Lorelei, The (_ill._) Student Traveler 225 - - Louisiana Sugar Plantation, A Visit to a Barbara McClung 223 - - - M - - Magic Boat, A D. F. 399 - - Magic Place, A: A Forest Idyll for Young Folks (_ill._) - M. Ginevra Munson 443 - - "Magnetons," Force and Matter H. Travers 267 - - Man and Nature R. Machell 410 - - Man, The Real H. Coryn, M. D., M. R. C. S. 229 - - Modern Civilization, A Japanese Writer's Views on - E. S. (Tokyo, Japan) 418 - - Music and Life William A. Dunn 22 - - Music Notes C. J. Ryan 202 - - Music of the Spheres, The H. Coryn, M. D., M. R. C. S. 258 - - Mysteries of Eleusis, The (_ill._) H. T. E. 207 - - - N - - Names in Art, Great (_ill._) Art Student 111 - - Natural History Museum, London (_ill._) 270 - - Nirvâna Mean Annihilation? Does T. H. 261 - - - P - - Path, The: Some Words by William Q. Judge 32 - - Path, The Gertrude van Pelt, M. D. 68 - - Peace on Earth: Good Will towards Men R. Machell 391 - - Photography and the Invisible P. A. Malpas 142 - - Platonic Succession, The Golden Chain of - F. S. Darrow, A. M., PH. D. (Harv.) 276 - - Poetry and Criticism Kenneth Morris 247 - - Point Loma Notes C. J. R. 354 - - Power Lydia Ross, M. D. 212 - - Powers, Misused R. W. Machell 98 - - Psychism, a Study in Hidden Connexions - H. T. Edge, B. A. (Cantab.) 393 - - Pythagoras, Life and Teachings of - F. S. Darrow, A. M., PH. D. (Harv.) 52, 130 - - Pythagorean Solids, The F. J. Dick, M. INST. C. E. 194 - - - R - - Reincarnation? What are the Bases of an Intelligent - Belief in F. S. Darrow, A. M., PH. D. (Harv.) 317 - - Rotation, The Mysteries of Student 316 - - - S - - Salamander, The Western four-toed (_ill._) Percy Leonard 227 - - San Diego (_ill._) Kenneth Morris 70 - - Scandinavian Mythology, Glimpses of Per Fernholm, M. E. 184 - - Scientific Brevities Busy Bee 427 - - Scientific Oddments Busy Bee 149 - - Sokrates (_ill._) F. S. Darrow, A. M., PH. D. (Harv.) 215 - - Spade of the Archaeologist, The Ariomardes 303 - - St. Paul's Cathedral, London (_ill._) Carolus 293 - - Sun-Life and Earth-Life Per Fernholm, M. E. (Stockholm) 300 - - - T - - Theosophy and Modern Scientific Discoveries C. J. Ryan 87 - - Theosophical Torch, The Grace Knoche 190 - - Theseus, The Temple of, Athens (_ill._) R. 106 - - Tower of London, The (_ill._) Carolus 352 - - Turkish Woman, The Grace Knoche 439 - - - U - - Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, The - J. H. Fussell 77 - - - V - - Venice (_ill._) Grace Knoche 366 - - Victory of the Divine in Man, The Rev. S. J. Neill 320 - - Vivisector, The Plight of the - H. Coryn, M. D., M. R. C. S. 341 - - Vrbas Defile, The, Bosnia (_ill._) F. J. B. 286 - - - W - - Warwick Castle (_ill._) C. J. Ryan 409 - - Will as a Chemical Product, The Investigator 413 - - Womanhood, The World of Grace Knoche 264 - - Woman's International Theosophical League - A Member of the League 357 - - Women who have Influenced the World Rev. S. J. Neill 436 - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - - A - - Alaskan Views 209 - - Albert Memorial, London: Five Panels of Decorative Frieze 111 - - Amsterdam, Views 143, 306 - - Archaic Colossal Statues of Kiang-K'eu 454-455 - - _Aroma of Athens_, Groups in _The_ 254, 255, 266, 267, 311, 322 - - _Aroma of Athens_, Scenes from _The_ - 35-38, 47-50, 87, 243, 246, 247, 316, 317, 324 - - Athens, Greece, Ruins of Dipylon Gate 188 - - Athens, Greece, Stoa, Gymnasium of Hadrian 108 - - Athens, Greece, Temple of Theseus 107 - - Australian Scenes 298 - - - B - - Blavatsky, Helena Petrovna 29 - - Bosnia, Seraejevo, Capital of 434-435 - - Buckingham Palace, London 275 - - - C - - Copán (six illustrations) 418-423 - - Coronado, San Diego, California, The Surf at 434 - - Cuba, Avenue of Royal Palms; Country Scene 222-223 - - - D - - De Lesseps, Monument of, Port Said 110 - - D'Ollone, Commandant 454 - - _Dutch House Court_ by P. de Hooch, _A_ 338 - - - E - - Eleusis, Part of the Ruins of 208 - - _Eros_: Painting by Julius Kronberg 125 - - - F - - Farmhouse on the Norfolk Broads, England, A 274 - - Florida, Palm Beach 223 - - Forest, In the 443 - - - G - - Giants' Causeway, Antrim, Ireland 403 - - Grant Hotel, San Diego, California 72 - - - H - - Hoa-Haka-Nana-Ia 299 - - Horus, Symbolic Statue of 18 - - House of Lords, London, The 201 - - Houses of Parliament, Dublin, The Old 402 - - Houses of Parliament, London, The 353 - - - I - - Irish Farmer, An 402-403 - - Irish Peasant Woman, An 402-403 - - - K - - Karnak, Egypt, Hall of Columns 17 - - Killarney, Ireland, Views of 282, 283 - - Klamath Reclamation Project, Oregon-California 435 - - Kronberg Julius: Family Group 125 - - - L - - Lapland, Sweden, Views of 180 - - Leaders of the Theosophical Movement, The 30 - - Lolo Men, and Warrior 454-455 - - Lomaland Cañons 154, 173 - - Lorelei, The Rock of 226 - - - M - - Mammoth Cave, La Jolla, San Diego, California, The 434-435 - - Miao-Tseu Dancing 455 - - - N - - Natural History Museum, London 270 - - Neshoron, Statue of 200 - - - O - - Oil Creek Falls, Canada 307 - - - P - - Paris: Pont au Change and the Palais de Justice 96 - - Paris and the Seine 97 - - Pérez Codex, Maya-Tzental 379, 380 - - Pevensey Castle, Ruins of 442 - - Portraits: Heads of Departments at the International Headquarters, - and Contributors to THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH 4-9 - - Point Loma, Looking Eastward 172 - - Point Loma, A Eucalyptus Grove 295 - - Point Loma Hills at Eventide 339 - - - R - - Râja Yoga College, Point Loma, S. E. View of 387 - - Rocking-Stone Pinnacle, Tasmania 287 - - Rothenburg, Germany, Views of 390-391 - - - S - - Salamander, Western four-toed 227 - - San Diego, California, View of 71 - - San Juan Teotihuacán, Panoramic View of 327 - - Sarpi, Fra Paolo 366 - - Seminole Indians 346, 347 - - Sokrates and Seneca (Berlin Museum) 222 - - St. Paul's Cathedral, London 294 - - Sweden, Trollhättan Canal 142 - - Sweden, Visingsborg Castle, Visingsö 142 - - Switzerland, Views of 271 - - - T - - Temple in the Greek Theater, Point Loma, California 165 - - Tombs, Ancient Athenian 189 - - Tower of London, The 352 - - Trafalgar Square, London 353 - - - V - - Venice, Views of 367, 370, 371, 374, 375 - - Vikings, The Noble 414-415 - - Vrbas Defile, Bosnia, The 286 - - - W - - Warwick Castle, from the Avon 408 - - Warwick Castle, Inner Court and Tower 409 - - - Y - - Yucatan, "Governor's House," Uxmal 327 - - Yucatan, "The Castle," Chichén Itzá 326 - - - - -[Illustration: Theosophical Path's first issue cover page.] - - - - -THE PATH - - -The illustration on the cover of this Magazine is a reproduction of the -mystical and symbolical painting by Mr. R. Machell, the English artist, -now a Student at the International Theosophical Headquarters, Point -Loma, California. The original is in Katherine Tingley's collection -at the International Theosophical Headquarters. The symbolism of this -painting is described by the artist as follows: - -THE PATH is the way by which the human soul must pass in its evolution -to full spiritual self-consciousness. The supreme condition is -suggested in this work by the great figure whose head in the upper -triangle is lost in the glory of the Sun above, and whose feet are -in the lower triangle in the waters of Space, symbolizing Spirit and -Matter. His wings fill the middle region representing the motion or -pulsation of cosmic life, while within the octagon are displayed the -various planes of consciousness through which humanity must rise to -attain to perfect Manhood. - -At the top is a winged Isis, the Mother or Oversoul, whose wings veil -the face of the Supreme from those below. There is a circle dimly seen -of celestial figures who hail with joy the triumph of a new initiate, -one who has reached to the heart of the Supreme. From that point he -looks back with compassion upon all who still are wandering below and -turns to go down again to their help as a Savior of Men. Below him -is the red wing of the guardians who strike down those who have not -the "password," symbolized by the white flame floating over the head -of the purified aspirant. Two children, representing purity, pass -up unchallenged. In the center of the picture is a warrior who has -slain the dragon of illusion, the dragon of the lower self, and is -now prepared to cross the gulf by using the body of the dragon as his -bridge (for we rise on steps made of conquered weaknesses, the slain -dragon of the lower nature). - -On one side two women climb, one helped by the other whose robe is -white and whose flame burns bright as she helps her weaker sister. Near -them a man climbs from the darkness; he has money bags hung at his belt -but no flame above his head and already the spear of a guardian of the -fire is poised above him ready to strike the unworthy in his hour of -triumph. Not far off is a bard whose flame is veiled by a red cloud -(passion) and who lies prone, struck down by a guardian's spear; but -as he lies dying, a ray from the heart of the Supreme reaches him as a -promise of future triumph in a later life. - -On the other side is a student of magic, following the light from a -crown (ambition) held aloft by a floating figure who has led him to the -edge of the precipice over which for him there is no bridge; he holds -his book of ritual and thinks the light of the dazzling crown comes -from the Supreme, but the chasm awaits its victim. By his side his -faithful follower falls unnoticed by him, but a ray from the heart of -the Supreme falls upon her also, the reward of selfless devotion, even -in a bad cause. - -Lower still in the underworld, a child stands beneath the wings of -the foster mother (material Nature) and receives the equipment of the -Knight, symbols of the powers of the Soul, the sword of power, the -spear of will, the helmet of knowledge and the coat of mail, the links -of which are made of past experiences. - -It is said in an ancient book: "The Path is one for all, the ways that -lead thereto must vary with the pilgrim." - -[Illustration: THE PATH] - -The Theosophical Path - - An International Magazine - Unsectarian and nonpolitical - - Monthly Illustrated - - [Illustration] - - Devoted to the Brotherhood of Humanity, the promulgation - of Theosophy, the study of ancient & modern - Ethics, Philosophy, Science and Art, and to the uplifting - and purification of Home and National Life - - Edited by Katherine Tingley - International Theosophical Headquarters, Point Loma, California, U.S.A. - - - - -_The Secret Doctrine is the common property of the countless millions -of men born under various climates, in times with which History refuses -to deal, and to which esoteric teachings assign dates incompatible -with the theories of Geology and Anthropology. The birth and evolution -of the Sacred Science of the Past are lost in the very night of -Time.... It is only by bringing before the reader an abundance of -proofs all tending to show that in every age, under every condition of -civilization and knowledge, the educated classes of every nation made -themselves the more or less faithful echoes of one identical system and -its fundamental traditions--that he can be made to see that so many -streams of the same water must have had a common source from which they -started. What was this source?... There must be truth and fact in that -which every people of antiquity accepted and made the foundation of its -religions and its faith._--H. P. BLAVATSKY, in _The Secret Doctrine_, -II, 794 - - - - -THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH - -KATHERINE TINGLEY, EDITOR - - VOL. I JULY, 1911 NO. 1 - -THE REBIRTH OF CHRISTIANITY: -by H. T. Edge, B. A. (Cantab.) - - -Among ideas which Theosophists have been proclaiming for many years, -and which are now finding expression through other channels, though in -piecemeal and modified form, are those connected with the Christ story -and Christianity. _Current Literature_, in reviewing "The Christ Myth," -by Professor Dr. Arthur Drews of Karlsruhe, says: - - In essence the argument of the book is that all the main ideas of - Christianity existed in the world prior to the birth of Christ, and - that the hero of the New Testament is an imaginative conception rather - than an actual personality. The opening chapters illuminate the - history of the Messianic idea. This idea, Professor Drews contends, is - rooted in Persia and Greece, as well as in the Jewish consciousness. - The Persians dreamed of a divine "friend" or "mediator" who should - deliver them in the eternal struggle between light and darkness, - between Ormuzd and Ahriman. The Greeks conceived a mediatory "Word" or - _Logos_ which should come to the aid of human weakness and identify - man with God. Even more strongly, among the Jews, persisted the - thought that "a Son of God" must intercede with Jehovah in behalf of - his people. - -Such utterances as the above are growing common, both from without the -churches and from within. People are beginning to realize that they -have not made the most of their religious traditions; that there is -more in them than they have so far gotten out of them. They suspect -that the Gospel narratives contain valuable truths that have been -missed. The Christ is not merely a personality, but also a symbol, as -is shown by the above writer; a symbol of the Divine in Man, recognized -by the world ages before the Christian era. - -The importance of the Christian Gospel today consists in its power to -help us to realize that we are Divine in essence, and to aid us on -the Path or Way which leads to a realization of that Divinity. Is it -possible that now, for the first time, after all these centuries, the -real import of that Gospel is about to be grasped? that the age-long -worship of a wrong ideal--that of the personal God and his rewards and -punishments, his propitiations and forgivenesses--is about to depart -and make room for a more virile and ennobling, as well as more rational -and holier faith? - -Is it possible that a Resurrection is in progress, a Resurrection of -Christ from the tomb in which we have buried him?[1] - -[1] The reader of course will not think any allusion is here made to a -possible physical appearance of Christ. Such preposterous suggestions -are made in some quarters, but it is needless to say Theosophy has -nothing to do with them.--H. T. E. - -What we understand by a Resurrection of Christ is the Resurrection of -the ancient but buried truth that Man is essentially Divine--to replace -the idea that he is essentially evil. This latter idea emphasizes -the lower side of man's nature and actually weakens his faith in the -Divine Power. Having thus lost his faith, he assumes an attitude of -expectation and deprecation, praying to an imaginary deity instead of -invoking by action the real Divinity within. - -Ancient symbology, to which the above writer refers as being -substantially identical with that of the Christian Gospel, speaks of -the "Father" and the "Son." By the word "Father" was understood the -Supreme; the "Son" was the Word, the Divine life in Man, which turned -him from an animal being to what he is. Through the Son we approach -the Father; that is, man must invoke the power of his own Higher -Self. Another ancient teaching, taught in fables as well as sacred -allegories, is that only by _acting_ can man invoke the Divine aid. The -Divine gift to Man is the Will, and he himself is the only one who can -exert it. The fable tells that a carter invoked Hercules to lift his -cart out of a rut, and Hercules told him to put his own shoulder to the -wheel. For Hercules means strength, and strength is invoked by exerting -it. In the same way we have to assert our Divinity by acting in a -Divine way; and it seems that the Gospels give us ample instructions. - -It may be that this was after all the real message, and that those who -gave it have been waiting all this time for man to get up off his knees -and _be somebody_. - -There are many religious gospels in the world, but they are all -modifications of one great eternal gospel. That one gospel, clothed -in many garbs, legendary, allegoric, theological, is the Drama of -the Soul in its pilgrimage through life, its struggles with great -adversaries, and its final victory. Christianity contains the same -ancient wisdom; it has been covered over with accretions of theology -and ecclesiasticism; it is now being disentombed. The process is a -long and eventful one; for people cling fondly to old habits, and many -still hope that they will be able to admit everything and yet set -early medieval theology on the summit as the crowning revelation. The -success with which they can do this depends upon what they can make of -Christianity, for the less cannot contain the greater. - -The personal Christ and the doctrine of the Atonement (in its familiar -theological form) together constitute the rock on which there is most -likelihood of a split. But this doctrine (that is, in its present -form) will have to go, for it is inconsistent with the views of life -that are now gaining ground. For one thing, it is not sufficiently -international; it is too much like a gospel of salvation peculiar to -Western civilization. Eastern religions are already amply provided with -similar machinery in their own systems, and are not likely to give up -their own for ours. - -Again, the theological doctrine of Atonement includes the remission of -sins, in the sense that the sinner is relieved from the consequences -of his sins by a special act of intercession and vicarious suffering. -It is useless for Christians to deny that such is the teaching, for it -is expressly stated thus by eminent authorities whom we might quote; -besides it is this very fact of remission that lends force to the -appeal made to our weak desires and hopes; it is held up as a great -advantage possessed by Christianity. This teaching is repugnant to our -innate sense of justice, to our manliness, and to our best conceptions -of Divine Wisdom. It is felt to be more in harmony with Law that man -should work out the full consequences of all his acts, both good and -bad, reaping the consequent joy and grief. The remission of sins does -not mean an excusing from the penalty, but a purification of the man so -that he will not commit any more sins. Man is justified, sanctified, -and saved, by the Divine grace acting within and changing his -heart--not by a propitiatory sacrifice and a mere formal act of belief. - -And so the real doctrine of Atonement will have to take the place of -the other. The making _one_, or reconciliation, between the human soul -and its Divine counterpart--that is the real Atonement. By it, man -repudiates his false "self," and recognizes his real Self; deposes the -animal nature from the throne of his heart and establishes the kingdom -of righteousness therein. But in the world just now there is a mighty -battle between powers that tend to enslave man and keep him down, and -powers that tend to liberate him. The former will try to perpetuate -theological dogmatism and man's fear of himself. The latter will ever -strive to give him back his self-respect and faith in his own Divinity. - -Christians love to speak of the greatness of their religion, but -little do they realize how great it is. The Bible is printed in -hundreds of millions, and enthusiastic evangelists place a copy in -every hotel room; but it is a more precious treasure than they wot -of. Enshrined within the verses of that strange literary compost, -preserved in the misunderstood symbols of that religion, are records -of the _Wisdom-Religion_, the world's eternal gospel of Truth. Its -teachings can indeed "make us free," for they show us how to evoke the -power of the "Word." Unless we can use our Will--the Spiritual Will, -not the feeble, selfish, personal will--we cannot be saved; else would -the Creator have his heaven furnished with rescued dummies. When Man -was gifted with Divine prerogatives of Will and Intelligence, he was -thereby made a responsible self-acting being; he must redeem himself -by his own (God-given) volition, not lay aside his initiative in weak -reliance on some other will. - -And the Spiritual Will is of the Heart; and of the Heart also is -Wisdom; yet man in his unredeemed state obeys the leading of the -desires and the false images they breed in the imagination. Therefore -he will remain enslaved to these desires and will fail to understand -the meaning of life unless he cultivates the impersonal Divine life -within him. The teaching of the Gospel is directed to showing us how -to enter this Way. To the ignorant the Master speaks in parables; but -"to you it is given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom." A -priceless privilege, but how repudiated! If we would but carry out the -injunctions of Jesus the Christ, instead of making his personality into -a God--which surely he himself would never have wished--we should be -worthier disciples and the greater gainers. - - - - -THE NEW EGYPTOLOGY AND THE THEOSOPHICAL -RECORDS: by Charles J. Ryan - - -The interesting problem of the origin of Egyptian culture is still -unsolved by archaeologists, though many new facts have been recently -discovered which seem to be leading to something definite. Nestor -L'Hôte said sixty years ago: - - The further one penetrates into antiquity towards the origins of - Egyptian art, the more perfect are the products of that art, as though - the genius of the people, inversely to that of others, was formed - suddenly.... Egyptian art we only know in its decadence. - -M. Jean Capart, the eminent Belgian Egyptologist, Keeper of the -Egyptian Antiquities at the Royal Museum, Brussels, supports that -opinion, saying, in his recent work on _Primitive Art in Egypt_, that -M. L'Hôte's conclusion was and remains legitimate. - -Since L'Hôte's time fine works of art and astonishing beauty have been -found in tombs of the _Third_ Dynasty of Egyptian Pharaohs, about whom -nothing--or next to nothing--was known until lately; even the Fourth -Dynasty, the so-called Pyramid Builders, being historically very -obscure, no agreement as to their date having been come to yet. It is -fairly decided that they lived more than four or five thousands years -B. C. Maspero, speaking of some paintings of the extremely ancient -Third Dynasty, says: - - The Egyptians were animal painters of the highest power, and they - never gave better proof of it than in this picture. No modern painter - could have seized with more spirit and humor the heavy gait of the - goose, the curves of its neck, the pretentious carriage of its head, - and the markings of its plumage. - -The human figure was also represented with great artistic skill at the -same early period. Even then the characteristic full-faced eye in the -profile face was a firmly established _convention_. We do not know the -reasons for this, but it cannot have been accidental. - -According to Dr. Petrie, the great Egyptian explorer, the commencement -of the Egyptian civilization that we call classical, the Egypt of -the Pharaohs with its hieroglyphs, its established style of art, its -complicated religion and philosophy, dates back to not less than B. -C. 5000. This would be the time of the First Dynasty. Think what that -means! A stretch of splendid civilization before the beginning of the -Christian era about five times as long as the period that has elapsed -since the time of King Alfred to this day, a period which has included -almost or quite all that we look upon as worthy of consideration in -_our_ history! And yet back of Dr. Petrie's First Dynastic age we now -find ourselves face to face with a prehistoric Egyptian civilization or -civilizations of absolutely unknown age, possibly of a hundred thousand -years duration. The one that immediately preceded the Dynastic or -Pharaonic is supposed to be of Libyan origin. - -The possibility at least of a civilization of a hundred thousand years' -duration should offer little difficulty even to the most critical, -now that we have found a well-formed skull and skeleton near London -differing very little from the modern type of Englishman, and estimated -to be at least 170,000 years old. Long ago H. P. Blavatsky said in _The -Secret Doctrine_ and elsewhere that some form of Egyptian civilization -had existed for an immensely longer period than the archaeologists -imagine, and Katherine Tingley has reasserted this most emphatically, -saying that Egyptian civilization will be proved to be even older than -the (historic) Indian. - -Archaeologists have always felt a great and peculiar difficulty in -comprehending the sudden appearance of the high culture of the first -Dynastic periods. It is impossible to believe that Egypt's greatness -arose full-fledged, without long preparation, and yet where are the -evidences of development? M. Jean Capart, the Belgian authority -referred to above, has devoted great attention to this problem, and his -conclusions are of interest to the student of Theosophy. He considers -it exceedingly probable that gradual invasions or colonizations of -a highly cultured race broke into the simpler Egyptian civilization -from the South or South-east. These people, coming from the "Land -of the Gods," Punt, which is commonly supposed to be Somaliland, -he thinks came originally from some Asiatic country, bringing with -them their arts and sciences and religion. As they blended with the -Libyan inhabitants of Egypt, who possessed their own distinctive -civilization, they established their already formed culture, and the -combination produced what we call the Dynastic or classic Egyptian -civilization. This would explain the origin of the classic Egyptian -forms on reasonable grounds, and furthermore would make it clear why -the Egyptians had so many things in common with the Hindûs in matters -of religion, such as the respect paid to the Cow as a symbol of Divine -Power. - -[Illustration: HALL OF COLUMNS, KARNAK, EGYPT] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. SYMBOLIC STATUE OF -HORUS, SON OF OSIRIS AND ISIS IN THE ACT OF PURIFYING A KING MUSÉE -NATIONAL DU LOUVRE, PARIS] - -H. P. Blavatsky, in _Isis Unveiled_, quotes the following from the -ancient Hindû historian, Kullûka-Bhatta: - - Under the reign of Viśvâ-mitra, first king of the Dynasty of - Soma-Vanga, in consequence of a battle which lasted five days, - Manu-Vina, heir of the ancient kings, being abandoned by the Brâhmans, - emigrated with all his companions, passing through Ârya, and the - countries of Barria, till he came to the shores of Masra. (Vol. I, p. - 627) - -She adds: - - Ârya is Eran (Persia); Barria is Arabia, and Masra was the name of - Cairo, which to this day is called _Masr_, Musr, and Misro. (_Ibid._) - -Mitsraîm was the Hebrew name for the land of Cham, Egypt. - -Dr. E. A. W. Budge, the learned Keeper of the Egyptian and Assyrian -antiquities in the British Museum, says he believes that a series of -carvings on the walls of the Temple of Edfû, - - represent the invaders in prehistoric times, who made their way into - Egypt, from a country in the East, by way of the Red Sea.... In later - times the indigenous priesthoods merged the legendary history of the - deified king of the "Blacksmiths" is that of Horus, the god of heaven - in the earliest times, and in that of Râ which belonged to a later - period. - -The mythical story of Horus conquering Nubia and Egypt, with which Dr. -Budge thinks the true story of incursion was blended, contains the -significant assertions that the warriors of Horus, the "Blacksmiths," -were armed with weapons of metal, and chains, and were expert builders. - -According to the Theosophical records the _Great_ Pyramid was built -long before the fifth millennium B. C. There are many mysteries -connected with that most stupendous work of man which have not yet been -suspected by the Egyptologists, not the least of which is the problem -of its date and its builder; but, so far as they go, the stories of -Horus' invasion and M. Capart's luminous suggestions as to the origin -of the Dynastic Egyptian civilization, are not inconsistent with the -account of Kullûka-Bhatta; and in the light of the new discoveries of -one or more prehistoric civilizations in the Nile Valley, it looks -as if the teachings of Theosophy were being vindicated in a way that -was not dreamed of by archaeologists in the days when H. P. Blavatsky -opened a small window into the mysterious past of glorious Egypt. - - - - -THE SCOPE OF ART: by R. W. Machell - - -A writer in a London weekly (_Black and White_) makes one or two points -in reference to art that are worthy of notice. He says that it is -nonsense to talk of art elevating the people, because it is itself the -index of their condition. This is just one of those simple fallacies -that contain a sufficient amount of the truth to make them misleading. -Art is not an index of the condition of the people, but only of a very -small part of the people; it would be more true to say that the popular -appreciation of art is such an index; but it is not true to say or to -imply that the condition of the people governs its range or scope. We -are constantly met by the experience of art that is unappreciated by -the people in whose midst it appears. - -It is necessary to understand the complex nature of man and the vast -range of human evolution to be able to see how one man may appear -in a nation and display a degree of progress far in advance of his -fellows, who also are all in varying stages of their long evolution. -The progressed soul incarnates perhaps in a body just like those of the -rest of the race, because it cannot get a better; and so it is not at -once recognized as an older soul, and for want of right education the -man himself may be unable to account for the difference between himself -and his fellows of which he is conscious; and so, being unaware of -his own inherent divinity and of his relation to his fellows, he may -not recognize his responsibility to them as a natural leader, fitted -by greater experience to show a light on the path of human progress, -and required by Karma or by his kinship to his fellows, to use his -experience, or his talents, or his genius, for their guidance rather -than for his own glory. - -Then passing to the subject of the recent sale of the famous Rembrandt -to an American he very wisely points out that this is a private matter, -and not in any way a national or an artistic point of interest. As -said, the picture (not an English painting) was not in any sense a -national possession, nor was it of any importance in the art-life of -the nation that it should be added to the already large collection of -the master's works now owned by the National Gallery. What the writer -maintains is vital to a nation, is to encourage and to appreciate the -art of its own day and of its own artists. - -Now here we meet the deplorable parochialism that does duty for -patriotism, and which is so utterly out of place in connexion with -art; for art is not national but universal, and, further, it is not -modern or ancient, but again universal; so that an attempt to limit the -sympathies of art-lovers to the products of their own age or of their -own nation is bound to fail, and can only be tolerated as an antidote -to an excessive worship of what is old or of what is foreign, these -being matters of perhaps no consequence at all. - -It is of course well that people should do the duty that lies nearest -to hand first, and so if it be a duty to encourage, to endow, or to -patronize art, that duty should begin at home. But this again is a very -narrow way of looking at the matter. It is not at all essential that -art should be national; on the contrary, art is universal and cannot -be bound by any such limits. No barriers stand in the way of one who -would admire a foreign painting; one may speak no language but one's -own and yet find as much beauty, joy, and inspiration in foreign works -of art as in those produced by men of one's own nationality. A visitor -to a collection of works of art has to be told by a catalog, or he -would not know, what country produced any particular work; so it is -with music, and largely with architecture; indeed that which is of Art -is universal: the national characteristics are limitations imposed by -circumstances upon the free expression of the soul. - -The soul of man is not eternally bound within the limits of one -nation, but must, in the course of constant reincarnations upon earth, -experience the limitations of many varying nationalities. It is bound -to the great human family; and it may be, for a certain period, -identified with a special group. Nations are evanescent, though family -groups may survive, and though an artist may be intimately bound by -many ties with the destinies of some one group or family or race, in -its reincarnations and in its varying national appearances, yet the -artistic part of his nature is just that higher part that rises beyond -such limits and appeals to all humanity, and it is the higher part of -human nature that responds to the appeal of art and disregards all -other limitations, such as questions of time or place or nationality, -rising to what is more broadly human or more divine in the nature of -man. For "Brotherhood is a fact in nature," and the soul responds -unconsciously to the call of the Soul in all nature and in all humanity -in such degree as it is able to throw off for a time the temporary -bonds of local conditions. So it is a matter rather of satisfaction to -see works of art circulating around the world and awaking the deeper -sympathies that tend to unite humanity. - - - - -MUSIC AND LIFE: by William A. Dunn - - -There is not a problem which perplexes human life that may not be -loosened and solved by the aid of music. Based as it is upon the -vibratory movements of Nature, and subject to rigid mathematical law -and geometrical ratio, music represents an incorruptible and direct -medium between the higher and lower natures of man. Its dynamical and -spiritual power proceeds from the _blend_ of its related vibrating -numbers; which blend is that living force (_within_ outward harmony) -that electrifies the heart and mind and lifts the whole nature -to the plane of soul. It is that living field of energy in which -all numbers, all forces, all substances, are lost in the unity of -least-common-multiple of all possible vibrations. It is the Veil of -Isis. - -No motion can take place without causing sound. This must be equally -true of atomic and planetary movements, and all that lies between. All -sounds that appear to the senses as different must obviously vibrate in -some universal medium which permits movement and unifies their seeming -diversity. It is the actual presence of such a medium in man which -enables him to perceive that which music is the expression of. Notes -and chords are merely alphabetical symbols. These are classified and -combined to express ideas as truly as words are combined to convey the -thought that lies beyond them. - -It has been said that "The Universe is built by number." This is -obvious truth when all natural forces and elements are conceived of as -modes of vibration (as they actually are) blending and interblending -in the universal etheric medium, according to the immutable law of -harmonious ratios. Why should the etheric world be thought of as an -abstraction or a far-off possibility? It is in reality a nearer thing -in life than its comparatively trifling contents. All our thoughts and -feelings move in it as their medium, and the process of self-conquest -is nothing more than to live in this our universal home, and harmonize -dissociated thoughts and feelings into musical symphonies. - -This is not rhapsody, but sober common sense, as true for the -field-laborer as for the philosopher. As we all live in and breathe -the same physical atmosphere, so do we all think and feel in the same -mental ether. This fact explains why "Brotherhood is a fact in nature." -To accept this principle of Brotherhood as the point from which life is -viewed is equivalent to mounting to the hill-top of life from which the -surrounding scenery can be seen. Down in the valley a single wall can -shut out the whole prospect. - -A text-book on chemistry may be consulted with profit as illustrating -this fact. A few general principles or laws classify millions of -separate facts into harmonious knowledge. The science of chemistry is -also the science of true music. Schopenhauer speaks of music - - as immediate and direct an objectivation or copy of the _Will_ of the - world as the world itself is, as the ideas are of which the universe - of things is the phenomenon. Music is not the copy of the ideas, but - a representation of the cosmical Will co-ordinate with the ideas - themselves. - -The literal truth of this statement is known by all who have had -contact with that which creates, and breathes life into, a musical -masterpiece. The audible notes and phrases are merely classified -symbols which express something beyond them, just as the parts of a -dynamo are adjusted as medium for the expression of the universal -electrical power. - -Music, in itself, is the universal life of Nature as she is in -vibration. Every movement, from that of planet down to minute atom, -emits tone. It is absurd to imagine that our octave of audible -receptivity limits the universal fact. It can only do so _for us_. The -refining and extension of receptive range of hearing must undoubtedly -reveal the music which ever surrounds our self-imposed deafness. All -discoveries and advances in knowledge are simply this: the unfolding of -organs of receptivity in which some universal fact may reflect itself. -All knowledge and power exist eternally. Man is the only variant -(because of his power of choice) and he cripples himself in imagining -that the revelation of limited organs of receptivity are equivalent to -the universal fact. - -Let us picture a great music hall in which an orchestra is performing. -No matter what sounds proceed from the many instruments, their -united tones vibrate through every particle of air in the building -simultaneously. Sound waves may be many, but, every atom of air -is participant in all these at one and the same instant. The atom -therefore is the synthetic point of universal unity. - -Man is an atom in that grand temple of music--the solar system. Through -him passes every movement or sound propagated by planet or sun--and all -the lesser movements to which they give rise. We actually participate -in the total vibration of solar life, but are blind to this because the -brain consciousness is attached to a few external sound waves and sets -up a conscious focus amid these. A musician will tell us how easily the -mind may select a single orchestral instrument and follow its melody -to the exclusion of the adjacent parts. How truly this illustrates -our separate personal lives! It is impossible to lose anything by -detachment from the personal grooves to which so much importance is -attached. We can only fall into That which gives the utmost blessing. -That silence and solitariness which usually follow the storm of true -effort, is the womb of fuller life. The old life has passed, the new -not yet born, and we are apt to despond. But courage and patience will -surely lead to living joy, for the new life dawns when the inner self -is ready to receive it. Right thought, right feeling, and unending -patience, will without doubt make all things clear, and from the heart -will arise the total music of life, vibrating in tune with all that is. - - - - -THE ASTRAL BODY: by H. A. W. Coryn, M.D., M.R.C.S. - - -It is safe to say that science will never accept the astral body--by -that name: at any rate not until philosophy accepts the prototypal -_Ideas_ of Plato. - -Yet the evidence, if not for them, then for something discharging the -same function and therefore after all for them--is irresistible. - -One thinks first of the growth of living animal tissues in glass jars, -demonstrated at the Rockefeller Institute. Removed from the body to -which they belong and placed in nutritive fluids which they can absorb, -they attain a size that would constitute them fatal diseases if they -were _in situ_ at home. They would in fact be malignant growths of -highly organized types. - -Why _don't_ they grow to that size? Because "the nervous system" -restrains them within the limit of usefulness. How does "the nervous -system" know that limit? Has it a picture in its "mind," a plan -according to which it works, according to which it variously restricts -or encourages? - -When some of the molluscs are cut in two each half grows the part it -has lost, the head an after-part, the after-part a head. Two animals -result, each exactly like the original. As the severed cells are called -upon to perform and do perform new and unexpected work, what and where -is the architectural plan by which they do it? - -The cells of a leaf have finished their growth. Now comes their _work_, -the fixing of carbon from the air, transpiration, and so on. But cut -off, say, a begonia leaf and place it on damp soil properly protected. -It proceeds at once upon a wholly new program, sending down roots, -sending up stalk, fresh leaves, and finally flower. It is obviously -working according to a plan. When a germ cell or seed does that the -problem can be _concealed_ by talking about its chemical constitution -and so forth. We are told that the seed behaves as it does because -it is constituted by nature to do so, molecularly arranged for just -that function. But the cells of the leaf were _not_ arranged for that -but for quite other functions. How come they to be able to stop their -proper line of work and follow this one, generating not only leaves -like themselves but all other parts of the plant including seeds? - -We are of course pressing the problem of heredity, the persistence of -racial and family type. But heredity is only a word that expresses the -observed facts without a gleam of explanation. - -The consciousness of the mollusc, as an individual, and that of -the leaf on a lower plane, can be only sensational. _They_ do not -intelligently arrange and design what they are doing. But to ascribe -it to molecular mechanism only, is no better than to say God did it. -Either is such a form of mere words as unwise parents throw at a too -questioning child to stop, without satisfying, its mind. No idea -corresponds. The gap in conception remains exactly what it was. - -When a chimney is blown down, the builder notes the gap and builds -another. His mind contains a picture of what ought to be there. - -An architect does not deliver the whole plan of his building to each of -the workmen. Each follows his ordinary work, being merely told where -to begin and when to stop. When all of them have done their part the -building is complete. - -Why may we not suppose that the cutting-in-two of a mollusc constitutes -some such appeal to some intelligence somewhere in nature as the -missing chimney constitutes to the builder? The force flowing -in the cells of the injured animal is thereupon directed to the -work unexpectedly required. Science now speaks freely of _human_ -"subconsciousness," meaning sub-_mental_ consciousness in man. And it -knows that that sub-mental consciousness can, when properly called upon -(and also habitually on its own account), do reparative work upon the -body whose method is not comprehensible to the man himself. It is, -within its limits, intelligent; it knows what it has to do and what it -is wanted to do; and it commands the necessary forces--which are beyond -the _man's_ reach, owner of them as he may be or think he is. - -This subconsciousness is embodied with the man, but is not the -man and is not an ego. May it not be regarded as a part of -nature-consciousness, focused in an organic body and with the -intelligence necessary to do its work? - -And it does not follow that the lower down the scale of mental -intelligence is an organism, the lower down a parallel scale is _this_ -intelligence. What we call, when in our own bodies, the subconscious, -may be just as fully present and just as intelligently at work, in the -bodies of plants and animals. - -If we say that the plan of repair and the plans of hereditary type are -in the conscious intelligence of this diffused nature-mind, we are at -any rate reasonably proceeding from the known and not glossing the -unknown with mere words. The astral body of any plant or animal is its -plan of structure in this nature-mind. It is subjective substance, -just as is a picture in our own mind. And it contains the vital energy -necessary for the guidance of the protoplasmic matter that will clothe -it, an energy that guides but is not one of the physical forces. As an -analogy from higher up the planes of being, conscience _guides_ mental -thoughts and desires but is not among their number nor of their nature. -It is the _divine-astral_ form or plan, of what the thinking man should -be. On both planes the form and the guiding energy setting from it -become the negative and positive aspects of one thing. - - - - -THE BIRTH OF DAY -by A. F. W. (Manchester, N. H.) - - - From the darkness, O Eternal One, - From the pale light of diamond stars, - From the quietude of dreamless night, - Into the grayness and the formless mist, - Comes the first whisper, the first murmur - Of Life awakening. - Merges then the dim outline and the shadow, - Floating nothings, pregnant with the promise - Of the coming birth of Morning. - Gradually, slowly, silently, - The shapes resolve themselves - And grow less misty and more huge; - The grayness becomes less gray; - And, as it so becomes, the horizon - Erstwhile faint and indistinct, - Slowly as a line appears, not sharp, - But blended with both earth and sky. - A sleepy twitter from the birds, the first call - Of mate to mate; the faint, soft rustle - Of the leaves, the vapor rising from the earth-- - All betoken the oncoming. - The ghostly outlines of the forms - Are clearer now; and the vivid streamers - Of the eastern sky change to the white light - Of the advancing Morn. - Now approach the fuller tones of nature: - Insistent the notes of the tiny feathered ones, - And from the nests and branches come - The piping calls to morning quest. - Now the silver white takes on the faint - Tinging of the purple glow. - The purple to a blue transforms itself; - The gnomes of dawn are hard at work - Transmuting the base metal into finer gold. - As distant fire, urging on the horses of wild Fear - Mounts higher and more high, - So Apollo urges on his horses, and the golden gleam - Of his chariot heralds itself - To follow after. - The horizon blazes with the power of Light-- - More red and fiery grows the hue; - A point appears, a rim, an arc - Of coppery luster; then - Glowing with the radiance of the parent Life - The Sun!--And Day is born. - - - - -H. P. BLAVATSKY AND THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY - - -In 1887 William Q. Judge wrote of the Theosophical Society and H. P. -Blavatsky as follows: - - The Society has had, like all sentient beings, its periods of growth, - and now we believe _it has become an entity_ capable of feeling and - having intelligence. Its body is composed of molecules, each one of - which is a member of the Society; its mental power is derived from - many quarters, and it has a sensibility that is felt and shared by - each one of us. For these reasons we think it is a wise thing for a - person to join this body, and a wiser yet to work heart and soul for - it. - - And we would have no one misunderstand how we look upon H. P. - Blavatsky. She is the greatest woman in this world in our opinion, - and greater than any man moving among men. Disputes and slanders - about what she has said and done move us not, for we know by personal - experience her real virtues and powers. Since 1875 she has stood as - the champion and helper of every Theosophist; each member of the - Society has to thank her for the store of knowledge and spiritual help - that has lifted so many of us from doubt to certainty of where and - how Truth might be found; lovers of truth and seekers after spiritual - knowledge will know her worth only when she has passed from earth; - had she had more help and less captious criticism from those who - called themselves co-laborers, our Society would today be better and - more able to inform its separate units while it resisted its foes. - During all these years, upon her devoted head has concentrated the - weighty Karma accumulated in every direction by the unthinking body of - Theosophists; and whether they will believe it or not, the Society had - died long ago, were it not for her. - -The following are extracts from an article also by William Q. Judge, -written after H. P. Blavatsky's death: - - THAT which men call death is but a change of location for the Ego--the - immortal self--a mere transformation, a forsaking for a time of the - mortal frame, a short period of rest before one reassumes another - human frame in the world of mortals. The Lord of this body is - nameless; dwelling in numerous tenements of clay, it appears to come - and go; but neither death nor time can claim it, for it is deathless, - unchangeable, and pure, beyond Time itself, and not to be measured. So - our old friend and fellow-worker has merely passed for a short time - out of sight, but has not given up the work begun so many ages - ago--the uplifting of humanity, the destruction of the shackles that - enslave the human mind.... - - That she always knew what would be done by the world in the way of - slander and abuse I also know, for in 1875 she told me that she was - then embarking on a work that would draw upon her unmerited slander, - implacable malice, uninterrupted misunderstanding, constant work, and - no worldly reward. Yet in the face of this her lion heart carried her - on. Nor was she unaware of the future of the Society. In 1876 she told - me in detail the course of the Society's growth for future years, of - its infancy, of its struggles, of its rise into the "luminous zone" of - the public mind; and these prophecies are being all fulfilled. - - Her aim was to elevate the race. Her method was to deal with the - mind of the century as she found it, by trying to lead it on step by - step; to seek out and educate a few who, appreciating the majesty - of the Secret Science and devoted to "the great orphan Humanity," - could carry on her work with zeal and wisdom; to found a Society - whose efforts--however small itself might be--would inject into the - thought of the day the ideas, the doctrines, the nomenclature of the - Wisdom-Religion, so that when the next century shall have seen its - seventy-fifth year the new messenger coming again into the world - would find the Society still at work, the ideas sown broadcast, the - nomenclature ready to give expression and body to the immutable - Truth, and thus to make easy the task which for her since 1875 was so - difficult and so encompassed with obstacles. - -[Illustration: HELENA PETROVNA BLAVATSKY FOUNDRESS OF THE THEOSOPHICAL -SOCIETY] - -[Illustration: THE LEADERS OF THE THEOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT H. P. BLAVATSKY -KATHERINE TINGLEY WILLIAM Q. JUDGE] - - - - -THE PATH--SOME WORDS OF WILLIAM Q. JUDGE - - -In 1886, William Q. Judge, the pupil and colleague and afterwards the -successor of H. P. Blavatsky, founded and edited _The Path_, the first -American Theosophical magazine. After his death, this magazine was -continued by his successor, Katherine Tingley, and was by her finally -merged into and combined with a weekly magazine, published under -the title of the _Century Path_. This has again given place to THE -THEOSOPHICAL PATH, thus distinctly calling attention to the teachings -it promulgates and sets forth, while preserving the name "The Path" of -the first American Theosophical Magazine. - -THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH in its first issue pays honor to both these -great-hearted Teachers, H. P. Blavatsky and William Q. Judge. All -humanity owes them a debt of gratitude for pointing out once more the -path of true progress and happiness. Through their self-sacrifice, even -of their lives, "the pathway is once more seen to that realm where the -Gods abide." - -In the first issue of _The Path_, William Q. Judge wrote: - - The solution of the problem, "What and Where is the Path to - Happiness?" has been discovered by those of old time. They thought it - was in the pursuit of Râja Yoga, which is the highest science and the - highest religion--a union of both.... - - The study of what is now called "practical occultism" has some - interest for us, and will receive the attention it may merit, but it - is not _the_ object of this journal.... - - True occultism is clearly set forth in the _Bhagavad Gîtâ_, where - sufficient stress is laid upon practical occultism, but after all, - Krishna says, the kingly science and the kingly mystery is devotion to - and study of the light which comes from within. The very first step in - true mysticism and true occultism is to try to apprehend the meaning - of Universal Brotherhood, without which the very highest progress in - the practice of magic turns to ashes in the mouth. - - We appeal, therefore, to all who wish to raise themselves and - their fellow creatures--man and beast--out of the thoughtless jog - trot of selfish everyday life. It is not thought that Utopia can - be established in a day; but through the spreading of the idea of - Universal Brotherhood, the truth in all things may be discovered. - Certainly, if we all say that it is useless, that such high-strung - sentimental notions cannot obtain currency, nothing will ever be done. - A beginning must be made, and it has been by the Theosophical Society. - Although philanthropic institutions and schemes are constantly being - brought forward by good and noble men and women, vice, selfishness, - brutality, and the resulting misery, seem to grow no less. Prisons, - asylums for the outcast and the magdalen, can be filled much faster - than it is possible to erect them. All this points unerringly to the - existence of a vital error somewhere. It shows that merely healing - the outside by hanging a murderer or providing asylums and prisons - will never reduce the number of criminals nor the hordes of children - born and growing up in hotbeds of vice. What is wanted is true - knowledge of the spiritual condition of man, his aim and destiny. This - is offered in Theosophical literature, and those who must begin the - reform are those who are so fortunate as to be placed in the world - where they can see and think out the problems all are endeavoring - to solve, even if they know that the great day may not come until - after their death. Such a study leads us to accept the utterance of - Prajâpati to his sons: "Be restrained, be liberal, be merciful"; it is - the death to selfishness. - -In an article "A Year on the Path," Mr. Judge wrote, at the close of -the first year of the magazine: - - The question is always naturally asked, "What is the Path?" or - "What is the Philosophy?" which is the same thing, for of course - the following of any path whatever will depend upon the particular - philosophy or doctrines believed in. The path we had in view is held - by us to be the same one which in all ages has been sought by Heathen, - Jew, and Christian alike. By some called the path to Heaven, by others - the path to Jesus, the path to Nirvâna, and by Theosophists the path - to Truth. Jesus has defined it as a narrow, difficult and straight - path. By the ancient Brâhmans it has been called, "the small old path - leading far away on which those sages walk who reach salvation"; - and Buddha taught it was a noble four-fold path by which alone the - miseries of existence can be truly surmounted.... - - The immortal spark has manifested itself in many different classes - of men, giving rise to all the varied religions, many of which have - forever disappeared from view. Not any one of them could have been - the whole Truth, but each must have presented one of the facets of - the great gem, and thus through the whole surely run ideas shared by - all. These common ideas point to truth. They grow out of man's inner - nature and are not the result of revealed books. But some one people - or another must have paid more attention to the deep things of life - than another. The "Christian" nations have dazzled themselves with the - baneful glitter of material progress. They are not the peoples who - will furnish the nearest clues to the Path. A few short years and they - will have abandoned the systems now held so dear, because their mad - rush to the perfection of their civilization will give them control - over now undreamed of forces. Then will come the moment when they must - choose which of two kinds of fruit they will take. In the meantime it - is well to try and show a relation between their present system and - the old, or at least to pick out what grains of truth are in the mass. - - ... A new age is not far away. The huge unwieldy flower of the 19th - century civilization has almost fully bloomed, and preparation must - be made for the wonderful new flower which is to rise from the old. - We have not pinned our faith on Vedas nor Christian scriptures, nor - desired any others to do so. All our devotion to Aryan literature and - philosophy arises from a belief that the millions of minds who have - trodden weary steps before ours, left a path which may be followed - with profit, yet with discrimination. _For we implicitly believe that - in this curve of the cycle, the final authority is the man himself._ - - In former times the disclosed Vedas, and later, the teachings of - the great Buddha, were the right authority, in whose authoritative - teachings and enjoined practices were found the necessary steps to - raise man to an upright position. But the grand clock of the Universe - points to another hour, and now Man must seize the key in his hands - and himself--as a whole--open the gate. Hitherto he has depended upon - the great souls whose hands have stayed impending doom. Let us then - together enter upon another year, fearing nothing, assured of strength - in the Union of Brotherhood. For how can we fear death, or life, or - any horror or evil, at any place or time, when we well know that even - death itself is a part of the dream which we are weaving before our - eyes. - - Our belief may be summed up in the motto of the Theosophical Society, - "There is no Religion higher than Truth," and our practice consists - in a disregard of any authority in matters of religion and philosophy - except such propositions as from their innate quality we feel to be - true. - - - - -SAVING FOREST WASTE: Note by a Student - - -In the Yearbook of the Department of Agriculture just issued, it -is pointed out that conservation of the timber supply involves the -co-operation of the public, the lumbermen, and the wood-consuming -industries, as well as of the National Government. Forest conservation -is not possible at the low prices of former days, and in general prices -must advance before much can be done. Then the public must be prepared -to accept new woods; the farmer must give up using cedar, white-oak, -and chestnut posts; railroads must cease using white-oak ties; -builders must accept other lengths and widths. Meantime the Government -co-operating with Wisconsin University, has established a thoroughly -equipped wood-testing laboratory at Madison, where many problems are -being investigated, from the standpoints of forest conservation and -commercial requirements. - -In the valuable magazine _American Conservation_, for May 1911, it -is stated that Argentina has a hundred million acres of wooded land, -mostly quebracho and yerba tree, both in increasing demand. In Brazil -there is about a thousand million acres of wooded land. There ruthless -destruction cannot go on, as most concessions now require proper -conservation of the rubber and other trees. Bolivia has quebracho, -rubber, coca, cinchona, and other trees useful in the arts. The -timber tracts of Colombia are practically unexploited. The slopes of -Ecuador are richly wooded. The forests of Peru occupy about three -hundred million acres, and its government has taken steps to ensure -conservation, and contemplates experiment stations. - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. and -Engraving Dept. SCENES FROM "THE AROMA OF ATHENS" CENTRAL FIGURE IN -FRONT PHIDIAS, BEHIND HIM PERICLES] - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. and -Engraving Dept. CENTRAL FIGURE PERICLES, ON THE LEFT PHIDIAS, ON THE -RIGHT DIOCHARES] - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. and -Engraving Dept. ATHENIAN SOLDIERS] - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. and -Engraving Dept. SOCRATES AND HIS DISCIPLES] - - - - -"AROMA OF ATHENS" STRIKES NEW NOTE IN THE DRAMA. Katherine Tingley to -Open Greek Theater to the Public: Unrivaled Natural Scenery: Marvelous -Acoustics. Notes by a Dramatic Critic - - -A new-old note in drama has been struck here on the Pacific Coast, -which, we feel quite safe in prophesying, will be recorded in many -histories. The English-speaking world has been fretting after some new -inspiration. We are tired of imitating the Elizabethans; for the time -being, that spring would seem to have run dry. What belongs to our -own day peculiarly tends to be mere boisterous horseplay or flippant -shallowness; vulgar both, and not in any way to be called art. What -we have that is good, the work of a few writers, is not so startling -in quantity or quality, nor so profoundly original, as to cause us -to hope for a new great art period in our own or our children's day. -And yet there has been the demand. The public has turned to strange -well-springs and found the waters bitter, cloying, soon to run dry; the -critics have filled their press columns, both here and in England, with -clamorings, prognostications, hasty or timorous judgments, a sense of a -great need and expectations. Decidedly the time is ripe for a new birth -in the drama. - - -MEETS NEEDS OF THE TIME - -Now the question arises, what needs must this new birth and order -meet? Great art meets the needs of its time, sternly turning away from -its mere wants; for that reason it is often rejected for awhile by a -public clamorous after lower levels of things. Such a clamor we find -in our own day after sensationalism--give us action, more action, say -the managers; but is this a real need? The world is agog with action -as it is; such a riot of action as one might imagine the Gadarene -swine indulged in on their seaward last tumultuous journey. The motif -is threadbare; we have torn it to tatters and it is time to turn to -new modes. Personalism, too, is rampant and bears fruit in an ugly and -jangled civilization. What is needed, then, is an art that shall be -calm, dignified, beautiful, impersonal; a pointer to and promise of -better ways of living. - -One turns back to the great art of the Greeks with a sense of relief -after all our modern, breathless, tom-tom beating. There we find -beauty, calm movement, dignity, national, and not merely personal -motifs; above all, an insistence on the higher and eternal verities. We -need the Aroma of Athens on our modern stage; because it is precisely -that that we need in our modern life. - - -PLAY DELIGHTED AUDIENCE - -A few weeks ago Katherine Tingley presented a new play, _The Aroma -of Athens_, at her Isis theater in San Diego, which struck all who -saw it with profound surprise and delight. There was first the ideal -poetic beauty of the setting, a thing unrealizable unless seen. The -foremost of the London managers--men like Tree--have made a specialty -of beautiful setting, astonishing the theatrical world with the -splendor of their work in this line--and with its good taste. They have -had enormous resources to draw upon, and have spared no expense in -time, money, or thought. It may safely be said that none of them has -produced anything more beautiful than this _Aroma of Athens_; it may -safely be said that none of them has produced anything so beautiful. -One rubbed one's eyes in astonishment, wondering how such things -could be, and concluded that Madame Tingley at Point Loma had greater -resources to draw upon than are to be found in London, Paris, Berlin, -or New York. It is a wonderful thing, prophetic of the time when the -culture-metropolis of the world will be right here among us on the -Pacific Coast. Madame Tingley long ago said that San Diego would be the -Athens of America, and today this is far nearer than we dream. If one -would learn what those greater resources of hers are, one must examine -her teachings, one must look into that marvelous scheme of education of -hers, the Râja Yoga system, which enabled, for example, those little -children on the stage to be as graceful, as un-self-conscious as any -figures on a Grecian vase. Have you seen children, young children, -on the stage, do well, wonderfully well; and then, when the applause -rolled in, do better still, remaining sublimely unconscious of the -applause? We applauded these children and looked to see, as a matter -of course, the aroma of Athens vanish in a series of smirks. But no; -clapped we never so loudly, it made no difference to them. They played -their Greek games; they were merry and classical; they were Grecian, -unstilted, poetic, faery. One's mind went back to Keats' ode: - - "What little town by river or sea-shore, - Or mountain-built with peaceful citadel, - Is emptied of its folk, this pious morn?" - -And the answer was: Athens, Periclean Athens in all her superb flawless -beauty and splendor; yes, those were real Athenians; of whom we have -read in Keats and Swinburne; that we have seen sculptured in the Elgin -marbles. Here they were, in the flesh and blood; here was the heyday -of historic beauty, shedding its supreme aroma on us; with these tones -Plato and Aeschylus would have spoken; in this manner Phidias and -Pericles would have moved. It was a revelation, a marvelous artistic -realization--indeed, it is a shame to use such cant hackneyed phrases -for a thing so beautiful, so august--and yet so completely natural and -unstrained. - - -GREATER THINGS PROMISED - -So much for its performance in a modern theater, but greater things are -promised. If all this is true of a play which was first thought of ten -days before it was presented--and that is the fact--what is not to be -hoped from the new presentation of it on April 17, a presentation of -which, we are told, the former ones were but little more than sketches, -and which is to be given in a real Greek open-air theater? - -The Greek theater at Point Loma, the first in America, was built by -Madame Tingley in 1901. It has the true Greek setting, looking out over -the sea. A wild cañon runs down from it seaward, full of miniature -hills and precipices, among which, now visible and now unseen, winds -the path by which the players enter or leave the stage. There will be -torchlight processions under the moon new-risen, moving along that -path and over the broad stageplace; Greek chanting will be heard; real -Greek music, and music with that ineffable something in it lacking -in all, or nearly all, modern music, which suggests the hidden life -of nature, the weird majesty of Delphi, of Nemesis, of the pipes of -universal Pan; the very aroma of Sophoclean drama, plus an echo of that -older and even more entrancing Greece, - - "Of deities or mortals, or of both, - In Tempe or the dales of Arcady," - -When-- - - "Liquid Peneus was flowing - And all dark Tempe lay - In Pelion's shadow, outgrowing - The light of the dying day, - Speeded by Pan's sweet pipings." - - -KINGDOM OF PAN UNCONFINED - -One has long suspected that, with luck, one might well come upon a faun -in the wild places of that cañon, at least in April, when the rains are -newly over and the hillside a riot of bloom and delight. For indeed the -kingdom of Pan is not confined; he has provinces here in California, -and you may come upon the dales of Arcady in any of the four quarters -of the world. - -Were Pan or some legate of his to be piping far down the cañon, you -would not fail to catch every note of it from every part of the -auditorium in the theater; what is whispered on the stage is clearly -heard on the topmost tier of seats. The place is a Wonder of the -West if only for its marvelous acoustic properties. It has never -been opened to the public before for a performance. And it should be -remembered that Madame Tingley leaves nothing to chance; she stands out -grandly independent in her art; leaves no detail to be excused by the -generosity of the audience; permits nothing whatever of which you could -say: "This is excellent--for amateurs; this is splendid--considering -what a short time it has taken to get up." It may be quite safely -affirmed that this presentation on April 17 will have a prominent -place in all future histories of the drama.--San Diego _Union_, Friday -morning, April 7, 1911. - - - - -SOME NOTES ON "THE AROMA OF ATHENS" As given in the Greek Theater, -Point Loma, on Saturday Morning, April 22, 1911; With the Prolog to the -Play: by Kenneth Morris - - -There never was a play so difficult to appraise or criticise justly and -intelligently as this one. One had read many press notices from expert -dramatic critics, all of them enthusiastic; but when one came to see -the performance, it struck one that the best of them were inadequate, -wholly beside the point. And yet one sees the excuse for saying just -as much as language can be stretched to express. If one did not put on -the enthusiasm without stint or measure, one would convey a suggestion -that the presentation was unworthy of enthusiasm; the truth being that -enthusiasm is somehow unworthy of the presentation. - -Since seeing it, one has been searching mind and memory for some means -of accounting for its extraordinary effect. We have seen it put down -to the beauty of the spectacle, harmony of colors, perfect natural -setting, and so forth. It is true that one failed to find any jarring -note in the acting; that the cañon, running down to the Pacific, seen -through the pillars of the Greek temple there, is a piece of landscape -thrilling in its beauty, for the like of which you must go to lands -where nature is at her most beautiful, and where there are the relics -of mighty builders of old, that give a focal point to the natural -beauty, and an inspiration to all artists. It is true also that there -was a perfect art in the color scheme of the dresses--an absolute -justness, balance and harmony of colors in themselves exquisite; that -one could imagine no improvement in the grouping; that the enunciation, -movements, and gesticulations, were in all cases just, clear, simple, -natural, and graceful. But I am convinced that one might see and hear -all that, and come away conscious that there was more to be said. None -of these things, either considered separately or _en masse_, are enough -to account for the enthralling effect of the play. - -Generally speaking, again, it is true that "the play's the thing." In -this case I think it is not true. There is, in the ordinary sense, -hardly any action or _dramatic_ thrill. We underline dramatic, because -thrill of some deeper and hitherto unexperienced kind there was; action -too, there was--the action of a people on the World's stage; in that -sense it was all one deep thrill, and the action of real life. But the -dialog was mainly philosophic discussion, deep thought, art criticism -from the Greek standpoint--just, sound, basic, noble; but not fiery or -dramatic, as we commonly understand the terms; and there was none of -that brilliant play of wit which in some modern plays compensates for -the lack of a plot. - -Here indeed, you may say that plot there was none. The Athenians are -holding their Flower Festival, to which the Satrap Pharnabazus is -welcomed as a guest. He is desirous to learn the secret of Athenian -brilliance, and one by one his hosts give utterance, in response, -to the principles of Athenian art, philosophy, etc. While they are -speaking, the herald of Sparta is announced; here there is, indeed, a -central incident of most stirring dramatic effect in the declaration -of the Peloponnesian War. Socrates prophesies the downfall of Greece, -and the rise of a new Athens in the west of the world in after-ages; -after which follows an effect which, for mystic beauty and thrill does -certainly stand out, so that you do know exactly why you are moved -by it--a procession of scarlet-draped women with torches, that comes -winding up the cañon, through the temple, and across the arena through -clouds and volumes of colored mist, a wonderful bit of Katherine -Tingley's art work, an incident impressive to the last degree, which -were it done just so on any stage in the world, and by any actors, -would create a sensation. But indeed, it is safe to say that such an -effect has never been produced before, on any stage in the world. - -But be it noted that the enthralment of _The Aroma of Athens_ began -long before this; and that even this was rather a visual glory than a -dramatic _coup_ according to the received canons. - -Of spectacular value, too, was the archaic dancing of the children; -and let it be said that there was something about these children which -is never to be seen on the stages of the world, nor with any other -children than those of the Râja Yoga College at Point Loma. And yet, -when one has said that they were perfectly classic, and at the same -time perfectly merry and natural--one realizes that one has still -barely begun to account for what happened. - -One little woman who professed to have some knowledge of art, yet was -quite unfamiliar with the period which the play presented, almost -tearfully deplored the fact that the actors did not seem to pay any -attention to the audience during the production. The fact that they did -_not_ do so was one of the charms of the whole presentation. They were -not playing a part but giving a most realistic presentation of life, -and were, as they should have been, as if there were no audience. To -those who saw the motif of the play, it would have been a blur if the -players had shown any consciousness of the audience, or had in any way -"played to the gallery" or for personal attention. - -Item by item, one might mention everything that was seen or heard, and -one would remain certain that however perfect and beautiful each might -be in itself, and even however perfect might be the harmony of them as -an ensemble, they yet were not enough to explain the total value: and -that even if you were able to explain the total value artistically, -from the standpoint of art as we understand the term, there would yet -be a kind of value, an invoking of one's inner nature without words, -which for lack of a better term one must call a _spiritual_ value--not -only moral, or mental--which would remain unexplained. In short, that -there was here shown an element, a kind of value, which is wholly -unfamiliar to the critics of the present day. - -When we speak of the drama as an educational element, we conceive of -its possible effects along artistic lines, or as setting forth moral -principles, or high intellectual ideas. This play did all that, it is -true; but it did all that, plus _x_; and what that _x_ represents is -not known in our present civilization--or at least, so one suspects. -It produced a silence of the senses and of all personal voices within, -an uplift and a reverent feeling: yes, a sense that one had been given -a revelation of what the great mystics of the world have meant by the -word _spiritual_. Deeper places in one's being were touched, than any -that respond to the work of the greatest actors of the present or of -recent times. - -So that any enthusiasm, any praise, seems something like an insult. -To speak of the Genius of the one that produced the play--Katherine -Tingley--that too seems a kind of insult. We have not attached to the -term genius, a breadth of meaning great enough to include the qualities -necessary for the production of a result so unlike anything that has -gone before. - -We have seen it compared with the work of the premier actors of the -age, and that to the advantage of the Point Loma production. The remark -is not good criticism. The difference is not one of degree, but one of -kind. No actor manager, probably, would have handled this play; none -could produce, with any play of the greatest dramatists, results that -so baffle description, so affect one's conceptions in those parts -of one's being that lie behind and deeper than formal mentality or -imagination, or artistic appreciation. Perhaps Katherine Tingley could -explain how it is done. I think no one else could. - -It is delightful to hear that Mrs. Tingley is making plans for larger -facilities for seating the people, as even with its present great -size, the Greek Theater at Point Loma cannot meet the demands. It is -whispered also that she has several more Greek and other plays in -preparation, which in course of time will be presented in the Greek -Theater, and possibly at her Isis Theater in San Diego as well. - - -THE PROLOG - - You are in Athens now, and you shall see - The splendor of that age of long renown - When Perikles was prince in Pallas' town - Amidst a people mighty-souled and free - Whose eminence and bright supremacy - Made Zeus grow jealous, and wan Clotho frown, - So that the nations rose to bring her down, - To bring high Athens down, till she should be - A name, a memory only; yet a name - That burns--a beacon on the heights of time, - Lighting the ages' darkness, making sublime - The fame of Hellas with its smokeless flame. - And you shall see and hear now, all those men - That shone round Perikles: Thucydides, - Ariston, Crito, Phidias, Sokrates, - And many high-souled women, famous then, - Teachers and seers and sages whose far ken - Pierced deep the hidden realms of being. - These - Are gathered midst the Academian bowers - To keep their Anthesterian Feast of Flowers - Held every year in Athens. To their feast - Comes one sent by that Great King in the East - Whose sire was countered in the perilous hours - Of Salamis and Marathon. But now - To seal a pact with Athens, with high vow - Linking the Athenian and the Persian powers - Against the martial Spartan--Xerxes' son, - Enthroned Artaxerxes, sendeth one - Whom you shall see here in great pomp attend, - An honored guest, well-welcomed--Athens' friend, - The Persian Pharnabazus. In his hands - Is given the sway of those Bithynian meads - Where roam innumerable herds of steeds - Much sought by war-kings in a thousand lands. - Mighty with Median strength he comes--with gold - Of Ind and Araby, and those nations old - Which the strong Persian tamed, bedecked; and gems - That erst adorned great princes' diadems - Of fallen dynasties--pearls of Oman, dyes - Wrought in Turanian vats to out-do the blooms - Of Yemen spicy-breezed, and webs from looms - The deft Cashmirian or Cathayan plies-- - A strong and courteous lord. - Right well he knows - By what stern virtues Persia broke her foes, - Bringing the jeweled throne of Croesus down, - And Phrygia's wealth, and Egypt's twofold crown; - What Magian training molds the Persian youth - To scorn of luxury, worship of truth, - Honor and gratitude; but in Athene's town - Findeth a bloom of soul and wit, in sooth, - He knows no secret for; and must inquire - By what strange kindling of what inward fire - Athenian, by what quest of deathless dream, - Athens is made so wondrously to gleam - Above the rest of the world. - Him answering there, - The Athenian citizens, the violet-crowned, - Speak one by one deep wisdom, and propound - Those balanced views that made their land so fair. - But even while they speak, lo, in the air - Gathers a cloud, a menace--trumpets sound-- - The Spartan herald comes. - Stern words are these - He utters; sternly answereth Perikles-- - There shall be war: Athens stoops not to a peace - Ignoble, though the untamed Lakonian bands - Be loosed against her, and a hundred lands - Enleague with Lakedaimon; yea, though all Greece - Compass her splendor round with threatened doom-- - War shall it be. - Therewith a gathering gloom - Enfolds their vision, and their chief of seers - Makes known the menace of the darkening years-- - Greece shall fall; ruined fanes shall mark her tomb, - The tomb of all her glory waned from the land; - Her broken, marble-pillared fanes shall stand, - And move the unborn to marvelings and to tears - For so much beauty waned in such decay. - Yet see, his vision brightens! Wane away - You barren ages! Speed, you desolate years! - Give place, sad night-time, to the dawn of day! - Hellas shall fall indeed; Athens shall wane, - Yet shall be born again! Greece born again, - Athens reborn in unknown lands, shall rise! - High on a hill beside the western seas, - That hath more wealth than Hybla for the bees, - That hath more blueness than the Aegean skies, - Athens shall rise again, most fair, most wise, - To shine upon the world! - --Thus Sokrates - Foretelling our own glorious Lomaland; - And what shall go forth from this western strand - In these last days, to herald peace, and blend - Nation with nation, hostile land with land, - Firm friends forever. - So the play hath end. - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. -and Engraving Dept. TABLEAUX FROM THE ILIAD AS GIVEN DURING THE -PRESENTATION OF "THE AROMA OF ATHENS," APRIL 17, 1911 PARTING OF HECTOR -AND ANDROMACHE.] - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. -and Engraving Dept. ANDROMACHE FAINTING ON THE WALLS OF TROY] - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. and -Engraving Dept. THE FUNERAL PYRE OF HECTOR] - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. -and Engraving Dept. PUPILS OF THE RÂJA YOGA COLLEGE, POINT LOMA, IN -ATHENIAN FLOWER FESTIVAL] - - - - -HAWTHORNE'S PSYCHOLOGY: contributed by C. T. - - -Hawthorne's _Blithedale Romance_ is a study of the psychology -underlying the human relations that arise from the subtle inner -feelings within the deepest and most diaphanous regions of the human -heart. - -With an incomparable delicacy and precision of touch, revealing the -hidden framework of the underlying design, he clothes with apt speech -these specter glimpses into the realm of human motive. - -Pity 'tis that his glimpses into these depths should be clouded by the -temperamental gloom of his own nature--always seeking justification of -its own pessimism, always weaving despondent tragedies that the light -of Theosophy would have transformed into inner victories in the midst -of outward defeat. Yet he seems only to have penetrated to certain -depths of gloom and doubt, and then to hesitate to take that one step -deeper where forever dwells the light that dispels all shadows. - -Like a modern Virgil he leads us to the brink of the deepest chasms, -and then abandons us to our own intuitions. Possibly he saw farther -into the depths than he could record in human speech--and so wrote on -from romance to romance in search of the expression that forever eluded -his pen. - - - - -LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF PYTHAGORAS: by F. S. Darrow, PH. D., A. M. - - -I. LIFE - - Pythagoras, the pure philosopher deeply versed in the profounder - phenomena of nature, the noble inheritor of the ancient lore, whose - great aim was to free the soul from the fetters of sense and force it - to realize its powers, must live eternally in human memory.--_H. P. - Blavatsky_ - -This world-famous Greek teacher of "the Heart Doctrine" was born about -580 B. C. on the island of Samos and died about 500 B. C. Before his -birth it was prophesied to his father that a son was about to be -born to him who would be a great benefactor of mankind. Some even -went so far as to declare that Pythagoras was a human incarnation of -Hyperborean Apollo. - -It is related that when a mere youth he left his native city to begin -a series of travels to the wise men of all countries, from the Hindûs -and Arabs in the East, to the Druids of Gaul in the West. We are told -that he spent twelve years in Babylon, conversing freely with the -Magi, by whom he was instructed in all their Mysteries and taught -the most perfect form of worship. He spent twenty-two years in Egypt -as an intimate of the most learned hierophants, under whose tutelage -he mastered the three styles of Egyptian writing, the common, the -hieroglyphic, and the sacerdotal. He brought with him a personal letter -of introduction to Amasis, the reigning Pharaoh, who forthwith wrote to -the hierophants and requested them to initiate Pythagoras into their -mysteries. Pythagoras first went to the priests of Heliopolis, but -they, true to the inveterate Egyptian suspicion of foreigners, although -hesitating to disobey Amasis openly, tacitly refused to initiate -Pythagoras and advised him to go to the sacred school at Memphis, -ostensibly because it was of greater antiquity than that of Heliopolis. -At Memphis also he met with the same finesse, and was next sent to the -school at Thebes, where finally under the most severe tests--tests -which nearly cost him his life--he was fully initiated into the -Egyptian Mysteries and thereafter had free access to the treasures of -the hierophants. - -After leaving Egypt Pythagoras returned to Greece by way of Crete, -where he descended the Idaean cave in company with Epimenides, the -great Cretan prophet and seer, who in return for the removal of the -plague at Athens in 596 B. C. accepted from the grateful people only -a branch of the sacred olive of Athena, and refused the large sums of -money which were offered, because he declared that spiritual gifts can -not be bought and sold. From Epimenides and Themistoklea, the Delphic -Pythia, Pythagoras received further instruction. In the course of his -travels he became an initiate not only in the mysteries of India, -Babylonia, Egypt, Greece, and Gaul, but also in those of Tyre and Syria. - -Pythagoras studied the various branches of knowledge, especially -mathematics, astronomy, music, gymnastics, and medicine, and -contributed very greatly to the development of these sciences among -the Greeks, for he was a man both of singular capabilities and of -great acquirements. His personal appearance was noteworthy. He was -very handsome and dignified; regularly dressed in white, and wore -a long, flowing beard. He never gave way to grief, joy, or anger, -but was accustomed to sing hymns of Homer, Hesiod, and Thales, to -preserve the serenity of his mind, and he was very eminent for his -power of attracting friends. The religious element was predominant -in his character, and his entire life was ruled by humanitarian and -philanthropic motives. He was opposed to animal sacrifice, and on one -occasion purchased a large draught of fish, which had just been caught -in a net, and set them free as an object-lesson in kindness. - -Pythagoras was a practical occultist, and is said to have understood -the "language" of animals so as to be able to converse with them and -tame even the most ferocious. It is said of him that upon one occasion -he was seen and heard publicly speaking at far distant places both in -Italy and in Sicily, on the same day, a physical impossibility. It is -also stated that he healed the sick, had the power of driving away evil -spirits, foresaw the future, recognized character at a glance, and had -direct communication with the gods. - -Finally at the age of nearly fifty, Pythagoras went to southern -Italy or Magna Graecia, after an unsuccessful attempt to establish a -society in his native city, and in 529 B. C. founded the Pythagorean -Brotherhood and the School of the Mysteries at Crotona. He gained -extensive influence immediately and attracted great numbers of all -classes, including many of the nobles and the wealthy, so that the -society grew with wonderful strides and soon similar schools were -established at many other cities of Magna Graecia: at Sybaris, -Metapontum, Tarentum, and elsewhere. Each of these consisted of three -hundred members accepted under inviolable pledges of secrecy and bound -to Pythagoras and to each other by the most sacred of obligations. - -The statement as to the death of Pythagoras, which occurred when he -was about eighty, vary. One account says that he was banished from -Crotona and fled to Metapontum where he died after a self-imposed -fast of forty days. Another says that he was murdered by his enemies -when the temple of the school at Crotona was burned to the ground, -either by the nefarious Kylon who because of his unworthiness had been -refused admittance to the Brotherhood and his wicked associate Ninon, -or by the frenzied townspeople. At the same time similar persecutions -in the other cities where the branch schools had been established -resulted in the (supposed) murder of all but a few of the younger -and stronger members, who succeeded in escaping to Egypt. Thereafter -individual Pythagoreans, unorganized in Schools, which were everywhere -successfully suppressed, continued to keep the light burning for -centuries. The doubtful point is, whether the temple and the various -assembly halls of the Pythagoreans were burned at the end of the -Leader's life, or about a hundred years after his banishment and death -by starvation. Telauges, his "son," is said to have succeeded his -father as the Head of the shattered society, but little is known of -him. It is significant that the Pythagorean Brotherhood and School of -the Mysteries at Crotona flourished during the last twenty-five years -of the sixth century B.C., the accepted date of its overthrow being -about 500 B. C. - - -II. THE SCHOOL - -It was a Pythagorean maxim that "everything ought not to be told to -everybody." Therefore membership in the society was secret, silent, and -guarded by the most solemn forms of obligatory pledges and initiations. -Members were classified as Akousmatikoi or Listeners, Probationary -Members, who did not live at the School, and Mathematikoi or Students, -Accepted Members, who lived with their families at the central School -of the Mysteries or at one of its branches. Probably the Mathematikoi -were further divided into two classes: the Pythagoristae or exoteric -members, and the Pythagoreans or esoteric members. - -Practically any candidate of an upright and honest life was admitted at -request as a Listener, but only the fit and the worthy were accepted as -Students. Listeners, wishing to become Students, were forced to pass -through a period of probation lasting from two to five years, during -which their powers of maintaining silence were especially tested as -well as their general temper, disposition, and mental capacity. A good -working knowledge of arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music, (the -four branches of Pythagorean mathematics), was required preliminary to -admission to the School. Only the most approved members were admitted -to the Esoteric Section. Women were admitted (an innovation from the -Greek standpoint). Among these Theano was the most distinguished. She -had general supervision of the women. - -The members were devotedly attached to their Leader and to one another. -They were enabled to recognize other members even when unacquainted -by means of their secret symbols, and it is recorded: "If Pythagoras -ever heard that any one used symbols similar to his, he at once made -him a companion and a friend." Unquestioning loyalty was given to the -counsels of Pythagoras by his disciples, for whom the _ipse dixit_ -of the master settled all controversy, and the rank and admission -of candidates depended solely upon the intuitive discernment of -Pythagoras, who made all appointments. - -The Students wore a special dress and had vows. They were trained -to endure fatigue, sleep little, dress very simply, never to return -reproaches for reproaches, and to bear contradiction and ridicule with -serenity. The School of the Mysteries was a school of life, not a -monastery. Pythagoras did not aim to have his disciples withdraw from -active life, but taught them how to maintain a calm bearing and an -elevated character under all circumstances. The intention was to train -them to exhibit in their personal and social capacities a reflection of -the order and harmony of the universe. The membership was international. - -As it was a Pythagorean maxim that "friends should possess all things -in common," new members upon entering the School handed over their -personal possessions to the proper official who turned them into the -common treasury. A student was at liberty to depart from the School -at pleasure and at his departure he was given double his original -contribution, but over his former seat was erected a tomb, funeral -rites were performed, and he was ever afterwards referred to by the -loyal members as deceased. - -Purity of life was required and temperance of all kinds was strictly -enjoined. All members ate at a common refectory in groups of ten, as -at the Spartan _syssitia_. The diet was subject to a most careful -regulation and consisted largely of bread, honey, and water. Animal -foods and wine were forbidden. It is stated also that beans were -tabooed because of their indigestibility and tendency to produce -agitated dreams. - -Much importance was attached to music, and to the physical exercise -of the disciples. Each day began with a meditation upon how it could -be best spent and ended with a careful retrospect. The students arose -before the sun, and after breakfast studied for several hours, with -an interval of leisure, which was usually spent in solitary walks and -silent contemplation. The hour before dinner was devoted to athletic -exercises. In the course of the day there were mutual exhortations -not to sunder the God in each and all but to preserve the union with -the Deity and with one another. The students were accustomed to visit -Pythagoras at night, and went to sleep with music. - -In a subsequent article some of the main tenets of the Pythagorean -Brotherhood will be outlined. - - - - -THE AMERICAN WOMAN IN POETRY: by Grace Knoche - - -Current literature, from the freshly printed book to the literary -columns of the daily press, affords certain unique opportunities -for reviewing woman's work in the light of past achievement and -future promise. Take, for instance, the single factor of woman in -poetry--where past centuries number their woman poets by the twos and -threes, as the last generation has done by little more than the threes -and fours, the present finds them springing up thicker than clover in a -fallow field and in many cases with a sweetness and fragrance in their -songs as of clover blossoms themselves. - -To the thinking mind this has a certain significance as relating to the -inner unseen tides of that spiritual awakening now so seeming near for -all mankind. For what holds poesy at its heart holds music there, and -harmony and rhythm and something of that divine potency that lies in -number; and with Theosophy at our doors we do not need Plato to tell us -that - - rhythm and harmony find their way into the secret places of the soul, - on which they mightily fasten, bearing grace in their movements and - making the soul graceful in him who is rightly educated. - -The following are a handful of poems by women--most of them, -significantly enough, by wholly or comparatively unknown -writers--from among the last month's journals and papers, by no -means a representative list, but just a few that found their way in -the natural course to the study desk. Some compel attention because -of the wholesomeness of sentiment and a certain honest openness in -their delivery, others because of their musical lilt and flow, still -others because of both. There are a few that may live, some that of a -certainty will not and that yet have a value now. But that may be said -of a hastily gathered handful of anything in its era. - -They are typical of a surprisingly large class, while none of those -whose poems are herewith quoted, with the exception of Edith M. Thomas, -have so far written very much. - -The first, by Angela Morgan in the _Cosmopolitan_, is a real -Theosophical challenge, a veritable battle-cry, with something of the -trenchant force and fire that flashes and thunders from out the lines -of the old _Beowulf_: - - Reined by an unseen tyrant's hand, - Spurred by an unseen tyrant's will, - Aquiver at the fierce command - That goads you up the danger hill, - You cry: "O Fate, O Life, be kind! - Grant but an hour of respite--give - One moment to my suffering mind; - I cannot keep the pace and live." - But Fate drives on and will not heed - The lips that beg, the feet that bleed. - Drives, while you faint upon the road, - Drives, with a menace for a goad; - With fiery reins of circumstance - Urging his terrible advance - The while you cry in your despair, - "The pain is more than I can bear." - - Fear not the goad, fear not the pace, - Plead not to fall from out the race-- - It is your own Self driving you, - Your Self that you have never known, - Seeing your little self alone, - Your Self, high-seated charioteer, - Master of cowardice and fear, - Your Self that sees the shining length - Of all the fearful road ahead; - Knows that the terrors that you dread - Are pigmies to your splendid strength; - Strength you have never even guessed, - Strength that has never needed rest. - Your Self that holds the mastering rein, - Seeing beyond the sweat and pain - And anguish of your driven soul - The patient beauty of the goal. - - Fighting upon the terror field - Where man and Fate come breast to breast, - Pressed by a thousand foes to yield, - Tortured and wounded without rest, - You cried, "Be merciful, O Life! - The strongest spirit soon must break - Before this all-unequal strife, - This endless fight for failure's sake." - But Fate, unheeding, lifted high - His sword and thrust you through to die. - And then there came one strong and great, - Who towered high o'er Chance and Fate, - Who bound your wound and eased your pain - And bade you rise and fight again. - And from some source you did not guess - Gushed a great tide of happiness-- - A courage mightier than the sun-- - You rose and fought, and fighting, won. - - It was your own Self saving you, - Your Self no man has ever known, - Looking on flesh and blood alone; - The Self that lives as close to God - As roots that feed beneath the sod. - That one who stands behind the screen, - Looks through the window of your eyes-- - A being out of Paradise. - The Self no human eye hath seen, - The living one who never tires, - Fed by the deep eternal fires. - Your flaming star, with two-edged sword, - Made in the likeness of the Lord. - Angel and guardian at the gate, - Master of Death and King of Fate. - -Perhaps more musical and exquisite in its technic is the following (by -Edith M. Thomas in the _Century_), yet one looks in vain for the note -of positive assurance that sings and rings out of the poem just quoted. -Now one expects in poetry something more than rhymed philosophy, of -course, and sheer beauty of rhythm has more than once endowed paucity -of thought with an almost immortality. But the content is important, -none the less. In the preceding poem one feels a mighty conviction -forcing its way through every limitation to the goal of expression. The -work of the older and better known poetess is more clearly poetic--to -those who know the path and know the way its Sphinx-like questionings -evoke their own answer in the deeps of consciousness. To the many, -however, the first poem must reveal more. - -THE UNKNOWING - - I know not where I am: - Beneath my feet a whirling sphere, - And overhead (and yet below) - A crystal rampart cutting sheer-- - The traveling sun its oriflam. - What do I know? - I know not what I do: - I wrought at that, I wrought at this, - The shuttle still perforce I throw; - But if aright or if amiss - The web reveals not, held to view. - What do I know? - - I know not what I think: - My thoughts?--As in a shaft of light - The dust-motes wander to and fro, - And shimmer in their flight; - Then, either way, in darkness sink. - What do I know? - - I know not who am I: - If now I enter on the Scheme, - Or revenant from long ago; - If but some World-Soul's moment-dream, - Or, timeless, in Itself I lie. - What do I know? - -Here is a sweet touch from the Kansas City _Star_. The very name of the -writer of it is so in keeping with tender dutifulness and so suggestive -of clean-swept hearths and ministries to tiny, clinging hands, that -one wonders if it be not a pseudonym. A miniature "psalm of daily duty" -is it: - - At morn I yearned a song to sing - That would inspire and teach - In words so true all men would hear - In them their own soul's speech. - - But Duty stopped my pen and showed - The day's dull round of care-- - The service to another's need-- - A burden I should share. - - At night the Day sung to the past - Her record clear and strong, - And richer, sweeter than I dreamed - I heard complete my song. - - --_Emily Householder_ - -And from the same paper another ringing note on the sacredness of the -day's duty--but this is no psalm, rather a trumpet call, gorgeous, -full, and technically so splendid that it suggests the ancients: - -TODAY - - Voice, with what emulous fire thou singest free hearts of old fashion, - English scorners of Spain sweeping the blue sea-way, - Sing me the daring of life for life, the magnanimous passion - Of man for man in the mean populous streets of Today. - - Hand, with what color and power thou couldst show, in the ring - hot-sanded, - Brown Bestiarius holding the lean, tawn tiger at bay, - Paint me the wrestle of Toil with the wild-beast Want, bare-handed; - Shadow me forth a soul steadily facing Today.--_Helen Gray Cone_ - -Will you have music? Then read these, so different in content, so -unlike in the touch, for one is threaded through with compassion and -tenderness while the other is just a little note of joy in life, which -might rise out of self as well as unself in certain not yet conscious -natures. - -CANDLEMAS - - O hearken, all ye little weeds - That lie beneath the snow, - (So low, dear hearts, in poverty so low!) - The sun hath risen for royal deeds, - A valiant wind the vanguard leads; - Now quicken ye, lest unborn seeds - Before ye rise and blow. - - O furry living things, adream - On winter's drowsy breast, - (How rest ye there, how softly, safely rest!) - Arise and follow where a gleam - Of wizard gold unbinds the stream, - And all the woodland windings seem - With sweet expectance blest. - - My birds, come back! the hollow sky - Is weary for your note. - (Sweet-throat, come back! O liquid, mellow throat!) - Ere May's soft minions hereward fly, - Shame on ye, laggards, to deny - The brooding breast, the sun-bright eye, - The tawny, shining coat!--_Alice Brown_ - -THE WAVES OF BREFFNY - - The grand road from the mountain goes shining to the sea, - And there is traffic on it and many a horse and cart; - But the little roads of Cloonagh are dearer far to me - And the little roads of Cloonagh go rambling through my heart. - A great storm from the ocean goes shouting o'er the hill, - And there is glory in it, and terror on the wind; - But the haunted air of twilight is very strange and still, - And the little winds of twilight are dearer to my mind. - - The great waves of the Atlantic sweep storming on their way, - Shining green and silver with the hidden herring shoal; - But the little waves of Breffny have drenched my heart in spray, - And the little waves of Breffny go sweeping through my soul. - - --_Eva Gore-Booth_ - -The two following poems attack the same theme, a fruitful and varied -one to lovers of Lomaland where the winter rains are the year's -beneficence. But note the full rich lines of the work of the unknown -writer, albeit the sonnet is of course the more difficult poetic form. - -THE FOUNTAINS OF THE RAIN - - The merchant clouds that cruise the sultry sky, - As soon as they have spent their freight of rain, - Plot how the cooling thrift they may regain: - All night along the river-marsh they lie, - And at their ghostly looms swift shuttles ply, - To weave them nets wherewith the streams to drain; - And often in the sea they cast a seine, - And draw it, dripping, past some headland high. - Many a slender naiad, with a sigh, - Is in their arms uptaken from the plain; - The trembling myrmidons of dew remain - No longer than the flash of morning's eye, - Then back unto their misty fountains fly: - This is the source and journey of the rain. - - --_Edith Matilda Thomas_ - -RAIN - - The patient rain at early summer dawn; - The long, lone autumn drip; the damp, sweet hush - Of springtime, when the glinting drops seem gone - Into the first notes of the hidden thrush; - The solemn, dreary beat - Of winter rain and sleet; - The mad, glad, passionate calling of the showers - To the unblossomed hours; - The driving, restless midnight sweep of rain; - The fitful sobbing, and the smile again, - - Of spring's childhood; the fierce unpitying pour - Of low-hung leaden clouds; the evermore - Prophetic beauty of the sunset storm, - Transfigured into color and to form - Across the sky. O wondrous changing rain! - Changeful and full of temper as man's life; - Impetuous, fierce, unpitying, kind again, - Prophetic, beauteous, soothing, full of strife: - Through all thy changing passions hear not we - Th' eternal note of the Unchanging Sea? - - --_Laura Spencer Portor_ - -Nothing is worse than bad poetry, unless it be bad art of every kind, -of which the world today is having a surfeit. That we find a greater -abundance of wretched verse, however, than of wretched painting and -sculpture, and that there are still those who think that the poet's -equipment need consist of little more than an unbalanced emotionalism, -we may attribute perhaps to the fact that the pen and ink are readier -to hand with the majority than palette and brush or calipers and -modeling tool. Conceit and ignorance, working together, have made "to -write poetry" almost a reproach. - -The remedy would seem to be to diffuse a few simple truths, such -as that true poetry has nothing to do with emotionalism, nor -sentimentality, nor bad spelling, nor with metres that "interfere," -like a clumsy horse's feet; and that where one in ten thousand who care -for poetry may try to write it and succeed, the rest will fail and will -neglect their proper duties besides. It is so in art, in literature -generally, in music, in all things--the safe path is to drop the gleam -and fire and fragrance of the soul-touch into one's life _in the shape -of a more courageous performance of the daily task, whatever it may -be_, and be content with that, which is the greatest thing in the -world, anyway. If the Muse should decide to pick us out, willy nilly, -she has ways of letting us know. Poesy has its technic, as has all art, -and sentimental ignorance can never hope to pose as inspiration among -those who know. - -The real point to be emphasized is that this is part of a certain -outreaching on idealistic lines of which the wholly remarkable work -of the young women of the present generation in music, composition, -painting, and sculpture, constitutes other parts. And this outreaching -towards an art expression along various lines is so general, and is -so differentiated in essence from the results of ordinary scholastic -work or the general movement for the higher education of woman, that it -cannot justly be ignored. - -Few young women will, in the ordinary course, win a separate fame along -the solitary path of pure art. Most of them, and most of those who come -within the radius of the influence of their aspirations and their art -work, will become wives, home-makers, mothers. Many more will become -teachers, or are that now, wielding potent influence. It is these who -will strike the keynote for the quality of atmosphere that is to shape, -as it will surround, the generations yet unborn; and, because of that, -the feeling and aspiration that many of the poems seen in our current -journals disclose, is important and significant at this transitional -time. - - - - -ANCIENT ASTRONOMY: by Fred J. Dick, M. Inst. C. E. - - -In perhaps no department of thought has appreciation of the -achievements of antiquity been more inadequate than in that of -astronomy. This is all the more remarkable when we remember that many -facts have been published and are accessible, amply sufficient to -convince any unbiased student as to the hoary antiquity of the science; -and also as to the fact that in the remotest times it was a science -whose exactitude surpassed that of modernity because based upon immense -periods of observation and a profound knowledge of the harmonious laws -underlying celestial motions; in comparison with which knowledge our -generalizations and mathematical triumphs pale into insignificance. - -Such statements are hardly likely to meet ready acceptance from those -who have not yet realized the immense antiquity of the human race, -the cyclic rises and falls of nations and races coeval with vanished -continents, and the fact that there were times when humanity had divine -instructors in the arts and sciences. Yet without some recognition of -these basic ideas it is hardly possible to comprehend even faintly the -significance of some statements made in the _Sûrya-Siddhânta_--one -of the oldest treatises on astronomy extant. There are many -others--perhaps thousands--but they are not accessible at the present -time, probably because they would be still less understood. - -Another thing hardly likely to be appreciated in some quarters is the -fact that on account of the intimate connexion between the facts of -astronomy and cyclic laws affecting human destiny, this science for -long ages was one of the sacred sciences, and its deeper mysteries were -carefully guarded--as they are still, for that matter. - -This last consideration throws an interesting light on the performance -of Hipparchos (whom our text-books dub "the father of astronomy"), -for he was not only silent as to the sources of his facts, but his -data have been shown to be inconsistent with his methods, and are only -explainable when calculated out on the principles enunciated in the -_Sûrya-Siddhânta_. In short, he has been thus shown to have had access -to Eastern sources of information, while at the same time some things -were withheld. - -This is but an instance of a policy which had been pursued for a very -considerable period anterior to the time of Hipparchos. Just so much -was given as would afford a stimulus for investigation; for humanity -entered upon novel and strenuous conditions some five thousand years -ago, and has had to win for itself a new path in science, as in other -departments of activity. - -Key-notes are sounded, and instruction given, at cyclic periods; -yet man must win his own path to knowledge, and guarded sources of -information could not help him, until he prove himself morally as well -as intellectually fitted to advance. - -This brings us naturally to a survey of modern achievement in -astronomy, and the conclusion is almost irresistible that it has -reached a point where further light must come, if only the enthusiastic -followers of this kingly science would raise their eyes from the -mechanical skeleton they have built so laboriously, and realize that -the universe is living and conscious--in the interstellar spaces, as -well as in the little fiery-looking balls that float therein. We should -remember that it is part of human destiny to enter into the wider -consciousness which alone holds the master-clues. - -The above conclusion is supported by the statement of Simon Newcomb -that the unsolved problems of astronomy seem to increase with every -year, instead of diminishing. - -It is a curious reflection, in these days of "exact" science, that real -exactitude can only be obtained, as in pure mathematics, by proceeding -from universals to particulars, never from particulars to universals. -Yet the latter method has perforce to be adopted when no other way -is in sight. That it fails, is shown by the simple fact that few of -the "elements" or "constants" in modern astronomy are exactly known. -No tables have yet been constructed, based upon purely mathematical -formulae, which represent the actual motions, say of the superior -planets. Those in the _Nautical Almanac_ are simply derived from such -hypothetical formulae, with corrections found necessary by experience -extended over what is an almost ludicrously insufficient term of years. -We should like to see the astronomical formula in use which would show -that the obliquity of the ecliptic, 23,000 years ago, was slightly more -than 27°. No longer ago than August 1905 an eclipse of the sun began -twenty seconds before the predicted time. - -Fortunately our astronomers do not live in ancient China, or they might -have been beheaded for this want of accuracy! - -On the other hand, the achievements in the domain of theory during -the last two centuries or less have been so remarkable that it is -to be hoped the methods and facts given in the _Sûrya-Siddhânta_ may -yet receive some attention from competent mathematicians, once they -perceive their importance. The apparent discrepancies with modern -facts, it may be pretty safely asserted, will be found to yield -valuable results upon careful analysis. - -Investigators will find that, contrary to the assumptions of some -critics of Eastern chronology, a "year" does not mean a day, nor a -month--although it is sometimes called "a day of the gods" in Eastern -writings. - -One of the first things to arrest attention in the _Sûrya-Siddhânta_ is -that in a "great age" of 4320 thousand years there are exactly forty -revolutions of the Earth's apsides, one revolution of which occupies -108 thousand years. (Young's _General Astronomy_, § 199.) The line of -apsides is the major axis of the Earth's orbit. Here we glimpse a basic -connexion between the great cycles of time and the apsidal revolutions. - -Let us quote a few aphorisms from Book I of this ancient work. - - 27. By their [the planets'] movement the revolution is accounted - complete at the end of the asterism Revatî. - - 29. In an age the revolutions of the Sun ... are 4,320,000. - - 30. Of the Moon 57,753,336. - - 31. ... of Jupiter 364,220. - - 32. ... of Saturn 146,568. - - 33. Of the Moon's apsis 488,203. Of its node, in the contrary - direction 232,238. - - 34. Of asterisms 1,582,237,828. - - 36. ... From rising to rising of the Sun are reckoned terrestrial - civil days. - - 37. Of these there are in an age 1,577,917,828. Of lunar days - 1,603,000,080. - -From these figures we find the mean value of the sidereal year during -a cycle of 4320 thousand years to be 0.002403 of a day longer than -at present, which of course means that there are slow changes in the -length of the orbital major axis. - -There is a point worthy of attention regarding the asterism Revatî, -to which these revolutions are referred, and which is thus seen to -mark the origin of the Hindû movable zodiac. The precise star has -either disappeared, or has not, so far, been publicly indicated. But -the place of the origin was carefully calculated in 1883, and found -to have a longitude of about 20.5 degrees. Again, from the numerous -facts connected with the important epoch of 3102 B. C., which marked -the beginning of the current cycle of 432,000 years (See _Traité de_ -_l'Astronomie Indienne et Orientale_, by M. Bailly, M. Acad. Franç., -1787), its place was about five degrees westward of the other. This -shows it to have a positive movement of 4´´ per year, giving one -complete revolution in 324,000 years. - -This proper motion, if that of an actual star, is of the same order -of magnitude as that of many stars. It would perhaps be interesting -to glance at the relation between stellar movements and the greater -cycles dealt with in ancient astronomy, for all analogy would indicate -revolution in orbits to be a general law; and moreover, probabilities -would indicate that our system is not too remote from the center of the -stellar system. Assuming the average cross speed to be twenty miles per -second, stars at 7 light-years distance would make one revolution while -the Earth's apsides made four. Those at 70 light-years, one in a "great -age." Those at the estimated distance of the farthest visible stars, -5000 light-years, would perform a revolution in just one manvantara of -308 million years. - -Doubtless all such revolutions are superposed on other lesser -revolutions down to those known, as in cases of double stars, etc. And -it may be suggested that there are not improbably a number of axes -of revolution, or rather principal planes of revolution, having some -harmonious mutual inclination. - -In order properly to relate the above mean value of the sidereal year -to its present value, we should have to know our place in this cycle -of 4320 thousand years; and the same observation applies to the other -figures. We may return to this point at another time, as the necessary -data are given in the same work. The effect of stellar proper motions, -already referred to, would have to be considered. - -The figures for the Moon make the mean value of the sidereal month -1.103 seconds longer than its present estimated value. - -Those for Jupiter make its mean sidereal period about a quarter of -a day shorter than the present one of 4332.58 days; while those for -Saturn come out 6.55 days more than the present period of 10,759.22 -days. - -The methods of calculation and tables connected with the -_Sûrya-Siddhânta_ were rigorously applied by M. Bailly to an observed -interval extending from the epoch in 3102 B. C. to a certain moment -on May 21, 1282 of our era, at Benares--a period of 4383 years and 94 -days; and the mean place of the Moon thus found was less than a minute -of arc different from that calculated for the same interval by the -modern tables of Cassini. An astronomy which could achieve a result -like this by methods and tables at least five thousand years old, -points to the enormous duration of some prior high civilization. - -The precessional movement of 54´´, peculiar to the _Sûrya-Siddhânta_, -being referred to "Revatî" with its 4´´ direct motion, gives 50´´, like -ours. - -It is as well perhaps to recall what Iamblichus states: - - The Assyrians have not only preserved the memorials of seven and - twenty myriads [270,000] of years as Hipparchos says they have, but - likewise of the whole apocatastases [planetary sidereal periods] - and periods of the seven rulers of the world. (Proklos on Plato's - _Timaios_, Bk. 1.) - -H. P. Blavatsky, commenting on this, says it is - - about 850,000 years since the submersion of the last large island - (part of the Continent), the Ruta of the Fourth Race, or the - Atlantean; while Daitya, a small island inhabited by a mixed race, - was destroyed about 270,000 years ago, during the glacial period or - thereabouts. But the Seven Rulers, or the seven great Dynasties of - the _divine_ kings belong to the traditions of every great people of - antiquity. (_The Secret Doctrine_, I, 651.) - -She also informs us that - - The chronology and computations of the Brâhman Initiates[2] are based - upon the Zodiacal records of India, and the works of ... Asuramaya. - The Atlantean zodiacal records cannot err, as they were compiled under - the guidance of those who first taught astronomy, among other things, - to mankind. (_The Secret Doctrine_, II, 49.) - -[2] But these are not the modern Brâhmans, as is clearly explained in -H. P. Blavatsky's own writings.--F. J. D. - - - - -THE PATH: by Gertrude Van Pelt, M. D. - - Thou wilt shew me the path of life.--_Psalms_, xvi. 11 - - -Nothing so stirs the heart with gratitude as the thought of the Great -Souls who have opened the Path, who keep it open, and who guide the -steps of the hungry searching multitude to its entrance. They have -carved the way through the rock of matter. They have waded through the -mires of delusion. They have cleared away the confusing and entangling -underbrush of doubt. They have hewn down the mighty obstructions. With -dauntless courage each one has destroyed the dragon which guarded the -treasure from himself, thus inspiring all who follow. They have erected -signposts all along the journey, and with their hearts' blood have -written thereon the messages which every pilgrim may read, and so avoid -one step amiss. Not only this, but having achieved the goal, they have -retraced their steps again and again, to direct the uncertain feet of -the children of earth, to combat ignorance, vice, and injustice; to -encourage, uplift, and teach. Though unseen in many times and places, -it is they who keep the lights burning. - -Terrible as are the difficulties, the discouragements, the disasters, -which the human children encounter, it is the Great Souls who prevent -them from being impossible; who ward off the clouds of despair lest -they settle over the globe like a pall of darkness paralysing all -effort. Without these Elder Brothers all would be lost in the labyrinth -of matter, never finding the thread which could lead them out. But to -be without them is inconceivable, unthinkable; for all must sometime -find the Path and tread it. No means have been omitted to make it -plain. All nature exists but to point the way. All experiences, all -events, difficulties, disappointments, all good, as well as so-called -bad fortune: all tend to the same issue. It has been described in every -language of heart or head, that all, even the beasts of the fields, in -some vague way, may hear and gradually understand. - -One of those who has gone before and returned to show the path to -others, said: "I am the Way." Another, with a different sidelight on -the same truth, said: "Each man is to himself absolutely the way." For -each one in traveling it, does so by passing through the mazes of his -own personality, first as one blindfolded, then as one slowly awakening -to its meaning, and finally as one consciously subduing and transmuting -it. And when he has reached the goal, he _becomes_ the way. His whole -being is an expression, an exposition of the way--the mystic Path, -which lies within and yet without; which is so far, and yet so near. -_Light on the Path_ expresses it as follows: - - Seek out the way.... Seek it not by any one road. To each temperament - there is one road which seems the most desirable. But the way is not - found by devotion alone, by religious contemplation alone, by ardent - progress, by self-sacrificing labor, by studious observation of life. - None alone can take the disciple more than one step onward. All steps - are necessary to make up the ladder. The vices of men become steps in - the ladder, one by one, _as they are surmounted_. The virtues of men - are steps indeed, necessary--not by any means to be dispensed with. - Yet, though they create a fair atmosphere, and a happy future, they - are useless if they stand alone. The whole nature of man must be used - wisely by the one who desires to enter the way. - - - - -SAN DIEGO: by Kenneth Morris - - -That San Diego has the greatest of futures before it, who shall deny? -Katherine Tingley, Leader of The Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical -Society, foresaw its destiny, saw its possibilities, fifteen years -ago, and began forthwith to lay the foundations of peculiar greatness -for it. There are thousands of cities in the United States, doubtless -in Canada too, centers in all the new worlds established from Europe, -that have before them a huge metropolitanism, and are to grow populous -beyond the Old World capitals. Why not? The wind of increase bloweth -where it listeth, and we can only safely prophesy change and reversion, -change and reversion. Where the deserts are now, dwelt of old the -builders of sky-scrapers; aeroplanes soared over lands the oceans -cover; and Dreadnoughts floated and made war, perhaps, where now are -Alps and Andes. Here is a land in its beginnings; many millennia lie -before it in which to grow. We need the grand vision when we look -out on the ages to be; only so can we sow the right seeds for their -harvesting. We cannot tell what nations or cities are destined for -high material greatness; probably there is room for every one to hope. -But for San Diego a peculiar and more excellent fate is reserved, -whose falling she may hasten by her clear-sightedness, or retard by -her perversity; still, it lies before her. She is to be the City of -Righteousness, the metropolis of the world's culture, the Mecca of -distant generations of poets, artists, philosophers, and musicians. -It is not mainly her own citizens who make this claim. They, with all -their high ambitions, with all their golden dreams, are hardly alive to -the great possibilities of the town. - -In an age pre-eminently of material progress, it is natural to lay most -stress on the material advantages of site, climate, etc. So there is -no end to the writing on the Bay--the one bay between San Francisco -and somewhere far away in Mexico--with all it offers for commerce and -for strategy; or on the unwearying efforts of the sun; on the glorious -hinterland, so rich and beautiful; or the new railway that is to open -it up, and link San Diego with the east; on partial awakenings at -Washington to the great strategic importance of this town, and the -certainty that these partial awakenings must become whole-hearted -and thorough some time, and bear fruit a thousandfold. Time, time, -time--there is time for all these things. Innumerable palaces will be -seen, surrounding this blue jewel of a bay; looking down on it from -amidst exquisite parks and gardens on the heights; there will be -drives as famed as any in Switzerland or Italy. Nature herself has -provided for this; and the tide of empire is rolling westward. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. VIEW OF SAN DIEGO -WITH A GLIMPSE OF THE BAY CORONADO IN THE DISTANCE] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. THE U. S. GRANT -HOTEL, FROM THE PLAZA, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA] - -Time and again San Diego has been named with two cities of the Old -World; and there is something instructive in either comparison. She -is "the Naples of California," and again, "the Athens of the Pacific -Coast." Cuyamaca has been likened to Vesuvius, and our bay to the -Bay of Naples. Indeed, no doubt there is a physical resemblance. The -conditions that made Naples are largely historic; but then they are -largely climatic, and matters of situation, also. As for history, the -history of San Diego lies before her. All historic conditions--Camorra, -lazzaroni, plague, pestilence, national inefficiency, vice, and famine, -or the blessings which are the reverse of all these--are the fruitage -of one cannot say what tiny seeds sown, one cannot say when or how -often. You take a child, and give it no training or bad training in -its first years: it was the offspring of highly cultured parents, -perhaps; but what disasters may not lie before it? On the other hand, -you take a child, who has had no advantages, and give it a Râja Yoga -training such as Katherine Tingley is giving to so many at Point Loma -and elsewhere--such, in truth, as only Katherine Tingley knows how to -give--and you need set no particular limits to the hopes you hold for -that child's future. There is a great parallelism with this in the -early years of a city or community. - -Up and down the world there are a thousand cities, as was said, -with huge material destinies lying before them, which by their very -situation they will not be able to escape. But in how many cases -have they not been without far foresight in their youth, to guard -them against the perils of that most perilous time? "They sow their -wild oats," we say; a phrase that is meant to cover a multitude of -iniquities. One can no more cheat the Law with such an excusive -expression, than one can write an I O U for one's debts, and -comfortably thank God that one need think no more of _them_. He who has -sown his wild oats may have gained a certain wisdom and experience out -of the sufferings resultant from them; but he will never be the man he -might have been. He will have lowered the whole of his possibilities, -and can pay thereafter only so much per cent of his debt to the world -and humanity. - -Climate and situation might have prepared for San Diego only such a -fate as that of Naples; and there are other elements of possible -danger as well, which it would require no ordinary wisdom and foresight -to guard against. Indeed, have there not been revelations here and -there in our cities, which should make us judge charitably the home of -the Camorra? But now there are many thousands up and down the world -who believe in San Diego; who cannot think she will fail or fall into -gross error; who already look on her as a Mecca for their hopes; who -know that she will shed light around the world. Reference is made, -of course, to the great membership of the Universal Brotherhood and -Theosophical Society, which has its ramifications among all the peoples -of the globe. For them, San Diego rose above the horizon when Katherine -Tingley declared her intention, some fifteen years ago, to found the -City of Learning, the World's Theosophical Headquarters, on the heights -of Point Loma, within the city limits of San Diego. They had reason -even then to know that what Katherine Tingley says she will do, is -done; and they have had a million times more reason for that certainty -given them since. - -When this famous humanitarian came to San Diego, grass was growing in -some of the streets there, where there should have been boulevards -bustling with life. The old first "boom" had long since spent itself, -helped to its grave by ready inimical hands; and there seemed no -special reason for its resurrection. It was then that she made her -promises. This little city of the quiet streets should come to be, not -the Naples, but the Athens of the west. It should have population; -it should have riches and commerce and splendor; it should flourish -abundantly when its enemies had long since faded out and been -forgotten; and all this was the very least and most insignificant part -of its destiny. There should be a new and timelong age of Perikles -here; new Phidian studios; new Groves of Akademe. Time--we must not be -niggardly with that, perhaps; these things should not be in a day; but -assuredly _they should be_. - -It will be asked, on what grounds Katherine Tingley based these -promises of hers. The answer is: on her own intentions with regard to -the place; and on her knowledge of the laws that govern the growth of -civic and national life. Is there no knowing the future? The farmer -sows his seed under the impression that there is. He has cultivated -the soil; plowed and fertilized it; now he can put the seed in with -a certain confidence. Only it is not everybody that understands the -preparing for these greater national or civic harvests. - -It is safe to say that from that time the second great San Diego boom -dates. The Theosophical Center was started on Point Loma, and from the -first has been attracting life to the city across the bay. This is not -the place to give statistics as to the number of thousands of dollars -that have been spent in San Diego each year; nor as to the amount of -labor that has been employed. From the start it was enough to give the -city that new impetus of life which was needed--a fact proven by the -rise in the population from 17,000 to 50,000 in ten years. - -Then came the founding of the Râja Yoga system of education, with its -first and chiefest exemplification in the College on Point Loma. Do -all our citizens realize what this has meant for the city? On merely -material lines, for example? Not only from the eastern States, but from -Europe and Asia as well, hundreds have made the pilgrimage to San Diego -to investigate the Râja Yoga College and system on the Point. They -have gone away and filled their own lands with the rumor of the fame -of this wonderful new thing that has its Headquarters--at _San Diego_. -The press of England, of Japan, of Germany, of Holland, of Sweden, have -been made abundantly aware of the fame of this Theosophical Center--at -_San Diego_. A Greek play is given in the open-air theater on Point -Loma, _San Diego_--and we read critiques of it in the morning papers -of Bavaria. We pick up a Tokyo magazine of current date, and find in -it a picture of a group of children who are receiving their education -at Point Loma, _San Diego_. Katherine Tingley landed in Liverpool in -the summer of 1907; and the next morning's London papers teemed with -accounts of her--pages of accounts of her--and of her colossal and -beneficent undertaking at Point Loma, _San Diego_. And so on, and so -on, and so on. With the best facilities in the world and a genius for -advertising, and with the expenditure of millions, San Diego could -hardly have advertised herself in the way that Mrs. Tingley, through -her Theosophical work, has caused her to be advertised; and it has cost -San Diego nothing. - -But all this has been merely, or mainly, for the material advantage -of the city. A man (or a place) may acquire a false fame, that he -cannot or will not live up to; and he will be paid with contempt later, -more oppressive than the obscurity he had at first. Mrs. Tingley -has done more than this. She has laid down the lines, and labored -without ceasing, for the real advance and benefit of the city. Is it -nothing that San Diego should have in its core a Center such as this -Theosophical one at Point Loma--a center where the higher life is -being lived, where money is not the motive, where the greatest effort -of the age is being made to uplift humanity? The greatest effort? Yes; -because the one that knows best what must be done to attain success, -and on what foundations in the nature of man this success must be based. - -Consider her fame throughout the world; her fame as an orator, that -will crowd the biggest halls in any city in Europe, and bring hundreds -to the doors who cannot gain admission. There _may_ be some other -living Americans of whom as much can be said; but there are not many. -How many visitors are attracted to San Diego yearly by Katherine -Tingley's famous work at Point Loma, and because this world-renowned -orator will certainly be speaking at the Isis Theater twice or three -times, or perhaps more often, in each season? And what will be the -result of these many speeches of hers, that so many thousands have -heard? - -The result may not be so visible yet that "he who runs may read"; -neither is the result of the great fertilizing you gave your -field--until the grain has sprouted, and the brown earth is covered -with greenness. But the result is that seeds of coming greatness, in a -real sense--seeds of a higher, cleaner, saner life--have been sown in -the life and thought of the city. In time you shall see the harvest. -It will be a clean city, such as Calvin, for example, strove to make -of his Geneva; a city without stain or blemish, without saloon or -redlight. Beyond that, it will be a city perhaps of many theaters, in -which the highest, the most classical and beautiful of the world's -dramas will be shown--and in which there will never be anything shown -approaching the commonplace, the vulgar, the stupid. It will be a City -Beautiful, a place of marvelous architecture, exquisite gardening. It -will be a city whose press will be clean, elevating, unsensational, -instructive; a press that will not lie nor slander nor _touch personal -themes_; that will give the news, and not rake hell and the gutters, -fact and fancy, for all kinds of nauseousness and nonsense; a press -that will be a model to the press of the world. From all the world the -best people will be sending their children to be educated here. - -There is no limit to the high possibilities of San Diego--the high -possibilities that Katherine Tingley has helped to make possible. How -long, O San Diego, before these things shall be? It is for you to -answer; it is for you to answer. - - - - -The Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society - -Established for the Benefit of the People of the Earth and all Creatures - - -OBJECTS - -This Brotherhood is part of a great and universal movement which has -been active in all ages. - -This Organization declares that Brotherhood is a fact in Nature. Its -principal purpose is to teach Brotherhood, demonstrate that it is a -fact in Nature, and make it a living power in the life of humanity. - -Its subsidiary purpose is to study ancient and modern religions, -science, philosophy and art; to investigate the laws of Nature and the -divine powers in man. - -[Illustration] - - -H. P. BLAVATSKY, FOUNDRESS AND TEACHER - -The present Theosophical Movement was inaugurated by Helena Petrovna -Blavatsky in New York in 1875. The original name was "The Theosophical -Society." Associated with her were William Q. Judge and others. -Madame Blavatsky for a time preferred not to hold any outer official -position except that of Corresponding Secretary. But later, in 1888, -she dissolved a Center in France and cancelled its by-laws, which -action was afterwards formally ratified by the Executive Council of the -Society. Referring to this she wrote in her English magazine as follows: - - This settles the question of the actual right of the Corresponding - Secretary--one of the founders--to interfere in such exceptional cases - when the welfare and reputation of the Theosophical Society are at - stake. In no other, except such a case, would the undersigned have - consented or taken upon herself the right of interfering. - -Later she assumed the Presidency of the British Section of the -Theosophical Society. Further, in response to the statement published -by a then prominent member in India that Madame Blavatsky is "loyal to -the Theosophical Society and to Adyar," Madame Blavatsky wrote: - - It is pure nonsense to say that "H. P. B. ... is loyal to the - Theosophical Society and to Adyar"(!?). _H. P. B. is loyal to death to - the Theosophical cause and those Great Teachers whose philosophy can - alone bind the whole of Humanity into one Brotherhood_.... The degree - of her sympathies with the Theosophical Society and Adyar depends upon - the degree of the loyalty of that Society to the CAUSE. Let it break - away from the original lines and show disloyalty in its policy to the - cause and the original program of the Society, and H. P. B., calling - the T. S. disloyal, will shake it off like dust from her feet. - -All true students know that Madame Blavatsky held the highest -authority, the only real authority which comes of wisdom and power, the -authority of Teacher and Leader, the real head, heart, and inspiration -of the whole Theosophical Movement. It was through her that the -teachings of Theosophy were given to the world, and without her the -Theosophical Movement could not have been. - - -BRANCH SOCIETIES IN EUROPE AND INDIA - -In 1878 Madame Blavatsky left the United States, first visiting -Great Britain and then India, in both of which countries she founded -branch societies. The parent body in New York became later the Aryan -Theosophical Society and HAS ALWAYS HAD ITS HEADQUARTERS IN AMERICA; -and of this, William Q. Judge was President until his death in 1896. - -To one who accepts the teachings of Theosophy it is plain to see that -although Theosophy is of no nationality or country but for all, yet -it has a peculiar relationship with America. Not only was the United -States the birthplace of the Theosophical Society, and the home of the -Parent Body up to the present time, but H. P. Blavatsky, the Foundress -of the Society, although a Russian by birth, became an American -citizen; William Q. Judge, of Irish parentage and birth, also became -an American citizen; and Katherine Tingley is American born. America -therefore not only has played a unique part in the history of the -present Theosophical Movement, but it is plain to see that its destiny -is closely interwoven with that of Theosophy; and by America is meant -not only the United States or even the North American continent, but -also the South American continent, and, as repeatedly declared by -Madame Blavatsky, it is in this great Western Hemisphere as a whole, -North and South, that the next great Race of humanity is to be born. - - -ENEMIES OF PROGRESS - -While the main object of the Society from the first was to establish a -nucleus of Universal Brotherhood, there were some, we regret to state, -who joined the Society from far different motives. Many were wholly -sincere in their interest and efforts to benefit the human race, but as -in other societies, so in this, there were a few who entered its ranks -seeking an opportunity to gratify their ambition and love of power. -Still others, in their carping egotism thought that they knew more -than their Teacher, H. P. Blavatsky, and were jealous of that Teacher, -and later of the one whom she left as her successor and Teacher in her -place. - -Thus it was that there were attacks from the very first against the -teachings of Theosophy, but more than all against the one who brought -again these teachings to the world--Madame H. P. Blavatsky--and on -handing the guidance of the Theosophical Movement on to her successors -they too have been subject to similar attacks from the forces of evil, -whose very existence is threatened by the spread of the teachings of -Theosophy, which are the teachings of truth. - -Madame Blavatsky's mission was in part to tear down the materialism -of the age on one hand, and dogmatic domination on the other, and -this made for her many bitter enemies. It was not long before enmity -and unbrotherliness met her on every side, and these culminated in -a plan to overthrow the influence of Theosophy and discredit her -before the world. It was in India, in 1884, that this plan unfolded. -Two ingrates, (French people, man and wife) who had been befriended -by Madame Blavatsky when they were starving and ragged, and who -later attempted to blackmail some of the members of the Society, -and confessed themselves to be bribe-takers, liars, and forgers, -associated themselves with the Christian College of Madras, India, and -sought to destroy Madame Blavatsky and her work. It was afterwards -discovered--admitted by the missionaries themselves, and published -in the Madras _Mail_--that these missionaries had agreed to pay a -large sum of money to the above-referred-to people for letters of -Madame Blavatsky. These letters, as was afterwards proven, were gross -forgeries. - -At the same time the Psychical Research Society sent out as its agent a -young man who had just left college, to investigate and make a report. -This young man, wholly inexperienced, had all his traveling expenses -paid on his long trip of sight-seeing, and no doubt felt that he must -make some report to warrant the large outlay for his expenses, and -in order to earn his salary. The whole source of this young man's -information, on which he based his report, was the testimony of the two -people above referred to, who later confessed their fraud. Furthermore, -the young man published as his own a drawing made by William Q. Judge -of something that the young man had no possibility of seeing, as it -did not exist in that state when the young man arrived in India. -Nevertheless, the Psychical Research Society accepted the young man's -unsupported testimony, without asking for any answer from Madame -Blavatsky, nor did they ask her friends, but made their report solely -on the testimony of two perjured ingrates, and of a young man, who -appropriated the work of another as his own. - - -MADAME BLAVATSKY FOUNDS THE ESOTERIC SCHOOL - -HER LIFE-LONG TRUST IN WILLIAM Q. JUDGE - -In 1888, H. P. Blavatsky, then in London, on the suggestion and at the -request of her Colleague, William Q. Judge, founded the Esoteric School -of Theosophy, a body for students, of which H. P. Blavatsky wrote -that it was "the heart of the Theosophical Movement," and of which -she appointed William Q. Judge as her sole representative in America. -Further, writing officially to the Convention of the American Societies -held in Chicago, 1888, she wrote as follows: - - To William Q. Judge, General Secretary of the American Section of the - Theosophical Society: - - My dearest Brother and Co-Founder of the Theosophical Society: - - In addressing to you this letter, which I request you to read to the - Convention summoned for April 22nd, I must first present my hearty - congratulations and most cordial good wishes to the Society and - yourself--the heart and soul of that body in America. We were several - to call it to life in 1875. Since then you have remained alone to - preserve that life through good and evil report. It is to you chiefly, - if not entirely, that the Theosophical Society owes its existence in - 1888. Let me thank you for it, for the first, and perhaps for the - last time publicly, and from the bottom of my heart, which beats only - for the cause you represent so well and serve so faithfully. I ask - you also to remember that on this important occasion, my voice is but - the feeble echo of other more sacred voices, and the transmitter of - the approval of Those whose presence is alive in more than one true - Theosophical heart, and lives, as I know, pre-eminently in yours. - -This regard that Madame Blavatsky had for her Colleague William Q. -Judge continued undiminished until her death in 1891, when he became -her successor. - - -THE TRUE AND THE COUNTERFEIT - -In giving even such a brief sketch as the present necessarily is of the -objects and history of the Theosophical Society, it is nevertheless -due to all honest and fair-minded people that an explanation should be -given why there are small bodies of people here and there which are -labeled Theosophical but which are in no way endorsed or recognized by -the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society. These small bodies -have sprung up from year to year in different parts of the world, and -though in the aggregate their efforts and influence have been weak, -they have nevertheless been more or less successful in misleading -honest minds from the truth. It becomes a duty therefore to call -attention to these matters and to give warning lest others be misled. -In other words a distinction must be drawn between the true and the -counterfeit. - -Madame Blavatsky, in 1889, writing in her Theosophical magazine -published in London, said that the purpose of the magazine was not -only to promulgate Theosophy, but also and as a consequence of such -promulgation, "to bring to light the hidden things of darkness." She -further says: - - As to the "weak-minded Theosophists"--if any--they can take care - of themselves in the way they please. IF THE "FALSE PROPHETS OF - THEOSOPHY" ARE TO BE LEFT UNTOUCHED, THE TRUE PROPHETS WILL BE VERY - SOON--AS THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN--CONFUSED WITH THE FALSE. IT IS HIGH - TIME TO WINNOW OUR CORN AND CAST AWAY THE CHAFF. The Theosophical - Society is becoming enormous in its numbers, and if the _false_ - prophets, the pretenders, or even the weak-minded dupes, are left - alone, then the Society threatens to become very soon a fanatical body - split into three hundred sects--like Protestantism--each hating the - other, and all bent on destroying the truth by monstrous exaggerations - and idiotic schemes and shams. We do not believe in allowing the - presence of _sham_ elements in Theosophy, because of the fear, - forsooth, that if even "a false element in the faith" is _ridiculed_, - the latter is "apt to shake the confidence" in the whole. - - ... What _true_ Christians shall see their co-religionists making - fools of themselves, or disgracing their faith, and still abstain - from rebuking them publicly as privately, for fear lest this _false_ - element should throw out of Christianity the rest of the believers. - - THE WISE MAN COURTS TRUTH; THE FOOL, FLATTERY. - - However it may be, let rather our ranks be made thinner, than the - Theosophical Society go on being made a spectacle to the world through - the exaggerations of some fanatics, and the attempt of various - _charlatans_ to profit by a ready-made program. These, by disfiguring - and adapting Occultism to their own filthy and immoral ends, bring - disgrace upon the whole movement.--_Lucifer_, Vol. iv, pp. 2 & 3. - - -THE DUTY OF A THEOSOPHIST - -In regard to the above it should be remembered that Madame Blavatsky -wrote this in 1889 and had in view certain people who were advocating -immoral teachings and practices in the sacred name of Theosophy, -and it shows clearly what she would have done and what would be a -Theosophical duty should ever a similar occasion arise. Thanks to the -safe-guarding of the Theosophical Movement by the Constitution of -the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, such cannot ever -arise in the Society itself, but just as there is no legal means of -preventing anyone from calling himself a Christian however much his -life may depart from the teachings and ideals of the Teacher whose name -he so dishonors, so there is no means of preventing unworthy people -from using the sacred name of Theosophy and giving out teachings or -advocating practices which are absolutely contrary to the teachings of -Theosophy as given first by our Teacher, H. P. Blavatsky, and later by -her successors, William Q. Judge and Katherine Tingley. - -It is a matter of great regret that we have to refer to these things, -but although unpleasant it is nevertheless a duty. It is for the -above-named reasons and to forestall misconception on the part of the -public that we make mention here of those enemies to true Theosophy -who sprang up not only outside but within the ranks of the Society. H. -P. Blavatsky had her enemies and those who sought to discredit her not -only before the public but before her own students; and so too William -Q. Judge had his, and Katherine Tingley has hers also. In fact, was -there ever a Teacher who came to do good and help humanity who was not -maligned and persecuted? - - -WILLIAM Q. JUDGE ELECTED PRESIDENT FOR LIFE - -In 1893 there openly began what had been going on beneath the surface -for some time, a bitter attack ostensibly against William Q. Judge, but -in reality also against H. P. Blavatsky. This bitter attack threatened -to disrupt the whole Society and to thwart the main purpose of its -existence, which was to further the cause of Universal Brotherhood. -Finally the American members decided to take action, and at the annual -convention of the Society held in Boston in 1895, by a vote of 191 -delegates to 10, re-asserted the principles of Theosophy as laid down -by H. P. Blavatsky, and elected William Q. Judge president for life. -Similar action was almost immediately taken by members in Europe, -Australia, and other countries, in each case William Q. Judge being -elected president for life. In this action the great majority of the -active members throughout the world concurred, and thus the Society -was relieved of those who had joined it for other purposes than the -furtherance of Universal Brotherhood, the carrying out of the Society's -other objects, and the spiritual freedom and upliftment of Humanity. -A few of these in order to curry favor with the public and attract a -following, continued among themselves to use the name of Theosophy, -but it should be understood that they _are not connected with the -Theosophical Movement_. - - -KATHERINE TINGLEY SUCCEEDS WILLIAM Q. JUDGE - -One year later, in March 1896, William Q. Judge died, leaving as his -successor Katherine Tingley, who for several years had been associated -with him in the work of the Society. This Teacher not only began -immediately to put into actual practice the ideals of Theosophy as had -been the hope and aim of both H. P. Blavatsky and William Q. Judge, and -for which they had laid the foundations, thus honoring and illustrating -the work of her illustrious predecessors, but she also struck a new -keynote, introducing new and broader plans for uplifting humanity. -For each of the Teachers, while continuing the work and building upon -the foundations of his predecessor, adds a new link, and has his own -distinctive work to do, and teachings to give, belonging to his own -time and position. - -No sooner had Katherine Tingley begun her work as successor, than -further attacks, some most insidious, from the same source as those -made against H. P. Blavatsky and William Q. Judge, as well as from -other sources, were inaugurated against her. Most prominent among -those thus attacking Katherine Tingley were some referred to by Madame -Blavatsky in the article above-quoted (pp. 79-80), who by their own -actions had removed themselves from the ranks of the Society. There -were also a few others who still remained in the Society who had not -joined hands with the disintegrators at the time the latter were -repudiated in 1895. These now thought it to their personal advantage -to oppose the Leader and sought to gain control of the Society and -use it for political purposes. These ambitious agitators, seeking to -exploit the Society for their own ends, used every means to overthrow -Katherine Tingley, realizing that she was the greatest obstacle to -the accomplishment of their desires, for if she could be removed they -expected to gain control. They worked day and night, stooping almost to -any means to carry out their projects. Yet it seemed that by these very -acts, i. e., the more they attacked, the more were honest and earnest -members attracted to the ranks of the Society under Katherine Tingley's -leadership. - - -KATHERINE TINGLEY GIVES SOCIETY NEW CONSTITUTION - -SOCIETY MERGES INTO BROADER FIELD OF WORK - -To eliminate these menacing features and to safeguard the work of -the Theosophical Movement for all time, Katherine Tingley presented -to a number of the oldest members gathered at her home in New York -on the night of January 13th, 1898, a new Constitution which she had -formulated for the more permanent and broader work of the Theosophical -Movement, opening up a wider field of endeavor than had heretofore been -possible to students of Theosophy. One month later, at the Convention -of the Society, held in Chicago, February 18th, 1898, this Constitution -was accepted by an almost unanimous vote, and the Theosophical Society -merged itself into the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society. -In this new step forward, she had the heartiest co-operation and -support of the vast majority of the members throughout the world. Only -a few were unable to accept the wider opportunity now afforded them and -removed themselves from the ranks, seeking other fields in which to -exploit their ambitious plans. The members were truly greatly relieved -that the Constitution of the Society made it virtually impossible for -agitators to remain members. The Society in order to fulfil its great -mission must necessarily be unsectarian and non-political, and any -attempts to use it for political purposes would be subversive of its -high aims and have always been discouraged by our Leaders. As the years -went on, it appeared that there were still a few not yet prepared to -co-operate fully in the broader interests of the Society, and these -finally dropped out. - - -THEOSOPHY IN PRACTICE - -It is of interest here to quote our Teacher's own words regarding this -time. In an article published in the _Metropolitan Magazine_, New York, -October, 1909, she says: - - Later, I found myself the successor of William Q. Judge, and I began - my heart work, the inspiration of which is partly due to him. - - In all my writings and associations with the members of the - Theosophical Society, I emphasized the necessity of putting Theosophy - into daily practice, and in such a way that it would continuously - demonstrate that it was the redeeming power of man. More familiarity - with the organization and its workers brought home to me the fact that - there was a certain number of students who had in the early days begun - the wrong way to study Theosophy, and that it was becoming in their - lives a death-like sleep. I noticed that those who followed this line - of action were always alarmed at my humanitarian tendencies. WHENEVER - I REMINDED THEM THAT THEY WERE BUILDING A COLOSSAL EGOTISM INSTEAD - OF A POWER TO DO GOOD, THEY SUBTLY OPPOSED ME. AS I INSISTED ON THE - PRACTICAL LIFE OF THEOSOPHY, THEY OPPOSED STILL MORE. They later - exerted personal influence which affected certain members throughout - the world. It was this condition which then menaced the Theosophical - Movement, and which forced me to the point of taking such action as - would fully protect the pure teachings of Theosophy and make possible - a broader path for unselfish students to follow. Thus the faithful - members of the Theosophical Movement would be able to exemplify the - charge which Helena Petrovna Blavatsky gave to her pupils, as follows: - - "Real Theosophy is altruism, and we cannot repeat it too often. It is - brotherly love, mutual help, unswerving devotion to truth. If once men - do but realize that in these alone can true happiness be found, and - never in wealth, possession or any selfish gratification, then the - dark cloud will roll away, and a new humanity will be born upon the - earth. Then the Golden Age will be there indeed." - -Here we find William Q. Judge accentuating the same spirit, the -practical Theosophical life: - - "The power to know does not come from book-study alone, nor from mere - philosophy, but mostly from the actual practice of altruism in deed, - word, and thought; for that practice purifies the covers of the soul - and permits the divine light to shine down into the brain-mind." - - -THE PARTING OF THE WAYS - -On February 18, 1898, at the Convention of the Theosophical Society -in America, held at Chicago, Ill., the Society resolved, through its -delegates from all parts of the world, to enter a larger arena, to -widen its scope and to further protect the teachings of Theosophy. Amid -most intense enthusiasm the Theosophical Society was expanded into the -Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, and I found myself -recognized as its leader and official head. The Theosophical Society -in Europe also resolved to merge itself into the Universal Brotherhood -and Theosophical Society, and the example was quickly followed by -Theosophical Societies in other parts of the world. The expansion of -the original Theosophical Society, which Madame Blavatsky founded and -which William Q. Judge so ably sustained, now called the Universal -Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, gave birth to a new life, and the -membership trebled the first year, and ever since that time a rapid -increase has followed. - - -KATHERINE TINGLEY'S PRACTICAL HUMANITARIAN WORK - -UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT GIVES ASSISTANCE - -In 1898 Katherine Tingley established the International Brotherhood -League, the department of the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical -Society for practical humanitarian work, and under its auspices -rendered aid to thousands of soldiers at Montauk after the close of the -Spanish-American War. Later she took a relief expedition into Cuba, -the United States Government affording her free transportation for -physicians, nurses, and supplies. Thus began her work in Cuba, which -has resulted in the establishment of Râja Yoga Colleges at Santiago de -Cuba, Santa Clara, and Pinar del Rio, and now in preparation at San -Juan on the site of the famous battlefield which Katherine Tingley has -recently purchased. - -In these Colleges, besides the world-famous Râja Yoga College at Point -Loma, a great educational work is being carried on in which are being -taught the highest ideals of patriotism and national life in addition -to the development of character and the upbuilding of pure-minded and -self-reliant manhood and womanhood to the end that each pupil may be -prepared to take an honorable self-reliant position in the world's -work. Other school sites acquired by Mrs. Katherine Tingley are in the -New Forest, England, and also on the Island of Visingsö, Sweden. - - -INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS AT POINT LOMA, CALIFORNIA - -In 1900 the Headquarters of the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical -Society were moved from New York to Point Loma, California, which -is now the International Center of the Theosophical Movement. This -Organization is unsectarian and non-political; none of its officers or -workers receives any salary or financial recompense. - -In her article in _The Metropolitan Magazine_ above referred to, -Katherine Tingley further says: - - The knowledge that Point Loma was to be the World-center of the - Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, which has for its - supreme object the elevation of the race, created great enthusiasm - among its members throughout the world. The further fact that the - government of the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society rests - entirely with the leader and official head, who holds her office for - life and who has the privilege of appointing her successor, gave - me the power to carry out some of the plans I had long cherished. - Among these was the erecting of the great Homestead Building. This I - carefully designed that it might not stand apart from the beautiful - nature about it, but in a sense harmonize with the sky, the distant - mountains, the broad blue Pacific, and the glorious light of the sun. - - So it has been from the first, so that the practical work of Theosophy - began at Point Loma under the most favorable circumstances. No one - dominated by selfish aims and ambitions was invited to take part in - this pioneer work. Although there were scores of workers from various - parts of the world uniting their efforts with mine for the upbuilding - of this world-center, yet there was no disharmony. Each took the duty - allotted him and worked trustingly and cheerfully. Many of the world's - ways these workers gladly left behind them. They seemed reborn with an - enthusiasm that knew no defeat. The work was done for the love of it, - and this is the secret of a large part of the success that has come to - the Theosophical Movement. - - Not long after the establishment of the International Theosophical - Headquarters at Point Loma, it was plain to see that the Society was - advancing along all lines by leaps and bounds. Letters of inquiry were - pouring in from different countries, which led to my establishing - the Theosophical Propaganda Bureau. This is one of the greatest - factors we have in disseminating our teachings. The International - Brotherhood League then opened its offices and has ever been active - in its special humanitarian work, being the directing power which has - sustained the several Râja Yoga schools and academies, now in Pinar - del Rio, Santa Clara, and Santiago de Cuba, from the beginning. The - Aryan Theosophical Press has yearly enlarged its facilities in answer - to the demands made upon it through the publication of Theosophical - literature, which includes THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH and several other - publications. There is the Isis Conservatory of Music and Drama, the - Department of Arts and Crafts, the Industrial Department, including - Forestry, Agriculture, Roadbuilding, Photo-engraving, Chemical - laboratory, Landscape-gardening, and many other crafts. - - -DO NOT FAIL TO PROFIT BY THE FOLLOWING - -CONSTANTLY THE QUESTION IS ASKED, WHAT IS THEOSOPHY, WHAT DOES IT -REALLY TEACH? EACH YEAR THE LIFE AND WORK OF H. P. BLAVATSKY AND -THE HIGH IDEALS AND PURE MORALITY OF HER TEACHINGS ARE MORE CLEARLY -VINDICATED. EACH YEAR THE POSITION TAKEN BY WILLIAM Q. JUDGE AND -KATHERINE TINGLEY IN REGARD TO THEIR PREDECESSOR, H. P. BLAVATSKY, IS -BETTER UNDERSTOOD, AND THEIR OWN LIVES AND WORK ARE SEEN TO BE ACTUATED -BY THE SAME HIGH IDEALS FOR THE UPLIFTING OF THE HUMAN RACE. EACH YEAR -MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE COMING TO REALIZE THAT NOT ALL THAT GOES -UNDER THE NAME OF THEOSOPHY IS RIGHTLY SO CALLED, BUT THAT THERE IS A -COUNTERFEIT THEOSOPHY AS WELL AS THE TRUE, AND THAT THERE IS NEED OF -DISCRIMINATION, LEST MANY BE MISLED. - - -"THEOSOPHIST IS WHO THEOSOPHY DOES" - -From the earliest days of the present Theosophical Movement has it -been necessary to make this distinction, but there is one unfailing -test expressed in the words of H. P. Blavatsky: "Theosophist is who -Theosophy does." In the past many have been attracted to the ranks -of the Society through motives other than those which lead, not only -to the _study_ of Theosophy, the Wisdom-Religion, but to the making -of it a factor of purification of their daily lives; some seeking -admission from motives of ambition or other self-interest, some for -mere entertainment or for the acquirement of so-called "occult" -powers--thinking they could gain the knowledge without the practice -of Theosophy, the first step of which is altruism; and some from mere -curiosity, hoping to find in Theosophy a new fad. The presence of such -pseudo-Theosophists in the ranks has at times necessitated drastic -action, and on one or two occasions reorganization of the whole Society -in order that it might be held to its original high ideals and the -lines on which it was founded. And though the Universal Brotherhood and -Theosophical Society is not for saints, the demand is made upon all who -are in its ranks that there shall be a constant effort to live up to -its high ideals of purity and altruistic endeavor, that there shall be -practice and not mere theory, and that both by word and deed the lives -of the members shall be an example to all men and especially to the -young. - -In certain cases as before referred to, those who have been removed -from the ranks of the Society have with their associates formed small -centers of their own, using the name Theosophy and to some extent the -writings of Madame Blavatsky. This has caused confusion in the minds of -some who look at things merely superficially, accepting the professions -of people without regard to their motives or lives; and hence it is -necessary from time to time to clear the air, as it were, and, sweeping -away the veneer of mere profession, show the facts as they really are. - -Counterfeits exist in many departments of life and thought, and -especially in matters relating to religion and the deeper teachings of -life. Hence, in order that people who are honestly seeking the truth -may not be misled, we deem it important to state that the Universal -Brotherhood and Theosophical Society is not responsible for, nor is it -affiliated with, nor does it endorse, any other society which, while -calling itself Theosophical, is not connected with the International -Theosophical Headquarters at Point Loma, California. Having a knowledge -of Theosophy, the ancient Wisdom-Religion, we deem it as a sacred -trust and responsibility to maintain its pure teachings, free from the -vagaries, additions, or misrepresentations of ambitious self-styled -Theosophists and would-be teachers. The test of a Theosophist is not in -profession, but in action, and in a noble and virtuous life. The motto -of the Society is "There is no religion higher than Truth." This was -adopted by Madame Blavatsky, but it is to be deeply regretted that -there are no legal means to prevent the use of this motto in connexion -with counterfeit Theosophy, by people professing to be Theosophists, -but who would not be recognized as such by Madame Blavatsky. - -It is a regrettable fact that many people use the name of Theosophy -and of our Organization for self-interest, as also that of H. P. -Blavatsky, the Foundress, and even the Society's motto, to attract -attention to themselves and to gain public support. This they do in -private and public speech and in publications. Without being in any way -connected with the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, in -many cases they permit it to be inferred that they are, thus misleading -the public, and honest inquirers are hence led away from the original -truths of Theosophy. - -The Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society welcomes to -membership all who truly love their fellow men and desire the -eradication of the evils caused by the barriers of race, creed, caste, -or color, which have so long impeded human progress; to all sincere -lovers of truth and to all who aspire to higher and better things than -the mere pleasures and interests of a worldly life, and are prepared to -do all in their power to make Brotherhood a living energy in the life -of humanity, its various departments offer unlimited opportunities. - -The whole work of the Organization is under the direction of the Leader -and Official Head, Katherine Tingley, as outlined in the Constitution. - - -OBJECTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD LEAGUE - -1. To help men and women to realize the nobility of their calling and -their true position in life. - -2. To educate children of all nations on the broadest lines of -Universal Brotherhood and to prepare destitute and homeless children to -become workers for humanity. - -3. To ameliorate the condition of unfortunate women, and assist them to -a higher life. - -4. To assist those who are or have been in prisons to establish -themselves in honorable positions in life. - -5. To abolish capital punishment. - -6. To bring about a better understanding between so-called savage -and civilized races, by promoting a closer and more sympathetic -relationship between them. - -7. To relieve human suffering resulting from flood, famine, war, and -other calamities; and, generally, to extend aid, help, and comfort to -suffering humanity throughout the world. - - JOSEPH H. FUSSELL - Secretary - - Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society. - - International Headquarters Point Loma, California. - - - - - BOOK LIST - OF WORKS ON - THEOSOPHY, OCCULTISM, RELIGION, PHILOSOPHY, SCIENCE, AND ART - - PUBLISHED OR FOR SALE BY - - THE THEOSOPHICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY - INTERNATIONAL THEOSOPHICAL HEADQUARTERS - POINT LOMA, CALIFORNIA, U. S. A. - - _The office of the Theosophical Publishing Company is at Point Loma, - California_ - - _It has_ NO OTHER OFFICE _and_ NO BRANCHES - - -FOREIGN AGENCIES - - _=THE UNITED KINGDOM=_--Theosophical Book Co., 18 Bartlett's - Buildings, Holborn Circus, LONDON, E. C., England - - _=GERMANY=_--J. Th. Heller, Vestnertorgraben 13, NÜRNBERG - - _=SWEDEN=_--Universella Broderskapets Förlag, Barnhusgatan, 10, - STOCKHOLM - - _=HOLLAND=_--Louis F. Schudel, Hollandia-Drukkerij, BAARN - - _=AUSTRALIA=_--Willans and Williams, 16 Carrington St., Wynyard Sq., - SYDNEY, N. S. W. - - _=CUBA=_--H. S. Turner, Apartado 127; or Heredia, Baja, 10, SANTIAGO - DE CUBA - - _=MEXICO=_--Samuel L. Herrera, Calle de la Independencia, 55 altos, - VERA CRUZ, V. C. - - - ADDRESS BY KATHERINE TINGLEY at San Diego Opera House, - March, 1902 $ .15 - - AN APPEAL TO PUBLIC CONSCIENCE: an Address delivered by - Katherine Tingley at Isis Theater, San Diego, July 22, 1906. - Published by the Woman's Theosophical Propaganda League, - Point Loma .05 - - ASTRAL INTOXICATION, and Other Papers (W. Q. Judge) .03 - - BHAGAVAD GÎTÂ (recension by W. Q. Judge). The pearl of the - scriptures of the East. American edition; pocket size; - morocco, gilt edges 1.00 - - CONCENTRATION, CULTURE OF (W. Q. Judge) .15 - - DEVACHAN; or the Heavenworld (H. Coryn) .05 - - ECHOES FROM THE ORIENT; a broad Outline of Theosophical Doctrines. - Written for the newspaper reading public. (W. Q. Judge) - Sm. 8vo, cloth .50 - Paper .25 - - EPITOME OF THEOSOPHICAL TEACHINGS, AN (W. Q. Judge); 40 pages .15 - - FREEMASONRY AND JESUITRY, The Pith and Marrow of the Closing and - Coming Century and Related Position of, (Rameses) .15 - 8 copies for $1.00; per hundred, $10.00 - - KATHERINE TINGLEY, Humanity's Friend; A VISIT TO KATHERINE TINGLEY - (by John Hubert Greusel); A STUDY OF RÂJA YOGA AT POINT LOMA - (Reprint from the San Francisco _Chronicle_, Jan. 6, 1907). - The above three comprised in a pamphlet of 50 pages, published - by the Woman's Theosophical Propaganda League, Point Loma .15 - - HYPNOTISM: _Hypnotism_, by W. Q. Judge (Reprint from _The Path_, - vol. viii, p. 335); _Why Does Katherine Tingley Oppose - Hypnotism?_ by a Student (Reprint from _New Century Path_, - Oct. 28, 1906); _Evils of Hypnotism_, by Lydia Ross, M. D. .15 - - INCIDENTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE THEOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT; - by Joseph H. Fussell. 24 pages, royal 8vo. .15 - - ISIS UNVEILED, by H. P. Blavatsky. 2 vols, royal 8vo, about 1500 - pages; cloth; with portrait of the author. _Point Loma Edition, - with a preface._ Postpaid 4.00 - - KEY TO THEOSOPHY, THE: by H. P. Blavatsky. _Point Loma Edition_, - with _Glossary_ and exhaustive _Index_. Portraits of H. P. - Blavatsky and William Q. Judge. 8vo., cloth, 400 pages. - Postpaid 2.25 - - LIFE AT POINT LOMA, THE: Some Notes by Katherine Tingley. - (Reprinted from the _Los Angeles Saturday Post_, - December, 1902) .15 - - LIGHT ON THE PATH (M. C.), with Comments, and a short chapter on - Karma. Authoritative rules for treading the path of a higher - life. _Point Loma Edition_, pocket size edition of this classic, - leather .75 - Embossed paper .25 - - MYSTERIES OF THE HEART DOCTRINE, THE. Prepared by - _Katherine Tingley_ and her pupils. Square 8vo, cloth 2.00 - Paper 1.00 - A SERIES OF 8 PAMPHLETS, comprising the different Articles - in above, paper, each .25 - - NIGHTMARE TALES (H. P. Blavatsky). _Illustrated by R. Machell._ - A collection of the weirdest tales ever written down. Cloth .60 - Paper .35 - - THE PLOUGH AND THE CROSS. A story of New Ireland; by William - Patrick O'Ryan. 12mo, 378 pages. Illustrated. Cloth 1.00 - - SECRET DOCTRINE, THE. The Synthesis of Science, Religion, and - Philosophy, by H. P. Blavatsky. _Point Loma Edition_; with - Index. Two vols., royal 8vo, about 1500 pages; cloth. Postage - prepaid 10.00 - Reprinted from the original edition of 1888, as issued by - H. P. Blavatsky - - SOME OF THE ERRORS OF CHRISTIAN SCIENCE. Criticism by H. P. - Blavatsky and W. Q. Judge .15 - - VOICE OF THE SILENCE, THE. (For the daily use of disciples.) - Translated and annotated by H. P. Blavatsky. - Pocket size, leather .75 - - YOGA APHORISMS (translated by W. Q. Judge), pocket size, leather .75 - - - _=GREEK SYMPOSIA=_, as performed by students of the Isis League of - Music and Drama, under direction of Katherine Tingley. 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A. - -_Neither the Editors of the above publications, nor the officers of -The Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, or of any of its -departments, receive salaries or other remuneration. All profits -arising from the business of the Theosophical Publishing Co., are -devoted to Humanitarian work. All who assist in that work are directly -helping that cause._ - - -[Illustration: THE PATH] - - The Theosophical Path - - An International Magazine - Unsectarian and nonpolitical - - Monthly Illustrated - - [Illustration] - - Devoted to the Brotherhood of Humanity, the promulgation - of Theosophy, the study of ancient & modern - Ethics, Philosophy, Science and Art, and to the uplifting - and purification of Home and National Life - - Edited by Katherine Tingley - International Theosophical Headquarters, Point Loma, California, U.S.A. - - - - - _Man ought to be ever striving to help the divine evolution of_ IDEAS, - _by becoming to the best of his ability a_ CO-WORKER WITH NATURE _in - the cyclic task. The ever unknowable and incognizable_ KÂRANA _alone, - the_ CAUSELESS _Cause of all causes, should have its shrine and - altar on the holy and ever untrodden ground of our heart--invisible, - intangible, unmentioned, save through "the still small voice" of our - spiritual consciousness. Those who worship before it, should to do so - in the silence and the sanctified solitude of their Souls;[3] making - their spirit the sole mediator between them and the_ UNIVERSAL SPIRIT, - _their good actions the only priests, and their sinful intentions the - only visible and objective sacrificial victims to the_ PRESENCE.--H. - P. BLAVATSKY, in _The Secret Doctrine_, vol. 1, page 280 - -[3] "_When thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are ... -but enter into_ THINE INNER CHAMBER AND HAVING SHUT THY DOOR, PRAY TO -THY FATHER WHICH IS IN SECRET." (_Matt. vi._) _Our Father is_ WITHIN US -_"in Secret," our seventh principle, in the "inner chamber" of our Soul -perception. "The Kingdom of Heaven" and of God_ "IS WITHIN US" _says -Jesus, not_ OUTSIDE. - -_Why are Christians so absolutely blind to the self-evident meaning of -the words of wisdom they delight in mechanically repeating?_ - - - - -THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH - -MONTHLY ILLUSTRATED - -EDITED BY KATHERINE TINGLEY - -NEW CENTURY CORPORATION, POINT LOMA, CALIFORNIA, U. S. A. - -Application for entry as second class matter at the Post Office at -Point Loma, California, pending. - -Copyright, 1911, by Katherine Tingley - - -COMMUNICATIONS - -Communications for the Editor should be addressed to "KATHERINE -TINGLEY, _Editor_, THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH, Point Loma, Cal." - -To the BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, including subscriptions, address the "New -Century Corporation, Point Loma, California." - - -MANUSCRIPTS - -The Editor cannot undertake to return manuscripts; none will be -considered unless accompanied by the author's name and marked with the -number of words. - -The Editor is responsible only for views expressed in unsigned articles. - - -SUBSCRIPTION - -By the year, postpaid, in the United States, Canada, Cuba, Mexico, -Porto Rico, Hawaii, and the Philippines, TWO DOLLARS; other countries -in the Postal Union, TWO DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS, payable in advance; -single copy, TWENTY CENTS. - - -REMITTANCES - -All remittances to the New Century Corporation must be made payable to -"CLARK THURSTON, _Manager_," Point Loma, California. - - - VOL. I NO. 2 CONTENTS AUGUST 1911 - - - Scene from _The Aroma of Athens_ _Frontispiece_ - - Theosophy and Modern Scientific Discoveries by Charles J. Ryan 87 - - The Bridges of Paris (_illustrated_) by G. K. 96 - - Old Brynhyfryd Garden (_verse_) by Kenneth Morris 97 - - Misused Powers by R. W. Machell 98 - - Is Education Wasted? by H. T. Edge. B. A. (Cantab.) 102 - - The Temple of Theseus, Athens (_illustrated_) by R. 106 - - Stoa, Gymnasium of Hadrian, Athens (_illustration_) facing 107 - - Recent Admissions by Archaeologists by a Student 107 - - Monument of De Lesseps, Port Said (_illustration_) facing 110 - - Great Names in Art. Sculptures from the Albert Memorial - (_illustrated_) by an Art Student 111 - - The Two Fairylands: A Study in the Literature of - Wonder by Kenneth Morris 115 - - Light Physical and Metaphysical by H. Coryn, M. D., M. R. C. S. 122 - - _Eros_: Painting by Julius Kronberg - (_illustrated_) by R. W. Machell 125 - - Tempting Counterfeits vs. Reality by Lydia Ross, M. D. 126 - - Life and Teachings of Pythagoras - by F. S. Darrow, A. M., PH. D. (Harv.) 130 - - Photography and the Invisible by Philip A. Malpas 142 - - Visingsborg Castle, Visingsö, The Canal, Trollhättan, Sweden - (_illustrations_) facing 142 - - High Sluice and the Palace of Industry, Amsterdam - (_illustrations_) facing 143 - - Heredity and Biology by H. T. Edge. B. A. (Cantab.) 145 - - Incorrodible Bronze by Travers 148 - - Scientific Oddments by the Busy Bee 149 - - Linnaeus and the Divining-Rod contributed by P. F. 154 - - Lomaland Cañons (_illustrated_) by W. J. Renshaw 155 - - Notices 158 - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. and -Engraving Dept. SCENE FROM "THE AROMA OF ATHENS," A GREEK DRAMA GIVEN -AT POINT LOMA IN APRIL, 1911, BY KATHERINE TINGLEY AND STUDENTS AT THE -INTERNATIONAL THEOSOPHICAL HEADQUARTERS CENTRAL FIGURES ARE: PHEIDIAS -SEATED, PERIKLES STANDING] - - -THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH - -KATHERINE TINGLEY, EDITOR - - VOL. I AUGUST, 1911 NO. 2 - - I produced the golden key of Pre-existence only at a dead lift, when - no other method could satisfy me touching the ways of God, that by - this hypothesis I might keep my heart from sinking.--_Henry More_ - - -THEOSOPHY AND MODERN SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES: by Charles J. Ryan - - -The attitude of the leaders of science and philosophy concerning the -significance and probable causes of natural phenomena has greatly -changed since 1888 when H. P. Blavatsky wrote her _magnum opus, The -Secret Doctrine_. The comfortable feeling that the fruit of the Tree -of Knowledge is ripe for our picking, or at least very nearly so, has -largely disappeared with the widening of our perceptions gained through -the surprising discoveries in physics, chemistry, psychology, etc., of -the intervening period. Happily for the world, the truly leading minds -of the present day in science and philosophy are escaping from the -crass materialism into which they seemed to be sinking not so long ago; -the "camp followers" are also catching up. - -Paradoxically, and yet naturally, the more we have learned of Nature's -methods, the less dogmatic we have become. The present, although a time -of great fertility in the production of theories, is one of comparative -modesty in the putting forth of assertions that such a thing cannot -be, or that such another is against established laws and therefore not -to be investigated. We are seeing something similar in the affairs of -nations--new experiments in statecraft are being tried in apparently -unlikely places. - -The wisdom of the ancients is being more justly estimated; the cheap -sneers against their scientific attainments are less often heard. The -newest Chemistry regards the much-derided Alchemy more sympathetically; -the latest Psychology finds that Mesmer was not the complete fraud -alleged by the materialism of the nineteenth century. A well-founded -suspicion is arising that our own civilization is not on the rightest -basis, and that it has neglected many of the sterling virtues of the -past in favor of luxury and ease. The claims of the older religions -of the world are more fully acknowledged as worthy of respect; the -Theosophical idea is dawning upon the people of Christendom that they -are not all foolishness. - -In her presentation of the teachings of Theosophy, the ancient -Wisdom-Religion, H. P. Blavatsky had to devote a large amount of time -to a dissection of the dogmatic claims of the materialistic science -of the nineteenth century. It was only natural, of course, that the -leaders of scientific research, and a large number of the rank and -file, just emancipated from the fetters of dogmatic theology, should -have proclaimed their new theories of life in very positive terms, -and should have attributed greater finality to them than now seems -possible. In the latter quarter of the nineteenth century the reaction -towards the negation of the spiritual was going too far, so it became -part of H. P. Blavatsky's duty to show in what the materialistic -hypotheses were as deficient as the superstitious dogmas they were -trying to supplant, while admitting, of course, that as iconoclastic -weapons of destruction they served a necessary purpose. And who can -deny the far-reaching effect of her work. Almost every magazine -article or book on advanced lines offers palpable traces of the ideas -she had to bring to the attention of the Western world; not only -the principles, but often the very expressions originated in the -Theosophical literature, are becoming widely spread. The thinking world -is rapidly--more rapidly than the earlier students of Theosophy dared -to hope--reaching the place where some at least of the teachings of -Theosophy will be accepted among the unprejudiced everywhere, as the -only logical thing; when this is done we may reasonably expect further -clues to the understanding of natural law, from the source whence H. P. -Blavatsky drew her inspiration. At the present time it is the practical -demonstration of the basic principles of Theosophy in conduct, such -as is found in the lives of the Theosophical students under Katherine -Tingley, that is the greatest need of humanity. There is plenty of -theory; let us see it work out in the changed lives of the multitude. - -It may prove interesting and not unprofitable to glance at a few of the -recent developments on scientific and philosophic lines which are now -moving in the Theosophical direction. - -The enormous antiquity of man, which was until lately frowned upon -severely, is now a perfectly safe subject to teach: man's residence on -earth is no longer considered to be a matter of thousands of years but -of hundreds of thousands. The "Englishman's" skeleton of the Thames -valley of which we have lately heard so much is conservatively reckoned -to be 170,000 years old, and the "Gibraltar woman" is believed to have -flourished half a million years ago or more! Neither of these antique -personages represents the "missing link" in the least. The English -skull is well-developed and of modern type; the woman's is not quite so -good. Well, from 4004 B. C.--until lately the supposed date of man's -creation according to Western belief founded on false interpretation -of the Hebrew scriptures--to the five or six hundred thousand years -now accepted, is a big jump. It is bigger in proportion than that -from the half million to the eighteen millions of years that man has -been embodied, according to the Theosophical records, which yet has -to be made. We shall probably not have to wait long to see a further -extension of time demanded and granted. - -It is noteworthy, and particularly interesting to students of -Theosophy, that an increasing number of biologists are inclining to -the belief that the human mind did not develop through an immensely -protracted series of years, but that it came almost to its present -perfection very quickly; that there was, in fact, _a sort of -incarnation of mind_ into the highest and most suitable animal form -available. The famous Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace, the "co-discoverer -of Darwinism," uses many convincing arguments in favor of the high -intelligence of "primitive" man. He says that - - Our intellectual and moral nature has not advanced in any perceptible - degree. - -A writer in _Records of the Past_, says: - - A further evidence of the high intelligence of primeval man is found - in the manner in which he maintained himself against the swarms - of monstrous and ferocious beasts by which he was surrounded. Not - only did he hold his own against them, but even, so we are told, - exterminated many of them. We must remember also that man achieved - this astounding victory over these mighty animals by means of stone - weapons, which were of the rudest possible character. His triumph - therefore, was solely due to his wonderful intelligence. - -The civilized inhabitants of modern India have not been able to -exterminate the devastating tigers and snakes, etc., whose toll of -human lives is still very heavy. - -According to Theosophy, "primitive" man in Europe was as the successor -of a highly civilized man who lived ages before on the sunken continent -of Atlantis, passing through a cycle of degradation as a consequence -of his abuse of his opportunities in previous incarnations. Though -the cubic capacity of the skulls of the earliest primitive races, -so-called, is about the same as that of modern races, the possession -of a large brain does not imply that they had a high civilization. -This can be seen clearly in the case of the Eskimo, who have even more -capacious skulls than some highly civilized races. A low condition of -life amid a people who possess good brain development means either -the presence of undeveloped Egos of limited experience, or of those -who are suffering disabilities in consequence of past wrong-doing. In -either case they are necessarily using the physical vehicles provided -by heredity. H. P. Blavatsky says the evil Karma (the influence set in -motion by past actions) generated by the sins of the Atlanteans heavily -handicapped those Egos when they reappeared on the newly-forming -European and Asiatic (in part) continents, and prevented them for long -ages from rising out of the primitive conditions in which they found -themselves. - -It is a fact that man's mind is an incarnation from something very -different from the material plane; it comes into humanity from its -own plane. The Theosophical teachings show how each of the complex -"principles" or constituents which compose the human personality, the -vehicle of the Immortal Ego, is derived from its own plane or source, -i. e., the physical body from the material, molecular world; the -body-center of passions and desires from the plane or world of Desire, -Kâma-Loka; and so forth. This is fully explained in the Theosophical -literature, especially, of course, in the writings of the Theosophical -Leaders. It is a most important clue, leading to many practical -consequences, owing to the better understanding it gives of the causes -of many of our human sufferings, of the rationale of the death-process, -of the spread of epidemics, both physical and mental, and so forth. -Theosophy does not fall into the materialistic error of imagining that -mind is the product of some jugglery of blind forces playing with the -molecules of inert matter--that the less can be the origin of the -greater. When our psychologists have learned how the mind comes from -its own plane, evolving in its own way, and incarnating in material -forms to help them on in _their_ evolution, they will find a new sphere -of research, and the text-books will have to be rewritten. - -While the idea, now being dimly suspected by some anthropologists, that -man's mind is not the result of a _very long and slow_ development -from the beast, is correct according to the records of Theosophy, we -must remember that the incarnation of the "Manas" or Thinker, which -made incomplete man into the perfect septenary he is today, took place -long before the temporary decline of the "primitive" man after the -disappearance of Atlantis. One eminent scientist at least, Professor -F. Soddy, F. R. S., lecturer on physical chemistry and radio-activity -at Glasgow University, has lately suggested that in his opinion some -great civilization may have existed (long before the "primitive" Stone -Ages) which ruined itself and descended into barbarism by the abuse of -the power to disintegrate matter and so to release forces of terrible -potency whose existence the discovery of the properties of radium -has faintly revealed to us, but which we have, fortunately, not the -slightest idea how to unloose. Theosophy tells us that something of the -kind did happen; but the mind of man was even then long ages posterior -to the time when the "Sons of Mind" settled into the forms which only -then, properly, could be called mankind. - -For many years the existence of hundreds of giant portrait-statues on -the wild volcanic Easter Island, two thousand miles from the coast of -South America, has been known, and their origin and meaning is still -one of the greatest of the world's enigmas. What was the mysterious -race that carved them? How is it that such works, which obviously -required the presence of a large and intelligent population, should -be found on such a small island, so far from the continental lands? -Archaeologists in general seem to avoid the problem; certainly no -adequate theory has been advanced by the recognized authorities to -meet the case. H. P. Blavatsky gave us the key to the mystery when she -briefly described parts of the pre-Atlantean continent of Lemuria: -Easter Island is an Atlantean vestige of that really primitive land -whose truly primeval inhabitants were of larger proportions than -ourselves. Well, lately we have seen three or four articles in -different American and other magazines discussing the problem and -trying to explain it upon the very lines of the Theosophical teachings, -no other being considered reasonable. - -During the past ten years the trend toward the Theosophical -interpretations of some of the most pressing astronomical problems -has been very marked. The re-opening of questions hither considered -closed or else insoluble, has been an interesting feature of recent -times. For instance, the belief that gravitation alone explained the -movements of the stars has been seriously shaken lately, and, if we -may venture to prophesy, it looks as if physics will have to return to -the ancient and Theosophical acceptance of dual forces, attraction and -repulsion--perhaps magnetic--to explain the new problem of astronomy, -having found that gravitation is only a half-understood truth, as -Theosophy teaches. In his inaugural address, Professor Bergstrand, -newly appointed to the chair of astronomy at the university of Upsala, -Sweden, made a special point of the fact that some utterly unknown -force or forces besides gravitation must be operating to explain -some of the newest discoveries in stellar physics. He was alluding -particularly to the binding together of certain groups of stars in -connected drifts across the depths of space. Several of such drifting -collections of stars moving together across the vast depths of -kosmos at equal speed are now known. There would not be anything so -extraordinary in this, and nothing that might call for the postulate -of some unknown law, but for the fact that in some cases members of -the same star-group are found _at far distant parts of the heavens_ -separated from each other by many other stars drifting in various -directions between them--our sun for one. What is the mysterious -binding tie, and how may it be reconciled with the known action of -gravitation? One of the fundamental principles in nature, according -to Theosophy, is the Duality of manifested forces: in _The Secret -Doctrine_ H. P. Blavatsky treats of this very fully, plainly declaring -that the _other half_ of gravitation will have to be reckoned with -before long by physical science in the West. In the East there is -practical knowledge of it, among a chosen few. - -The newest speculations about the processes of solar and planetary -development from nebulae are bound to lead to the discovery of the -truth of the Theosophical teaching that there is an archetypal world, a -world of causes, lying concealed behind all manifested material forms. -Once this is admitted by scientists, once a sane metaphysical basis -for the universe is found logically necessary, there will be a great -change in the way of looking at phenomena, including the problem of -human life, and we know that what the most advanced thinkers proclaim -will be followed before long by the great mass; see, for instance, the -strong effect the Darwinian theory of Natural Selection, incomplete -and materialistic as it is, has already made in every department of -modern thought. Of course the acceptance of a merely metaphysical -foundation for the facts recorded by our ordinary senses does not mean -the acceptance of the reality of a _spiritual_ world; that is a far -deeper problem, and has to be approached through the experience of the -intuition, trained and untrained, but a long step will be made when -it is thoroughly realized that the material plane is not the plane of -ultimate causes. - -According to one of the nebular hypotheses of today the collision of -two suns, (dark and "dead" or otherwise) crashing into each other -at tremendous speed, results in a vast nebula, in which, owing to -the enormous heat produced, the atoms would be reduced to the state -of "corpuscles," the root of matter on our plane, all alike, and -without any of the characteristics of the elements, even in the most -rudimentary form; there would be no metallic vapors, no gases, not -even helium or coronium, nothing but the primitive corpuscular basis -of matter. Then, as the nebula formed by the collision condensed -and perhaps cooled, it would begin to rebuild its substance into -the well-known elements, combinations would take place, and the -evolution of a new solar system would be started. But now arises the -important question: What causes the perfectly homogeneous or uniform -"corpuscular" substance, the mass of _sub-atoms_ of unknown nature, to -perform the astonishing feat of transforming itself into the marvelous -complexity we find even in the simplest star? The problem is similar to -that of the egg. In a new-laid egg the great mass of its constituent -materials is structureless, but in a short time of incubation the -eggshell is completely filled with a most complicated living organism. -Is it not clear that behind both nebula and egg there must be an -archetype or model form, invisible to ordinary eyesight, which is -being used as the pattern into which the simple materials are being -woven? and that there are Builders, who know the plan and work it out -in a conscious harmony that we call the correlation of "natural laws"? -"Blind forces," "necessity," "unconscious laws," are meaningless terms -which only disguise ignorance, or _stave off_ the anti-materialistic -and dreaded so-called "teleological" view that there must be "a -Divinity that shapes our ends." - -Theosophy offers as a fact, demonstrable from the very presence within -of the higher, divine nature, that men in time will attain the stature -of Creative powers, Builders of future world-systems, just as the -Higher Beings who are the guides and directors of the present evolution -were once men and lower than men in past aeons. Evolution of men will -not stop with the perfecting of the mental and moral nature; once the -godlike nature of the Higher Self is admitted, it follows that there -can not be a limit assigned beyond which man may not go. - -There may be some truth in the collision-theory of the origin of -certain nebulae; it seems to explain the sudden appearance of -"temporary stars," at least; but, by its very nature, it cannot -explain the origin of the universe of suns as a whole. Again, after -each collision the speed of the new body formed from the material of -the two colliding spheres would be less than their combined speed, -because much or all of their motion would be arrested and transformed -into the energy which would be needed to scatter their substance in -all directions. If two equal bodies, moving at equal speed, met in a -line joining their centers, the resulting nebula would have no motion -at all. It has been pointed out that if the collision theory alone is -relied upon to explain the structure of the universe it must fail, -because during the infinity of past time a condition of absolute -stagnation would have been attained, the universe would have "run -down," nothing being left but one gigantic dead and dark globe! - -In this idea of "running down" there is a paradox, which is apparent -enough, and we need not trouble to follow it further. We have to -seek a reasonable hypothesis--a theory such as Theosophy presents -of a universe which can wind itself up again after it has finished -its cyclic career--a theory which does not overlook the fact that -the material cosmos is the manifestation of intelligent Mind. The -impressive system which was worked out in the Orient (and before that -elsewhere) ages ago, of the transformation of energies from visible -to invisible planes under Cyclic or Periodic Law, the universality -of alternations of manifestation and rest, clears up the primary -difficulties of the case. It is to H. P. Blavatsky, the great -Theosophist, that we are indebted for making this reasonable hypothesis -clear. Fortunately, the time-spirit of science in this century is -less atheistic than that of the nineteenth, and the broad principle -of Theosophy, that there are great spiritual Beings, the glorious -efflorescence of past ages of development, guiding and controlling the -formation and maintenance of the worlds, is becoming the subject of -serious consideration among some of the most advanced thinkers, for -the atheistic hypothesis that matter "runs itself" is almost at its -last gasp. - -In another subject, the nature of Light, many new and interesting -speculations are being advanced as the result of the discoveries of -the extraordinary properties of radium and the _x_-rays. To students -of Theosophy these are significant, for H. P. Blavatsky, in _The -Secret Doctrine_, goes deeply into the question whether light is an -actual substance of some kind, or a mere undulation of an ethereal -medium. She points out some of the difficulties of both theories, -giving special attention to Sir W. Grove's celebrated lecture in 1842 -wherein he considered he proved that light and heat must be affections -of matter itself, and not the effects of an imponderable fluid--a -finer state of matter--penetrating it. Sir Isaac Newton held to the -Pythagorean theory that light was made of almost infinitely minute -corpuscles, but the phenomenon of diffraction is supposed to have -upset this. H. P. Blavatsky does not reject the wave theory as part of -the explanation, but she contends that the ultimate causes of light, -heat, and electricity must be sought in a form of matter existing -in supersensuous states, states, though, "as fully objective to the -spiritual eye of man as a horse or a tree to the ordinary mortal"; -and, above all, that these forces and others are "propelled and guided -by Intelligences." She devotes many chapters of the third part of the -first volume of _The Secret Doctrine_ to this subject, throwing an -entirely new light upon it in its deeper bearings, and showing the -enormous importance of a proper understanding of it if we are ever to -learn our true relationship with the external universe. She says: - - To know what light is, and whether it is an actual substance or a mere - undulation of the "ethereal medium," Science has first to learn what - are in reality Matter, Atom, Ether, Force. Now, the truth is, that _it - knows nothing of any of these_, and admits it. (_The Secret Doctrine_, - Vol. I p. 482) - -Since she wrote _The Secret Doctrine_, though hardly twenty-three -years have elapsed, several discoveries in physics and chemistry have -been made which have greatly modified the scientific view as to the -nature of the atom, of the electric current, and of matter in general; -all these modifications are leading straight in the direction of her -teachings. It is even claimed that - - Matter can vanish without return.... Force and matter are two - different forms of one and the same thing.... By the dissociation of - matter, the stable form of energy termed matter is simply changed - into those unstable forms known by the name of light, heat, etc. - (_Evolution of Matter_, by Gustave Le Bon) - -This leads to the startling suggestion that what is force on this -plane may be substantial on another, and we are now seeing, as a -result of the study of the _x_-rays, and the [alpha], [beta], [gamma] -rays of radium, all of which can pass through ordinary matter with -ease, a revival of the ancient and supposedly extinct theory held -by Newton, and others before him, that light is a body composed of -corpuscles--whatever they may be. Professor Bragg, of the Leeds -University (England), has been investigating the problem with great -care, with the result that he has come to the conclusion, as he -announced to the members of the Royal Institution, London, the other -day, that the "gamma" rays of radium and the _x_-rays are corpuscular, -and not merely pulsations in the ether. He thinks they are probably -electrons, corpuscles of negative electricity - - which have assumed a cloak of darkness in the form of sufficient - positive electricity to neutralize them. - -It seems also that as ultra-violet light, which exists in ordinary -sunlight, possesses many of the properties of the above rays, Professor -Bragg may not be far wrong in his further suggestion that it also may -be corpuscular in its nature. He asked, very pertinently, that if this -light be corpuscular, why may not all other forms of light be so? When -we recollect that the "corpuscles" themselves are a purely metaphysical -concept, it is plain that science is moving rapidly towards a very -different and far more reasonable and Theosophical idea of the universe -than the materialistic one. _Vivat!_ - - - - -THE BRIDGES OF PARIS: by G. K. - - -The Bridges of Paris are of distinctive interest and their very -names suggest in part the fascinating panorama of French history and -legend--Tolbiac, Bercy, Austerlitz, Sully, Marie and Louis Philippe, -Notre Dame, Pont San Michel, Solferino, La Concorde, Alma, Iéna, Passy, -etc. The Seine flows for seven miles through the city and is at its -widest (nearly 1000 feet) at the extremity of the island called La -Cité. This island communicates with the right bank of the Seine by the -bridges of Notre Dame and Au Change. The latter, as is evident from -the familiar device sculptured above the piers (see illustration), was -built by the first Napoleon. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. PARIS: THE PONT AU -CHANGE AND THE PALAIS DE JUSTICE] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. PARIS AND THE SEINE] - -The Palais de Justice is located in La Cité and the Greek façade by -Duc is considered one of the finest examples of this style in modern -architecture. - - From the Boulevard du Palais on the east it is separated by a - magnificent eighteenth-century railing in wrought iron and gilt. On - this side lie the Salle des Pas Perdus and the Sainte-Chapelle. The - fine square tower known as the Clock Tower stands at the corner formed - by the Quai du Mord and the Boulevard du Palais; and on the north side - lies the Conciergerie prison with the dungeon once occupied by Marie - Antoinette.--_Gaston Meissas_ - - - - -OLD BRYNHYFRYD GARDEN - -by Kenneth Morris - - - There's a quiet old enchantment of the heart that's calling, calling - From when Myrddin wielded magic powers, and Gwydion wove his tales; - And you'll hear it any April morn, when the apple-bloom is falling - In old Brynhyfryd Garden, in White, Wild Wales. - - There's an Ousel in the Orchard there, and dear knows what he's - telling; - But I think there's Welsh comes welling from his throat when no - one's nigh, - And it's he that in Cilgwri in the olden days was dwelling, - And he saw the Quest of Cilhwch, and the old worlds die. - - There's a lonely, lofty spirit that will fire your soul with craving - For the kind and haughty glory of the old, Heroic Kings, - Where the foxglove and sweet-william on the turf-topped walls are - waving - In old Brynhyfryd Garden, when the West Wind sings. - - There's a ruin filled with nettles, where I think Ceridwen lingers - When she's out to gather herbage for the Wisdom Broth she brews: - And maybe you'll close your eyes there, and you'll feel the touch of - fingers, - Or the dropping down of healing with the cool June dews. - - Ancient Magic of the World, it's the fires of you are burning - When the Wind is in the pine tops, and the moon is o'er the vales; - It's a rumor of immortal hopes, Immortal Hearts returning - That's in old Brynhyfryd Garden in the white West of Wales. - - International Theosophical Headquarters, - Point Loma, California - - - - -MISUSED POWERS: by R. W. Machell - - -"Use with care those living messengers we call words." So said William -Q. Judge, a very wise man. - -The misuse of words seems a trifling matter to those who habitually -misuse every function of mind and body; but the results of perversion -are disastrous to body, mind, and soul. The misuse of terms, when -not due to ignorance of their legitimate meaning, is in itself an -indication of a perverted mind diseased by habitual misuse of the -functions of both body and mind, which two are so intimately related as -to share inevitably the consequences of right or wrong living. - -The words we use and the way we use them are not mere accidents but -are sure indications of our mental condition, and the mind and body -are so mutually responsive that it is hard to say which affects the -other and which is the affected one, for habits of body are induced -by habits of mind and the mind in turn is influenced by the bodily -condition resulting from those habits. With self-indulgence as the -unfortunate rule of life, and with the ignorance of our own nature -and of our relation to others, which is almost universal, it is not -surprising that wrong living should be the general rule, and that -misuse of the powers of mind and body should be so common; nor is it -at all strange that there should be so much unhappiness in the world, -nor need we marvel if people in these conditions should think that -their sufferings, mental and physical, are due to everything except -their own misconduct. And if men can not see that they are indeed the -makers of their own sufferings, how shall they be able to realize their -responsibility to others? With selfishness as the rule of life, and -with ignorance of our interdependence, and of our intimate union one -with another throughout the whole world, it is quite natural that we -should feel little responsibility to others for the effects we produce -in the world by the use or misuse of words: a responsibility that is -increased by the spread of education and by the increase in the number -of persons who read without thinking, and who take thoughts from -books as they take water from a tap, unquestioning as to its quality. -Pure water is now recognized as essential to health and is supplied -in all civilized communities, but pure language and pure thought are -left to chance; and while the supply of literature is as plentiful as -the supply of water, the quality of our literature is not subject to -the same scrutiny as is our water-supply, and the stream of thought -that flows through the channels of our publications is frequently -contaminated by unhealthy and unwholesome matters. Purity of thought -and purity of words are essential values, for words are embodied -thoughts, and from thoughts spring deeds, and the deeds of man are his -life. - -The responsibility of writers and speakers has hardly yet been -recognized; though illustrations of the dangers of trifling with -essential values, or of misusing talents, or indeed of perverting -from its right use any function, are actually supplied by some of -our brilliant writers, who have recklessly and often ignorantly -become apostles of mere degeneracy and powerful instruments for the -demoralization of the people. Even those who see the evils scarcely -seem to appreciate either the causes or the consequences of the -corruption of literature and the confusion of language. - -Some recent reviewers, however, have begun to question more closely the -character of the influence exercised upon the world by some writers, -whose works have excited general or special admiration, even calling -some of them defaulters, for that, holding great talents, they have -used the light they held to dazzle the eyes and to confuse the minds of -others, so as to make them blind to the path of right living, which is -virtue or morality. - -One of these critics, Paul Elmer More, literary editor of the New York -_Evening Post_, in a study of the influence of Walter Pater, distinctly -suggests that the author confused the truth and in fact misrepresented -history, reading his own desires and inclinations into the teachings of -Plato in one case, and in another of doing the same for Christianity, -making them appear to exalt sensuous beauty above spiritual beauty -which is the soul of virtue; whereas Plato himself exclaims: "When -anyone prefers beauty to virtue, what is this but the real and utter -dishonor of the soul?" Mr. More suggests that Christianity is equally -misrepresented by this brilliant writer, but in his perversion of the -real meaning and purpose of true Christianity he is simply drifting -with the tide of so-called Christian civilization, which has been, -almost from its first appearance as a politically established religion, -a clear departure from those teachings concerning the Christos in man, -attributed to Jesus, the supposed founder of the system, and which in -their original purity are identical with Universal Theosophy of which -they are a part and upon which they are drawn. - -Further, Mr. More suggests that the demoralizing effect of Pater -may have largely affected that brilliant apostle of decadence, Oscar -Wilde, whose tragic collapse in the hour of his literary success drew -attention to an evil whose ravages have ruined multitudes of lives and -wrecked every civilization that has become tainted with the poison of -perversion. For this man exalted perversion into a cult, his wit was -entirely based upon it, his ethics steeped in it, and his own life -wrecked by it. He himself shows that he was not unaware of the truth, -at times, for he wrote: - - Surely there was a time I might have trod - The sunlit heights, and from life's dissonance - Struck one clear chord to reach the ears of God; - Is that time dead? lo! with a little rod - I did but touch the honey of romance-- - And must I lose a soul's inheritance? - -And later, in that awful page of the tragedy of a fallen soul, _The -Ballad of Reading Gaol_, there is a sort of blind recognition of the -justice of Karma, which tolerates no perversion of Nature's order on -any plane, coupled with a noble and generous plea for the removal of -the unnecessary horrors of the prisons, in which we grind out the last -vestige of man's inherent love of virtue, and crush the last buds of -growth that the fallen soul may yet be able to put forth. - -Here again was one, who exalted the beauty of the senses above the -beauty of the soul, and so soiled the whole nature and so perverted -the mind, which is the mirror of the man, that he produced a vortex of -vice, in which all who entered were bewildered and lost their guiding -star; in which many were utterly wrecked, and all defiled. - -Professor Henderson in his critical interpretation of five authors, -points out so much of the evil that one can only regret that his grasp -of true psychology was not deep enough to enable him to make more clear -the distinction between the spiritual soul and the animal soul (not to -go further into the complex nature of the Soul), the great duality in -man that is the clue to all these mysteries. With this key one feels -that his study of Maeterlinck's philosophy would have become more -luminous, for surely this is a case, in which an author continually -confuses his audience, and perhaps also himself, by exalting the -sensuous joys of the animal soul, and the emotions of the imagination, -above the pure joy of true beauty, which is, as all poets, not only -Keats, have seen, the same as truth. Keats himself may have known the -difference, but his readers certainly must in most instances have -been misled and may have found in his lines a justification of their -own indulgence of morbid tastes, for however morbid may be a man's -condition he will still see beauty in pleasure of any kind, no matter -how vile may be its source. We may endorse the axiom in the first line - - Beauty is truth, truth beauty - -but must protest against the fallacy in the next line - - ... that is all - Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know. - -No! we need to know what we mean by beauty, and we need to know that -the word conceals pitfalls innumerable for him who has no knowledge -of the true nature of man, for one who thinks he is his body, and who -believes his passions are the voices of his soul and who mistakes the -intoxication of sensuality for spiritual illumination, lust for love, -and perversion for genius. We need the teaching so clearly given in -"The Two Paths" translated by H. P. Blavatsky from _The Book of the -Golden Precepts_. We need to know that there is a chasm deep as hell -between these two souls in man, and that when the higher nature is the -slave of the lower then the man is in hell indeed; for as said by H. P. -Blavatsky, there is no other hell than that of a man-bearing planet. -Those who have stood on the brink of this hell with even partially -opened eyes, know that the terrors of hell invented by churchmen are -but as a comic interlude to the reality of horrors that life on earth -holds for masses of humanity, and from which there is no escape except -by the path of right living, based upon right perception of our own -true nature, and discrimination between the higher and the lower nature -in man, which is so often veiled by the false teachings of perverted -minds. We need the truth to discriminate the spiritual beauty that is -pure joy from the sensual beauty that intoxicates, blinds, and destroys -the life--and we need the guiding power of pure altruism to make our -writings useful to others and a full recognition of the responsibility -of those who now so lightly use "those living messengers we call -words." - - - - -IS EDUCATION WASTED? by H. T. Edge, B. A. (Cantab.) - - -No question is agitating us more than that of how to educate our young -people. We know there is something wrong about our achievements in -education, but we are often mistaken as to where the fault lies. The -commonest mistake is to confound principles with practice and to blame -the former where perhaps it is the latter which is at fault. We fail -to carry out certain plans, and we blame the plans and want to make a -clean sweep of them; when perhaps inefficiency in applying them is what -is really the matter. In fact, it is probably inefficiency, rather than -wrong principles, that is the matter with our educational doings, as -it is in the case of so many others of our doings. Before we condemn a -method, we should ask whether that method is being given a fair trial. -If we sweep away the system, without removing the general inefficiency, -then the same failure will attend our efforts to apply any new system -that may be devised. We shall have exchanged one evil for another. - -There is more than one side to every question; but many of the -utterances on the educational difficulty give only one side. The result -is views that are extreme and ill-considered. Let us take a case. - -Much of education is considered by some critics to be superfluous and -wasted, for the reason that it seems to bear no immediate and visible -fruit. Hence they wish to abolish it. Yet it is always possible that -it may bear fruit after all, but not of the kind they are able to see. -Take, for instance, the case of a girl of ordinary type, without any -definite characteristics whether good or bad. She is sent to school -and college. She is taught algebra and geometry, Latin and Greek, -music and painting, with many other subjects. She is reasonably clever -and absorbs all this with interest and ease. She leaves college--and -never again opens a book. The whole is quietly forgotten with as much -nonchalance as it was acquired. Is all the time and money and effort, -on the part of pupil and teachers, wasted? - -Or let it be a boy, who has been taught similar subjects, but takes up -a calling in which they are not used. Is the instruction wasted? The -question arises in various forms, of which these two cases may be taken -as typical examples. - -If it is true that the education thus given is really wasted, what -folly could be greater than that of continuing to impart it! Yet we -know that somehow the view taken is too extreme; that it is not in -accordance with the fitness of things that work involving so much -zeal, enthusiasm, and other good qualities should fall fruitless; that -people would not go on doing it if they did not have some intuition -that the labor is not really in vain. - -In short, may it not be possible that this is one of those cases in -which a dilemma has arisen through the limitation of our knowledge -of human nature and the laws of life; a dilemma resolvable by the -wider knowledge shed by Theosophy? A knowledge of Reincarnation, the -dual nature of man, and other related matters, clears up many of the -enigmas of life, as for instance what becomes of all the abilities and -experience which a man has garnered during life, when he dies. May not -a similar knowledge shed light on the present problem also? If so, then -our beliefs would be reconciled with our intuitions, and practices -which logic has seemed to condemn might be vindicated in the light of -fuller knowledge. - -For one thing, a conviction of the continuity of individual existence -beyond the grave, in other earth-lives, more or less similar to the -present life, affects the whole question profoundly. For we may at -once infer that knowledge accumulated now, but not immediately used, -may be used later on. And indeed this idea quite agrees with what many -analogies from Nature suggest. Youth is the time for study; maturer -age brings other duties. Let us compare a lifetime with a day. In the -morning a man studies many subjects; but after noon he shuts his books, -never thinks of them again, and spends the remainder of the day in -other occupations, followed by recreation and ending in sleep. Has his -labor been wasted? Nay, for he will resume it next morning. Can we not -apply this analogy to the case of the young person whose education has -had, or seemed to have, no immediate practical result? - -We thus see how limited views as regards the duration of life may -influence the question. But there are other limitations in our views; -let us see how these in turn may affect the question. - -We are accustomed to pay too much attention to a man's capacity as a -separate individual, and not enough to his capacity as a part of a -whole. No being in the universe is entirely separate from other beings -however much he may try to make himself so or imagine himself to be so. -This is especially applicable to Mind. How much of our mind is our own? -It has been argued that Mind is a kind of common atmosphere, in which -all partake, and that thoughts are interchanged freely, the notion that -they belong particularly to oneself being chiefly an illusion. The -more this is true, the more it must be true that in teaching one person -we are in reality teaching many persons, teaching mankind in general. -Does a teacher teach persons or minds? To him it often seems as if he -were developing Mind, and the distinction of personalities is apt to -disappear. Yet this attitude on his part may not be mere carelessness -and indifference to the interests of his pupils; it may be founded on -an intuitive perception of the fact that personality does not count -for so much and that his pupils also have a collective capacity, an -aggregate value, which counts for a great deal. - -Another way in which we limit our outlook, and thus obtain a false -perspective, is in regarding too intently the immediate (and, as we -say, "practical") outcome of education. There is such a thing as a -general education, an education not directed to any immediate or -definite end, but having in view the general culture and refinement of -the pupils. It is true, of course, that this argument can be used, and -is used, to justify kinds of teaching which really are undesirable; -it is true that in aiming at a general education, we may overdo the -process; it is true that such overdoing puts a weapon into the hands of -our opponents and goes some way towards justifying their arguments. But -aside from these abuses, the principle itself remains true. There must -be a certain amount of general culture, culture of a kind that has no -immediate practical end in view. - -Let us try to imagine the results of applying some of the wrongly -called "practical" methods to an extreme degree. This boy is to be a -shoemaker: teach him shoemaking and nothing else. This girl is to sew -or cook: teach her sewing and cooking, but nothing else. At that rate -society would become a world of machines, and general culture and love -of knowledge would disappear. - -Finally, to name a fourth limitation in our outlook, there is the error -of mistaking the principle itself for its application, the system for -the way in which it is carried out, the institution for the use that -is made of it. Thus we often lay the blame in the wrong place. Before -we sweep away a system, let us find out whether it is the system that -is at fault or the application of it; otherwise we may find equally -faulty results proceeding from any new system which we may adopt. Is it -inefficiency which is at the root of the evil? If so, let us remedy the -inefficiency and then it will be time to see about changing the system. - -The education question, like so many other questions, is in a state of -chaos. Something is the matter, but people do not know just what it is. -The suggested cures are many. Rash experiments are made. The remedies -threaten to be worse than the disease. One thing seems generally agreed -upon--that our education does not confer perfect efficiency. What -we really need is a general education that will give efficiency in -reading, writing, speaking, ciphering; in power of attention, memory, -concentration; in adaptability, readiness of resource; obedience, -order, self-command. No need to enumerate all the requirements; -everybody knows what they are and what is needed. Efficient people -are needed everywhere; but, above all, people with self-command and -free from weaknesses. If we could but turn out this kind of product, -much less in the way of technical schools would be needed; for such -pupils would be so apt and teachable that they could readily master -anything. The difficulties as to the nature of the curriculum, whether -it should include Greek and Latin, and, if so, how much; what history -should be taught, and how it should be taught; whether theoretical -grammar should be taught, or whether the pupil should acquire grammar -unconsciously from his reading--all these and many more problems would -settle themselves, or at least our point of view concerning them -would be altogether altered. As it is, most of these problems resolve -themselves into the one problem of how to produce good fruit from a -neglected tree. So long as the pupils have not been trained in the -control of their faculties, moral and mental, it is difficult to teach -them anything, no matter which method you adopt. And if they have been -properly trained in their early years, the question of what to teach -them sinks into comparative unimportance, because they will be able to -make use of all their opportunities. - -The root of the whole difficulty, therefore, is this: that people have -no definite philosophy of life to serve as a foundation for efforts. -With religious beliefs all undermined and mixed up, and nothing to -take their place but various theories wrongly labeled "scientific," it -is no wonder if folk should find themselves incompetent to solve the -educational problem. We need to understand first what a man is and what -is his destiny; we need to think of the Soul as having existed before -it entered its present body, and as being destined to exist again -after it has left that body. We need to know the difference between -the higher and the lower nature in a person, and how the two are -interblended. Then we should not have rash schemes which ignore this -distinction and propose to let the lower nature run wild. We should -then know how to give the higher nature its freedom without letting the -lower nature run wild. - -It all comes to this: that tools are not of use without men to handle -them; and that in our scheming we are trying to devise tools which will -turn unskilled workmen into skilled. The primary factor in education -is the man itself. The question begins at birth--even before birth. -When the time comes, as come it must, when people will find themselves -compelled by necessity to recognize the efficacy of Theosophy, then -many problems will be solved. Theosophy means a getting back to simple -yet profound truths--such simple truths as can be applied to any -circumstances. These alone can grapple successfully with the problems. - - - - -THE TEMPLE OF THESEUS, ATHENS: by R. - - -The Theseion, the so-called Temple of Theseus, in Athens, belongs -to the second period of classical Greek architecture, which may be -considered to have flourished between B. C. 470 and 338, the dates -of the Persian war and the Macedonian supremacy. It is one of the -most beautiful examples of the Doric order, and is more perfect than -any other building we have of ancient Greece. It probably owes its -excellent preservation to the fact that it was turned into a Christian -church during the Middle Ages. It is made of the famous white Pentelic -marble, which has changed, by lapse of time, to a lovely golden yellow -hue. It greatly resembles the Parthenon, but covers a little less than -half the area, and is not so exquisitely proportioned. The Theseion was -erected a few years before the Parthenon, probably about B. C. 460. It -is one hundred and four feet long by forty-five wide, and the columns -are nineteen feet high. Like most of the finest Grecian buildings it -does not depend upon mere size for impressiveness. From the remains of -sculpture still existing the following subjects have been ascertained: -The achievements of Theseus (whence the name); The Labors of Hercules; -and the battle of the Athenians, the Lapithae, and the Centaurs. -Fifty of the _metopes_ (the squares into which the frieze is divided) -were never adorned with sculpture, but were probably painted, for the -Doric Temples are now known to have been painted both externally and -internally. The groups in the pediments (the uppermost triangular -portions) are entirely lost. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. TEMPLE OF THESEUS, -ATHENS, GREECE] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. STOA, GYMNASIUM OF -HADRIAN, ATHENS] - - - - -RECENT ADMISSIONS BY ARCHAEOLOGISTS: by a Student - - -A good summary of some of the changes wrought in our views of history -by recent archaeological research is afforded by an article on ancient -history in the new edition of the _Encyclopaedia Britannica_. The -article is written by Professor J. B. Bury, Regius Professor of Modern -History in Cambridge University, and is contributed to _The Sphere_, -the well-known London illustrated weekly. - - During the past thirty years our knowledge of the beginnings of - Greek history has undergone a transformation, which is associated - with the now familiar names of Mycenae and Cnossus. Nearly all that - was written on early Greece by Grote and the other brave men before - Agamemnon--who is Schliemann--may now be safely left unread. The - striking discoveries of Schliemann, however, at Mycenae, Tiryns, and - Troy, did not revolutionize our view of pre-Homeric Greece, though - they suggested a new perspective. It is the startling facts revealed - by the Cretan exploration of Mr. Arthur Evans that have opened the - door into a new world full of surprises--an unsuspected civilization - reaching back through a period measured not by centuries but by - millennia. The prolegomena to Greek history now consist of an entirely - new set of facts and a new set of problems. At the same time we have - been learning a great deal more about the old civilizations in the - near East contemporary with this Aegean civilization which has sprung - upon our vision like a magic castle built in a night. Our knowledge of - Egypt, Babylonia, and Assyria has become not only more extensive but - clearer and more precise; and the importance of the Hittites in Asia - Minor and Syria, though their own documents are still a sealed book, - is emerging from obscurity. - -One of the first thoughts that occur in connexion with the above is -that we must still be careful about the statements of historians, -whenever they tend to minimize or restrict; for, as they have altered -their views before, so they may alter them again. We are bidden to -throw our Grote into the waste-basket; but many will say that the -claims made on behalf of that now despised scholarship were not lacking -in positiveness. The views founded on this older scholarship have been -made the basis for attacks on the views put forward and advocated by -Theosophists; but now we find the opinions of scholarship revised, -and altered more into conformity with some of the Theosophical views. -Naturally, therefore, Theosophists infer that another thirty years will -have witnessed yet further concessions on the part of scholarship; -and they look forward to seeing all the statements of H. P. Blavatsky -verified one by one as time goes on. They likewise conceded the -apparent necessity, due to certain traits of human nature which we all -have, of assuming a positive and dogmatic attitude with each new step -in discovery, regardless of the logic of the case which would bid one -apply to the future the lesson of the past, and put forward with due -modesty views that are liable to change. - -Said H. P. Blavatsky, in the Introduction to _The Secret Doctrine_, -published in 1888: - - No one styling himself a "scholar," in whatever department of exact - science, will be permitted to regard these teachings seriously. They - will be derided and rejected _a priori_ in this century; but only in - this one. For in the twentieth century of our era scholars will begin - to recognize that the _Secret Doctrine_ has neither been invented nor - exaggerated, but, on the contrary, simply outlined; and finally, that - its teachings antedate the Vedas. - -Other writers before H. P. Blavatsky, and from whom she quotes, had -shown that the accessible facts of history, tradition, and archaeology, -if interpreted in the light of a logic unbiased by preconceived -opinion, demonstrate the extreme antiquity of civilization. But such -writers have been regarded by the body of orthodox scholarship as -cranks and paradoxists. In _The Secret Doctrine_, H. P. Blavatsky -gathers together the evidence referred to by these writers, adds much -more collected by herself, and throws upon the whole the light of -Theosophy. By means of the clues thus afforded, a consistent pattern is -seen to pervade the apparently tangled skein, and the harmony between -the Theosophical truths and the facts thus adduced strikes home to -the unprejudiced mind with the force of conviction. To clinch the -matter, living Theosophists can now point in triumph, as above said, -to the admissions made by scholars since _The Secret Doctrine_ was -written--admissions which agree better with what H. P. Blavatsky said a -quarter of a century ago than with their own utterances at that time. - -It is seldom, indeed, whatever be the reason, that Theosophists have -the pleasure of seeing H. P. Blavatsky's name and work mentioned in -this connexion; though, as her works are still being issued and are -readily available, it might seem strange that no mention should be -made of them in connexion with matters so intimately related to the -subjects of which they treat. The question as to whether scholars have -read these works or not is debatable; but in either case Theosophists -may find a source of gratification. For if scholars have read them, -that at least is a tribute of respect, even though the indebtedness -be unacknowledged. While if they have not read them, the inference is -that the teachings of Theosophy have been confirmed from an independent -source. - -In assuming the duties of a pioneer, H. P. Blavatsky was doubtless -aware of the drawbacks incidental to such a rôle in the present age; -but she seems to have been so wrapped up in the enthusiasm of her -purpose as to have been somewhat reckless of the consequences to -herself. This however is quite consistent with the known character -of pioneers. But, though too much interested in their work to seek -renown or even recognition, they doubtless achieve this unsought -boon eventually; for the law of rebirth may bring them back to earth -in time to see their own monuments and to realize that now their -all-too-inconvenient personality has been removed by Time to a -distance, their harmless name may be safely honored. H. P. Blavatsky -was much derided; then ignored; her generosity was not appreciated; -she was accused of the most impossible motives. But now many of her -teachings are found to be true--not in archaeology alone, but in -comparative religion, science, and several other fields. Shall we then -expect amends? Ask the shades of Mesmer and Elliotson, the persecuted -advocates of a since rediscovered treatment; of Dr. B. W. Richardson, -who suffered for his ideas on "nervous ether," now being rehabilitated, -but without amends to the author; or the shades of many another -pioneer. We dare not expect too much of humanity in this age; few will -be those whose generosity will allow them to make such amends; and even -of these, fewer still will be those who will break the rule of silence -that seems to bind the tongues of the well-disposed. - -There are always some, however, who are more interested in knowing -the truth than in vindicating any personal or orthodox point of view; -people whose vision, thus unblinded, sees further and clearer; and to -these it may occur that the teachings of _The Secret Doctrine_, thus -far vindicated, may be worthy of attention in view of the natural -inference that the rest of them will likewise be vindicated. The -Theosophical teachings, reintroduced to Western civilization by H. P. -Blavatsky, have been neglected by some and grotesquely travestied by -others; but they contain the science and scholarship of the future--if -that future but remain loyal to truth. Loyalty to truth can only -result in its establishment--in the vindication of Theosophy. And the -particular truths to be established in the present case--the antiquity -of civilization, the greatness of past humanity--are important in -no mere academic sense. Medieval theology, much of whose spirit was -inherited by scientific theorists, has belittled man and weakened his -confidence in himself. The recognition of man's past achievements gives -renewed hope for his future possibilities. Closely interwoven with the -Theosophical teachings about the antiquity of civilization are the -teachings about the Divine nature of Man. The Theosophical teachings -are a consistent whole. Hence these wider views in archaeology, -science, and religion, must tend to the widening of views concerning -the nature of man and the destruction of old superstitions about his -being born in sin or descended from the beasts. - -While archaeology will naturally endeavor to go as slow as it can and -to keep its discoveries well in hand, so to say, digesting them and -incorporating them with the body of orthodox academic opinion, it is -nevertheless true that it will be obliged to give way and expand its -borders. For one thing, there are many explorers investigating in -different fields; and these, in their theories, do not exhibit such -uniformity and conformity as might be desired. One archaeologist will -make admissions which others are not willing to make, because these -particular admissions do not damage his own particular theory. Thus, -taking all together, many admissions are made; the errors tend to -cancel one another; the truth tends to add itself up. Another factor is -what may be called "newspaper archaeology." The Sunday editions and the -popular illustrated magazines familiarize the public with the latest -discoveries and most advanced theories; and they frequently go a little -too fast for the authorities. But what these popular accounts lack in -accuracy they make up in freedom from prejudice. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. MONUMENT OF DE -LESSEPS, PORT SAID] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. HIGH RELIEF FROM THE -ALBERT MEMORIAL, LONDON A GROUP OF ARCHITECTS] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. PANEL FROM THE -ALBERT MEMORIAL] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. ANOTHER PANEL FROM -THE ALBERT MEMORIAL] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. PORTION OF -DECORATIVE FRIEZE FROM THE ALBERT MEMORIAL] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. CONTINUATION OF -DECORATIVE FRIEZE FROM THE ALBERT MEMORIAL] - - - - -GREAT NAMES IN ART. SCULPTURES FROM THE ALBERT MEMORIAL: by an Art -Student - - -The first illustration represents a group of architects of modern, or -comparatively modern times; the majority are British. This, and the -four other groups which follow, are from the high-relief or frieze on -the pedestal of the Albert Memorial in Hyde Park, London, and were -executed by J. B. Philip, about forty years ago. - -Although the immense sum of $600,000 was lavished upon the monument to -Prince Albert, the estimable consort of Queen Victoria, the memorial -has never been regarded as a satisfactory work of art. The general -design has some original and interesting features, but the structure is -overloaded with gilding and mosaic, and the execution is mechanically -rather than aesthetically distinguished. The statue of the Prince -himself is inadequate, and the large groups of figures representing the -Four Quarters of the World, Industry, etc., though they may have passed -muster in the mid-Victorian period of the '60s and '70s, are not up to -the artistic standard of today. London has been singularly unfortunate -in the quality of its public monuments, and it is to be feared that the -new Memorial to Queen Victoria which has just been unveiled, will not -raise the average. - -There are one hundred and nine figures on the pedestal, a large portion -of which are shown in our illustrations. They include painters, poets, -architects, sculptors, and some heroes and reformers. They are of far -greater interest from the historical associations they arouse than from -their artistic quality. - -The seated figure in the center of the first illustration is the famous -Sir Christopher Wren, (1632-1723) the builder of St. Paul's Cathedral, -London, and pre-eminently the most distinguished British architect -who has flourished since the Gothic period. He was one of the most -original geniuses of the Renascence. Wren had an extraordinary field -for his talents opened to him by the immense destruction caused by the -Great Fire of London in 1666, and he was certainly the right man in the -right place. Not only did he rebuild St. Paul's Cathedral but fifty -other London churches. Up to date, St. Paul's is the largest and finest -Protestant Cathedral in the world. Though open to criticism in some of -its minor details and constructive arrangements, it is allowed to stand -foremost among buildings of its class in Europe, St. Peter's possibly -excepted. - -Standing beside Wren is Inigo Jones, one of the first and most highly -accomplished English architects of the Renascence. His fame chiefly -rests upon his design for the palace of Whitehall, commanded by -James I. The Banqueting Hall was the only part actually carried into -execution. A window of this splendid building is still pointed out as -the fatal one from which Charles I stepped to the block. - -Vanbrugh, standing behind Wren, was the latter's famous pupil. He built -Blenheim, the seat of the great Duke of Marlborough. To the right of -Inigo Jones is Mansart or Mansard, the French architect whose memory -is immortalized in the "Mansard roof," which he invented. Palladio -and Vignola, to the extreme right, were Italian Renascence architects -whose influence upon the classic revival was very great in England -and France; the Palladian style being particularly followed in the -former and that of Vignola in the latter country. A striking group of -buildings was erected by Palladio in Vicenza, Italy, in the sixteenth -century, which became the model on which a large proportion of the -Renascence work in England was based. - -Of the modern English architects on the left, Sir Charles Barry is the -most notable. He was among the first to depart from the fashion so long -prevalent of introducing Greek and Roman forms into every building -of importance, and was one of the pioneers of the Gothic revival of -the nineteenth century, a century without a distinctive style of its -own. He designed the British Houses of Parliament, which, in spite of -some weaknesses, is a striking building with an eminently picturesque -sky-line. - -The kneeling figure at the right of the second illustration is the -great art reformer Giotto, (1276-1336) the admirable Florentine who -liberated the art of painting from the stiff Byzantine traditions which -had been dominant for many centuries. He exercised a lasting influence -upon the arts in every part of Italy, and thereby, upon the whole -western world. Carved in low relief as a background are the Dome and -Campanile of Florence Cathedral, the latter being a masterpiece proving -that Giotto had supreme ability as a builder in addition to his skill -with the brush. - -Seated beside Giotto is Arnolfo di Lapo, a successor of the celebrated -Niccolo Pisano, one of the few great sculptors of the Gothic period. -On Giotto's left is Brunelleschi (1377-1446), sculptor and architect. -To him we owe the completion of the great Dome of Florence Cathedral, -which is unequaled for beauty though not so high as several later -ones. He is also noted for his treatment of the "rusticated" work on -the Pitti Palace, Florence. - -William of Wykeham, a great man in many walks of life, is famous -in architecture for the nave of Winchester Cathedral (of which he -was bishop), one of the finest examples of the Perpendicular style -existing. Bramante, the next figure, (1441-1514) was the first -architect of the present St. Peter's at Rome, a position afterwards -held by Peruzzi, Raphael, and Michelangelo. Bramante built many palaces -in Rome; his style was simple and dignified, and he adhered as far as -possible to the classical forms. - -Sansovino (1479-1570) is best known for his picturesque Library of -St. Mark, Venice. San Gallo was another of the splendid galaxy of -Florentine architects of the Renascence. Vignola, at the extreme left, -was one of Michelangelo's successors in the building of St. Peter's; -but unfortunately he altered the design in such a way that the great -dome of Michelangelo cannot be seen from the front except at a great -distance. On Vignola's right stands Delorme, the favorite architect -of the French king Henri II; he is remembered chiefly as the first -designer of the Palace of the Tuileries. - -The third picture contains, among others, the portraits of some famous -English, German and French architects of the later Middle Ages. Erwin -von Steinbach (died 1318) is famous for his magnificent west front of -Strasburg Cathedral, of which, unfortunately, one of the magnificent -openwork steeples was never finished. The Abbé Suger was the patriotic -adviser of the French kings Louis VI and VII, and was justly celebrated -for his efforts for the welfare of the poorer classes at a time when -their interests were generally disregarded (twelfth century). - -Anthemius, to the right of the Abbé, was the great Grecian architect -and mathematician who designed for Justinian (A. D. 532) the daring and -original plans of St. Sophia at Constantinople. He is credited with -knowing the ancient secret of making "burning-glasses" (magnifying -glasses) which was not rediscovered for hundreds of years. He is also -said to have understood the making of gunpowder, and the application of -steam as a motive power. - -The seated figure to the left in the fourth illustration is the great -painter, sculptor and architect, Michelangelo. At his right are -Torrigiano, his early rival, who is famous for the fine carvings on the -tomb of Henry VII in Westminster Abbey; Gian di Bologna (1524-1608), a -follower of Michelangelo, and Bandinelli, another rival whom he soon -outdistanced. Next to Peter Vischer, (died 1524), one of the early -bronze workers in Nürnberg, renowned for his tomb of St. Sebald in -that city, is the erratic, bloodthirsty, gallant, and most eminent of -all metal-workers, Benvenuto Cellini. His Diana of Fontainebleau, and -Perseus of Florence, are his finest large works, but he principally -devoted himself to smaller articles such as chased vases, etc. His -autobiography is one of the most delightfully naïve "human documents" -existing. In the background is a model of the Perseus. - -The next seated figure is Jean Goujon, (1530-1572) one of the restorers -of French sculpture as an independent art; he is well known for his -decoration of the Louvre. Beside him is the martyr-artist Bernard -Palissy (1499?-1589), who after sixteen years of incessant and -unremunerated labor discovered a pure white enamel ground for pottery -which was suitable for the application of decorative art. He was -reduced to the extremity of poverty before he made his great discovery, -even having to burn his furniture to feed his furnaces. But as soon as -his animal sculpture in pottery became famous and prosperity began to -shine upon him, he became the victim of religious persecution. Charged -with being a Calvinistic preacher, it was only by the aid of powerful -friends who admired his genius that he escaped for some years, and -finally he was thrown into the Bastile, where he perished. - -In our last illustration Michelangelo is at the extreme right. At -his left stands Donatello (1386-1468) the forerunner of the greatest -of the Florentines, and probably the next best known name in Italian -sculpture. His most famous works are in low relief, but several of his -full-sized statues, such as the St. George in Florence, are very fine. -Luca della Robbia, (seated,) and Ghiberti were almost contemporary -with Donatello, and, next to Michelangelo, these three are perhaps the -greatest glory of Florence in sculpture. Luca della Robbia invented the -process of enameling terra cotta; his groups of Singers at Florence are -his most famous work. Ghiberti is chiefly known by his wonderful bronze -gates to the Baptistery at Florence. Looking over Donatello's shoulder -is Andrea Verrocchio (1432-1488), painter and sculptor, a follower of -Donatello, and the teacher of the universal genius Leonardo da Vinci. - -Niccolo Pisano, the third figure from the left is of earlier date than -those hitherto mentioned. He was architect, sculptor and painter; -under the inspiration of his genius sculpture was revived in Italy, -and every branch of art was influenced. Imitation of nature in place -of conventionalism was introduced. He is one of the few really great -sculptors of the Gothic period; he may be considered really to be the -forerunner of the Renascence. His most famous work, the marble pulpit -in the baptistery at Pisa, was finished in 1260. - - - - -THE TWO FAIRYLANDS--A Study in the Literature of Wonder: by Kenneth -Morris - -I - - -One has been reading a fairy-tale of our own day, which has made a -great stir in literary and dramatic circles, and it has given rise to -certain ideas as to canons of criticism. Its name, and its author's, do -not matter; there will be more freedom if they remain unmentioned. - -What a charm is here! Millions of colors that never were in the rainbow -nor the sea-shell; a subtle, exquisite loveliness--which yet, in the -after-taste--somehow repels. Always mystery; what we call inanimate -things waking to life (as they should do, indeed, in any right-minded -fairy-tale); a sense of mutable, inconsequent horizons, over which no -sun has ever risen or set. And, as there should be in fairy-tales, -a kind of esotericism glimmering through; a meaning concealed yet -obvious. Yet there is fairy gold and fairy gold. The best kind has the -aspect of a petal or a pebble; but with the dawn, lo, some diamond or -magical tiara. We are a little doubtful that this moon-wan opalescence -will not turn out to be only a good worthy piece of Birmingham-ware. -Withal, there are fine notes at the end, that touch deep centers in us; -for these one can but be duly and truly thankful. - -There are certainly two methods of imagination; and we find them shown -forth excellently in fairy literature. By that we mean all mythology; -every tale wherein non-human or magical agents play their part. It -will include a good part of our poetry; Shakespeare, Keats, Shelley, -Coleridge, Poe, and Tennyson all dipped into it at times, or moved -habitually among its haunted valleys. - -There are two roads running out from our actual world, and they run -through two separate Fairy-Lands. You shall go out by your front -door when the sun is shining, and come upon the one of them. It -leads through a wood of daffodils--Wordsworth's and Shakespeare's -daffodils--in whose company you will find yourself strangely exultant: -these are they that "take the winds with beauty"; hence their jocundity -and infectious mirth. Alive? Why, certainly; and wise also--only -perhaps you shall not yet be allowed to pry too curiously into their -counsels. All the flowers are alive in this fairyland; and they all -have their own secrets, which are sunbright and beneficent. Sunbright, -or sundark like the hyacinth--but still beneficent: poppy and -mandragora are not allowed to grow here. - -As you ride on, you shall still feel the shining of the sun and the -vigor of the wind; or perhaps there will be sweet intimate grayness of -clouds, or perhaps the sweetness of rain. Rain or wind, you will feel -the touch of either on your face, and smell the earth-scent. There is -one valley there, where the sky is always clouded and windy; the sedge -is withered on the lake there, and no birds sing. But for that, you -might mistake it at first for a place in the other fairyland, because -of the haggard and woe-begone knight-at-arms you are to meet with, -"alone and palely loitering." Keats came to this valley, and heard his -whole story from him: it was this knight-at-arms who met _La Belle Dame -Sans Merci_. - -Like everything else in this fairy-land, it is true; in this case the -beauty of its truth is awful. For you are not to suppose there are no -tragedies enacted here: there are as many as there are in the world. -There are a thousand wanderers in the valleys and on the mountains, who -would lure you away from the sunlight and the rain. Here, often and -often, it is written: "_Look not behind, or thou art lost_." Yet no -ruin can come upon you that is not definitely evitable: one holds one's -fate in one's own hands, and need fear nothing but himself. - -In another hundred of fairyland, your road runs by over windy wolds of -rye and barley, and down past the island in the river where dwells the -Lady of Shalott. While she weaves her web, finding her whole delight -in the pictures, note that the sun or the moon is still shining; -afterwards, when she has turned and the curse has come upon her, the -low skies are raining ever so heavily. By the presence of the sun and -moon and wind and rain, by the earth-smell and the water-song, you -shall know that you are in the fairyland of the Right Hand, and that -everything about you is true. The story of the Lady of Shalott true? -Why, yes; a million and a million times. A tragedy again; fairyland is -full of tragedies. Yet she need not have left the web, need not have -seen the bloom on the water-lilies, need not ever have looked down to -Camelot. - -And how nearly a tragedy is this scene too--of Titania, poor lady, -falling in love with the Ass! For, if you go far enough, you shall come -upon Oberon and his court; you shall find sweet Bully Bottom also, -strangely wandered from his own world, and with that queer, inevitable -headpiece clapped upon him. What else should he wear, in fairyland? As -was said, everything is so desperately true here; and sage and simple -are alike to come by their own. Should you stray here, no silk hat -has potent enough magic of the modern to protect your respectability: -a wandering wind will whisk it away, and you will appear in crown or -ass-head, according to your merits; or perchance in a dinted, war-worn -helmet, or wearing a garland of oak or laurel or bay. No one may wear -any colors but his own in fairyland. - -There are innumerable provinces here, reigned over by innumerable -potentates; but you are to look for sun and moon and wind and rain in -all of them. Perseus and Theseus and Herakles; Roland and the good -knight Charlemain; Cuchullain and the Red Branch; the men of the -Emperor Arthur, and Oisin and Oscar and Finn--they are all here; here -are fought Moytura, Fontarabbia, Camlan. Ulysses flies the Island of -Calypso anew; and Odin comes anew into the Hall of the Dwarfs. There -is always a feast at Gwalas in Penfro; and the door that looks out -towards Aberhenfelen and Cornwall is flung wide by Heilyn again and -again--tragedy of tragedies; no one had opened that door until then, -from the time the sea and the sky and that old palace were made. But -hark! it is the scream of a real seagull that is blown down the hall. -Innumerable are the beauties and wonders and sorrows of this region; -and they are all true, true, true: you can hear the natural winds and -waves always, and taste the salt of natural wind-driven spray. - -Yet in a sorrowless Italy here, Saturn still is reigning: and here - - The wind in the reeds and the rushes, - The bees in the bells of thyme, - The birds in the myrtle bushes, - The cicale above in the lime, - And the lizards below in the grass - Are as silent as ever old Tmolus was, - -listening to the sweet pipings of Pan: for the Golden Age has not faded -and you may come on Brugh-na-Boinne and the Hills of Arcady and the -Island of the Appletrees; you may come on all the haunts of Plenydd, -Alawn, Angus, Baldur, and Apollo. - - -II - -So much, then, for the Fairyland of the Right-hand, as we may call it; -there is also a Left-hand fairyland, however; and its character and -denizens are altogether different. - -You come to it by a road that never goes out of doors. I suspect that -you lock and bar your study door, and draw the curtains, and make -fearfully sure of your solitude. Then you sally forth by uncanny -gateways, and come where never hay was mown. There is light there, -especially at first; but the end is a dreadful darkness. The light -is of a kind, indeed, that never was on land or sea; but we may be -thankful for that. Our lands and seas are the wholesomer for the lack -of it. - -At first it is not all so different, as to let us see at once we are -in no hallowed region. There is beauty, and color; but the beauty is -neither from the sun nor from the moon, and the color from no dawn -nor sunset, from no sky nor sea. Shifting mists may give place to a -dazzling Moorish palace, or to a peasant's cottage inhabited by the -dead. Mirth or sadness may lurk in such dwellings; but beware of any -intimacy with them: you cannot tell what fair seeming masks the ghoul. -There is no order nor established nature of things, nothing you can -depend on. The fig grows on the thistle; but any hunger is better than -to eat it; vines and figtrees are prolific of innumerable thorns. -Gorgeous blooms prophesy only of doom and impending horror. That is, -when you have journeyed some little while. At first, perhaps, they will -tell no tale but of sweetness and fragrance for the senses. Luxurious -poppies are on every roadside, haunted with night and dreams: but -beware of the whitest lily, the deepest rose; besides these the poppies -are but flower children innocent of guile. - -Very early on the way to this fairyland, you shall come to Xanadu, -where Kublai Khan decreed his stately pleasure-dome. A beautiful place? -Yes, but mark; here Alph, the sacred river runs "through _caverns -measureless to man, down to a sunless sea_." There is much wonder -in that; but also darkness, and--incipient terror. Your true and -right-hand fairyland, "bards in fealty to Apollo hold." _It_ is all "in -the Face of the Sun and the Eye of Light." - -For a lone reminder of better things, the forests of Xanadu do inclose -sunny spots of greenery; but the heart of the place! It is "as holy and -enchanted as e'er beneath a waning moon was haunted By woman _wailing -for her demon lover_." Heavens! is that your mark of holiness? They -do not so reckon it in the right fairyland, where the tragedies are -effects flowing from causes. And the beauty of the place? "The shadow -of the dome of pleasure Floated midway on the waves":--a scintillant -mirage, a sensuous unreal efflorescence of phantasmagoria; and midst it -all, "ancestral voices prophesying war." - -_Christabel_, _Genevieve_, and _The Ancient Mariner_ all belong to -this fairyland; the first two near the hither frontier, and the last -much farther in. For one has to note how beauty wanes as the sun-known -horizons recede, and how its place is taken by a new kind of harmony, -a chiaroscuro of keen terror and gloom. This also holds one, as beauty -does; indeed, plays on the emotion with a more compelling, because -wilder and louder, touch. So we call the pictures and poems of the -left-hand fairyland also beautiful, also works of Art. Some day I -think we shall be wiser; our critics will use a deeper discrimination. -Beauty is not that which most stirs the emotion, but that which most -stirs it in a certain way. There is the evolutionary urge upward to be -considered; what works against that has no real right to the name of -beauty. You are to note here, that the further one travels in this dark -fairyland, the more Wonder transforms itself into horror. Wonder went -with us all through the bright realm, and grew from the mere wizardry -of flowers and mountains, into the atmosphere of majesty that surrounds -the soul and the judgments of Spiritual Law. The wizard-glow in the -woodlands waxes, and resolves itself into one of the elder gods. But -in the other case, the Daughter of Glamor that leads us is like the -_Gwrach y Rhibyn_ in the Celtic tales; subtly luring and exquisite at -first, she turns into a fearful terrifying hag, and he who accompanies -her does well if he escapes with his reason. - -Glamor fills both regions; the one, a clean natural magic; the other, -not so decadent in the beginning, as to be wanting in some few waning -rays of the sun. In either case, it is partly the sense of a certain -depth in the things seen or heard; you know that the words of the -poem or story stand for something more than is actually spoken. Fairy -dwellings again; the grass-grown hillock that melts and reveals itself -a palace of the Immortals. In the poetry of the Right-hand Fairyland, -this is precisely what we find; beautiful is the seen, but infinitely -more beautiful and grander that which it symbolizes or indicates. In -that magical country, there is nothing not quickening with ancient -truth, and all the dramas enacted are leaves out of the diary of the -human soul. Hence the many tragedies, the many fallings of fate, dooms -that flow out of deeds done or undone. But in the other, we find none -of this. There, the esotericism is poorer than the outward form. -Fate is fate there, no longer Karma. At the best there may be some -moral taught; yet even then, it is doubtful if the lesson will be of -supreme value. It will not equal in weight the great superstructure -of art raised over it; as if one should sack the caves of the whole -sea, to find some not too-precious stone. It will be an after-thought, -a gem added, an excuse; not the seed and reason of the whole work. -More often, it will be some mere allegory of the passions, void of -truth in the deeper sense; or the deliberate esotericizing of a -Sandford-and-Mertonism. Yet these will be the very best the left-hand -fairyland has to offer; go a little further in, and you have simply -riot on the planes of delirium. Coleridge's _Genevieve_ and Keat's -_Belle Dame_ will point the difference. There is something of the same -color and mystery, even a parallelism in the subject-matter of the two -poems: but the first is mere sound and beauty, signifying nothing, and -the second a picture of the fate of one who has been lured away by -passion from the true paths of the Soul. They are surely wrong, who -ascribe to Coleridge the originality, and say that Keats followed him. -The truth is that the two are not comparable; Keat's voyagings were to -the right hand, Coleridge's, here, to the left. - -And the last places in the witch-land? The House of Usher rears itself -gauntly beside its tarn there, and incontinently and dreadfully falls. -It is an "ultimate dim Thule," reached by a road haunted only of evil -angels. It is the home of decay, horror, and death; there is a godless -phosphorescence about it. - -But, you say, did not Dante wander there, and Milton? No. Whither -they went, they went armed in the uprightness of spiritual strength. -They made their hells somber, terrible, _august_; not glamorous or -attractive. In Malebolge and Pandemonium alike, there is a certain -stability also, a procession of cause and effect; there are horrors, -but they are not inconsequential; they take their place in a definite -scheme of things. And here is a literary touchstone; both Milton and -Dante wielded that supreme quality of style which is called the _Grand -Manner_, so that the mere boom and march of their verses arouses the -feeling of heroism, of titan strength: a thing it was never given the -decadents and drug-fed to do. Dante had his safe guide and teacher -with him; as he walked through the wonders and terrors of hell, he -himself was the thing most aloof and wonderful. Unscathed he might -pass to his meeting with Beatrice, and walk with her in heaven as -majestically, as he had walked with Virgil through hell. Milton, too, -with all his limitations, remains a thing majestic for our vision; -poet or politician, he is still the armed and terrible warrior of -God. In his characteristic and later mood, he seeks never beauty, but -always righteousness; indeed, his chief fault is that he lost sight -of any unity in the two. _Comus_ and _Lycidas_ will show us from what -fairyland he had graduated, to take part in the stern earthly labors of -his prime. - -But here is the mark of the later Coleridge, and of all true wanderers -in the fairyland of the left. When they see him, "All should cry -Beware, beware! His flashing eyes, his floating hair." Yes--in one of -his moods. But what when the inspiration had passed; when the turbulent -dark glory that held them had waned from before his eyes; when the Dead -Sea Fruit of his fairyland had withered, and left him to be nourished -with filth and cinders? Then, too, wholesome men cry _Beware!_--but of -a victim of opium, a morphiomaniac, or one sodden with cocaine; a poor -wreck of a man, at sight of whom if you close your eyes, it will not be -in "holy dread," but in mere sorrow and pity. - -Poor Coleridge! it was laudanum, and not honey-dew or the milk of -Paradise that inspired him. And perhaps we might trace all that part -of the literature of wonder which comes from the dark, left-hand -fairyland, to drugs; which would remove from the category of genius -many a name that figures there now. - - - - -LIGHT PHYSICAL AND METAPHYSICAL: by H. Coryn, M. D., M. R. C. S. - - -A metal is fixed and crystallized light, said H. P. Blavatsky--and was -laughed at. Light was not then, nor is it yet, substantive, but a mode -of motion--of the ether and of matter. The days when it was substantive -and corpuscular, the days of Newton, had gone by. - -But there are several indications of their return--with additions, the -additions warranting H. P. Blavatsky's definition of a metal. - -A crystal of metal consists of molecules, and they of the still smaller -atoms. Each atom, in its turn, is made of the still smaller electrons -or corpuscles. If these either _are_ light, or are made of even smaller -bodies which are, the definition is justified. This is the suggestion, -or contention, of Professor Bragg, developed at a recent lecture -delivered before the English Royal Institution. - -Light is regarded as a spreading etheric pulsation, waves in ether. We -have it as the visible seven colors from red up to violet, and beyond -visibility as the ultra-violet. Still higher etheric pulses, according -to the usual theory, are the _x_-rays. Professor Bragg applies his new -corpuscular theory to the last alone, though he suggests that it also -includes the ultra-violet rays--in which case it must include all the -rest. He thinks the _x_-rays corpuscular because of a certain behavior; -but the ultra-violet rays have the same behavior--and no one doubts -_their_ continuity with the lower rays down to--and far below--the red. -What is the behavior on which the argument rests? - -The term _x_-rays or kathode rays, as popularly used, covers three -kinds of emanation in the tube or from radium. The first and grossest -ingredient is ordinary matter, whirling atoms of the element helium. -The next and finer, the intermediate, is electrons, corpuscles. The -third and finest is _x_-rays proper, hitherto considered as merely -etheric pulses. Professor Bragg calls them _gamma_ rays, restricting -the other term, _x_-rays, for other rays of properties so nearly the -same that he includes them in the same argument. - -When _gamma_ (or _x_-) rays fall on an atom of matter they cause it to -discharge one or more of its electrons or corpuscles, the intermediate -of the three emanations popularly included under the term _x_-rays. In -this connexion they are called _beta_ rays. - -The professor points out that when _gamma_ (or _x_-) rays produce this -discharge from an atom - - the _beta_ rays to a large degree continue the line of motion of the - _gamma_ rays, as if the latter pushed them out of the atoms; and, - lastly, that the number of the _beta_ rays depends on the intensity of - the _gamma_ rays. - -The _gamma_ ray, entering an atom, pushes out a corpuscle, a _beta_ -ray, and takes its place. It behaves, in fact, as if it were itself a -corpuscle, and the word ray is not well descriptive either of it or the -_beta_. Nor can it be a mere ether-pulse. The professor suggests that -it is a corpuscle, an electron, which has had the ordinary negative -charge of electricity proper to electrons neutralized by a positive. -Then he proceeds: - - Many insist that my neutral corpuscle is too material, and that - something more ethereal is wanted, for it appears that ultra-violet - light possesses many of the properties of _x_- and _gamma_ rays.... - They propose therefore a quasi-corpuscular theory of light, _gamma_ - and _x_- rays being included.... The light corpuscle which is proposed - is a perfectly new postulate. It is to move with the velocity of light - ... and to be capable of replacing and being replaced by an electron - which possesses the same energy but moves at a slower rate, and, of - course, it has to do all that the old light waves did. The whole - situation is most remarkable and puzzling. - -So at this rate matter consists of molecules, as before; which consist -of atoms, as before; which consist of electrons, as before--but may -also in part or altogether consist of still more ethereal corpuscles -_which are light_. - -It is but a step to the suggestion that the electrons consist of light -corpuscles, standing to them as they stand to the positive or negative -atom of matter. Then metals will be crystallized light. - -But whence the light corpuscles? How did they manage to get born in -space? An answer to this question means a step-over from science into -metaphysics. If and when we have reached the last line of matter we -must begin to consider _consciousness_. - -Intellectual light, spiritual light--we think we are using only -metaphors in those phrases. Possibly we are not. Physical light may -be the last stage of higher lights. If physical light is divine -thought-energy appealing to our sense, it may have passed down through -higher stages at which it appeals only to mind and heart and spirit. - -If we think of Cosmic Spirit as pulsing its will and thought into that -passive and uniform essence which will afterwards become active and -differentiated matter, condensing and precipitating it into centers for -evolutionary work, we must surmise that it is these intensely conscious -centers that will subsequently be suns. Science would say that this -condensation would already involve the liberation of heat, that the new -center must at once be hot. But that is only true of condensing matter -as we know it, matter which already contains latent energy. But the -kind of matter we are considering now is what _will become matter_, -has no possessions nor qualities till these are conferred on it by -divine ideation and will. A sun at its first stage would be luminous -only to a _spiritual_ cognition--that is, it would be charged with, and -radiating, divine ideation. At the _very_ first it would not be even -that; it would be but a _receiving_ center--for divine thought and will. - -But at last would come its first heart-beat, so to speak. Some of the -aggregated substance would be pulsed out to the surface charged with -accumulated energy, dissipated as corpuscular light. And now it would -fall within the range of human vision. It is illuminating not only to -sense but to mind; for it contains mind; and not only to mind but to -spirit; for that also it contains. - -Theosophy teaches that the sun's envelopes do _not_ contain the -terrestrial elements _in their terrestrial condition_. It is their -antetypes that are alone there, transient, in perpetual aggregation -on the inner side of the envelope (towards the solar nucleus), in -disintegration as light on the outer. And this light, charged with -divine ideation--septenary--has the power on earth of building elements -like to, but lower down than, those found in the sun's envelopes--and -of destroying them. The planets owe the elements they have to the -formative power in the solar light; rather say the keynotes of the -elements they have, according to which keynotes the elementary matter -aggregates. Besides that every molecule is crystallized and fixed -light, it contains as its soul some of that light in its highest or -first state. And so has every cell, every compound of cells, every -living thing. If we had another kind of spectroscope we could find -their antetypes too on the sun. Every cell and molecule contains latent -what in man has begun to manifest--that _self_-consciousness which is a -direct reflection of the absolute Self-consciousness of that point or -center which is everywhere and whose circumference nowhere because the -universe has a limit nowhere. That self, latent or manifest, has in man -and molecule its first or highest embodiment in a layer or envelope of -light in its first or highest condition. As we say, Âtman is enshrined -in Buddhi. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. A FAMILY -GROUP: JULIUS KRONBERG, THE FAMOUS ARTIST MADAME SCHOLANDER, HIS -MOTHER-IN-LAW, A WELL-KNOWN SWEDISH THEOSOPHIST AND MR. KRONBERG'S -CHILDREN. STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. "EROS": PAINTING BY -JULIUS KRONBERG] - - - - -EROS: by R. W. Machell - -[Suggested on first seeing the painting by Julius Kronberg, entitled -_Eros_] - - -I looked into the depths and saw amid the writhing forms that filled -the abyss, a running stream of fire that flowed among them, and seared -and shriveled some and twisted others into strange shapes, but still -itself preserved its own undying energy insatiate. A monster that -devoured its devotees, for at times I seemed to see it as a being -having a form defined though monstrous. It fascinated me, and, as I -looked longer and more intensely it took form more definite, with a -strange beauty, wild and weird, yet strangely potent to attract and -hold the gazer in the spell of admiration that bewildered all the mind, -and fired the sense with strange thrills and throbbings of unsatisfied -desires, vague but intense, painful yet so seductive that the mind, -bathed in oblivion of former joys, craved only the consuming kiss -of that fierce flame. The form was superhuman, but as yet I saw no -face nor knew to what to liken the strange shape, so wild and yet so -strangely human that it seemed a part of me when first I looked. But in -a little while I knew that I was but a part of it--scarce even that, a -shadow looking towards a light that must consume it. I fought against -the fascination that seemed as if it would absorb my soul and scorch my -mind and sweep my body into its seething vortex of undying fire; and as -I fought to hold myself against the influence, it seemed as if it, that -living fire, took form and features and became the image of a God with -wondrous eyes that glowed as do the embers of the fire when burning -clear with caverns of throbbing radiance and unresting palpitations, -flushing and gleaming, or sinking into momentary dulness like a sulky -face swept by a passing cloud of temper. But strange and fascinating -as it was, that beauty seemed to be unable to define itself; there -was a _want_ that left in the beholder a wild yearning, in itself so -keen as to appear the most intense delight mingled and tinged with -woe unutterable. And then I knew that this on which I gazed was a -reflection of some higher thing, an _image only_ on the waves of that -deep ocean in which the world and all things corporeal float formless -and uncreate until the creative fire of Eros pierces its depths, and -awakening all its energies into activity, mirrors itself upon the -seething vortex of illusion. - -Each one who looks into the depths shall see this image; they who have -no heart to search the depths of beings shall feel the fire within -their veins and hail the presence of a God and feed the flame with -their own substance, giving their lives in acts of impious sacrifice to -the consuming fires of the lower world, responsive to the passions that -so insistingly demand the tribute of self-immolation on the altar of -desire. - -And from his place beside the throne on high the God of Love looks -down and sees the distorted image of himself torturing, deceiving, -and destroying all who fall beneath the spell of his pervading magic, -while tears of pity for the woes of men fall silently; and he waits, -divinely patient, for the hour when man shall rise from his long dream -of passion, and turning his eyes up towards the Sphere of Light, -shall know that he too is divine. Then shall man recognize the God of -Love who stands beside the throne and call to him to show the path by -which he can regain his place and once more sit upon the throne of -his divinity and rule within the kingdom of the soul, the soul of all -humanity. - - - - -TEMPTING COUNTERFEITS VS. REALITY: by Lydia Ross, M. D. - - -Visitors at Point Loma who learn something of the high moral tone -of the Râja Yoga College here and of the way in which the young -people are protected from evil influences, are much impressed with -these educational conditions, as desirable as they are unique. -Compared with the average youth's environment, which modern life -keys to an ever-increasing pitch of excitement, self-indulgence, and -artificiality, the serene, disciplined, natural life of the Point Loma -young folk makes an atmosphere of quite another world. Even the keenest -critics admit this. - -The judgment, however, becomes so colored by the prevailing customs and -ideas and the critical minds are so skeptical from previous failures -in fulfilment, that even friendly visitors are prepared to find a flaw -somewhere. So it is not surprising to hear them say: "Well, there is -something wonderful here and it is the right way to live; but how will -it be with these young people when they leave the school and go out to -meet the unknown temptations of ordinary life? How will they stand the -test?" - -That question touches the point wherein the Râja Yoga method differs -from prevailing educational systems, in training the pupil, not for -examination day, but for _practical life_. - -In analysing temptations of any kind they may be traced to a common -root: the promise of giving the tempted more power--the power to feel -more, to think more, to do more. This proffered power is the naturally -alluring counterfeit of that conscious inner sense which longs _to be_ -more. - -First take the physical appetites which so often develop a mastery of -the thoughtless or deliberately indulgent. The normal sense of taste -enlarges the feeling of pleasure, and agreeable food stimulates the -body's latent nutritive forces to an output of strength and action. -Usually the desire of the alcoholic and drug habitués is not primarily -for the _taste_ of the drink or the drug but for the coveted feeling -of attainment that they (apparently) give, the temporary, apparent -return of waning poise and power. Even when unable to stand steadily, -the inebriate is convinced of his own strength and importance by the -feeling of energy and largeness he has recklessly lashed into an -outgoing, aimless tide of exhausting sensation. The maudlin type finds -himself the central figure of a fictitious emotional sphere, while the -ambitious but incompetent man basks in the pleasing delusion of his own -wealth and dignity. The craving for stimulants and sedatives grows with -the indulgence which weakens the will, shatters the nerves, dulls the -mind, and debases the spirit. The wretched habitué feels a vital lack -of selfhood and clutches at even a passing furlough for his mutilated -and chaotic sense of identity. - -The sense of smell is not only intensified by favorite odors, but -these recall and vivify other scenes and sensations. A fragrant flower -may suggest a realm of beauty and poetry and sweetness. Savory odors -appeal to the sense of taste and the appetite becomes the means of -still further arousing one through the memory and imagination. The -degenerate nature enjoys even offensive odors as the means of making -him more alive to the possibilities of his degenerate world. A dog's -markedly developed olfactory sense is not attracted by aesthetic odors -as he smells impartially at everything, and follows up--tempted, if you -will--those odors that make him more aware of his canine capacity for -sensation and action: that, in short, make him more of a dog. - -The auditory sense is also the gateway to a larger range of feeling -and power. The savage responds to his own defiant war-cry, and the -small boy dilates with his noisy activities, as the refined expand -under nature's finished rhythm of sound and the tones of inspiring -music. - -The eye also lights up old and new scenes of thought and feeling and -the characteristic sensations are reflexly stimulated whether one seeks -an exciting round of changing pictures or chooses more beautiful and -useful things, whether the higher or the lower nature is appealed to, -it is the larger sense of power to feel or to think or to know that is -the attraction of vision. - -The sensual appetites are impelling because the creative quality -upon the physical plane counterfeits the unity of masculine and -feminine principles in the final perfection of human consciousness. -The attraction of the sexes depends upon an awakening not only to the -qualities of the opposite, but also to an exaltation of the lover's -sense of his or her own manhood or womanhood. Exercised merely for -gratification the lower appetites fill the indulger's world with -insistent desires, capable of leading to degrading depths. But when the -creative energy is consciously expended along the uplifting lines of -noble and altruistic endeavor it arouses in all the auto-creative sense -of power, which, reproductive in its own right, has the satisfying -sense of attainment. Unselfish love so far awakens the higher nature -to its own richness and strength and beauty that its royal impulse to -give would sacrifice the personal self in protecting and idealizing the -beloved. - -The temptations of ambition spring from a love of power--the power of -knowledge, of courage, of beauty, of strength, of influence--those -things which arouse the possessor to an enlarged or intensified sense -of himself. That the ruling personal ambition too often sacrifices the -greatest elements of the nature to obtain the gratification of seeming -greatness does not discount the fact of the Real Self which sacrifices -its lesser desires to be great. - -Back of all counterfeits must be the genuine coin to give the false -its spurious value. So beyond the many byways of sense and sensation -wherein humanity seeks to feel and to think and to do more there is -the sunlit highway of the natural soul-life wherein one grows more -conscious of his divine power and possibilities. Normal growth during -incarnation is not found in a repeated round of sensational climaxes, -but in a progressive journey with an ever-expanding horizon where the -soul dominates the nature forces within and without the body. The child -who learns to know the divine reality of his dual nature inevitably -comes to find that "pleasure within himself" that is satisfying in its -expansive sense of power and beauty and largeness. - -That the child is incapable of realizing so profound a truth as that of -his divine origin is questioned by a world psychologized with centuries -of false teachings of natural depravity, etc. But in the teaching of -the dual nature in the Râja Yoga training that calls upon the higher -side to master and utilize the force of the lower impulses, the reality -of innate power becomes the satisfying keynote of daily life. In the -plastic period of child growth, he should be spared the usual external -distractions while acquiring the habit of looking within to "find -himself." Protection from the taint of artificial life is no more -enervating than the suitable care the gardener gives to seedlings while -they take firm root for future growth and resistance. - -Temptation can only tempt where there is lack and longing. One who -has learned how to live in the fulness and richness of the reality -can easily estimate the worth of any imitation, familiar or unknown. -Theosophy does not haggle over theological minutiae. It broadly asserts -that the divine man incarnating becomes dual in nature. Râja Yoga -training confidently challenges the indwelling soul to come forth and -declare itself. - - - - -LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF PYTHAGORAS: by F. S. Darrow, A. M., Ph. D. (Harv.) - - -III. THE TEACHINGS - -As Pythagoras met with the immemorial fate of the world's great -teachers, many fantastic distortions of his teachings were published; -some of them, in his name by his enemies, for the express purpose of -bringing his teachings into disrepute; and many things were imputed -to him which he certainly never said or did. Probably he did not -commit any of his teachings to writing, but it is certain that his -disciples memorized his sayings and treasured them as the oracles of -the Deity. He had two forms of teaching: one public or exoteric, and -one private or esoteric. It is noteworthy that wherever his teachings -prevailed, sobriety and temperance displaced licentiousness and luxury, -for the distinguished Pythagoreans were men of great uprightness, -conscientiousness, and self-control, capable of devoted and enduring -friendships. - - -(a) EXOTERIC TEACHINGS - -The public teachings of Pythagoras consisted principally of practical -morals of the purest and most spiritual type and emphasized the virtues -of self-restraint, reverence, patriotism, sincerity, conscientiousness, -uprightness, truth, justice, and purity of heart. He insisted upon -the highest ideals of marriage and of parental duties, and always -exerted his influence to suppress wars and dissensions. He was the -first to apply the term philosopher or lover of wisdom to himself, as a -substitute for the earlier term sage, for he said: "The Deity only is -wise; men at their best are merely lovers of wisdom." He was also the -first to use the word _kosmos_ or "order," as applied to the universe. -He used to say: - - Drunkenness is synonymous with ruin. - - No one ought to exceed the proper quantity of meat and drink. - - Strength of mind depends upon sobriety, for this keeps the reason - undiverted by passion. - -In answer to the question, "When may I indulge in the pleasures of -passion?" he replied: "Whenever you wish to be weaker than your _Self_." - - Never say or do anything in anger. - - Virtue is harmony; health, the Universal Good. - -He urged his disciples not to kill animals, because he declared that -they have a right to live, as well as men. - - It is the part of a fool to attend to every opinion of all men, above - all to that of the mob. - - Do what you believe to be right, whatever people think of you. Despise - alike their censure and their praise. - - Add not unto your grief by discontent. - - Do not speak few things in many words, but many things in a few words. - - Either be silent, or speak words better than silence. - - It is hard to take many paths in life at the same time. - - Youth should be accustomed to obedience, for it will thus find it easy - to obey the authority of reason. - - Men should associate with one another in such a way as not to make - their friends enemies, but to make their enemies friends. - - We ought to wage war only against the ignorance of the mind, the - passions of the heart, the distempers of the body, sedition in cities, - and ill-will in families. - - No man should deem anything _exclusively_ his own. - - Every man ought so to train himself as to be worthy of belief without - an oath. - -He used to call admonishing, "feeding storks." - - Philosophers are seekers after truth. - - The discourse of a philosopher is vain, if no passion of man is healed - thereby. - - Choose the best life; use will make it pleasant. - - Man is at his best when he visits the temples of the gods. - - A man should never pray for anything for himself, because he is - ignorant of what is really good for him. - - Do not the least thing unadvisedly. - - Advise before you act, and never let your eyes - The sweet refreshings of soft slumber taste, - Till you have thence severe reflections passed - On th' actions of the day from first to last. - Wherein have I transgressed? What done have I? - What duty unperformed have I passed by? - And if your actions ill on search you find, - Let grief, if good, let joy, possess your mind. - This do, this think, to this your heart incline, - This way will lead you to the Life Divine. - - * * * * * - - This course, if you observe, you shall know then - The constitution both of gods and men. - And now from ill, Great Father, set us free, - Or teach us all to know ourselves in Thee. - - The noblest gifts of heaven to man are to speak the truth and to do - good. These two things resemble the works of the Deity. - - Place intuition as the best charioteer or guide for thy acts. - - Possess not treasures except those things which no one can take from - you. - - Be sleepless in the things of the Spirit, for sleep in them is akin to - death. - - Each of us is a soul, not a body, which is only a possession of the - soul. - - The tyrant death securely shalt thou brave, - And scorn the dark dominion of the grave. - - The greatest honor which can be paid to the Deity is to know and - imitate Its perfection. - - The wise men say that one community embraces heaven and earth, - and gods and men and friendship and order and temperance and - righteousness; for which reason they call this whole a kosmos or - orderly universe. - - Of all things learn to revere your _Self_. - - Likeness to the Deity should be the aim of all our endeavors. The - nobler, the better the man, the more godlike he becomes, for the gods - are the guardians and guides of men. - - There is a relationship between men and gods, because men partake of - the Divine Principle. - - You have in yourself something similar to God; therefore use yourself - as the Temple of God. - - Be bold, O man! Divine thou art. - - Truth is to be sought with a mind purified from the passions of the - body. Having overcome evil things, thou shalt experience the union of - the immortal God with the mortal man. - - -(b) THE ESOTERIC TEACHINGS - - -(1) Symbols - -The esoteric teachings of Pythagoras, which he called "the Gnosis of -Things that Are," or "the Knowledge of the Reality," so far as they -can be gathered from the extant fragments, dealt with (1) Symbols, -(2) Number, that is, the inner meaning of arithmetic and geometry, -(3) Music, (4) Man, and (5) the Earth and the Universe. In his -esoteric teachings Pythagoras gave out the keys to the system of -practical ethics outlined in his exoteric sayings. Such of his public -utterances as were called Symbols were mere blinds, capable of several -interpretations with several distinct and highly important meanings -attached to them. H. P. Blavatsky, speaking of these, says: - - Every sentence of Pythagoras, like most of the ancient maxims, had - (at least) a dual signification; and while it had an occult physical - meaning expressed in its words, it embodied a moral precept. - -It is no mere coincidence that many of the maxims were and still are -current among widely separated nations. The following are examples of -some Pythagorean Symbols together with their possible meanings as moral -precepts: - -"Do not devour your heart": that is, do not consume your vitality in -futile grief. - -"Do not devour your brain": that is, do not waste your time in idle -thoughts. - -"When you are traveling abroad, turn not back, for the furies will go -with you": that is, do not dally or cry over spilt milk but hasten -to accomplish whatever you have begun; otherwise you will fail, and -remorse and sorrow will thereafter attend you. - -"Do not indulge in immoderate laughter": that is, restrain the unstable -parts of your nature. - -"Do not stir fire with a sword": that is, do not return angry words to -an angry man, for "hatred ceaseth not by hatred but by love--this is an -everlasting truth." - -"Turn away from yourself every sharp edge": that is, control your -passions. - -"Nourish nothing which has crooked talons or nails": that is, cultivate -only kindliness of disposition. - -"Help a man to take up a burden but not to lay it down": that is, by -toils and sorrows men are strengthened. - -"Do not step above the beam of the balance": that is, live a life of -perfect justice. - -"Spit not upon the cuttings of your hair or the parings of your nails": -that is, even trifles are important. - -"Destroy the print of the pot in the ashes": that is, correct all -mistakes. - -"Put the shoe on the right foot first but put the left foot first into -the bath-tub": that is, act uprightly and honestly, washing away all -impurities. - -"Look not in a mirror by lamplight": that is, do not be misled by the -phantasies of the senses, but be guided by the pure, bright light of -spiritual knowledge. - -"Transplant mallows in your garden but eat them not": that is, -cultivate spirituality and destroy it not. - -"Do not wear a ring": that is, philosophize truly, and separate your -soul from the bonds of the body. - -"When the winds blow, give heed unto the sound": that is, when the -Deity speaks, attend closely. - -"When you rise from bed, disorder the covering, and efface the -impression of the body": that is, when you have attained unto wisdom, -obliterate all traces of your former ignorance. - -"Leaving the public ways, walk in unfrequented paths": that is, lead a -spiritual, not a worldly, life. - -"Do not offer your right hand lightly": that is, do not make pledges -which you cannot or will not keep, and do not divulge the Mysteries to -those who are unfit and uninitiated. - -"Do not receive a swallow into your house": that is, do not disclose -the Mysteries to one who is flighty and unstable. - -"Speak not about Pythagorean concerns without light": that is, do not -assume to be a teacher until you have become a student. - -"When treading the Path divide not": that is, truth is one but -falsehood is multifarious; choose that philosophy in which there is no -inconsistency or contradiction. - -"Above all things learn to govern your tongue when you follow the -gods": that is, learn the power of silence. - -"Disbelieve nothing admirable concerning the gods or the divine -teachings": that is, the Deity is perfect justice and perfect love; -"the Divine wisdom is the science of life, the art of living." - -"Do not cut your nails while sacrificing": that is, in praying, -remember even those who are most distant. - -"Sacrifice and worship unshod": that is, approach the Mysteries with a -reverent heart. - -"Entering a temple, neither say nor do anything which pertains to -ordinary life": that is, preserve the Divine, pure and undefiled; the -divine science cannot be judged by the ordinary standards of human -opinion. - -"Enter not into a temple negligently nor worship carelessly, not -even though you stand only at the doors": that is, seek the Divine -wholeheartedly without reference to personal advantage, no matter -however humble your position. - -"Approach not gold in order to gain children": that is, beware of all -teachers who barter the things of the Spirit; "by their fruits ye shall -know them." - -"Inscribe not the image of the Deity on a ring": that is, do not think -of the Supreme as either finite or personal. - - -(2) Number - -The esoteric teachings of Pythagoras in regard to number dealt -principally with the significance of arithmetic and geometry, and -emphasized the importance of the application of number to weights and -measures. He was the first to explain the multiplication table to -the Greeks. The leading idea of his system was that of the Unity in -Multiplicity. Therefore the Pythagorean concept of harmony was based -upon the relationship of the One and the Many, the idea of the One in -Many and the Many in One--"as above, so below." By number Pythagoras -meant not merely figures, but regulated motion or vibration, rhythm, -law, and order; for he made number equivalent to intelligence. He said: - - Number is that which brings what is obscure within the range of our - knowledge, rules all true order in the universe and allows of no - errors. - -He assumed, as first principles, the numbers and the symmetries -existing in them, which he called harmonies. He taught: - - Virtue is a proportion or harmony. Happiness consists in the - perfection of the virtues of the soul, the perfect science of numbers. - Nature is an imitation of number. - -Pythagorean arithmetic was concerned especially with the first ten -digits, which were "hieroglyphic symbols, by means of which Pythagoras -explained his ideas about the nature of things." He taught that unity, -the monad or one, is no true numeral, for one multiplied any number -of times by itself always equals one; that is, unity unlike the true -numerals, has not an infinite series of varying powers, for its square, -cube, and other powers, are one and all equal to one, the first term of -the series. Another peculiarity, which proves unity not to be a true -numeral, is its indivisibility into whole numbers. - - The monad is God and the good, which is the origin of the one and is - itself Intelligence. The monad is the beginning of everything. Unity - is the principle of all things and from Unity went forth an infinite - or indeterminate duality, the duad, which is subordinate to the monad - as its cause. - -Pythagoras taught that the duad, the first concept of addition, was the -first true figure and regarded the one as a symbol for the Primitive -Unity or the Deity, the Absolute, behind and above the indeterminate -or infinite duad, which symbolized chaos or spirit-matter. The triad -or the three, the monad plus the duad, symbolized the Divine, the -Heavenly, as opposed to the Earthly. - - The Pythagoreans say that the All and all things are defined by - threes; for beginning, middle, and end constitute the number of all - and also the number of the triad. - -The tetrad or the four exists in two forms, its actual form the -quaternary or the four, the symbol of Earth as opposed to Heaven, and -its potential form, the tetraktys, which contains in germ the sum total -of the universe, manifested and unmanifested, the Pythagorean dekad or -ten, thus, 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10. The tetraktys, therefore, was regarded -as a very sacred symbol. The pentad or number five, symbolized man. The -senary or number six, is, of course, composed of two threes, and was -regarded as an abbreviation for the alpha and omega of evolutionary -growth. The hebdomad or number seven, is the perfect number, par -excellence, symbolizing both heaven and earth. In the words of H. P. -Blavatsky - - The ogdoad or 8 symbolizes the eternal and spiral motion of the - cycles, and is symbolized in its turn by the Caduceus (or herald's - staff of Hermes). The nine is the triple ternary, reproducing itself - incessantly under all shapes and figures in every multiplication. - The ten or dekad brings all these digits back to unity and ends the - Pythagorean table. - -"It is," Pythagoras says, "the starting point of number." - -Passing from the arithmetic to the geometry of Pythagoras, Plato's -statement that "God geometrizes" is undoubtedly Pythagorean in origin, -for it is said that Pythagoras perfected geometry among the Greeks, -and the two well-known theorems that the triangle inscribed in a -semi-circle is right-angled, and that the square of the hypothenuse -of a right-angled triangle is equal to the sum of the squares of the -sides, are still associated with his name. Pythagoras taught: - - From the monad and the duad proceed numbers; from numbers signs; from - signs lines, of which plane figures consist; from plane figures solid - bodies. The Kosmos is endued with life and intellect and is of a - spherical figure. - -From one point of view, One corresponds to the dot or point, Two to the -line, Three to the plane, and Four to the concrete solid. The dekad -was represented geometrically in the form of a tetradic equilateral -triangle of ten dots, with one dot at the apex, and four along the base -line, thus [10-dot triangle]. This shows graphically how the tetraktys -as 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10, contains potentially the dekad. This ten-dot -triangle filled out by lines becomes an equilateral triangle, with the -dot at the apex and at the center remaining as generating-points for -adjacent figures, and especially as the centers of circles, inscribed -in and circumscribed about the original triangle. - -The principal plane geometrical figures known to have been explained -by Pythagoras are the circle in its three forms: one with the -center unmarked, the second with a dot at the center, and the third -with the diameter drawn: [plain circle] [circle with dot] [circle -with diameter]; the triangle: [triangle] the square: [square]; the -pentagram, or five-pointed star: [pentagram]; and the hexagram, the -six-pointed star or so-called Pythagorean Pentacle: [6-pointed star]. - -The circle was called by Pythagoras "the most beautiful of all plane -figures" and in its form with the center unmarked, corresponding to the -monad or the one in arithmetic, was placed in a category by itself. The -circle with a dot at its center corresponds to the duad, the triangle -to the triad, the square to the tetrad in its actual as opposed to -its potential form, which is that of the tetradic dotted triangle, -as previously explained, the potential equivalent of the decad. The -pentagram or five-pointed star corresponds to the pentad, and the -hexagram to the senary. The circle with its diameter indicated the -actual dekad or 10 (for we no longer write the one within the circle to -represent ten) as opposed to the potential equivalent of the dekad, the -tetraktys. In his solid geometry Pythagoras taught that "the sphere was -the most beautiful of all solid figures," and in its form corresponding -to the monad, it was classed by itself. Pythagoras explained that both -the earth and the kosmos were spherical in shape, and added that the -universe was made up of five basic solid figures, which were built up -from the triangle and the square: namely, the cube; the tetrahedron; -the octahedron, a figure with its eight sides formed by equal -equilateral triangles; the dodecahedron, a figure with twelve faces -formed by regular pentagons; and the icosahedron, a figure composed of -twenty equal and similar triangular pyramids whose vertices meet at the -center of a sphere, which is supposed to circumscribe it. - - -(3) Music - -Turning to Pythagoras' teachings in regard to music, which he regarded -as a very important help in controlling the passions, it is said that -he was the first to teach the Greeks the tonic relations of the musical -scale, and invented for them the monochord, a one-stringed instrument, -used in measuring the musical intervals. Upon these relations he built -his celebrated doctrine of the Harmony or Music of the Spheres, that -is, that the heavenly bodies, composing our solar system, in the course -of their rotations emit the notes of the scale. H. P. Blavatsky and the -ancients explain this by saying that Pythagoras called - - a "tone" the distance of the Moon from the Earth; from the Moon to - Mercury ½ a tone, thence to Venus the same; from Venus to the Sun 1½ - tones; from the Sun to Mars a tone; from thence to Jupiter ½ a tone; - from Jupiter to Saturn a tone; and thence to the Zodiac a tone; thus - making seven tones, the diapason harmony. All the melody of nature is - in those seven tones and therefore is called "the Voice of Nature." - -Pythagoras declared that the harmony of the spheres is not heard by the -ordinary human ear either because it has always been accustomed to it -from the beginning of life, or because the sound is too powerful for -the capabilities of the physical ear. In substantiation of this theory -it is interesting to note that modern science expresses the intervals -of music by proportions similar to those which mark the tonal distances -of the planets. - - -(4) Man - -Self-contemplation was strongly insisted upon and played a most vital -part in the Pythagorean training. To his esoteric section Pythagoras -taught the immortality of the soul, its pre-existence, and its rebirth; -karma; and the septenary constitution of man, partially veiled, it is -true, under the form of a triple division of the soul into animal, -human, and divine parts. - - There is a doctrine whispered in secret that man is a prisoner, who - has no right to open the door and run away. The gods are our guardians. - - The soul is a harmony and the body its prison. - - We choose our own destiny and are our own good or bad fortune. - - Rash words and acts are their own punishment. - - We are our own children. - -Intentional perversions of the teachings of Pythagoras, mere travesties -of his ideas, are plainly evident in what has come down to us in regard -to his belief in metempsychosis. Thus we are told that his enemies -circulated the story that Pythagoras had declared that one of his -relatives had passed into a bean, a vicious joke based on the fact -that beans were excluded from the Pythagorean diet. Another similar -malicious fiction about Pythagoras is thus referred to by Xenophanes, a -contemporary philosopher. - - They say that once, as passing by he saw - A dog severely beaten, he did pity him, - And spoke as follows to the man who beat him: - "Stop now, and beat him not; since in his body, - Abides the soul of a dear friend of mine, - Whose voice I recognized, as he was crying." - -That Pythagoras, himself, did not believe in transmigration after -such fashion, is shown quite plainly by the following statements of -Hierocles, the Neo-Platonist in his commentary upon the _Golden Verses_ -of Pythagoras: - - If through a shameful ignorance of the immortality of the human soul, - a man should persuade himself that his soul dies with his body, - he expects what can never happen; in like manner he who expects - that after death he shall put on the body of a beast and become an - irrational animal because of his vices, or a plant because of his - dulness and stupidity--such a man, I say, acting quite contrary to - those who transform the essence of man into one of the superior - beings, is _infinitely deceived_ and _absolutely ignorant_ of the - _essential form_ of the _soul_, which can never change; for being - and continuing always man, it is only said to become God or beast by - virtue or vice, though it cannot be either the one or the other. - -The following quotations give us true representations of Pythagoras' -ideas on pre-existence and rebirth. - - Souls cannot die. They leave a former home, - And in new bodies dwell and from them roam. - Nothing can perish, all things change below, - For spirits through all forms may come and go. - - * * * * * - - Thus through a thousand shapes, the soul shall go - And thus fulfil its destiny below. - Death has no power th' immortal soul to slay; - That, when its present body turns to clay, - Seeks a fresh home and with unminish'd might - Inspires another frame with life and light. - So I myself (well I the past recall).... - -Pythagoras regarded rebirth as a gradual process of purification and -taught that the soul by reason of nobility of character gained by -struggles upon earth was destined to be exalted eventually into far -higher modes of life. "Imagination," he explained: - - is the remembrance of precedent spiritual, mental, and physical - states, while fancy is the disorderly production of the material - brain. - - Man is perfected first by conversing with gods, which he can do only - when he abstains from evil and strives to resemble divine natures; - secondly, by doing good to others, which is an imitation of the gods; - thirdly, by leaving the mortal body. - - By our separation from the Deity, we lost the wings which raised us - towards celestial beings and were thus precipitated into the region - of death where all evils dwell. By putting away earthly passions and - devoting ourselves to virtue, our wings will be renewed and we shall - rise to that existence where we shall find the true good without any - admixture of evil. - - The soul of man being between spirits who always contemplate the - Divine Essence and those who are incapable of contemplating it, can - raise itself to the one, or sink itself to the other. - - Every quality which a man acquires originates a good or bad spirit, - which abides by him in this world and after death remains with him as - a companion. - -Pythagoras taught that man is a microcosm, a compendium of the -universe, with a triple nature, composed of (1) an immortal spirit, -the Spiritual Soul, intuitive perception, the _Nous_, a portion of -the Deity; (2) a human intelligence, the Human Soul, the rational -principle, the _Phren_; and (3) the sensitive irrational nature, the -Animal Soul, the seat of the passions and desires, the _Thymos_. -The Nous and the Thymos, he stated, are common to man and the lower -animals, but the Phren, which in its higher aspect is immortal, is -peculiar to man. - - The immortal mind of man is as much more excellent than his sensitive - irrational nature as the sun is more excellent than the stars. - -The physical body is but a temporary garment of the soul, into which -"the Nous enters from without." "The sense perceptions are deceptive." - - The principle of life is about the heart, but the principle of reason - and intelligence in the head. - -Pythagoras added that at death the ethereal part of man freed from -the chains of matter is conducted by Hermes Psychopompos, the Guide -of Souls, into the region of the dead, where it remains in a state -according to its merit until it is sent back to earth to inhabit -another body. The object of rebirth is gradually to purify the soul by -successive probations, until finally it shall be fitted to return to -the immortal source whence it emanated. - - -(5) The Earth and the Universe - -It is well-known that the ideas expressed by Plato in his _Timaeus_, -the dialog which he named after his Pythagorean teacher, are derived -almost entirely from Pythagorean sources. Therefore it is probable that -Pythagoras taught about the earlier continents, which were destroyed -alternately by fire and water, and in particular about the legends of -Atlantis, including the account of an Atlantean invasion of Greece -about 10,000 years B. C. before the Greeks lived in the Greek lands--an -invasion which was repelled by the inhabitants of prehistoric Athens, -who were akin to the ancient Egyptians. - -In regard to our solar system, Pythagoras knew not only that the earth -is spherical, but also taught that the sun, likewise spherical, not the -earth, is the center--a theory rediscovered more than 2000 years later -by Copernicus and Galileo. Pythagoras also explained the obliquity of -the ecliptic, the causes of eclipses, that the morning and evening star -are the same, that the moon shines by light reflected from the sun, and -that the Milky Way is composed of stars. He held that "the Universe has -neither height nor depth but is infinite in extent," that - - there is a void outside the Universe into which the Universe breathes - forth and from which it breathes in, - -and that - - the Universe is brought into being by the Deity and is perishable - so far as its shape is concerned, for it is perceived by sense, is - therefore material, but that (its Essence) will not be destroyed. - -Pythagoras declared that all nature is animate, for - - Soul is extended through the nature of all things and is mingled with - them - -and he believed in one Deity, ruling and upholding all things. - - There is One Universal Soul diffused through all things--eternal, - invisible, unchangeable; in essence like Truth, in substance - resembling Light; not to be represented by any image; to be - comprehended only by the _Nous_; not, as some conjecture, exterior to - the Universe, but in itself entire, pervading the sphere which is the - Universe. - -From this One Universal Soul proceed Spiritual Intelligences, above, -below, and inclusive of man; the subtle ether out of which they are -formed becoming more and more gross, the further it is removed from the -divine Source. He classified these Hosts or Hierarchies of Spiritual -Intelligences into gods or major divinities, daemones or lesser divine -beings of good and bad natures, and thirdly heroes or disembodied human -souls, "immortal minds in luminous bodies," in position intermediate -between men and the daemones. He declared "the whole air is filled with -souls." - -H. P. Blavatsky says: - - In the Pythagorean Theurgy these hierarchies of the Heavenly Host and - the gods were expressed numerically. - -The Pythagoreans believed that the forces of nature were spiritual -entities. They taught that there are ten spheres formed by the -Heavenly bodies, those of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the -fixed Stars, the Sun, the Moon, the Earth, and the Counter-earth or -the Antichthon, about which little has come down to us but which -is presumably connected with "the riddle of the Eighth Sphere." -Furthermore the Pythagoreans taught that there were ten cardinal pairs -of opposites or ten antithetical principles, which constitute the -elements or Stoicheia of the Universe, namely, (1) the limited and the -unlimited; the finite and the infinite; (2) the One and the Many; (3) -light and darkness; (4) good and bad; (5) rest and motion; (6) the -masculine and the feminine; (7) the straight and the crooked; (8) the -odd and the even; (9) the square and the oblong; and (10) the right and -the left. - - - - -PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE INVISIBLE: by Philip A. Malpas - - -If a spectrum be thrown on a blackboard with a lantern, in a dark room, -one end will be violet and the other red, to the ordinary eye. If a -plain photographic sensitized plate is placed against the blackboard -so as to receive the spectrum on its central portion during a suitable -exposure and is then developed, fixed, and replaced in its original -position, the result shown is remarkable. At the red end the plate is -unaffected; the orange and yellow and green are scarcely recorded; the -blue and violet are well represented, but the part of the plate most -affected is that beyond the visible violet far into the "darkness" of -the blackboard. - -Here is a sensitive surface or substance which can "see," as though -brilliantly lighted, a surface which to the ordinary eye is invisible, -but, on the other hand, has some difficulty in seeing the red and -yellow, which the eye can see quite plainly. Needless to remark that -this is why a true red or yellow light is "safe" for ordinary plates -and for dark-rooms. On the other hand it would be possible to have a -dark-room which would be to the plate a very light room indeed, being -filled with these invisible rays beyond the violet end of the spectrum. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. VISINGSBORG CASTLE, -VISINGSÖ, SWEDEN] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. THE CANAL, -TROLLHÄTTAN, SWEDEN] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. HIGH SLUICE AND -PALACE OF INDUSTRY, AMSTERDAM, HOLLAND (At Amsterdam a stone arch -bridge is called a sluice)] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. PALACE OF INDUSTRY, -AMSTERDAM] - -And yet there are some eyes which can plainly distinguish the fact that -a substance or surface is giving off these powerful rays, invisible -to less sensitive eyes. Perhaps this is one of the thousands of -little forerunner facts which testify to the increase of sensibility -prophesied by H. P. Blavatsky for this present century. - -Now if a solution of one per cent of sulphate of quinine, one -centimeter thick, is used in a glass cell before a lens or plate it -may delay the exposure by perhaps six times the normal time, thus -showing that of our photographs taken under ordinary conditions on -ordinary plates we have been accustomed to accepting as true pictures -reproductions of the invisible, although much of that invisible -coincides with the visible, since these rays are emitted by so many -substances. - -But a false standard has been established unconsciously in our minds. -Where blue skies should be, we are content to see a pure white in a -photograph. Where reds and yellows abound we expect altogether too dark -a representation, as with grass and green trees. - -The quinine light-filter (aesculine, extracted from the horse-chestnut, -serves as well) absorbs or is largely opaque to these rays and such -a filter is much used now with specially sensitized plates to allow -the colors to be reproduced in monochrome in truer relation. A yellow -filter will also absorb some of the visible blue. The glass of the lens -too is responsible for the absorption of a proportion of these rays. -By an action not yet understood the dyeing of plates with certain dyes -renders the silver in them far more sensitive to the various colors in -the green, yellow, and red of the spectrum. - -Is it not probable that silver has the power of sensing these rays -so keenly, while the human eye, for reasons best known to the human -mind, has had and lost that power, but may be now beginning to regain -it? Such a recovery is not made without strain and natures that can -begin to sense these invisible rays must either strengthen and purify -themselves to the utmost degree possible or suffer what dry leaves -suffer in the flames, a burning out of the particles that are not tuned -to withstand the red fire that burns them. Hence the theosophical -reason for purity and strength, first, last, and all the time, in -preparation for the burning fiery flames of added sensitiveness which -come and have come quite soon enough for us to prepare against rather -than seek. - -Knowing what is now known of the efficacy of light in curing certain -affections, especially the violet and blue light, is it too early to -suggest that much of the power of quinine is due to the body being -saturated with this "colorless" dye and so cutting off light which the -constituents of the body are not strong enough to bear without their -balancing power being impaired, and so leaving the battlefield at the -mercy of inimical fever forces? - -Tropical travelers are warned not so much to use quinine after attack, -but to saturate the body (with minute doses) commencing several days -before entering the dangerous zone. - -In spite of endless fraud and humbug and "fake" photography, it has -long been suspected that the invisible can be photographed. As shown, -we have never been doing anything else in our photography except -photographing much of the invisible. Without saying that it has or has -not been done, we may well ask if it is really so difficult to imagine -that much of what inhabits the "seeming void" may be made visible to -the lunar surface of the plate? - -Professor Wood's experiments on the lines of photography by invisible -rays are of absorbing interest. Not only has he made interesting -photographs of objects by means of the invisible violet rays, but also -by means of the invisible rays below the red end of the spectrum. And -he shows one very interesting result of photographing Chinese white -by these ultra-violet rays--as though the pigment were a pure black! -This illustrates the fact long known to photo-engravers' artists that -Chinese white is a bad white to use except in a mixed tint. The Chinese -white cuts off so much of this invisible chemically-active "white" as -to appear gray even to an ordinary plate's "lunar eye." - -Another startling result is that by the ultra-violet light a man's -shadow may entirely disappear when he is photographed in sunlight. One -wonders if the strange Eastern "superstitions" as to shadows and men -without shadows do not have a real scientific basis. Perhaps R. L. -Stevenson's little child who rose so early that his "naughty little -shadow had stayed at home ... and was fast asleep in bed," could tell -us. - - - - -HEREDITY AND BIOLOGY: by H. T. Edge, B. A. (Cantab.) - - -The word "heredity" is one that is much conjured with nowadays, so that -it is important to understand its meaning and import. In so far as its -meaning covers facts ascertained by reliable observation, and correct -inferences therefrom, we must be prepared to accord the word the -respect which in that case it deserves; but in so far as it may stand -for imperfect observations and the faulty theories inferred therefrom, -we must be equally prepared to apply scrutiny and reserve. - -One thing we find is that the word is frequently used, even by -accredited authorities on biology, in a variable sense; in the course -of an argument the word has two or more distinct meanings, and the -arguer does not seem to be aware of the variation. This of course -indicates a nebulosity in the reasoning and leads to confusion and -wrong conclusions. For instance, in a particular case, where a lecturer -is reported, we find that he uses the word (1) in the sense of "the -fact that organic cells reproduce their kind," and (2) in the sense of -"some power or faculty in virtue of which they reproduce their kind." -These two senses are quite distinct, and would have been given separate -heads in a dictionary; to ignore the distinction in an argument both -arises from and creates confusion. - -But let us at present consider the second meaning--that of some power -or property in virtue of which an organic cell can reproduce its kind. -Biology, within its present scope, must confine itself to admitting -the existence of this power and to tracing its workings. The source -of the power lies outside the field of ordinary biological research. -For, granted that physical matter is actuated by an agency, that agency -must be immaterial; or at least, if material, then material in another -sense than that in which physical matter is material. Now biologists -may claim that this phase of the subject does not concern them; and -that point we should be willing to concede in all cases where the -investigations were confined to their appropriate limits--that is, to -the limits appropriate to a confessedly limited science. But what we -often actually find is that theorists overstep these limits and assume -an attitude of positiveness and authority to which (by the logic of -their own admission) they are not entitled. We even find proposals to -base legislation upon biological theories; and there is the danger that -in small self-governed communities such experiments may actually be -carried into effect. When it comes to this therefore we are justified -in inquiring more jealously into the credentials of biology; for we -do not readily concede the right to be governed by people who have -confessed that certain vital phases of their subject do not concern -them. - -Hence, however the case may stand as regards merely theoretical -science, when there is an attempt to apply theories to matters of -government and public policy, the restrictions become a matter of vital -importance. If we are to achieve successful results in applied biology, -then we must positively know something about these mysterious potencies -which lie behind matter and which many biologists say do not concern -them; for these forces actually exist and count, whether biologists -understand them or not; and though they may be ignored on paper, their -effects cannot be ignored. - -That which lies behind matter is mind--something well known to our -experience but not definable in terms of space. The mental aspect of -heredity is far more important than the merely physical. The bearing of -this truth upon the question of race-improvement and the elimination -of degenerate types is important. In paying so much attention to the -physical side of the question we are ignoring the important factors and -exaggerating those of lesser importance. - -In agriculture, attention to the soil is all very well and necessary; -but attention to the nature of the seed planted is generally considered -as counting for a good deal in determining the nature of the crop to be -reaped. Biological theorists are flooding us with schemes for improving -the soil in which the human plant grows; and very excellent some of -these schemes are. But what about the seeds of the human plant? Nay -more; we have not even exhausted the question of the soil; for besides -the physical soil, is there not the mental soil? In short, an abundance -of factors enter into the question, all of which are of vital import, -yet of which but a few fall under the attention of biological theorists. - -Heredity includes the two factors of innate potentiality and -environment; but the former, since it escapes the observation of -physical science, is minimized in favor of the latter. There is an -attempt to make environment account for the whole set of phenomena; as -though the nature of the crop depended entirely upon the soil and not -at all upon the nature of the seed. - -In the question of parental transmission the same considerations apply. -While it is true that the offspring derives many of its characteristics -from its parents, and others from its surroundings, we know that -parentage and environment cannot explain everything. There is another -factor; and this factor is what corresponds to the seed in our -illustration from agriculture. In fact it is the _innate character_ -of the individual. For of a man's character, part is due to parentage -and environment and part is inherent in the individual himself. The -character is the resultant of these two components. The influence -of this inherent factor is seen in families, where, though all the -children have the same parents, the characters may be widely different. -We are aware that an attempt is made to explain this fact by saying -that the different children have combined the characteristics of the -parents in different proportions; but this is not an explanation of the -cause, but merely a restatement of the problem in another form. - -Into the processes of generation and birth there enter many different -factors, each of which calls for study, if we would know the truth and -arrive at safe and practical conclusions. Even plants and animals have -what may be called _vital souls_ or _monads_, which, working behind -physical matter, cause it to grow and develop. In the case of man there -is still more, for such a process would produce merely an idiot. There -is the human Soul, and this has its own character and destiny--its -Karma--brought from its previous lives. This Karma is a potent -determining influence in heredity, and it operates much more powerfully -in some individuals than in others, this depending upon the stage of -development which the particular Soul has reached. - -The principle of heredity, as defined by most biologists, is incomplete -and needs the Theosophical teachings to complete it. It is often -wrongly supposed to conflict with the Theosophical teachings, but so -far as it conforms to facts it cannot do this. Theosophists may find -themselves unable to accept all the speculations of biologists, but -they can never have any quarrel with the facts. - -In biological and anthropological works, in quasi-scientific or -quasi-sociologic novels by immature and frequently morbid thinkers, -and to some extent even in stage plays, we see the speculations of -theorists brought forward as the basis for proposed social polities; -and bad indeed would be our case should such experimenters ever attain -the influence they covet. Frightful doctrines regarding marriage and -parentage, inhuman suggestions as to the treatment of malefactors and -weaklings, and other horrors, now growing familiar, will readily -suggest themselves to the reader. And as these signs spring from a -misuse of science, which science itself seems unable to prevent; while -no religious organization seems competent to deal with the problem; the -importance of teachings which really can tell us something about our -own nature is evident. But it is not of new dogmas that we speak; the -teachings referred to are of the nature of demonstrations. When anyone -is _shown_ something which he did not before perceive, and recognizes -it for a truth, and makes effectual use of it, then he is satisfied and -needs not inquire into its authenticity. The purpose of Theosophy is -to _demonstrate_ the laws of human nature and nature in general. Its -appeal is to the understanding. - - - - -INCORRODIBLE BRONZE: by Travers - - -It has frequently been maintained that ancient nations, some of whose -art-works remain to us, knew secrets in metallurgy which have been -lost and not yet recovered by us; and that in this way they were able -to make bronze tools as hard as steel, or harder, to make metals which -would not corrode, etc. Where one has a wish to prove that ancient -races did not possess such knowledge, there is a conflict between -theories and facts, resulting in attempts to find an explanation which -will solve the dilemma. But where one has no reason for desiring to -represent the ancients as not being so endowed, the facts present no -difficulty. On the one hand we have monuments of the hardest stone, -elaborately engraved with deep and accurate intaglio. On the other -hand we know that many ancient civilizations were of extremely long -duration, and that surviving offshoots of these great civilizations -show a remarkable skill in many arts and industries. There is an _a -priori_ probability that many processes were known which have not yet -been rediscovered; and the fact that these architectural and sculptural -remains exist merely increases that probability. - -With regard to incorruptible bronze, the following, which is condensed -from the _Journal_ of the Royal Society of Arts (Britain), is -interesting. - -Figures of the Buddha are found in the north of Siam in great numbers, -on the sites of ancient temples which have been crumbling for -centuries, leaving the figures standing amid the forest trees. The -interesting thing about these figures is the perfect condition of the -bronze after centuries of exposure to tropical suns and rains. - -This bronze is called by the natives "samrit"--the perfect or -auspicious alloy--and its composition for a long time remained a -secret, until, according to the American Consul at Bangkok, a few years -ago the formula was discovered in an old Siamese manuscript belonging -to the late King of Siam. The following is a translation: - - Take twelve ticals (one tical is equal to one half-ounce avoirdupois) - weight of pure tin, melt it at a slow fire, avoiding bringing it to - red heat. Pour two ticals weight of quicksilver, stir until the latter - has become thoroughly absorbed and amalgamated, then cast the mixture - in a mold, forming it into a bar. Take one catty in weight (eighty - ticals) of refined copper and melt it; then gradually incorporate with - it the amalgam, keeping in the meantime the fused mass well stirred. - When this has been done, throw into the crucible a sufficient quantity - of ashes obtained from the stems of the bua-bok (lotus) creeper so as - to cover the molten metal. Remove the dross with an iron ladle. The - metal remaining is samrit bronze. - -It is surely easy to understand that many such formulas might have been -known and never hit upon since. The possibilities in the way of making -alloys are endless, especially when it comes to using ingredients -or reagents other than metals. It would be strange indeed if an -industrious, highly intelligent, and very patient people, working for -ages, inspired by enthusiastic motives, should _not_ have discovered -many things which are unknown to us whose history is so recent and -whose records have been so largely concerned with less peaceful arts. - - - - -SCIENTIFIC ODDMENTS: by the Busy Bee - - -The largest flower in the world is said to be _Rafflesia_, a native -of Sumatra. It is composed of five round petals of a brickish color, -each measuring a foot across. These are covered with numerous irregular -yellowish white swellings. The petals surround a cup nearly a foot -wide, the margin of which bears the stamens. The cup is filled with a -fleshy disk, the upper surface of which is covered with projections -like miniature cows' horns. When empty, the cup will hold about twelve -pints. The flower weighs about fifteen pounds, the petals being -three-quarters of an inch thick. - - * * * * * - -QUITE a field of discovery lies open in connexion with photography -by invisible light, for it can reveal objects whose existence was -not suspected, especially on the moon and other celestial bodies. -The photograph is taken through a quartz lens coated with silver, -which is impenetrable to visible light but not to ultra-violet rays. -White flowers come out black, and a glass porch looks as if made of -sheet-iron. A man standing in the sunlight was seen to have no shadow, -which shows that the ultra-violet rays do not come directly from the -sun but are present in diffused light. - - * * * * * - -IT is often desirable, in delicate scientific measuring, to convey a -cool beam of light to a small scale which is to be read; and one clever -device for doing this is to send the light along a glass rod. It might -be thought that the light would escape through the sides of the rod -and that it would therefore be necessary to coat them with some opaque -substance; but this is not the case. Light does not pass through glass -when it strikes the glass very obliquely. If we look very obliquely at -a sheet of glass, we do not see the objects on the other side of it, -but we see the reflection of those on the same side as that from which -we look; the glass acts as if it were silvered. This is what is known -as "total reflection"; and in accordance therewith the beam cannot -escape through the sides of the rod. Thus the rod acts like a tube -along which the light, as though a fluid, runs; rather a suggestive -fact in connexion with currents and transmission generally. - - * * * * * - -NOW that we know of radium emanation, we have a scientific explanation -of the difference between natural curative waters when drunk at the -spring and the same waters after being bottled and exported. Things -may be chemically identical, and yet different--a reflection that -should help to prevent us from becoming too dogmatic. This discovery -about mineral waters has led to the invention of what may be called -"artificial genuine waters"; they are mineral waters artificially -impregnated with radium emanation. These have been used curatively with -success. Following their use came that of radium baths, and then radium -air-baths and radium inhalers. Patients can be put into a room whose -air is impregnated with emanation, or they can inhale through a nozzle -connected with a bottle. One naturally wonders how many more influences -there may be in nature which have not yet been detected, and how many -hygienic beliefs are consequently based on imperfect knowledge. What -happens to the fresh air after it has been drawn into a building, -heated in an apparatus, and distributed? Chemically the same it may -be, but it differs a good deal in its effects from the air outside. -And there is the question of prepared foods; is it enough that they be -chemically the same as the natural product? - - * * * * * - -THE devising of new luxuries is of doubtful advantage; for not only is -luxury itself enervating, but it is often not even achieved, for our -needs and susceptibilities increase with their satisfaction. - -Soon it will not be necessary to have any circulation in your feet; -nor to use warm foot-gear or warm your feet at the fire. The carpet -on which you tread will itself be warm; or if it is not, you can make -it so in a moment by merely pressing the ubiquitous and indispensable -button in the wall. Stoop down and examine this magic carpet; it looks -just like any ordinary unpretending piece of floor-furniture. But -unravel some of its threads and you will find that they contain that -all-pervading nerve of modern life--a wire. Upon a woolen thread is -wound a tape made up of fine strands of nickel wire; over this again -goes more wool, and so the wire is made invisible and flexible. A cord -ending in a plug connects the carpet with the wall or the lighting -fixture. One would think there was risk of the carpet going up in a -puff of blue smoke; nor is one much reassured by the statement, in -a scientific paper, that "when overheated, the resistance rises and -cuts down the current, so that an automatic regulating action is given -which prevents overheating." The rise of resistance would increase -the quantity of heat generated, whereas the lessening of the current -strength would only reduce the quantity of heat in the proportion of -the square root of the diminution in current strength. - - * * * * * - -A NEW method of chemical analysis has been discovered by Sir J. J. -Thomson. It makes use of the Crookes vacuum tube, which, as is well -known, consists of a glass vessel containing a residuum of air or other -gas in a highly rarefied state. A platinum wire is sealed into each end -of the tube, each wire connected with an electrode within the tube. A -high-potential electric current is transmitted across the rarefied gas, -being carried by the particles, which, owing to the rarefaction, have -a greater freedom of movement. When these charged particles strike the -walls of the tube or an obstacle placed in their path they produce -beautiful luminous effects. Professor Thomson, in his new method of -analysis, pierces the negative electrode with a tube of very fine -bore, and it is found that the charged particles of gas pass through -this tube into the space behind, where they will produce luminosity -on a screen in their path. Now, as is known, these particles can be -deflected from their straight path and caused to take curved paths by -certain electric and magnetic methods. But the amount of deflection so -produced varies according to the mass and velocity of the particle. -Professor Thompson has so arranged the experiment that the amount of -deflection produced in the various particles present is indicated -by the spot at which they strike the screen. If they proceeded in a -straight path, they would strike the screen in the center; the more -they are deflected, the further from the center is the point at which -they strike. This affords a means of analysing the composition of the -gases present; but it is also necessary to take into account the fact -that the amount of deflection depends not only on the mass and velocity -of the particles but upon the amount of electric charge they are -carrying. But this merely multiplies or divides the results by integral -quantities. - -It was found by these experiments that no matter what gas was being -examined, hydrogen was always present, and also carbon, nitrogen, -and mercury; mercury would be likely to be present in the air of -a laboratory. In examining marsh gas (CH_{4}), besides curves -corresponding to marsh gas, carbon, and hydrogen, there were found -other curves which by calculation would correspond to CH, CH_{2}, and -CH_{3}, compounds which are not known to the chemist and which must be -momentary transition stages in the decomposition of marsh gas. - -This method of analysis is rapid, can be performed with minute -quantities, and is not hindered by the presence of impurities, for -these register themselves without interfering with the other elements. - -Two prophecies by H. P. Blavatsky in _The Secret Doctrine_ were that -chemistry and biology were the twin magicians of the coming time, -and that it would soon be admitted by men of science that the Occult -teaching is true--that every cell, atom, and speck in the universe is -alive. - -The microscopic germ is every day pushing more to the front and -threatening to elbow the mere molecule out of the field. Even familiar -chemical reactions will not come off if nothing else but the chemicals -concerned is present; there has to be something to start the reaction, -something electrical or who knows what. So we are told. Any day we -may expect to hear that the electrons are alive; at any rate they are -pretty lively and capable for "dead" things. - -Bacteria are not all deadly or even maleficent. There are bacteria -that are good for us, necessary for our existence. The human body can -be described as made up of minute organisms. Disease means that the -destructive ones have prevailed over the constructive; but when there -is a proper balance of the two sorts we are healthy. - -And now we learn that some of the beneficent bacteria shine--emit -light--a sure token of their saintly character! But they do not merely -absorb it and give it out again like some chemicals and phosphorescent -bodies; they create their own light. "_Fiat Lux_," they say, _et lux -fit_. This light, too, is without heat, wherefore it is the most -economical light possible. When _we_ create light we create with it -enough heat to run a hell, and all this represents waste. The most -efficient electric filament, it is said, gives only 5% of the energy -in the form of light. The luminous bacteria must have a nutritive -substance and oxygen. They abound most in sea-water, and on the Pacific -Coast the sea at certain seasons is a magnificent spectacle at night, -each wave shining with a soft bright light of undefinable colors. -But they can be experimented with in the laboratory. _Photobacterium -phosphorescens_ is obtained from the herring, duly fed and bottled, and -can be used to read by. A scientific magazine shows a photograph of a -picture of Lord Lister most appropriately illuminated by bacteria which -are contained in glass tubes near the picture. - -Light has been regarded mainly as a means of vision; but it is -evidently more than this. In ancient science it is spoken of as one of -the creative powers. In physics we recognize it as among the active -transforming forces. We can regard it either as a form of energy or -as a form of matter--these amounting to little more than alternative -points of view. Behind the various phenomena classed as "light" lies -their ultra-physical _cause_--the _being_, the _thing-in-itself_. -When we speak of light as illuminating the mind or emanating from the -source of inspiration, we are commonly held to be employing a figure -of speech, a metaphor. But we might as well turn the matter around and -regard the scientific use of the word light as a metaphor. - -There are various kinds of light. Moonlight may be mistaken for the -light of the sun by some creatures that have not seen the latter; also -there are owls and bats which prefer it. Candles prove a source of -destruction to ignorant moths. The lowliest germs, as we see, can emit -a certain luminosity; even decaying matter shines. And so there are -various kinds of light in the world of mind; but best of all is the -sunlight. - - Twinkle, twinkle, little germ, - How I wonder why you squirm, - Down among my flesh and blood, - Like a diamond in the mud. - - How doth the little busy bug - Improve each shining hour - By causing it to shine some more - With half a candle-power. - - _Dr. What's-his-name_ - - - - - LINNAEUS AND THE DIVINING-ROD: - Contributed by P. F. - - -Linnaeus in one of his works relates an experience he had in the -finding of noble metals by means of the divining-rod, and does it in -the simple good-humored way that marks all his writings and makes them -such delightful reading. He says: - - The divining-rod is a curious contrivance, and people will have us - believe that the rod can tell where metals are hidden. Now and again - my secretary would take a twig of hazel forked evenly at one end and - would amuse the company with it. This happened also at this place, one - person concealing his silver snuff-box, another his watch, here and - there in the bushes, and in most cases the secretary found them. Now - I had never believed in the divining-rod and did not like to hear it - mentioned. It provoked me that it should be recommended in this way, - and I imagined that my friends and my secretary were in collusion to - deceive the company. So going to a large field north of the barn, - I cut out a piece of turf, placed my little purse in the hole, and - covered it up so carefully that nobody could see the least trace - of it. My own mark was a great ranunculus growing near the place, - and there was no other tall flower in the whole field. When all was - arranged I went back to the company, told them that I had concealed my - purse in the field, and asked the secretary to find it with the help - of his divining-rod. If he found it, then I would believe in the rod, - so sure was I that no mortal but myself knew the place where the money - was. - - The secretary was delighted with such an opportunity to make me think - better of the rod which I used always to ridicule; and the company too - were most anxious to watch this master-test. The secretary searched - for a long while, a full hour at least, and my host and hostess and I - had the pleasure of seeing the rod work in vain; and as we did not get - the money back, the rod was held up to ridicule. - - At last I repaired to the spot with the intention of recovering my - purse, but only to find that our rod-walkers had trampled down all the - grass by their perambulations. Not a trace was left of my ranunculus, - and I was compelled to search for my money with the same uncertainty - as the rod. I felt no inclination to bet a hundred crowns on - the rod, for all of us were engaged in a vain search which provoked - both irritation and amusement. Finally I had to give it up, but the - baron and the secretary asked me to tell them the place approximately, - which I did. The wicked rod, however, refused to strike and pointed - to a place right opposite. Finally, when all of us were tired of it, - and I most of all, the secretary stopped at a place quite far from - the one I had indicated, saying that if the purse was not there it - would be useless to try to tell the place. I did not care to seek, as - it was not at all in this direction that I had (as I thought) placed - the purse. But Baron Oxenstjerna lay down upon the ground and put his - fingers around the little piece of turf where the money was lying! - - Thus the rod was right that time, and gave me back the money I should - otherwise have lost. This is fact. If I see more such instances, I - suppose I must believe what I do not want to believe. For it is quite - different from the magnet and attraction between iron and iron; that - a hazel twig can tell me the place where noble metals are--to that - neither our outer nor our inner senses consent. Still I am not settled - as to the divining-rod; yet I will not venture to bet as many crowns - on it another time. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. I. THE HEAD OF A -CAÑON, POINT LOMA: A STUDY OF COLOR AND SHADE] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. II. ENTRANCE TO A -CAÑON, POINT LOMA: A VIEW OF SINGULAR BEAUTY] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. III. ANOTHER -STRIKING VIEW IN A LOMALAND CAÑON - - "Spirit that formed this scene ... - These formless wild arrays, for reasons of their own...."] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. IV. WHERE THE CAÑON -LEAVES THE DAYLIGHT The last glimpse of bay and mountains before -descending 150 feet. At the bottom it is chill and damp, the sky a blue -ribbon.] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. V. IN THE HEART OF -THE CAÑON Though too large for the camera, every foot of the rock's -surface is interesting and beautiful to the eye.] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. VI. A CAÑON, POINT -LOMA; VIEW FROM ABOVE] - - - - -LOMALAND CAÑONS: by W. J. Renshaw - - -Point Loma is an age-old peninsula at the extreme south of southern -California, close to the Mexican border, "Table" and "Tent" mountains -in old Mexico forming part of the unsurpassable view across San Diego -Bay. It is situated between the thirtieth and thirty-fifth parallels -of latitude (N.), about half way between the latitudes of Gibraltar -and Cairo. It runs within a few points of due south from the mainland -and is roughly wedge- or pennant-shaped, its eastern curve forming the -western shore of San Diego Bay, its rocky west receiving the impact -of "the league-long rollers" of the Pacific. Except on the eastern -sand flats there is probably not five hundred yards of the main road -along the Point that is either level or straight, but up and down it -goes from level to level, winding in and out along the contours of -the ridge. From the ridge the sides fall away in slopes, terraces or -cliffs. On the flats on the eastern side are Roseville and La Playa and -the government coaling station, quarantine station, and military fort. -The western side is mainly abrupt cliffs fifty to sixty feet high, -affording descent to the shore in few places, and hollowed with caves. - -The major surface formation of Point Loma is a friable sandstone -containing clays, gypsum, marls, pebbles, and a curious reddish iron -nodule varying in size from a small pea to a large marble. This occurs -in great quantities and is apparently of igneous origin, though whether -volcanic or meteoric is not known. - -On both sides of the ridge deep cañons have been washed out by the -rains and here and there are irregular amphitheaters as if a former -cave had fallen in. Such a spot is shown in illustration No. I, the -characteristic washing of the adobe face of the break being very -picturesque, giving wonderful light and shade and color effects in the -brilliant sunshine. The prevailing color is a rich brown, shading from -gold to red, which seems to complement the intense blue of the sky. The -shrubs and vines add every gradation and "tone" of green. Wild flowers, -ferns, and cacti abound in these cañons, and many of the shrubs are -aromatic, not only beautiful to the eye when in bloom, but a fragrant -balsam to the sense of smell. Large owls and hawks nest in inaccessible -places, living on the prolific smaller fauna; and a large tufted-eared -wild cat has been met with. - -The cañons on the west side are tame and uninteresting compared with -those on the east. Here many a delightful outing can be had, with a -spice of adventure in negotiating difficult ascents and descents, -needing agility and a quick strong frame and muscles; or, if one -does not possess such, the help of those who do. In some of the most -difficult places niches have been cut with a hatchet, making the climb -fairly easy. - -Every few yards the character of these cañons alters, revealing views -of the most varied beauty. One such is shown in illustration No. II, -the entrance to one of the cañons: the silver sand of the bottom, the -varied greens of the scrub, the rich red-gold-brown of the cliffs with -the green chaparral peeping over, all flooded with golden sunshine -almost palpitating with vibrant life, and over all the bluest blue -sky, make a feast of color which must be seen to be appreciated. Or -again, as in illustration No. III, there is rugged and savage grandeur -recalling Whitman's words: - - Spirit that formed this scene - These tumbled rock-piles grim and red - - * * * * * - - These formless wild arrays, for reasons of their own - I know thee savage spirit--we have communed together. - -Many of the finest views cannot be photographed because they recede -deep, deep out of the light of day. This can be seen by the center -foreground of illustration No. IV, the detail of which is quite lost -in a veritable yawning gulf. Here one catches the last glimpse of the -bay and the distant mountains before descending in five or six stages -some one hundred and fifty or two hundred feet. At the bottom it is -so narrow that one has to work his way along sideways. It is damp and -chill and earthy down there, the sky a narrow ribbon of blue away up, -and one emerges later feeling like an emancipated troglodyte. - -Or as shown in illustration No. V--which is a view of the rock face -on the right-hand side of No. IV, about half-way down--the scene -is too large for the camera, while every foot of it is interesting -and beautiful to the eye: "no jutty, frieze, buttress nor coign of -vantage" but hath its festoon of vines, clump of ferns, or mass of wild -flowers, while the flat rock is stained and mottled with lichens--sage -green, old gold, brown, red; and only in such a place could mere light -and shade work such magic: fairy towers, demon caves, faces in the -rock--grotesque, fantastic, weird, beautiful, majestic, are the tricks -of sunshine in this miniature cataclysmic playground of nature. - -The cañons are full of surprises. At one place--a winding defile -between bare rocks, just wide enough for _one_ to scramble through--the -members of a party while near enough to converse, are invisible to each -other because of the sudden turnings and doublings of the crack every -few feet. Some of the cañons open out almost imperceptibly from others. -Perhaps a rest will be called on the silver sand of some opening. -The older members of the party wish to drink in the beauty of the -surroundings. The younger ones work off superfluous energy--scaling the -sides, exploring the branchings, or making a toboggan of some thirty -feet or so of loose sand-slide. After a while someone will say: "It is -time to return." So we retrace our steps and after proceeding a little -way, if there be a newcomer in the party he is likely to say: "I don't -remember this on the way down; it is altogether different." Being told -that it is another cañon, he will say: "_When_ did we enter it?" - -So we climb up and out again another way, someone perhaps climbing -up on another's shoulders and then hauling the rest up; and within -about two hours of starting out we are back home again, braced and -exhilarated by the exercise, refreshed and inspired by the unique and -varied beauty of these Lomaland cañons. - - - - -The Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society - -Founded at New York City in 1875 by H. P. Blavatsky, William Q. Judge -and others - -Reorganized in 1898 by Katherine Tingley - -Central Office, Point Loma, California - - The Headquarters of the Society at Point Loma with the buildings and - grounds, are no "Community" "Settlement" or "Colony." They form no - experiment in Socialism, Communism, or anything of similar nature, - but are the Central Executive Office of an international organization - where the business of the same is carried on, and where the teachings - of Theosophy are being demonstrated. Midway 'twixt East and West, - where the rising Sun of Progress and Enlightenment shall one day - stand at full meridian, the Headquarters of the Society unite the - philosophic Orient with the practical West. - - - MEMBERSHIP - - in the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society may be - either "at large" or in a local Branch. Adhesion to the principle - of Universal Brotherhood is the only pre-requisite to membership. - The Organization represents no particular creed; it is entirely - unsectarian, and includes professors of all faiths, only exacting from - each member that large toleration of the beliefs of others which he - desires them to exhibit towards his own. - - Applications for membership in a Branch should be addressed to - the local Director; for membership "at large" to G. de Purucker, - Membership Secretary, International Theosophical Headquarters, Point - Loma, California. - - -OBJECTS - -This Brotherhood is a part of a great and universal movement which has -been active in all ages. - -This Organization declares that Brotherhood is a fact in Nature. Its -principal purpose is to teach Brotherhood, demonstrate that it is a -fact in Nature, and make it a living power in the life of humanity. - -Its subsidiary purpose is to study ancient and modern religions, -science, philosophy, and art; to investigate the laws of Nature and the -divine powers in man. - - -H. P. BLAVATSKY, FOUNDRESS AND TEACHER - -The present Theosophical Movement was inaugurated by Helena Petrovna -Blavatsky in New York in 1875. The original name was "The Theosophical -Society." Associated with her were William Q. Judge and others. Madame -Blavatsky for a time preferred not to hold any outer official position -except that of Corresponding Secretary. But all true students know that -Madame Blavatsky held the highest authority, the only real authority -which comes of wisdom and power, the authority of Teacher and Leader, -the real head, heart, and inspiration of the whole Theosophical -Movement. It was through her that the teachings of Theosophy were given -to the world, and without her the Theosophical Movement could not have -been. - - -BRANCH SOCIETIES IN EUROPE AND INDIA - -In 1878 Madame Blavatsky left the United States, first visiting -Great Britain and then India, in both of which countries she founded -branch societies. The parent body in New York became later the Aryan -Theosophical Society and HAS ALWAYS HAD ITS HEADQUARTERS IN AMERICA; -and of this, William Q. Judge was President until his death in 1896. - -It is important to note the following: - -In response to the statement published by a then prominent member in -India that Madame Blavatsky is "loyal to the Theosophical Society and -to Adyar," Madame Blavatsky wrote: - - It is pure nonsense to say that "H. P. B. ... is loyal to the - Theosophical Society and to Adyar" (!?). _H. P. B. is loyal to death - to the Theosophical_ CAUSE _and those Great Teachers whose philosophy - can alone bind the whole of Humanity into one Brotherhood._... The - degree of her sympathies with the Theosophical Society and Adyar - depends upon the degree of the loyalty of that Society to the CAUSE. - Let it break away from the original lines and show disloyalty in its - policy to the cause and the original program of the Society, and H. P. - B., calling the T. S. disloyal, will shake it off like dust from her - feet. - -To one who accepts the teachings of Theosophy it is plain to see that -although Theosophy is of no nationality or country but for all, yet -it has a peculiar relationship with America. Not only was the United -States the birthplace of the Theosophical Society, and the home of the -Parent Body up to the present time, but H. P. Blavatsky, the Foundress -of the Society, although a Russian by birth, became an American -citizen; William Q. Judge, of Irish parentage and birth, also became -an American citizen; and Katherine Tingley is American born. America -therefore not only has played a unique part in the history of the -present Theosophical Movement, but it is plain to see that its destiny -is closely interwoven with that of Theosophy; and by America is meant -not only the United States or even the North American continent, but -also the South American continent, and, as repeatedly declared by -Madame Blavatsky, it is in this great Western Hemisphere as a whole, -North and South, that the next great Race of humanity is to be born. - - -MADAME BLAVATSKY FOUNDS THE ESOTERIC SCHOOL; HER LIFE-LONG TRUST IN -WILLIAM Q. JUDGE - -In 1888, H. P. Blavatsky, then in London, on the suggestion and at the -request of her Colleague, William Q. Judge, founded the Esoteric School -of Theosophy, a body for students, of which H. P. Blavatsky wrote -that it was "the heart of the Theosophical Movement," and of which -she appointed William Q. Judge as her sole representative in America. -Further, writing officially to the Convention of the American Societies -held in Chicago, 1888, she wrote as follows: - - To William Q. Judge, General Secretary of the American Section of the - Theosophical Society: - - My dearest Brother and Co-Founder of the Theosophical Society: - - In addressing to you this letter, which I request you to read to the - Convention, summoned for April 22nd, I must first present my hearty - congratulations and most cordial good wishes to the Society and - yourself--the heart and soul of that body in America. We were several - to call it to life in 1875. Since then you have remained alone to - preserve that life through good and evil report. It is to you chiefly, - if not entirely, that the Theosophical Society owes its existence in - 1888. Let me thank you for it, for the first, and perhaps for the - last time publicly, and from the bottom of my heart, which beats only - for the cause you represent so well and serve so faithfully. I ask - you also to remember that on this important occasion, my voice is but - the feeble echo of other more sacred voices, and the transmitter of - the approval of Those whose presence is alive in more than one true - Theosophical heart, and lives, as I know, pre-eminently in yours. - -This regard that Madame Blavatsky had for her colleague William Q. -Judge continued undiminished until her death in 1891, when he became -her successor. - -Madame Blavatsky, in 1889, writing in her Theosophical magazine -published in London, said that the purpose of the magazine was not -only to promulgate Theosophy, but also and as a consequence of such -promulgation, "to bring to light the hidden things of darkness." She -further says: - - As to the "weak-minded Theosophists"--if any--they can take care of - themselves in the way they please. IF THE "FALSE PROPHETS OF - THEOSOPHY" ARE TO BE LEFT UNTOUCHED, THE TRUE PROPHETS WILL - BE VERY SOON--AS THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN--CONFUSED WITH THE FALSE. IT - IS HIGH TIME TO WINNOW OUR CORN AND CAST AWAY THE CHAFF. The - Theosophical Society is becoming enormous in its numbers, and if the - _false_ prophets, the pretenders, or even the weak-minded dupes, are - left alone, then the Society threatens to become very soon a fanatical - body split into three hundred sects--like Protestantism--each - hating the other, and all bent on destroying the truth by monstrous - exaggerations and idiotic schemes and shams. - - We do not believe in allowing the presence of _sham_ elements in - Theosophy, because of the fear, forsooth, that if even "a false - element in the faith" is _ridiculed_, the latter is "apt to shake the - confidence" in the whole. - - ... What _true_ Christians shall see their co-religionists making - fools of themselves, or disgrace their faith, and still abstain from - rebuking them publicly as privately, for fear lest this _false_ - element should throw out of Christianity the rest of the believers? - - THE WISE MAN COURTS TRUTH; THE FOOL, FLATTERY. - - However it may be, let rather our ranks be made thinner, than the - Theosophical Society go on being made a spectacle to the world through - the exaggerations of some fanatics, and the attempt of various - _charlatans_ to profit by a ready-made program. These, by disfiguring - and adapting Occultism to their own filthy and immoral ends, bring - disgrace upon the whole movement.--_Lucifer_, Vol. iv, pp. 2 & 3 - - -WILLIAM Q. JUDGE ELECTED PRESIDENT FOR LIFE - -In 1893 there openly began what had been going on beneath the surface -for some time, a bitter attack ostensibly against William Q. Judge, but -in reality also against H. P. Blavatsky. This bitter attack threatened -to disrupt the whole Society and to thwart the main purpose of its -existence, which was to further the cause of Universal Brotherhood. -Finally the American members decided to take action, and at the annual -convention of the Society held in Boston in 1895, by a vote of 191 -delegates to 10, re-asserted the principle of Theosophy as laid down -by H. P. Blavatsky, and elected William Q. Judge President for life. -Similar action was almost immediately taken by members in Europe, -Australia, and other countries, in each case William Q. Judge being -elected President for life. In this action the great majority of the -active members throughout the world concurred, and thus the Society -was relieved of those who had joined it for other purposes than the -furtherance of Universal Brotherhood, the carrying out of the Society's -other objects, and the spiritual freedom and upliftment of Humanity. -A few of these in order to curry favor with the public and attract a -following, continued among themselves to use the name of Theosophy, -but it should be understood that they _are not connected with the -Theosophical Movement_. - - -KATHERINE TINGLEY SUCCEEDS WILLIAM Q. JUDGE - -One year later, in March 1896, William Q. Judge died, leaving as his -successor Katherine Tingley, who for several years had been associated -with him in the work of the Society. This Teacher not only began -immediately to put into actual practice the ideals of Theosophy as had -been the hope and aim of both H. P. Blavatsky and William Q. Judge, and -for which they had laid the foundations, thus honoring and illustrating -the work of her illustrious predecessors, but she also struck a new -keynote, introducing new and broader plans for uplifting humanity. -For each of the Teachers, while continuing the work and building upon -the foundations of his predecessor, adds a new link, and has his own -distinctive work to do, and teachings to give, belonging to his own -time and position. - -No sooner had Katherine Tingley begun her work as successor, than -further attacks, some most insidious, from the same source as those -made against H. P. Blavatsky and William Q. Judge, as well as from -other sources, were inaugurated against her. Most prominent among -those thus attacking Katherine Tingley were some referred to by Madame -Blavatsky in the article above-quoted (pp. 159-60), who by their own -actions had removed themselves from the ranks of the Society. There -were also a few others who still remained in the Society who had not -joined hands with the disintegrators at the time the latter were -repudiated in 1895. These now thought it to their personal advantage -to oppose the Leader and sought to gain control of the Society and -use it for political purposes. These ambitious agitators, seeking to -exploit the Society for their own ends, used every means to overthrow -Katherine Tingley, realizing that she was the greatest obstacle to -the accomplishment of their desires, for if she could be removed they -expected to gain control. They worked day and night, stooping almost to -any means to carry out their projects. Yet it seemed that by these very -acts, i. e., the more they attacked, the more were honest and earnest -members attracted to the ranks of the Society under Katherine Tingley's -leadership. - - -KATHERINE TINGLEY GIVES SOCIETY NEW CONSTITUTION - -SOCIETY MERGES INTO BROADER FIELD - -To eliminate these menacing features and to safeguard the work of -the Theosophical Movement for all time, Katherine Tingley presented -to a number of the oldest members gathered at her home in New York -on the night of January 13th, 1898, a new Constitution which she had -formulated for the more permanent and broader work of the Theosophical -Movement, opening up a wider field of endeavor than had heretofore been -possible to students of Theosophy. One month later, at the Convention -of the Society, held in Chicago, February 18th, 1898, this Constitution -was accepted by an almost unanimous vote, and the Theosophical Society -merged itself into the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society. -In this new step forward, she had the heartiest co-operation and -support of the vast majority of the members throughout the world. - - -THEOSOPHY IN PRACTICE - -It is of interest here to quote our Teacher's own words regarding this -time. In an article published in _The Metropolitan Magazine_, New York, -October, 1909, she says: - - Later, I found myself the successor of William Q. Judge, and I began - my heart work, the inspiration of which is partly due to him. - - In all my writings and associations with the members of the - Theosophical Society, I emphasized the necessity of putting Theosophy - into daily practice, and in such a way that it would continuously - demonstrate that it was the redeeming power of man. More familiarity - with the organization and its workers brought home to me the fact that - there was a certain number of students who had in the early days begun - the wrong way to study Theosophy, and that it was becoming in their - lives a death-like sleep. I noticed that those who followed this line - of action were always alarmed at my humanitarian tendencies. WHENEVER - I REMINDED THEM THAT THEY WERE BUILDING A COLOSSAL EGOTISM INSTEAD - OF A POWER TO DO GOOD, THEY SUBTLY OPPOSED ME. AS I INSISTED ON THE - PRACTICAL LIFE OF THEOSOPHY, THEY OPPOSED STILL MORE. They later - exerted personal influence which affected certain members throughout - the world. It was this condition which then menaced the Theosophical - Movement, and which forced me to the point of taking such action as - would fully protect the pure teachings of Theosophy and make possible - a broader path for unselfish students to follow. Thus the faithful - members of the Theosophical Movement would be able to exemplify the - charge which Helena Petrovna Blavatsky gave to her pupils, as follows: - - "Real Theosophy is altruism, and we cannot repeat it too often. It is - brotherly love, mutual help, unswerving devotion to truth. If once men - do but realize that in these alone can true happiness be found, and - never in wealth, possession or any selfish gratification, then the - dark cloud will roll away, and a new humanity will be born upon the - earth. Then the Golden Age will be there indeed." - - Here we find William Q. Judge accentuating the same spirit, the - practical Theosophical life: - - "The power to know does not come from book-study alone, nor from mere - philosophy, but mostly from the actual practice of altruism in deed, - word, and thought; for that practice purifies the covers of the soul - and permits the divine light to shine down into the brain-mind." - - - THE PARTING OF THE WAYS - - On February 18, 1898, at the Convention of the Theosophical Society - in America, held at Chicago, Ill., the Society resolved, through its - delegates from all parts of the world, to enter a larger arena, to - widen its scope and to further protect the teachings of Theosophy. - Amid most intense enthusiasm the Theosophical Society was expanded - into the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, and I found - myself recognized as its leader and official head. The Theosophical - Society in Europe also resolved to merge itself into the Universal - Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, and the example was quickly - followed by Theosophical Societies in other parts of the world. The - expansion of the original Theosophical Society, which Madame Blavatsky - founded and which William Q. Judge so ably sustained, now called the - Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, gave birth to a new - life, and the membership trebled the first year, and ever since that - time a rapid increase has followed. - - -INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS AT POINT LOMA, CALIFORNIA - -In 1900 the Headquarters of the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical -Society were removed from New York to Point Loma, California, which -is now the International Center of the Theosophical Movement. This -Organization is unsectarian and non-political; none of its officers or -workers receives any salary or financial recompense. - -In her article in _The Metropolitan Magazine_ above referred to, -Katherine Tingley further says: - - The knowledge that Point Loma was to be the World-center of the - Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, which has for its - supreme object the elevation of the race, created great enthusiasm - among its members throughout the world. The further fact that the - government of the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society rests - entirely with the leader and official head, who holds her office for - life and who has the privilege of appointing her successor, gave - me the power to carry out some of the plans I had long cherished. - Among these was the erecting of the great Homestead Building. This I - carefully designed that it might not stand apart from the beautiful - nature about it, but in a sense harmonize with the sky, the distant - mountains, the broad blue Pacific, and the glorious light of the sun. - - So it has been from the first, so that the practical work of Theosophy - began at Point Loma under the most favorable circumstances. No one - dominated by selfish aims and ambitions was invited to take part in - this pioneer work. Although there were scores of workers from various - parts of the world uniting their efforts with mine for the upbuilding - of this world-center, yet there was no disharmony. Each took the duty - allotted him and worked trustingly and cheerfully. Many of the world's - ways these workers gladly left behind them. They seemed reborn with an - enthusiasm that knew no defeat. The work was done for the love of it, - and this is the secret of a large part of the success that has come to - the Theosophical Movement. - - Not long after the establishment of the International Theosophical - Headquarters at Point Loma it was plain to see that the Society was - advancing along all lines by leaps and bounds. Letters of inquiry were - pouring in from different countries, which led to my establishing - the Theosophical Propaganda Bureau. This is one of the greatest - factors we have in disseminating our teachings. The International - Brotherhood League then opened its offices and has ever been active - in its special humanitarian work, being the directing power which has - sustained the several Râja Yoga schools and academies, now in Pinar - del Rio, Santa Clara, and Santiago de Cuba, from the beginning. The - Aryan Theosophical Press has yearly enlarged its facilities in answer - to the demands made upon it through the publication of Theosophical - literature, which includes THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH and several other - publications. There is the Isis Conservatory of Music and Drama, the - Department of Arts and Crafts, the Industrial Department, including - Forestry, Agriculture, Roadbuilding, Photo-engraving, Chemical - laboratory, Landscape-gardening, and many other crafts. - - -DO NOT FAIL TO PROFIT BY THE FOLLOWING - -CONSTANTLY THE QUESTION IS ASKED, WHAT IS THEOSOPHY, WHAT DOES -IT REALLY TEACH? EACH YEAR THE LIFE AND WORK OF H. P. BLAVATSKY AND -THE HIGH IDEALS AND PURE MORALITY OF HER TEACHINGS ARE MORE CLEARLY -VINDICATED. EACH YEAR THE POSITION TAKEN BY WILLIAM Q. JUDGE AND -KATHERINE TINGLEY IN REGARD TO THEIR PREDECESSOR, H. P. BLAVATSKY, IS -BETTER UNDERSTOOD, AND THEIR OWN LIVES AND WORK ARE SEEN TO BE ACTUATED -BY THE SAME HIGH IDEALS FOR THE UPLIFTING OF THE HUMAN RACE. EACH YEAR -MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE COMING TO REALIZE THAT NOT ALL THAT GOES UNDER -THE NAME OF THEOSOPHY IS RIGHTLY SO CALLED, BUT THAT THERE IS -A COUNTERFEIT THEOSOPHY AS WELL AS THE TRUE, AND THAT THERE IS NEED OF -DISCRIMINATION, LEST MANY BE MISLED. - -Counterfeits exist in many departments of life and thought, and -especially in matters relating to religion and the deeper teachings of -life. Hence, in order that people who are honestly seeking the truth -may not be misled, we deem it important to state that the Universal -Brotherhood and Theosophical Society is not responsible for, nor is it -affiliated with, nor does it endorse, any other society, which, while -calling itself Theosophical, is not connected with the International -Theosophical Headquarters at Point Loma, California. Having a knowledge -of Theosophy, the ancient Wisdom-Religion, we deem it as a sacred -trust and responsibility to maintain its pure teachings, free from the -vagaries, additions, or misrepresentations of ambitious self-styled -Theosophists and would-be teachers. The test of a Theosophist is not -in profession, but in action, and in a noble and virtuous life. The -motto of the Society is "There is no religion higher than Truth." This -was adopted by Madame Blavatsky, but it is to be deeply regretted that -there are no legal means to prevent the use of this motto in connexion -with counterfeit Theosophy, by people professing to be Theosophists, -but who would not be recognized as such by Madame Blavatsky. - -It is a regrettable fact that many people use the name of Theosophy -and of our Organization for self-interest, as also that of H. P. -Blavatsky, the Foundress, and even the Society's motto, to attract -attention to themselves and to gain public support. This they do in -private and public speech and in publications. Without being in any way -connected with the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, in -many cases they permit it to be inferred that they are, thus misleading -the public, and honest inquirers are hence led away from the original -truths of Theosophy. - -The Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society welcomes to -membership all who truly love their fellow men and desire the -eradication of the evils caused by the barriers of race, creed, caste, -or color, which have so long impeded human progress; to all sincere -lovers of truth and to all who aspire to higher and better things than -the mere pleasures and interests of a worldly life, and are prepared to -do all in their power to make Brotherhood a living energy in the life -of humanity, its various departments offer unlimited opportunities. - -The whole work of the Organization is under the direction of the Leader -and Official Head, Katherine Tingley, as outlined in the Constitution. - - -OBJECTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD LEAGUE - - 1. To help men and women to realize the nobility of their calling and - their true position in life. - - 2. To educate children of all nations on the broadest lines of - Universal Brotherhood and to prepare destitute and homeless children - to become workers for humanity. - - 3. To ameliorate the condition of unfortunate women, and assist them - to a higher life. - - 4. To assist those who are or have been in prisons to establish - themselves in honorable positions in life. - - 5. To abolish capital punishment. - - 6. To bring about a better understanding between so-called savage - and civilized races, by promoting a closer and more sympathetic - relationship between them. - - 7. To relieve human suffering resulting from flood, famine, war, and - other calamities; and, generally, to extend aid, help, and comfort to - suffering humanity throughout the world. - - JOSEPH H. FUSSELL, Secretary - - - - - BOOK LIST - OF WORKS ON - THEOSOPHY, OCCULTISM, RELIGION, PHILOSOPHY, SCIENCE, AND ART - - PUBLISHED OR FOR SALE BY - - THE THEOSOPHICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY - INTERNATIONAL THEOSOPHICAL HEADQUARTERS - POINT LOMA, CALIFORNIA, U. S. A. - - _The office of the Theosophical Publishing Company is at Point Loma, - California_ - - _It has_ NO OTHER OFFICE _and_ NO BRANCHES - - -FOREIGN AGENCIES - - _=THE UNITED KINGDOM=_--Theosophical Book Co., 18 Bartlett's - Buildings, Holborn Circus, LONDON, E. C., England - - _=GERMANY=_--J. Th. Heller, Vestnertorgraben 13, NÜRNBERG - - _=SWEDEN=_--Universella Broderskapets Förlag, Barnhusgatan, 10, - STOCKHOLM - - _=HOLLAND=_--Louis F. Schudel, Hollandia-Drukkerij, BAARN - - _=AUSTRALIA=_--Willans and Williams, 16 Carrington St., Wynyard Sq., - SYDNEY, N. S. W. - - _=CUBA=_--H. S. Turner, Apartado 127; or Heredia, Baja, 10, SANTIAGO - DE CUBA - - _=MEXICO=_--Samuel L. Herrera, Calle de la Independencia, 55 altos, - VERA CRUZ, V. C. - - - ADDRESS BY KATHERINE TINGLEY at San Diego Opera House, - March, 1902 $ .15 - - AN APPEAL TO PUBLIC CONSCIENCE: an Address delivered by - Katherine Tingley at Isis Theater, San Diego, July 22, 1906. - Published by the Woman's Theosophical Propaganda League, - Point Loma .05 - - ASTRAL INTOXICATION, and Other Papers (W. Q. Judge) .03 - - BHAGAVAD GÎTÂ (recension by W. Q. Judge). The pearl of the - scriptures of the East. American edition; pocket size; - morocco, gilt edges 1.00 - - CONCENTRATION, CULTURE OF (W. Q. Judge) .15 - - DEVACHAN; or the Heavenworld (H. Coryn) .05 - - ECHOES FROM THE ORIENT; a broad Outline of Theosophical Doctrines. - Written for the newspaper reading public. (W. Q. Judge) - Sm. 8vo, cloth .50 - Paper .25 - - EPITOME OF THEOSOPHICAL TEACHINGS, AN (W. Q. Judge); 40 pages .15 - - FREEMASONRY AND JESUITRY, The Pith and Marrow of the Closing and - Coming Century and Related Position of, (Rameses) .15 - 8 copies for $1.00; per hundred, $10.00 - - KATHERINE TINGLEY, Humanity's Friend; A VISIT TO KATHERINE TINGLEY - (by John Hubert Greusel); A STUDY OF RÂJA YOGA AT POINT LOMA - (Reprint from the San Francisco _Chronicle_, Jan. 6, 1907). - The above three comprised in a pamphlet of 50 pages, published - by the Woman's Theosophical Propaganda League, Point Loma .15 - - HYPNOTISM: _Hypnotism_, by W. Q. Judge (Reprint from _The Path_, - vol. viii, p. 335); _Why Does Katherine Tingley Oppose - Hypnotism?_ by a Student (Reprint from _New Century Path_, - Oct. 28, 1906); _Evils of Hypnotism_, by Lydia Ross, M. D. .15 - - INCIDENTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE THEOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT; - by Joseph H. Fussell. 24 pages, royal 8vo. .15 - - ISIS UNVEILED, by H. P. Blavatsky. 2 vols, royal 8vo, about 1500 - pages; cloth; with portrait of the author. _Point Loma Edition, - with a preface._ Postpaid 4.00 - - KEY TO THEOSOPHY, THE: by H. P. Blavatsky. _Point Loma Edition_, - with _Glossary_ and exhaustive _Index_. Portraits of H. P. - Blavatsky and William Q. Judge. 8vo., cloth, 400 pages. - Postpaid 2.25 - - LIFE AT POINT LOMA, THE: Some Notes by Katherine Tingley. - (Reprinted from the _Los Angeles Saturday Post_, - December, 1902) .15 - - LIGHT ON THE PATH (M. C.), with Comments, and a short chapter on - Karma. Authoritative rules for treading the path of a higher - life. _Point Loma Edition_, pocket size edition of this classic, - leather .75 - Embossed paper .25 - - MYSTERIES OF THE HEART DOCTRINE, THE. Prepared by - _Katherine Tingley_ and her pupils. Square 8vo, cloth 2.00 - Paper 1.00 - A SERIES OF 8 PAMPHLETS, comprising the different Articles - in above, paper, each .25 - - NIGHTMARE TALES (H. P. Blavatsky). _Illustrated by R. Machell._ - A collection of the weirdest tales ever written down. Cloth .60 - Paper .35 - - THE PLOUGH AND THE CROSS. A story of New Ireland; by William - Patrick O'Ryan. 12mo, 378 pages. Illustrated. Cloth 1.00 - - SECRET DOCTRINE, THE. The Synthesis of Science, Religion, and - Philosophy, by H. P. Blavatsky. _Point Loma Edition_; with - Index. Two vols., royal 8vo, about 1500 pages; cloth. Postage - prepaid 10.00 - Reprinted from the original edition of 1888, as issued by - H. P. Blavatsky - - SOME OF THE ERRORS OF CHRISTIAN SCIENCE. Criticism by H. P. - Blavatsky and W. Q. Judge .15 - - VOICE OF THE SILENCE, THE. (For the daily use of disciples.) - Translated and annotated by H. P. Blavatsky. - Pocket size, leather .75 - - YOGA APHORISMS (translated by W. Q. Judge), pocket size, leather .75 - - - _=GREEK SYMPOSIA=_, as performed by students of the Isis League of - Music and Drama, under direction of Katherine Tingley. (Fully - protected by copyright.) - 1 THE WISDOM OF HYPATIA. 2 A PROMISE. Each .15 - - - _=NEW CENTURY SERIES.=_ THE PITH AND MARROW OF SOME SACRED WRITINGS. - - Ten Pamphlets; Scripts, each .25 - Subscription (Series of 10 Pamphlets) 1.50 - - SCRIPT 1--_Contents_: The Relation of Universal Brotherhood to - Christianity--No Man can Serve Two Masters--In this Place is a Greater - Thing - - SCRIPT 2--_Contents_: A Vision of Judgment--The Great - Victory--Co-Heirs with Christ--The "Woes" of the Prophets--Fragment: - from Bhagavad Gîtâ--Jesus the Man - - SCRIPT 3--_Contents_: Lesson of Israel's History--Man's Divinity and - Perfectibility--The Man Born Blind--The Everlasting Covenant--Burden - of the Lord - - SCRIPT 4--_Contents_: Reincarnation in the Bible--The Money-Changers - in the Temple--The Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven--The Heart - Doctrine--The Temple of God - - SCRIPT 5--_Contents_: Egypt and Prehistoric America--Theoretical and - Practical Theosophy--Death, One of the Crowning Victories of Human - Life--Reliance on the Law--Led by the Spirit of God - - SCRIPT 6--_Contents_: Education Through Illusion to Truth--Astronomy - in the Light of Ancient Wisdom--Occultism and Magic--Resurrection - - SCRIPT 7--_Contents_: Theosophy and Islâm, a word concerning - Sufism--Archaeology in the Light of Theosophy--Man, a Spiritual Builder - - SCRIPT 8--_Contents_: The Sun of Righteousness--Cant about the Classics - - SCRIPT 9--_Contents_: Traces of the Wisdom-Religion in Zoroastrianism, - Mithraism, and their modern representative, Parseeism--The Druses of - Mount Lebanon - - SCRIPT 10--_Contents_: The Religions of China - - SCRIPT 11--(Supplementary Number) _Contents_: Druidism--Druidism and - its Connexion with Ireland - - - _=OCCULTISM, STUDIES IN=_ (H. P. Blavatsky). Pocket size, 6 vols. - cloth; each .35 - Per set of six vols. 1.50 - Vol. 1. Practical Occultism. Occultism _vs._ the Occult Arts. - The Blessing of Publicity - Vol. 2. Hypnotism. Black Magic in Science. Signs of the Times - Vol. 3. Psychic and Noetic Action - Vol. 4. Kosmic Mind. The Dual Aspect of Wisdom - Vol. 5. The Esoteric Character of the Gospels - Vol. 6. Astral Bodies; The Constitution of the Inner Man - - - _=THEOSOPHICAL MANUALS.=_ Elementary Handbooks for Students. - 16mo, price, each, paper 25c; cloth .35 - - No. 1 ELEMENTARY THEOSOPHY - No. 2 THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF MAN - No. 3 KARMA - No. 4 REINCARNATION - No. 5 MAN AFTER DEATH - No. 6 KÂMALOKA AND DEVACHAN - No. 7 TEACHERS AND THEIR DISCIPLES - No. 8 THE DOCTRINE OF CYCLES - No. 9 PSYCHISM, GHOSTOLOGY, AND THE ASTRAL PLANE - No. 10 THE ASTRAL LIGHT - No. 11 PSYCHOMETRY, CLAIRVOYANCE, AND THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE - No. 12 THE ANGEL AND THE DEMON (2 vols., 35c each) - No. 13 THE FLAME AND THE CLAY - No. 14 ON GOD AND PRAYER - No. 15 THEOSOPHY: THE MOTHER OF RELIGIONS - No. 16 FROM CRYPT TO PRONAOS; an Essay on the Rise and Fall of Dogma - No. 17 EARTH: Its Parentage, its Rounds and its Races - No. 18 SONS OF THE FIREMIST: a Study of Man - - - _=THE PATH SERIES.=_ Specially adapted for Inquirers in Theosophy. - - _Already Published_: - - No. 1 THE PURPOSE OF THE UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD AND THEOSOPHICAL - SOCIETY .05 - No. 2 THEOSOPHY GENERALLY STATED (W. Q. Judge) .05 - _Reprinted from Official Report, World's Parliament of - Religions, Chicago, 1893_ - No. 3 MISLAID MYSTERIES (Herbert Coryn, M. D.) .05 - No. 4 THEOSOPHY AND ITS COUNTERFEITS .05 - No. 5 SOME PERVERTED PRESENTATIONS OF THEOSOPHY (H. T. Edge, B.A.) .05 - Thirty Copies of above Path Series, $1.00; - one hundred copies, $3.00 - - _=MISCELLANEOUS.=_ SOUVENIR POSTAL CARDS OF THE THEOSOPHICAL - HEADQUARTERS. Two for 5c; postage 1c. extra; 50 copies, postpaid, - $1.00; 100 copies, postpaid, $1.50 - - LOMALAND. An Album of Views and Quotations; 10½ × 13½ in. - (postage 6c. extra) .50 - - REPRODUCTIONS OF FAMOUS PAINTINGS BY R. MACHELL. _The Path_-- - _Parsifal_--_The Prodigal_--_The Bard_--_The Light of the - Coming Day_--_'Twixt Priest and Profligate_--_The Hour of - Despair_--_The Dweller on the Threshold_. - Size of photographs, 8 × 6 in., approximate. Price, unmounted, - 50c; mounted .75 - - PATH MAGAZINE, THE--Vol. ix ('94-95); Vol. x ('95-96); each 2.00 - - PATH MAGAZINE, THE--Index to Vols. I to VIII; cloth .50 - - PATH MAGAZINE, THE--Back Numbers; each .20 - - SEARCHLIGHT, No. 6--Full Report of Great Debate on Theosophy and - Christianity held at Fisher Opera House, San Diego, Cal., - September and October, 1901. - 72 pages. Special number issued to the public .15 - - SEARCHLIGHT, No. 7 .15 - - SEARCHLIGHT, Vol. II, No. 1 .15 - - UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD PATH } - UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD MAGAZINE } Back numbers .20 - Vols. xiii (1898-9), xiv (1899-00), xv (1900-01), - xvi (1901-2), each 2.00 - - -_LOTUS GROUP LITERATURE_ - -_Introduced under the direction of Katherine Tingley_ - - No. 1 THE LITTLE BUILDERS, and their Voyage to Rangi (R. N.) .50 - No. 2 THE COMING OF THE KING (Machell); cloth, .35 - LOTUS SONG BOOK. Fifty original songs with copyrighted music; - boards .50 - LOTUS SONG: "_The Sun Temple_," with music .15 - - -FRENCH - - THÉOSOPHIE ÉLÉMENTAIRE .05 - LES MYSTÈRES DE LA DOCTRINE DU CŒUR (1^{re} Section) .50 - - -SPANISH - - ECOS DEL ORIENTE (W. Q. Judge) .50 - EPÍTOME DE LAS ENSEÑANZAS TEOSÓFICAS (W. Q. Judge). 40 páginas .25 - LA TEOSOFÍA EXPLICADA .05 - LA TEOSOFÍA Y SUS FALSIFICACIONES. Para uso de investigadores .05 - 30 copies $1.00; 100 copies $3.00 - LA VIDA EN POINT LOMA (Notas por Katherine Tingley). .15 - - Libros Teosóficos Elementales para uso de los Estudiantes - 16mo, precios cada uno, en papel 25c; en tela .35 - - Núm. 1 Teosofía Elemental - Núm. 2 La Constitución Septenaria del Hombre - Núm. 3 Karma - Núm. 4 Reencarnación - Núm. 5 El Hombre después la Muerte - Núm. 6 Kâmaloka y Devachán - Núm. 7 Los Maestros y sus Discípulos - Núm. 8 La Doctrina de los Ciclos - Núm. 9 Psiquismo, Fantasmalogía, y el Plano Astral - Núm. 10 La Luz Astral - Núm. 11 Psicomancia, Clairvoyancia, y Telepatía - Núm. 12 El Angel y el Demonio (dos tomos, cada uno 35c) - Núm. 13 La Llama y el Barro - Núm. 14 Sobre Dios y las Oraciones - Núm. 15 Teosofía, la Madre de las Religiones - Núm. 16 Desde la Cripta á Pronaos: un Ensayo sobre la Elevación y - Decadencia del Dogma - Núm. 17 La Tierra - Núm. 18 Los Hijos de la Neblina Ardiente: un Estudio del Hombre - -_Order above from the Theosophical Publishing Company, Point Loma, -California._ - - The following in other languages may be procured by writing direct to - the respective Foreign Agencies (see first page) for Book List and - prices. - - -GERMAN - - AN IHREN FRÜCHTEN SOLLT IHR SIE ERKENNEN--WER IST EIN THEOSOPH?--WAS - THEOSOPHIE ÜBER MANCHE PUNKTE LEHRT UND WAS SIE WEDER LEHRT NOCH - BILLIGT - - AUSBILDUNG DER KONZENTRATION (von William Q. Judge). - - DAS LEBEN ZU POINT LOMA (Katherine Tingley). Schön Illustriert. - (Recommended) - - DIE BHAGAVAD-GÎTÂ (nach der englischen Ausgabe von William Q. Judge). - - DIE WISSENSCHAFT DES LEBENS UND DIE KUNST ZU LEBEN - - ECHOS AUS DEM ORIENT (von William Q. Judge). - - STUDIEN ÜBER DIE BHAGAVAD GÎTÂ (William Q. Judge). - - THEOSOPHIE ERKLÄRT - - RÜCKBLICK UND AUSBLICK AUF DIE THEOSOPHISCHE BEWEGUNG - - WAHRHEIT IST MÄCHTIG UND MUSS OBSIEGEN! - - POSTKARTEN MIT ANSICHTEN VON POINT LOMA - - -Theosophische Handbücher: - - No. 1 ELEMENTARE THEOSOPHIE - No. 2 DIE SIEBEN PRINZIPIEN DES MENSCHEN - No. 3 KARMA - No. 4 REINKARNATION - No. 5 DER MENSCH NACH DEM TODE - No. 6 KÂMALOKA UND DEVACHAN - No. 7 LEHRER UND IHRE JÜNGER - No. 8 DIE THEORIE DER ZYKLEN U. S. W. - - -DUTCH - - DIE BHAGAVAD-GÎTÂ: Het Boek van Yoga; with Glossary. Bound in morocco - or paper - - DE KLEINE BOUWERS EN HUN REIS NAAR RANGI; een Geschiedenis voor - Kinderen door R. N. (_met illustraties van R. Machell_) - - DE OCEAAN DER THEOSOPHIE (door William Q. Judge) - - DE RIDDERS VAN KEIZER ARTHUR--Een Verhaal voor Kinderen, door _Ceinnyd - Morus_ - - DRIE OPSTELLEN OVER THEOSOPHIE. In verband met Vraagstukken van den Dag - - ECHO'S UIT HET OOSTEN; een algemeene schets der Theosophische - Leeringen door William Q. Judge (_Occultus_) - - HET LEVEN TE POINT LOMA, Enkele Aanteekeningen door Katherine Tingley - - HOOGERE EN LAGERE PSYCHOLOGIE. Enkele Aanteekeningen door Katherine - Tingley (_met Portret en Illustratie_) - - H. P. BLAVATSKY EN WILLIAM Q. JUDGE, De Stichters en Leiders der - Theosophische Beweging (_Leerling_). pp. 42 - - KATHERINE TINGLEY, DE AUTOCRAAT (_De Geheimen van de Leer van het - Hart_) - - LICHT OP HET PAD (door M. C.) Bound in morocco or paper - - PIT EN MERG, uit sommige Heilige Geschriften, 1^e Serie - - _Inhoud_: Theosophie en Christendom. "Niemand kan twee heeren dienen." - Iets Meerders dan de Tempel. Een Gezicht des Oordeels. De Mensch Jezus - - PIT EN MERG VAN DE EINDIGENDE EN KOMENDE EEUW, en de daarmede in - betrekking staande positie van _Vrijmetselarij_ en _Jesuitisme_, door - _Rameses_ - - -Theosophical Manuals, Series No. 1 - - No. 1 IN DEN VOORHOF - No. 2 EEN HEILIG LEERSTUK - No. 3 VERLOREN KENNIS WEERGEVONDEN - No. 4 EEN SLEUTEL TOT MODERNE RAADSELEN - No. 5 HET MYSTERIE VAN DEN DOOD - No. 6 "HEMEL" EN "HEL" - No. 7 LEERAREN EN HUN LEERLINGEN - No. 8 EEN UNIVERSEELE WET - No. 9 DWAALWEGEN (HYPNOTISME, CLAIRVOYANCE, SPIRITISME) - No. 10 DE ZIEL DER WERELD - -Theosophical Manuals, Series No. 2 - - No. 1 PSYCHOMETRIE, CLAIRVOYANCE, EN GEDACHTEN-OVERBRENGING - - -SWEDISH - - DEN HEMLIGA LÄRAN, 2 band (H. P. Blavatsky) - NYCKEL TILL TEOSOFIEN (H. P. Blavatsky) - ASTRAL BERUSNING, DEVACHAN, M. M. (William Q. Judge) - BREV, SOM HJÄLPT MIG (William Q. Judge) - DEN CYKLISKA LAGEN, M. M. (William Q. Judge) - DOLDA VINKAR I DEN HEMLIGA LÄRAN, M. M. (William Q. Judge) - DÖDSSTRAFFET I TEOSOFISK BELYSNING. M. M. (William Q. Judge) - REINKARNATIONSLÄRAN I BIBELN, OM KARMA, M. M. (William Q. Judge) - STUDIER ÖVER BHAGAVAD-GÎTÂ (William Q. Judge) - TEOSOFIENS OCEAN (William Q. Judge) - VETENSKAPEN OCH TEOSOFIEN, M. M. (William Q. Judge) - ÖVNING I KONCENTRATION (William Q. Judge) - HEMLIGHETERNA I HJÄRTATS LÄRA (Katherine Tingley och hennes lärjungar) - EN INTERVJU MED KATHERINE TINGLEY (Greusel) - KATHERINE TINGLEY, AF M. F. N. (levnadsteckning) - EXISTENSLINJER OCH UTVECKLINGSNORMER (Oscar Ljungström) - KAN ETT T. S. SAKNA MORALLAG? (Protest möte) - TEOSOFI OCH KRISTENDOM, Genmäle till Prof. Pfannenstill - (Dr. G. Zander och F. Kellberg) - ASIENS LJUS (Edwin Arnold) - BHAGAVAD GÎTÂ, Hängivandets bok - DEN TEOSOFISKA INSTITUTIONEN (Baker) - FRIMURERI OCH JESUITVÄLDE (Rameses) - LJUS PÅ VÄGEN - LOTUSBLAD, för barn - LOTUSSÅNGBOK, ord och musik - RÂJA YOGA, OM SJÄLENS UTVECKLING - SKILLNADEN MELLAN TEOSOFI OCH SPIRITISM - STJÄRNAN, SAGO- OCH POEMSAMLING, för barn - TEOSOFIENS INNEBÖRD - TYSTNADENS RÖST - VISINGSÖ (Karling) - - -Teosofiska Handböcker - -Enkelt och lättfattligt skrivna framställningar av Teosofiska läror -Klotband. Pris för varje bok, kronor 2.00 - - Nr 1 Elementär Teosofi - Nr 2 Människans Sju Principer - Nr 3 Karma - Nr 4 Reinkarnation - Nr 5 Människan efter Döden - Nr 6 Kâmaloka och Devachan - Nr 7 Lärare och deras Lärjungar - Nr 8 Läran om Cykler - Nr 9 Psykiska Fenomen och Astral-planet - Nr 10 Astral-ljuset - Nr 11 Psykometri, Clairvoyance och Tankeöverföring - Nr 12 Ängeln och Demonen (2 delar à kronor 2.00) - Nr 13 Anden och Stoftet - Nr 14 Om Gud och Bönen - Nr 15 Teosofien, Religionernas Moder - Nr 16 Från Crypt till Pronaos. En essay över dogmernas uppkomst - och förfall - Nr 17 Jorden: Dess härkomst, dess runder och raser - Nr 18 Eldtöcknets Söner. En studie över människan - - -PERIODICALS - - _=INTERNATIONAL THEOSOPHICAL CHRONICLE.=_ _Illustrated._ Monthly. - Yearly subscription, postpaid 1.00 - The Theosophical Book Co., 18 Bartlett's Buildings, Holborn - Circus, London - - _=DEN TEOSOFISKA VÄGEN.=_ _Illustrated._ Monthly. Yearly - subscription, postpaid 1.50 - Universella Broderskapets Förlag, Barnhusgatan 10, - Stockholm 1, Sweden - - _=DER THEOSOPHISCHE PFAD.=_ _Illustrated._ Monthly. Yearly - subscription, postpaid 1.50 - J. Th. Heller, Vestnertorgraben 13, Nürnberg, Germany - - _=HET THEOSOPHISCH PAD.=_ _Illustrated._ Monthly. Yearly - subscription, postpaid .75 - A. Goud, Steentilstraat 40, Groningen, Holland - - _=EL SENDERO TEOSÓFICO.=_ _Illustrated._ Monthly. Yearly - subscription, postpaid 1.50 - El Sendero Teosófico, Point Loma, California - - _=RAJA YOGA MESSENGER.=_ _Illustrated._ Monthly. - Yearly subscription .50 - Unsectarian publication for Young Folk, conducted by a staff - of pupils of the Râja Yoga School at Lomaland. - _Address_: Master Albert G. Spalding, Business Manager, - Râja Yoga Messenger, Point Loma, California. - - Subscriptions to the above five Magazines may be secured also through - THE THEOSOPHICAL PUBLISHING CO., Point Loma, California, U. S. A. - -_Neither the Editors of the above publications, nor the officers of -The Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, or of any of its -departments, receive salaries or other remuneration. All profits -arising from the business of the Theosophical Publishing Co., are -devoted to Humanitarian work. All who assist in that work are directly -helping that cause._ - - -[Illustration: THE PATH] - - The Theosophical Path - - An International Magazine - Unsectarian and nonpolitical - - Monthly Illustrated - -[Illustration] - -Devoted to the Brotherhood of Humanity, the promulgation of Theosophy, -the study of ancient & modern Ethics, Philosophy, Science and Art, and -to the uplifting and purification of Home and National Life - - Edited by Katherine Tingley - International Theosophical Headquarters, Point Loma, California, U.S.A. - - -_The philosophy that teaches selflessness contains the balm for the -pain and suffering of today. False ideas, false ambitions, inharmonious -methods of living, selfishness, and an unbrotherly spirit, are -accountable for the unhappiness and dissatisfaction...._ - -_Humanity has long wandered through the dark valley of bitter -experiences; but the mountain heights are again seen, suffused with the -glow of dawn and the promise of a new Golden Age, and a pathway is once -more shown to that realm where the gods still abide._ - - KATHERINE TINGLEY - - - - - THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH - MONTHLY ILLUSTRATED - - EDITED BY KATHERINE TINGLEY - - NEW CENTURY CORPORATION, POINT LOMA, CALIFORNIA, U. S. A. - - Entered as second-class matter July 25, 1911, at the Post Office - at Point Loma, California - under the Act of March 3, 1879 - Copyright, 1911, by Katherine Tingley - - - COMMUNICATIONS - - Communications for the Editor should be addressed to "KATHERINE - TINGLEY, _Editor_, THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH, Point Loma, California." - - To the BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, including subscriptions, address the "New - Century Corporation, Point Loma, California." - - - MANUSCRIPTS - - The Editor cannot undertake to return manuscripts; none will be - considered unless accompanied by the author's name and marked with the - number of words. The Editor is responsible only for views expressed in - unsigned articles. - - - SUBSCRIPTION - - By the year, postpaid, in the United States, Canada, Cuba, Mexico, - Porto Rico, Hawaii, and the Philippines, TWO DOLLARS; other countries - in the Postal Union, TWO DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS, payable in advance; - single copy, TWENTY CENTS. - - - REMITTANCES - - All remittances to the New Century Corporation must be made payable to - "CLARK THURSTON, _Manager_," Point Loma, California. - - -VOL. I NO. 3 CONTENTS SEPTEMBER 1911 - - Southwest Corner of the Temple in the Greek Theater, - Point Loma, Cal. _Frontispiece_ - The New Cycle by H. P. Blavatsky 165 - Recent Confirmation of H. P. Blavatsky's Teachings - by H. T. Edge, B. A. (Cantab.) 172 - View in the Grounds of the International Theosophical - Headquarters (_ill._) facing 172 - Lomaland Cañon and Hillside (_illustration_) facing 173 - The Origin and Nature of Folk-music by Kenneth Morris 174 - Lapland (_illustrated_) by P. F. 180 - Cultivating Genius for Music by E. A. Neresheimer 182 - Glimpses of Scandinavian Mythology by Per Fernholm, M. E. 184 - The Dipylon and the Outer Ceramicus (_ill._) - by F. S. Darrow, A. M., PH. D. (Harv.) 189 - The Theosophic Torch by Grace Knoche 190 - The Pythagorean Solids - by F. J. Dick, M. INST. C. E., M. INST. C. E. I. 194 - The "Black Age" by Ariomardes 196 - Egyptian Art Under the XXVIth Dynasty (_illustrated_) by C. J. 200 - The House of Lords, London (_illustrated_) by R. 201 - Music Notes by Charles J. Ryan 202 - Ancient Calendars by Travers 205 - The Mysteries of Eleusis (_illustrated_) by H. T. E. 207 - Glaciation, Past and Present (_illustrated_) by T. Henry 209 - God and the Child (_verse_) 211 - Power by Lydia Ross, M. D. 212 - Sokrates (_illustrated_) by F. S. Darrow, A. M., PH. D. (Harv.) 215 - Sokrates and Seneca (_illustration_) facing 222 - Scenes in Cuba and Florida (_illustrations_) facing 223 - A Visit to a Louisiana Sugar Plantation by Barbara McClung 223 - The Lorelei (_illustrated_) by a Student-Traveler 225 - The Western Four-Toed Salamander (_illustrated_) - by Percy Leonard 227 - The Real Man by H. Coryn, M. D., M. R. C. S. 229 - Book Reviews (by Carolus); and Notices 233 - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. -and Engraving Dept. SOUTH-WEST CORNER OF THE GREEK TEMPLE IN THE -GREEK THEATER INTERNATIONAL THEOSOPHICAL HEADQUARTERS, POINT LOMA, -CALIFORNIA] - - - - -THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH - -KATHERINE TINGLEY, EDITOR - - VOL. I SEPTEMBER, 1911 NO. 3 - - There is but one Eternal Truth, one universal, infinite and changeless - spirit of Love, Truth, and Wisdom, impersonal, therefore, bearing a - different name in every nation, one Light for all, in which the whole - Humanity lives and moves and has its being.--_H. P. Blavatsky_ - - -THE NEW CYCLE: Extracts from an Article Written by H. P. Blavatsky, -the Foundress of the Theosophical Society, for the first number of "La -Revue Théosophique," 1889 - - -The principal aim of our organization, which we are laboring to make -a real brotherhood, is expressed in the motto of the Theosophical -Society: "There is no religion higher than truth." As an impersonal -Society we must be ready to seize the truth wherever we find it, -without permitting ourselves more partiality for one belief than for -another. This leads directly to a logical conclusion. If we acclaim and -receive with open arms all sincere truthseekers, there can be no place -in our ranks for the bigot, the sectarian, or the hypocrite, enclosed -in Chinese Walls of dogma, each stone bearing the words "No admission." -What place indeed could such fanatics occupy in them, fanatics whose -religions forbid all inquiry and do not admit any argument as possible, -when the mother idea, the very root of the beautiful plant we call -Theosophy is known as--absolute and unfettered liberty to investigate -all the mysteries of nature, human or divine! - -With this exception the Society invites everyone to participate in its -activities and discoveries. Whoever feels his heart beat in unison with -the great heart of humanity; whoever feels his interests are one with -those of every being poorer and less fortunate than himself; every man -or woman who is ready to hold out a helping hand to the suffering; -whoever understands the true meaning of the word "Egoism"; is a -Theosophist by birth and by right. He can always be sure of finding -sympathetic souls among us. - -We have already said elsewhere, that "Born in the United States the -Theosophical Society was constituted on the model of its mother -country." That as we know, has omitted the name of God from its -Constitution, for fear, said the fathers of the Republic, that the word -might one day become the pretext for a state religion: for they desired -to grant absolute equality to all religions under the laws, so that -each form would support the State, which in its turn would protect them -all. The Theosophical Society was founded on that excellent model.... - -Each Body, like each member, being free to profess whatever religion -and to study whatever philosophy it prefers, provided all remain united -in the tie of solidarity or Brotherhood, our Society can truly call -itself a "Republic of conscience." - -Though absolutely free to pursue whatever intellectual occupations -please him the best, each member of our Society must, however, furnish -some reason for belonging thereto, which amounts to saying that each -member must bear his part, small though it be, of mental or other -labor for the benefit of all. If one does not work for others one -has no right to be called a Theosophist. All must strive for human -freedom of thought, for the elimination of selfish and sectarian -superstitions, and for the discovery of all the truths that are within -the comprehension of the human mind. That object cannot be attained -more certainly than by the cultivation of unity in intellectual labors. -No honest worker, no earnest seeker can remain empty-handed; and there -is hardly a man or woman, busy as they may think themselves, incapable -of laying their tribute, moral or pecuniary, on the altar of truth.... - -In the present condition of the Theosophical history it is easy -to understand the object of a Review exclusively devoted to the -propagation of our ideas. We wish to open therein new intellectual -horizons, to follow unexplored routes leading to the amelioration of -humanity; to offer a word of consolation to all the disinherited of -the earth, whether they suffer from the starvation of soul or from the -lack of physical necessities. We invite all large-hearted persons who -desire to respond to this appeal to join with us in this humanitarian -work. Each co-worker, whether a member of the Society or simply a -sympathizer, can help. We are face to face with all the glorious -possibilities of the future. This is again the hour of the great cyclic -return of the tide of mystical thought in Europe. On every side we are -surrounded by the ocean of the universal science--the science of Life -Eternal--bearing on its waves the forgotten and submerged treasures -of generations now passed away, treasures still unknown to the modern -civilized races. The strong current which rises from the submarine -abysses, from the depths where lie the prehistoric learning and arts -swallowed up with the antediluvian Giants--demigods, though with but -little of mortality--that current strikes us in the face and murmurs: -"That which has been exists again; that which has been forgotten, -buried for aeons in the depths of the Jurassic strata may reappear to -view once again. Prepare yourselves." - -Happy are those who understand the language of the elements. But -where are _they_ going for whom the word element has no other meaning -than that given to it by physics or materialistic chemistry? Will -it be towards well-known shores that the surge of the great waters -will bear them, when they have lost their footing in the deluge which -is approaching? Will it be towards the peaks of a new Ararat that -they will find themselves carried, towards the heights of light and -sunshine, where there is a ledge on which to place the feet in safety, -or perchance is it a fathomless abyss that will swallow them up as soon -as they try to struggle against the irresistible billows of an unknown -element? - -We must prepare ourselves and study truth under every aspect, -endeavoring to ignore nothing, if we do not wish to fall into the abyss -of the unknown when the hour shall strike. It is useless to leave it -to chance and to await the intellectual and psychic crisis which is -preparing, with indifference, if not with crass disbelief, saying that -at the worst the flowing tide will drive us all in the course of nature -towards the farther shore; for it is far more probable that the tidal -wave will cast up nothing but a corpse. The strife will be terrible in -any case between brutal materialism and blind fanaticism on the one -hand, and philosophy and mysticism on the other--mysticism, that veil -of more or less translucency which hides the eternal Truth. - -But it is not materialism that will gain the upper hand. Every -fanatic whose ideas isolate him from the universal axiom that "There -is no religion higher than Truth" will see himself by that very fact -rejected, like an unworthy stone, from the Archway called Universal -Brotherhood. Tossed by the waves, driven by the winds, reeling in that -element which is so terrible because unknown, he will soon find himself -engulfed.... - -Yes, it must be so, it cannot be otherwise when the chilly and -artificial gleam of modern materialism will disappear for want of fuel. -Those who cannot form any idea of a spiritual Ego, a living soul and -an eternal Spirit within their material shell (which owes its very -existence to these principles); those for whom the great hope of an -existence beyond the grave is a vexation, merely the symbol of an -unknown quantity, or else the subject of a belief _sui generis_, the -result of theological and mediumistic hallucinations--these will do -well to prepare for the serious troubles the future has in store for -them. For from the depths of the dark, muddy waters of materiality -which hide from them every glimpse of the horizons of the great -Beyond, there is a mystic force rising during these last years of the -century. At most it is but the first gentle rustling, but it is a -superhuman rustling--"supernatural" only for the superstitious and the -ignorant. The spirit of truth is passing over the face of the waters, -and in dividing them, is compelling them to disgorge their spiritual -treasures. This spirit is a force that can neither be hindered nor -stopped. Those who recognize it and feel that this is the supreme -moment of their salvation will be uplifted by it and carried beyond the -illusions of the great astral serpent. The joy they will experience -will be so poignant and intense that if they were not mentally isolated -from their body of flesh, the beatitude would pierce them like sharp -steel. It is not pleasure that they will experience but a bliss which -is a foretaste of the wisdom of the gods, the knowledge of good and -evil, of the fruits of the tree of life. - -But although the man of today may be a fanatic, a sceptic, or a mystic, -he must be well convinced that it is useless for him to struggle -against the two moral forces at large today engaged in the supreme -contest. He is at the mercy of these two adversaries and there is -no intermediary capable of protecting him. It is but a question of -choice, whether to let himself be carried along on the wave of mystical -evolution, or to struggle against this moral and psychic reaction and -so find himself engulfed in the maelstrom of the rising tide. The -whole world, at this time, with its centers of high intelligence and -humane culture, its political, artistic, literary, and commercial life, -is in a turmoil; everything is shaking and crumbling in its movement -towards reform. It is useless to shut the eyes, it is useless to hope -that anyone can remain neutral between the two contending forces; -the choice is whether to be crushed between them or to become united -with one or the other. The man who imagines he has freedom, but who, -nevertheless, remains plunged in that seething caldron of foulness -called the life of Society--gives the lie in the face of his divine -Ego, a lie so terrible that it will stifle that higher self for a -long series of future incarnations. All you who hesitate in the path -of Theosophy and the occult sciences, who are trembling on the golden -threshold of truth--the only one within your grasp, for all the others -have failed you one after the other--look straight in the face the -great Reality which is offered you. It is only to mystics that these -words are addressed, for them alone have they any importance; for -those who have already made their choice they are vain and useless. -But you Students of Occultism and Theosophy, you well know that a -word, old as the world though new to you, has been declared at the -beginning of this cycle. You well know that a note has just been struck -which has never yet been heard by the mankind of the present era; and -that a new thought is revealed, ripened by the forces of evolution. -This thought differs from everything that has been produced in the -nineteenth century; it is identical, however, with the thought that has -been the dominant tone and key-stone of each century, especially the -last--absolute freedom of thought for humanity. - -Why try to strangle and suppress what cannot be destroyed? Why hesitate -when there is no choice between allowing yourselves to be raised on the -crest of the spiritual wave to the very heavens beyond the stars and -the universes, or to be engulfed in the yawning abyss of an ocean of -matter? Vain are your efforts to sound the unfathomable, to reach the -ultimate of this wonderful matter so glorified in our century; for its -roots grow in the Spirit and in the Absolute, they do not exist, yet -they _are_ eternally. This constant union with flesh, blood, and bones, -the illusion of differentiated matter, does nothing but blind you. -And the more you penetrate into the region of the impalpable atoms of -chemistry the more you will be convinced that they only exist in your -imagination. Do you truly expect to find in material life every reality -and every truth of existence? But Death is at everyone's door, waiting -to shut it upon a beloved soul that escapes from its prison, upon the -soul which alone has made the body a reality; how then can it be that -eternal love should associate itself absolutely with ever-changing and -ever-disappearing matter? - -But you are perhaps indifferent to all such things; how then can you -say that affection and the souls of those you love concern you at -all, since you do not believe in the very existence of such souls? -It must be so. You have made your choice; you have entered upon that -path which crosses nothing but the barren deserts of matter. You are -self-condemned to wander there and to pass through a long series of -similar lives. You will have to be contented henceforth with deliriums -and fevers in place of spiritual experiences, of passion instead of -love, of the husk instead of the fruit. - -But you, friends and readers, you who aspire to something more than the -life of the squirrel everlastingly turning the same wheel; you who are -not content with the seething of the caldron whose turmoil results in -nothing; you who do not take the deaf echoes of the dead past for the -divine voice of truth; prepare yourselves for a future of which you -have hardly dared to dream unless you have at least taken the first few -steps on the way. For you have chosen a path, although rough and thorny -at the start, that soon widens out and leads you to the divine truth. -You are free to doubt while you are still at the beginning of the way, -you are free to decline to accept on hearsay what is taught respecting -the source and the cause of truth, but you are always able to hear what -its voice is telling you, and you can always study the effects of the -creative force coming from the depths of the unknown. The arid soil -upon which the present generation of men is moving at the close of this -age of spiritual dearth and of purely material satisfaction, has need -of a divine symbol, of a rainbow of hope to rise above its horizon. For -of all the past centuries our Nineteenth has been the most criminal. -It is criminal in its frightful selfishness, in its scepticism -which grimaces at the very idea of anything beyond the material; in -its idiotic indifference to all that does not pertain to personal -egotism--more than any of previous centuries of ignorant barbarism or -intellectual darkness. Our century must be saved from itself before -its last hour strikes. This is the moment for all those to act who see -the sterility and folly of an existence blinded by materialism and -ferociously indifferent to the fate of the neighbor; now is the time -for them to devote all their energies, all their courage to the great -intellectual reform. This reform can only be accomplished by Theosophy -we say, by the Occultism of the Wisdom of the Orient. The paths that -lead to it are many; but the Wisdom is one. Artistic souls foresee it, -those who suffer dream of it, the pure in heart know it. Those who -work for others cannot remain blinded to its reality, though they may -not recognize it by name. Only light and empty minds, egotistical and -vain drones, confused by their own buzzing will remain ignorant of -the supreme ideal. They will continue to exist until life becomes a -grievous burden to them. - -This is to be distinctly remembered, however: these pages are not -written for the masses. They are neither an appeal for reforms, nor -an effort to win over to our views the fortunate in life; they are -addressed solely to those who are constitutionally able to comprehend -them, to those who suffer, to those who hunger and thirst after some -Reality in this world of Chinese Shadows. And for those, why should -they not show themselves courageous enough to leave their world of -trifling occupations, their pleasures above all and their personal -interests, at least as far as those interests do not form part of their -duty to their families or others? No one is so busy or so poor that -he cannot create a noble ideal and follow it. Why then hesitate in -breaking a path towards this ideal, through all obstacles, over every -stumbling-block, every petty hindrance of social life, in order to -march straight forward until the goal is reached? - -Those who would make this effort would soon find that the "strait -gate" and the "thorny path" lead to the broad valleys of the limitless -horizons, to that state where there is no more death, because -one has regained one's divinity. But the truth is that the first -conditions necessary to reach it are a disinterestedness, an absolute -impersonality, a boundless devotion to the interests of others, and a -complete indifference to the world and its opinions. The motive must be -absolutely pure in order to make the first steps on that ideal path; -not an unworthy thought must attract the eyes from the end in view, -not one doubt must shackle the feet. There do exist men and women -thoroughly qualified for this whose only aim is to dwell under the -Aegis of their divine Nature. Let them, at least, take courage to live -the life and not conceal it from the eyes of others! The opinion of no -other person should be taken as superior to the voice of conscience. -Let that conscience, developed to its highest degree, guide us in the -control of all the ordinary acts of life. As to the conduct of our -inner life, we must concentrate the entire attention on the ideal we -have proposed to ourselves, and look straight ahead without paying the -slightest attention to the mud upon our feet. - -Those who make this supreme effort are the true Theosophists. - - - - -RECENT CONFIRMATION OF H. P. BLAVATSKY'S TEACHINGS ABOUT ANCIENT -CONTINENTS AND RACES: by H. T. Edge, B. A. (Cantab.) - - -The London _Times' South American Supplement_ (May 30) contains the -first half of an article on the ancient people of Peru, in which the -writer speaks of the gigantic works in masonry wrought by a people who -lived there ages before the Incas. Being on the wrong side of the Andes -for fertility, these people built the enormous irrigation systems which -still exist; and the writer asks why they did not cross the Andes to -the well-watered slopes and plains on the east. The extent to which -they had explored their own country and its mountain heights proves -that the other country should have been within their grasp. Yet they -took all this trouble to make the western slopes fertile. - -The answer given is--that in those days perhaps there _was_ no land to -the east of the Andes. - -The writer then goes on to speak of the ancient continental -distribution of land, of Atlantis, of the connexion between South -America and Australasia, etc., in a way that is now growing familiar. -People whose opinions are of weight are coming to see that the true -explanation of the ancient American civilizations, as well as those of -such isolated spots as Easter Island, with its marvelous statues, is to -be sought along these lines. At the same time the subject has afforded -a fertile field for cranks and others who pin their various fads or new -gospels thereto. The latter, however, cannot last, but the truth is -eternal. The myths will be exploded, but the actual facts as to past -history will be proved. - -In _The Secret Doctrine_ H. P. Blavatsky sums up all the available -speculation and information on the subject of these ancient continents -and weaves it into consistency by applying to it the keys of the -Wisdom-Religion. There is little doubt that her writings have -contributed largely, in more or less direct ways, to many of the other -published utterances on the question. - -It is maintained, and with reason, by Theosophists, that the statements -of H. P. Blavatsky refer to actual facts and must therefore one day -be verified. The history of discovery and speculation since she wrote -has already done much to confirm this conviction. But as her teachings -with regard to the ancient continents are inseparably bound up with her -statements as to the ancient races of mankind, and indeed with the -Theosophical teachings in general, it follows that these also will be -confirmed. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. LOOKING EASTWARD -OVER PART OF THE GROUNDS OF THE INTERNATIONAL THEOSOPHICAL -HEADQUARTERS, POINT LOMA, CALIFORNIA] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. LOMALAND CAÑON AND -HILLSIDE] - -The great importance of this enlarged knowledge about the human race -and its history is that it so enlarges and ennobles our view of human -life. Before the light of knowledge all narrow dogmas fade away. The -errors of theology, the mistakes of scientific theory, our inadequate -sociological ideas--all these must fade in the light which will be shed -when the Theosophical teachings are more fully recognized. And all this -remarkable progress in archaeology may be welcomed as one of the signs. - -The publication to which reference has been made speaks of other -countries of South America, but seems unable to do so without -mentioning their antiquities. The Aztecs of Mexico, the Aymarás of -Peru, come in for notice. The ancient people of Peru present analogies -to the Egyptians, Babylonians, Indian peoples, Polynesians, and Malays, -it is said; and some writers have theories about their connexion with -Jews and Chinese. It is easy to see that speculation, left to itself, -runs amuck among the theories. - -The same writer, Comyns Beaumont, concludes his article on the ancient -Peruvians in the issue for June 27, and says that: - - Central America, as the "Enterprise" or "Easter Divide," a large - submarine ridge, indicates, was connected to the Pacific Continent. - On the other side Central America was connected in the East with the - Mediterranean by another continental mass that spread across the - Atlantic Ocean, and of which today the Antilles, Azores, Canaries, and - the Atlas Mountains in Morocco are the existing remains. Peru also - was a member of this vast continental system. Apart from the evidence - of geological strata, confirmation of this is obtained from the - study of sea fauna. The marine deposits of Peru, Chile, and Ecuador - belong to the same genus as those of Central America, and to find the - corresponding genus elsewhere one must search in the Mediterranean. - Precisely, therefore, as Europe, Asia, and Africa possess a continuous - land connexion, at the epoch when the Peruvians were in the forefront - of civilization there existed a world which comprised the regions - of the Mediterranean (then very different from nowadays), the lost - Atlantic Continent, Central America, and Peru, and the lost Pacific - Continent which embraced lands not only in the Pacific Ocean, but - continued to where the Indian Ocean now washes the shores of Africa, - India, and Mesopotamia. - -Thus a step is made in the fulfilment of H. P. Blavatsky's prophecy -that the present century would witness a recognition of many of the -teachings she outlined in her writings. - -But there is still much to be done. And not the least important -point is to distinguish carefully between the "Sons of Light" and the -"Sorcerers" among the mighty men of these perished lands. There was a -true Wisdom and a false knowledge; and H. P. Blavatsky never fails to -discriminate between those who preserved the light and those who fell -into darkness. The Easter Island statues, for instance, she describes -as resembling the sensual type of the Atlantean sorcerers rather than -that of the "Buddhas" (so-called) of the Bamian colossi. The writer -in the _Times Supplement_ calls the Easter Island statues "Turanian," -employing thereby such familiar classifications as he finds to hand; -and in any case he distinguishes them from that higher type loosely -designated by the term "Aryan." This "Turanian" type he finds also in -Chaldaea, India, Central America, etc., and alludes to their habit of -building pyramids. - -Finally he shows how inadequate are the speculations of many -anthropologists as to the antiquity of man. Human bones disintegrate -after a comparatively short time; so that the few we find are such -as have been accidentally preserved. And these ancient civilizations -tend to disprove the conventional theories of human evolution--which -theories, however, change from year to year. - - - - -THE ORIGIN AND NATURE OF FOLK-MUSIC, as Exemplified in the Welsh -National Melodies: by Kenneth Morris - - -Great attention is being paid nowadays to the collecting of old -folk-songs in such countries as Ireland, Wales, and England; and -there has been much discussion raised as to the nature and origin of -a folk-song, properly so called. The subject is one of considerable -interest, because it leads one to a point where the known and visible -things melt away, and forces and influences of a deeper nature are at -work. These may be called spiritual and formative; there is a hand -guiding, but no one can see any hand; there is a creative mind at -function, but it is not the mind of any human being. - -In Wales one can still see the genuine folk-song coming into being; -one can still watch, more or less, the processes incidental to its -birth. In that country, poetry was never held to be a mere string -of words that you could repeat as if you were reading an article -from the newspaper; conversational methods of utterance are kept -for conversation, or for the lower levels of prose, and there is a -peculiar chant used for verse. The poem is born with a music of its -own; and if it have no such music innate in it, and inseparable from -its words, then for all its rhymes and scansion it is no poetry. So in -speaking their poems the bards give full value to this music, using a -kind of chant which is called "_hwyl_." The word means simply "sail"; -the idea being that the inner music of the poem swells and extends -and drives along the words, as the wind will fill and drive the sails -of a ship. The method is perfectly natural; the least introduction of -artificiality into it is absolutely damning: there you would get the -desolating thump, thump, thump, of the motor boat instead of the free -flow of the winds of heaven. - -As regards the musical scale, this _hwyl_ is mainly monotonous; there -is another kind or direction of scale in it, depending on the varying -vowel sounds, which, though you chant them upon one musical note, have -a certain rise and fall in them proper to themselves. If one imagines -the scale of _do_, _re_, _mi_, _fa_, and the rest as being in a -vertical line; then this scale of _a_, _e_, _i_, _o_, _oo_, etc., would -fall horizontally; we can think of no better way of making a likeness -for it. The richness of the vowels will make the music, and therefore -the poetry. One can see this by comparing two lines, both popularly -supposed to be poetry. - - I am monarch of all I survey; - -there is no music in that, and if one should attempt to put the -hwyl into it, he would be guilty of the sin of untruth, which is -the greatest of the crimes against poetry, according to the ancient -doctrine of the bards. - - I saw Osirian Egypt kneel adown - -And one would be guilty of the same sin, should one repeat that -lifelessly, and without the hwyl that existed around the mind of Keats -before the line took verbal form, and out of which magical and alchemic -element it was precipitated. - -The bard, then, chants his poem, and the words are noted down, and pass -from mouth to mouth; and as they pass, the horizontal scale takes on -gradually some coloring of the vertical scale, and the chant becomes -more and more a tune. The process is natural, and dependent upon no -brain-mind; no composer gets to work upon it, and no one inserts in it -consciously any ideas of his own. The Dorian mode, which (we quote -from Mrs. Mary Davies, an authority on Welsh music) has a minor third -as well as a minor seventh; and the Aeolian or _la_ mode, in which the -third as well as the sixth and seventh are minor, are still largely in -use in Wales; and we believe that these two modes represent a stage in -the passing of the chanted poem, or the chant of the poem, into the -full-fledged folk-tune. For one will sometimes hear an air which, in -the printed collections is given in the arbitrary modern major or minor -scales, sung a little differently, according to these older modes; and -it would appear that all or nearly all the well-known Welsh national -tunes have passed through such or similar stages. - -It is here worthy of note that the Welsh hwyl--which is used not only -in poetry, but in all the higher levels of prose as well, particularly -in pulpit rhetoric--is not found, we believe, elsewhere in Europe, at -any rate as a popular custom (for all poets _chant_ and do not _say_ -their verses); but it is to be heard in Morocco, along the coast of -Northern Africa, in Arabia, Persia, and throughout the East; where -also certain of these older modes of music, such as the Dorian, are -said to be in vogue to some extent. We imagine that the chant and the -music-modes both vary as they go eastward; but it is a gradual growth -or differentiation, not an abrupt change. The Persian poet, chanting -his Hafiz, and the Welsh preacher, giving out the hymn, have much more -in common with each other than either has with the modern conventional -drawing-room reciter. - -And then there is the national air, the last stage in the growth of -that which began with some village bard's arrangement of his deep -vowels and diphthongs. Long ago the words were forgotten, or lost all -connexion with the tune they gave birth to; because at a certain stage -the harpers took the tune up, and sang whatever words to it they might -make up for the occasion. Such a tune as _All through the Night_, for -example, would set out with such and such a bard on his wanderings. He -would come to a wedding, and play it there, singing extempore verses -to it filled full of joy and merriment. Then he would come to a house -where there might be one newly dead; and his tune would again be called -for; now it would be a dirge laden with mystical wailing and the joy -that hides behind wailing. At the village fair it would appear as a -dance; in the house of the warward chieftain it would ring and clamor -with all the pomp and surging and uplift of the old wild, Quixotic, -ridiculous wars. There would be different songs for it on each -occasion; one hardly troubled much with the preservation of them, for -song was a thing that a gentleman could call upon himself for at any -time. Why keep the songs you sang today, when tomorrow you would surely -sing other songs as good? Poetry was of all things the cheapest and -most general where every other man, as you might say, was a poet. - -One hears this kind of thing at the present day. Very few of the Welsh -national tunes have any traditional words to them. If there is any -special song attached to this tune or that, it will probably be the -work of Ceiriog, who may be called the Robert Burns of Wales, or of -some individual bard in the last two or three centuries, who sang such -and such words to the tune on such an occasion, or in whose tragic or -amusing history those words and that tune blended were pivotal, and -have passed into a popular tradition. - -Generally speaking, the words sung to all these airs are what -are called _Pennillion_--_hen bennillion_, old verses; a kind -of traditional folk-poetry arising no one knows from whom, and -commemorating popular wisdom, historical events, personal peculiarities -and eccentricities of long dead countryside celebrities, the beauties -and delights of this or that locality, and so on. There will be -war-songs, love-songs, dance-songs, dirges and nature-songs; a pennill -on the three best dancers of Wales, and a pennill on the three prized -things of three neighboring villages: the yews of Bettws, the bridge -at Llandeilo, the sacred well at Llandybie. Unnumbered are these -pennillion; perhaps more many than the tunes themselves to which they -may be sung. - - -II - -The old Welsh choirs and singing-parties--and they still do it, though -of course foreign music, both the work of the great composers and the -ribald stuff of the music halls, is making grand inroads--the old -choirs would delight to take such and such a tune for the work of their -evening, and sing song after song to it, now a dance, now a war-song, -and now a dirge, one after the other; and whichever kind of song they -might be singing, you would say that that tune was composed as, and -could inevitably be, only suitable for that. You would say that, of -course, by its very structure it would be impossible for it to be -anything but martial; there was the very pride and beat of war in it; -no blood could keep still, no feet forget to march at the sound of it. -And then you would change your mind, and know that it could never be -anything but a dirge; there as obviously the whole secret of sorrow in -it; you were at one, hearing it, with everyone who might be mourning -for their dearest dead; and you too, with them, were initiated into -marvelous hopes and superhuman certainties and joy--carried out of time -wherein men die, into that timelessness wherein they neither die nor -are born. And that too would pass, and the singers would bring you into -careless summer-evening merriment, and for the life of you, there was -no keeping your feet from the shaking and wandering of dance. - -One hears the multifold music of the world; the innumerable rhythms and -variations of melody; combinations and intricacies many as the thoughts -in the minds of terrestrial beings. And of those thoughts themselves, -there will be all manner of ranks and no democratic equality. Some -will be clansmen, so to say, in the house of merriment, others in the -house of grief; mere commonalty of the mind, wearing at any time all -the badges of their clan. These are cheap, every-day wayfarers, and -stir the same emotion, or bring the same colorlessness, into whatever -mind they may enter and whenever they may enter it. Others will be -chieftains and tribal leaders, entering with greater circumstance, and -imposing a larger subjection. Good or evil, they too bear always their -own colors; grief will be grief and joy will be joy; love will be love, -and hatred never anything but hatred, of the emotions that follow in -their train. - -But there are some few archetypal thoughts that you cannot so docket -and always rely upon. They are the kings and high bards, standing -beyond the limitations of tribe and sept. They will come in what -insignia and royal robings they may choose, and rouse up gladness or -sorrow, stillness or militancy according to their will. Such thoughts -are those of death, of duration, of humanity, of compassion. You have -spoken no true nor final word on death, when you have proclaimed him -the king of terrors; though indeed, the thought of august death comes -often in sorrowful and terrible disguise. Yet behind that dark regalia, -what serenity, what unstirred meditative calm, what "peace that passeth -all understanding," lie hidden! Compassion, too, comes doubly robed -in the purple; dark with the sorrow that is in pity; glowing with the -regality and gladness of unity with universal life. It is at once the -martial conqueror of the world, boundless in hope and exultation; the -sweet ministrant of the wounded, and the mourner at the graves of the -fallen. - -I think that there are expressions of music that correspond to these -supernal and superpersonal thoughts; and that they are in fact simple -tunes, and that many of them must be to be found in the folk-music -of all nations. They are, as it were, archetypal patterns of song, -root rhythms, sprung absolutely from the fountains of feeling, where -feeling has not yet been diversified into all its countless forms of -pain and delight. I think that the most beautiful of the Welsh airs -fall into this class, or into that other corresponding with what we -have called the tribal leaders of the thought plane. The Marches of -the Men of Harlech, of Glamorgan or Meirionydd--indeed every district -in Wales seems to have had its own war-tune in the ancient days--these -are always distinctly martial, and there is no possibility of mistaking -them or of making them anything else. _Y Galon Drom_, _Anhawdd -Ymadael_, _Morfa Rhuddlan_ and a thousand others, again, are always -dirges; to _Gyrru'r Byd o'm Blaen_, or to _Pwt ar y Bys_, you would -never dream of doing anything but dance. All have with them a certain -distinction and aristocracy in their own kind: about folk-music there -is nearly always a bearing and a value, and vulgarity is impossible -to the bulk of it. But beyond and higher than these there are those -archetypal tunes which stir the source of whatever feeling they may be -directed towards; one might mention perhaps _Llwyn On_ the Ash Grove, -as a good example. There are hundreds of them among the Welsh airs. - -Now the whole point of our inquiry is this--what was the creative or -directing mind that brought these things to be? It was not the bard -who first chanted the song; it was no one of the thousands of singers -who modified and modified it as they passed it on, until presently -the fixed tune was evolved, and changes and modifications ceased. -These were all instruments in its evolution; but there was also an -evolver. For it was brought, if indeed it is a primeval and radical -thing, to no haphazard conclusion. The music that you make up is one -thing; the music of the spheres is another: though it might happen -indeed, that sitting down to compose, there should be revealed to -you a measure from the music of the spheres. No doubt that would -have happened occasionally--probably only occasionally--with the -great transcendent geniuses of music: but then, there was no great -transcendent genius, neither Wagner nor Bach nor Beethoven, concerned -in the making of the folk-tune. We can posit the soul of Beethoven, -wrapt up into the universal soul, hearing immortal immeasurable -things, and after, producing some fragment of them in a sonata or a -symphony! But what soul was it here, who heard the rhythm and measure -of the star-music, and what the mountains are singing in their hearts -to make them eternal, and the song that drives the rivers and the -rain, and the bardic carol of the sun, and the ineffable yearning -of the souls of men, upward towards their divinity and evolutionary -destined grandeur--who heard, and set all these things bleakly and -magnificently down in the folk-song? I will not apologize for speaking -of the folk-song and the sonata in one breath: of the gods also are the -mountain and the pansy. - -Do we not see here the working of a Soul greater than that of any -individual; the soul of the nation; the God that is this people or -that? His compositions are marked by a unity, as are those of any -composer: you can tell an Irish Air at a hearing, or a Welsh Air. And -He, or It, reveals through them greater and deeper things than are -known to any individual among his people; ancient memories that _they_ -may have wholly forgotten; aspirations after spiritual glories which -not one of them may have ever foreseen or hoped for. So all the deepest -things that are in the national consciousness may be poured through -the playing of these composerless compositions; and we cannot doubt -that they remain a most potent link between the people and its hidden -divinity. - - - - -LAPLAND: by P. F. - - -More than one-fourth of Sweden is occupied by that vast wilderness, -Lapland. It is a remnant of archaic nature; its majestic snow-crowned -peaks are all of the very oldest geological structure. In primeval -times it was a compact mass of rock-ground; but time, with the aid of -water and ice, has formed a network of valleys between the remaining -ranges and peaks, and great lakes receive the melting snow and preserve -its crystalline purity, mirroring the snow-capped giants; from them -the water seeks its way to the sea by numerous mighty rivers, winding -around the towering masses and making many a daring leap down gorges in -foaming and roaring and whirling play. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. SKERFE, LAPLAND, -SWEDEN Photo by L. Wästfelt Jokkmokk.] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. THE RAPA VALLEY, -LAPLAND, SWEDEN Photo by L. Wästfelt Jokkmokk.] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. THE RAPA VALLEY, -LAPLAND, SWEDEN Photo by L. Wästfelt Jokkmokk.] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. LAJDAURE, LAPLAND, -SWEDEN Photo by L. Wästfelt Jokkmokk.] - -It is a wilderness of singular beauty and serene atmosphere, and one -who has once tasted of its life will ever thereafter feel the longing -for its grandeur and silence; for where can man feel the pulse -of real life better than in places like this where the eternal snow -protects the original purity of Nature? It has been found that the -farther north one passes, the more alive become the soil and rock, -radiating life in such abundance that it can often be actually seen as -a kind of electric discharge. In summer-time, there is no vegetation -like that around and above the Polar Circle, no colors and fragrance of -flowers like those to be found in the sanctuary of these remote valleys -where human foot so seldom intrudes. And where can one witness such -interplay between Earth and its outer atmospheric layers, manifesting -in all the varied phenomena of northern lights and mystic, trembling -color-screens? One could sometimes fancy himself in the very forecourt -of a grander mode of existence. - -H. P. Blavatsky tells us in _The Secret Doctrine_ that these mountain -ranges were part of previous great continents occupied by earlier -great races of humanity. What have they not witnessed? At one time in -far-past aeons, enjoying a tropical climate, fertile soil, and a golden -human life in all the bounteousness of Nature; at another, resting for -ages below the water, or stripped of their luxuriant garb by a mighty -ice-cover. Truly the history of it all is written somewhere and somehow -even now; and as one treads the archaic rock-ground in a solitude that -seems teeming with life, one begins to understand something of the -language of the great silence around, and to feel the presence of the -ancient past. - -Since prehistoric times the Lapps, with their nomadic herds of -reindeer, have been the warders of this pristine land. But like -most ancient remnants of human races they are at present rapidly -disappearing, and the "Sons of the Sun," as the Lapps call themselves, -have had to give up much of their ground to the children of the present -civilization. Lapland is entering upon a new era; railroads have -already found their way across the wastes to bring its immense reserves -of iron-ore out to the world; its waterfalls are being harnessed in the -service of man; and its natural resources utilized in many novel ways. -Though at the same latitude as southern Greenland, its climate is by no -means so forbidding; it is, moreover, undergoing a slow but sure change -which seems to be one of the causes why the reindeer are dying out. -Evidently there are mighty forces at work, rendering hitherto shielded -places on Earth accessible to our civilization as a preparation for a -new phase of life awaiting all humankind. - - - - -CULTIVATING GENIUS FOR MUSIC: by E. A. Neresheimer - - -The natural gift for music which during recent years is so frequently -found in very young children of all civilized nations, is a -phenomenon that has given rise to much speculation on the part of -active theorists. However, the "brain molecule" scientists have been -significantly silent on that--to them--perplexing question, and so have -the other doctors of learning who explain every human quality on a -theory of "hereditary transmission." Nor does the "gift of God, or Holy -Spirit" theory explain this wonderful but most natural manifestation of -the progress of the human soul. - -No theory will account for these and other gifts in children, that has -not for its basis knowledge of the natural growth from one life to -another--reincarnation. - -When we reflect how diligently the smallest accomplishment must be -earned before we can call it our own, and how delightfully secure we -are in its possession when once we have attained to it, the question is -then more like this: May it not be that a musical prodigy is after all -_the Soul himself_ that has labored through many lives on earth with -ceaseless diligence, following its aspirations and love for music, and -is now earning the fruitage thereof? - -Many people say: "Oh! I am so fond of music"; but they never go to a -concert or to an opera; nor are they any more fond of music in reality -than of hearing themselves talk, because the beginning of music is to -them the sign to begin a conversation quickly. To the majority music -scarcely yet exists. - -There are some people who have a quiet love for music; they go -unobtrusively to places where good music is made, listen with -attention, and go home in a serene, satisfied mood. Such persons, -from their youth on, embrace every opportunity to hear music in high -and low places; they look longingly at the instruments displayed in -music-stores and, perchance, in the hours that others devote to rest or -folly, they plod away for years unaided, practising on some unsuitable -instrument. No one pays particular attention to such a budding artist. -Perhaps he himself is not aware that his judgment grows better, riper, -keener; that the finer distinctions of music are becoming to him -sharply defined and thus satisfactory to his consciousness; his ear, -too, waxes critical at dissonances, and his very soul also delights in -the musical gems, in the flowing rhythms and harmonies. - -The long weary days that are drowned for the multitude in an ocean of -sensation, do not exist for the person who is deeply, truly, interested -in music. Such a one may not hear music for days or weeks, nor have any -particular melody running through his brain; but in his sub-conscious -mind there is such a reservoir of harmonies that flow and flow all the -time, making him thoughtful, meditative, happy. He laughs or sighs -like other people, but there is something besides, that shows in his -countenance or manner, something that one instinctively feels is lofty; -perhaps it is music running through his blood, singing all the while. - -There are some who by Karma's decree have a father or a mother who -recognize a little talent for music in the child and let him be taught, -and by encouragement promote his musical development. This is like -bestowing a priceless treasure on the one so favored, for now he enters -upon the realm of one of the mysteries of the Eternal. - -Once begun, there is no end. On and on goes the progress, revealing -with each step an ever-widening horizon of beauty, love, happiness. - -The musician goes inward, ever inward. All is being transformed and -remodeled in his soul. The tears are music, the joys are music, the -whole world is music; men and women are like harps on which to play; he -can sway them from one extreme mood to another; and he?--he really owns -the world, never to lose it! - -On the other hand there are some who practise on a musical instrument -for hours every day. Years roll by, but there seems to be no progress -made, at least there is no appreciation of progress at the hands of -other persons. Still, the musicians belonging to this class do not -seem to be discouraged. They may grow old the while, but never relax -in their aspirations. What for? Think you, perhaps, that all this -one-pointedness, this expenditure of energy to attain to an ideal, -will be lost when the man dies? Not so! Nothing is ever lost. Nature -preserves everything. Every single effort leaves its imprint upon the -soul in which the result finally inheres. When such a life has come to -its end the people may say: "Poor musician! he labored all his lifetime -and accomplished nothing!" But see! when a boy suddenly appears who -at the age of eight years can play an instrument, surmounting the -most difficult technique with great ease, almost as if he had known -it before he commenced--what then? We begin to look around for the -hereditary connexion; and here we see quite often that neither his -parents nor cousins or any relations have or had any trace of such -talent. - -How comes it then that the prodigy can do this without having to learn -it like other people? May it not be that he has really learned it at -some time, _in another life_ and stored it away in his soul, and now, -he simply manifests most naturally what is his own? - -Truly, artists are not made out of nothing. They are made out of all -these things that they previously, diligently and persistently, labored -for. Every bit of it, every feeling, every emotion, and every touch -of the heart, of the head, and of the hand that they now manifest is -of their own making, without any miracle or extraneous grace. Thus is -Genius for music cultivated. - - - - -GLIMPSES OF SCANDINAVIAN MYTHOLOGY: by Per Fernholm, M. E., Royal -Institute of Technology (Stockholm) - - -When the fragments still left of Scandinavian mythology, scattered -in the Icelandic sagas and tales, are carefully put together, they -give a grand picture of the history of Earth and Man from the first -dawn of the present great Day of evolution. Clear and scientific in -the broad outlines, they will some day surely prove a gold-mine of -useful knowledge for future researches into the past. Nor do they -stop with the history of the past and its blending with the present, -but go farther and picture the destruction of life as we know it in a -purifying fire, and show how a new earth arises from the sea, whereon a -new and lasting Golden Age will be enjoyed by Gods and men. - -When Earth had assumed its shape and was ready to receive living -beings, the Creative Wisdom permeated the elements and in the ensuing -fermentation the cow Audumla appeared. Licking the salt rocks she -liberated from the life-germs of the various elements a great and -beautiful being endowed with a divine spirit. He became the father of -the Gods who rule and protect the world of Man in this cycle. - -Drops of venom from the Fount of Frost grew to another being, the -giant Ymer, who nourished by Audumla's milk brought into being various -giants, some good, but many evil and horrible. Among the good are the -wise Mimer, the guardian of the Fount of Wisdom at one of the three -roots of the world-tree, Yggdrasil; and the three Norns, Urd, Verdande -and Skuld--Urd, the Norn of the Present, being the guardian of the -Fount of Life at another of Yggdrasil's roots. - -Odin knew his mighty task as chief ruler of human life in this cycle. -But he was not yet perfect and felt himself lacking in strength; -therefore he went to Mimer to drink from the Fount of Wisdom. None, not -even the Gods, can, however, win this precious drink without proving -his worthiness, and here at the very outset we meet with the great -example of self-sacrifice. Odin gave up himself to his greater Self, -remained for "nine days and nights" in Yggdrasil without food or drink, -looking inward to the roots of things, listening to the mystic song out -of the depth. Purified and prepared, he was allowed to drink from the -water of Wisdom and learned from Mimer nine wonderful and potent songs. -And Odin grew henceforth rapidly in knowledge and creative power. - -Presiding over the Gods and the various hierarchies in Nature he then -began to make Earth a fitting habitation for man. That done, Odin -visited Midgard with his two brothers, Höner and Lodur, and there on -the shore they found two trees, "powerless and without destiny." Lodur -loosened them from their connexion with earth, giving them power to -move and act from inner impulses, and made them images of the Gods; -Höner endowed them with a human Ego, having consciousness and will; and -finally Odin gave them the most precious gift, the spirit. - -In the childhood of the Earth men long lived in a golden age of -unbroken peace, knowing of no evil. But there came a time when two -beings among the giants, both adopted by the Gods as members of the -Asgard family, appeared among men tempting them to evil things, the -man Loke, and the woman Gullveig (the golden way, or stream), Gullveig -being the worse. To strengthen the good in human hearts, enlighten them -and prepare them for coming days of strife, the Gods sent to Midgard as -Teacher Heimdall, the Shining One, the God of the pure and most sacred -fire. He brought with him many things not before seen in Midgard, and -as the ruler of the people he instructed them in cultivating the soil, -in sowing the seed he had brought, and in preparing bread; in carving -and forging, spinning and weaving, cutting runes and reading. He taught -them how to tame animals for domestic use, to build houses and to -form families and communities; also the use of weapons in protection -against animals. And further he informed them of the rules laid down -by the Norns for a righteous life, and of the names and functions of -the Gods. He showed them how to build altars and temples for worship, -and brought to them the pure and undefiled fire produced by friction, -the only one worthy of burning in the shrine of the Gods; and then he -taught them the sacred songs that ever since have sounded from the lips -of men in praise of divine powers. - -But even now Gullveig began her wanderings among men and secretly -taught them runes and songs which counteracted Heimdall's teachings. -When the Gods became aware of this, they had her burned; but her heart -was proof against fire. Loke found it, and swallowing it he brought -into the world the monster-wolf Fenris, which feeds on all the evil -thoughts and feelings among men. - -Gullveig soon incarnated again and continued her ways unrecognized -for a long period. When discovered she was burned a second time, Loke -again finding her heart and giving life to the giantess of pestilence, -Leikin. The same thing happened a third time, and then was born the -Midgard-Snake, destined to grow rapidly and finally to encircle the -whole earth. - -While Gullveig spread ruin in human life, Loke caused enmity and -strife among the powers of nature and even among the Gods. Many were -the resulting wars in Asgard, besides the constant warfare against -the giants; and always they were followed by wars in Midgard. At last -the Gods were divided to such a degree that Odin, rather than cause -the death of many of his nearest kin, left Asgard and the guidance of -humanity in the care of the Vaner Gods, who otherwise presided over -the regular course of the processes of Nature. When the giants learned -this they thought it a fit time to gain supremacy not only over Midgard -but even over Asgard itself. Odin knew this in good time, through his -power of prevision, and he issued from his retreat "far in the East" to -warn the Vaner Gods and offer them assistance. The fearful resulting -war united the Gods once more, after which Odin was freely offered the -high seat in Asgard, where, purified and perfected by experience and -adversity he now rules with wisdom until the last day of the cycle. - -Heimdall "died" in Midgard before the golden age was over, and he was -followed by his son Sköld-Borgar. His son, Halfdan, became the first -king, and led the people in all the battles that followed in the new -age, while constantly overshadowed by the Gods. On the other side the -chief was Od-Svipdag, a most heroic and valiant champion. War after war -raged, one of them being so frightful that a new generation had to grow -up before new armies could be collected. - -Svipdag is a most remarkable character, who journeys to the Underworld -and obtains the "avenging sword" which nothing can resist, not even -the hammer of Thor. The fate of the world seems to depend on his mind, -when at the critical moment his love for the Goddess Fröja turns his -steps to Asgard, in order to make peace with the Gods. He then lives -mostly in Asgard with Fröja and is sent by the Gods on many difficult -journeys, even to the Underworld to find whether Balder, the God of -purity, who had died when strife came into the world, could not return -from his safe retreat near the Fount of Wisdom. - -The great Ice period is described as coming in Halfdan's days, the -people being obliged to leave the Northern countries for more southern -climes. But when the ice at last receded they went back step by -step northward, fighting continual battles. Halfdan at last dies by -Svipdag's sword, and is followed by his brave son, Hadding. And thus we -reach the present age, which is depicted as one of supreme darkness. -Seldom nowadays the Gods appear before men, for they are few who by -a righteous and sincere life keep the link unbroken with the regions -in the crown of Yggdrasil. The evil is increasing all the time; men -have forgotten their divine birth, and they prostitute their divine -powers. Yet above the veil of darkness the Gods rule as ever, helping -wherever there is an opportunity; while elves and dwarfs and all the -other nature sprites continue to fulfil their duties in the economy of -nature, although no longer seen by men. - -Much is said about the process of death. Man is made up of six -principles, and death is a purification whereby the higher and purer -elements, after passing through the second death, go to the bliss of -the presence of the Gods. If man in life has developed his "inner body" -by noble living, then he passes easily through the trials and the -judgment of the Gods. If not, then he is held down by the demons of -passion and lust and meets torture and suffering. - -Of Reincarnation there is little in the form of direct statement, -probably partly because carefully removed in Christian times, and -partly because it forms an integral part of the whole conception of -life found in all ancient sagas. Some of the heroes are, however, -named in more than one incarnation, showing the same soul in different -garments. The noblest and the worst reincarnate almost immediately; for -others some time has first to elapse. - -In the efflorescence of time the hour will at length arrive for -Ragnarök, the great purifying battle and fire, when evil will be -destroyed in the final war between good and evil. The Gods assemble -with their faithful, Odin leading, majestic, calm and wiser than ever, -knowing that he and most of the Gods will have to buy the victory with -their lives. The different groups on both sides are pictured with -matchless boldness and vividness, and we see how each has to meet his -fate. Odin is killed by the Fenris Wolf; Thor kills the Midgard Snake, -but falls dead from its venom. The giants who have possessed themselves -of the "avenging sword" use it in the battle, but at the same moment -their fate is sealed. For this sword was so forged that if swung by a -giant it would destroy the giant world. - -At the close of the fearful battle the very foundations of the earth -seem to tremble. Fires rise towards heaven, and amid flame and smoke -and destruction--the Gods still living--Odin's sons Vidar and Vale, -and Thor's sons Magne and Mode, ride to the Underworld, to Balder's -peaceful land, where neither death nor destruction are. - -And the old earth finally sinks into the sea, dissolved into slag -and ashes. The flames die. The air is purified by the fire, the sky -is bluer than ever. From the sea arises a new earth, covered with -luxuriant vegetation. It is the regions of the Underworld near the -Founts of Wisdom and Life, the lands of Mimer and Urd, that now appear. -Those founts, so long nearly dry, again flow copiously, and Yggdrasil -is fresh and green. The days of golden life return to Gods and men. -Balder assumes full sway, and the new earth is peopled from the two -races who have been spared for that purpose, living in purity unstained -along with Balder during the age of darkness. Even animals have been -spared in the same way and enjoy the new Day. It is the happy Day of -Balder the Pure and Righteous. - -But even this is not the final scene, according to the Northern -mythology. A mightier Being than even Balder will come after him, -descending upon a still higher and more purified earth. It is the -unnamed God whose servant Urd is, One whose spirit blendeth with all -living things by virtue of the Fount of Wisdom--an omnipotent God, a -God bringing highest peace, who will then "establish a worship that -will endure forevermore." - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. RUINS OF THE DIPYLON -GATE OF ANCIENT ATHENS] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. ANCIENT ATHENIAN -TOMBS ALONG THE SACRED WAY] - - - - -THE DIPYLON AND THE OUTER CERAMICUS: by F. S. Darrow, A. M., Ph. D. -(Harv.) - - -The Dipylon or "Double Gate" (so named because it consisted of an -inner and an outer gateway, separated by a court), was the principal -entrance of classical Athens at the west end of the city. Probably, -it was built under Perikles' directions on the site of the still -older Thriasian Gate, but the extant remains which are shown in the -accompanying illustration belong to a somewhat later alteration. The -gateway itself, because of its size and position (it was at the lowest -point of the city walls) was surrounded by massive fortifications. The -inner wall with the upright stone, marking one of the boundaries of the -Outer Ceramicus or ancient Potters' quarters just outside the city, was -built by Themistokles, but the outer wall shown in the illustration -was probably added by Perikles. About sixty yards to the west of -the Dipylon, that is to the right of the illustration, is a smaller -gateway, which is thought to be the Sacred Gate, used for the exit and -entrance of the Procession of Mystics during the celebration of the -Eleusinian Mysteries. - -In ancient times three roads lined with tombs led from the Dipylon, -namely, the Road to the Academy, the Sacred Way leading to Eleusis, -and the Road to the harbor, the Peiraeeus. Along the Road leading to -the Academy were buried those who had died fighting for their country -on land and on sea. The public burials were made at the end of each -campaign, when the bones of the slain were placed in coffins of cypress -wood, one coffin for each of the ten Athenian tribes, and an empty -one, serving symbolically for the burial of those whose bodies could -not be recovered. Citizens and strangers alike were permitted to join -in the procession, and as the coffins were lowered, a speaker publicly -appointed ascended a lofty pulpit and delivered an oration in honor of -the dead. - -Thukydides says: - - The public cemetery is situated in the most beautiful spot outside - the walls and there the Athenians always bury those who fall in war; - but after the battle of Marathon the dead in recognition of their - pre-eminent valor were interred on the field. - -It was here in the winter of 431 B. C., while delivering his immortal -funeral oration that Perikles declared: - - It is difficult to say neither too little nor too much. I do not - commiserate the parents of the dead: I would rather comfort them. - Those men may be deemed fortunate who have gained the greatest honor. - To you who are sons and brothers of the departed I see that the - struggle to emulate them will be an arduous one. The dead have been - honorably interred and it remains only that their children should be - maintained at the public charge until they are grown up; this is the - solid prize with which, as with a garland, Athens crowns her sons, - living and dead. - -The tombs of many of the most famous figures in Greek history were in -this public cemetery, including those of Harmodios and Aristogeiton, -the Tyrannicides; Kleisthenes, the Law-giver; Perikles, the greatest -Athenian Statesman; Thrasybulos, the Liberator, who overthrew the -Thirty Tyrants; Chabrias; Phormio; Konon and Timotheus, father and -son, "second only to Miltiades and Kimon for their brilliant feats"; -and Lykurgos, the son of Lykophron, the Athenian orator and statesman, -who finished the Dionysiac Theater in stone and built the Docks at the -Peiraeeus. - -The public tombs which once lined the Road to the Academy seem to have -been almost entirely destroyed, but many of the private tombs along the -Sacred Way may still be seen _in situ_. Some of these, which have been -well preserved (thanks to the fact that they were covered by a huge -mound in 86 B. C. when the Roman Cornelius Sulla was besieging Athens), -are shown in the second illustration. - - - - -THE THEOSOPHIC TORCH: by Grace Knoche - - O the great benefactor who points the Way! To Triptolemus have - all men erected temples and altars, because he gave us food by - cultivation; but to him who discovered truth, and brought it to - light and communicated it to all--not the truth which shows us how - to live _but how to live well_--who of you has built an altar for - this, or a temple, or has dedicated a statue, or who worships God for - this?--_Epictetus_ - - -The final stitches are taken in the little garment which has stood for -the evening's duty. It is folded and laid aside, to fill on the morrow -a need as impersonal as the service that need inspired, silent tribute -to a system of work so practical and so perfect in its conservation -of energy that the world is already clamoring at Lomaland gates to be -let into the secret. A pile of loved books--very tiny ones, _The Voice -of the Silence_, the _Bhagavad-Gitâ_, _Patañjali_, and the rest--lies -beside the sewing-basket, jostling the newspaper, which, because of the -temporary need of another, at present has to be given room. But I brush -it aside to take up one of the little writings--any one of them, from -cover to cover, would hardly make up a newspaper page--thankful that -if the frothy and distempered bilge-water of current crime and gossip -_does_ have to lie before me, I do not have to drink of it; grateful -that even in the present heyday of lower psychological influences I am -free to drink what I will, free to pick my associates from among the -immortals--if I choose. And so we parry, and give and take, question -on my part and answer on his--small wonder that H. P. B. paid tribute -to his philosophy and W. Q. J. to his life, this grand old Roman whose -company for an hour any one would be proud to have--Epictetus! - - O the great benefactor who points the Way! - -This, a tribute to the Helpers of Humanity by one who was humbly, yet -with the courage of Hercules, trying to fire the mind of his age with -the torch-gleam of a true philosophy of life--Theosophy in fact, but -adapted to the conditions of his time, a fevered and cruel time, though -with gleams of nobility and spiritual splendor here and there. - -What a picture comes before one of this brave old Roman Socrates, -banished in his last years from Rome by the Emperor Domitian--for -the crime of being a philosopher! And then another picture--of the -Epictetus as the Rome of Nero knew him, young but never strong, weakly, -lame, the abused slave of Nero's profligate secretary; allowed by -his owner to study philosophy because it chanced to be the fashion -in wealthy Rome to number wise men among one's "possessions" as one -numbered cocks and fine horses; Epictetus, a slave, often in chains, -tortured at his master's whim--but a Torch-bearer of the Truth! - -Although a disciple of Rufus, the great Stoic teacher of the time, -Epictetus himself claiming no superiority to his teacher whom he -lovingly quotes, the conviction forces itself upon one that the latter -bathed in a wider ocean of truth than that of Stoicism as a doctrine. -He quotes Socrates, Plato, Diogenes, far more than Zeno; he had no part -in the tolerance of many Stoics to the idea of suicide. And we hear him -down the ages fulminating against the Academics, the Epicureans, the -Skeptics; declaring the Godhood, the Divinity, of man; immortality, the -higher law, man's obligation to study human nature _in its duality_; -Karma, the power of the Spiritual Will, the royal road to happiness; -and man's obligation to integrity, fidelity, compassion, reverence, -gratitude, trust, love, wisdom and a noble use of power. What was he -banished for? what is it that he said? - - If Caesar should adopt you, no one could endure your arrogance; to - know, then, that you are the son of Zeus--will you not be elated?... - You are a superior thing; you are a portion separated from the - Deity; you have in yourself a certain portion of Him. Why then are - you ignorant of your own noble descent? When you are in social - intercourse, when you are exercising yourself, when you are engaged in - discussion, _know you not that you are nourishing a god, that you are - exercising a god_? - - But give me directions, you say. Why should I give you directions? Has - not Zeus given you directions? What directions, what kind of orders, - did you bring _when you came from Him_? To keep what is your own; not - to desire what is not your own. Fidelity is your own, and integrity, - and modesty and virtue; for who can take these things from you? who, - excepting yourself, can hinder you from using them? Having such - promptings and commands from Zeus, what kind do you still ask from me? - Am I more powerful than he, am I more worthy of confidence? - - If you would make anything a habit, do it; if you would not make it - a habit, do not do it.... So with respect to the soul: when you have - been angry you must know that not only has this evil befallen you, but - that you have also increased the habit, and in a manner increased the - habit thrown fuel on the fire.... For he who has had a fever, and has - been relieved from it, is not in the same state that he was before, - unless he has been completely cured. _Something of the kind happens - also in diseases of the soul. Certain traces and blisters are left in - it, and unless a man shall completely efface them, when he is again - lashed in the same places, the lash will produce not welts but sores._ - - It is circumstances (difficulties) which show what men are. Therefore, - when a difficulty falls upon you, remember that God, like a trainer of - wrestlers, has matched you with a rough young man. For what purpose? - you may say. Why, that you may become an Olympic conqueror; _but it - is not accomplished without sweat_.... Hercules, when he was being - exercised by Eurytheus, never deemed himself wretched; but fulfilled - courageously all that was laid upon him. But he who shall cry out and - bear it hard when he is being exercised by Zeus, is he worthy to bear - the scepter of Diogenes? - - The philosopher's school, ye men, is a surgery; you ought not to - go out of it with pleasure but with pain, for you are not in sound - health when you enter: one has dislocated his shoulder, another has - an abscess ... another a headache. And shall I sit and utter to you - little thoughts and exclamations, that you may praise me and go away, - one with his shoulder in the same condition as when he entered, - another with his head still aching, and a third with his fistula or - his abscess just as they were? Is it for this that young men quit - home and leave their parents and friends, their kinsmen and property, - that they may say to you, Wonderful! when you are uttering your - exclamations? Did Socrates do this, or Zeno, or Cleanthes? - - Diogenes well said to one who asked from him letters of - recommendation, "That you are a man he will know as soon as he - sees you; and he will know whether you are good or bad if he has, - through experience, the skill to distinguish the good and the bad; - but if he has not, he would not know though I were to write him ten - thousand times." For it is just the same as if a drachma asked to be - recommended to a person. If he is skilful in testing silver, he will - know you (the drachma) for what you are. We ought then in life to be - able to have some such skill as in the case of silver coin, that we - may be able to say, like the judge of silver, Bring me any drachma and - I will test it. - - When Florus was deliberating whether he should go down to Nero's - spectacles, and also perform in them, he asked Agrippinus for advice, - and Agrippinus said, Go down. But why do you not go down? said Florus; - and Agrippinus replied, I do not even deliberate about the matter; - _for he who has brought himself to calculate the value of external - things, is very near to those who have forgotten their own character_. - - But if I do not take part, I shall have my head struck off. Go then, - said Agrippinus, and take part; but I will not. Why? Because you - consider yourself to be only one common thread in the tunic; it is - then fitting for you to take thought how you shall be like the rest of - men. But I wish to be purple, that small part which is bright, _and - makes all the rest appear graceful and beautiful_. - -Katherine Tingley said recently in one of her intimate talks on the -subject of the individual responsibility of students in being given the -opportunity to bring a deeper than the common touch into the production -of _The Aroma of Athens_: - - We are just now at a strange point in the cycle and in many ways are - linking ourselves with the past. - -May not one evidence of this be an easier recognition of the Theosophic -Light that has been passed from hand to hand down the ages? Many have -been its disguises, many and strange the lamps holding it, often -obscured it has been, again nameless--but ever the one Light, the one -Flame, shining upon and enlightening all men. - - - - -THE PYTHAGOREAN SOLIDS: - -by F. J. Dick, M. INST. C. E., M. INST. C. E. I. - - -Students of _The Secret Doctrine_ and of ancient teachings such as -those of Pythagoras, the Kabala, and the sacred books of different -races and epochs, are often puzzled by the frequent references to -Number, and to elementary plane forms like the circle, triangle, and -square. It may be surmised that these symbols refer to _meta_-physical -forces of various orders concealed within the "atom" and within nature -generally. For nature is built, obviously enough, upon some internal -principles of structural harmony. Without discussing the many avenues -of thought suggested by a study of the five regular solids, the main -features of these forms may be briefly summarized. - -In the first place, they may be all considered as generated by Twelve -Points on the surface of the Sphere, at equal adjacent distances, or by -six diameters of the sphere mutually inclined at angles whose tangent -is 2, the number of the octave in music. Joining each of the twelve -with every other point, we have 66 lines, of which 36 are internal. -Six of the latter being diameters, there remain 30, intersecting at 20 -points, which give the 30 edges of the internal DODECAHEDRON. The 30 -outer, or external lines of the 66, form the edges of the ICOSAHEDRON. - -Joining one set of alternate corners of the Dodecahedron by 12 lines, -a CUBE appears. So far, there are 33 points defined, including the -center of the sphere. Joining opposite corners on each Cube-face by 12 -lines, _two_ interlaced TETRAHEDRONS appear. These define, by their -intersection, 6 new points and 12 new lines forming the OCTAHEDRON, -beautifully poised in the heart of the Sphere. - -Thus only 39 points, including the central point, are needed to define -the Pythagorean solids, only one solid form being repeated, the -Tetrahedron, which in fact is seen to repeat itself ten times. For -between the interlaced Tetrahedron corners and the eight faces of the -included Octahedron, eight smaller Tetrahedrons are seen. - -The interlaced Tetrahedrons suggest the origin of the plane symbol--the -interlaced triangles; but the full beauty of the symbol does not appear -until we notice that the axis of symmetry of the Tetrahedrons coincides -with the diagonal of the Cube, and that the orthographic projection -of all these on a plane perpendicular to the diagonal gives a perfect -hexagon with the interlaced triangles in the center. The interlaced -Tetrahedrons--one a reflection of the other--in fact define the eight -corners of the Cube. The Tetrahedron is "3," and the Cube is "4" (or -6). So we see one way in which the "three fall into the four," and -why it is a septenary, and a decad, as well as a three, or a four, -according to the various aspects and interrelations considered of the -electric, rotary, magnetic, or vibratory forces symbolized by the -various lines. - -Science has already reached the speculation that the hypothetical -carbon "atom" has a tetrahedronal form. Let us look at this Tetrahedron -with the eye opposite the middle of an edge and in line with the -center. The two opposite edges now form the Cross, composed of two -equal lines, but separated by a space. One is reminded of an electric -wire, and a magnetized needle placing itself at right angles to, -although at some distance from, the current in the wire. Thus the -opposite edges, whether as rotational vectors or in some other way, -indicate a connexion with the dual forces of attraction and repulsion. -The Tetrahedron, a triangular pyramid, may be a Fire-symbol. In any -case the following passage is suggestive: - - When the molecules of salt, clustering together, begin to deposit - themselves as a solid, the first shape they assume is that of - triangles, of small pyramids and cones. It is the figure of _fire_, - whence the word "_pyramids_"; while the second geometrical figure - in _manifested_ nature is a square or a cube, 4 and 6; for, "the - particles of earth being cubical, those of fire are pyramidal" - truly--(Enfield). The pyramidal shape is that assumed by the - pines--the most primitive tree after the fern period. Thus the two - opposites in cosmic nature--fire and water, heat and cold--begin their - metrographical manifestations, one by a trimetric, the other by a - hexagonal system. For the stellate crystals of snow, viewed under a - microscope, are all and each of them a double or treble six-pointed - star, with a central nucleus, like a miniature star within the larger - one. (_The Secret Doctrine_, II, 594.) - -The number Five penetrates the whole system of the Five solids in a -remarkable way. Thus there are 24 pentagons visible, and by joining -other corners of the Dodecahedron, Five Cubes are seen, which of course -produce Five Octahedrons, and twice that number of principal interlaced -Tetrahedrons. Five has been said to be the Number of Life. - -Confining ourselves to one rectangular system, we find Four axes of -symmetry for the Tetrahedrons and Three for Cube and Octahedron. Thus -there are really 73 principal lines in the complete system defined by -the 39 points. A study of the three principal orthographic projections -shows that the circle should be divided into 3, 4, 5, 6, parts, and -the products of these, or 360 degrees. Certain angles are found in -abundance, such as 36, 60, 72, 90, 108, 144; and their combinations -and products by 10 and 12, and their multiples, give figures bearing a -strong resemblance to the various cyclic periods of eastern chronology. -Periodic orbits are vibrations on a large scale. - -Twice the perimeter of an Icosahedron-face divided by the perimeter -of a Dodecahedron-face is 3.1416, the value of π used in all -ordinary scientific and constructional work. - -The actual error is so small that if both were accurately made of -copper at the same temperature, the Icosahedron-face would only have to -be brought rather more than one degree Fahrenheit below the temperature -of the other for the π value to be absolutely correct. Accuracy of this -sort is unattainable outside of specially equipped laboratories. So the -Pythagorean solids may be said to "square the circle." - - - - -THE "BLACK AGE": by Ariomardes - - -Let us imagine a romance, such as most people must have heard, wherein -some royal child is stolen away and reared amidst peasants in ignorance -of his birth; and where some wise man comes and reveals to the youth -the secret of his parentage. The young man forthwith steps out from his -lowly life, and clothed in a new self-respect, begins to acquit himself -worthily of his origin and destiny. - -Thus has Theosophy declared to outcast humanity, "Thou art the king's -son"; and in proof it has referred him to his ancestry. This is why H. -P. Blavatsky, pointing out in the skein of history certain clues which -scholars have hitherto overlooked, started that greater enthusiasm for -archaeology which since her day has already borne such wonderful fruit. - -In a dark age there is the danger that man might forget his divine -origin altogether. The revelations of archaeology confirm the teachings -of Theosophy that before the dark age of our historical period set in, -there were brighter ages; and by showing what man has been, they are -indicating what he may again be in the future. - -The epochs and durations of the various ages are not uniform all over -the earth, so that it cannot be said that the black age began, for the -earth generally, at any definite time. The ancient Hindûs have their -own chronology, showing the dates of the different ages for their race. -We find in a very ancient work, the _Vishnu-Purâna_, a prophecy of -the characteristics of Kali-Yuga or the "Black Age," from which the -following extracts are taken: - - Then property alone will confer rank; wealth will be the only source - of devotion; passion will be the sole bond of union between the - sexes; falsehood will be the only means of success in litigation; and - women will be objects merely of sensual gratification. Earth will be - venerated but for its mineral treasures; the Brahmânical thread will - constitute a Brâhman; external types (as the staff and red garb) will - be the only distinctions of the several orders of life; dishonesty - will be the (universal) means of subsistence; weakness will be the - cause of dependence; menace and presumption will be substituted - for learning; liberality will be devotion; simple ablution will be - purification; mutual assent will be marriage; fine clothes will be - dignity.... Amidst all castes, he who is the strongest will reign over - a principality thus vitiated by many faults.--iv, ch. xxiv. (From H. - H. Wilson's translation, vol. iv, pp. 226-228.) - -Some of these details may be thought to apply more to the East, some to -the West; we can surely recognize many of the characteristics of our -own civilization. What is particularly striking is the way in which -things which we regard as inevitable qualities of human nature are -here spoken of with horror and classed among the iniquities. And there -are signs in our contemporary literature that some of the standard -human frailties are now being exalted into virtues. One of the signs -of decadence mentioned is the fact that passion will be regarded as -the sole bond of union between the sexes. And we have philosophers -who would persuade us that passion is and always has been and always -will be the bond of union! For some writers, passion, even in its most -material form, is the origin and supreme fact of all union. Here, -then, is the danger--that having allowed our ideals to drag down our -practices, we afterwards suffer our practices to drag down our ideals, -thus descending by a continuous and periodical process of leveling down. - -It seems as if the saying that "property alone will confer rank" has -some meaning for us today, as also the phrase "wealth will be the -only source of devotion." What is said about falsehood in litigation -reflects no discredit on our jurisprudence, but surely it describes -much of what occurs in practice. That about the mineral treasures -of earth is very true; for we consider people simpletons when they -fail to tear out the bowels of their homeland in order to coin them -into "the only source of devotion." When the ancient scribe says that -dishonesty will be the means of subsistence, he may seem to be going -too far; but what does he mean by dishonesty? If it includes every form -of insincerity and injustice, the statement may not be too extreme -after all. The question, "Shall I do as the others do or let my family -starve?" becomes every day more difficult to answer. - -"Menace and presumption will be substituted for learning." This may -allude to the fact that most people argue for the purpose of pushing -their own ideas, losing their temper and resorting to tricks in -order to attain this end; and that the attainment of knowledge is so -often subordinated to the desire to compel assent or gain notoriety. -"Liberality will be devotion," may be better understood if we -substitute the word "munificence," as applying to large donations to -churches and also to the prevalence of the charity of the purse rather -than the charity of the heart. - -A difficult subject to speak upon, in view of the mental chaos reigning -today, is the hint that there can be higher motives for marriage than -mere mutual attraction or worldly convenience. The quotation gives a -rebuke to those who, seeing no farther back than the Black Age, argue -that there never have been any higher ideals of marriage. We may point -to the ancient Egyptian religion as an instance of a culture that is -free from the erotic element; while in the quotation given above the -erotic idea is expressly condemned. Clearly, then, that idea belongs -to the age of decadence. The word "love" having now become practically -useless from its association with passion, we must seek our clue to the -real meaning of marriage in the word "duty." Regarded as a sacred rite -involving vows of unselfishness and self-restraint, undertaken only -in sober earnestness and with a vision undimmed by the colored mists -of selfish romance, marriage might take its place among the blessings -instead of among the problems of life. - -In days when philosophicules try to define honor in terms of vanity, -and devotion in terms of self-interest, it is beneficial to receive -from antiquity a hint that may help us to understand that honor and -devotion are the breath of the Soul. Pretended reformers, claiming a -superior acumen and to be quite grown-up and out of leading-strings, -may dissect before us the animal nature of man, pointing out its -sordid details and requesting us to believe that these represent our -entire endowment. Some prominent writers, whose outlook upon life has -somehow suffered from unfortunate circumstances, would have us accept -depravity and neurotic conditions as inevitable concomitants of human -nature; and, profanely invoking Freedom, they recommend open license -as a means of purity! Signs like these justify one in thinking that -the Black Age is casting the shadow of its pinions over the firmament -of modern thought; and we are grateful for the smallest hint of the -possibility of an age free from the all-absorbing morbidity and itching -self-consciousness that seem to dominate every department of inquiry. - -Will society ever again be so constituted that honor and reverence and -duty shall be a universal atmosphere, a currency in which all share, -a life-force that flows from man to man, a common possession in the -maintenance of whose integrity all are involved--as we are now all -involved in the maintenance of commercial credit and the upkeep of -standards of outer respectability? Can we imagine a society wherein -no man would dare to sully the purity of this inner atmosphere by -any unworthy thought? If so, then we might call honor and morality -real existences instead of mere abstractions; these words might then -convey the genuine qualities they were meant to denote, instead of -the spurious imitations which they now seem to stand for in the minds -of those who try to express them in terms of selfishness and passion. -It is well to think that such things have been upon earth; and it is -easier thus to account for some of the deeds of antiquity whose signs -remain. It is easier to see in religion the faint echo of a former -knowledge and conduct, than to interpret it as an outgrowth of fear and -charlatanry. We need a greater faith in human nature. - - - - -EGYPTIAN ART UNDER THE XXVIth DYNASTY: by C. J. - - -The statue of Neshoron, of which we give an illustration, is a very -fine example of the work of the XXVIth Dynasty (B. C. 666 to 528). -This was a period of great prosperity for Egypt, after long years of -depression. Rawlinson says: - - The entire valley of the Nile became little more than one huge - workshop, where stone-cutters and masons, bricklayers and carpenters, - labored incessantly. Under the liberal encouragement of the king and - his chief nobles, the arts recovered themselves and began to flourish - anew. The engraving and painting of the hieroglyphs were resumed with - success, and carried out with a minuteness and accuracy that provoke - the admiration of the beholder. Bas-reliefs of extreme beauty and - elaboration characterize the period. There rests upon some of them "a - gentle and almost feminine tenderness, which has impressed upon the - imitations of living creatures the stamp of an incredible delicacy - both of conception and execution." Statues and statuettes of merit - were at the same time produced in abundance. - -Under King Psametik I, the first king of the XXVIth Dynasty, a -semi-Libyan devoid of Egyptian prejudices, foreigners, especially -Greeks, were encouraged to settle in the Delta and to establish -commercial relations on a large scale--a hitherto unheard-of -innovation. The effect of this was a great change in the character -of the Egyptians, perhaps not for the better. A mercenary army was -enlisted, and the beginning of Egypt's downfall and subjugation -drew nigh. In the reign of Apries (Uah-ab-Rā, the "Pharaoh Hophra" -of Jeremiah xliv, 30) an unsuccessful attempt was made to restore -the greatness of the ancient Egyptian empire. Apries, or Hophra, -finding the Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was unable to reduce Phoenicia -to subjection, concluded a treaty with Zedekiah, king of Judah, in -B. C. 588, promising him assistance if he would help him to attack -the Babylonians. The war that followed resulted in the capture and -destruction of Jerusalem, and the transfer of the Jews to Babylon. -Apries failed to protect Zedekiah, though he appears to have done his -best. He retreated before the victorious Babylonians, and with the -fall of Palestine, the two great powers of Babylon and Egypt became -conterminous. Within a few years Nebuchadnezzar had conquered Egypt, -making it a tributary kingdom. - -The statue of Neshoron is remarkable for the realism shown in the -treatment of the face, which is obviously an excellent portrait. The -feet are also treated in a naturalistic manner, but the rest of the -figure is more conventional in accordance with the prevailing custom. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. STATUE OF NESHORON, -A DIGNITARY UNDER KING APRIES LOUVRE MUSEUM, PARIS] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. THE HOUSE OF LORDS, -LONDON] - - - - -THE HOUSE OF LORDS, PALACE OF WESTMINSTER, LONDON: by R. - - -Though such an important chamber, the House of Lords is only forty-five -feet wide, forty-five feet high, and ninety feet long, yet it is -very well adapted to its purpose. There is none of the crowding from -which the House of Commons suffers when all the members wish to be -present at some important debate. Like the rest of the Palace of -Westminster, the House of Lords is built in the Tudor-Gothic style, -but it does not date back to the fifteenth century. The old House of -Parliament, a patched-up and unimposing building, was almost completely -destroyed in 1835--an important service to architecture being rendered -thereby--and the new one was commenced upon the same site in 1840. -It took twenty-seven years to build and it is generally admitted, -in spite of many weaknesses, to be a worthy home for "the Mother of -Parliaments," and the most impressive modern Gothic building in Europe. -One important though indirect result of the fire which burned down the -old Parliament House was that public competition, almost unknown in -England, was adopted as the safest way to obtain a good design. Sir -Charles Barry, the architect, was greatly helped by the famous Pugin in -the superintendence of the detail, which, as can be seen in the plate, -is well-designed and executed, _for modern work_. Of course no modern -imitation-Gothic possesses the life and vigor of the old; there is a -mechanical feeling about it which can never be avoided in some degree; -there is want of spontaneity, a rigidity and formal correctness, which -is entirely absent in the old work. The House of Peers and the King's -Apartments occupy the western portion of the palace; the House of -Commons the eastern. - -Being so new, there are few important historical associations connected -with the House of Lords, and in recent times the most thrilling scenes -in parliamentary life have taken place in the other House, where the -expression of the emotions has always been allowed freer play, and -where the Government of the day has to meet its strongest opponents in -debate, but a very impressive ceremony takes place when the Sovereign -in person opens Parliament. He then takes his seat on the throne, -which can be seen in the plate, and reads his speech from it before a -brilliant audience. The British monarchy being a constitutional one, -this speech is, of course, really an outline of the policy of the -Ministry in office, and it usually says very little. - -The composition of the members of the House of Lords consists of Lords -spiritual (Bishops), and Lords temporal. The latter include the five -dignities of Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, and Baron. No new dignity -has been created since the time of Henry VI, when the rank of viscount -was established. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth there were only -fifty-nine temporal peers, but the present number is about ten times as -many. The principle under which a peer holds his seat is in the main -the hereditary one, but there are a few peerages which are bestowed for -life only. The peers who are judges, sitting as a judicial tribunal, -constitute the Supreme Court of British Law, and the presiding peer of -the whole House, the Lord Chancellor, is a lawyer, and always belongs -to the party of the government in power. The Lord Chancellor's seat -is known as the Woolsack; this peculiar term comes from a period in -Elizabeth's reign when wool was the staple industry of England and its -export was forbidden; sacks of wool were kept in the Chamber of Peers -to remind them of its importance. - - - - -MUSIC NOTES: by Charles J. Ryan - - -Richard Wagner's autobiography, just published to the world at -large, though it does not include the last twenty years of his -life when he had attained success, has made a great stir among all -who are interested in the study of human nature. It is an amazing -self-revelation, and, from the Theosophical standpoint, a striking -example of the duality of man. The popular conception of Wagner is -amply confirmed by this "human document." But why should we waste -our time, and perhaps feed our own sense of self-righteousness -injudiciously, by dwelling on the failings of genius? Have not the -great men given us, in their immortal works, that which is really -worthiest of remembrance? Whatever his personal shortcomings were, -Wagner never failed in his loyal devotion to his ideal in music-drama; -he dared everything and suffered greatly in his protracted efforts -to lead the incredulous world to listen to his novel and glorious -revolutionary forms, which he knew to be superior to those of his -time. The soul behind stands out in his immortal music, high above the -limitations of his personality, for there was that in him which had -listened to the music of the spheres and which lived serenely apart -from the jar and jangle of the petty life. That it is possible for an -inspired Soul in touch with the Realities to force its way through -all kinds of difficulties, even the greatest--the incarnation in a -hindering personality--and to deliver its message of living beauty to -men, seems to be the principal lesson this ill-advised autobiography -teaches. It would have been better perhaps that it had never seen the -light, for there are not many who have the understanding of the complex -nature of man, the higher and the lower, which alone can interpret so -unusual a character. - - * * * * * - -THE SPIRIT of revolution was in the air of Europe when Wagner was -meditating upon the imperfections of the grand opera of his youth. He -says, "The spirit of revolution took possession of me once forever." -In 1842 _The Flying Dutchman_ was brought out in Dresden, and in 1845 -_Tannhäuser_ appeared and set all musical Europe by the ears. For -the rest of his life, till 1882, Wagner was at war with his fellow -musicians and critics. His keen perception of natural beauty and -artistic fitness is shown in the following passage from his _Life_: - - One solitary flash of brightness was afforded by our view of the - Wartburg, which we passed during the only sunlit hour of this journey. - The sight of this mountain fastness, which from the Fulda side is - clearly visible for a long time, affected me deeply. A neighboring - ridge further on I at once christened the Hörselberg, and as I drove - through the valley pictured to myself the scenery for the third act of - my _Tannhäuser_. The scene remained so vividly in my mind that long - afterwards I was able to give Despléchin, the Parisian scene painter, - exact details when he was working out the scenery under my directions. - - * * * * * - -THE DEATH of Felix Mottl came as a sudden blow to all music lovers. -It was known for a little while that the great Viennese conductor -was in bad health, but not that he was dangerously ill. He was only -fifty-five. His reputation was made at an early age; in 1885 he was -conducting _Tristan_ at Baireuth. Mottl was virtually the last of the -great conductors who had received the true Wagnerian tradition by -personal contact with the great composer. He was also distinguished -among German conductors of his time by his liking and understanding of -French music, and for the success with which he conducted French music -before the most discriminating Parisian audiences. He was well known -in New York; where his conducting of the Nibelungen Ring series made -a profound impression. His remains were cremated. At his funeral in -Munich no clergy were present, but Richard Strauss gave an eloquent -address. - - * * * * * - -"THERE are women in Boston," says the _Boston Herald_, "who are -undoubtedly as good violinists as some of the younger members of the -Boston Symphony Orchestra, and perhaps better. But the old prejudice -that woman is necessarily inferior to man and for the same work should -receive less pay, is still to be reckoned with." Miss Maud Powell is -perhaps the only American woman violinist who has reached the highest -success in this country, but there are many others who have spent many -years at the best European Conservatories and who are quartet and solo -players of distinction, and yet while a male violinist of fair quality -can find employment, it is often difficult for women of equal ability -to be admitted into the best orchestras. They have to become teachers, -or to give up. - - * * * * * - -PADEREWSKI'S eloquent patriotic address at the Chopin Centenary -Festival has just been translated into English. He says: "Music is the -only art that actually lives. Her elements, vibration, palpitation, are -the elements of life itself." The great pianist is repeating exactly -what Katherine Tingley said many years ago. In her Râja Yoga system -of training, music is given a prominent position, and the effect upon -the character has been very marked. To produce the best results and -to avoid the undesirable ones which the ordinary musical training -sometimes engenders, great discrimination in the method of teaching is -necessary. In the Râja Yoga system of education music is taught in such -a way that the interest is sustained without the egotism and vanity of -the pupil being stimulated. Can this be said of musical training in -general? - - * * * * * - -FRANCE is certainly the land of great opportunities. A café singer, -M. Couyba, who, fifteen years ago was earning a precarious salary at -a Montmartre restaurant by singing his own songs, is now Minister of -Commerce in the new French cabinet. - - - - -ANCIENT CALENDARS: by Travers - - -Among features of the Chinese calendar we find: - -The connexion of the five planets and the sun and moon in a septenate -called the Seven Regulators, with a corresponding septenary week, and -in some cases a sabbath marked as inauspicious for doing work. - -The Ten Celestial Stems, representing the Father Heaven or masculine -principle. - -The Twelve Earthly Branches, representing the Mother Earth or feminine -principle; also standing for the twelve houses of the zodiac, which are -of uneven size, and are denoted by symbolic animals. - -The year is lunar, but its commencement is regulated by the sun, the -new year falling on the first new moon after the sun enters Aquarius. - -These features are supposed to have been "introduced," mostly from -Chaldaea; but whether the Chinese got them from the Chaldees or the -Chaldees from the Chinamen, the question as to how and by whom they -were originated remains the same. - -The subject of ancient calendrical systems is extensive, and no -speculation can be of much account which has not been prefaced by -an examination of the various systems. It would be pertinent, for -instance, to see what is known about the calendars which have came down -to us from the ancient Central Americans. These evince an accurate -knowledge of the periods of the celestial movements, together with -knowledge of another kind; for the Mexicans had both a civil and a -sacred year. The former was 365 days, with 13 added every 52 years; the -latter 260 days, with 13 months of 20 days each, each month divided -into 4 weeks of 5 days each. - -It is evident that the entire system from which all these various -ancient systems of computation were derived was complex and profound, -and that it comprised a mathematical knowledge having sound reason at -the bottom of it, but whose keys have not yet been discovered. The -competency of the computers is shown by their ability to ascertain with -exactitude all natural cycles, such as those of the solar year and the -eclipses, when such was their purpose; and this relieves them from the -imputation that their secret and sacred years were due to ignorance -and mal-observation. These cycles were not due to ignorance, but to a -knowledge and a purpose which remains to be discovered by research free -from both theological and scientific bias. - -The septenate of planets is of course a very familiar symbol in ancient -lore; the number seven was recognized as the principal key-number in -cosmic architecture. The reason why the sun and moon are included -among the number of planets is not due to ignorance; and it is evident -that such an alleged ignorance is not compatible with the knowledge -displayed in other particulars. It was due to the fact that the real -septenate of planets was esoteric, an item of arcane knowledge, and -that when the septenate was mentioned exoterically, the place of two -secret planets had to be supplied, the sun and moon being introduced -for this purpose. - -The question whether the number of zodiacal signs was originally twelve -or ten receives a suggestive hint from the fact that in the above -calendar both a denary and a duodenary were used. The ten and the -twelve are combined in some of these calendars by taking their least -common multiple, 60, and using that number to designate a period of 60 -years. Ten and twelve are likewise said to be combined by addition in -the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. - -From such gleanings of archaic science as are accessible to us, we -may infer that it consisted largely in a marvelous application of -fundamental mathematical principles to mensuration and the measurement -of time. The computers, so far from being ignorant experimenters, -were very brainy people, as we find some of their descendants to be -still. The still unexplained existence of the very ancient Âryan Hindû -astronomy of the _Sûrya-Siddhânta_ and other works, proves that, when -exact calculation of natural cycles was the object, the calculators -were fully as competent as ourselves. We must infer, then, that their -secret and sacred cycles were based on the like competence and not upon -ignorance. - -As to mathematics, there are some who think that our great progress in -that science may represent merely a partial recovery of what was known -before; and that logarithms and the calculus may be but a fraction of -what has been known. And there is much yet to be found out as to the -relation between numbers and dimensions. It is hardly to be expected, -however, that a culture so recent as our own should have reached the -point that must have been attained by civilizations of such duration as -those of the past. - - - - -THE MYSTERIES OF ELEUSIS: by H. T. E. - - -Eleusis is sacred as one of the last, and to us best known, spots where -the Ancient Mysteries survived in publicly recognized form until the -days when corruption and dogmatism caused their withdrawal. The name -wakes an echo in the recesses of our consciousness, for do we not -belong to the same humanity as that which flourished when the Mysteries -were recognized and venerated? - -In considering the Mysteries we must choose between two hypotheses. -Either the whole thing was a delusion and a fraud, or the Mysteries -held and could impart knowledge inaccessible to the outsider and -since departed from among men. To maintain the former theory we must -discredit our own judgment and invalidate all human testimony on any -subject whatever, by supposing that whole nations and ages of competent -and highly cultured people were deluded. As so well argued by Thomas -Taylor, relatively to the ancient oracles (_Century Path_, Sept. 25, -1910), such a theory is altogether preposterous. The only thing which -stands in the way of our admitting in this particular case the true -value of evidence is our own foolish vanity and juvenile insularity -as regards the merits of our own culture. We are reluctant to admit -that anything we do not know can be knowledge; any one who contradicts -us must be wrong. A fine attitude to take! Yet of late years our -confidence has somewhat wavered. For one thing we have found that -our scientific universe is not so complete as we once thought it was -and that we have merely been exploring an anteroom; but now we find -ourselves on the threshold of a vast unexplored region. For another -thing, we find a few little difficulties arising in connexion with the -management of the affairs of civilized life, which makes us a little -mistrustful of the efficiency of our knowledge. Little details like -physical health bother us; there are insurrections of vice we cannot -quell; our religion is decaying; our philosophy is composed mostly of -doubts and questionings. - -The Mysteries of Eleusis date from times to us prehistoric; but our -historians have at last been forced to admit that the period of Grecian -civilization covered by our history books was but the tail end of a -period equal in culture and antiquity to those of Egypt and Chaldaea. -The rites consisted of the Greater and the Lesser Mysteries, the former -celebrated between harvest and seed-time, the latter in the spring. The -inner teachings were kept secret by effectual means; for the public -there were "dramas," in which the exoteric teachings were symbolically -presented. The institutions of all past times were based on what -filtered out through many channels from the veiled Mysteries. The -Drama can be traced back through the plays of Aeschylus and the choric -dances in honor of Dionysus to the exoteric rites of the Mysteries. -Our own religious symbolism is derived therefrom: our term "Christ," -our sacraments, our Cross, etc., etc. The Mysteries are the eternal -root of religions. For the gateway of knowledge is Man's own inner -faculties, by which, when purified, he comes into direct relation with -the mysteries of the Unseen. Hence the preliminary requisite for the -candidate was always purification; his attainments were conditioned on -his success in that respect. - -It is even so today; for none but the pure, who have given guarantees -of unselfishness and integrity, can attain. Those who lust after -knowledge without having thus earned the right to it fall into -delusions--of which also the world today is not without illustrations. -So great is the power of these words, "Mysteries" and "Eleusis," in the -inner consciousness of man, that they are even now used by "magicians" -as part of the paraphernalia which, together with rabbits and top-hats, -they carry about in their carpet bags as a means of relieving the idle -of some of their spare cash. - -If anybody today thirsts after knowledge the old way is still open. -He can either belong to οἱ πολλοί, the crowd, or seek to -enrol himself of the elect. But the latter dignity is not a matter of -privilege. He can neither be admitted nor refused, except according -to his qualifications. The desire to join a movement for uplifting -humanity is the key that will open the first door. Students of -Theosophy will find that that condition has always been made essential; -see H. P. Blavatsky's writings, as also those of her successors, W. Q. -Judge and Katherine Tingley. He who desires to be initiated into the -mysteries of his own Soul must first purify his heart and mind. Thus -alone can he distinguish between the false and the true. Otherwise -he must go by the erring light of his fallible judgment and accept -teachings on the authority of the teachers. But the man who relies on -the guidance of his own pure motives will not be imposed upon and will -follow only such teachings as give him the light he seeks. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. PART OF THE RUINS OF -ELEUSIS] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. HAINES, ALASKA] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. AN ALASKAN VALLEY] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. AN ALASKAN GLACIER] - - - - -GLACIATION, PAST AND PRESENT: by T. Henry - - -The stupendous effects of ice in ages long gone by have been -elaborately studied by geologists, who have given us fascinating -descriptions thereof. The enormous power of ice as an agent in -transforming the land is shown by the study of its doings at the -present day. Much has been done in this direction in the Alps, but -in America we have Alaska, which, besides the prospects of material -resources which it holds out to the future, is already affording a fine -field for the observer of nature. Here we may see glaciers at work; -and though the action of the ice-sheet at its bottom is hid from view, -what goes on at the advancing margin is evident from year to year, -and even from day to day. All the phenomena of moraines, the pushing -forward of rocks and trees, the damming up of valleys to form lakes, -the scraping up of boulder-clay, the rounding-off of the rocks, etc., -may be witnessed; together with many details that could not easily have -been inferred from a study of the sites of past glaciation. One of the -most interesting of these effects is the way in which the glacier acts -indirectly through the force of the huge waves it produces when it -enters a river. Vast blocks from the ice-front fall off with a splash -and send up a wave and a series of waves that sweep over the bank and -into the forest beyond, achieving more erosion than ever rain or river -did. The greater erosive effects follow on brief sudden movements. - -In the _National Geographical Magazine_ (Washington) for June, 1911, -there is a most interesting article recording the field-studies of the -National Geographical Society in Alaska. Many of the glaciers which -they studied had advanced during the last year or two, and others had -been retreating. The reasons why some should advance while others -retreat were not satisfactorily determined, and further study must -precede a decision in this respect. But earthquakes, of which there -were twenty-six days in September, 1899, are assigned a chief rôle. The -effect of an earthquake was to produce a sudden advance and great but -brief transformations. - - One of the largest glaciers in Yakutat Bay, the Nunatak, had changed a - great deal since the year before. It had advanced decidedly, different - parts of its front having come out 700 to 1000 feet up to June 17, - 1910. From 1890 to 1909 the Nunatak Glacier receded steadily, going - back over two miles and a half in this time.... The forward movement - commenced between July 6, 1909 and June 1910. This was due to the - accession of unusually large quantities of snow to the reservoirs - of this glacier by avalanches during the twenty-six days of severe - earthquakes of September, 1899. - -The size of glaciers is illustrated by the following description: - - On the lower Copper River is Childs Glacier, which is seriously - threatening to destroy a steel railway bridge just completed. The rate - of forward motion in Childs Glacier increased during the winter of - 1909-10 so that part of the margin of the glacier changed its forward - movement from nothing to two and as much as eight feet a day.... - Childs Glacier is ten to twelve miles long, not much over a mile wide - in the mountain valley, but it widens to over three miles in Copper - River Valley. - - Its front is a precipitous white wall 250 to 300 feet high, and is - swept at the base by Copper River.... - - In August, 1909, Childs Glacier was advancing at about its normal - rate--four feet a day at a point near the north side and perhaps six - or seven feet a day in midglacier. The melting and the many icebergs - discharged from the terminal cliff at that time just about balanced - this advance, so that the front of the glacier remained in about the - same place.... During the winter and early spring of 1909-10, however, - the glacier began to advance more rapidly, buckling up the ice of the - frozen river. In June 1910 the ice-front had moved forward from 920 to - 1225 feet, narrowing the river to 400 or 500 feet. - - Every time the ice cliff was sufficiently undercut by the river, great - masses of ice would cascade down the front, raising a gigantic wave in - the river.... During the advance the waves washed up over a bank five - to twenty-five feet in height and rushed back 100 or 200 feet into - the alder thicket. Ice blocks, up to ten tons in weight were thrown - in among the trees. Stones a foot or two in diameter were hurled into - the thicket. Alders nine to eleven inches in diameter were stripped of - leaves and bark and bent backward or broken off short, or uprooted or - buried beneath the gravel and boulders and macerated trunks of other - trees. - - The river bank, which was cut back some in the preceding year was in - 1910 being fairly eaten up by the iceberg waves which crossed the - river, fifty to sixty feet by actual measurement having been removed - along the bank of the stream facing the glacier. - - It was a rare opportunity to see the visible forward movement of - Childs Glacier into the forest. A series of lobes developed, though - some of them were not persistent, and at the end of these lobes the - day-to-day changes were most pronounced. Ice blocks were sliding down - the frontal slope some of them being rolled many feet into the forest; - trees were overturned, turf and grass were ploughed up and carried on - the ice of the glacier. Yet one saw and heard little of a spectacular - nature while traversing the ice-front. It was an irresistible steady - movement, but slow, as the movement of the hour hand of a clock is - slow. As impressive as anything was to find tons of ice resting where - one stood to take a photograph the day before, or to find some great - tree, 100 years old, prone on the ground with the butt beneath the - glacier, where the day before the tree was upright with the ice just - touching it. - - A whole grove ... was overturned between 1909 and 1910, ... - practically not a tree remaining which was not overturned or leaning. - Peat bogs were rolled up in great bolsters five or six feet high. - Isolated trees in the peat were pushed forward a hundred feet or more - without being overturned.... In the bay east of Heather Island marine - deposits with shells are being pushed up above sea-level. - - On the east margin of the glacier a lake was formed where there was - only a marginal stream. - -It is evident that in ice we have an agent which in the past has played -a great part in cosmic changes and cataclysms, and may do so at any -time in the future. When we consider the changes in climate to which -the earth is believed to be liable, owing to certain cyclic changes in -the gearing of its revolving pinions, the conviction becomes stronger. -It is now generally admitted that the words "Ice Age" or "Glacial Age" -should be spelt with a final _s_ indicating the plural number; for if -there was one there were many. What we study in the north of America -and Europe is the effects of the last, or the last few, of these -periodic phenomena. - - - - -GOD AND THE CHILD - -"For in Him we live and move and have our being."--_St. Paul_ - - - God and I in space alone - And nobody else in view: - "And where are the people, oh Lord," I said, - "The earth below and the sky o'erhead - And the dead whom once I knew?" - - "That was a dream," the good God said, - "A dream that seemed to be true; - There are no people living or dead, - There is no earth and no sky o'erhead, - There is only Myself--and you." - - "Why do I feel no fear?" I asked, - "Meeting you here this way, - For I have sinned, I know full well-- - And is there heaven and is there a hell - And is this the judgment day?" - - "Nay, all are but dreams," the great God said; - "Dreams that have ceased to be. - There is no such thing as fear or sin, - There is no you and never has been-- - There is nothing at all but Me."--_Selected_ - - - - -POWER: by Lydia Ross, M. D. - - -His hearers agreed that the pastor of their ultra-fashionable church -had transcended himself that Sunday morning. This was no small praise, -for his trained mind and wide experience, his analysis of men, his -delicate wit, his eloquence, and the fervid poetry of his prayers made -the congregation regard his ordinary efforts with patronizing pride. -When he began with the beatitudes, in clear, resonant tones, his voice -seemed to radiate a grateful calm through the softly lighted interior. -Then he painted a graphic picture of the compensations of unselfish -work and sacrifice, artistically coloring the whole theme with the glow -of noble peace which comes to those who give themselves generously. - -There was a responsive awakening in the cultured, ennuied minds of his -high-bred audience which was like wine to the speaker. The interest -which he had aroused reacted as a pungent mental stimulus. The very air -seemed to scintillate with new thoughts which he swiftly grasped and -clothed in vivid words. - -My Lady Luxury, who had played the game of "slumming" for diversion, -breathed a little deeper in her faultless gown. The commonplace -creatures of work and weariness had never seemed quite the same kind -of flesh and blood as the members of her exclusive set. The poor were -interesting enough as authors' types or artists' models but she had -not supposed they had any of the finer feelings. She assumed that -the narrow ugliness of their lives could be no trial since they had -never known anything else. How skilfully the minister was analysing -things. After all, there was some comfort in religion when a man could -preach like that. If the homely struggles of the weary, dulled mothers -and fathers of poverty and toil had these compensating pleasures of -sacrifice, they could not complain. It really was an indifferent -matter, then, whether one gave alms or not, though of course, the -fashionable charities ought to be sustained. She was not stirred to -taste the higher sense of sacrifice so well described, but a complacent -feeling of the fitness of things came over her. How absurd the less -fortunate were to think this an unjust world. The toilers' backs were -fitted to their burdens as hers was meant for soft purple and fine -linen. This was not exactly what the minister was saying, but it suited -her to regard him as the author of her translation. - -The members of the pulpit committee in their pews secretly -congratulated themselves upon their foresight in having selected this -candidate. The demands of the position were exacting, but he was equal -to them--even his physique fitted the pulpit admirably. His culture and -learning were a credit to even this patrician parish, which believed in -having the best that money could procure. - -Down the central aisle was the clear-cut, immobile face of a financier -whose opinions in the money world were never discounted. His keen eyes -rested upon the speaker in admiration. Personally he played the game -of gold so intensely he forgot to calculate what life meant to the -individuals who composed "the market." He was rather hypnotized with -his own success: but he recognized his peer in this man who ruled in -his own world of thought. Why, he was making the game of life appear so -vivid and real that the whole financial play grew dull and artificial -beside it. The listener's quick eye noted the alert, interested faces -around him. Ah, it were indeed a great thing so to play upon the minds -of men and women as to win this tribute of silent, rapt attention. The -eloquent voice aroused in him no impulse of envy or of aspiration; but -his own ability inwardly saluted this master of words who could so -paint the atmosphere with sound. - -A gratified flush crept into the minister's face as he looked over the -audience. Was this not ready proof of the compensations of work? He had -put his mind's best effort into this sermon, and there was not one in -the great church who was not touched, mentally. - -That sense of the unreality of the market-place followed the financier -after the artistic music had ended the service. Later in the day he -wandered along the country roads in the spring sunshine, thinking of -the sermon. How dramatic it all had been and how perfect a performance! -It seemed a part of the fresh spring day as the inviting green fields -melted into his reverie and he followed the path with careless strides. - -The wind gently stirred the branches and a delicate shower of fragrant -petals fell at his feet, while a strangely familiar odor filled the air -with its long-forgotten charm. Apple blossoms! How sweet they were! -With delicious subtlety the perfumed breath from the boughs filled him -with its own ethereal magic. Nature was playing a glorious game of -sound and color and form and fragrance. Deep in his slumbering heart -something stirred and fluttered and sprang up at the first touch of -this enchantment. The power in the fragile petals swept the sordid -earth from under his feet. The dear old apple orchard of his boyhood -was before him. Again he stood upon the threshold of joyous, strong, -young life. The taste of sweet belief in an untried world was on his -lips, the wine of high impulse tingling in every nerve. The harmony -of life's song thrilled him into vibrant sympathy with its purity and -beauty and his heart glowed with the faith which only youth knows. - -Oh that he might crystallize the wondrous meaning of this perfumed -vision of unfolding life into sound or color or form that would make -the dreary world of men feel that this, this was the reality! His -pulses throbbed with a longing for toil and struggle and sacrifice--no -effort was too great, no price too much to pay, if only he might help -to voice this living poetry. He would valiantly espouse this cause of -beauty until mankind's glad belief should liberate the truth imprisoned -in a selfish world. No lesser ambition should lure him from the task: -this was the only thing worth while. Other champions might prove more -able, and he might sadly fail; but oh, how he longed to lose himself in -the glory of the attempt. - -With uncovered head the financier stood disciple-wise among the -trees. Long and deeply he drank of the redolent air, feasting his -eyes upon the marvel of perfectly tinted petals and countless buds of -promise still brighter in their tender curves. It was all too subtle -for analysis, yet his heart recognized the meaning of the message -so strangely sweet and strong. What revelation lay at the heart of -this unfoldment, with its touch of the eternal spring which sleeps -beneath all forms! Oh the power and inspiration and the rare, old-time -enchantment of returning apple-blossoms! - - - - -SOKRATES: by F. S. Darrow, A. M., Ph. D. (Harv.) - - -Sokrates was born in 469 B. C. and was put to death in 399 B. C. at the -age of seventy. He grew to manhood among the splendors of the Periklean -Age; took an active and honorable part in the Peloponnesian War; -saw the Long Walls, extending from Athens to its harbor, Peiraeeus, -destroyed at the blast of Lysander's trumpet, and displayed the -fearlessness and nobility of his nature during the Reign of Terror when -the Thirty Tyrants ruled at Athens. Finally he was accused of heresy -and was condemned by his fellow-citizens to drink the hemlock--the -immemorial fate of great believers, to be condemned for unbelief by -unbelievers. - -Three dialogs of Plato depict the last month of his master's life, -the _Apology_, the _Crito_, and the _Phaedo_. The _Apology_ is a -reproduction of the extemporaneous defense made by Sokrates at his -trial. The _Crito_ is a discussion between Sokrates and his old friend -Kriton on the subject: Would it be right and just for Sokrates to -accept Kriton's proffered assistance and escape? The _Phaedo_ is a most -beautiful and inspiring account of the last day of Sokrates' life, when -in prison surrounded by a few devoted disciples, in discussing the -nature and destiny of the soul he avowed his belief in its immortality, -its pre-existence, and its rebirth. - -The personality of Sokrates was strikingly unique. He was unusually -robust and strong, capable of enduring fatigue and hardship to a -surprising degree. He went barefoot throughout the year, even when -campaigning at Potidaea and among the severe snows of Thrace. The same -clothing sufficed him in winter as in summer. His diet was simple -and temperate, and "he used to say in jest that Circe transformed -men into hogs by entertaining them with an abundance of luxury, -but that Odysseus through his temperance was not changed into a -hog." Nevertheless, at festivals and banquets when joviality and -indulgence were in order, Sokrates was able to outdo all the others. -He consciously limited the number of his wants and repressed all -artificial tastes. He was just, moderate, and above all independent -in thought and action, absolutely regardless of danger when confident -that he was acting rightly. His features were extremely ugly and -grotesque: his nose was flat, his nostrils large, his lips thick, his -eyes bulging; so that his companions jokingly compared him to the -mythical old Satyr, Silenus. He purposely avoided politics and never -held any public office until 406 B. C., when for a single day, as -chairman of the Prytanes, he presided at a meeting of the Popular -Assembly and refused to put to vote the unconstitutional proposal that -the victorious generals of Arginusae be condemned collectively and be -executed for their alleged neglect of duty. Heedless of threats and -protests, at the greatest personal risk Sokrates persisted in his noble -refusal to listen to the clamor of the mob. He was so law-abiding, -such an advocate of peace and stranger to violence, so diligent in -the performance of the duties of an upright man and of a brave and -righteous citizen, that despite his many enemies he was never summoned -to appear in court until in his seventieth year he was accused of -atheism and impiety. He was pre-eminently a teacher of ethics, a -preacher of morality, a defender of right, an earnest believer in duty. -He is the Prophet of Reason, who "more than any other one of the great -teachers of religion sought to sanctify the mind and to give to common -sense a sacramental power." - -Three peculiarities mark Sokrates as a loyal member of that splendid -band of brothers who possess that wisdom which in all ages, entering -into noble souls, makes them prophets and reformers. First, he passed -his long life teaching in contented poverty, and devoted all his -energy to pointing out piety, self-control, and justice to all, young -and old alike. Secondly, he was of a deeply sensitive, religious -nature, and firmly believed that he had a divine mission to perform -under the inspiration of his Daemon or Higher Self. Thirdly, he was -intellectually original both in choice of subject and in method of -teaching. Plato calls him "a cross-examining God." - - His lecture-room was the street; his auditors were shoemakers, - tanners, sailors, and other craftsmen; his philosophy was for the - market-place. His disciples were young men whose minds he had - quickened and whose lives he had elevated. He aimed to prick the - bubble of pretension everywhere.... To Sokrates the precept inscribed - on the Delphian temple, "Know thyself," was the holiest of all texts. - -He accepted no salary for the instruction he gave and refused the -many rich gifts which were offered to him, spending the entire day in -conversing with all who cared to listen to him, treating without any -distinction rich and poor, never withholding his assistance from any -one who consulted him in the spirit of truth. As his words were both -interesting and instructive, some regularly attended him in public, -and these were commonly called his disciples of students, although -neither Sokrates nor his personal friends used the terms teacher and -disciple because of the disrepute then attached to them as a result of -the mercenary and casuistical teachings of the Sophists. Early in the -morning Sokrates frequented the public walks, the gymnasia, and the -schools. Then later, between nine and ten, he went to the market-place, -when it was most crowded. - -Sokrates' power of meditation was developed very exceptionally. -Frequently for hours at a time the strength of his inner life made him -entirely oblivious to the outer world. In proof of this it is recorded -that while he was a soldier at Potidaea - - One morning he was thinking about something which he could not - resolve; and he would not give it up but continued thinking from - early dawn until noon--there he stood fixed in thought; and at noon - attention was drawn to him and the rumor ran through the wondering - crowd that Sokrates had been standing and thinking about something - ever since the break of day. At last, in the evening after supper, - some Ionians out of curiosity (I should explain that this was not in - winter but in summer), brought out their mats and slept in the open - air that they might watch him and see whether he would stand all - night. There he stood all night as well as all day and the following - morning; and with the return of light he offered up a prayer to the - sun and went his way. - -Two nights before he died, when the date of his execution was not known -by him or his friends, it was revealed to him by a vision "in the -likeness of a woman, fair and comely, clothed in white raiment, who -called out and cried: 'O Sokrates, the third day hence, to Phthia shalt -thou go.'" Sokrates also declares: - - In the course of my life I have often had intimations in dreams that - "I should make music." The same dream came to me sometimes in one form - and sometimes in another but always saying the same or nearly the same - words: "Make and cultivate music," said the dream. And hitherto I - imagined that this was only intended to exhort and encourage me in the - study of philosophy, which has always been the pursuit of my life and - is the noblest and best of music. - -Also, Sokrates heard even in childhood a divine voice, which all -through his life acted as a restraining influence whenever he was about -to take a false step. This never urged him to adopt any particular -line of action but always served as a prohibitory warning. He heard -it not only on great but also on small occasions when it frequently -prevented him from continuing what he had begun to say or do. Later -writers refer to this as the Daemon or Genius of Sokrates, but he -always spoke of it as a "Divine Sign, a Prophetic Voice," and obeyed -it implicitly, referring to it publicly and familiarly to others. It -had continually forbidden him to enter public life, and after he was -indicted it forbade him to take any thought of what he should then do -or say, bidding him to trust that all would come out for the best. -So completely, he tells us, did he walk with a consciousness of this -bridle that whenever he felt no check he was confident that all was -well. His enemies asserted that this belief was an offensive heresy, -an impious innovation on the orthodox creed, atheistic and immoral. -Hence they accused him of not worshiping the recognized gods but of -introducing new and false divinities of his own. The truth is that -Sokrates believed in One Divine Life, the One in All and the All in -One, while he did not deny the existence of the popular gods but -declared that the popular conceptions were erroneous and imperfect. - -To appreciate the mission of Sokrates, the message he had to deliver, -it is necessary to refer to the Oracle of Delphi, in which Apollo -proclaimed to Chaerephon, an intimate friend and enthusiastic follower, -that Sokrates was the wisest of all men of his time. This declaration -exerted a very great influence upon the subsequent life of Sokrates in -that it caused him to inquire continually, What is wisdom? and made him -not only a philosopher but a religious reformer as well. In the words -of Cicero: "Sokrates labored to bring philosophy from heaven to earth." - -Sokrates taught: - - There is no better way to true glory than to endeavor to _be good_ - rather than to _seem so_. - - A man who is good for anything ought not to calculate the chance of - living or dying; he ought only to consider whether in doing anything - he is doing right or wrong--acting the part of a good man or of a bad. - For wherever a man's place is, whether the place he has chosen or that - in which he has been placed by a commander, there he ought to remain - in the hour of danger; he should not think of death or of anything but - of disgrace. - - The difficulty, my friends, is not in avoiding death, but in avoiding - unrighteousness; for that runs faster than death. - - Let every man be of good cheer about his soul, who has ruled his body - and followed knowledge and goodness in this life; for if death be a - journey to another place and there all the dead are, what good can be - greater than this? Be of good cheer about death and know this of a - truth that no evil can happen to a good man either in life or after - death. - - To want as little as possible is to make the nearest approach to the - Deity. - - Knowledge is the food of the soul. - - We ought not to retaliate and render evil for evil to any one, - whatever evil we may have suffered from him. Neither injury nor - retaliation nor warding off evil by evil is ever right. Act toward - others as you would have others act toward you. Forgive your enemies, - render good for evil, and kiss even the hand that is upraised to smite. - - Grant me to be beautiful in soul and may all I possess of outward - things be at harmony with those within. Teach me to think wisdom the - only riches. - - If thou wouldst know what is the wisdom of the gods and what their - love is, render thyself deserving the communication of some of those - divine secrets, which may not be penetrated by man and which are - imparted to those alone who consult, adore, and obey the Deity. - -Sokrates, speaking of his life-work, says: - - In this research and scrutiny I have been long engaged. I interrogate - every man of reputation. I prove him to be defective in wisdom but I - can not prove it so as to make him sensible of the defect. Fulfilling - the mission imposed upon me, I have established the veracity of the - god (Apollo), who meant to pronounce that human wisdom is of little - reach and worth; and that he who like Sokrates feels most convinced of - his own worthlessness as to wisdom is really the wisest of men, for - the truth is, O men of Athens, the Deity only is wise. My service to - the god has not only constrained me to live in constant poverty and - neglect of political estimation, but has brought upon me a host of - bitter enemies in those whom I have examined and exposed, while the - bystanders talk of me as a wise man because they give me credit for - wisdom respecting all the points on which my exposure of others turns. - - Whatever be the danger and obloquy which I may incur, it would be - monstrous indeed, if having maintained my place in the ranks as an - hoplite under your generals at Delium and Potidaea, I were now from - fear of death or anything else to disobey the oracle and desert - the post which the god has assigned to me, the duty of living for - philosophy and cross-questioning both myself and others. And should - you even now offer to acquit me, on condition of my renouncing this - duty, I should tell you with all respect and affection that I will - obey the god rather than you and that I will persist until my dying - day in cross-questioning you, exposing your want of wisdom and virtue - and reproaching you until the defect be remedied. My mission as your - monitor is a mark of the special favor of the gods to you and if you - condemn me it will be your loss; for you will find none other such. - Perhaps you will ask me, Why cannot you go away, Sokrates, and live - in peace and silence? This is the hardest of all questions for me to - answer to your satisfaction. If I tell you that silence on my part - would be disobedience to the god, you will think me in jest and not - believe me. You will believe me still less, if I tell you that the - greatest blessing which can happen to man is to carry on discussions - every day about virtue and those other matters which you hear me - conversing, when I cross-examine myself and others and that life - without such examination is no life at all. Nevertheless so stands the - fact, incredible as it may seem to you. - - I certainly have my enemies [the Pharisaical party and the High - Priests of orthodoxy] and these will be my destruction if I am - destroyed; of that I am certain; not that Meletos, nor yet Anytos, but - the envy and detraction of the world, which has been the death of - many more--there is no danger of my being the last of them. - -Later, after his condemnation, he added: - - And I prophesy to you, my murderers, that immediately after my death, - punishment far heavier than you have inflicted on me will surely await - you. Me you have killed because you wanted to escape the accuser and - not to give an account of your lives. But that will not be as you - suppose; far otherwise. For I say that there will be more accusers of - you than there are now. For if you think that by killing men you can - avoid the accuser censuring your lives, you are mistaken--that is not - a way of escape which is either possible or honorable; the easiest - and noblest way is not to be crushing others but to be improving - yourselves. This is the prophecy which I utter to the judges who have - condemned me. - -How true have the last twenty-three centuries proved these words to be! -How many deaths and ruined lives have been accomplished by that same -spirit of intolerance! It led the way from Gethsemane to Golgotha. It -is responsible for the death of the martyrs in all ages. It lighted the -fagots that consumed the bodies of Giordano Bruno and Joan of Arc. Yes, -and hundreds of others. How just is the praise with which the Saint -Mark of Sokrates ends the _Memorabilia_ of his master: - - Of those who know what sort of a man Sokrates was, such as are lovers - of virtue continue to regret him above all other men even to the - present date, as having contributed in the highest degree to their - advancement in goodness. To me, being such as I have described him, so - pious that he did nothing without the sanction of the gods; so just, - that he wronged no man even in the most trifling affair, but was of - service in most important matters to those who enjoyed his society; so - temperate that he never preferred pleasure to virtue; so wise that he - never erred in distinguishing the better from the worse, needing no - counsel from others but being sufficient in himself to discriminate - between them; and so capable of discovering the character of others, - of confuting those who were in error and of exhorting them to virtue - and honor, he seemed to be such as the best and happiest of men would - be. - - Then to side with Truth is noble, when we share her wretched crust, - Ere her cause bring fame and profit and 'tis prosperous to be just, - Then it is the brave man chooses, while the coward stands aside, - Doubting in his abject spirit, till his Lord is crucified, - And the multitude make virtue of the faith they had denied. - - Count me o'er earth's chosen heroes--they were souls that stood alone - While the men they agonized for, hurled the contumelious stone; - Stood serene, and down the future saw the golden beam incline, - To the side of perfect justice, mastered by their faith divine.-- - They must upward still and onward, who would keep abreast of Truth. - -Sokrates was early canonized as a Christian Saint, and Professor -John Stuart Blackie (1808-1895) "Scotland's greatest Greek scholar," -has taken the idea of his Latin refrain in the following poem from a -rosary by an early Christian father beginning "Sancte Socrates, ora pro -nobis:"--"O, Sainted Socrates, pray for us." - - -O SANCTE SOCRATES, ORA PRO NOBIS! - - Dear God by wrathful routs - How is thy church divided, - And how may he that doubts - In such turmoil be guided! - When weeping I behold - How Christian people quarrel, - Ofttimes from Heathens old - I fetch a saintly moral; - And while they fret with rage - The sore-distraught community, - I look for some Greek sage - Who preaches peace and unity. - And thus I pray: - O Sancte Socrates, ora pro nobis! - Let faith and love and joy increase, - And reason rule and wrangling cease, - Good saint, we pray thee! - - They pile a priestly fence - Of vain scholastic babble, - To keep out common sense - With the unlearned rabble. - A curious creed they weave, - And, for the church commands it, - All men must needs believe, - Though no man understands it; - Thus while they rudely ban - All honest thought as treason - I from the Heathen clan - Seek solace to my reason. - And thus I pray: - O Sancte Socrates, ora pro nobis! - From creeds that men believe because - They fear a damnatory clause, - Good saint, deliver us! - - Some preach a God so grim - That when his anger swelleth, - They crouch and cower to him - When sacred fear compelleth; - God loves his few pet lambs, - And saves his one pet nation, - The rest he largely damns - With swinging reprobation. - Thus banished from the fold, - I wisely choose to follow - Some sunny preacher old - Who worshiped bright Apollo. - And thus I pray: - O Sancte Socrates, ora pro nobis! - From silly flocks of petted lambs, - And from a faith that largely damns, - Good saint, deliver us! - - * * * * * - - Such eager fancies vain - Shape forth the rival churches; - And each man's fuming brain - God's holy light besmirches; - And thus they all conspire - The primal truth to smother, - And think they praise their sire - By hating well their brother. - Such wrangling when I see - Such storms of godly rancor, - To Heathendom I flee - To cast a peaceful anchor. - And thus I pray: - O Sancte Socrates, ora pro nobis! - Let love and faith and joy increase, - And reason rule and wrangling cease, - Good saint, we pray thee! - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. SOKRATES AND SENECA -(Berlin Museum)] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. AVENUE OF ROYAL -PALMS, CUBA] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. CUBAN COUNTRY SCENE] - - -[Illustration: FLORIDA PALMETTOS ONE-HALF MILE AVENUE] - -[Illustration: A CASUARINA AVENUE TREES 13 YEARS OLD] - -ROYAL POINCIANA HOTEL, PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - -Photos by Puffer, New York and Palm Beach - - - - -A VISIT TO A LOUISIANA SUGAR PLANTATION: by Barbara McClung - - -The writer recently made a visit to a section of the country that still -retains much of its own distinctive individuality and charm, most -delightful in these days, when the various widely-differing regions -of our vast commonwealth seem to be trying to become as much alike as -possible, and the very word _provincial_ is a name of scorn. We left -New Orleans in the early morning and much time was consumed in crossing -the Mississippi on a ferry. Soon after reaching the other side, the -sugar plantations began, and our way lay through mile after mile of -brown furrowed fields stretching, as flat as the sea, to the distant -river levee, the only high ground in sight. What a glorious scene it -must be in the spring, when the young green cane begins to sprout, or -in the fall, when it stands drawn up full height, waiting to be cut! It -is an extremely wet country, full of countless ditches and trenches, -and there is something about the flat land and straight, intersecting -canals that reminds one of Holland. As the train swept through one -plantation after another, we could see in the distance, gleaming white -homesteads, set in little islands of green live-oaks, cut off by a -fence from the spreading sea of bare fields. Each plantation had its -sugar-house, lifting four or five tall smoke-stacks in air, and its -laborers' quarters--quite a little village of cabins or cottages, and -sometimes, we ran close enough to see old-time darkies in actual red -bandannas, staring at the train. - -There is a class of French "poor whites" in this region, called -"Cajins"--a corruption of "Arcadians"--and they are indeed a forlorn -remnant of those unfortunate exiles who wandered all the way from -Nova Scotia to the bayous of Louisiana. The writer's memory reverted -in a flash to the fields of Grandpré, which she had visited only last -summer, and to the vision of the lonely well-sweep and straggling line -of ancient French willows, which once bordered the vanished village -street. Strange to say, there is a noticeable resemblance between the -flat, inlet-threaded meadows of the Minas Basin and the winding bayous -around us. Occasionally the plantations would give way to swamps, where -palmettos, bamboos, and cypresses with their weirdly beautiful trailing -moss, were growing out of a watery, glassy floor, and it was hard to -realize that if drained, these marshes would be quite as good soil as -the rest. We saw a solitary hunter, gun in hand, standing on a bit of -tree trunk in the bog; how he could have gotten there without a boat or -else wings, is a mystery. - -The house at which we visited, realized in every way one's ideal -of what an old plantation home should be. It is an immense square -building with double galleries, tall white columns and green shutters; -it faces the Mississippi, which, however, cannot be seen from the -ground floor on account of the levee. The architecture is of engaging -simplicity--four large rooms, each exactly twenty-five feet square, -upstairs and down, with a hall eighteen feet wide between. At the -rear is a long wing, perhaps a later addition, with the inevitable -and delightful gallery around it. The house contains many treasures -of beautiful antique workmanship and mementos of a by-gone time. Our -hostess pointed with pride to an immense pair of glass candle shields, -about two feet high, which had belonged to her grandmother. They stood -on each side of the mantelpiece, over tall silver candlesticks, whose -flame they could protect from all possible draughts. We slept in a high -four-poster bed, with a canopy, lined with red pleated cloth, like the -inside of a mushroom, which would have done credit to a lady of the -ancient régime. - -Though the sugar-making season was over on our host's plantation, he -took us to one in the neighborhood that was still in operation. The -equipment was of the most up-to-date kind--great iron claws to rake the -cane from the cars to a sort of traveling trough, called a conveyor, -which carries it up to the chopper: from whence it travels through -several crushers until all the juice is squeezed out and the remaining -pulp is as dry as tinder. This is carried off to be used as fuel or -fertilizer. The cane juice goes from one boiling vat to another, being -purified with lime and sulphur, and refined again and again, smelling -more and more delicious at every stage of its progress. We watched the -syrup being changed to sugar by a very interesting centrifugal process, -and then shaken into barrels. Two barrels at a time were placed upon -metal plates, and by means of an electric current, were made to dance -gaily, shaking down the sugar as it fell until it was firmly packed. -It was an absurd sight, and the writer was reminded at once of dancing -furniture at a spiritualistic séance. We were surprised to learn that -one-third of the ground has to be planted in corn to supply the stock; -the crops are rotated so as to allow sugar-cane for two successive -years, then corn the third, etc. - -Our host and hostess and their family were true types of southern -hospitality. The occasion of our visit was a wedding, and the old house -was crowded to its utmost capacity, with new guests arriving on every -train. Yet there was no stir of nervous excitement: everything moved -with a tranquil gaiety, and we felt a delightful sense of informality -as if we were a part of the household. Perhaps the strongest -sense-impression which remains with the writer, is the memory of waking -in the early morning and looking out, at the dawn-flushed sky beyond -the white pillars of the verandah and the gray Spanish moss draping the -live-oak trees. That tender, peaceful moment, full of color and soft -brightness, seemed to seal upon the mind something of the poetry and -the romance of the old South. - - - - -THE LORELEI: by a Student-Traveler - - -Just where the river Rhine narrows and inclines, making a drop of -five feet which causes the water to flow more swiftly, towers the -Rock of the Lorelei, four hundred and fifty feet high and nearly -perpendicular, at the base of which sunken rocks form a whirlpool in -the rapidly flowing stream. At the top of the high rock in olden days, -so the legend runs, a maiden sat and sang, and as she sang she combed -her golden hair. And her song was so full of magic that boatmen on -the river below, falling under the spell of her enchantment, as they -listened to the song, forgot the dangers of the whirling waters and -were dashed to pieces on the sunken rocks underneath. - -Is the tale of the Lorelei a mere poetical personification of the -whirlpool and rocks? If so, how account for the tale being universal? -Who does not know the story of Ulysses and the Sirens? Virgil's Harpies -had the faces of maidens, but ended in foul feathers and talons. And -so with many another destructive enchantress in ancient myth. People -seem to have loved to trace out in the topography of their native land -its analogies with that internal region wherein the Soul goes its -pilgrimage. In every land there were sacred mountains, healing founts, -caves of the Sibyl, rocks of the Lorelei, etc. The eternal drama of the -human Soul has been allegorized again and again, always with the same -features, though the topography is changed to suit the race and time. -Every man knows the luring enchantress, for who has not been seduced -by the captivating charms of promised pleasure, only to be mocked and -punished? - -And why these cheating experiences of the Soul? Are they the chiding -hand of a God or the mocking malice of a fiend; or are we the sport -of a Chance whose utter indifference outclasses alike the wrath of -deity and the malice of devil? The answer is a commonsense one. Life -is not a cradle of down nor a pleasure-garden. It is a drama full of -incident, an enterprise full of adventure, a world full of people. -In it we find the helper and the adversary; and if there are sirens -and wicked giants, there are also the meed of victory, the bride won, -the warrior's home-coming. Life is worth while, for the triumphs it -contains; and it is because we aspire to the triumphs that we engage in -the fights, though our lower nature, the mere varlet, may cry out at -the discomfort. The Dragon, once defeated, becomes our ally. - -If we would win beauty and truth, we must not seek in them mere balm -for the senses, but rise in our strength and be worthy of them. What is -worth having is not to be had for the taking. - - Beauty rhymes with duty. - Truth rhymes with ruth. - -Tarry not in the pleasure grounds of sense, heed not the sweet voices -of illusion, thou who aspirest to wisdom--say the ancient teachings. -It is the illusion produced by the senses and desires that we have to -overcome, if we would not be dashed on the rocks of the Lorelei. - - -LORELEI - -(Heinrich Heine) - - Ich weisz nicht was soll es bedeuten - Dass ich so traurig bin, - Ein Märchen von alten Zeiten - Das kommt mir nicht aus dem Sinn. - - Die Luft ist kühl und es dunkelt - Und ruhig flieszt der Rhein, - Der Gipfel des Berges funkelt - Im Abendsonnenschein. - - Die schönste Jungfrau sitzet - Dort oben wunderbar, - Ihr gold'nes Geschmeide blitzet, - Sie kämmt ihr goldenes Haar; - - Sie kämmt es mit goldenem Kamme - Und singt ein Lied dabei - Das hat eine wundersame - Gewaltige Melodei. - - Den Schiffer im kleinen Schiffe - Ergreift es mit wildem Weh' - Er sieht nicht die Felsenriffe - Er schaut nur hinauf in die Höh'. - - Ich glaube die Wellen verschlingen - Am Ende Schiffer und Kahn, - Und das hat mit ihrem Singen - Die Lorelei gethan. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. THE ROCK OF THE -LORELEI] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. THE WESTERN -FOUR-TOED SALAMANDER (_Batrachoseps attenuatus_)] - - - - -THE WESTERN FOUR-TOED SALAMANDER: by Percy Leonard - - -The Batrachians occupy a place between the reptiles proper and the -fishes. They are distinguished from the fishes by the possession of -paired limbs furnished with four fingers and a thumb, and though -their early days are passed beneath the water, breathing like fishes -through their gills, yet when fully grown, almost without exception -they breathe through well-developed lungs. There is a superficial -resemblance between the reptilian lizard and the batrachian newt or -salamander, and they are often confounded together in the popular mind. -True reptiles, however, are easily distinguished from batrachians by -their overlapping scales, quite different from the smooth moist skins -of the latter. Reptiles breathe as we do by expanding the ribs and -drawing the air into the hollow thus formed; but batrachians, lacking -ribs, are obliged to swallow their air, and a glance at a toad or a -salamander will reveal the incessant palpitation of the throat as the -air is forced into the lungs. Reptiles are hatched, or born, as the -case may be, perfect copies in miniature of their parents and never go -through the tadpole stage. Batrachians are divided into two groups: the -Salientia (or Jumpers), and the Urodela. The Salientia (or Jumpers) -comprise the frogs and toads; and the Urodela include the numerous -tribes of newts, water-dogs, efts, and salamanders. - -The illustration shows one of the lowliest of the order of Urodela, the -western four-toed salamander (_Batrachoseps attenuatus_). The legs are -ridiculously small in comparison to the long, unwieldy body. That the -tail is fat and cylindrical is only to be expected, because being a -terrestrial salamander, it has no need of a flat tail for swimming like -the water-haunting newts. Probably the bulky tail serves as a store -of nourishment in reserve for use in time of famine, as does the hump -of a camel under similar circumstances. Here at Point Loma these odd -creatures may be found under stones in the damp cañons. In the absence -of pools they cannot pass through the tadpole stage under water and so -the various phases of tadpole transformation are gone through while -in the egg. The males are glossy black; but the female figured in the -picture has a light brown skin with irregular blotches of flesh color -on the tail. - -A male once captured by the writer exhibited a curious case of mimicry. -He coiled up just like a rattlesnake and looked so venomous and -threatening as to inspire terror in anyone who was unaware of his utter -powerlessness to do an injury. - -The abnormal humidity of the air enables this delicate animal to -survive the rainless months of summer, and probably he never ventures -from his shelter till the sun goes down and the dew provides a little -moisture. The mere contact of his skin with a dewy surface would -probably be as refreshing as a draught of water to a thirsty man; but -the salamander, like the frog, does not drink: he simply "blots up" his -water through the skin. - -Thus the four-toed western salamander passes his uneventful days -and nights. His pleasures are few and simple and his sorrows -correspondingly light. - -According to Theosophy, the inner Essence of every creature in this -broad universe either is, was, or prepares to become, man; but the mind -staggers in the attempt to conceive the enormous stretches of time -before such dull, inert, insensitive beings will arrive at the human -stage. But pain is a grand stimulant and spur to advance, and perchance -when the salamander gets eaten by a snake or a stoat, he gains as -compensation for the pangs of death some slight promotion to a higher -order of batrachians in his next rebirth! So mote it be. - - - - -THE REAL MAN: by H. Coryn, M. D., M. R. C. S. - - -"Now we know the real man," is the usual comment when some heretofore -respectable citizen is convicted of forgery and sent to jail: "_Now_ we -know his real character." - -Do we? - -A fire breaks out in the prison and the forger reveals himself a hero, -risking life without a second's hesitation for the rescue of his jailer -or fellow-prisoners. - -Do we _now_ know his "real character"? - -Later on, his confinement, throwing him in upon himself, provides -opportunity for the manifestation of a marked vein of poetry, and from -his prison he issues a volume which at once takes high rank in the -literature of the day. - -Some will now put away their _moral_ standard of measurement, produce -another, and remark that the "real man" after all turns out to have -been a poet. - -You can photograph half of a man's face, right or left, throw the -picture over upon itself and get a whole face composed of two lefts, -and another of two rights--often quite different. - -We judge character in that way, taking any one aspect of it upon which -we choose to dwell or which alone we see, and of that one constructing -a whole. Thus the same man viewed by various knowers of him is a -philosopher, a sharp lawyer, a skilful amateur actor, or an ever-ready -helper and friend in times of trouble or perplexity. To his cook he may -be solely a grumbler, and to his son at school a supply-machine whose -crank is not always easy to turn. - -To come back to the prisoner. The "respectable citizen" was evidently -not the whole of him. Under stress he revealed the weakness and -dishonesty which led to the forgery. Environment, the temptation, -brought them to the surface. We need not say that his character -changed. Nevertheless, as we all know, a change of character is -possible--so thorough that after emergence from prison no stress of -temptation and no assurance from discovery would provoke another theft. -On the other hand we cannot conceive of his change from a hero into a -coward, nor hardly of his loss of the poetic vein. Environment--the -fire and the conditions of prison life--brought those traits out too. -But, once out they are out. - -Being in search of the essence of character, the _really_ "real man," -we cannot accept anything which may vanish or be surmounted, nothing -which in the normal course of individual evolution, gone far enough, -will for certain be surmounted. No man is essentially a thief, but he -may be essentially a hero or a poet or both. - -Consider the question in the light of evolution, the evolution of each -of us. We sometimes make imaginary pictures of the ripened humanity -of the far future, a noble flower of which there are as yet but -indications of the bud. Let us add another touch. Let us recognize in -that far humanity, however godlike, _ourselves_. Many, many births and -lifetimes and deaths lie between this and that for all of us. But the -lines of continuity are unbroken. It is we ourselves who shall be that -splendid and radiant humanity. The evolution of the human race means -the evolution of the present members of the human race. We shall "meet -each other in heaven" because we are always children of the earth that -will _be_ that heaven. - -We note that some qualities, such as a tendency to theft, have every -encouragement to vanish. Sooner or later, in one or another lifetime, -they bring about so much disgrace and pain or are found so incompatible -with an ever increasing love of right and inner peace, that they are -cast out and away, are outgrown and done with. The last dirty fiber is -ripped out of the ever perfecting pattern. - -On the other hand the germs of some other qualities will have a -constant and in the long run irresistible tendency to grow, root and -branch. - -Shall we say "real character" of traits destined to grow or of those -destined to disappear? So far we only use the words of so much as -we can see of a man: a poor enough application. We talk of the -"respectable citizen," and behold a thief. In the next change the thief -"turns out to be a hero"; and whilst we are admiring the hero we are -invited to read a volume of poetry. - -We had better restrict the words "real character" to that which time -shall at last unveil and develop, to the permanent germs and their -ripened product; not to the spores and fungi which, however noticeable -now, will sometime be entirely cleaned away. _There is no thief; there -are men who thieve_--at present, but who will cease to do so. There -_are_ poets and heroes; for these men will not only not cease to create -and do, but will create and do more and more worthily as they go -forward through time to the great light. There are some men whom _no_ -stress of temptation would force into theft. Are there any men in whom -_no_ circumstances would evoke some smallest gleam of heroism? - -Still we are not clear about real character. For there some qualities, -for example courage and love of the race and sensitiveness to the -supernal light, which time will perfect in _all_ men. We must put -aside all the elements, however splendid, in whose possession men will -_resemble_ each other and seek for what will be peculiar to each. -Within the unity of essence, apart from common sensitiveness to the -great light, there will be essential diversity. And it is to this -finally appearing individuality, this uniqueness of each, that the -words "real character" properly belong. In a few men only has this germ -of true individuality yet achieved much manifestation. - -The end of man, said Carlyle, is not a thought, were it the noblest, -but a deed. - -The aphorism cries aloud for completion. What sort of a deed would -be that which had no thought behind it? The end of man is a deed -faithfully manifesting a worthy "thought," and the mere writing down -of a thought is often its sufficient and only possible manifestation. -Even the careful nurture of a thought may be a deed. The universe is -the ideation of the divine getting itself written down on the face of -substance. Man's entire business is to aid that, to make manifest as -much of the divine, the light, as he can come at or get aware of in -his inner conscience or consciousness. If he constantly tries to live -in that way, the divine will presently take turns and come at _him_. -Inspiration is the final reward of aspiration. But the light has a -separate and special ray or aspect of itself in store for each man, so -that the _whole_ of it can only shine through _all_ men. - -There is a part of the divine essence unborn as yet into the world, -unmanifest. And there is a part of it which men and gods have wrought -into the manifest, each according to his nature and comprehension of -his duty. From the highest to the lowest departments of human life this -way of work is possible, to search out duty and do it. - -But "duty" has here a very full meaning. The soul of the Beethoven -searches, and is illumined by, the divine essence, _whatever his name -for it or thought of it_. Then he renders it or manifests it for the -world. The craftsman might search it as he designed a wall-paper; he -who did so, who worked that he might manifest it for men, would find -his invention grow ever richer and readier. The divine has no _one_ -kind of manifestation or inspiration. The mother might search it to -learn the highest ways of conduct with her children, not even waiting -for their birth; and their souls would in time show her what she had -done for them. The gardener might thus work among his flowers and would -find in them a new responsiveness. There is no one who has not some -work which can be fruitfully done in this spirit of bringing forth for -the world. This use of will in no metaphoric sense is the real magic. -When all men and women work in this way the world will begin to be for -the first time an expression of the divine plan, governed--through them -and of their will and choice--by the divine. By that time work will -have been raised to its highest terms and there will be modes of work -as inconceivable to us now as the work of Beethoven to a savage. Each -of us will have found _his_ work--that is, will have found that aspect -of the divine which he is uniquely constituted to deliver forth to the -rest. No one can be spared. All will need all the others. All will -stand unveiled as artists, creators, or showers-forth or thinkers-out -of something good and necessary for the work of their fellows. We have -ourselves made life dark and work monotonous, stifled the latent or -nascent craftsman or thinker in ourselves and the others, and created -forms of work that should never have been to do at all. Now we must -live them through and be thankful that some few, the thinkers, the -musicians, the poets, the artists, have in some sort broken through -into a corner of their heritage and can serve us and lighten our lives -and make the day nearer when we too can break through. - -Here then is what we may mean by "real character." It is the veiled -creator or shower-forth. No man is what he seems. He is waiting for -his own nature, and the divine in nature is waiting for him, to give -him the ray he alone can transmit. Neither Händel nor Beethoven could -have given us the music of the other; and the music of both was made -possible by every bit of divine-serving and divine-revealing work that -was ever done since man began. That principle holds throughout, in -small and great. The humblest work, if it have one ray of the divine -put into it, helps the whole world for all time to come. And no work -need lack that ray, no life need lack such work. - - - - -REVIEWS - - -"Life of Leonardo da Vinci" by Professor Osvald Sirén - -by Carolus - -We have just received another important work from the indefatigable and -accomplished pen of Professor Osvald Sirén, PH. D., of the Stockholm -University. It is a study of Leonardo da Vinci's life and work, a -most complete and thorough monograph of 468 pages, magnificently -illustrated by hundreds of full-page and smaller reproductions, the -majority taken from Leonardo's pictures, sketches and diagrams; the -rest are mostly from the works of other painters which throw light upon -the special points discussed; there are also some pleasing views of -places referred to. The first edition consists of 700 numbered copies, -beautifully printed on thick paper, and is in all respects but one a -perfect example of what such a book should be; the one thing lacking -is an index to the subject-matter and illustrations. This can easily -be remedied in the next edition, for there is no doubt that another -will immediately be called for, as the work will be invaluable to all -lovers of art who wish to read the latest and most complete analysis of -Leonardo's career and to learn the results of the most recent research. -This edition is, of course, written in Swedish, but we understand that -in response to the demand, it will soon appear in other languages, and -so be made accessible to a much larger public. Dr. Sirén has spent a -long time in Italy and elsewhere studying everything connected with -Leonardo and his contemporaries, and this volume is largely the result -of his original researches. It has been very favorably received by the -most competent Swedish critics. - -The monograph is founded upon a series of lectures lately given in -the University of Stockholm (in which Dr. Sirén occupies the chair -of Art-history) and it has been the author's aim to show the great -master as he appears in his works and writings, with as little of the -"personal equation" of the writer visible as possible--to make Leonardo -tell his own story--but at the same time, one cannot help feeling and -approving of the warm glow of appreciation which inspires every word -Dr. Sirén writes about his hero. His admiration for the master seems -to have influenced his style, for there is a greater simplicity and -clearness, and a more easy flow of words and sentences than we have -observed in previous works from his able pen. - -The book is arranged in four main sections. The first consists of -extracts from the famous Italian art-historian, Vasari's almost -contemporary life of Leonardo, translated into Swedish and freely -commented upon and greatly expanded by Dr. Sirén. Many illustrations -are given showing Leonardo's extraordinary knowledge of mechanics, -engineering, architecture, fortification, anatomy, etc. Dr. Sirén -finally demolishes one of our pet illusions, i. e., that Leonardo died -in the arms of Francis I of France, by showing that King Francis was -at St. Germain-en-Laye, attending the birth of a son, at the moment -when Leonardo was breathing his last at Cloux in Touraine. It appears -this was one of Vasari's occasional "decorations of the truth" for the -sake of picturesqueness. Another myth was that Leonardo prostrated -himself at the feet of the church at his last hour with tears and -cries of repentance for the independence of thought for which he -had consistently stood. In this connexion it is noteworthy that he -studiously avoided introducing halos or nimbuses round the figures in -his religious pictures! Neither is there more than one example of the -cross in any of his undoubted works, and that may have been added by -another hand afterwards. His object was plainly to accentuate the -simple human and natural side in everything that he touched. Even the -head of the Christ in _The Last Supper_ has no radiance; the Teacher -is painted just as he might have been seen by ordinary vision. The -distinction of Leonardo's sacred figures depends upon the superior -beauty and majesty of expression and bearing. This was a very daring -innovation on Leonardo's part. - -The second portion of Dr. Sirén's learned volume treats of Leonardo's -pictures and sculptures in more detail; his scientific work is -sufficiently dealt with in the earlier part of the volume, for after -all, his fame depends mainly upon his standing as an artist. Special -chapters are devoted, respectively, to the work of his youth: _The -Adoration of the Magi_, the _Madonna among the Rocks_, _The Last -Supper_, _The Battle of the Standard_, _Leda and the Swan_, _John the -Baptist_, _St. Anne_, and his studies for equestrian statues, etc. - -Dr. Sirén strongly accentuates the fact that Leonardo's leading motive -was Movement. While he rivaled Michel Angelo in form, Titian and -Giorgione in color, and Raphael in composition, his greatest efforts -were concentrated upon the true rendering of life and action. His -brilliant effects of light and shade, for which he was particularly -noted, were skilfully used to emphasize the impression of vital energy -which he felt to be the principal object of the true painter's art. - -Dr. Sirén has most carefully weighed the evidence concerning the rival -claims of the two or three replicas of the _Virgin among the Rocks_, -one of which is in London and the others in Paris and Copenhagen, -and he conclusively establishes the authenticity of the one in the -Louvre, Paris. That one, the famous _Vierge aux Rochers_, is by far -the most satisfactory in composition, and the faces and figures of the -children are much more beautiful than those of the others. The one in -the National Gallery, London, is by Ambrogio Preda, who was a close -imitator of Leonardo. The figures have nimbuses in that one, but not in -Leonardo's. Dr. Sirén illustrates his argument with a large number of -plates. - -With respect to _The Last Supper_ at Milan, it is satisfactory to learn -that Professor Cavenaghi, who has just finished a long and extremely -careful scientific examination of the work, has proved that it is far -better preserved than was believed. It turns out that very little -indeed has been repainted; the heads are quite untouched, and though -greatly damaged and obscured in places, we really are able to look at -the actual work of the master. This has been a great surprise to the -artistic world. - -The third part of the book deals with Leonardo's personality, and -several good portraits of him are given. It is to be regretted that -there is not one surviving that was taken when he was young, for it -is related of him that he was almost divinely beautiful. In his old -age his countenance is very impressive. Dr. Sirén discusses the moot -question of Leonardo's alleged visit to Oriental countries, and he -throws the weight of his opinion in favor of the journey. Certainly -it is difficult to see how Leonardo could have given such accurate -descriptions unless he had been to the places and undergone certain -experiences. There are many gaps in his life which are yet unfilled by -reliable evidence. When one reflects upon the extraordinary character -and knowledge of the great man it seems not unlikely that he spent some -time in the East receiving instruction which it was impossible to get -in Europe. - -The fourth part consists of a translation into Swedish of his _Treatise -on Painting_, and it gives, as Dr. Sirén says: - - a glimpse of a section through a soul-life filled with all that is - possible or thinkable for a human being, of observation of nature, of - experience of the world, of search for truth, and passion for beauty. - One lays the treatise down with the grateful and humble feeling that - one has stood before one of the greatest of our race, has met his eye - and heard him speak. - -We may learn almost more about him from this work and from his sketches -than from his pictures, for as Dr. Sirén says: - - What Leonardo painted and carved constitutes only a small part of his - creative activity, a fragment of that great soul's universality.... - Many of his designed works never reached expression ... others were - left half done, and those which were carried out, have, moreover, in - no small degree, had the misfortune to be destroyed or corroded and - defaced by time. Many of Leonardo's most important works which are - spoken of by the old writers, seem to have disappeared without leaving - a trace. The great work of his prime, _The Last Supper_, is little - more than a shadow of what it once was, and the powerful monumental - composition of his old age, _The Battle of the Standard_, was only - carried out in paint to a partial degree, and now can only be studied - through imperfect copies. The stately equestrian statues which truly - denoted the culminating point of that branch of art did not reach - final material expression either, and only live in rough sketches and - sundry imitations, while of the noble architectural projects for domed - cathedrals, for mausoleums and palaces, for entire towns, not even one - has come to anything.... The art historian has to trust to preparatory - studies, to copies or imitations, to reports, in order to get an idea - of the appearance and quality of the works of the master.... For - analysis we have to lean on sketches when the finished work fails us. - It cannot indeed be denied that herein lies a deplorable limitation - and a special difficulty in the way of popularizing his work, but - perhaps the limitation is not so great as many are inclined to assume. - A great musical composer's preludes and fantasias may contain the - beautiful motives of the entire symphony, even if the instrumentation - is incomplete and the execution imperfect.... Leonardo has been placed - before us as an ideal man, because his life and work are stamped by - a sovereign balance which in our time is so greatly coveted and so - rarely obtained. - - To the degree that the author has succeeded in letting Leonardo - express himself, free from all fanciful embellishments and arbitrary - hypotheses--speaking to the reader through his own words and art--he - will consider his mission fulfilled and his work to possess something - more than temporary value. - -There is no doubt that Dr. Sirén has done this and more than this, -and we must heartily congratulate him upon the production of a most -valuable contribution to the literature of art. It may interest our -readers to know that engrossed as he is in his labors for the cause of -the higher intellectual education, Dr. Sirén is able to find time to -work strenuously for the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society -of which he is a very active member. - - Note. Just as this is going to press the startling news has arrived - that Leonardo's great masterpiece, the so-called _Mona Lisa_, has been - stolen from the Louvre, an almost unprecedented event. Its recovery - will be anxiously awaited by the whole art-loving world of the two - continents. - - - - -The Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society - -Founded at New York City in 1875 by H. P. Blavatsky, William Q. Judge -and others - -Reorganized in 1898 by Katherine Tingley - -Central Office, Point Loma, California - - The Headquarters of the Society at Point Loma with the buildings and - grounds, are no "Community" "Settlement" or "Colony." They form no - experiment in Socialism, Communism, or anything of similar nature, - but are the Central Executive Office of an international organization - where the business of the same is carried on, and where the teachings - of Theosophy are being demonstrated. Midway 'twixt East and West, - where the rising Sun of Progress and Enlightenment shall one day - stand at full meridian, the Headquarters of the Society unite the - philosophic Orient with the practical West. - - - MEMBERSHIP - - in the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society may be - either "at large" or in a local Branch. Adhesion to the principle - of Universal Brotherhood is the only pre-requisite to membership. - The Organization represents no particular creed; it is entirely - unsectarian, and includes professors of all faiths, only exacting from - each member that large toleration of the beliefs of others which he - desires them to exhibit towards his own. - - Applications for membership in a Branch should be addressed to - the local Director; for membership "at large" to G. de Purucker, - Membership Secretary, International Theosophical Headquarters, Point - Loma, California. - - -OBJECTS - -This brotherhood is a part of a great and universal movement which has -been active in all ages. - -This Organization declares that Brotherhood is a fact in Nature. Its -principal purpose is to teach Brotherhood, demonstrate that it is a -fact in Nature, and make it a living power in the life of humanity. - -Its subsidiary purpose is to study ancient and modern religions, -science, philosophy, and art; to investigate the laws of Nature and the -divine powers in man. - - -H. P. BLAVATSKY, FOUNDRESS AND TEACHER - -The present Theosophical Movement was inaugurated by Helena Petrovna -Blavatsky in New York in 1875. The original name was "The Theosophical -Society." Associated with her were William Q. Judge and others. Madame -Blavatsky for a time preferred not to hold any outer official position -except that of Corresponding Secretary. But all true students know that -Madame Blavatsky held the highest authority, the only real authority -which comes of wisdom and power, the authority of Teacher and Leader, -the real head, heart, and inspiration of the whole Theosophical -Movement. It was through her that the teachings of Theosophy were given -to the world, and without her the Theosophical Movement could not have -been. - - -BRANCH SOCIETIES IN EUROPE AND INDIA - -In 1878 Madame Blavatsky left the United States, first visiting -Great Britain and then India, in both of which countries she founded -branch societies. The parent body in New York became later the Aryan -Theosophical Society and HAS ALWAYS HAD ITS HEADQUARTERS IN AMERICA; -and of this, William Q. Judge was President until his death in 1896. - -It is important to note the following: - -In response to the statement published by a then prominent member in -India that Madame Blavatsky is "loyal to the Theosophical Society and -to Adyar," Madame Blavatsky wrote: - - It is pure nonsense to say that "H. P. B. ... is loyal to the - Theosophical Society and to Adyar" (!?). _H. P. B. is loyal to death - to the Theosophical_ CAUSE _and those Great Teachers whose philosophy - can alone bind the whole of Humanity into one Brotherhood_.... The - degree of her sympathies with the Theosophical Society and Adyar - depends upon the degree of the loyalty of that Society to the CAUSE. - Let it break away from the original lines and show disloyalty in its - policy to the cause and the original program of the Society, and H. P. - B., calling the T. S. disloyal, will shake it off like dust from her - feet. - -To one who accepts the teachings of Theosophy it is plain to see that -although Theosophy is of no nationality or country but for all, yet -it has a peculiar relationship with America. Not only was the United -States the birthplace of the Theosophical Society, and the home of the -Parent Body up to the present time, but H. P. Blavatsky, the Foundress -of the Society, although a Russian by birth, became an American -citizen; William Q. Judge, of Irish parentage and birth, also became -an American citizen; and Katherine Tingley is American born. America -therefore not only has played a unique part in the history of the -present Theosophical Movement, but it is plain to see that its destiny -is closely interwoven with that of Theosophy; and by America is meant -not only the United States or even the North American continent, but -also the South American continent, and, as repeatedly declared by -Madame Blavatsky, it is in this great Western Hemisphere as a whole, -North and South, that the next great Race of humanity is to be born. - - -MADAME BLAVATSKY FOUNDS THE ESOTERIC SCHOOL; HER LIFE-LONG TRUST IN -WILLIAM Q. JUDGE - -In 1888, H. P. Blavatsky, then in London, on the suggestion and at the -request of her Colleague, William Q. Judge, founded the Esoteric School -of Theosophy, a body for students, of which H. P. Blavatsky wrote -that it was "the heart of the Theosophical Movement," and of which -she appointed William Q. Judge as her sole representative in America. -Further, writing officially to the Convention of the American Societies -held in Chicago, 1888, she wrote as follows: - - To William Q. Judge, General Secretary of the American Section of the - Theosophical Society: - - My dearest Brother and Co-Founder of the Theosophical Society: - - In addressing to you this letter, which I request you to read to the - Convention, summoned for April 22nd, I must first present my hearty - congratulations and most cordial good wishes to the Society and - yourself--the heart and soul of that body in America. We were several - to call it to life in 1875. Since then you have remained alone to - preserve that life through good and evil report. It is to you chiefly, - if not entirely, that the Theosophical Society owes its existence in - 1888. Let me thank you for it, for the first, and perhaps for the - last time publicly, and from the bottom of my heart, which beats only - for the cause you represent so well and serve so faithfully. I ask - you also to remember that on this important occasion, my voice is but - the feeble echo of other more sacred voices, and the transmitter of - the approval of Those whose presence is alive in more than one true - Theosophical heart, and lives, as I know, pre-eminently in yours. - -This regard that Madame Blavatsky had for her colleague William Q. -Judge continued undiminished until her death in 1891, when he became -her successor. - -Madame Blavatsky, in 1889, writing in her Theosophical magazine -published in London, said that the purpose of the magazine was not -only to promulgate Theosophy, but also and as a consequence of such -promulgation, "to bring to light the hidden things of darkness." She -further says: - - As to the "weak-minded Theosophists"--if any--they can take care of - themselves in the way they please. IF THE "FALSE PROPHETS OF - THEOSOPHY" ARE TO BE LEFT UNTOUCHED, THE TRUE PROPHETS WILL - BE VERY SOON--AS THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN--CONFUSED WITH THE FALSE. IT - IS HIGH TIME TO WINNOW OUR CORN AND CAST AWAY THE CHAFF. The - Theosophical Society is becoming enormous in its numbers, and if the - _false_ prophets, the pretenders, or even the weak-minded dupes, are - left alone, then the Society threatens to become very soon a fanatical - body split into three hundred sects--like Protestantism--each - hating the other, and all bent on destroying the truth by monstrous - exaggerations and idiotic schemes and shams. - - We do not believe in allowing the presence of _sham_ elements in - Theosophy, because of the fear, forsooth, that if even "a false - element in the faith" is _ridiculed_, the latter is "apt to shake the - confidence" in the whole. - - ... What _true_ Christians shall see their co-religionists making - fools of themselves, or disgrace their faith, and still abstain from - rebuking them publicly as privately, for fear lest this _false_ - element should throw out of Christianity the rest of the believers? - - THE WISE MAN COURTS TRUTH; THE FOOL, FLATTERY. - - However it may be, let rather our ranks be made thinner, than the - Theosophical Society go on being made a spectacle to the world through - the exaggerations of some fanatics, and the attempt of various - _charlatans_ to profit by a ready-made program. These, by disfiguring - and adapting Occultism to their own filthy and immoral ends, bring - disgrace upon the whole movement.--_Lucifer_, Vol. iv, pp. 2 & 3. - - -WILLIAM Q. JUDGE ELECTED PRESIDENT FOR LIFE - -In 1893 there openly began what had been going on beneath the surface -for some time, a bitter attack ostensibly against William Q. Judge, but -in reality also against H. P. Blavatsky. This bitter attack threatened -to disrupt the whole Society and to thwart the main purpose of its -existence, which was to further the cause of Universal Brotherhood. -Finally the American members decided to take action, and at the annual -convention of the Society held in Boston in 1895, by a vote of 191 -delegates to 10, re-asserted the principle of Theosophy as laid down -by H. P. Blavatsky, and elected William Q. Judge President for life. -Similar action was almost immediately taken by members in Europe, -Australia, and other countries, in each case William Q. Judge being -elected President for life. In this action the great majority of the -active members throughout the world concurred, and thus the Society -was relieved of those who had joined it for other purposes than the -furtherance of Universal Brotherhood, the carrying out of the Society's -other objects, and the spiritual freedom and upliftment of Humanity. -A few of these in order to curry favor with the public and attract a -following, continued among themselves to use the name of Theosophy, -but it should be understood that they _are not connected with the -Theosophical Movement_. - - -KATHERINE TINGLEY SUCCEEDS WILLIAM Q. JUDGE - -One year later, in March 1896, William Q. Judge died, leaving as his -successor Katherine Tingley, who for several years had been associated -with him in the work of the Society. This Teacher not only began -immediately to put into actual practice the ideals of Theosophy as had -been the hope and aim of both H. P. Blavatsky and William Q. Judge, and -for which they had laid the foundations, thus honoring and illustrating -the work of her illustrious predecessors, but she also struck a new -keynote, introducing new and broader plans for uplifting humanity. -For each of the Teachers, while continuing the work and building upon -the foundations of his predecessor, adds a new link, and has his own -distinctive work to do, and teachings to give, belonging to his own -time and position. - -No sooner had Katherine Tingley begun her work as successor, than -further attacks, some most insidious, from the same source as those -made against H. P. Blavatsky and William Q. Judge, as well as from -other sources, were inaugurated against her. Most prominent among -those thus attacking Katherine Tingley were some referred to by Madame -Blavatsky in the article above-quoted (pp. 159-60), who by their own -actions had removed themselves from the ranks of the Society. There -were also a few others who still remained in the Society who had not -joined hands with the disintegrators at the time the latter were -repudiated in 1895. These now thought it to their personal advantage -to oppose the Leader and sought to gain control of the Society and -use it for political purposes. These ambitious agitators, seeking to -exploit the Society for their own ends, used every means to overthrow -Katherine Tingley, realizing that she was the greatest obstacle to -the accomplishment of their desires, for if she could be removed they -expected to gain control. They worked day and night, stooping almost to -any means to carry out their projects. Yet it seemed that by these very -acts, i. e., the more they attacked, the more were honest and earnest -members attracted to the ranks of the Society under Katherine Tingley's -leadership. - - -KATHERINE TINGLEY GIVES SOCIETY NEW CONSTITUTION - -SOCIETY MERGES INTO BROADER FIELD - -To eliminate these menacing features and to safeguard the work of -the Theosophical Movement for all time, Katherine Tingley presented -to a number of the oldest members gathered at her home in New York -on the night of January 13th, 1898, a new Constitution which she had -formulated for the more permanent and broader work of the Theosophical -Movement, opening up a wider field of endeavor than had heretofore been -possible to students of Theosophy. One month later, at the Convention -of the Society, held in Chicago, February 18th, 1898, this Constitution -was accepted by an almost unanimous vote, and the Theosophical Society -merged itself into the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society. -In this new step forward, she had the heartiest co-operation and -support of the vast majority of the members throughout the world. - - -THEOSOPHY IN PRACTICE - -It is of interest here to quote our Teacher's own words regarding this -time. In an article published in _The Metropolitan Magazine_, New York, -October, 1909, she says: - - Later, I found myself the successor of William Q. Judge, and I began - my heart work, the inspiration of which is partly due to him. - - In all my writings and associations with the members of the - Theosophical Society, I emphasized the necessity of putting Theosophy - into daily practice, and in such a way that it would continuously - demonstrate that it was the redeeming power of man. More familiarity - with the organization and its workers brought home to me the fact that - there was a certain number of students who had in the early days begun - the wrong way to study Theosophy, and that it was becoming in their - lives a death-like sleep. I noticed that those who followed this line - of action were always alarmed at my humanitarian tendencies. WHENEVER - I REMINDED THEM THAT THEY WERE BUILDING A COLOSSAL EGOTISM INSTEAD - OF A POWER TO DO GOOD, THEY SUBTLY OPPOSED ME. AS I INSISTED ON THE - PRACTICAL LIFE OF THEOSOPHY, THEY OPPOSED STILL MORE. They later - exerted personal influence which affected certain members throughout - the world. It was this condition which then menaced the Theosophical - Movement, and which forced me to the point of taking such action as - would fully protect the pure teachings of Theosophy and make possible - a broader path for unselfish students to follow. Thus the faithful - members of the Theosophical Movement would be able to exemplify the - charge which Helena Petrovna Blavatsky gave to her pupils, as follows: - - "Real Theosophy is altruism, and we cannot repeat it too often. It is - brotherly love, mutual help, unswerving devotion to truth. If once men - do but realize that in these alone can true happiness be found, and - never in wealth, possession or any selfish gratification, then the - dark cloud will roll away, and a new humanity will be born upon the - earth. Then the Golden Age will be there indeed." - - Here we find William Q. Judge accentuating the same spirit, the - practical Theosophical life: - - "The power to know does not come from book-study alone, nor from mere - philosophy, but mostly from the actual practice of altruism in deed, - word, and thought; for that practice purifies the covers of the soul - and permits the divine light to shine down into the brain-mind." - - - THE PARTING OF THE WAYS - - On February 18, 1898, at the Convention of the Theosophical Society - in America, held at Chicago, Ill., the Society resolved, through its - delegates from all parts of the world, to enter a larger arena, to - widen its scope and to further protect the teachings of Theosophy. - Amid most intense enthusiasm the Theosophical Society was expanded - into the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, and I found - myself recognized as its leader and official head. The Theosophical - Society in Europe also resolved to merge itself into the Universal - Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, and the example was quickly - followed by Theosophical Societies in other parts of the world. The - expansion of the original Theosophical Society, which Madame Blavatsky - founded and which William Q. Judge so ably sustained, now called the - Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, gave birth to a new - life, and the membership trebled the first year, and ever since that - time a rapid increase has followed. - - -INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS AT POINT LOMA, CALIFORNIA - -In 1900 the Headquarters of the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical -Society were removed from New York to Point Loma, California, which -is now the International Center of the Theosophical Movement. This -Organization is unsectarian and non-political; none of its officers or -workers receives any salary or financial recompense. - -In her article in _The Metropolitan Magazine_ above referred to, -Katherine Tingley further says: - - The knowledge that Point Loma was to be the World-center of the - Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, which has for its - supreme object the elevation of the race, created great enthusiasm - among its members throughout the world. The further fact that the - government of the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society rests - entirely with the leader and official head, who holds her office for - life and who has the privilege of appointing her successor, gave - me the power to carry out some of the plans I had long cherished. - Among these was the erecting of the great Homestead Building. This I - carefully designed that it might not stand apart from the beautiful - nature about it, but in a sense harmonize with the sky, the distant - mountains, the broad blue Pacific, and the glorious light of the sun. - - So it has been from the first, so that the practical work of Theosophy - began at Point Loma under the most favorable circumstances. No one - dominated by selfish aims and ambitions was invited to take part in - this pioneer work. Although there were scores of workers from various - parts of the world uniting their efforts with mine for the upbuilding - of this world-center, yet there was no disharmony. Each took the duty - allotted him and worked trustingly and cheerfully. Many of the world's - ways these workers gladly left behind them. They seemed reborn with an - enthusiasm that knew no defeat. The work was done for the love of it, - and this is the secret of a large part of the success that has come to - the Theosophical Movement. - - Not long after the establishment of the International Theosophical - Headquarters at Point Loma it was plain to see that the Society was - advancing along all lines by leaps and bounds. Letters of inquiry were - pouring in from different countries, which led to my establishing - the Theosophical Propaganda Bureau. This is one of the greatest - factors we have in disseminating our teachings. The International - Brotherhood League then opened its offices and has ever been active - in its special humanitarian work, being the directing power which has - sustained the several Râja Yoga schools and academies, now in Pinar - del Rio, Santa Clara, and Santiago de Cuba, from the beginning. The - Aryan Theosophical Press has yearly enlarged its facilities in answer - to the demands made upon it through the publication of Theosophical - literature, which includes THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH and several other - publications. There is the Isis Conservatory of Music and Drama, the - Department of Arts and Crafts, the Industrial Department, including - Forestry, Agriculture, Roadbuilding, Photo-engraving, Chemical - laboratory, Landscape-gardening, and many other crafts. - - -DO NOT FAIL TO PROFIT BY THE FOLLOWING - -CONSTANTLY THE QUESTION IS ASKED, WHAT IS THEOSOPHY, WHAT DOES -IT REALLY TEACH? EACH YEAR THE LIFE AND WORK OF H. P. BLAVATSKY AND -THE HIGH IDEALS AND PURE MORALITY OF HER TEACHINGS ARE MORE CLEARLY -VINDICATED. EACH YEAR THE POSITION TAKEN BY WILLIAM Q. JUDGE AND -KATHERINE TINGLEY IN REGARD TO THEIR PREDECESSOR, H. P. BLAVATSKY, IS -BETTER UNDERSTOOD, AND THEIR OWN LIVES AND WORK ARE SEEN TO BE ACTUATED -BY THE SAME HIGH IDEALS FOR THE UPLIFTING OF THE HUMAN RACE. EACH YEAR -MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE COMING TO REALIZE THAT NOT ALL THAT GOES UNDER -THE NAME OF THEOSOPHY IS RIGHTLY SO CALLED, BUT THAT THERE IS -A COUNTERFEIT THEOSOPHY AS WELL AS THE TRUE, AND THAT THERE IS NEED OF -DISCRIMINATION, LEST MANY BE MISLED. - -Counterfeits exist in many departments of life and thought, and -especially in matters relating to religion and the deeper teachings of -life. Hence, in order that people who are honestly seeking the truth -may not be misled, we deem it important to state that the Universal -Brotherhood and Theosophical Society is not responsible for, nor is it -affiliated with, nor does it endorse, any other society, which, while -calling itself Theosophical, is not connected with the International -Theosophical Headquarters at Point Loma, California. Having a knowledge -of Theosophy, the ancient Wisdom-Religion, we deem it as a sacred -trust and responsibility to maintain its pure teachings, free from the -vagaries, additions, or misrepresentations of ambitious self-styled -Theosophists and would-be teachers. The test of a Theosophist is not -in profession, but in action, and in a noble and virtuous life. The -motto of the Society is "There is no religion higher than Truth." This -was adopted by Madame Blavatsky, but it is to be deeply regretted that -there are no legal means to prevent the use of this motto in connexion -with counterfeit Theosophy, by people professing to be Theosophists, -but who would not be recognized as such by Madame Blavatsky. - -It is a regrettable fact that many people use the name of Theosophy -and of our Organization for self-interest, as also that of H. P. -Blavatsky, the Foundress, and even the Society's motto, to attract -attention to themselves and to gain public support. This they do in -private and public speech and in publications. Without being in any way -connected with the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, in -many cases they permit it to be inferred that they are, thus misleading -the public, and honest inquirers are hence led away from the original -truths of Theosophy. - -The Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society welcomes to -membership all who truly love their fellow men and desire the -eradication of the evils caused by the barriers of race, creed, caste, -or color, which have so long impeded human progress; to all sincere -lovers of truth and to all who aspire to higher and better things than -the mere pleasures and interests of a worldly life, and are prepared to -do all in their power to make Brotherhood a living energy in the life -of humanity, its various departments offer unlimited opportunities. - -The whole work of the Organization is under the direction of the Leader -and Official Head, Katherine Tingley, as outlined in the Constitution. - - -OBJECTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD LEAGUE - - 1. To help men and women to realize the nobility of their calling and - their true position in life. - - 2. To educate children of all nations on the broadest lines of - Universal Brotherhood and to prepare destitute and homeless children - to become workers for humanity. - - 3. To ameliorate the condition of unfortunate women, and assist them - to a higher life. - - 4. To assist those who are or have been in prisons to establish - themselves in honorable positions in life. - - 5. To abolish capital punishment. - - 6. To bring about a better understanding between so-called savage - and civilized races, by promoting a closer and more sympathetic - relationship between them. - - 7. To relieve human suffering resulting from flood, famine, war, and - other calamities; and, generally, to extend aid, help, and comfort to - suffering humanity throughout the world. - - JOSEPH H. FUSSELL, Secretary - - - - - BOOK LIST - OF WORKS ON - THEOSOPHY, OCCULTISM, RELIGION, PHILOSOPHY, SCIENCE, AND ART - - PUBLISHED OR FOR SALE BY - - THE THEOSOPHICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY - INTERNATIONAL THEOSOPHICAL HEADQUARTERS - POINT LOMA, CALIFORNIA, U. S. A. - - _The office of the Theosophical Publishing Company is at Point Loma, - California_ - - _It has_ NO OTHER OFFICE _and_ NO BRANCHES - - -FOREIGN AGENCIES - - _=THE UNITED KINGDOM=_--Theosophical Book Co., 18 Bartlett's - Buildings, Holborn Circus, LONDON, E. C., England - - _=GERMANY=_--J. Th. Heller, Vestnertorgraben 13, NÜRNBERG - - _=SWEDEN=_--Universella Broderskapets Förlag, Barnhusgatan, 10, - STOCKHOLM - - _=HOLLAND=_--Louis F. Schudel, Hollandia-Drukkerij, BAARN - - _=AUSTRALIA=_--Willans and Williams, 16 Carrington St., Wynyard Sq., - SYDNEY, N. S. W. - - _=CUBA=_--H. S. Turner, Apartado 127; or Heredia, Baja, 10, SANTIAGO - DE CUBA - - _=MEXICO=_--Samuel L. Herrera, Calle de la Independencia, 55 altos, - VERA CRUZ, V. C. - - - ADDRESS BY KATHERINE TINGLEY at San Diego Opera House, - March, 1902 $ .15 - - AN APPEAL TO PUBLIC CONSCIENCE: an Address delivered by - Katherine Tingley at Isis Theater, San Diego, July 22, 1906. - Published by the Woman's Theosophical Propaganda League, - Point Loma .05 - - ASTRAL INTOXICATION, and Other Papers (W. Q. Judge) .03 - - BHAGAVAD GÎTÂ (recension by W. Q. Judge). The pearl of the - scriptures of the East. American edition; pocket size; - morocco, gilt edges 1.00 - - CONCENTRATION, CULTURE OF (W. Q. Judge) .15 - - DEVACHAN; or the Heavenworld (H. Coryn) .05 - - ECHOES FROM THE ORIENT; a broad Outline of Theosophical Doctrines. - Written for the newspaper reading public. (W. Q. Judge) - Sm. 8vo, cloth .50 - Paper .25 - - EPITOME OF THEOSOPHICAL TEACHINGS, AN (W. Q. Judge); 40 pages .15 - - FREEMASONRY AND JESUITRY, The Pith and Marrow of the Closing and - Coming Century and Related Position of, (Rameses) .15 - 8 copies for $1.00; per hundred, $10.00 - - KATHERINE TINGLEY, Humanity's Friend; A VISIT TO KATHERINE TINGLEY - (by John Hubert Greusel); A STUDY OF RÂJA YOGA AT POINT LOMA - (Reprint from the San Francisco _Chronicle_, Jan. 6, 1907). - The above three comprised in a pamphlet of 50 pages, published - by the Woman's Theosophical Propaganda League, Point Loma .15 - - HYPNOTISM: _Hypnotism_, by W. Q. Judge (Reprint from _The Path_, - vol. viii, p. 335); _Why Does Katherine Tingley Oppose - Hypnotism?_ by a Student (Reprint from _New Century Path_, - Oct. 28, 1906); _Evils of Hypnotism_, by Lydia Ross, M. D. .15 - - INCIDENTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE THEOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT; - by Joseph H. Fussell. 24 pages, royal 8vo. .15 - - ISIS UNVEILED, by H. P. Blavatsky. 2 vols, royal 8vo, about 1500 - pages; cloth; with portrait of the author. _Point Loma Edition, - with a preface._ Postpaid 4.00 - - KEY TO THEOSOPHY, THE: by H. P. Blavatsky. _Point Loma Edition_, - with _Glossary_ and exhaustive _Index_. Portraits of H. P. - Blavatsky and William Q. Judge. 8vo., cloth, 400 pages. - Postpaid 2.25 - - LIFE AT POINT LOMA, THE: Some Notes by Katherine Tingley. - (Reprinted from the _Los Angeles Saturday Post_, - December, 1902) .15 - - LIGHT ON THE PATH (M. C.), with Comments, and a short chapter on - Karma. Authoritative rules for treading the path of a higher - life. _Point Loma Edition_, pocket size edition of this classic, - leather .75 - Embossed paper .25 - - MYSTERIES OF THE HEART DOCTRINE, THE. Prepared by - _Katherine Tingley_ and her pupils. Square 8vo, cloth 2.00 - Paper 1.00 - A SERIES OF 8 PAMPHLETS, comprising the different Articles - in above, paper, each .25 - - NIGHTMARE TALES (H. P. Blavatsky). _Illustrated by R. Machell._ - A collection of the weirdest tales ever written down. Cloth .60 - Paper .35 - - THE PLOUGH AND THE CROSS. A story of New Ireland; by William - Patrick O'Ryan. 12mo, 378 pages. Illustrated. Cloth 1.00 - - SECRET DOCTRINE, THE. The Synthesis of Science, Religion, and - Philosophy, by H. P. Blavatsky. _Point Loma Edition_; with - Index. Two vols., royal 8vo, about 1500 pages; cloth. Postage - prepaid 10.00 - Reprinted from the original edition of 1888, as issued by - H. P. Blavatsky - - SOME OF THE ERRORS OF CHRISTIAN SCIENCE. Criticism by H. P. - Blavatsky and W. Q. Judge .15 - - VOICE OF THE SILENCE, THE. (For the daily use of disciples.) - Translated and annotated by H. P. Blavatsky. - Pocket size, leather .75 - - YOGA APHORISMS (translated by W. Q. Judge), pocket size, leather .75 - - - _=GREEK SYMPOSIA=_, as performed by students of the Isis League of - Music and Drama, under direction of Katherine Tingley. (Fully - protected by copyright.) - 1 THE WISDOM OF HYPATIA. 2 A PROMISE. Each .15 - - - _=NEW CENTURY SERIES.=_ THE PITH AND MARROW OF SOME SACRED WRITINGS. - - Ten Pamphlets; Scripts, each .25 - Subscription (Series of 10 Pamphlets) 1.50 - - SCRIPT 1--_Contents_: The Relation of Universal Brotherhood to - Christianity--No Man can Serve Two Masters--In this Place is a Greater - Thing - - SCRIPT 2--_Contents_: A Vision of Judgment--The Great - Victory--Co-Heirs with Christ--The "Woes" of the Prophets--Fragment: - from Bhagavad Gîtâ--Jesus the Man - - SCRIPT 3--_Contents_: Lesson of Israel's History--Man's Divinity and - Perfectibility--The Man Born Blind--The Everlasting Covenant--Burden - of the Lord - - SCRIPT 4--_Contents_: Reincarnation in the Bible--The Money-Changers - in the Temple--The Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven--The Heart - Doctrine--The Temple of God - - SCRIPT 5--_Contents_: Egypt and Prehistoric America--Theoretical and - Practical Theosophy--Death, One of the Crowning Victories of Human - Life--Reliance on the Law--Led by the Spirit of God - - SCRIPT 6--_Contents_: Education Through Illusion to Truth--Astronomy - in the Light of Ancient Wisdom--Occultism and Magic--Resurrection - - SCRIPT 7--_Contents_: Theosophy and Islâm, a word concerning - Sufism--Archaeology in the Light of Theosophy--Man, a Spiritual Builder - - SCRIPT 8--_Contents_: The Sun of Righteousness--Cant about the Classics - - SCRIPT 9--_Contents_: Traces of the Wisdom-Religion in Zoroastrianism, - Mithraism, and their modern representative, Parseeism--The Druses of - Mount Lebanon - - SCRIPT 10--_Contents_: The Religions of China - - SCRIPT 11--(Supplementary Number) _Contents_: Druidism--Druidism and - its Connexion with Ireland - - - _=OCCULTISM, STUDIES IN=_ (H. P. Blavatsky). Pocket size, 6 vols. - cloth; each .35 - Per set of six vols. 1.50 - Vol. 1. Practical Occultism. Occultism _vs._ the Occult Arts. - The Blessing of Publicity - Vol. 2. Hypnotism. Black Magic in Science. Signs of the Times - Vol. 3. Psychic and Noetic Action - Vol. 4. Kosmic Mind. The Dual Aspect of Wisdom - Vol. 5. The Esoteric Character of the Gospels - Vol. 6. Astral Bodies; The Constitution of the Inner Man - - - _=THEOSOPHICAL MANUALS.=_ Elementary Handbooks for Students. - 16mo, price, each, paper 25c; cloth .35 - - No. 1 ELEMENTARY THEOSOPHY - No. 2 THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF MAN - No. 3 KARMA - No. 4 REINCARNATION - No. 5 MAN AFTER DEATH - No. 6 KÂMALOKA AND DEVACHAN - No. 7 TEACHERS AND THEIR DISCIPLES - No. 8 THE DOCTRINE OF CYCLES - No. 9 PSYCHISM, GHOSTOLOGY, AND THE ASTRAL PLANE - No. 10 THE ASTRAL LIGHT - No. 11 PSYCHOMETRY, CLAIRVOYANCE, AND THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE - No. 12 THE ANGEL AND THE DEMON (2 vols., 35c each) - No. 13 THE FLAME AND THE CLAY - No. 14 ON GOD AND PRAYER - No. 15 THEOSOPHY: THE MOTHER OF RELIGIONS - No. 16 FROM CRYPT TO PRONAOS; an Essay on the Rise and Fall of Dogma - No. 17 EARTH: Its Parentage, its Rounds and its Races - No. 18 SONS OF THE FIREMIST: a Study of Man - - - _=THE PATH SERIES.=_ Specially adapted for Inquirers in Theosophy. - - _Already Published_: - - No. 1 THE PURPOSE OF THE UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD AND THEOSOPHICAL - SOCIETY .05 - No. 2 THEOSOPHY GENERALLY STATED (W. Q. Judge) .05 - _Reprinted from Official Report, World's Parliament of - Religions, Chicago, 1893_ - No. 3 MISLAID MYSTERIES (Herbert Coryn, M. D.) .05 - No. 4 THEOSOPHY AND ITS COUNTERFEITS .05 - No. 5 SOME PERVERTED PRESENTATIONS OF THEOSOPHY (H. T. Edge, B.A.) .05 - Thirty Copies of above Path Series, $1.00; - one hundred copies, $3.00 - - _=MISCELLANEOUS.=_ SOUVENIR POSTAL CARDS OF THE THEOSOPHICAL - HEADQUARTERS. Two for 5c; postage 1c. extra; 50 copies, postpaid, - $1.00; 100 copies, postpaid, $1.50 - - LOMALAND. An Album of Views and Quotations; 10½ × 13½ in. - (postage 6c. extra) .50 - - REPRODUCTIONS OF FAMOUS PAINTINGS BY R. MACHELL. _The Path_-- - _Parsifal_--_The Prodigal_--_The Bard_--_The Light of the - Coming Day_--_'Twixt Priest and Profligate_--_The Hour of - Despair_--_The Dweller on the Threshold_. - Size of photographs, 8 × 6 in., approximate. Price, unmounted, - 50c; mounted .75 - - PATH MAGAZINE, THE--Vol. ix ('94-95); Vol. x ('95-96); each 2.00 - - PATH MAGAZINE, THE--Index to Vols. I to VIII; cloth .50 - - PATH MAGAZINE, THE--Back Numbers; each .20 - - SEARCHLIGHT, No. 6--Full Report of Great Debate on Theosophy and - Christianity held at Fisher Opera House, San Diego, Cal., - September and October, 1901. - 72 pages. Special number issued to the public .15 - - SEARCHLIGHT, No. 7 .15 - - SEARCHLIGHT, Vol. II, No. 1 .15 - - UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD PATH } - UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD MAGAZINE } Back numbers .20 - Vols. xiii (1898-9), xiv (1899-00), xv (1900-01), - xvi (1901-2), each 2.00 - - -_LOTUS GROUP LITERATURE_ - -_Introduced under the direction of Katherine Tingley_ - - No. 1 THE LITTLE BUILDERS, and their Voyage to Rangi (R. N.) .50 - No. 2 THE COMING OF THE KING (Machell); cloth, .35 - LOTUS SONG BOOK. 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Para uso de investigadores .05 - 30 copies $1.00; 100 copies $3.00 - LA VIDA EN POINT LOMA (Notas por Katherine Tingley). .15 - - Libros Teosóficos Elementales para uso de los Estudiantes - 16mo, precios cada uno, en papel 25c; en tela .35 - - Núm. 1 Teosofía Elemental - Núm. 2 La Constitución Septenaria del Hombre - Núm. 3 Karma - Núm. 4 Reencarnación - Núm. 5 El Hombre después la Muerte - Núm. 6 Kâmaloka y Devachán - Núm. 7 Los Maestros y sus Discípulos - Núm. 8 La Doctrina de los Ciclos - Núm. 9 Psiquismo, Fantasmalogía, y el Plano Astral - Núm. 10 La Luz Astral - Núm. 11 Psicomancia, Clairvoyancia, y Telepatía - Núm. 12 El Angel y el Demonio (dos tomos, cada uno 35c) - Núm. 13 La Llama y el Barro - Núm. 14 Sobre Dios y las Oraciones - Núm. 15 Teosofía, la Madre de las Religiones - Núm. 16 Desde la Cripta á Pronaos: un Ensayo sobre la Elevación y - Decadencia del Dogma - Núm. 17 La Tierra - Núm. 18 Los Hijos de la Neblina Ardiente: un Estudio del Hombre - -_Order above from the Theosophical Publishing Company, Point Loma, -California._ - - The following in other languages may be procured by writing direct to - the respective Foreign Agencies (see first page) for Book List and - prices. - - -GERMAN - - AN IHREN FRÜCHTEN SOLLT IHR SIE ERKENNEN--WER IST EIN THEOSOPH?--WAS - THEOSOPHIE ÜBER MANCHE PUNKTE LEHRT UND WAS SIE WEDER LEHRT NOCH - BILLIGT - - AUSBILDUNG DER KONZENTRATION (von William Q. Judge). - - DAS LEBEN ZU POINT LOMA (Katherine Tingley). Schön Illustriert. - (Recommended) - - DIE BHAGAVAD-GÎTÂ (nach der englischen Ausgabe von William Q. Judge). - - DIE WISSENSCHAFT DES LEBENS UND DIE KUNST ZU LEBEN - - ECHOS AUS DEM ORIENT (von William Q. Judge). - - STUDIEN ÜBER DIE BHAGAVAD GÎTÂ (William Q. Judge). - - THEOSOPHIE ERKLÄRT - - RÜCKBLICK UND AUSBLICK AUF DIE THEOSOPHISCHE BEWEGUNG - - WAHRHEIT IST MÄCHTIG UND MUSS OBSIEGEN! - - POSTKARTEN MIT ANSICHTEN VON POINT LOMA - - -Theosophische Handbücher: - - No. 1 ELEMENTARE THEOSOPHIE - No. 2 DIE SIEBEN PRINZIPIEN DES MENSCHEN - No. 3 KARMA - No. 4 REINKARNATION - No. 5 DER MENSCH NACH DEM TODE - No. 6 KÂMALOKA UND DEVACHAN - No. 7 LEHRER UND IHRE JÜNGER - No. 8 DIE THEORIE DER ZYKLEN U. S. W. - - -DUTCH - - DIE BHAGAVAD-GÎTÂ: Het Boek van Yoga; with Glossary. Bound in morocco - or paper - - DE KLEINE BOUWERS EN HUN REIS NAAR RANGI; een Geschiedenis voor - Kinderen door R. N. (_met illustraties van R. 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De Mensch Jezus - - PIT EN MERG VAN DE EINDIGENDE EN KOMENDE EEUW, en de daarmede in - betrekking staande positie van _Vrijmetselarij_ en _Jesuitisme_, door - _Rameses_ - - -Theosophical Manuals, Series No. 1 - - No. 1 IN DEN VOORHOF - No. 2 EEN HEILIG LEERSTUK - No. 3 VERLOREN KENNIS WEERGEVONDEN - No. 4 EEN SLEUTEL TOT MODERNE RAADSELEN - No. 5 HET MYSTERIE VAN DEN DOOD - No. 6 "HEMEL" EN "HEL" - No. 7 LEERAREN EN HUN LEERLINGEN - No. 8 EEN UNIVERSEELE WET - No. 9 DWAALWEGEN (HYPNOTISME, CLAIRVOYANCE, SPIRITISME) - No. 10 DE ZIEL DER WERELD - -Theosophical Manuals, Series No. 2 - - No. 1 PSYCHOMETRIE, CLAIRVOYANCE, EN GEDACHTEN-OVERBRENGING - - -SWEDISH - - DEN HEMLIGA LÄRAN, 2 band (H. P. Blavatsky) - NYCKEL TILL TEOSOFIEN (H. P. Blavatsky) - ASTRAL BERUSNING, DEVACHAN, M. M. (William Q. Judge) - BREV, SOM HJÄLPT MIG (William Q. Judge) - DEN CYKLISKA LAGEN, M. M. (William Q. Judge) - DOLDA VINKAR I DEN HEMLIGA LÄRAN, M. M. (William Q. Judge) - DÖDSSTRAFFET I TEOSOFISK BELYSNING. M. M. (William Q. Judge) - REINKARNATIONSLÄRAN I BIBELN, OM KARMA, M. M. (William Q. Judge) - STUDIER ÖVER BHAGAVAD-GÎTÂ (William Q. Judge) - TEOSOFIENS OCEAN (William Q. Judge) - VETENSKAPEN OCH TEOSOFIEN, M. M. (William Q. Judge) - ÖVNING I KONCENTRATION (William Q. Judge) - HEMLIGHETERNA I HJÄRTATS LÄRA (Katherine Tingley och hennes lärjungar) - EN INTERVJU MED KATHERINE TINGLEY (Greusel) - KATHERINE TINGLEY, AF M. F. N. (levnadsteckning) - EXISTENSLINJER OCH UTVECKLINGSNORMER (Oscar Ljungström) - KAN ETT T. S. SAKNA MORALLAG? (Protest möte) - TEOSOFI OCH KRISTENDOM, Genmäle till Prof. Pfannenstill - (Dr. G. Zander och F. 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A. - -_Neither the Editors of the above publications, nor the officers of -The Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, or of any of its -departments, receive salaries or other remuneration. All profits -arising from the business of the Theosophical Publishing Co., are -devoted to Humanitarian work. All who assist in that work are directly -helping that cause._ - - - - -[Illustration: THE PATH] - - THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH - - An International Magazine - Unsectarian and nonpolitical - - Monthly Illustrated - - Devoted to the Brotherhood of Humanity, the promulgation - of Theosophy, the study of ancient & modern - Ethics, Philosophy, Science and Art, and to the uplifting - and purification of Home and National Life - - Edited by Katherine Tingley - International Theosophical Headquarters, Point Loma, California, U.S.A. - - - - -_Among many ideas brought forward through the Theosophical Movement -there are three which should never be lost sight of. Not speech, but -thought, really rules the world; so, if these three ideas are good let -them be rescued again and again from oblivion._ - -THE FIRST IDEA _is, that there is a great Cause--in the sense of -an enterprise--called the Cause of Sublime Perfection and Human -Brotherhood. This rests upon the essential unity of the whole human -family, and is a possibility because sublimity in perfectness and -actual realization of brotherhood on every plane of being are one and -the same thing._ - -THE SECOND IDEA _is, that man is a being who may be raised up to -perfection, to the stature of the Godhead, because he himself is God -incarnate. This noble doctrine was in the mind of Jesus, when he said -that we must be perfect even as the Father in Heaven. This is the idea -of human perfectibility. It will destroy the awful theory of inherent -original sin which has held and ground down the western Christian -nations for centuries._ - -THE THIRD IDEA _is the illustration, the proof, the high result of -the others. It is, that the great Helpers of Humanity--those who have -reached up to what perfection this period of evolution and this solar -system will allow--are living veritable facts, and not abstractions -cold and distant. They are, as our old H. P. Blavatsky so often said_, -LIVING MEN. _These Helpers as living facts and high ideals will fill -the soul with hope, will themselves help all who wish to raise the -human race._ - -_Let us not forget these three great ideas._ - - WILLIAM Q. JUDGE - - - - - THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH - MONTHLY ILLUSTRATED - - EDITED BY KATHERINE TINGLEY - - NEW CENTURY CORPORATION, POINT LOMA, CALIFORNIA, U. S. A. - - Entered as second-class matter July 25, 1911, at the Post Office at - Point Loma, California under the Act of March 3, 1879 - Copyright, 1911, by Katherine Tingley - - - COMMUNICATIONS - - Communications for the Editor should be addressed to "KATHERINE - TINGLEY, _Editor_, THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH, Point Loma, California." - - To the BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, including subscriptions, address the "New - Century Corporation, Point Loma, California." - - - MANUSCRIPTS - - The Editor cannot undertake to return manuscripts; none will be - considered unless accompanied by the author's name and marked with the - number of words. The Editor is responsible only for views expressed in - unsigned articles. - - - SUBSCRIPTION - - By the year, postpaid, in the United States, Canada, Cuba, Mexico, - Porto Rico, Hawaii, and the Philippines, TWO DOLLARS; other countries - in the Postal Union, TWO DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS, payable in advance; - single copy, TWENTY CENTS. - - - REMITTANCES - - All remittances to the New Century Corporation must be made payable to - "CLARK THURSTON, _Manager_," Point Loma, California. - - - VOL. I NO. 4 CONTENTS OCTOBER 1911 - - - Scene from _The Aroma of Athens_ _Frontispiece_ - Karma, Reincarnation, and Immortality - H. T. Edge, B. A. (Cantab.) 243 - Scenes from _The Aroma of Athens_ (_illustrations_) - 246-247, 254-255, 266-267 - Poetry and Criticism Kenneth Morris 247 - "The Music of the Spheres" H. Coryn, M. D., M. R. C. S. 258 - Does Nirvâna mean Annihilation? T. H. 261 - Cathedrals in Ancient Crete A Student 262 - The World of Womanhood Grace Knoche 264 - "Magnetons," Force and Matter H. Travers 267 - The Natural History Museum, London (_illustrated_) 270 - Scenes in Geneva and near Champéry, Switzerland (_illustrations_) 271 - Was H. P. Blavatsky a Plagiarist? H. T. Edge, B. A. (Cantab.) 271 - A Farmhouse on the Norfolk Broads, England (_illustration_) 274 - Buckingham Palace, London (_illustrated_) 275 - The Golden Chain of Platonic Succession - F. S. Darrow, A. M., PH. D. (Harv.) 276 - Classical Cyrene Ariomardes 280 - Killarney, Ireland (_illustrated_) - F. J. Dick, M. INST. C. E., M. INST. C. E. I. 282 - The Vrbas Defile, Bosnia (_illustrated_) F. J. B. 286 - Rocking-Stone Pinnacle, Tasmania (_illustration_) 287 - Astronomical Notes C. J. Ryan 287 - St. Paul's Cathedral from Ludgate Hill (_illustrated_) Carolus 293 - Who Made the Eucalypts? (_illustrated_) Nature-Lover 295 - Australian Marsupials (_illustrated_) Nature-Lover 296 - Hoa-Haka-Nana-Ia (_illustrated_) P. A. Malpas 299 - Sun-Life and Earth-Life Per Fernholm, M. E. (Stockholm) 300 - The Spade of the Archaeologist Ariomardes 303 - The Lands now Submerged Durand Churchill 305 - Scene in Amsterdam. Oil Creek Falls, Alberta, Canada - (_illustrations_) 306-307 - Book Reviews: _Il est ressuscité_ (Charles Morice) H. A. Fussell 307 - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. and -Engraving Dept. SCENE FROM "THE AROMA OF ATHENS," AS PRESENTED IN THE -GREEK THEATER, INTERNATIONAL THEOSOPHICAL HEADQUARTERS, POINT LOMA, -CALIFORNIA, APRIL 17, 1911 PROCLAMATION OF THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR BY -MELESIPPOS, THE SPARTAN HERALD] - - - - -THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH - -KATHERINE TINGLEY, EDITOR - -VOL. I OCTOBER, 1911 NO. 4 - - HE who thinks himself holier than another, he who has any pride in his - exemption from vice or folly, he who believes himself wise, or in any - way superior to his fellow-men, is incapable of discipleship.--_Light - on the Path_ - - -KARMA, REINCARNATION, AND IMMORTALITY: by H. T. Edge, B. A. (Cantab.) - - -People habitually discuss the past and the future of the human race -with a zeal and interest that clashes strangely with their professed -views on the subject of immortality; for what living interest could we -have in the drama and prospects of a world if our appearance on the -stage were actually limited to the term of a single mortal life? This -constitutes the strongest kind of argument against the conventional -views, theological or otherwise. It would seem that we are really -conscious, though in a dim and undefined way, of our immortality--or, -rather, of the immortality of our essence. The same conviction also -arises when we consider the readiness with which people will face -death, sooner than sacrifice some ideal of love or duty; a readiness -quite inconsistent with professed beliefs. - -While most of that which goes to make up a man has grown together -during the period since his birth, and will fall asunder again when he -dies, there is an immortal seed which was before and shall be again. - -What is needed is to make our philosophy agree with our inner -convictions, instead of contradicting them. If the consciousness of -immortality in the young were preserved, and not destroyed by wrong -teachings, the old would not have to spend so much time and energy -in trying to solve problems that would never have arisen. We do not -sufficiently realize what we owe to centuries of theological dogmatism -and other forms of materialism; and consequently we underestimate the -effect which would be produced if the rising generations were guided on -higher, broader, and more generous lines of thought. - -Theosophy justly claims that its philosophy enables us to interpret our -own intuitions. Its teachings do not contradict our innate conviction -of the justice of universal law. Theosophy may be called a science, -inasmuch as it interprets nature, studying the effects and unraveling -their causes, finding explanations that will account for the facts. It -might also be called rationalism, since it imposes no dogmas but points -out facts. But both science and reason must be understood in a vastly -wider sense than the conventional one. Nature is not limited to her -external manifestations; for the body is but the vesture of the soul -within--whether in man or in the earth. Nor can the function of science -be limited to physics. - -The justice and harmony of a human life cannot be discerned if we -regard that life separately--apart from its sequel and apart from that -of which it is the sequel. This circumstance accounts for most of the -strivings and strainings to reconcile faith with experience and to -find a place for God in philosophy. But the idea of Reincarnation is -so unfamiliar to Western culture and habits of thought that reasonable -as it is it will take some time to win its appeal. The process of -familiarizing this truth is rendered slower by the fact that much -nonsense is talked about it, and reasonable inquirers thereby warned -off. Yet it is possible to speak of Reincarnation in a sane and serious -way. - -What people most often forget is to distinguish properly between -that which survives and that which does not, and this may lead them -to expect proofs of a kind that cannot logically be demanded. They -also confound memory with recollection, assuming, quite illogically, -that where there is no recollection there can be no memory. But it is -conceivable that memories may be stored up beyond our present reach, -and yet be accessible to stronger efforts which we may be able to -make at some future time. It may be true that we do not _recollect_ -our past lives, but we are not warranted in inferring that the memory -is obliterated or that there never was any such record made. The -recollection of past lives is a question of memory training; but it is -probably unnecessary to say that anyone who should venture on such a -task in the expectation of achieving speedy results by his own unaided -efforts would be liable to disappointment and delusion. For this -attainment lies a long way ahead of us on the Path. - -If people were habituated from birth to regard their present life as -only one of a series, a great benefit would accrue. The fear of death -would disappear; in time it might come to be looked upon as a mere -incident. The haste to achieve disproportionate material prosperity -would be seen to be needless. There could never be any ground for the -philosophy, "Let us eat, drink, and be merry; for tomorrow we die!" -But, more important still, confidence and courage would be restored. -It would never be too late to mend; the oldest man might begin a new -study or enterprise. Things left undone in this life could confidently -be left for completion in the future. Failings not entirely overcome -would be left behind, and a clean start would be in prospect. We do -indeed already act as though we believed in Reincarnation; for old -men begin new studies, and in many other ways people behave as though -they were not going to die for good. Our intuitions are better than -our philosophy; they tell us true, but we give them the lie; hence we -marvel at our "inconsistency" or say that "God moves in a mysterious -way," when it is ourselves who are moving in a mysterious way, our -wonders to perform. How much more reasonable it would be, if we could -give up these dogmas and mold our philosophy into harmony with our -inner perceptions. And, speaking of dogmas, be it remembered that there -are dogmas and dogmas; and one of the latter is that nothing is true -unless it can be shown to follow from certain arbitrary rules of reason. - -Another mistake made in thinking of immortality consists in regarding -it merely in relation to time. Yet the Soul exists all the time; and -while the personality is living its temporal life, the Soul, free from -the limitations of time and sense, is living its eternal life. Hence we -may truly be said to be experiencing immortality while in the flesh; -and though we but faintly realize it, we do so in different degrees, -some people more than others. - -A useful comparison is that between death and sleep, between a lifetime -and a day. During the period of a day we pass through successive -phases similar to youth, maturity, and old age. At night we cheerfully -lay down our work, confident that we shall resume it. Each day is -determined to a large extent by preceding days, and is in its turn the -parent of following days. In every day our free initiative works amid -conditions imposed by our actions on preceding days, and here we find -an analogy with the workings of the law of Karma during a lifetime. If -we but regard a lifetime as a longer day, the analogy will clear up -many difficulties. - -Continuing this analogy further, we find that as regards the successive -days of our lifetime, our mind is conscious of them all; in fact our -mind is in the same position with regard to the days as the Higher Mind -is with regard to the successive lives. Knowing this, we do not make -the mistake of scolding Providence for conditions which we know we have -created ourselves. The only difference, in the case of a lifetime, is -that we are not yet cognizant of the continuity of our existence, and -find ourselves in circumstances whose origin we have forgotten. Yet -these circumstances are the logical consequence of past actions. The -opportunities we enjoy and the drawbacks under which we suffer were -made by ourselves. - -It is maintained by Theosophists that the doctrines of Karma and -Reincarnation are perfectly adaptable to ordinary life; that they are -not mere theories such as a scholar might amuse himself with; that they -represent actual facts and constitute an interpretation--indeed the -only logical interpretation--of things as they are. It may be regarded -as certain that these tenets will eventually become generally adopted; -there is great vitality behind them, and the human mind is at present -in a fluid condition, during which it is rapidly assimilating new -ideas. The future may be forecast by a comparison of present ideas with -those of a few years ago. The important thing is to provide that the -pure teachings, and not any absurd travesty of them, shall prevail. - -It is a solemn and oft-repeated truth that no real reform in human -circumstances can be made unless the characters of the people are -reformed. And how can these be reformed so long as there is such a -chaos of beliefs and non-beliefs, theological dogmas that teach us -to fear ourselves, so-called "scientific" theories that magnify our -animal nature and animal heredity? What is needed is views of life -based upon common sense, views which dignify man and inspire him with -self-confidence of the right kind. The Theosophical teachings as to -Karma, Reincarnation, and the sevenfold nature of man can achieve this; -but they need to be seriously studied, and above all made the basis of -action. Theosophist is who Theosophy does. - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. and -Engraving Dept. THE CROWNING OF HOMER A TABLEAU PRESENTED IN THE GREEK -THEATER, INTERNATIONAL THEOSOPHICAL HEADQUARTERS ON APRIL 17, 1911, IN -THE GREEK PLAY "THE AROMA OF ATHENS"] - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. and -Engraving Dept. IRIS ADVISING PRIAM TO RANSOM HEKTOR'S BODY ANOTHER -TABLEAU PRESENTED IN "THE AROMA OF ATHENS"] - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. and -Engraving Dept. CHILDREN'S SCENE IN "THE AROMA OF ATHENS"] - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. and -Engraving Dept. ANOTHER CHILDREN'S SCENE IN "THE AROMA OF ATHENS"] - - - - -POETRY AND CRITICISM: by Kenneth Morris - - -I - -Matthew Arnold will have it that the function of Poetry is the -Criticism of Life; and the work of a poet will be important, according -to him, only in so far as it throws light on human life and character. -But in the work of all poets there is a kind of cream that may be -skimmed off (_provided that there is a cream_, and that it was not all -sky-blue wretchedness from the first); and when it has been so skimmed, -one may say that the poetry is the cream, and the criticism of life -the skim-milk. "Such and such a lyric, by so and so," says your poet -or poetry-lover, "is of equal value with Hamlet or the Odyssey, all -three being absolute in their beauty." "Gammon!" says your man of the -world in letters; "there is the criticism of life to be thought of. -How shall ten lines be equal to ten thousand?" Which is right? The -second will get all the votes; which is no great argument, perhaps. -The epic took longer in the writing; but one never knows what may lie -behind the lyric. The didactic or philosophic poem, the work full -of this criticism, will influence the thought of the world; and if -thinking is to be the judge, it will win unquestionably. But the lyric -will be singing itself through thousands of minds, in the sunshine, -in the mines, over the washtub, heaven knows where: without noise, it -will shed its brightness through a million eyes, its sweetness on a -million tempers, its clearness and magic on a million imaginations. -To the writer of the most perfect lyric, I am not sure that we do not -owe as much gratitude as to the writer of the greatest epic or drama: -I am almost positive that we owe him more than to the best writer of -criticism of life; though it be a dozen lines against a dozen volumes. - -Most of the English-writing poets have been also, and many of them -mainly, philosophers; writing their thought in verse form, and perhaps -sprinkling it from the spice-box of pure poetry, and perhaps not. -Often and often we find stories or philosophic disquisitions in verse, -that might have been told as well in prose; although it has been -said rather wisely that nothing should have verse form that could be -told honorably without metre. There is a class of idea that journeys -leisurely and step by step through the mind; this should be reserved -for prose. There are other classes that have the sweep and charge of -cavalry, and you build epics and all heroic poetry of them; others -that soar singing like the skylark, or that wander from bloom to bloom -droning out a magical and honey-laden monody, secrets of a learning -incomprehensible to the minds of men. These will be the right stuff for -your pure lyrics, these bees and birds in the golden regions west of -thought. Their revelations are more esoteric than philosophy; they home -to deeper places. - -But one cannot deal with all poetry or all life in one article; and it -is the intention here to consider narrative poetry alone. Narrative -poetry, when it is anything more than a ballad, is epic: and epic is -heroic poetry; not by any convention, I believe, but in accordance -with deep-seated law. There is room for nothing personal or limited -here; for no dissection of personal characteristics, no consideration -or criticism of problems of exterior life. Those things all belong to -prose; poetry proclaims the actions and perceptions of the soul. Heroic -or epic poetry tells of the soul as hero, warrior, redeemer; as Sigurd -going out against Fafnir, Arthur ferried in a dark barge to The Island -of the Apples; as Satan unconquered in the lake of flame; as Christ on -Golgotha, or Prometheus on Caucasus. It has to show forth the glory, -the indomitableness, the magnanimity of the soul, dwelling in those -lofty regions and letting who will come to it for general strength -and inspiration. It is the Mountain; it will not descend from itself -for any Mohammed. For this reason is its aloofness, its tendency to -concern itself with periods _apparently_ in the far past, but really -in the eternal. That atmosphere all narrative poetry must retain, -under penalty of sinking into berhymed or bemetred prose; or into the -ballad--which, indeed, can be good, at its best, but not supremely -good. Yet how many stories there are, beautifully written in verse, -which are neither epic in spirit nor ballad in form; which are, if the -truth should be told, novels strayed from their proper fold of prose, -valley wanderers by no means at home on the mountain. - -One thinks, for example, of such a work as Mrs. Browning's _Aurora -Leigh_. If she had only written it in prose! With that faultlessness of -expression, that delicate insight and unerring justness of criticism -which mark it, it would have become a classic; we should have said, -"Why, this is a prose poem, a literary treasure among novels." But -being in verse, it remains, however beautiful, only versified prose; -and it is to be feared that we neglect it; to be feared, but hardly to -be wondered at. If she had only written it in prose! - -Or one thinks of nearly all Tennyson's narrative poetry. The aim, one -feels, was nearly always criticism of life, the life of all these -myriads of personalities; not poetry, which is the illumination of -the hidden life of the soul. It was for this reason that _Idylls of -the King_, although flaming up here and there with such poetry as has -not been excelled in any known literature, perhaps--yet fails as a -whole to be a great poem. The Nineteenth Century was too insistent, -and the troubles and problems of the day. Milton, dealing with matters -beyond the crystalline and the brink of time, achieved the epic; but -even Milton, coming down to Eden, heaven, and the familiar things of -dogmatic theology, attained only to be ... Well, well, all honor to -him; he deserves that all that should be lost and forgotten. Poetry and -personality cannot be blended; they are a veritable God and Mammon. - -Then there are those charming stories of Tennyson's: _Dora_, _Enoch -Arden_, _Almer's Field_, _The Princess_. He dignified them all with -his own high gift of style; stamped on every line his own noble and -melodious manner; adorned them all richly, and with consummate taste, -with the best color of English rural life. Yet they remain essentially -of the nature of prose; and we should not have been lured into thinking -them poetry, but for the wonderful genius with which Tennyson handled -them. The matter is the matter of the novel; and the style--what a -wonderful style it is!--is rather the polished style that reflects -light, the style of prose, than the white-hot luminosity of the genuine -epic. - -Let us take, for example, _The Princess_, perhaps the most romantic -and beautiful of this series, the one it takes the greatest temerity -to speak of as not really poetic. Its aim is to throw light on, or -to consider, or discuss, a certain present-day problem, that of the -"emancipation of women"; and who shall say that that might not be done -in prose? Is poetry to throw no light on our modern problems, or on -contemporary problems, then? Turn to your Milton for an answer: - - Dare ye for this adjure the civil sword - To force our consciences that Christ set free, - And ride us with a classic hierarchy - Taught ye by mere A. S. and Rutherford? - Men whose life, learning, faith, and pure intent - Would have been held in high esteem with Paul - Must now be named and printed heretics - By shallow Edwards and Scotch What-d'ye-call! - But we do hope to find out all your tricks. - -Poetry? By heaven, yes! And on a contemporary problem? Look at -the title of it: "On the New Forcers of Conscience under the Long -Parliament"; and the date given, too; 1646. But does he discuss? Does -he consider? Indeed he does not. He flames forth from the standpoint of -the soul; he is still God's Warrior, and you dare not mention truce to -him. So those prosaic names, that "mere A. S. and Rutherford," "shallow -Edwards," and above all the ridiculous "Scotch What-d'ye-call," become -flaming and terrible poetic utterances on his lips; he blasts with them -the fools that dare stand up against the liberty and supremacy of the -soul. But suppose, instead of this terse, burning sonnet so entirely -free from the atmosphere of argumentation, he had written a long story -designed to thrash the matter out from the standpoint of pure reason? -Some one might do so; and the work might be one of great value; but it -would not be poetic; it could not be Miltonic; it would be a novel with -a purpose, not an epic poem. - -There are problems and problems; those which poetry may specifically -handle, are, I think, the same yesterday, today and forever. Who is -to hinder her handling what problems she likes; will you set down -rules for her? Heaven forbid! it were more profitable to build a fence -about the cuckoo. But the fact remains that she will touch these, and -will not touch those others. Charm you never so wisely, she will not -come from her own ground. For all your birdlime of earnestness, of -enthusiasm, of excellent purpose, it is some masquerading jackdaw you -will have captured, not the Bird of Paradise; unless it is the trees of -Paradise you have limed. Poetry hardly deals with any historic period, -old or new; she leaves those to the historians, and has a period of her -own, which is eternal. What then, you say, of those "New Forcers of -Conscience in the Long Parliament?" This! that that parliament is so -long that it has been sitting any time this two thousand years, and is -sitting now, in all our towns and villages. "New Presbyter is but old -Priest writ large"; A. S. and Rutherford, Shallow Edwards and Scotch -What-d'ye-call--they all preach in a thousand pulpits every Sunday. -For they are prototypal figures, and plot and persecute wherever there -is bigotry or ecclesiastical dominance. Against them, and, so far as -one has been able to discover, against them _only_, does poetry ever -come forth armed, enangered, utterly ruthless. It is she that has pity -and pardon for the Magdalene and the publican; but a whip of bitter -small chords for those that have made her Father's house into a den -of thieves. Do you doubt it? Then find some passage where anger is -expressed, not in rhetoric, not in mere fustian bombast, but with the -sublime music and undertone, the ring of genuine poetry; perhaps an -anger without mercy, a declaration of utter war; and see whether it is -not directed _always_ against this same ecclesiasticism. - -But we set out to discuss the epic; and here we have wandered off to -consider a sonnet with particular gusto; a grave digression, surely? -I think not. You shall not judge a poem's right to the epic name by -its length. This little sonnet is an epic too, with Milton on Pegasus -for hero; and A. S., Rutherford, Edwards, and What-d'ye-call for -four-headed Chimaera. I think the very archaeus of the epic is the -eternal battle of the world; and that all epics have their root in -that, and are great and regal in proportion to their nearness, inwardly -and spiritually speaking, to it. Tennyson knew it when he set out to -write in his _Idylls of the King_ a record of the Soul at war with -sense; only perhaps he knew it too personally and consciously; and lost -the grand epic symbolism in his quest after actual _criticism_ of life. - - -II - -But to return to _The Princess_. Here, the objective is not to set -forth eternal verity, but to discuss, perhaps throw light on, a problem -of our own day; a social, in a sense, rather than a spiritual problem. -What figure can stand for the battling soul, and what for the principle -of evil? There are epic places in the _Idylls of the King_, where this -symbolism stands forth majestically, and style and glory correspond. We -have the story of that "last, dim battle in the west" and the passing -of Arthur thereafter; clean, antique, touched with the infinite and -with eternity; therein, if you will, is the epic atmosphere. But here -it is the benevolent, thoughtful Tennyson that is speaking, troubled -by the evils that he sees around him; not Tennyson the great Bard on -fire with ultimate and secret truth. You see, there was the duality -there; and both sides of it are honorable, to be revered and loved. -If criticism has a work to perform in discriminating between the two, -she does no dishonor to the thinker in separating him from the poet. -We have to ask what there is in this work, _The Princess_, that might -entitle it to be considered poetry, in the highest sense. - -The style? Style is there, undoubtedly. Every line has been molded, -heightened, shaped, polished, chiseled. But let us compare it with the -style of poetry, and we shall see the difference. Here is one of the -most fiery passages; one in which you can feel that the invitation was -to the supreme, super-personal compassion to enter in: - - "O brother, you have known the pangs we felt, - What heats of indignation when we heard - Of those that iron-cramp'd their women's feet; - Of lands in which at the altar the poor bride - Gives her harsh groom for bridal-gift a scourge; - Of living hearts that crack within the fire - Where smoulder their dead despots; and of those-- - Mothers--that, all prophetic pity, fling - Their pretty maids in the running flood, and swoops - The vulture, beak and talon, at the heart - Made for all noble motion; and I saw - That equal baseness lived in sleeker times - With smoother men: the old leaven leaven'd all: - Millions of throats would bawl for civil rights, - No woman named: therefore I set my face - Against all men, and lived but for mine own. - Far from all men I built a fold for them." - -So speaks the princess of the story; profusely, if with great dignity; -bitterly, but argumentatively: it is a heightened, an exalted prose -style; but it has not taken that leap into infinity which is the mark -of the poetic grand manner. For a contrast, consider this; the work of -another Victorian bard; one not greater than Tennyson, but here with -his poet's blue mantle upon him, robed with the infinite. He, too, is -smitten with compassion for certain women; and the flame leaps up from -the blow in this wise: - - Here, down between the dusty trees, - At this lank edge of haggard wood, - Women with labour-loosened knees, - With gaunt backs bowed by servitude, - Stop, shift their loads, and pray, and fare - Forth with souls easier for the prayer. - - * * * * * - - God of this grievous people, wrought - After the likeness of their race, - By faces like thine own besought, - Thine own blind helpless eyeless face, - I too, that have nor tongue nor knee - For prayer, I have a word to thee. - - It was for this then, that thy speech - Was blown about the world in flame, - And men's souls shot up out of reach - Of fear or lust or thwarting shame-- - That thy faith over souls should pass - As sea-winds burning the young grass? - - It was for this, that prayers like these - Should spend themselves about thy feet. - And with hard overlaboured knees - Kneeling, these slaves of men should beat - Bosoms too lean to suckle sons, - And fruitless as their orisons? - -It is the first and the last verses quoted that count; and I think much -might be learned from a careful comparison of them with the passage -from _The Princess_. Tennyson has made a catalog, in the manner of -prose, of the sorrows of women; his mind traveling with passion, -but with a certain artistic, conscious discrimination, from China, -India, Arabia, to the hustings of Victorian England (for it is that, -in reality). The style of prose we say; well, the style of rhetoric: -picture by picture has been chosen with a view to make the case strong, -to impress who should hear it. "Ida's answer ... Oration-like," says -Tennyson, knowing well what he was writing. Swinburne, in the supreme -manner of poetry, has burned upon our vision that solemn, terrible -picture, bare, unornate, unforgetable, of the women at the wayside -crucifix; "slaves of men" beating "bosoms too lean to suckle sons": -and with the picture there is that impression of augustness, that -sense as of the presence of a great avenging angel, or perhaps, of -the majesty of the Law. The attitude of the Princess Ida towards the -evils that she condemns, is one of personal protest; she dwells on the -same plane as they do, albeit in the brighter regions of it; she is a -human personality, and speaks with a human and quite personal voice. -But the anger of Swinburne here, the condemnation that he deals out, -is not personal: the words are such as might be spoken by a god from -his throne. They come from a loftier place than the thing condemned -occupies, as though they were a sentence passed from the tribunal -against whose decrees there is no appeal. So they are indeed. For this -is Poetry, which is the voice of the Soul; and the Soul is deific, -sovereign, aloof; and it does look down and pass sentence on the things -of this world--a sentence damnatory or compassionate, but based on -the evidence of direct vision and certitude, never on argument and the -weighing up of pros and cons. - -Look at those last lines again; with what sure intensity the -whole tragedy is revealed! Compassion, in her own manner loftily -_disdainful_, we might almost say, is suddenly focused; nine-tenths -of the story are left untold, but the one-tenth that remains has the -whole cry, the whole tragedy in it of a world blighted by lies: it is -"dowered with the hate of hate, the scorn of scorn," and, _mirabile -dictu_, with the "love of love," or compassion, in a breath. - -We get that same strange glorious blending of compassion and -scorn--pride or scorn, one does not know what to call it; it is -neither of those things in reality, but rather the native accent -of divinity in the voice of the soul--we hear that same majestic -blending of compassion and haughtiness pre-eminently in a line from -the _Purgatorio_ which Arnold justly gives as one of the most perfect -examples of the Grand Manner of poetry, the highest style than can be -impressed on written or chanted words; the line: _Che drizza voi che il -mondo fece torti_, "Which straightens you whom the world made crooked." -We see here, I think, as in the passage from Swinburne, the same -impatience of words and details; the same godlike aloofness; the same -pity too compressed, too burning and intense, to reveal itself fully -or tenderly: the feeling has passed beyond the limits of the power of -tenderness, we might say, to be tender: it is such a super-passional -passion of tenderness, suppressed, governed, boiling, that it must be -stern, swift, momentary--or nothing. Is it not the very naked voice -of the august divinity hidden within us?--the greatest fashion that -can be burned and infused into the brute stuff of language; because -ringing with the dominance of that hidden Master? It bears the mark of -compassion, because compassion is the inevitable attitude of the soul -outward from itself; and it bears the stamp of sublime titanism--that -thing that would be scorn, were it bitter and hostile, and that would -be mere majesty, might it remain passive and in repose--because the -soul is a god, and knows itself to be a god, and breathes out the -atmosphere of godhood. Here it is in Milton, again: - - His form had not yet lost - All her original brightness, nor appeared - Less than archangel ruined: - -and of course, it is Milton and Dante who are the supreme masters in -modern literature of the Grand Manner; as poets, the greatest of the -poets. - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. and -Engraving Dept. PHEIDIAS, EURIPIDES, AND ARISTON GROUP IN "THE AROMA OF -ATHENS"] - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. and -Engraving Dept. KRITON, THUKYDIDES, PHEIDIAS, ARISTON, AND HIPPONIKOS -(READING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) "THE AROMA OF ATHENS"] - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. and -Engraving Dept. HIPPARETE, PERIKTIONE, POTONE, ASPASIA, AGATHOKLEIA, -DIOTIMA, DEINOMACHE, AND MYRTO (READING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) "THE AROMA -OF ATHENS"] - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. and -Engraving Dept. DIOTIMA, PERIKLES, AND ASPASIA, SEATED "THE AROMA OF -ATHENS"] - -Now it will be said that there is compassion in the passage quoted from -_The Princess_; and undoubtedly there is; but is not the effort all to -manifest it, to make it plain to every one that it is there, to lead it -from picture to picture that will feed and excite it? We may say that -it is a voice from below upward, an inspiration; it has the style and -atmosphere of a great endeavor of the personal self towards the soul: -whereas in the other cases, it is the comment and utterance of the soul -itself. _There_, there is no effort to manifest compassion; the effort -is all to suppress and control it. The effort is like the metal walls -of a bomb, without which the explosive would only fizzle and waste. -The poet--Swinburne, Milton, or Dante--had no doubt of his dynamite; -it was too mighty, too awesome a thing; all he must do is to make the -bomb walls strong, strong, strong. So, in reading, we get the effect, -and are blown up--to the altitudes of consciousness. Tennyson, being -also a poet, and therefore knowing the nature of dynamite; but writing -here, not poetry, but mere criticism of life in the guise of poetry, -puts what he can, out of his memory, of dynamite into his work: infuses -what he may of the atmosphere of compassion into it. Swinburne and -Dante and Milton have a Niagara to deal with, and they must make the -channel of it as small as they may; they must dam it as well as they -can, or heaven knows where they and the world would be swept to--mere -incoherence and blind fury perhaps, or silence. Tennyson (in this case) -has to deal with an irrigation scheme, and must make his channels as -wide and deep as he can, and coax the waters of the world into them. -Then, too, see how he deals with that other quality. He knew well -enough that it is integral in the Grand Manner of Poetry, and he will -weave it in here, if he may. So we have: - - Far from all men I built a fold for them: - - * * * * * - - And prospered; till a _rout of saucy boys - Brake on us at our books_. - -There is no doubt what quality that is; scorn, indignation, -separateness, bitterness, hostility. It is a personal imitation of -loftiness, the compassionate element has quite vanished from it; there -is all the difference in the world between it and the fierce pity of-- - - these slaves of men should beat - Bosoms too lean to suckle sons, - And fruitless as their orisons: - -or the sudden stern mercy implied in-- - - la Montagna - Che drizza voi che il mondo fece torti: - -or the serene, august luminance of compassion shining through-- - - His form had not yet lost - All her original brightness. - -Or, since the compassion is out of it, we might compare it with those -many lines from Milton that convey only the sense of the grandeur, -without the compassion, of the soul; lines such as these: - - An old and haughty nation, proud in arms; - -or: - - Standing on earth, not rapt above the pole, - More safe I sing with mortal voice, _unchanged_ - To hoarse or mute, _though fallen on evil days, - On evil days though fallen, and evil tongues, - In darkness, and with dangers compassed round_; - -or: - - Let such bethink them, if the sleepy drench - Of that forgetful lake benumb not still, - _That in our proper motion we ascend - Up to our native seat; descent and fall - To us are adverse_: - ---these speak of the majesty of the soul; but the other only of the -bitterness of the personality. - -But you will say, Tennyson was putting words into the mouth of a very -human, limited personality; and so the piece is more artistic as it is, -and would be inappropriate otherwise. These are the words she actually -would have said. True. The personality does speak in prose. Prose is -the language of personality; and no doubt it was first invented when -first the souls rayed out personalities from themselves; no doubt -poetry is the older, as it is the more august. So the style used in -_The Princess_ is suitable, well-chosen, artistic; it fits the subject -admirably; which proves that the subject is essentially a prose one. -For prose--history, philosophy, criticism--examines and criticises life -from without; but poetry illumines it from within. Prose considers and -passes judgment on the external, the seeming, the current: Poetry -dwells within the holy of holies and her whole burden is the story of -the Soul. - -If she looks outward at all--and she does that too, at times--it is -from her own standpoint, and in the eternal manner. She does not then -criticise; her tones do not mince nor falter. The bardic schools had a -law, that the office of the Bard was solely to extol what was noble; -there were other orders, not sacred like the bardic, whose business was -to satirize or to amuse. One can see that such a law must have come -from a time when that one force which, as was said above, alone can -move poetry to anger absolute, was not in evidence: for, except that -they must fight that force, that old law holds for the bards now. So -poetry, looking down into this world, criticises no one and nothing. -She exalts whom she will; she mantles humanity with godhood: and whom -she will--the antihumanists, the plotters against the freedom and -beauty of the soul--she thunders upon. - -Swinburne, looking at the roadside crucifix ghastly in its deification -of decay and death, criticises _that_--nay, scourges the idea it -symbolizes, the soul-fettering dogmatism; pours on it the hate of hate, -the scorn of scorn, if you like--but it is because the awful vision of -the real Crucified burns up before him; the tragedy of the ages, the -enslaved, thwarted, hindered, persecuted _Soul of Man_. Dante beholds -the severe mercy of the Great Law, "that straightens us, whom the -world has made crooked." Milton, vainly endeavoring to be orthodox, -to write within the limits of the dogmas, justifying the ways of his -strange deity, and holding up Satan for our abhorrence, gives way to -the great spirit of the Poet within him time and again; and shows, time -and again, the sublime pathos of the Soul, Unchanged, though fallen on -evil days. Nay, but they do not tell of these things; they make them -live; they are revelations shown before us; so that our own eyes have -seen, and the universe has undergone transfiguration, and ourselves. -For Poetry is no little thing, no mere refinement. It is magic; it is -the life of the Gods; it is the secret and spiritual nature of things. -Without it, this Universe like a rotten bough, would break off from -the Tree of Life. Without it, there would be no Tree of Life. It is -the living sap, the greenness, the subtle vigor, and the beauty of the -Tree. - - - - -"THE MUSIC OF THE SPHERES": - -by H. Coryn, M. D., M. R. C. S. - - -Hegel, commenting upon the Pythagorean doctrine of number as the basis -of all things says: - - Numbers have been much used as the expression of ideas. This, on one - side, has a look of depth. For, that another meaning is implied in - them than they immediately present, is seen at once; but how much is - implied in them is known neither to him who proposes, nor by him who - tries to understand.... The more obscure the thoughts, the deeper they - seem; the thing is, that what is most essential, but also what is - hardest, namely, the expression of one's self in definite notions--is - precisely what the proposer spares himself. - -Upon which Stirling remarks: - - But the curious point is that Hegel himself adopts this very numerical - symbolism, so far as it suits _the system_! It is only, indeed, when - that agreement fails, that the agreement of Hegel fails also. The - moment it does fail, however, his impatience breaks out. The one, the - two, the three, he contentedly, even warmly and admiringly accepts, - nay, "as far as five," he says, "there may well be something like - a thought in numbers, _but_ on from six there are simply arbitrary - determinations!" - -Especially, said Hegel, there is meaning in _three_, the Trinity. The -Trinity is only unintelligible when considered as three separate units; -its divine meaning appears when we take it as a whole. - - It would be a strange thing if there were no sense in what for two - thousand years has been the holiest Christian idea. - -It would be stranger if one of the profoundest thinkers that ever -lived, a teacher whose grandeur of character made him almost an object -of worship to his pupils, had selected his symbols to "spare himself" -the labor of clear conception (or had let them conceal from himself the -confusion of his own thought). According to Hegel we must respectfully -see philosophy in the Christian Trinity; in the Pythagorean Dekad, none. - -Pythagoras wrote nothing. And his teaching was esoteric, delivered -under pledge of secrecy. The essence of the echoes that reach us -amounts to this: that numbers and ratio are the soul of things; that -the soul itself is a number and a harmony. - -Is there any possible reading of this from which it might appear -profoundly true and illuminating? - -We sometimes estimate savage intelligence by the power of counting, -of adding units. From one point of view the power does not seem to go -very far with ourselves. We cannot in one act of perception count more -than a very few dots irregularly placed on a sheet of paper. If more -than that few they must have some arrangement. Nine must be perhaps in -three threes, twelve in four threes or three fours. But even before -twenty is reached, no arrangement will permit one act of perception to -accomplish the numbering. There is merely a considerable number, and -actual unitary counting--of units or groups--is necessary to know how -large it is. - -But now let there be a sufficient number of dots to suggest to the eye -say a flower form or a frieze pattern, and let them be so arranged. -Before that arrangement they were a mere horde of _ones_; in their -definite arrangement they have a _meaning_, excite an idea, a state of -consciousness. Is not the advent of this meaning, the perception of -this form as a whole, a new and transcendental kind of counting? Number -in this sense, is form; and the form is form and not inchoateness, -chaos, just because of its meaning; that is, because of the state of -consciousness it excites in us. - -You can count the ticks of the clock--as ones. If they were four -times as fast you could perhaps still count them. As they became more -rapid than that they would pass beyond the power of counting. As they -became still more rapid they would presently cease to be units at all -_and become a musical note_. Now they excite what might be called an -idea, a state of feeling peculiar to that number per second. Is not -the perception of that number _as a note_ a kind of counting? Let the -number per second be now suddenly doubled. Are we aware of the ratio of -this new number to the previous one? Yes, but as a rise of an octave -in the note, not as a counted doubling. To this corresponds another -state of feeling, partly due to the new note as it is, partly due to -its relation to the old one. It is a perception of ratio appearing in -consciousness as aesthetic feeling. - -Set this clock to beat twice as fast again, and having listened a -moment so as to get the sense of the new note, stop it. Set a second -clock to beat _five_ for the first one's four. Listen so as to get the -sense of it and then stop that clock also. Set a third to beat _six_ -for the first one's four and do the same. - -Now start them all at once. You cannot by counting ascertain that -whilst one beats six the other two are respectively beating five and -four. But your appreciation of the fact takes the form of _hearing -the musical chord do, mi, sol_, C, E, G, the common chord in its -first position. Is not the perception of that chord, the acceptation -of that state of feeling, really a recognition of the ratio, a highly -transcendental counting? In the feeling you have the _meaning_ of the -numbers and of the ratios between them. It is those numbers themselves -viewed from a high standpoint. - -The same might be said of every other chord. Listening to music is -perceiving ratios of vibratory speed between the successive notes and -chords, transcendental counting. The feelings aroused are what those -ratios _mean_. The meaning, the feeling, of the composer gets out into -expression through those numbers and ratios. Number in the ordinary -one-plus-one sense is the body of music; number in the transcendental -sense is its soul. - -We cannot in the ordinary sense count ether-touches on the optic -nerve. But when they reach a certain number of trillions per second we -suddenly perceive the _meaning_ of that number--which we call the color -red or the sensation of redness. When the rapidity is seven-fourths as -many we get the sensation violet. But there is more than a sensation; -the colors have an _aesthetic_ and emotional value. And when colors, -that is rates, are juxtaposited in certain ways we get _art_ and the -value may become _spiritual_. - -But no two people are affected in exactly the same way by the same -piece of music or of art work, though the souls of both may be touched. -Since, as we have seen, the highest aspect of number and ratio is -_spiritual meaning_, we can already see something in the Pythagorean -saying that the soul is a number and a ratio or harmony. In its -self-consciousness it has a spiritual meaning for itself; it means -something to itself; it understands itself. And so each soul, each with -its own special nature or meaning, reacts a little differently to the -spiritual meaning of numbers and ratios coming to it from without. - -Nature herself, thought the Pythagoreans, is instinct with spiritual -meanings. Whilst the soul is embodied and limited by the senses she -cannot ordinarily or easily get these meanings direct. They have -to be clothed or bodied in those masses of units and ratios that -are color, sound, and form. She touches these ordered aggregations -(numbers them, understands them) on three planes: first as sensation; -then as aesthetic feeling; then, perhaps, in their spiritual meaning. -The musician, as he composes, does receive direct a bit of nature's -spiritual meaning and then aggregates such numbers and ratios of -vibration as will express it. And if his music, carrying this meaning, -be so sounded as to affect plates of sand or other fine powder, forms -will result such as nature herself makes--perhaps in the same way, -though we cannot hear the sound for its subtlety--forms of flowers, -trees, groves, and what not. For any of nature's meanings may get out -along the ways of sound, color, or form. We can conceive that the whole -of evolution is guided by number, ordered number, ratio. The electrons -in an atom and the atoms in a molecule and the molecules in a cell or -crystal are not only so many in number but definite in arrangement, -in form. They _mean_ something; they express in arrangement and in -successive changes in arrangement a unitary spiritual idea of nature's, -and in that is the force of evolution. If the units disintegrate and -scatter so that we speak of death, the idea, the real life, remains -and embodies again in a new harmonized mass of units. The idea is the -magnet that attracts and arranges them and incarnates among them. It -is their spiritual number, the cause of their countable number and -scientifically ascertainable arrangement. - -Number, therefore, in the highest sense, is not the same as a heap, a -mass, an anyhowness; it is an order expressive of a spiritual meaning. -In the highest sense it is that spiritual meaning itself even before -expression in an ordered mass of items or vibrations. And in this sense -the soul is a number and nature the synthesis of numbers; both finding -expression, the one in the soul's several garments (one only known to -science) and works; the other in what we call "nature." Pythagoras will -yet find his full vindication in philosophy. He is of the future, not -the past. - - - - -DOES NIRVÂNA MEAN ANNIHILATION? by T. H. - - -It is sometimes said by superficial students that Nirvâna means total -annihilation; while more accurate scholars point out that it means the -extinction of the impermanent part of our nature, whereby the permanent -prevails. This is well brought out in the following quotation from _The -Kashf al-Mahjûb_, the oldest Persian treatise on Sûfiism, translated by -Reynold A. Nicholson. - - Annihilation is the annihilation of one attribute through the - subsistence of another attribute.... Whoever is annihilated from his - own will subsists in the will of God, as the power of fire transmutes - to its own quality anything that falls into it ... but fire affects - only the quality of iron without changing its substance. - -It is evident that what is annihilated is the _personality_, which, -according to the teachings, is an erroneous conception preventing the -manifestation of the real Self. Thus the doctrine of annihilation -is seen to be a consistent part of a logical teaching and not the -untenable idea which some critics have represented it to be. The -fact that most of us in our present state of development look with -reluctance at the idea of losing our transitory personality does not -invalidate the truth of the teaching; for the teaching relates to the -destinies of the permanent Spirit, in which the wishes of our erring, -transitory personality play but little part. Were we washed clean, -standing forth in robes of light, as most religious believers hope to -be at some time or other, we might consent in will and understanding to -this teaching; seeing then that the personality is indeed a delusion -and a source of woe, whose annihilation is even to be desired. - -In the meantime, and for immediate practical purposes, we can -consider annihilation as a process applicable to the development -of our character; substituting, however, a less harsh word--say -neutralization. There are in our character many elements which we -should wish to reduce to nothing; there are many false selves which -obtrude themselves on us, claiming a share of our life and crowding -out the better phases of our character. The elimination of these, in -order that the better elements may shine forth unobscured, is a process -of purification. Why, then, may not Nirvâna be so considered? To what -extent have our prejudices on the subject been aroused by the mere use -of an inadequate word in translation? Nirvâna is extinction of the -_false_. "Ring out the false, ring in the true!" - - - - -CATHEDRALS IN ANCIENT CRETE: by a Student - - -Great as is the reverence which we have for our religion, we scarcely -realize how much more ancient and venerable it is than is usually -supposed. But archaeology is doing much to enlighten opinion on that -point. For instance, we read in _The Discoveries in Crete_, by Ronald -M. Burrows, that - - It was long ago suggested that the Roman Basilica, which formed the - earliest type of Christian church, was derived both in structure and - in name from the "Stoa Basilike" or King's Colonnade at Athens. - This was the place where the King Archon, the particular member of - the board of nine annual magistrates who inherited the sacred and - judicial functions of the old kings, tried cases of impiety. It had - further seemed possible that the building as well as the title was a - survival from some earlier stage, when a king was a king in more than - name. What we have found at Knossos seems curiously to confirm this - suggested chain of inheritance. - - At one end of a pillared hall, about thirty-seven feet long by fifteen - wide there is a narrow raised dais, separated from the rest of the - hall by stone balustrades, with an opening between them in which three - steps give access to the center of the dais. At this center point, - immediately in front of the steps, a square niche is set back in the - wall, and in this niche are the remains of a gypsum throne.... We - seem to have here ... a pillar hall with a raised "Tribunal" or dais - bounded by "Cancelli" or balustrades, and with an "Exedra" or seated - central niche which was the place of honor. Even the elements of a - triple longitudinal division are indicated by the two rows of columns - that run down the Hall. Is the Priest-King of Knossos, who here gave - his judgments, a direct ancestor of Praetor and Bishop seated in the - Apse within the Chancel, speaking to the people that stood below in - Nave and Aisles? - -The antiquity and universality of the doctrinal basis of Christianity -forms the subject of frequent remarks in Theosophical writings, as it -is a topic much to the fore in religious circles just now. But here the -question is of ecclesiastical architecture; and that too, as we see, -is ancient and pre-Christian. Little do many people seem to suspect -that the grand cathedral, with its nave and aisles, its transept, its -chancel, and its altar, are founded on such ancient models. While -such facts are for the most part unknown or deliberately ignored, -there are some Christian writers who admit them, but are disposed to -regard Christianity as a capstone to the entire edifice of ancient -wisdom, a final and complete revelation. Whether or not Christianity -really occupies or can occupy such a commanding position is of course -a question of fact; the proofs must be practical; by results we must -judge. - -Mere claims will not replace actualities, nor would claims be needed -where actualities were present. If Christianity can maintain such a -position, it will doubtless win the respect it so yearns for. - - - - -THE WORLD OF WOMANHOOD: by Grace Knoche - - -There are subjects which even thought floats round and round, as a -bird above her nestlings or incense over the flame which gave it -birth--subjects which the brain-mind hesitates to touch directly, -so reverential is the appeal they make to the inner and the best in -heart-life. Words seem out of place. Even reason before them pauses, -makes obeisance, and dowered with glamor, passes on, as one might -pass who stands for a moment in the presence of a new light. There -are events, though they are few, that so enshrine within themselves -the deeper sacredness of soul-life that words seem poor and mean as -carriers of their _largess_. The heart feels intuitively that silence, -"the great Empire of Silence," alone could hope to attune human lives -to the voice of them. - -Deep answereth unto deep, but sometimes not by the Marconi messages of -the soul. There are times when from deep to deep the mystic, intangible -bridge that is to be builded must use living words for its piers and -masonry. But they must be _living_ words, golden-tongued words, words -glowing with the lambent touch of flame rekindling flame. They must -be vital, electric, surcharged with the mighty currents of compassion -and that love that layeth down its life for a friend; heart-messengers -of Wisdom herself they must be, and even then can build no bridge -royal enough for Wisdom's whole mighty _entourage_ to pass over when -the Event is such as recent days have brought forth in the world of -womanhood--the _world of womanhood_, bear in mind, which is a larger, -more soulful realm than the _world of women_, merely. - -Yet words are the only masonry-stuff at hand, and so build we must with -them. Hearts that respond to the finer harmonies of life and nature, -and minds that have touched understandingly to a degree the great -problem of woman's work and woman's true place in life, will quicken -and respond. - -At Isis Theater, San Diego, on the evening of Monday, February 19, and -again on February 27, _Anno Fraternitatis Universalis XIV_, Katherine -Tingley looked into the eager, upturned faces of more than a thousand -women, respectful, waiting, aspiring, dead-in-earnest women. Both -meetings had been called for women only. As I glanced over pit and -gallery while the strains of music announced that the meeting was -about to begin, the words which Mr. Judge once used in reference to -right action and the altruistic life, seemed to sing out in tones of -unmistakable triumph from the very bosom of the air: "It is better than -philosophy, _for it enables us to know philosophy_." - -Nothing in this world of unity can be rightly judged if conceived of -as an isolated something, just a fragment. "A primrose by the river's -brim" is far other than "a yellow primrose ... and nothing more" to the -rational, open mind. It is a part of all the rich nature-environment -which, when we think of it _in_ parts, as some mosaicist might think of -his design, we call river and bank and forest-wildness and sedge and -shimmer and sky. The distant mountain is no mountain, merely, but part -of a noble panorama, its base melting into gentler slope and foreground -at just what point no living soul can say, its heights suffused in -sunshine, its edges softened and purpled and cooled and warmed in the -shimmering atmosphere, its stature rising grandly undefined against -the misty, illimitable Beyond of azure or gold or gray. No more can -the artist in color say "Here, definitely _here_, the foreground or -distance end and the mountain begins," than the artist in life can -say, "Here we will mark off and limit _truthfulness_, and next to it, -_virtue_, and beyond the next hard dividing-line, _compassion_, and a -goodly collection of such separate items we will call _character_." Ah -no, life is no rag-bag of scraps and shreds and patches, nor is nature. -It is one grand whole and no part can be understood, or even seen _as -it is_, unless looked at and studied in its relation to all the other -parts which with it constitute the whole. - -So also with historic truth. The mountain-peaks of history, rising as -they do above the plain and level of general human action, never rise -separate to the philosopher's vision from all that lies behind them, -nor are they ever wholly unsuffused by the glow or the dimness that -speaks to the prescient mind of glories or of disillusionments ahead. - -There could be no question, in the minds of those whose duties led -them both before and behind the scenes of action at the two meetings -referred to, that the twentieth century call for women had come. -Katherine Tingley, in inaugurating this work, issued a challenge to -all the nobler possibilities of womanhood. Those who could look beyond -the present into the dim aerial distance and adown the vistas of the -past, knew the Event for what it was and made no mistake in prophesying -wonderful things for the future from the glow of promise which fell -upon it. It was part of the past, yes, but a nobler than the common -part; one felt that it had somehow swung out from old limitations, as -some great glorious member of a star group might be conceived of as -swinging out into space, into a greater orbit and an orbit of its own. -It was as a new note sounded in the long, ascending gamut of woman's -evolution, a gamut in which there are, here and there, glorious notes, -royal notes, with echoing overtones of soulfulness and strength, but -which has, alas! its burden of discord to carry, as well. - -There has been no unity of soul in past efforts, as a whole, and the -keynote struck by Katherine Tingley had a ring of newness, somehow, -on very real lines. Which does not mean that women have not worked -together, often in large bodies, as we see them doing today. But both -their aims and the quality of result that grew from these showed that -real unity on lines of soul-strength and soul-effort has been lacking. -For example, we have today the apparently united body of women who -are storming council-chambers and invoking hand-to-hand battles with -policemen; and yesterday we had their prototypes in old Rome, excited -groups of fad-ridden women who even barred the approaches to the Forum -as an argument in support of their demands for political equality--and -Roman homes going to pieces by the hundred for lack of true womanhood -at the helm. Oh, if women would read history _in a new way_! - -Efforts characterized by a certain outer binding-together, while of -real inner unity there was none, there have been in all ages. But, -strange to say, until the inauguration of Theosophical work for women -in this year of the twentieth century, the true note has been sounded, -in most cases, by some one woman who was more or less _un_helped -by the women about her. History inspires us with the virtues of -Alcestis, that peerless wife; of Antigone; of that perfect exemplar of -motherhood, Cornelia, mother of the Gracchi; of the queenly Thusnelda; -of Cleopatra, Semiramis, and Zenobia; and let us not forget the peasant -girl of Domremy, whose simple purity and absolute self-forgetfulness -did more for the "woman movement" of the ages than even her generalship -did for France. - -Yet these are isolated types. Barring Sappho and her woman pupils, -Birgitta of Sweden and her wonderful work for and with the women who -flocked to the home centers that ecclesiastical enemies fortunately -did not prevent her from establishing, history has little to say as to -women who have _worked together_ for some truly spiritual cause, in -which the noblest they had was placed on Humanity's altar. - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. and -Engraving Dept. PHEIDIAS "THE AROMA OF ATHENS"] - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 KRATINOS IN CENTER, -EURIPIDES TO LEFT, ATTENDANT AT RIGHT "THE AROMA OF ATHENS"] - - - - -"MAGNETONS," FORCE AND MATTER: by H. Travers - - -A man of science has presented to the Paris Academy of Sciences a paper -in which he attempts to prove from the results of certain experiments -that the atoms of magnetic bodies, such as iron and manganese, contain -definite quantities of an elementary magnetic _substance_, which he -proposes to call "magneton." This is regarded as a sequel to the new -way of regarding electricity; for in the electrons we now seem to -find a means of defining electricity in terms of a unit of substance. -Electricity, light, and other physical forces, have at different times -been defined either as kinds of matter or as modes of motion. At the -present moment, many people think, we are passing from the kinetic to -the corpuscular view again. But it is more likely that our present -studies will end by giving us a more accurate and adequate notion of -the nature of force on the one hand and matter on the other. We shall -see more clearly that force and matter are inseparable, and that in -our use of these words we are merely making mental abstractions for -the purpose of calculation. What was at one time considered to be -inert matter was later found to be teeming with energy; so that this -kind of matter, instead of being inert substance, was found to be the -result of forces acting in some finer kind of matter. This finer kind -of matter--hypothetical so far--was denominated "ether"; and should -we succeed in examining this ether, we should probably find that it -too is the result of forces acting in a still more recondite form of -matter--a sub-ether, as it were. At all events we should have no choice -but to describe it in that way. In the same way force must always be -inseparably associated with mass, for the quantity denoted by the -term "mass" is included in the definition of force. Thus the question -whether electricity, magnetism, etc., are "forces" or "forms of matter" -loses its meaning, since (strictly speaking) they cannot be either but -must be both. - -The experiments mentioned seem to have shown that there is a definite -physical unit of quantity for magnetism, just as the negative electron -is said to be a definite unit of quantity for negative electricity. -In this case we should have arrived at the conclusion that magnetic -substances are those to whose atoms or molecules are attached these -magnetic atoms. - -As to the kinetic theory of electricity, light, and other physical -forces, we certainly know that kinetic effects attend the -manifestation of these forces; and where there is no physical matter -present we have predicated an ether to serve as a substratum for these -kinetic effects. But is that the same as saying that electricity and -light are modes of energy or forms of motion? Later research has -shown us that these physical forces are attended, not only by kinetic -effects, but also by those other effects which we denote by such terms -as "mass," "inertia," or "substance." Again, are we entitled to say -that electricity, light, etc., _are_ substances, or forms of matter? It -would seem more reasonable to say that both energy and mass are to be -classed among the effects or accompaniments of electricity and light, -electricity and light themselves being something that is neither energy -nor mass but parent to both. - -In brief, the life or _vis viva_ of the physical universe escapes -observation and analysis, while its various effects, appearing in the -forms which we describe as light, heat, electricity, etc., are defined -by us in terms of our two mental concepts "mass" and "energy." The -farthest limit to which physical observation has reached, or seems -likely to reach, is that of minute and extremely active particles, -whose motions are attended with luminous, thermal, and electric -phenomena. To put the matter in a nutshell: we find that the so-called -inert matter of the universe is composed of what are to all intents and -purposes small beings, very much alive and endowed with proclivities. -Given our electron or magneton, we are obliged to take for granted its -innate properties of energy, etc., for we have no means of explaining -them except by reducing them to smaller factors of precisely the -same kind--and this is no explanation. That is, we have to assume -the universal presence of active and purposeful life--for that is -what it amounts to, whatever names we may give. And behind all this -manifestation of life there of course lies _mind_; otherwise we must -suppose the existence of causeless and purposeless life--a conception -which is highly arbitrary and unnecessary. - -Science has a great future before it, but at present it is laboring -under limitations due to the restriction of its sphere. A large portion -of its proper domain having been usurped by theology and wild deductive -philosophy, science has confined itself to such limits as give it a -free field. But if the careful and logical methods of true science -could be applied to all departments of investigation, knowledge would -take a great leap. Of late years we have seen many foolish attempts to -establish a "higher science," many of them associated with "psychism" -and similar eccentricities. All this naturally arouses the antagonism -of true men of science and causes them to shun the possibility of -association with such movements. Take the psychical research movements, -for example; is it not evident that in many cases these are destined -to achieve delusion rather than any useful truth? Or take hypnotism: -how can such a dangerous pseudo-science be adequately studied without -the grave risks which its knowledge brings upon society in the shape of -credulous folly and a cover for cowardly vice? - -It seems evident that science is too unorganized and indiscriminate -at present, and that when it extends its boundaries so as to include -the larger fields it will also have to raise its standards. Scientific -work, if valuable, should be treated like other valuables--that -is, protected. This can only be done by intrusting it to worthy -and competent people; from which we see that the character of the -professors becomes an important matter. This principle is recognized -in many of our departments; for we do not intrust the performing of -surgical operations nor the care of lunatics to all and sundry. Why -then should other departments be thrown open, allowing dangerous drugs -and dynamite to pass into the hands of weaklings and criminals? Above -all, why should the far more dangerous powers of hypnotism and so forth -be made thus free to all? - -In brief, knowledge is as inseparably connected with conduct as -force is with matter. He who attempts to separate them and to pursue -knowledge independently of duty and conduct, does not achieve -knowledge; he achieves only partial knowledge or harmful knowledge. -The fair bride is won only by the pure and valiant knight. One of the -most important adjustments which our views have to undergo is that of -recognizing the proper relative positions of religion and science. They -should be one and not separate. But before this can be done there is -much rubbish to be cleared away from the foundations. - - - - -THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, SOUTH KENSINGTON, LONDON - - -The British Museum was completed as recently as 1847, yet hardly -thirty years elapsed before it was found to be too small to hold the -continually accumulating specimens, and an enlargement had to be made. -To preserve and properly exhibit the enormous collection of natural -history objects a commodious building was erected at South Kensington, -near the well-known Museum of Science and Art. It was finished in 1880 -and stocked with the old specimens from the British Museum and many -new ones; the crowded rooms from which the old specimens were taken -being immediately filled with other objects which had been waiting for -exhibition. - -The Natural History Museum was designed by Waterhouse, and there has -always been a strong difference of opinion as to its architectural -beauty, at least externally. The interior design and decoration is -generally approved. The large towers are 192 feet high, and the length -of the building is 675 feet. The ornamental decoration is composed of -terra cotta, and consists of bands and dressings of animals and other -natural objects. - -The interior consists of a great central hall with long side galleries -and basement. The eastern galleries are devoted to the geological, -mineralogical, and botanical collections; the western to the zoological -collections. The great hall is an index or typical museum, arranged -with such specimens as to give a general idea of the scope of the -subject of natural history. The historical development of those species -of whose past there is definite knowledge, the effect of seasonal -changes upon the colors of certain animals and birds, protective -resemblances and mimicry, etc., are here displayed. Among the most -interesting and rare fossils are the gigantic kangaroo of Australia -(six times larger than the present representative, which is placed near -it), the gigantic armadillo of Buenos Aires and its modern dwarfed -descendant, the huge megatherium from Buenos Aires compared with the -sloth of today, etc. The collection of stuffed birds shown in natural -positions and with the correct surroundings always attracts admiring -attention from the general public. In a commanding position on the -first landing of the main staircase there is a fine statue by Böhm of -the great naturalist, Charles Darwin. The Natural History Museum faces -Cromwell road, a street of palatial residences, called after one of -Oliver Cromwell's sons, who lived in a house once existing there. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. NATURAL HISTORY -MUSEUM, SOUTH KENSINGTON, LONDON] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. A BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF -PART OF GENEVA, SWITZERLAND SHOWING THE END OF THE LAKE OF GENEVA, THE -RIVER RHÔNE, AND "OLD GENEVA" IN THE CENTER] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. NEAR CHAMPÉRY -(VALAIS), SWITZERLAND THE ROUTE DU COL DE COUX; AND LA DENT DU MIDI] - - - - -WAS H. P. BLAVATSKY A PLAGIARIST? by Henry T. Edge, B. A. (Cantab.), a -Pupil under H. P. Blavatsky - - -This article, written by an old pupil under H. P. Blavatsky, and -voicing the feelings of other students, is a vindication of the memory -of that great teacher against certain charges brought against her. -The charges are many and mutually inconsistent; so that if brought -together they would confute each other and the various critics might be -left to settle their own quarrel. Thus H. P. Blavatsky is accused both -of inventing her teachings, and also of plagiarizing them from other -people; her works are said to be at once a stale rehash, and a new -fad. But, as any one of these charges may appear alone and thus gain a -plausibility it would not otherwise have had, it is both the desire and -the duty of those who uphold the truth about H. P. Blavatsky to show up -the absurdity of the attacks. - -The particular charge in question just now is that of unoriginality. -It has been based on a quotation from the Introduction to H. P. -Blavatsky's great work, _The Secret Doctrine_, which is as follows: - - I may repeat what I have stated all along, and which I now clothe in - the words of Montaigne: Gentlemen, "I HAVE HERE MADE ONLY A NOSEGAY OF - CULLED FLOWERS, AND HAVE BROUGHT NOTHING OF MY OWN BUT THE STRING THAT - TIES THEM." - -The attempt to construe this into a charge of plagiarism signifies -the wish to depreciate H. P. Blavatsky's writings, as being so stale -and unoriginal that it is not worth while reading them. But, if this -were so, why did the critics deign to notice them at all, instead of -suffering them to sink into the rapid and perfect oblivion which awaits -all works that are actually open to such a charge? Evidently there was -a desire to prejudice the mind of the inquirer, so that he would be -deterred from reading the works for himself and thus forming his own -opinion. In short, the arguments of these critics, not resting upon -fact, would have been disproved by such a reading; and therefore they -have preferred to rest their statements upon mere assertion. - -Of course the genuine truth-seeker will always derive his opinion from -his own investigations; and if he finds anywhere the help and knowledge -for which he is seeking, he will not hesitate to accept it from any -doubts as to the popularity of the author. Rather he will base his -opinion of the author upon his or her works. But as the conditions of -life render it necessary for us to a great extent to be dependent -upon the judgments of professional literary people, it is possible for -any prejudice that may exist in that quarter to inflict much injustice -by lending the weight of authority to false representations. We may -find, for instance, some standard work, having great influence and -repute, treating of H. P. Blavatsky and Theosophy in a way that would -lead one to think the writers had studied these subjects; whereas the -contrary is the case, and the apparently scholarly treatise is actually -a misrepresentation of fact, amounting to throwing dust in the eyes of -the inquirer. - -The inquirer, the sincere seeker for knowledge, is therefore referred -to _The Secret Doctrine_ itself, where he may ascertain what the author -really does say in her Preface and Introduction and where he may study -the actual teachings she thus introduces. Her attitude is both plain -and frank; there should be no difficulty in understanding it, and its -sincerity is apparent to anyone who has studied the book enough to see -whether or not the writer has justified her claims. In the Preface we -read: - - These truths are in no sense put forward as a _revelation_; nor - does the author claim the position of a revealer of mystic lore now - made public for the first time in the world's history. For what is - contained in this work is to be found scattered throughout thousands - of volumes embodying the scriptures of the great Asiatic and early - European religions, hidden under glyph and symbol, and hitherto left - unnoticed because of this veil. - -Here the charge of having invented a new system is met by the express -affirmation that the materials are gleaned from ancient sources; while -the charge of unoriginality is rendered pointless. A plagiarist is one -who gives out the teachings of others as his own, and the charge of -unoriginality is not usually brought against writers who set out with -the deliberate and announced intention of quoting and expounding other -writers. As H. P. Blavatsky herself says, in the very passage from -which the words of the critic were selected, it would be as reasonable -to charge Renan with having plagiarized his _Life of Jesus_ from the -Gospels, or Max Müller his _Sacred Books of the East_ from the Indian -philosophical writings. - -And what shall be said of the insinuation that _The Secret Doctrine_ -is merely a compost, a stale and profitless rehash? That it is equally -absurd. A nosegay is not a mere heap of flowers, nor does a heap of -stones make a temple. The riddle of ancient knowledge is not solved by -merely collecting the scattered fragments. Anyone may bring together -a lot of colored threads, but only a weaver and artist can make them -into a beautiful and symmetrical fabric. The question is, What has H. -P. Blavatsky made of her studies of the world's mystic lore? What use -has she made of her quotations and references? Has she succeeded any -better than other writers who have delved in the same soil? Is _The -Secret Doctrine_ really but one more of those numerous compilations -that find a speedy and eternal tomb on dusty shelves? - -On consulting the Preface we find that the author has made the claim -that she has been able to weave the tangled threads into a symmetrical -whole, to put the various fragments in their right places, and to apply -a key that will unlock mysteries. In proof of her claim she refers the -reader to the book itself. This is the only test she demands; surely -not an unreasonable one! - - It is written in the service of humanity, and by humanity and the - future generations it must be judged. Its author recognizes no - inferior court of appeal.--_Preface._ - -Other authors who have compiled voluminous works on ancient lore have -signally failed to render them profitable to the student. They have -either been mere compilers having no definite purpose other than the -production of a learned book, or they have been overruled by some -theory or fad which they have sought to prove. But H. P. Blavatsky has -pointed out the real clues and for the first time made sense of what -was chaotic. To quote her words again: - - What is now attempted is to gather the oldest tenets together and to - make of them one harmonious and unbroken whole. The sole advantage - which the writer has over her predecessors is that she need not - resort to personal speculations and theories. For this work is a - partial statement of what she herself has been taught by more advanced - students, supplemented, in a few details only, by the results of her - own study and observation. - -It is not easy to see how a plainer and franker statement could have -been made. The indebtedness to other sources is freely admitted; and, -as the reader can see, all references to sources are fully given in the -text. The author mentions her own teachers, but not for the purpose of -lending a fictitious authority to her statements. For these statements -do not need any such support, consisting, as they do, of appeals to -reason, to the weight of testimony, and to accepted authorities in the -different branches of learning. The reference to her teachers was made -simply in modest and honorable disclaim of credit which the writer -felt was due to others. As to the teachings thus received and thus -transmitted by her, they are to be judged on their merits, and should -neither be accepted or rejected on any other principle. Information -is information, however gained; and a man lost in a forest, who has -actually been conducted out of it, does not need any testimonials to -the trustworthiness of his guide. If _The Secret Doctrine_ can really -solve problems, answer questions, and remove doubts, that fact alone is -sufficient for the genuine truth-seeker; and the author's statement as -to the source of her knowledge will be taken for what it was intended -for--a due acknowledgement of gratitude and indebtedness. - -If H. P. Blavatsky's work is of the kind which these critics wish to -make it out to be, surely the student may be trusted to find out that -fact for himself; but if it is not of this kind, then the statement -that it is, is a misrepresentation--founded possibly on ignorance, -but in any case unworthy of a scholar. She claims that she has -_pointed out_ many things that have hitherto _escaped the attention_ -of scholars. And this is a statement which can only be tested by -investigation; anyone presuming to affirm or deny it without such -investigation is either a simpleton or a bigot. The pointing out of -truths is not an act of dogmatism, since the person to whom they are -pointed out is left perfectly free to use his own judgment (if he has -any) as to whether that which he has been shown is true or not, whether -it is what he was looking for or not. - -H. P. Blavatsky did not write for recognition, but she has succeeded in -the object for which she did write--that of arousing thought, calling -attention. She desired to startle the world of thought; and this she -has certainly done; for her opponents cannot let her alone. Moreover -a kind of acknowledgement is to be found in the large and increasing -number of facts, denied in her day but since admitted by scholars. -It is true that for these revised views credit is not given to their -originator; but that must be left to posterity when time shall have -obliterated selfishness and ignorance. The question of originality may -be settled by calling H. P. Blavatsky a pioneer. The lands into which -she has led us are indeed ancient and many a foot has trod them of -yore; yet to the modern world they were virgin forests. - -But one word remains to be said. Fortunately for the credit due to -Theosophy and its first promulgator in this age, H. P. Blavatsky's -writings do not constitute the whole of her work. She has left -behind her the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, -an organization which embodies many teachings which could never be -communicated by books alone. This means that her work is in hands that -will take care that she gets the credit to which she is entitled, and -that the real Theosophical work is of a kind that can only be done by -Theosophists, and so can not be plagiarized. And even the clues given -in her writings will prove inadequate unless taken in connexion with an -application of Theosophy in the student's daily life; for she took good -care to show the inseparable connexion between knowledge and conduct. -Thus those who try to use _The Secret Doctrine_ as a mine from which -they may dig out something that they can use to their own private -advantage are more likely to serve the author's cause than their own; -for the only use that can be made of half-truths is to point the way to -the _missing_ halves. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. A FARMHOUSE ON -THE NORFOLK BROADS, ENGLAND A district to the west of Great Yarmouth -watered by three rivers with many open spaces called "broads," roads -and long narrow lanes, all of water. Many birds--water-fowl--nest and -feed amongst the sedges; pure white swans sail about with majestic -dignity and grace, some carrying their cygnets on the back, between the -raised wings.] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. BUCKINGHAM PALACE, -LONDON: THE LONDON RESIDENCE OF THE BRITISH SOVEREIGN] - - - - -BUCKINGHAM PALACE, LONDON - - -The illustration shows the eastern façade of Buckingham Palace, the -residence of King George V when in London. It is taken from St. James' -Park. The end of the lake, which is five acres in area, can be seen in -the picture. The private gardens occupy fifty acres. The eastern wing -of the palace, 360 feet long, was added by Blore in 1846, making the -building a large quadrangle. Buckingham Palace was originally erected -in 1703 by a Duke of Buckingham, on the site of Arlington House, -where it is recorded that tea was first drunk in England. George III -purchased it, and it was remodeled by Nash in 1825 for George IV. The -exterior is generally condemned as an architectural failure, imposing -only from its size, but the interior has some good features. The white -marble staircase is considered very handsome. The palace contains a -fine sculpture gallery, library, etc. The Throne Room is 66 feet long, -the State Drawing Room 110 feet by 60. The Picture Gallery, which is -180 feet long, contains a very fine collection, chiefly Dutch pictures. -There are excellent examples of Rembrandt (the great _Adoration of the -Magi_--1667), Hals, Teniers, Rubens, Osrade, Van Dyck (_Charles I on -horseback_), Cuyp, Potter, De Hooch, Titian, Carracci, Claude, etc. -Permission for strangers to visit the gallery is difficult to obtain, -but may sometimes be obtained when the court is not in residence. The -new monument to Queen Victoria, just unveiled, stands in front of -Buckingham Palace. - - - - -THE GOLDEN CHAIN OF PLATONIC SUCCESSION: by F. S. Darrow, A. M., Ph. -D. (Harv.) - - -A key to the interpretation of Greek philosophy, generally neglected -except by Platonists and Theosophists, is given by the following -statement of Proklos, the "Platonic Successor": - - What Orpheus delivered in hidden allegories, Pythagoras learned when - he was initiated into the Orphic Mysteries, in which Plato next - received a perfect knowledge from the Orphic and Pythagorean writings. - -In this connexion it was pointed out by H. P. Blavatsky, the foundress -of the Theosophical Society (_Isis Unveiled_, vol. II, p. 39, Point -Loma edition) that Plato himself in his Letters declares that his -teachings were derived from _ancient_ and _sacred_ doctrines. In the -Seventh Letter of the collection which has come down to us he says: - - It is ever necessary to believe in the truth of the _Sacred Accounts_ - of the _Olden Time_, which inform us that the soul is immortal and has - judges of its conduct and suffers the greatest punishments when it is - liberated from the body. Hence it is requisite to regard it a lesser - evil to suffer than to commit the greatest sins and injuries. - -It is unjustifiable to assume as scholars usually do that we are in a -position to judge correctly of all of Plato's thoughts because, most -fortunately, it appears that all of his published works have been -preserved. The last thirty-eight years of Plato's life were spent as -Scholarch or Head of the Platonic School among the olive groves of -the Academy where the philosopher dwelt with some of his principal -students, namely, his successor and pupil Speusippos, Xenokrates, -and others, teaching Divine Wisdom freely to those who were able to -understand. The fact that Aristotle refers to various teachings of -Plato not now extant in the Platonic works, as well as the request in -the Second of our Platonic Letters that the letter be burned after its -frequent reading so that it may not fall into improper hands, both -afford corroborative evidence of the tradition that Plato refused -to _publish_ any of his numerous lectures and oral teachings. It is -therefore _a priori_ probable that Plato treated philosophy in two -distinct ways, one treatment intended for public circulation and the -other intended for School instruction. If this be true, presumably -his published dialogs give mere indirect hints, illustrations, and -applications of the central principles of his teachings, which were -revealed only orally to a selected audience. Doubtless the character -of his oral instructions also varied and certain teachings were given -only to a few of his more advanced students, as even Grote admits. -Therefore in seeking to understand Plato it is important to recollect -that today "the Prince of Western Philosophers" is known only from -his Dialogs, while his teachings as Scholarch are now unknown. It is, -however, certain from the statement of Aristotle in regard to Plato's -lectures "On the Supreme Good," that Plato in his oral instructions -taught Pythagorean Doctrines, and dealt with the highest and most -transcendental concepts in a mystical and enigmatical way. - -In regard to this there are important declarations in the extant -Letters of Plato, Letters which it is orthodox to declare to be -apocryphal, but whose genuineness is rightly defended by Grote in his -_Plato and Other Companions of Socrates_. In the Second Letter, which -is addressed to Dionysios the Younger of Syracuse, Plato uses some very -suggestive language in referring to the effect upon the newly fledged -student of entering the School: - - I must speak to you in enigmas that should this tablet meet with any - accident by land or by sea, he, who might perchance read it, may - not understand. This has not happened to you alone but in truth no - one when he first hears me is otherwise affected. Some have greater - troubles, others less but nearly every student has a struggle of no - slight power from which in truth he is freed only with difficulty. - Be careful, however, that these discussions do not become known by - men devoid of knowledge--discussions which if continually heard for - many years at length with great labor are purified like gold. Many - persons apt at learning and remembering have heard them for not less - than thirty years and after testing them in every way have recently - declared that those things which formerly appeared to them to be least - worthy of belief now appear to be most worthy of belief and perfectly - clear. The most important protection is to learn but _not_ to _commit_ - to _writing_ because what is written will almost certainly become - public knowledge. _Therefore on this account I have never myself at - any time written anything on these subjects. There neither is nor ever - shall be any treatise of Plato. The opinions called by the name of - Plato are those of Socrates in his days of youthful vigor and glory._ - -These words of Plato, if admitted to be genuine, especially when linked -with the following statements made in the Seventh of our Letters, show -the futility of the current dogmatism of what purport to be correct and -complete modern expositions and criticisms of Platonism, and ought to -instil more humility in the orthodox dogmatists who strive to interpret -the thoughts of the Master. The declarations referred to in the Seventh -Letter are set forth as follows: - - In regard to all who either have written or who shall write - confidently stating that they know about what I am occupied, whether - they claim to have heard it from me or from others or to have - discovered it themselves, _I can say that it is impossible for them to - know anything as to my beliefs about these matters; for there is not - and never will be any composition of mine about them_. _For a matter - of this kind can not be expressed in words as other sciences are. But - by a long acquaintance with the subject and by living with it suddenly - a light is kindled in the mind, as from a fire bursting forth, which - being engendered in the soul feeds itself upon itself._ - -He adds: - - I should consider it the proudest accomplishment of my life, as well - as of signal benefit to mankind, to bring forward an exposition of - Nature luminous to all. But I think the attempt would be in nowise - beneficial except to a few who require merely slight guidance to - enable them to find it out for themselves; to most persons it would do - no good but would only fill them with the empty conceit of knowledge - and with contempt for others, as if they had learnt something solemn. - -It may therefore be safely assumed that Plato intentionally refused to -publish his views upon the most important subjects in a world of spite -and puzzling contention. Note what he says in the Seventh Letter of the -true disciple who is - - _in fact_ a lover of Wisdom, related to it and worthy of it by reason - of his own inherent divinity. He thinks that he has been told of a - wonderful Path, on which he ought forthwith to travel and that any - other manner of life is unendurable. After this he does not torture - both himself and his Leader by departing from the Path before he - reaches the Goal, thereby obtaining the power of journeying without a - Guide to point out the way before him. But they, who are not really - lovers of Wisdom, but have only a coating of color like those whose - bodies are sunburnt, when they perceive how many things are to be - learnt and find out how great is the labor and what temperance in - daily nourishment is requisite, they deem it too difficult and beyond - their powers and become unable to attend to it at all and some of them - persuade themselves that they have sufficiently heard the whole and do - not wish further to exert themselves. - -At Plato's death in 347 B. C. the house, the library, and the garden in -the Academy, were bequeathed by the Master as the permanent property -of the School, whose income in the course of the centuries was largely -increased by endowments. For about three hundred years the grounds at -the Academy remained uninterruptedly the Headquarters of the School, -but during the Siege of Athens by the Roman general Sulla in 87 B. -C., the Teacher or Scholarch of that time was forced to retire within -the city walls and gave his instruction in the Gymnasium, called -Ptolemaeum, where Cicero heard the Scholarch Antiochos in 79 B. C. -For more than six hundred years longer the grounds at the Academy -remained in possession of the School, which however soon degenerated -into a form of philosophical scepticism and eclecticism, from which -it was later recalled by the so-called Neo- or New Platonists. -Finally under the pressure of ecclesiastical bigotry and greed the -Emperor Justinian confiscated the School property and forbade the -last Scholarch Damascius to teach. Accordingly a little band of seven -Platonic Pilgrim-sages, consisting of Damascius, Simplicius, Eulalius, -Priscian, Hermeias, Diogenes, and Isidore, to avoid ecclesiastical -persecution, were forced to wander away from the domains of Christendom -over mountain and desert to the distant court of the Persian Emperor -Chosroës, who four years later forced Justinian by treaty to let -the last of the Neoplatonists return to their native land and die a -natural death, guaranteeing them protection against further monkish -persecution. It is a strange fact that as soon as the School grounds -in the Academy were confiscated, a rumor, true or false, presently -spread to the effect that the deserted property had become straightway -unhealthy, a rumor which has persisted to this day, although it is -impossible for one who has visited the spot to perceive any reason why -it should not under proper cultivation re-become the healthful and -beautiful garden it once was. - -The following notice appeared in the _Bibliotheca Platonica_ for -November-December, 1889: - - _Secure the Academy!_ We desire to call the attention of Platonists - throughout the world to the fact that the site of the Ancient Academy - at Athens, Greece, could probably be secured by prompt and concerted - action. Proper measures should be taken at once to organize an - association having for its object the purchase, preservation and - restoration of the place where Plato lived and taught and where his - disciples continued his sublime and enlightening work for centuries. - It should be rescued from the hands of the profane, and set aside - for the perpetual use and benefit of all true followers of Divine - Philosophy. There is no good reason, why, in due time, the Platonic - School should not again become, as it once was, the nursery of Science - and Wisdom for the whole World. - -Note the significant words of Thomas Taylor, the great Platonist of a -hundred years ago, who in the words of H. P. Blavatsky is "one of the -very few commentators on old Greek and Latin authors who have given -their just dues to the ancients for their mental development": - - As to the philosophy (Platonism, as taught by Orpheus, Pythagoras, - and Plato) by whose assistance these (the Eleusinian and Orphic) - Mysteries are developed, it is coeval with the universe itself; and - however its continuity may be broken by opposing systems, it will - make its appearance at different periods of time, as long as the sun - himself shall continue to illuminate the world. It has been, indeed, - and may hereafter be violently assaulted by delusive opinions; but the - opposition will be just as imbecile as that of the waves of the sea - against a temple, built on a rock, which majestically pours them back, - - "Broken and vanquish'd foaming to the main." - -Somewhat similar although less suggestive is the tribute of a recent -writer upon Neoplatonism: - - The Neoplatonist held that nothing perishes and Neoplatonism is still - alive. Its mysticism has lived on. Its idealism can never die. - - - - -CLASSICAL CYRENE: by Ariomardes - - -What we call "history" is largely a dogma. It stands on a basis very -similar to that on which some other dogmas, religious, literary, -scientific, etc., stand; that is, it stands on a particular, -restricted, and local brand of culture, known as "Western -civilization." And, like these other dogmas, it is destined to become -seriously modified by later researches and discoveries. - -For look at our classical history; it is founded chiefly upon a -literature--the literature of cultured circles in Greece and Rome. That -this literature does not reflect the life of the people to any adequate -extent we know; for the spade of the archaeologists, instead of -confirmations, too often unearths surprises. The results of archaeology -go to show that ancient peoples were more advanced in many important -arts of life than we had surmised from our acquaintance with the said -literature. Hebraic tradition, too, backed by the weight of religious -authority, has colored our views of the past, and prevented us from -estimating aright the claims of non-Christian peoples. In considering -the history of Hindûstân, Persia, Egypt, etc., students have sought -to make dates agree with their own sacred traditions. Again, we have -too often shown a lack of appreciation of the form and style of other -historians, when these have not adopted the literal and precise form -favored by our own historians; and have consequently, in a vain attempt -to take poetical language in the sense of a scientific treatise, -frequently rejected it and its message altogether. - -Around that Mediterranean basin which was the classic theater, were -great nations to whose history we have not hitherto had access, but -of which we are now beginning to learn a little. The civilization--or -rather, several distinct civilizations--that preceded Greece, and whose -center at one time was Crete, at another the western shores of Asia -Minor; the mysterious Nabatheans and Sabaeans; the equally mysterious -Hittites; empires in Africa, south of Egypt, and inland from the east -coast; these and other fragmentary remains slowly accumulate to confirm -the assurances made by H. P. Blavatsky in _The Secret Doctrine_ that a -far greater and longer past lies behind us than we have so far guessed. - -The name Cyrene is suggestive along these lines, and forms the topic -of a recent article by Professor Alfred Emerson of the Chicago Art -Institute, in _The Scientific American_. - -A number of Dorian islanders, we are there told, planted a European -colony on the great Libyan headland to the south of Greece proper, -640 years B. C., so that Cyrene and its neighborhood had as long an -authentic history as ancient Rome itself. A dynasty of kings was -succeeded by a republic and the Libyans sometimes pressed the Greek -colony hard. Cyrene had its own school of philosophy and a famous -school of medicine. It had over 100,000 inhabitants, and the Ptolemies -gave it kings again. - -Sporadic explorations have brought to light a few relics, but -heretofore the Ottoman government has repressed the curiosity of more -systematic researchers. Now, however, an American expedition has won a -firman to explore the ruins, and we shall soon have a record of this -powerful but little known outlier of classic culture. - - - - -KILLARNEY, IRELAND: by F. J. Dick, M. Inst. C. E., M. Inst. C. E. I. - - -Those who pass hurriedly through the Killarney district know little -of its manifold fascination. Even among natives few have thoroughly -explored its features. But to one who has made many more or less -prolonged visits there, at all seasons, and who has gained a -sympathetic interest in its people and in the legends that belong to -every rock, islet, and mountain, and who has seen it in storm and -sunshine, at dawn and sunset, and by moonlight, the feeling grows that -here the immutable decree of Karmic law, "there shall be no more going -up and down," during this cycle, never fully descended--that, in fact, -this is no part of the ordinary world at all, but something distinct, -sacred, set apart for some inscrutable reason and purpose. The very -atmosphere of some fairy-world of Light and Day hovers about these -Lakes and wooded mountain heights, and seems to penetrate everything. -Right in the center, in the very heart of all the beauty, between -Dinish Island and Glena, rises the Shee, or Sidhe (Sanskrit _Siddhi_) -Mountain--the mountain of the Fairy World, next to Purple Mountain. - -Strange to say, it is just here, too, that the luxuriant vegetation of -Killarney seems fairly to run riot, and we find trees and shrubs of -tropical character growing side by side with those of temperate and -colder climes. Eucalyptus, palm, bamboo, jostle cedar and pine; while -the profusion of flowers of all kinds is amazing. And the delicious -perfumes of the place, with just a faint suggestion of a turf-fire -somewhere a little way off, are something to remember. Some of the -Killarney plants belong to what was once an unbroken coast-line -extending to Spain. Such are _saxifraga umbrosa_ (London pride), -_saxifraga geum_, _arbutus unedo_, and _pinguicula grandiflora_. The -arbutus grows in profusion at Killarney, although its real home, in a -sense, is among the Pyrenees. Other plants are found along the west -coast, which are indigenous to the eastern shores of America. - -One thinks of Breasil, and the Isles of the Western Sea, a later -geological period than that when there was unbroken, or practically -unbroken, connexion between Ireland, Spain, and America. And then one -begins to wonder when the links of the past will be more clear. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. THE OLD WEIR BRIDGE, -KILLARNEY] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. THE GAP OF DUNLOE, -KILLARNEY] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. COLLEEN BAWN ROCK, -KILLARNEY] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. AN OLD IRISH -FARMYARD] - -These memories of the past! Are they not pressing more strongly than -ever on the hearts and imaginations--on the soul--of the Irish? No -attempted deadening of this urge by half-hearted dry-as-dust methods -ingeniously forced on the poor folk by interested parties (vested -interests) will avail much. The unrest, which manifests in so many -ways in contemporary Irish life, has surely a deep source. There are -incarnations and incarnations. Some kinds are racial, that is, belong -to the larger sweep of things. No artificial barriers can stop them. -No pretended patronage of the Irish language movement will be able -to check influences belonging to the inner life of a race-soul under -recurrent upward impulse. - -Hy-breasil and the Isles of the West! Once the Coom-Dhuv, or Black -Valley, to the west of the Killarney Upper Lake, was an arm of the sea; -and those who lived on the temple-crowned heights of Killarney could -have told us something of those Isles, which were in no shadow-world, -but were realities, relics of Atlantis, undoubtedly. These legends must -find their solution, partly by the names, partly by the details; and be -studied in the light of H. P. Blavatsky's writings, particularly _The -Secret Doctrine_, where many a clue is given; and where the Sanskrit, -Chaldaean, and Irish names fail to give the clues, it seems the Welsh -will come triumphantly to the rescue. After all, the details have only -relative importance, for the broad facts are already plainly outlined -in _The Secret Doctrine_; and it is no very difficult matter to see -what is meant by Partholon, with the cow-faced and the goat-headed; by -Nemed; by the Tuatha de Danaan (Fourth Race Atlanteans of the Right -Path), and Formorians (those of the Left); some of their descendants -living on in archaic Ireland; and the Milesians, the early arrivals of -the Fifth, from Central Asia via Egypt and Scandinavia, when Spain and -Africa were one and Ireland was part of Scandinavia. All of which was -long before what we call the Celts, crossed the Caucasus into Europe. -Irish mythology is real history, some of it disfigured, as usual, -by irreverent or ignorant hands. The worst of it is that the Irish -seemed to enjoy having their past belittled, and their gods and heroes -dethroned in favor of a piece of patchwork of alien growth; a kind of -travesty of Eastern and Egyptian teachings, belittled, like the Irish -gods; and dethroned, truly! It was a "magical and Druidic mist" of the -wrong kind unfortunately, which descended upon the heirs of Atlantean -knowledge. And it will take some effort to dispel it, very probably. It -_is_ dispelled though! - -Thoughts like these are apt to cross one's mind among the regal -solitudes of Killarney, where for miles, as you look down from some -crag, no human habitation can be seen--one of the places where you can -sit, and watch the Sword of Light, and the Spear of Victory getting -busy; so that the other two Jewels brought from the Isles of the West -will shine again. - -One visible sign, at least, of the Sword of Light, is a growing -temperance movement among the youth of Ireland. Right conduct leads -to light, whatever be the mists obscuring one's vision along the -road of life. Perhaps the youth of Ireland will next look into the -ancient past to discern vestiges of nobility as well as simplicity of -character; and note what manner of men some true kings were, and by -whom attended--bards, or poet-seers; lawgivers, or disciplinarians; -craftsmen; and warriors. Another kind of functionary was--well, he was -not needed. - -One of the legends of Killarney, really connected, it would seem, with -Inisfallen, has no very exact parallel, and possesses some interesting -and suggestive features. The story as given by Mr. Ockenden a century -and a half ago is somewhat as follows. There lived in Inisfallen many -hundred years ago a prince named O'Donoghoe. He manifested during his -stay on earth great munificence, great humanity, and great wisdom; -for by his profound knowledge in all the secret powers of nature, he -wrought wonders as miraculous as any tradition has recorded, of saints -by the aid of angels, or of sorcerers by the assistance of demons; -and among many other astonishing performances, he rendered his person -immortal. After having continued a long time on the surface of the -globe without growing old he one day took leave of his friends, and -rising from the floor, like some aerial existence, passed through the -window, shot away horizontally to a considerable distance, and then -descended. The water, unfolding at his approach, gave him entrance to -the sub-aqueous regions and then, to the astonishment of all beholders, -closed over his head, as they believed, for ever; but in this they were -mistaken. - -He returned again, some years after, revisiting--not, like Hamlet's -ghost "the glimpses of the moon, making night hideous," but--the -radiance of the sun, making day joyful, to those at least who saw him; -since which time he has continued to make very frequent expeditions to -these upper regions, sometimes three or four in a year; but sometimes -three or four years pass without his once appearing, which the -bordering inhabitants have always looked upon as a mark of very bad -times. Mr. Ockenden continues the tale of his experiences: - - It was feared this would be the third year he would suffer to elapse, - without his once cheering their eyes with his presence; but the latter - end of last August he again appeared, to the inexpressible joy of all, - and was seen by numbers in the middle of the day. I had the curiosity, - before I left Killarney, to visit one of the witnesses to this very - marvelous fact. - - The account she gives is, that, returning with a kinswoman to her - house at the head of the Lake, they both beheld a fine gentleman - mounted upon a black horse, ascend through the water along with a - numerous retinue on foot, who all moved together along the surface - towards a small island, near which they again descended under water. - This account is confirmed in time, place, and circumstance, by many - more spectators from the side of the Lake, who are all ready to swear, - and, not improbably, to suffer death in support of their testimony. - -Another account says that at the feast, before he first disappeared, he -was engaged in a prophetic relation of the events which were to happen -in the ages to come; and that after he reached the center of the Lake -opposite them, he paused a moment, turned slowly round, looked toward -his friends, and waving his hand to them with the cheerful air of one -taking a short farewell, descended. - -Mrs. S. C. Hall relates that an English soldier of the 30th Regiment, -and an Irish comrade, were while she was at Killarney engaged in -plowing up part of the old churchyard in Inisfallen, a work they both -disliked. As they were mooring the boat in which they came to the -island in the morning, a day or so after the work had commenced, - - they saw a procession of about two hundred persons pass from the - old churchyard, and walk slowly and solemnly over the lake to the - mainland. Reynolds (the soldier) himself was terribly alarmed, but his - companion fainted in the boat. - -He repeatedly afterward saw smaller groups of figures, but no crowd so -numerous. - - In answer to our questions, he expressed his perfect readiness to - depose to the fact on oath; and asserted he would declare it if on his - death-bed. - -Some say the best way to approach Killarney for the first time is -by the wildly picturesque road over the mountains from Kenmare and -Glengarriff. One obtains a magnificent view of the Upper Lake from the -turn of the road a little north of the police barrack. Others again -have experienced the charm of an absolutely sudden surprise awaiting -them, when, arriving at Killarney by rail and driving south about a -mile or more, during which nothing is seen but the over-arching trees, -and turning to the left up a steep road south of the Flesk demesne, -toward one of the guest-houses there, the whole panorama of the -Lower Lake and the mountains bursts upon you just as you reach your -destination. Nothing has prepared you for a scene of so great beauty; -so this way of arriving has its merits. From this situation, or from -Flesk Castle; from a point above the Torc cascade; and from the point -first mentioned, are obtained perhaps the three finest views of the -Lakes. But in truth unrivaled view-points seem endless, each having its -own especial charm. The play of color, cloud, and shadow at various -hours and seasons is so extraordinary that no brush of painter could -ever do Killarney justice. As for photographs, they are merely like -pegs to hang one's memory-hats upon. - -To know Killarney stay two months there at least, make friends with the -natives, learn the legends, and absorb the harmony of the region. - - And though many an isle be fair, - Fairer still is Inisfallen, - Since the hour Cuchullain lay - In the bower enchanted. - See! the ash that waves today, - Fand its grandsire planted. - - When from wave to mountain-top - All delight thy sense bewilders, - Thou shalt own the wonder wrought - Once by her skilled fingers - Still, though many an age be gone, - Round Killarney lingers. - -_William Larminie_ - - - - -THE VRBAS DEFILE, BOSNIA: by F. J. B. - - -Bosnia, in Europe, best known as one of the Balkan Provinces, belonged -in the fourteenth century to the kingdom of Stephen of Servia: -it attained freedom in 1376, then fell again under the Turkish -invasion of Europe. In 1878 the treaty of Berlin provided for the -occupation, by Austria-Hungary, of Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Dalmatia, -accomplished only after severe conflict with the Mahommedans. Count -Callay was appointed administrator and made it his life-work to -promote harmony between the different races, as well as to develop -the country's resources. Ultimately the three provinces were annexed -by Austria-Hungary; compensation was awarded to Turkey and the -long-feared European war averted. The Vrbas is a tributary of the -Save, which divides Slavonia from Bosnia, on its northern border. The -accompanying print exhibits the deep, narrow, rocky bed of the Vrbas -and the precipitous height of the cliffs forming this magnificent -defile, the summits being invisible from certain parts of the road. -The river was once probably one of the underground watercourses of -Bosnia-Herzegovina. Nature is majestic there and hews out her own rock -temples. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. THE VRBAS DEFILE, -BOSNIA] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. ROCKING-STONE -PINNACLE, MOUNT WELLINGTON, TASMANIA] - - - - -ASTRONOMICAL NOTES: by C. J. Ryan - - -There has lately been an interesting correspondence in _The English -Mechanic_ upon the subject of meteorites, and a remarkable conflict -of opinion has been manifested, showing that there is really not much -positive knowledge about them. The Earth's atmosphere is continually -being bombarded by these missiles, and the dust into which they are -transformed during their passage through it falls upon the Earth, -sprinkling it annually with a layer of dark mineral substance, which -if evenly spread, would cover the surface to about the thickness of a -match. For long it was denied by the Academies of Science that mineral -masses, varying in weight from a few ounces to several tons, ever fell -from the sky, although they had been frequently seen in the act of -falling and had been handled while still warm. But the incredulity of -the astronomers was broken down about a century ago and they could no -longer hold to their axiom that "as there are no stones in the sky, -they cannot fall out of it." The careful study of "shooting-stars" has -not been undertaken for much more than half a century. Although there -is no doubt that meteoric masses do fall to the ground occasionally and -that the meteoric dust which is found in the enduring snows on high -peaks and in the Arctic regions comes from the disintegration of such -objects, it is not certain that all of the shooting stars that flash -across our night skies (and day ones too, though we rarely see one by -day) are of the same nature as the meteoric stones which we can examine -in our museums. - -One of the most difficult problems to explain is the cause of the -luminosity of the meteors. Many of them start into brilliancy at the -enormous heights of eighty or ninety miles above the Earth and, after -dashing at planetary speed across a distance of perhaps a hundred -miles or more, disappear at heights of thirty or forty miles from the -surface. Compared with the rapidity of their motion the quickest bullet -is practically at rest. The explanation most widely accepted is that -the friction of the meteorite in passing through our atmosphere at -such an enormous speed ignites it and rapidly destroys it. Objection -has been raised to this theory on the ground that the atmosphere -at great heights is exceedingly rare and that it is difficult to -believe it could offer enough resistance. Another problem has hitherto -proved quite insoluble; i. e., the long persistence of the train of -luminous particles which remain drifting in the upper air after the -disappearance of the explosive bolides. For instance, on February 22, -1909, such a luminous train was seen for several hours drifting across -the sky at high speed. Its height was so great that it was visible -over a large part of England and France. Why these sparks do not go -out instantly, in the same manner as those which follow the ordinary -shooting-stars, is an unsolved mystery. - -The only thing that is well established about meteor showers is -that most of them are periodic and come from well-defined quarters -of the heavens. From the study of the directions from which these -streams come, it has been calculated that they travel round the sun -in long elliptical orbits, and are members of his family. An orbit of -thirty-three years has been computed for the famous November meteors. -They probably extend about as far as the planet Neptune on one side -of the Sun. The wonderful displays of November meteors seen in 1833 -and 1866, which astonished the whole world, were probably caused by -the passing of the Earth through a particularly dense portion of the -stream. In 1866 we met the same portion that we had encountered in -1833. It was again looked for in 1899, thirty-three years later, but, -to the surprise of the astronomers, there was but a very ordinary -display. Many reasons have been offered for this, but no one really -knows enough to explain it satisfactorily. A few of the meteoric -streams follow the tracks of comets, and it is supposed that they may -be the disintegrated remains of comets, particularly in the cases where -the latter have faded away. There are many other peculiarities in the -behavior of meteorites and of the meteoric streams which are quite -incomprehensible, but enough has been said to show that the problem is -full of interest to inquiring minds. - - * * * * * - -Students of H. P. Blavatsky's teachings will not have failed to notice -that there is a continual effort being made by astronomers to find -some really satisfactory theory to explain the formation and behavior -of comets' tails. She discusses the subject in _The Secret Doctrine_ -in such a way and gives such suggestive hints as to make it clear that -when we do get the real clue to the mystery there will be need for -further readjustments in our theories of matter. She also leads us to -understand that partly through the discoveries which will be made in -connexion with the anomalies of comets' tails, science will find that -the present theory of gravitation is highly incomplete, and that there -is an opposite force--repulsion--to be understood. Gravitation is only -one aspect of a mysterious force which is as definitely polarized as -electricity or magnetism. It is of interest to notice that Professor -Kapteyn, the famous Dutch astronomer of Groningen, has just declared at -the thirteenth Science Congress of Holland that the law of gravitation -is abrogated among the spiral nebulae. His words are: - - All the known facts indicate that the so-called universal force of - Gravitation exerts no influence upon the primordial matter from which - all stars have been produced. - -A few years ago--even to a date considerably later than the time -when H. P. Blavatsky wrote the daring suggestions in _The Secret -Doctrine_--such a statement would have been considered the rankest -heresy; no scientist would have dared to throw doubts upon the -universal supremacy of the law of gravitation. Truly, indeed, did she -prophesy that in the twentieth century it would be recognized that -she had but sketched an outline, which, though rejected at its first -appearance, was based upon real knowledge. - -In seeking a plausible hypothesis to explain comets' tails, Signor -Luigi Armellini, an Italian astronomer, has advanced the revolutionary -idea that they are optical illusions, merely the effect of light -passing through the more or less lens-shaped head of the comet. He -publishes, in the _Astronomische Nachrichten_, fourteen photographs of -comet-like forms which he produced by passing beams of light at various -angles through lenses so as to fall upon sensitized plates. He claims -that the different angles at which the solar rays fall upon the nucleus -of a comet as it moves round the sun sufficiently explain the familiar -changes in shape of the tail. - -This hypothesis has not been favorably received, for it provokes more -difficulties than it solves, plausible though it may seem at first -sight. For instance, there is the undeniable fact that comets' tails -display an entirely different spectrum from that of the Sun. Then -there is the fact that they are frequently most irregular in shape, -with strange bends and gaps in them, and sometimes they show bright -projections pointing _towards_ the Sun. Everyone who saw the great -daylight comet of the winter before last (Comet 1910 a) will remember -the curious bend half way down the tail which was plainly visible -without optical aid. This was a curious freak for a comet! - -It is singular that a somewhat similar hypothesis to that of Signor -Armellini was offered by a correspondent to the _Century Path_ not long -ago (April 24, 1910), the difference being that he suggested that the -comet's tail was a _shadow_ of the nucleus thrown upon a surrounding -spherical nebulosity and which became visible as a bright object when -relieved against the intensely black background of the sky. This -hypothesis lies open to the same objection as the lens theory, and -also to others. But the important thing is that the mystery of comets -has not been cleared up, nor will it be until the properties of other -states of matter than those with which we are familiar are discovered -by science. - -The following quotation from _The Scientific American_ shows some of -the difficulties which comet theorists have to meet: - - The tail of Halley's comet has conducted itself in the most whimsical - fashion.... It seems to have split longitudinally into three more or - less well-defined parts. When we consider that Morehouse's comet of - 1908 exhibited some extraordinary changes; that it repeatedly formed - tails which were discarded to drift out bodily into space until they - finally melted away; that in several cases tails were twisted or - corkscrew shaped, as if they had gone out in a more or less spiral - form; that areas of material connected with the tail would become - visible at some distance from the head, where apparently no supply - had reached it from the nucleus; that several times the matter of the - tail was accelerated perpendicularly to its length; and that at one - time the entire tail was thrown forward and curved perpendicularly - to the radius vector in the general direction of the tail's sweep - through space (_a peculiarity opposed to the law of gravitation_) it - is evident that a comet presents important problems for the future - astronomer to solve. (May 28, 1910, Italics ours). - -In connexion with the profoundly interesting problem of gravitation -and the dead mechanical theory of the universe _versus_ the living, -spiritual teachings which H. P. Blavatsky brought us, the student -should consult Sections III and IV of Part III of _The Secret -Doctrine_, Vol. I. Nothing displays more forcibly the strength and -beauty of the Theosophical position, which sees the working of Divine -Intelligence and Control in every thing, from the least to the greatest. - -To the general public as well as to astronomers the question of the -habitability of the planets is a perennial subject of interest, and it -is curious to observe how the opinions of experts have been modified -lately. A few years ago it would have appeared most unlikely that -the time was quickly coming when it would be seriously advanced by a -distinguished astronomer that _with the exception of Mars_ all the -planets are probably inhabited! Yet that is the position taken today -by Professor T. J. J. See of the U. S. Observatory, Mare Island. "Mars -has been inhabited in the past, but life has doubtless vanished there, -as but little of the Martian atmosphere remains." Until recently it -was thought that the extensive dark shadings on Mars were oceans, but -the numerous observations made of late with finer telescopes and under -more favorable conditions than were formerly available have proved -that these dark areas, instead of being the smooth, even surfaces they -should be if composed of water, are irregularly mottled and actually -crossed in places by some of the fine lines called "canals" about -which so much controversy has raged. Very limited dark blue regions -surrounding the white "snowcaps," which are most distinctly visible -during the Martian summers, are most probably water, but these are so -small that conditions must be very different on Mars from those on the -Earth or any similar planet. The state of things upon Venus appears to -be far more like that to which we are accustomed. No mountains such -as Venus possesses are to be traced on Mars. Professor See feels sure -that Mars must have been the seat of life in the past, and with respect -to the families of planets which we are morally certain must surround -the myriads of gigantic suns which we see only as twinkling stars, he -is convinced that they also must have been formed for the habitation -of intelligent beings, for to regard them as barren deserts would make -Nature ridiculous. - -H. P. Blavatsky, in _The Secret Doctrine_ and elsewhere, and William Q. -Judge in his writings, have plainly stated the Theosophical teaching -about the condition of Mars in its present cycle. According to this, -the planet is under "obscuration," that is, it is not the seat of -full and complete active life, though there may be some lower vital -forces at work. But this does not mean that Mars is becoming extinct -or that it is a dead planet. According to the Esoteric philosophy, of -which H. P. Blavatsky was permitted to unveil a little and to give a -partial outline, the planets are subject to great periodic changes of -state. From a high condition of activity in which life in every form -flourishes, they decline to a state of quiescence during which the -vital forces are active in the unseen planes; but in due course the -nearly extinct fires are re-lighted and a further and higher evolution -commences. We see this taking place on a smaller scale around us; -civilizations rise and fall only to rise again; nations and even races -disappear to be replaced by others commencing their upward march. - -During the intervals between the active manifestations on the physical -plane the life-stream or wave passes into other and interior states -which are necessary for the full development of perfected intelligence. -What takes place in the case of the individual man in the comparatively -short cyclic alternations of earth-lives and Devachanic or Heavenly -conditions is a reflection of the vast cosmic process of the planets -and the suns. Modern science has not yet grasped the enormous and -far-reaching significance of Cyclic or Periodic laws, particularly in -their application to human life, and how firmly everything, from the -lowest animalcule to the great sun itself, is held in their grasp. When -Cyclic Law as the key to the greater mysteries of life is thoroughly -understood we shall no longer find any opposition to the fact of the -reincarnation of the human soul, which is simply a necessary corollary -to it. The soul is not _supernatural_ in the sense of being outside -Nature's laws; it is a part of the whole. - -So with respect to Mars. It is, as Professor See and others believe, -under obscuration today, but its energies will revive or reincarnate -in some future age. It has not reached the state of our Moon, which is -a decaying corpse, having passed through its life-history long ago. -The Moon's life-principles "reincarnating" in the sphere of the Earth -hundreds of millions of years ago, are now pursuing a higher evolution -here. The Earth will in its time "reincarnate" similarly. - - - - -ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL FROM LUDGATE HILL: by Carolus - - -The great fire of London in September 1666 destroyed eighty-nine -churches, the city gates, hospitals, schools, libraries, and many other -public buildings, thirteen thousand two hundred dwelling houses, and -the fortunes of over two hundred thousand people; but only eight lives -were lost, and the plague, which only the year before had destroyed a -hundred thousand persons in London alone, was never afterwards a cause -of serious anxiety. Notwithstanding the temporary suffering the fire -was a great hygienic benefit, and the city rapidly recovered more than -its former prosperity. One of the severest losses was that of the old -cathedral of St. Paul, a magnificent thirteenth century Gothic building -with a central spire. Its dimensions were enormous; the total length -being 700 feet, the height of the nave 102 feet, and the spire attained -the extraordinary altitude of 534 feet, 130 feet higher than Salisbury -Cathedral spire, which gives the impression, today, of enormous height. -The old cathedral had suffered many losses and injuries before the -fire, its spire had been destroyed, and its monuments defaced, while -many outrages called restorations had injured its beauty. - -After the fire much of the work of rebuilding was entrusted to Sir -Christopher Wren, the most renowned architect of modern times in -England. In four years ten thousand houses had been rebuilt, and very -soon fifty-one churches were commenced by Wren. The greatest was new -St. Paul's. The first stone was laid on June 21, 1675, the last in -1710. Just before the fire Wren had been commissioned by King Charles -II to restore old St. Paul's, and he proposed to remodel all but -the choir in "a good Roman manner." We may be thankful that such an -atrocity was providentially prevented. Wren made several designs for -the new building on the lines of his proposed remodeling of the old -one; but for various reasons none of them were finally carried out. The -finished building is very different from even the last approved design, -and is generally considered far superior. In place of the one-storied -effect produced by a single order of columns, which he originally -intended, he divided the whole height into two orders. The result -was an immense gain in apparent size. St. Peter's in Rome is utterly -dwarfed by the colossal size of the columns and pilasters of its single -order, and it is a remarkable fact, that although the top of St. Paul's -dome is only about the same height as the springing of that of St. -Peter's, owing to Wren's ingenious design in this matter, the one looks -about as high as the other. - -It is rather a singular fact that the greatest cathedral of -the Protestant Reformation should be called after the "wise -master-builder," St. Paul, while the central church of the Roman faith -is dedicated to the apostle who thrice denied his Master. - -The ground plan as finally built, is much smaller than that of the old -cathedral, being only 500 feet long, by 250 across the transepts. The -front towers are 250 feet high, and the dome is 404. The dome is a -wonderful example of Wren's constructive skill. The stone lantern at -the summit is quite independent of the external wooden and lead dome; -it is supported on a cone of brickwork, concealed from the interior by -an internal dome. Wren said he was building for eternity, and he was -especially careful about the strength of the foundations, but he had no -suspicion of the boring and tunneling that would before many centuries -take place around the cathedral, and serious anxiety has been caused of -late years by sundry cracks which have appeared in some of the walls -and vaults. - -There is good reason to suppose that the site of St. Paul's was once -dedicated to the worship of Diana. Ox heads, which were sacred to that -goddess, were discovered near the church in 1316, and at other times -fragments of vessels that seem to have been used in the old ceremonies -have been dug up. A chronicler of the fifth century speaks of the -worship of Diana being restored in London in his time. The site of the -building is the highest in the city, and it is the most reasonable -place for the sacred Temple of pre-christian times to have been founded. - -Fortunately there are no thirty-five-story skyscrapers in London to -dwarf the picturesque mass of the majestic edifice which has an abiding -place in the heart of every Londoner--and indeed of every Englishman. - - See! how shadowy, - Of some occult magician's rearing, - Or swung in space of heaven's grace, - Dissolving, dimly reappearing, - Afloat upon ethereal tides - St. Paul's above the city rides. - -_John Davidson_ - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. ST. PAUL'S -CATHEDRAL, LONDON. VIEW TAKEN FROM LUDGATE HILL] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. A EUCALYPTUS GROVE, -POINT LOMA] - - - - -WHO MADE THE EUCALYPTS? by Nature-Lover - - -Australia is a remnant of Lemuria, as geologists call that ancient -continent which once stretched across the Southern hemisphere. In -Australia we find strange animals and plants, the relics of a bygone -age. One plant is the Eucalyptus, of many varieties, a very perfect -tree, with two systems of roots, one to catch surface water, the -other to dig deep; formed for hardiness, yet distilling every kind of -fragrant and health-giving balm. Is this tree a product of evolution? -Or has Man had a hand in the perfecting of it? - -Men in our recent civilization are already learning how to manipulate -plants so as to make them into better plants than they were before. -If it be true that the ancient continent of Lemuria was occupied by -an ancient humanity, divided into races and sub-races, nations and -tribes, enduring for millenniums, it must also be true that they made -discoveries in science, of which agriculture is a branch. Perhaps they -had gone further than we have yet gone in the art of plant culture; -perhaps they had carried it to a point of perfection; perhaps they made -the Eucalypts. There are many other plants and fruits and trees on the -earth which seem as if they had been made at some time or another; and -it is quite possible that bygone human races may have had something to -do with it. - -The influence of man upon nature may have been underestimated. Plants -and animals seem to remain about the same for very long periods; man -is able to produce variations in them; and then the varieties often -remain permanent and unaltered. It is quite conceivable that scientific -agriculture on a large scale may have been practised at one time or at -several times in the world's history, and that many now-existing forms -may be attributable thereto. - -Thus far we have spoken only of the direct and purposeful influence -of man upon nature; but man has also an indirect and undesigned -influence. For just as the physical body of man is continually -discarding atoms, which return to the soil, carrying thither vital -elements that will be used over again in the lower kingdoms of nature; -so man is as constantly throwing off other elements, not physical, -and these likewise return to the lower kingdoms of nature to enter as -vital forces into the constitution of lower forms. In other words, man -excretes used-up and superfluous elements from his mind; and these, -though no longer of use to man, and being now divested of everything -human, may nevertheless serve to ensoul lowlier forms. It will thus be -seen that some of the theories of evolution held by biologists are the -reverse of the truth. The analogy between animals and the organs in man -has been regarded as pointing to a descent of man from the animals; but -why might it not imply a descent of animals from man? Once get rid of -the idea that physical begetting is the only way in which one thing can -be derived from another, and the way is clear for postulating a descent -or derivation of animals from man. The crab, all claws and stomach, -works off naturally and harmlessly certain proclivities which in man -were cultivated to an excess too great for their further expression in -the human kingdom. In the same way we have the spider, built perhaps -from the cast-off atoms of a bogus-company promoter (!), the snake, the -pig, etc. It has been well said that in the Zoo one may meet all one's -friends and enemies--behind the bars of the cages; and the cartoonist -can represent faithfully his human characters by giving them animals' -heads. - -But let us not overdo the idea. It is true that many of the animals -now on earth appeared subsequently to man in the present "Round" of -evolution; but this does not apply to all the animals. The facts are, -as might be expected, not so simple as one might like them to be; for -the history of evolution in all its ramifications is a long and complex -one. To return to the main proposition: man plays an important part in -the evolution of nature, both conscious and unconscious. - - - - -AUSTRALIAN MARSUPIALS: by Nature-Lover - - -Australia is one of the oldest lands, says H. P. Blavatsky; it can -produce no _new_ forms, unless helped by fresh races or artificial -cultivation and breeding. This is in keeping with the native race whose -home it has been; for a portion of the present native tribes are the -descendants of those later Lemurians who escaped the destruction of -their fellows when the main continent was submerged. This remnant has -since declined. Its environment is suggestive of a survival from a long -bygone age. As Jukes says, in his _Manual of Geology_, it is a curious -fact that the fossil marsupials found in Oxfordshire, England, together -with Trigonias and other shells, and even some fossil plants, should -much more nearly resemble those now living in Australia than the living -forms of any other part of the globe. This fact is interesting and -suggestive. - -From a recent article in _The English Mechanic_ we condense the -following. - -The remains of some of the oldest mammals were discovered in the -Keuper beds of bone breccia of Upper Triassic age near Stuttgart. They -consisted of the teeth of a small animal about the size of a rabbit, -Microlestes antiquus. Teeth of a similar animal were found in the -Rhaetic beds at Frome, England, while in the red sandstones of the -Upper Trias in Virginia and North Carolina were found the lower jaws -of Dromatherium sylvestre, and in beds of similar age in Basutoland -the skull of Tritylodon longaevus. All these are believed to have -been marsupials, mammals that bring forth their young in an imperfect -condition and place them in a pouch formed by the skin of the abdomen, -where their development is completed. - -In the Australian regions there are about one hundred and sixty -species of living marsupials including the kangaroo, kangaroo rat, -phalanger, tarsipes, wombat, bandicoot, rat, koala, Tasmanian wolf or -Thylacine dasyure, and the Tasmanian devil or Ursine dasyure; while in -the remainder of the world there are only about forty-six, and these -confined to North and South America, the representatives being the -opossum and the South American selvas. The kangaroo is also found in -Tasmania, New Guinea, New Ireland, and in the Aru and other islands of -these regions. - -Up to the present very few fossil remains of Monotremes have been -found. These are the lowest forms of mammals and lay eggs; they -seem to form a link with the reptiles. Their skeletons exhibit very -reptilian characters and true teeth are absent. They appear to have -been followed by the Marsupials and finally by the Placentals, which -bring forth matured young, and which seem to have made their appearance -in the Upper Jurassic. The only representatives that now exist of the -monotremes are the duck-billed platypus or Ornithorhyncus, and the -spiny anteater, both of Australia, and Parechidna of New Guinea. These -lay soft-shelled eggs and have no teats, the milk being exuded from -pores in the skin, which the young ones lick when hatched. The fossil -remains of Echidna have been brought to light in the bone breccia of -Tertiary times in Australia. In the Stonesfield Slate of Oxfordshire, -which is Lower Oolitic, the lower jaws of several small marsupials -have been found, and these were contemporary with the great saurians. -The latter waned as the former increased. Similar lower jaws have been -found at Swanage in Dorsetshire, the lower jaw being the first bone -to become detached and being left stranded while the rest of the body -or skeleton was carried out to sea. There would seem to have been a -world-wide distribution of monotremes and marsupials; but they did not -develop any size except in Australia, where they became isolated. - -In the newer Tertiary deposits of Australia are the remains of a large -marsupial allied to the kangaroo and named Diprotodon Australis; and -in the Post-Tertiary another named Nototherium; as also a few others -including fossil kangaroos. - -This concludes our abstract from the article. In reference to what -is said therein about the first two forms of Mammals--the Monotremes -and the Marsupials--their analogies with the types below and above -them, and the gradation in development which they exhibit, it may be -recalled that the teachings given in _The Secret Doctrine_, with regard -to animal and human evolution, are not the same as the conjectures of -most modern theorists. The Mammalia, it is stated, are (_in the present -Round_) posterior to Man on this globe. The evolutionary process which -culminated in the production of a physical organism for Man took place -in an earlier Round. Similarly, it is not in the present Round that the -Monads inhabiting animals now living will progress so as to enter into -the composition of Man. That destiny awaits them in a future Round. -Hence these Monotremes and Marsupials do not represent early stages in -the evolution of our present humanity. Analogy in form does not always -mean derivation of the one form from the other; and when it does, there -still remains the doubt as to which form was prior to the other. The -subject of evolution, as taught by ancient Science, is comprehensive -and fascinating. It is evident that the actual facts must be far more -complex and vaster in scale than tentative hypotheses. - -Australia is a country with natural scenery of fascinating type. The -illustrations accompanying this note give an idea of it. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. A CASCADE, NEW SOUTH -WALES, AUSTRALIA] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. NEAR NATURE'S HEART, -NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. AN AUSTRALIAN PICNIC -RESORT] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. WHERE THE RAINBOW -SPORTS NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. WHERE THE FERNS -THRIVE: AUSTRALIA] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. THE AUSTRALIAN GUM] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. ONE OF THE LESSER -STATUES BROUGHT FROM EASTER ISLAND THIS STATUE (NOW IN THE BRITISH -MUSEUM) HAS BEEN CALLED "HOA-HAKA-NANA-IA"] - - - - -HOA-HAKA-NANA-IA: by P. A. Malpas - - -Much has been written and said about the famous Easter Island statues -in mid-Pacific. So little is really known about them that until H. -P. Blavatsky called attention to their immense antiquity they were -not thought to be of any particular value. There were one or two -speculations which she, as with so many other scattered data, gathered -together, sifted, confirmed, or refuted, adding a few details to -complete the bare outline of the picture. - -The one in the illustration stands at the entrance outside the British -Museum with a smaller, more shapeless companion. They were brought to -England in Her Majesty's Ship _Topaze_, and presented in 1869 by Queen -Victoria to the national collection in the Museum. - -As they are said to be of hard trachyte and the ravages of time are -great, therefore it is said they are very, very old. Presumably they -were carved in the "Stone Age," wherever that mysteriously ancient (yet -still existing!) epoch of science may be situated in the years of the -world. It would be interesting to know by what "Stone Age" tools they -were carved. Perhaps Aladdin's diamonds may have helped in the carving? - -In any case they are evident "sun-worship" monuments. So would our -clocks and sundials be if we could emulate our "Stone Age" brothers -(what wonderful masons they were!) in making them last a million years -or so. - -We would wish to remark that the cross on the backs of these very -ancient statues, made in one of the hardest kinds of stone, is a very -remarkable case of testimony by anticipation. They were only "Stone -Age" men, but they had shrewd powers of anticipation--almost as -wonderful as their masonry! - - - - -SUN-LIFE AND EARTH-LIFE: by Per Fernholm - -Indwelling - - If thou couldst empty all thyself of self, - Like to a shell dishabited, - Then might He find thee on the Ocean shelf, - And say--"This is not dead,"-- - And fill thee with Himself instead. - - But thou art all replete with very thou, - And hast such shrewd activity, - That, when He comes, He says: "This is enow - Unto itself--'twere better let it be: - It is so small and full, there is no room for Me." - -_T. E. Brown_, "_Collected Poems_." - - -There, in your garden, is a plant, busily engaged in collecting -material for its future growth, although you can see nothing as yet -above the ground. Still in the darkness of the earth it is sending out -numerous root-threads amongst many strange material things, of which -some serve it as nourishment. Buried in the soil without any visible -link with the life of the air above, it lies, dormant and inactive -until that life above reaches it with its beneficent influence in the -form of rain and sunshine, quickening the soul of the plant to begin -the weaving of its material garb on the already present ideal form. - -And then, one day, the budding life breaks through the soil separating -it from the air, and from now on a new life is entered upon, a double -existence. The roots in the dark "prison of earth" continue to collect -nourishment for the redoubled activity needed to build the ideal form. -But the plant is now directly nourished and stimulated to growth by -water and air and sunshine by means of its leaves as well. And thus, -in proper time, the culmination comes in form of the flower, in its -beauty really belonging to another world and a constant promise of a -higher life. When it has given its message, blended its note of form, -color, and fragrance in the great symphony of vegetable life, it passes -away to rest; but in doing so it produces a store of seeds for future -plant-lives similar to its own, thus binding together past and future -and securing the continuity of its species. - -How much food for thought there is in a simple picture that we -constantly have before us! How thoughts and analogies built upon it -help us--far better than the filling of our brains with narrow and -petty theories without any spark of life, or the poisoning of our -emotional life by our artificial aims and desires. Men are overburdened -by false ideas and unsound emotions of their own making. Purification -of heart, mind, and body, is surely needed, before the wholesome -influences always reaching us from the Center of Life can make us grow -rightly, intensely, though quietly and in silence. - -"I am not of this world," said the great Master whom the Western -world professes to follow. It was the Christos that spoke thus, the -spiritual, glorious, ideal being that breathes the air of the higher -life. Each of us has--nay, each one in essence is--the Christos, though -few have consciously and purposely taken up the great task before -us all: to weave the worthy, shining garment that will allow this -spiritual being to take actual form in manifested existence. Man is not -like the flower, he is self-conscious, and he cannot grow as the flower -grows until he freely uses his self-consciousness in full accordance -with the laws of life. He cannot hope to burst through the dark soil of -material existence that separates him from the air where the spiritual -sun sheds its glory until, in every moment of daily life, he feels its -influence and adjusts his life accordingly, gathering nourishment from -all his duties, from all the opportunities that the threads of his mind -may encounter, and pushing upwards all the time. - -_Trust_ is the key to it all, the magic power that will bring the -human plant to bloom. _Compassion_ is the guiding power for the mental -root-threads in their work of gathering nourishment; the giving of -the good tidings to all we can reach, the extending of aid to all as -we progress. And when the glorious moment arrives when the soil opens -above us, there comes redoubled activity in our earthly life, reaching -out farther and farther, inspiring and stimulating more and more the -hearts of the "hosts of souls" that grope blindly in the dark and -finally have come to doubt even the existence of any spiritual life. - -We watch the plant in our garden and nurse it even before we see any -visible sign of its growth, knowing that it will blossom in due time. -Have we ever thought that there may be beings in the spiritual world -that watch the humans in like manner and give them the tenderest care? -Have we thought of how some already may have reached up into the air -of spiritual existence, preparing to bloom, or already blooming, or, -in going to rest, scattering all over the earth seeds of potential -spiritual growth? How these may be working with all the powers of -heart, mind, and body, to give the good tidings to us that still -struggle in the dark? How they are to be recognized by that divine -Compassion that does not shut out anyone of the blind and faltering -human beings, and how they are able to inspire that Trust which acts -like a kindling spark, producing light and order in a chaos? - -The sun does not enter into the growth of a plant otherwise than -spiritually, inspiring and drawing it upwards. It is not of this world; -and yet it is the basis of all growth in this world. So even in human -life; the Christos stands apart from all nature's activity, and yet it -is illuminating every particle therein, living in the heart-life of -all. The mind can open to its rays by acting in unison with the heart, -by finding its way upward in trust, and by expanding, as compassion -makes it embrace ever wider circles of earthly existence. Seen thus, -earth-life, dark and confusing as it still often may be, has its great -purpose and is felt to be the means of a glorious spiritual blossoming. -Every thought and act may then serve the interblending of the spiritual -influences with the lives of our fellows, and as purification proceeds -and the life-currents more and more easily and normally find their -course through our hearts and minds, Joy becomes manifest and comes to -stay with us, the Joy of True Living, precursor of the blossoming of -the spiritual life. - -In this work of bursting through the dark soil of material existence, -woman has her predominant position. Being in close contact with nature -she can clothe the spiritual rays entering her heart in a thousand -forms that make everything she touches radiant in its turn. And she -can protect the sanctuary thus brought down to earth. If her trust is -sublime, her spiritual will unflinching, none will dare to desecrate -it. She can challenge others to leave the false and cheap glitter of -life, for the precious jewels of the higher life. How glorious her -position as guardian of the home, if she enters into it in the right -spirit, trustingly! The seeds of love and unselfishness, scattered -over the earth by those who already have blossomed forth in the higher -glory, may in such a home find the soil needed for their quickening. -And what a reward for a mother to watch over and guide such a soul in -acquiring a serviceable instrument for the delivering of its message of -Truth, Light, and Liberation! - -The most fertile soil is often composed of the most unpleasant and -incongruous ingredients, and it is often the darkest. Our age is -certainly dark, but just _because_ of the swift vibrations of material -life it permits a growth that could not be equaled at any other time. -This century has to make a bold step forward towards the realization -of a higher life. Let the woman who feels its urge and who longs to -help and serve, know that by doing rightly the small duties that lie -nearest at hand, her path will gradually widen. The plant blooms where -the seed falls. What woman cannot, deep within the heart, feel some -hint of the glory and joy of stepping forth as a conscious worker with -nature? - -One of the most wonderful passages in the pearl of the Eastern -scriptures, the Bhagavad-Gîtâ, that poem of the spiritual life, is -where Arjuna discovers the majesty of Krishna, whom he had taken -for a friend and at times had treated "without respect in sport, in -recreation, in repose, in thy chair, and at thy meals, in private and -in public"; and where he exclaims: "Forgive, O Lord, as the friend -forgives the friend, as the father pardons his son, as the lover the -beloved." We will all some day waken to find Krishna, the Christos, at -our side. But we must ask ere we can receive, we must call before the -inner Christ can show himself in his true form, before he really can -help us. We must change our whole attitude, our polarity, and drink in -the light from above. We must let Sun-life illuminate Earth-life and -draw forth the divine blossoms. - - - - -THE SPADE OF THE ARCHAEOLOGIST: THE RESURRECTION OF TRUTH--ERROR'S -FUNERAL: by Ariomardes - - - The resurrection of the prehistoric age of Greece, and the disclosure - of the astonishing standard of civilization which had been attained - on the mainland and in the isles of the Aegean at a period at least - 2000 years earlier than that at which Greek history, as hitherto - understood, begins, may be reckoned as among the most interesting - results of modern research into the relics of the life of past ages.... - - All preconceived ideas may be upset by the results of a single - season's spade work on some ancient site. The work is by no means - complete; but already the dark gulf of time that lay behind the Dorian - conquest is beginning to yield up the unquestionable evidences of a - great and splendid and almost incredibly ancient civilization.... - - Most surprising of all, in many respects, was the revelation of the - amazingly complete system of drainage with which the palace was - provided. Indeed the hydraulic science of the Minoan architects is - altogether wonderful in the completeness with which it provided for - even the smallest details.... - - Perhaps the most striking and interesting result that has been - attained is the remarkable confirmation given to the broad outlines - of those traditions about Crete which have survived in the legends and - in the narratives of the Greek historians.--_The Scientific American_, - in a review of James Baikie's _Sea Kings of Crete_. - -Preconceived ideas may certainly be said to be in a precarious -situation, if they can be so easily upset by a spade. Pagan tradition, -however, comes out triumphant. Should we not therefore, place more -faith in the pagan legends than in the preconceived ideas? - -Refusing to believe that the Greek legends were imaginary, Schliemann -and his successors investigated the sites at Troy, Tiryns and Mykenae, -there discovering the old civilization described. Now we learn -that this was but the dying remnant of a still older and grander -civilization whose center was Crete. How much more has the spade to -reveal to us? How much further will discovery go? It can but show, as -revelation follows revelation, that the map of ancient history sketched -in H. P. Blavatsky's _The Secret Doctrine_ is correct; that our annals, -as far as we can trace them back, record not a rise but a fall. The -present Fifth Root-Race of humanity, being in its middle course, has -reached the lowest point of its cycle before its reascent; the earlier -of its seven sub-races have lived; some of the most enduring of their -colossal works in masonry have survived, silent yet eloquent witnesses. -The spade is slowly uncovering the vestiges of civilization gradually -rising in knowledge and culture as we go backwards; until at last the -completed chain of history will conduct us to the glory of our Race in -the Golden Age of its birth. - -Confirmation, Theosophy has in plenty, as H. P. Blavatsky foretold of -the dawning years of this century. Recognition, it may get later. And -this important question arises: Will archaeologists, while admitting -the truth of the Theosophical teachings about history, also admit -those teachings as to the nature of Man and other kindred subjects, -which logically depend on the historical teachings? If not, then, -Archaeology, thy name is inconsistency. For Nineteenth Century views of -the origin of man will not fit. - -And let us not become so absorbed over the Aegeans as to forget the -rest of the world and devise theories to account for our own particular -discoveries regardless of the discoveries in other fields. The ancient -Chimu civilization recently uncovered in Peru claims our attention. -History in America too goes back through rising stages to a mightier -past. And linking all, we have the admissions, now being made on all -sides, as to the truth of the Theosophical teachings (in _The Secret -Doctrine_) about Atlantis. This links together the prehistoric cultures -of the Old World and the New. - -Even in mechanical science there was prowess, as we learn in connexion -with these drainage works of Crete. Perhaps we have been wont to solace -our pride by the reflection that if the Egyptians surpassed us in -building, and the Greeks in art, in science at least we bear the palm. -But is this consolation merely based on the fact that the civilizations -with which we have so far been familiar have not expended their genius -in that particular direction? Could antiquity have surpassed us in -applied science also, if it had had the mind to apply its abilities -in that direction? Nay, have there actually been civilizations which -surpassed us? This particular Cretan culture seems to have been -distinguished by many features which connect it more with modern times -than with the intervening Greek culture. The same has been said with -regard to the choice and treatment of subjects in the decorative and -imitative pottery unearthed on the Chimu site in Peru. - - - - -THE LANDS NOW SUBMERGED: by Durand Churchill - - -To those persons who are interested in geographical facts and -geological statistics, as well as to those who are students of -climatology, the following remarkable features of the great bodies -of water which cover such a large part of the surface of this globe, -a part of the surface which in bygone ages has borne upon it races -of people from whom our remote ancestors were descended, will be of -interest. - -Thanks to modern energy, skill, and perseverance, the great oceans have -been sounded practically throughout, so that today we have published -maps, which show quite clearly enough the general contour of the ocean -bottoms. - -From these we see that the floor of the ocean is an extensive plain, or -series of plains, lying at an average depth of about two and one-half -miles beneath the ocean surface. In some places, gigantic mountain -ranges rise up from these submerged plains to the very surface of the -ocean, or to within points so near the surface that they form dangerous -reefs, and volcanic islands. - -The depth of the ocean thus varies quite as irregularly and as -precipitously as does the level of dry lands in the mountain ranges of -Switzerland or South America or India. So far as is officially known -in 1911, the greatest depth in the Atlantic Ocean is found between the -West Indies and Bermuda, at a point called the Nares Deep, which is -4662 fathoms, or 27,972 feet. The greatest depth, so far discovered in -the Indian Ocean, is between Christmas Island and the coast of Java, -which is 3828 fathoms, and is called the Wharton Deep. - -The greatest depth, so far discovered in the Pacific Ocean is called -the Challenger (or Nero) Deep in the North Pacific, which is 5269 -fathoms (31,614 feet). To get a comparative idea of this great depth, -we can imagine the highest mountain in the world placed in this depth -of water, and would then find that the peak of this great mountain -would be 2600 feet below the surface of the sea. Thus could Mount -Everest be lost in the depths of the Pacific Ocean. - -There are, at present on record, fifty-six of these great holes in the -sea bottoms which exceed three miles in depth. There are ten areas -which lie at a depth greater than four miles, and four places where the -depth exceeds five miles. - -The depth seems to bear a certain relation to the salinity of the -water, for it is found that the amount of salt held in solution is less -as the depth increases. This of course is the effect of temperature and -pressure changes, as well as the greater quietness of the subsurface -waters. - -The composition of the salts found in sea-water, that is the -proportional amounts of the various component salts, does not vary -materially in the different parts of the ocean, although the degree of -saturation does vary, as above explained. - -The temperature of the ocean varies, at the surface, from 28° F. at the -poles, to over 80° F. in the tropics. The cold water, near the poles, -at any given point, varies less than 10° F.; and the warm water of the -tropics, likewise has a variation, annually, of less than 10° F., in a -band that nearly encircles the earth; this band, it is interesting to -observe, is the region of coral reefs. - -Between these regions of small annual variation, there are two bands -surrounding the earth, where the annual temperature variation is -greater, and may at some spots even exceed 40° F. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. AMSTERDAM: THE -"GREEN CANAL," AND THE STEEPLE OF THE ZUIDERKERK ("SOUTH CHURCH")] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. OIL CREEK FALLS, -WATERTON LAKES, ALBERTA, CANADA] - - - - -[Illustration: The Screen of Time] - -BOOK REVIEWS: Charles Morice's "Il est ressuscité": - -by H. A. Fussell - - Once to every man and nation - Comes the moment to decide, - In the strife of truth with falsehood, - For the good or evil side. - - -That there do occur critical periods in the lives of nations and -of individuals, when the irrevocable step is taken which allies -them definitely with the beneficent or maleficent forces which are -contending for the mastery of the world, has become a truism. It is -seldom a spectacular contest--this "battle of Armageddon"; even when it -is, at the moment of choice we are alone, face to face with the Higher -Self. - -The many and varied ways in which this contest may occur furnish the -moralist and the preacher with occasions for the highest flights of -eloquence, and it forms the background of history, biography, and -fiction. One of its most recent presentations is by Charles Morice in -his book _Il est ressuscité!_ of which we give a résumé. - -One day in the middle of December the Parisians were surprised on -opening their daily papers to see the last page perfectly blank, all -the questionable advertisements had disappeared, no Stock Exchange -news, all the transactions by which clever financiers attract the -unwary and pile up their millions, had been suppressed. Why? No one -could say! Amazement on all faces! It was the same the next day, and -the next--even the feuilleton, containing the inevitable sensational -and sometimes salacious story was no more. At the Bourse itself there -was "nothing doing"; would-be purchasers were told of the watered -stocks, were advised not to buy. - -In the evening the leading journalists met as usual at the "Lapin Cru." -They were no wiser than the rest. Consternation was on all faces. -Their occupation was gone, there was not a single piquant event in -all Paris--suddenly become virtuous--to write up. On unfolding their -papers--the first impression was always brought in at midnight by the -office-boys from the publishers--on one of the blank pages was this -notice in small print: - - The Son of God needs no advertising. He has put up at the Three Kings' - Hotel, Place de l'Étoile. He will be at home from noon to noon, all - the day, the 14th of December and tomorrow. - -Narda, a prince among journalists, sat apart, moodily. Suddenly he -became aware of a man opposite him at the next table. - - But what a man! There was in fact nothing remarkable about him, except - that perhaps he lacked precisely those little peculiarities and - idiosyncracies which distinguish one man from another. Yet he was a - fine man, but his remarkable beauty did not cause surprise. The fact - is, that one would have been surprised, nay scandalized, if it were - not so, for his beauty, formed of the perfect equilibrium of all the - elements of his person, revealed man in his ordinary and magnificent - integrity. It was as if necessitated by the soul, sovereignly and - ineffably serene, which shone in the eyes of the man: a constant, - rich, intense light, eclipsing the crude brilliancy of the electric - lights, and forming a halo in his unusually long hair. Narda was not - dazzled by the light: on the contrary, he felt himself illuminated by - it to the very depths of his being. He looked at this unknown man with - a sympathy mingled with trust and deference. He had no desire to speak - to him, to question him, fully satisfied by his presence alone, the - presence of _a man_. A real man! he said to himself, and not a puppet - like my comrades and myself. - -The stranger went, Narda scarcely knew how; and without him the room, -life itself, seemed empty and vain again. - -The subject is not new--the incompatibility of the Christ and modern -civilization. We are all acquainted with sensational pictures, painted -by well-known artists, depicting Christ in the midst of decadent modern -society, with all its revolting contrasts; or with lurid sketches -written by clever journalists; but never have we seen the subject -treated with so much reverence and psychological insight as in the work -before us. Read the scene the following night at the "Lapin Cru," where -Narda was sure he would meet again with the Son of God. They communed -as of old the disciples with the Master. - -"I thought, Lord, you were to come in a different manner." - -"Are you also without intelligence?" Jesus replied. "Visible or -invisible the Son of Man comes every day." - -The question rose to the lips of Narda: "You come, doubtless, to finish -the work begun two thousand years ago?" - -"It is finished to all eternity." - -"Why then have you not conquered?" - -"Because I wished to leave to you the merit of the victory." - -After some further talk, Narda, who has been led into the depths of -his own conscience, depths unsuspected by him before, exclaims: "Lord, -perhaps you are only _myself_, my self raised to perfectness...." - -"But has not one of your writers said: 'It is only God who is really -man.' How do you know, if I have not become _little by little_ divine?" - -And while they were speaking Jesus was giving, at "the Three Kings," -in its three hundred rooms, _private_ audience to three hundred -interviewers at the same time, and to each he appeared different. On -leaving, some declared he had fair hair, others that it was dark. To -the philosopher he appeared a philosopher; to the artist more beautiful -than Apollo; to the soldier a divine warrior. - -Last of all came "the Scribes and Pharisees," as of old, to question -him. "Are you really the Son of God?" "Are you going to tell us again -that salvation is difficult for the rich?" "Are you going to be -crucified anew?" and so on. The Churches held aloof. _He had not come -as they expected._ - -We will not describe how our author solves the problems, economic, -social, and religious, which this unsuspected advent of Jesus causes in -Paris. It suffices to say that the crisis was met and tided over for -the time being. - -One circumstance, however, must be mentioned: woman was honored as -never before. Civil marriage alone is legal in France; in more than -sixty per cent of the couples presenting themselves before the civil -authorities for the ratification of their marriage, the unexpected -happened. Instead of the perfunctory "Yes" which was almost invariably -the rule, one or other of the contracting parties would say "No." -There were no more ill-assorted matches, none of those crimes against -humanity that the marriage service, not only among the French, but in -every nation, condones. And the children, they had never been so happy -before, so unrestrained, and yet so well-behaved. Even the youths and -maidens, as they walked through the streets or wandered in the parks, -showed a self-restraint and tenderness for one another never remarked -before. Older people stood and looked after them in wonder. Something -idyllic and noble had entered into and stopped the bantering, mocking, -scoffing tone of the average Parisian. It was beautiful, some thought -it unnatural--would it last? - -Towards the end of December Jesus preaches to the people--this time -from Montmartre. All Paris is gathered there to hear him. Again the -gracious words are heard, but are received and interpreted by each in -accordance with his own interests and prejudices. "The common people -heard him gladly," but the rich and learned murmured. He spoke of -self-sacrifice and devotion to ideals; the majority, though convicted -of sin, with seared hearts, felt revolt rising within. When Jesus had -ended and had betaken himself away, "for their eyes were holden, that -they should not see," it was in a state of astonishment, deception, -consternation, even rage, that the crowd slowly melted away. Many -men, mere simulacra of humanity--though considered the pillars of -society--made haste to flee the place where all they held most dear, -their success, their station, their darling sins, were menaced. But the -innocent, the poor and the wretched, felt that it was an awakening from -an all-too-sweet dream to the harsh realities of the pitiless struggle -for life. - -It was the beginning of the end. Ere many days had passed, Jesus -was asked to leave the city, "and normal life, with its political -institutions, its scientific progress, its suffragettes, its railway -accidents, theater-parties, and fashionably attired women, resumed its -wonted course." By a kind of tacit agreement no one spoke any more of -the disconcerting events of the last days of December. The newspapers -wore their wonted appearance; "twenty lines, identical in every case," -was all the press notice of what had so profoundly stirred men's souls. - -And Narda, the veteran journalist, the new disciple of Jesus? Brought -face to face with his divine self, he saw himself once again when -in youth, with forehead high and heart full of hope, he had vowed -allegiance to the highest. And now? Was it lack of courage? He lost -his grasp of that divine life to which all are called, and which had -awakened once again with so much power in him. "He has come in vain," -he cried, "we cannot endure him." - -How true, alas! are the sad words of Baudelaire, which Charles Morice -prefixes to his work: "_Mais le damné répond toujours: Je ne veux -pas!_"--The lost soul always replies: I do not want to. - - - - -The Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society - -Founded at New York City in 1875 by H. P. Blavatsky, William Q. Judge -and others - -Reorganized in 1898 by Katherine Tingley - -Central Office, Point Loma, California - - The Headquarters of the Society at Point Loma with the buildings and - grounds, are no "Community" "Settlement" or "Colony." They form no - experiment in Socialism, Communism, or anything of similar nature, - but are the Central Executive Office of an international organization - where the business of the same is carried on, and where the teachings - of Theosophy are being demonstrated. Midway 'twixt East and West, - where the rising Sun of Progress and Enlightenment shall one day - stand at full meridian, the Headquarters of the Society unite the - philosophic Orient with the practical West. - - - MEMBERSHIP - - in the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society may be - either "at large" or in a local Branch. Adhesion to the principle - of Universal Brotherhood is the only pre-requisite to membership. - The Organization represents no particular creed; it is entirely - unsectarian, and includes professors of all faiths, only exacting from - each member that large toleration of the beliefs of others which he - desires them to exhibit towards his own. - - Applications for membership in a Branch should be addressed to - the local Director; for membership "at large" to G. de Purucker, - Membership Secretary, International Theosophical Headquarters, Point - Loma, California. - - -OBJECTS - -This Brotherhood is a part of a great and universal movement which has -been active in all ages. - -This Organization declares that Brotherhood is a fact in Nature. Its -principal purpose is to teach Brotherhood, demonstrate that it is a -fact in Nature, and make it a living power in the life of humanity. - -Its subsidiary purpose is to study ancient and modern religions, -science, philosophy, and art; to investigate the laws of Nature and the -divine powers in man. - -It is a regrettable fact that many people use the name of Theosophy -and of our Organization for self-interest, as also that of H. P. -Blavatsky, the Foundress, and even the Society's motto, to attract -attention to themselves and to gain public support. This they do in -private and public speech and in publications. Without being in any way -connected with the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, in -many cases they permit it to be inferred that they are, thus misleading -the public, and honest inquirers are hence led away from the original -truths of Theosophy. - -The Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society welcomes to -membership all who truly love their fellow men and desire the -eradication of the evils caused by the barriers of race, creed, caste, -or color, which have so long impeded human progress; to all sincere -lovers of truth and to all who aspire to higher and better things than -the mere pleasures and interests of a worldly life and are prepared to -do all in their power to make Brotherhood a living energy in the life -of humanity, its various departments offer unlimited opportunities. - -The whole work of the Organization is under the direction of the Leader -and Official Head, Katherine Tingley, as outlined in the Constitution. - -Inquirers desiring further information about Theosophy or the -Theosophical Society are invited to write to - - THE SECRETARY - International Theosophical Headquarters - Point Loma, California - - -[Illustration: THE PATH] - - The Theosophical Path - - An International Magazine - Unsectarian and nonpolitical - - Monthly Illustrated - -[Illustration] - -Devoted to the Brotherhood of Humanity, the promulgation of Theosophy, -the study of ancient & modern Ethics, Philosophy, Science and Art, and -to the uplifting and purification of Home and National Life - - Edited by Katherine Tingley - International Theosophical Headquarters, Point Loma, California, U.S.A. - - - - -_All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded -on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts -with an evil thought, pain follows him, as the wheel follows the foot -of the ox that draws the carriage._ - -_All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded -on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts -with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never -leaves him._ - -_"He abused me, he beat me, he defeated me, he robbed me."--in those -who harbor such thoughts hatred will never cease._ - -_"He abused me, he beat me, he defeated me, he robbed me."--in those -who do not harbor such thoughts hatred will cease._ - -_For hatred does not cease by hatred at any time: hatred ceases by -love, this is an ancient rule._ - - DHAMMAPADA, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. (Translation by F. Max Müller, _Sacred - Books of the East_, Vol. X.) - - - - - THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH - MONTHLY ILLUSTRATED - - EDITED BY KATHERINE TINGLEY - - NEW CENTURY CORPORATION, POINT LOMA, CALIFORNIA, U. S. A. - - Entered as second-class matter July 25, 1911, at the Post Office at - Point Loma, California under the Act of March 3, 1879 - Copyright, 1911, by Katherine Tingley - - - COMMUNICATIONS - - Communications for the Editor should be addressed to "KATHERINE - TINGLEY, _Editor_, THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH, Point Loma, California." - - To the BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, including subscriptions, address the "New - Century Corporation, Point Loma, California." - - - MANUSCRIPTS - - The Editor cannot undertake to return manuscripts; none will be - considered unless accompanied by the author's name and marked with the - number of words. The Editor is responsible only for views expressed in - unsigned articles. - - - SUBSCRIPTION - - By the year, postpaid, in the United States, Canada, Cuba, Mexico, - Porto Rico, Hawaii, and the Philippines, TWO DOLLARS; other countries - in the Postal Union, TWO DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS, payable in advance; - single copy, TWENTY CENTS. - - - REMITTANCES - - All remittances to the New Century Corporation must be made payable to - "CLARK THURSTON, _Manager_," Point Loma, California. - - - VOL. I NO. 5 CONTENTS NOVEMBER 1911 - - - A Group from _The Aroma of Athens_ _Frontispiece_ - Evolution in the Light of Theosophy H. T. Edge, B. A. (Cantab.) 311 - The Mysteries of Rotation A Student 316 - Scenes from The _Aroma of Athens_ (_illustrations_) 316-317, 322-323 - What are the Bases of an Intelligent Belief in Reincarnation? - F. S. Darrow, A. M., PH. D. (Harv.) 317 - The Victory of the Divine in Man Rev. S. J. Neill 320 - Ancient America (_illustrated_) An Archaeologist 323 - The Parable of the Crucifixion Cranstone Woodhead 328 - Is Light Corpuscular? T. Henry 332 - Astronomical Lore A Student 334 - The Mystery of the Molars Medicus 336 - A Dutch House Court by Pieter de Hooch (_illustrated_) 338 - Point Loma Hills at Eventide (_illustration_) 339 - The Incarnation of Geniuses H. Travers 339 - The Plight of the Vivisector H. Coryn, M. D., M.R.C.S. 341 - The Ekoi: Children of Nature H. T. Edge, B. A. (Cantab.) 344 - An Unknown American Nation (_illustrated_) H. S. Turner 347 - The Confines of Science Investigator 349 - The Tower of London and the Houses of Parliament (_illustrated_) - Carolus 352 - Point Loma Notes C. J. R. 354 - The Woman's International Theosophical League - A Member of the League 357 - Illusion and Reality Lydia Ross, M. D. 362 - Venice (_illustrated_) Grace Knoche 366 - Humanity and Theosophical Education Elizabeth C. Spalding 375 - Book Reviews: "Commentary upon the Maya-Tzental Perez Codex" - (William E. Gates), C. J. Ryan. A New Magazine. - _The Strange Little Girl_, a Story for Children 378 - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. and -Engraving Dept. DIOTIMA, MYRTO, AND ASPASIA GROUP IN "THE AROMA OF -ATHENS," AS PRESENTED IN THE GREEK THEATER INTERNATIONAL THEOSOPHICAL -HEADQUARTERS, POINT LOMA, CALIFORNIA ON APRIL 17, 1911] - - - - -THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH - -KATHERINE TINGLEY, EDITOR - - VOL. I NOVEMBER, 1911 NO. 5 - - Spirit feeds and sustains the air and the earth and the liquid plains - of the sea; also the shining globe of the moon, and the Titanian - stars: while Mind pervading (the Universe) puts the whole in action, - and blends itself with the mighty frame. Thence men, and the races - of the beasts and of the flying kind, and the huge creatures brought - forth by the Sea beneath his mottled surface. A fiery energy works - through these elementals and a celestial origin in the seed, so far as - heavy bodies, earth-sprung limbs, and mortal members, weigh not their - vigor down.--Virgil, _Aeneid_, vi, 724-732 - - -EVOLUTION IN THE LIGHT OF THEOSOPHY: by H. T. Edge, B. A. (Cantab.) - - -After studying the various theories of biological evolution and the -controversies of their respective exponents, one reaches the conclusion -that each of the theorists is worrying a small fragment of the truth, -and that the actual facts comprehend not only all these theories -but a good deal more besides. There is (1) the theory of continuous -evolution, which supposes that forms reproduce other forms in a -continuous and uniform series; and there is (2) the theory of mutation -or saltation, which supposes that new species appear suddenly. An -American professor of palaeontology is quoted as reconciling these -two supposedly conflicting views by still another hypothesis, which -supposes that evolution is on the whole continuous, but with occasional -jumps and divergences. - -Then there is the controversy as to whether changes are produced by -the influence of external environment or whether they occur within the -germ; or whether, again, both these influences co-operate. - -The confusion is due mainly to two causes: the attempt to define the -operations of nature within too narrow limits; and the attempt to form -an idea of evolution by considering its visible products only, and -apart from the invisible something which is manifesting itself in those -products. Our thought should reach out to wider horizons. - -All growth consists in the physical manifestation of something which -previously was not physical. Take the case of a tree growing from a -seed. The tons of material composing the body of that tree have been -collected from the air and the soil. Within the seed was enshrined -_something_ (which afterwards passes into the tree) having the power -to perform this wonderful operation. We may say, if we like, that -the whole tree existed _in potentia_ in the seed; but unless this -expression is to remain a mere logical figure, we must attach a -concrete meaning to it. In other words, we must inquire _what_ was -that something which existed in the seed. Here we are driven right up -against the real point at issue; out of the seed comes the tree, the -tree cannot come from any other source than a seed or its equivalent -(such as a slip); hence the whole future tree must be in some way -locked up within the seed. But in what guise? Is there perhaps a -miniature tree folded up within that husk? But even so, whence that -miniature tree and why does it grow? Theorists, in spite of their -alleged practicality, are often contented with abstractions that would -not satisfy a more concrete mind; and for this reason many inquirers -will not be satisfied with the explanation that there is some "force" -or "tendency" in the seed. Theorists may deal with "tendencies," but -the Theosophist will demand something less imaginary and abstract. The -primary postulates demanded by theorists are often so comprehensive -as to amount to a begging of the main question. Give Archimedes his -standing ground and he will move the whole earth; grant Euclid his -postulates, and he will soon knock you off a few theorems; give a -biological theorist his "tendencies," and the rest is as easy as -rolling off a log. But the inquirer would like to know something about -those tendencies. - -So then there is locked up in the seed, which is to become a tree, -a _tendency_. Translating this highly abstract and even theological -expression into the matter-of-fact language of Theosophy, we get this: -that the whole future physical tree has existed beforehand in some -form other than physical, and complete in everything except the purely -physical attributes. Size and dimension, mass and solidity, being -physical attributes, do not pertain to the tree in this antecedent -form. Is science prepared to say that that which has no dimensions -nor any other physical attributes does not exist? If so, then we are -reduced to the conclusion that the physical _visible_ universe is -self-creative and all-sufficient and all-inclusive--in short, that -physical matter is the prime material, the source of all intelligence, -substance, all energy, everything; in which case it is of course -useless to try to explain it, and it must be simply accepted as an -irresolvable fact. But, setting aside such an untenable proposition, if -physical matter has not produced itself, if it is _not_ the ultimate -unknowable, let us ask from what was it produced? Driven thus to the -conclusion that there are states of existence prior to physical matter, -is it out-of-the-way to suggest that the tree within the seed exists in -one of those states? - -Accustomed as we are to think in terms of physical matter and of its -principal attribute--extension (or, as we wrongly call it, space)--we -cannot imagine that there can be room in the universe for anything -else. We think that matter entirely fills space; we imagine that, if a -thing is not in what we call "space," it cannot be anywhere. But space -is in reality immeasurable; it can have no dimensions, no up-and-down, -no fore-and-aft, no right-and-left. It may well be that physical -matter, so far from crowding it, does not incommode it at all--that -there is "plenty of room" still, so to say. - -Another consequence of our habit of regarding physical extension as -a plenum is that when we have to allow for the existence of anything -else, we think it necessary to suppose that that something else must -be _extremely small_. Thus the tree in the seed has to be extremely -small, the atom has to be extremely small, and so on; and this simply -because we imagine that space is packed full with the physical objects. -But what logical reason is there why there should not be a world full -of trees, animals, and every other form that is become physical, all -in a pre-physical state, and yet by no means interfering with anything -in the physical world? Why, even in the familiar terms of physical -science, this view is quite reasonable; for the atoms, we are told, are -so minute in comparison with the intervals between them that they are -like planets swimming in an ocean of ether. These atoms are of course -utterly imperceptible to any of our senses; we know them only through -their groupings and motions. Now suppose there are other atoms between -them, or even different groupings of the same atoms, what would we know -about these? Their vibrations might not happen to be attuned to our -physical senses. - -We have imagined, then, our tree as existing, complete in all but -physical attributes, in this world, but in a state where it is beyond -the ken of our physical senses. The microscopic germ within the seed -is the point through which the change from pre-physical to physical -is operated--a door, as it were, through which the tree has to pass, -admitting it to its new state. This point is like one of the knots -where the fabrics of these two worlds are woven together; the very -small seems in some way to be the gateway to another world. - -But let us extend the idea to the case of evolution generally. So far -we have taken a tree as an instance; but, on the same analogy, all -organized physical beings will have pre-existed in this pre-physical -state. The germ, the point within the germ, is their gateway to -physical existence; but before passing through this portal, they have -already existed, complete in all but physical attributes, in another -state. To sum up the argument--we must predicate the existence of a -_type-world_, wherein exist the prototypes, the models, of all that is -to become physical; and we have already seen that it is necessary, on -other grounds, to predicate the existence of such a world. - -This hypothesis will explain the riddles of evolution readily. In one -point in particular does it clear up difficulties. If organisms grow -and change in the physical state, why may they not also grow and change -in the pre-physical state? This would fully account for the so-called -"saltations" and for the "missing links." An organism, after passing -out of physical life, shedding all its physical atoms, and resuming -once more its former non-physical state, might undergo modification -while in that state and before re-entering the physical condition. -Thus, when it reappeared, it would be different, and biologists would -call it a mutation or saltation. - -Palaeontology shows us that in past epochs there were on earth forms -intermediate between different forms existing on earth now. This at -least indicates that the complete chain is not necessarily all upon -the earth at one time; and this again agrees with the idea that the -earth is never at any one time fitted to support every form of life. -This being so, how can we possibly trace a chain of evolution by -reproduction? A good idea of the process of evolution can be got by -watching from one side the ascending threads of a revolving screw. They -pass up and up, one after the other, but we cannot see where they are -connected; to see that, we must take an all-round view. In a similar -way the organisms are passing around a spiral curve, of which curve but -one side comes to our view; hence we see it as a number of disconnected -elements. - -The process of evolution, in fact, is not carried on entirely within -the limits of our physical vision--surely not an unreasonable -statement. It would be strange indeed, if all that we see were all -that there is. Hence biologists should expect, as a logical inference -from their own conditions of research, that the results at which they -arrive shall be incomplete; the imperfection of these results is rather -to be regarded as evidence of their truth than the contrary. - -But, instead of taking the case of animals, suppose we take that of -human beings; for here we can view the matter more from the inside. -We are human beings ourselves and are conscious of our own mind. This -mind, as we know, undergoes development; it gains experience from day -to day and ends up with a very different outfit from that with which -it started. When this inner being again enters into the make-up of -physical humanity, will it be the same as before? Shall we have the -same old horoscope at our next nativity? Jupiter and Saturn forbid! But -in case any reader should cavil over the question of death and rebirth, -we can consider the matter apart from those. We are actually being -reincarnated all the time; for does not our body continually discard -old atoms and take on new ones? And does not the growing and changing -body accommodate itself to the requirements set by our mind? If not, -what do habit and exercise amount to? We can create for ourselves -a body different from the one we have now, by muscular exercise, -temperance, intemperance, and other means. So here we have a definite -example of the process of growth and evolution. Death itself is but -a major change, similar in kind, if greater in degree, to the lesser -deaths that are taking place in us every day. - -The physical structure is slow in its movements and conservative in its -habits; and so in the course of a life in the physical state a misfit -is apt to result; and this is adjusted by death and rebirth. It is -reasonable to suppose--indeed it is inevitable--that the animals, in -their own smaller and slower way, learn while they live, and that the -indwelling animal monad is not forever doomed to reside in the same -kind of form, but passes very gradually on to higher forms. - -The species that we see and study are the beads on the string. It is -almost like studying the different houses which a man may have built -and left standing while he himself has gone elsewhere. These would give -a clue to his mental development; but we must presuppose the existence -of the man. - -The question of physical reproduction is closely involved with that -of evolution; and here again biology investigates but a few of the -factors that enter into the process. Biology gets down as far as the -microscopic germinal speck, and naturally enough has to stop there. A -fertilized ovum provides the essential conditions for the entry of a -life, but it needs other kinds of research to trace the source of that -life. - -In the light of Theosophy, evolution becomes a vast and entrancing -study, for it concerns worlds and ages. Apart, however, from merely -curious interest, this study is of the greatest positive importance to -humanity, for the reason that inadequate theories are giving rise to -various movements that we believe to threaten great harm, should all -their ideas be carried out. A king who should ruthlessly slaughter all -those among his subjects who did not happen to suit his ideals of what -a subject should be, would justly be considered a cruel and stupid -tyrant; yet there are proposed methods of eliminating the "unfit," -which, though clothed in ambitious language, seem none the less -monstrous. Hence the need of greater knowledge to prevent erroneous -ideas from incarnating as monstrous acts. - - - - -THE MYSTERIES OF ROTATION: by a Student - - -One of the most fascinating results of the attention bestowed in the -last few years upon gyroscopic effects, has been the almost final -perfection of the gyrostat-compass, and the _Scientific American -Supplement_ contains an excellent account of it, together with one of -the clearest popular explanations of its action which we have seen. The -tests of the Anschütz instrument as improved by Sperry, were carried -out last April for five days on a steamer plying between New York and -a port in Virginia. Although the vessel rolled in heavy seas, it was -found that the compass kept practically absolutely on the meridian -during the whole period. The electric motor runs at 6000 revolutions -per minute, and the instrument is in the steering-engine room, -connected electrically with a repeating compass on the bridge. It is -stated that at all ordinary latitudes this compass has a directional -force some fifteen times greater than a corresponding magnetic compass. -This, however, diminishes on approaching the poles. The interesting -feature of the gyro-compass is that its action in pointing true north -depends upon the rotation of the Earth. - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. -and Engraving Dept. SCENE FROM "THE AROMA OF ATHENS" IN THE CENTER -IS PHARNABAZOS, THE PERSIAN ENVOY TO ATHENS, WITH HIS SUITE AND -ATTENDANTS] - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. and -Engraving Dept. ANOTHER SCENE IN "THE AROMA OF ATHENS" CENTRAL FIGURES -ARE PERIKLES AND PHEIDIAS] - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. and -Engraving Dept. ARCHERS IN "THE AROMA OF ATHENS"] - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. and -Engraving Dept. ANOTHER SCENE IN "THE AROMA OF ATHENS"] - - - - -WHAT ARE THE BASES OF AN INTELLIGENT BELIEF IN REINCARNATION? by F. S. -Darrow, A. M., Ph. D. (Harv.) - - -Reflection inevitably reveals the limitations of the actual, the -confines of the present. So narrow is the sphere within which our -daily life revolves that even the man who most prides himself on his -avoidance of philosophy is forced, perhaps unconsciously, to construct -a theory of metaphysics. How is it possible to do our daily duties -without forming a working hypothesis as to the nature of the world -within which those duties lie? Inarticulate and crude as the theory -may be, each and every man is forced to adopt a life-hypothesis and -by it, as best he can, to mold his actions. No specious reasoning can -free us from speculation. Therefore it is a solemn duty which we owe -to ourselves to choose intelligently our hypothesis as to life and its -meaning. This duty can be trusted neither to chance nor to tradition. -To shirk a moral responsibility incurs grave consequences. - -It is necessary that our life-hypothesis shall fulfil two conditions: -it must be thinkable and it must be livable. Life leads to thought -about life; but our judgment must concern itself with life. Therefore -what we believe must be both logical and practical. Logical because -fact makes the appeal to logic, and practical because logic must answer -fact. Our life-hypothesis, since its subject-matter is the Self and the -World in which the Self lives, must be both universal and particular. - -In answering the query, What are the bases of an intelligent belief -in Reincarnation? we are primarily concerned with the Self. Without -considering the nature of the Self in detail, let me postulate that by -the Self I mean the Real You and the Real I, the Individual Life, which -expresses itself through your physical nature and through mine, the -Individuality at the basis of the Personality, the Character underlying -the physical man. - -The conception of reincarnation or rebirth of soul, I grant, is -speculative, since it ranges far beyond the cramped present. So, if it -is to become part of our life-hypothesis it must be both logical and -practically imperative. If logic and practical requirements combine -in their demands, then we must conclude that reincarnation has been -demonstrated to be true in so far as any hypothesis can be. The most -probable is and must be accepted actually as the true. - -Many circumstances suggest that the Self existed previously to its -birth in the present body. Poetry voices the thought as follows: - - Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting: - The soul that rises with us, our life's star, - Hath had elsewhere its setting, - And cometh from afar. - -Children frequently instinctively believe that they have lived before. -The poets do not monopolize those tantalizingly vague sensations of -familiarity, which sometimes accompany strange and apparently novel -experiences. - - Sometimes a breath floats by me, - An odor from Dreamland sent, - Which makes the ghost seem nigh me - Of a something that came and went - Of a life lived somewhere, I know not - In what diviner sphere: - Of mem'ries that come not and go not: - Like music once heard by an ear - That cannot forget or reclaim it-- - A something so shy, it would shame it - To make it a show: - A something too vague, could I name it - For others to know: - As though I had lived it and dreamed it, - As though I had acted and schemed it - Long ago. - -Whittier voices the impression of many when he says: - - A presence strange at once and known - Walked with me as my guide: - The skirts of some forgotten life - Trailed noiseless at my side. - -So, too, the recurrence of the seasons, the ebb and flow and re-ebb of -the tides, the cycles of day and night, the phenomenon of genius, and -countless other things, suggest that the old is continually reborn. Yet -classing all these together they amount merely to presumptive evidence, -hints at possibilities, but not proof. - -We are born with a sense of Justice, a sense which extends at least as -far as our private rights. Further, justice is so valued that we regard -Deity as perfectly just. The kernel of justice is: "As a man sows so -shall he reap." The effect must be equal to the cause. To talk of the -justice of a god who creates Souls is to babble nonsense. Personal -responsibility is an indispensable requirement for the maintenance of -justice, and personal responsibility can exist only if souls are the -creators of their own destinies. Otherwise "Justice" is a mockery and -a delusion. Therefore, if we are to believe that the Universe is ruled -justly, eternal pre-existence of soul must be a fact. - - The books say well, my brothers, each man's life - The outcome of his former living is: - The bygone wrongs bring forth sorrows and woes, - The bygone right breeds bliss. - So is a man's fate born. - -_Ex nihilo nihil fit_--from nothing nothing is made. Nineteenth century -science has succeeded in proving what the world's thinkers have long -believed. Matter and energy are indestructible. "Creation" in the sense -of manufacture out of nothing is unthinkable. If the soul is one with -the Universal Energy, "it is not a thing of which a man may say, 'It -hath been, it is about to be, or is to be hereafter,' for it is without -birth and meeteth not death." "Nature is nothing less than the ladder -of resurrection, which step by step leads upward." The eternal Soul, -now linked to a mortal body, has lived before and will live hereafter. - -The last and most important of the logical imperatives demanding a -belief in reincarnation is the thesis: Immortality of soul demands -complete eternity of soul. That which has a beginning, of necessity -has an end. The child is born, grows into youth and manhood, lives its -life, but it dies. Death's fingers clutch at birth. That which is born -is mortal. Thus the soul must be birthless if it is to be deathless. It -must have lived before its present body and it will outlive any body -which it may hereafter enliven. Reincarnation is merely the natural -corollary to eternity. - -Let us now turn to the practical considerations reinforcing our -belief. Even when discouraged we feel that life has a purpose and a -meaning. This is, to keep adding to experience and to knowledge. The -amount actually experienced and learned within the limits of a single -life is so small in comparison with the possibilities of experience -and knowledge that it can only serve as an introduction into deeper -mysteries. The scholar does not graduate until he has fulfilled the -requirements of a definite standard. The knowledge and experience of -one life is surely too low a standard to admit of graduation from -earth. Our globe is a school and the souls are the scholars. What is -once gained is never lost. "Be ye perfect even as your Father who is -in heaven is perfect." Think of the hope! An infinite future with the -possibility of an infinite progress in knowledge and attainment! - -Ambition, zeal, and love, demand an infinity to express themselves. -Love of work, love of learning, love of loved ones, presuppose by their -existence the complete eternity of the Soul. So, too, all our impulses -which tend toward expansion and increase, all those which break loose -from the present into the expanse of the future, require that the soul -be immortal and consequently eternal. - -Notice, aside from logic, what a belief in rebirth and in the eternity -of the Soul, means. It gives hope in the perfectibility of man, -inspiration in his divinity, and comfort in the trials of life, trials -that are just and capable of teaching greater knowledge. There is no -inspiration which in the future cannot be attained by honest effort. -These are a few of the blessings which the philosophy of Theosophy has -to offer to you and to me, a philosophy of soul-evolution that is an -ever-present help in trouble, one that is both logical and practical, a -"religious science, and a scientific religion." Search within yourself -and listen to the message of Theosophy: Truth - - takes no rise - From outward things, whate'er you may believe; - There is an inmost center in us all, - Where truth abides in fulness. - - - - -THE VICTORY OF THE DIVINE IN MAN: by Rev. S. J. Neill - - -Nothing moves on with even flow. It seems to be inherent in the very -nature of the universe that there should be ripples in the great -Life-Current of Existence, just as there are waves in the sea. A -well-known scientist once asked me if I had ever noticed how a stream -of water, perfectly smooth, apparently flowing over a sheet of quite -smooth glass would nevertheless produce ripples. There is no known -explanation of this except it be that the water at its source had -received unequal impulse which it never lost. So in the universe, the -great impulse of the Creative Word in manifestation stamps cyclic law -on all things. We see this in the coming and going of the seasons; in -the recurrence of day and night; in the ebb and flow of the sea. Human -life too, is made up of cycles great and small. The seven ages of human -life, mentioned by Shakespeare, are distinctly marked. The four ages -corresponding to the changing seasons of the year, are also well known. - -The wise note and take advantage of cyclic law. To educate during the -time of youth is like sowing seed in the springtime. Many people have -distinct moods at certain times: at one time they are happy, hopeful, -buoyant; at another time they are miserable and despondent. No doubt -much of this moodiness is the result of people allowing themselves to -drift. We can, if we _will strongly enough_, rise above this condition -of things. We can cast out the morose, sullen, discontented states of -mind, and make the character firm and strong, calm and hopeful. We can -cultivate a good temper and a sunny atmosphere. Just as man can make a -clearing in the forest or on the hillside, so we can make a clearance -within our minds and in our mental atmosphere. And the happy feeling -thus produced will be part of the harvest we shall reap, for it will -return and return, it will become cyclic, until at last it will be most -truly natural for us to dwell in light and sunshine. And we ourselves -shall be producers of light and sunshine. Joy and peace will attend our -steps, and wherever we come it will be a sunny place. - -We can do this; we can rise above circumstances and control them -because at the center of our being the Light of Life ever shines forth. -Dwelling in Time, and therefore to some extent subject to heat and -cold, summer and winter, joy and sorrow, we can, nevertheless, rise -above these things. We can create surroundings for ourselves. The more -we are truly alive the more we shall be able to do this. It may be -that the birds by some act of will, to them as simple as breathing, -can change their polarity and thus remain poised in air without a -motion. It should be possible, and it is possible, for us to change -our moral or spiritual polarity when we will, and rise above all -terrestrial attractions. All holy scriptures regard this as certain. -The _Bhagavad-Gîtâ_ on nearly every page speaks of man overcoming his -lower nature and being master of circumstances. The Bible teaches the -same thing: "Cease to do evil; learn to do well." "Resist the Devil and -he will flee from you." "Overcome evil with good." "Do good hoping for -nothing again." Jesus treats his disciples as men who have within them -a divine possibility, and says: "Where I am, there shall ye be also." - -There is much darkness in the world, much evil; but we can lessen it; -we can to some extent remove it and annihilate it; and in the end we -can, if we so will, produce the reign of light everywhere. - -As the moral sense in us is more and more sensitive we shall regard -many things as wrong which now we do not so regard. Just as we now -regard many things as wrong which people in a less advanced stage do -not regard as evil at all. The brighter the light, the deeper the -shadows. In this sense Light and Dark are the world's Eternal ways. But -a time will come when, as St. Paul says, "Mortality will be swallowed -up of Life"; when the Great Light will shine so fully within us and -around us that there will be nothing to cast a shadow. - -Is this not some of the meaning of such places as that in the book of -Revelation, where it says, "and there shall be no night there; and they -need no lamp, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them -light"? Or as we read in the _Gitâ_, "neither the sun nor the moon nor -the fire enlighteneth that place; from it there is no return; it is my -supreme abode." It is also written that "the path of the just is as a -shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." - -Surely all this means, if words mean anything, that perfection can be -and will be reached; and that even here a large degree of perfection -may be attained. "Each victory will help us some other to win." Each -step we mount upward over our lower selves gives us a wider horizon and -a heavenlier air to breathe. The foes we slay today, we shall never -have to fight again. We not only become stronger but we become _much -stronger relatively_ as our foes are weaker and fewer. - -The more we live with perfect unselfishness then the more we come into -the "Path of the Just." But if we do good things even, looking for the -reward, we do not take the highest path. It is much to understand the -nature of these two paths, for it is written: "Knowing these two paths, -O Son of Prithâ, the man of meditation is not deluded." Or, in other -words, though we dwell in Time, and our lower nature belongs to it, yet -in our inmost and only true Self, we belong, not to Time, but to the -Eternal; that is our Home and Place of Peace always. - -The man who retires often to this fortress, to this place of peace, -though he may have to pass through much suffering, will be raised above -its destroying influence. Like the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace -he will pass through the fire of affliction and not a hair will be -singed nor even the smell of fire be on his garments. - -We are assured that Nirvâna is on both sides of death. We can take the -highest path now, and the sooner we take it the sooner shall we reach -the goal. So bright a hope should give us greater strength. - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 ASPASIA] - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. and -Engraving Dept. ATHENIAN SOLDIERS] - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. and -Engraving Dept. "HEKTOR CHIDING PARIS" TABLEAU PRESENTED IN "THE AROMA -OF ATHENS"] - -[Illustration: Copyright by Katherine Tingley, 1911 Lomaland Photo. and -Engraving Dept. "THETIS BRINGING THE ARMOR TO ACHILLES" ANOTHER TABLEAU -IN "THE AROMA OF ATHENS"] - - - - -ANCIENT AMERICA: by an Archaeologist - - -Like an oasis in a desert, like a moment of silence and a sound of -distant bells amid a din of discordant sounds, comes a brief note on -prehistoric America in the midst of a monthly review devoted to a -résumé of the Babel of modern thought. Bewildered with foolish spite of -party politics, disgusted with lucubrations on "The Coming Christ," and -a new Elixir of Life discovered in Africa, the reader achieves a moment -of silence and inward joy inspired by this paragraph on an ancient City -of the Sun, with its illustrations of the sublime architecture and -sculpture of that epoch. These pictures inspire a reverence, similar in -nature, if different in quality, to that which the ancient classical -architecture and statues inspire; it is more akin to that inspired by -ancient Egypt. It speaks of a _spirit_, so different from any that -pervades our modern life, yet arousing in the soul a response as of -something familiar--familiar but very deep and ancient. - -We read that in the _Bulletin of the Pan-American Union_ a writer -describes Chichén Itzá. The Itzás were a tribe of the Mayas, whose -civilization reached a height equaled by no other people of the Western -hemisphere. They excelled in architecture, sculpture, printing, and -astronomy. The pyramid on which the temple stands is 195 feet long on -each side at the base and covers nearly an acre. It is made of nine -terraces of faced masonry. Up the center of each of its four sides -rises a stairway thirty-seven feet wide. A picture of a temple façade, -in rectangular massive style like that of Egypt and covered with -elaborate symbolic carving, while up from the roof rise tropical plants -that have grown there, is labeled, "View of an Ancient Monastery" -(so-called). The impression it gives is anything but that given by the -idea of a monastery. Its spirit is alien to that of any spirit familiar -to the times in which monasteries have prevailed. - -It is awe-inspiring to think that this continent of America has behind -it such a past, more ancient than Egypt, as great and perhaps greater. -The Red Men must, many of them at least, be the remote descendants of -this past. - -There is something about their physiognomy that reminds us of the faces -on the ancient pottery and carving; a broad-featured bronzed type--what -one might call a solar type. Peoples like the Zuñis and Moquis have -mysteries, into which but few white men have even partially penetrated; -which shows they are the remnants of a once greater race, a part of -whose knowledge they preserve in memory. - -This subject of ancient America has not yet received from -archaeologists the attention it deserves. Nevertheless there are -explorers who study in this field, and the results of their researches -are frequently written up for the Sunday editions. In this way the -public gets acquainted with the subject independently of academical -instruction. Such periodicals as the _National Geographical Magazine_ -and _Records of the Past_ often give beautiful illustrated accounts of -the ruins. - -Thus we read that Dr. Max Uhle, director of the University of -California's archaeological work in Peru, has discovered that a great -civilization flourished at least 2000 years before the Incas, and that -a highly cultured race was in existence in Peru before the Trojan war. - -In Guerrero, Mexico, in a region south of the Balsas River, over -an area of fifty square miles, there are remains of thousands of -prehistoric dwellings and scores of pyramids. The sculptured tablets -bear the usual mystic geometrical symbols of the ancient Science of -Life. - -A mining engineer, Mr. A. Lafave, is reported to have discovered -in Arizona a prehistoric city older than Babylon or Nineveh, but -nevertheless the center of a civilization very highly advanced. Great -architectural skill is shown, and the symbol of what is called a -sun-god was found. - -The British Museum recently acquired the collection of pottery and -other relics discovered by Mr. Hubert Myring in the Chimcana Valley of -Peru and stated by him to be at the lowest estimate 7000 years old. -Yet this pottery shows the highest possible degree of skill, while the -subjects represented prove that the artists had the materials of a -highly cultured and complex civilization to draw upon. - -In Ecuador Dr. Marshall H. Saville of Columbia University discovered -many tombs, and the objects collected show that the district was -densely populated by a highly civilized people. - -Writing from New Orleans, May 13, Charles F. Lummis of Los Angeles -records his excavations at Quiriguá, Guatemala. A trackless jungle had -to be cleared, and numerous monuments of heroic size were found; one -was twenty-six feet above ground and sixteen feet below and weighed -about 140,000 pounds. The greatest discovery was a palace which must -have been magnificent. It was surrounded by columns and the frieze was -covered with carved heads. - -The ruined temples of Palenque, Uxmal, Chichén Itzá, etc., have often -been described. The mysterious hieroglyphics of the Mayas have yet to -be deciphered; and when they are we shall have another epoch-making -revelation like that following the deciphering of the Egyptian -hieroglyphics by Champollion. - -Dr. Heath, a writer on Peruvian Antiquities, gives an account of the -incredible size and quantity of the ruins, from which the following is -selected. (See _Kansas City Review of Science and Industry_, Nov. 1878) - - The coast of Peru extends from Tumbez to the river Loa, a distance - of 1233 miles. Scattered over this whole extent there are thousands - of ruins ... while nearly every hill and spire of the mountains - have upon them or about them some relic of the past; and in every - ravine, from the coast to the central plateau, there are ruins of - walls, cities, fortresses, burial vaults, and miles and miles of - terraces and water-courses.... Of granite, porphyritic lime and - silicated sandstone, these massive colossal cyclopean structures have - resisted the disintegration of time, geological transformations, - earthquakes, and the sacrilegious destructive hand of the warrior and - treasure-seeker. The masonry composing these walls, temples, houses, - towers, fortresses, or sepulchres, is uncemented, held in place by the - incline of the walls from the perpendicular, and by the adaptation - of each stone to the place designed for it, the stones having from - six to many sides, each dressed and smoothed to fit another or others - with such exactness that the blade of a small penknife cannot be - inserted in any of the seams thus formed.... These stones ... vary - from one-half cubic foot to 1500 cubic feet of solid contents, and if - in the many many millions of stones you could find one that would fit - in the place of another, it would be purely accidental. - -Speaking of the terraces, he says: - - Estimating five hundred ravines in the 1200 miles of Peru, and ten - miles of terraces of fifty tiers to each ravine, which would only be - five miles of twenty-five tiers to each side, we have 250,000 miles of - stone wall, averaging three to four feet high--enough to encircle this - globe ten times. - -The mention of hieroglyphs yet undeciphered, which may any day prove -the key to a new revelation of history, receives apposite illustration -in an article in the _Los Angeles Times_ (Sunday magazine edition) for -May 14. This describes the discovery of several cylinders, resembling -the clay cylinders of Babylonian civilization, which have been -deciphered; and it is thought that these may prove the Rosetta stone of -American Egypt. They are about three inches long by an inch and a half -in diameter, hollow, the walls a quarter of an inch thick. The clay -has turned to stone, thus being preserved, and the inscriptions repeat -hieroglyphs known to correspond to familiar phrases. - -The account in which this occurs is that of a discovery made by Prof. -William Niven, a field archaeologist of Mexico City; and his statements -as to the age and value of his finds are confirmed by Dr. Edward E. -Seler, head of the National School of Archaeology of the Republic of -Mexico. The latter authority declares the ruins and relics to be the -evidences of a civilization new to archaeology, though bearing some -resemblance to the ruins of the Tigris and Euphrates. This center of -civilization lies about forty minutes' ride from Mexico City, under the -suburb of Azcapotzalco. - -It is eighteen feet beneath the surface, and from it have been produced -pottery of a type different from any hitherto found in Mexico, an -entire goldsmith's outfit with patterns and molds for the making of -ornaments of gold and silver, pendants and rings and beads of jade, -copper knives _which cut like steel_, skulls containing teeth whose -cavities are filled with cement and turquoise, the cylinders just -mentioned, and many other objects. - -These things were found in an immense basin containing the ruins of -a city some ten miles long by three or four wide. Its houses were of -laid stone, cemented with a white cement, unlike the black cement of -Mitla or the gray composition of Palenque. The rooms were of uniform -height--nine feet; the floors of tile--or, rather, of small squares of -cement, colored and traced in beautiful patterns; the walls ornamented -with frescoes and friezes showing a remarkable development of the color -art. _Paints used on these buildings, though evidently of vegetable -composition and more than 3000 years old, are fresh and do not fade -when exposed to light._ - -The skulls and arrowheads found in the soil above are similar to those -found in other parts, and relate to peoples having no connexion with -the occupants of this ancient city. Does not this prove that so-called -"primitive man" was merely odd tribes of lowly nomads or settlers, -belonging to fallen remnants of earlier civilizations; whereas many -anthropologists seem to try to make out that they represent an earlier -stage in evolution? This ancient city flourished long before the -owners of the skulls and arrow-heads. All through the period of Aztec -civilization it lay buried and unsuspected by the Aztecs. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. PYRAMID, AND -BUILDING COMMONLY CALLED "THE CASTLE"--CHICHÉN ITZÁ, YUCATAN -(Photograph by A. P. Maudslay)] - -[Illustration: ANOTHER VIEW OF CHICHÉN ITZÁ THE SO-CALLED "TEMPLE OF -THE TIGERS," AND "THE CASTLE"] - -[Illustration: PORTION OF THE EASTERN FAÇADE OF THE SO-CALLED -"GOVERNOR'S HOUSE," UXMAL, YUCATAN] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. PANORAMIC VIEW OF -SAN JUAN TEOTIHUACÁN, TAKEN FROM THE NORTH (Sketched by W. H. Holmes) -A. Pyramid of the Moon. B. Pyramid of the Sun. C. The Path of the Dead. -FF. San Juan River. G. Town of San Juan.] - -The great age of this civilization is amply proved by the fact that the -city was buried under the wash of a great river that came down from the -mountains. Geological considerations enable us to fix the date of that -river back beyond other changes that have taken place in the ground -since. Hence the city must be older still. And even before this -flood the city was probably already abandoned--through pestilence, war, -or some such cause. It was quite by accident that it was found; the -exploring party chanced to step into a cave-in. It lies beneath the -thick and long-cultivated residual soil, and consequently there may be -an indefinite number of such cities almost anywhere. - -Among objects found was _a dental cast of a human mouth_. - -The more we discover, the more do we confirm the teaching that -civilization is not of recent growth. The older the civilization, -the more advanced--this seems to be the rule everywhere. Clearly the -arts of modern civilization have been known before and we are but -rediscoverers of them. - -We might go on quoting indefinitely, but must pass on to comment. It -is very clear that these mighty builders, whose achievements have -never since been equaled or even approached by any race in any part -of the world were no barbarians or "primitive men." And we have to -remember that it is not only from America that such archaeological -accounts come, but from Asia, Africa, Europe, New Zealand--practically -everywhere. And always one tale is the same--that of ancient -civilizations and their prowess. Only recently the discoveries in Crete -have altered all our views of Greek history by showing the existence of -a great and widespread civilization in the Aegean, far preceding that -of Greece. - -And side by side with all this we find the extraordinary fact that -many anthropologists are still deeply engaged in their attempts to -establish a gradual ascent of man from ape ancestors. Ignoring these -evidences, they are diligently seeking and collecting the bones of -unburied wanderers. But even these bones do not bear out the theory, -for the older bones are no more ape-like than the later ones. Men exist -on earth today, even among civilized peoples, as backward in type as -these bones. What is quite certain is that man degenerates as well as -evolves. Culture moves in waves, having ebbs and flows. The so-called -aboriginal peoples are the remote and degenerated descendants of -civilizations. - -But what is the real import of these discoveries? Are they mere -subjects of curiosity and wonder? No; the interest lies in what they -imply. For if there is to be any coherence in our views, we must make -the rest of our ideas agree with our enlarged view of past history. And -the conventional views of man and his life do not thus agree; they are -too insignificant, and out of tune with increasing knowledge. - - - - -THE PARABLE OF THE CRUCIFIXION: - -by Cranstone Woodhead - - -For nearly two thousand years the story of the Crucifixion which we -find in the four Gospels of the New Testament has appealed in various -ways to the deepest and most sacred feelings of the human heart. Yet it -may possibly be questioned whether its history and deeper meaning have -been entirely comprehended by more than a very small fraction of those -who have fashioned the framework of their lives and aspirations upon -the tragic story. - -Before attempting the explanation which modern enlightenment and -research have thrown upon this deeper meaning, it may be useful to -consider what we really know of the origin of the gospels themselves; -for the investigations of the last half century or so, have thrown much -light upon this question. - -It is now the opinion of most well-informed biblical critics, that the -gospels, as we now know them, did not exist until about two centuries -after the beginning of the Christian era. They are merely different -editions of the manuscripts containing the sayings and teachings of the -Nazarene initiate, which were handed round and copied by his disciples -after his death, with additions and interpolations added by later -writers. - -It would not be profitable, nor have we time within the compass of this -paper, to sketch even in outlines, the almost endless arguments which -have been educed in the elucidation of the questions involved. Only a -vast library could contain all the books which have been written upon -the history of the gospels. Nearly all of them were written in days -when the psychological influence of the ecclesiasticism of the middle -ages still enthralled the judgment of even the most learned. But as -time passes on, and the vast literary and archaeological treasures -of the Eastern home of the gospels become more widely known, several -points stand out more and more clearly from the haze of controversy and -dogmatic prejudice. - -For instance, it is now well known that the gospel of Matthew is but a -later and much-changed edition in Greek, of the original gospel of the -Hebrews (a work constantly referred to by early Christian writers), -which is now almost entirely lost, only a few fragments remaining. -But none of the numerous references to it lead us to suppose that it -contained anything more than a collection of the logia or especial -"sayings" of the Master whom they revered and followed. - -The gospel of Luke, on the other hand, was originally the gospel used -by Marcion the Gnostic, derived from similar sources; and this gospel -also suffered the same kind of mutilation and addition at the hands of -the patristic fathers. - -The early Christian writers of the first two centuries, such as Papias -and his contemporaries, do not appear to have been aware of the -existence of the gospels which have come down to us in the present -canon of the New Testament. Their quotations from what they call the -"scriptures," are almost entirely from the books of the Old Testament. -And when they quote the sayings of their Nazarene Master, they do it -in such a way as to show that they reverenced them as ethical precepts -to be followed, each man for himself, as counsels of perfection. Then -the words used in these quotations vary considerably from those of our -present gospels, and some of the quotations most often used, are not -to be found in any of the four. They are evidently not drawn from that -source. Nor is there any word or sign in these early Christian writers -that they regarded their Teacher other than as a great philosopher. -We find no reference whatever to the Man-God whom later dogmatism -represented as a sacrifice for the sins of Humanity. - -It is therefore evident that before these earlier books were -incorporated into our present gospels, a mystical story was superadded -containing an account of his supposed death upon the cross. This story -was perfectly well understood by its writers to have an entirely -different meaning to that which has been given to it in later -centuries. It was a superb piece of poetic imagery derived partly from -the traditions of the ancient Mysteries, then just fading away into -oblivion, and partly from the teaching of the apostle Thomas, who, on -his return from India, had brought home the mystical parable of the -deified Krishna.[4] - -[4] _Isis Unveiled_, Vol. II, p. 539. - -The contemporary history of the Christian era has been so beclouded by -the benumbing effect of misconceptions that it is exceedingly difficult -to bring into play a dispassionate judgment of such data as are left to -us. But there is no doubt that the gospels cannot be trusted as regards -historical detail. The more reliable accounts show, however, that Jesus -was condemned to death by the Jewish Sanhedrim after he had wandered -about in Judaea for many years as a teacher. One definite tradition -says that when about sixty years of age, he was stoned to death, and -his body was hung upon a tree. - -Had it not been for the mad fanaticism which in the early centuries, -time and again, destroyed so much of the priceless literature of the -past, all this would doubtless be widely known. All we can do now, -therefore, is to rise above the shadows which have obscured our vision -for so many centuries, and in reading for ourselves the true story -of the crucifixion, find therein a message which is of the deepest -importance for man's real salvation. For the crucifixion is a parable -and simile of the supreme mystery of evolution, the goal towards -which every human soul is progressing in the course of its spiritual -development. - -The student who has realized the teachings of Theosophy that man is a -divine soul inhabiting a material body, on a dual line of evolution for -the perfection of both, knows well the opposing nature of the forces -continually at work within his inner consciousness. He knows that in -his real Self, he is not the body in which he finds himself; and that -the task before him is the conquest and mastery of the lower animal -nature by the aid of the God within him, which is, indeed, that real -Self, when he can so realize the fact so as to assume his own potential -godhood. - -Such has been the teaching of the Wisdom-Religion of Humanity for -countless ages, and such has been the doctrine of all the divine -Teachers whose wisdom has come down to us in the sacred books of the -world. Of these Teachers and Sages, Jesus was one of the illustrious. - -Those who have studied the religions of ancient times, the myths -and allegories of all nations, especially in the poetic East from -whence all historical religions have sprung, have found that there -are countless records of men who have so far advanced on the line of -interior enlightenment and evolution, that they have solved the supreme -mystery of their own inner godhood, and have thenceforward devoted -themselves to the help and enlightenment of souls less advanced in the -scale of spiritual progress. There have been such men in all ages of -the world, men who have accomplished the union with their own Higher -Selves, and such men there are today, although little known to the -world at large. - -The contest which thus takes place within the human heart, has been -symbolized in the imagery of every ancient civilization. The conquest -of the dragon by St. Michael, of the python by Apollo, and the labors -of Hercules to cleanse the Augean stable, are examples of these ancient -allegories. Life after life, again and again, we slowly evolve towards -the great goal. And though the end may be far away, for the great mass -of humanity, yet there are ages in advance of us, as there have been -ages in the past, and the Law must be fulfilled. - -Thus the provision of the divine law of evolution is, that all have the -potentiality of godhood. Yet some are in advance of the rest. There -are gradations. Still, the unity of the one divinity in its countless -aspects is preserved by the law of love and helpfulness to one another. -Each man becomes his brother's keeper, and the more he realizes this, -the nearer he is to his own divinity. - -It is now well known that the symbolism of the crucifixion is many -thousands of years older than the days of Jesus. It was created by some -of the divine sages of prehistoric times to represent a great ideal, -and to serve as a permanent metaphor for a great event which must come -sooner or later in the history of every seeker for divine truth. This -has been expressed by a modern writer as follows. - - To put on armor and go forth to war, taking the chances of death - in the hurry of the fight is an easy thing; to stand still amid - the jangle of the world, to preserve stillness amid the turmoil of - the body, to hold silence amid the thousand cries of the senses - and desires, and then, stripped of all armor and without hurry or - excitement, take the deadly serpent of self and kill it, is no easy - thing. Yet that is what has to be done. - -It will be evident that in these days, comparatively few attain the -great enlightenment which follows this supreme victory. Yet, on our way -thither, and in the experiences which follow the repeated conquests -which must precede it, we may realize, that the voice of conscience, -_when obeyed_, will gradually grow into intuition, and that intuition -in its final victory becomes enlightenment. Thus self-denial, which is -only another name for self-conquest, is transmuted from a dismal task -into a joyful duty performed as a sacrifice to the God within. - -Thus we see that the symbolism of the crucifixion is that of the -conquest of the lower passional material self. Fixed upon the cross of -matter the body is pierced by the spear of the spiritual will, and the -soul is freed from the tyranny of the lower human self. Thenceforth, -whether in or out of a body, it lives not for self but for humanity. - -Such was the well-understood symbolism of the crucifixion in ancient -times. It was the supreme ceremonial enacted in the divine Mysteries -of Ancient Egypt, India, and Greece. And the reason why we do not -now hear more about it, is that in recent centuries, these ancient -teachings have been forgotten in the rush and strain of nations armed -to the teeth, and in the allurements of material prosperity. - -In the ignorance and darkness which followed the death of the ancient -Mysteries, the beautiful ancient symbolism of the Crucifixion was soon -forgotten. It was very early degraded into a materialistic dogma which -has come down to our own times. The earliest Christians knew nothing of -the crucifixion as _now_ taught in the churches. It is entirely absent -from their writings. All they had were manuscripts containing the words -of their Master, and it was not till long afterwards that this poetic -symbol was added to the early versions. - -Of the esoteric teachings of Jesus, one version alone has come down -to later times, the _Pistis-Sophia_, of the Gnostics; and it is to be -noted that therein, the teachings of Jesus are distinctly stated to -have been given for years _after his crucifixion_, implying thereby his -initiation into the mysteries of his own divinity. - - - - -IS LIGHT CORPUSCULAR? by T. Henry - - -The latest scientific contribution to the reinstated corpuscular -theory of light has been made by Professor Bragg, of Leeds University, -England, who in a recent lecture at the Royal Institution announced his -conclusion that the _x_-rays are corpuscular. He said, as reported, -that the alpha and beta rays are considered to be electrons, while the -gamma rays and the _x_-rays are held to be etheric vibrations. But he -thinks that all four are corpuscular, also that ultra-violet light may -be corpuscular; and from this he infers that even ordinary light may -be so. As we have frequently found occasion to point out, the nature -of either a corpuscle on the one hand or a vibration on the other has -not yet been sufficiently accurately defined to enable us to state -definitely whether anything is the one or the other of the two. Light, -and also electricity and other forces, are manifestations of _life_; -and we view their effects alternately under their positive and negative -aspects, as best suits our temporary convenience, thus forming the -ideas of energy and matter. Speaking of matter or substantiality, as -contrasted with force or energy, what distinctive attributes may we -assign to it? "Mass" or "inertia" is one of its supposed attributes; -yet there is no definite idea of what this is; often it seems to reduce -itself to a passive force or resistance. But then if we are to express -everything, even matter, in terms of force and energy, how can we -conceive a force without a substratum or vehicle? Is not the quantity -"mass" a component of the mathematical definitions of force and energy? -All this confusion comes from the attempt to define physical matter in -terms of physical matter. There are in physics certain primary notions -of space, mass, dimension, etc., correlative with our five-sense -physical consciousness. These we may either accept as axioms without -attempting to resolve them any further, or, if we do make that attempt, -we must resolve them into something other than themselves. This latter -course means that we must leave the field of physics altogether; for it -is necessary to conceive of things that are not in physical space and -have none of the attributes of physical nature. To analyse dimension, -space, etc., is a metaphysical inquiry. Yet it is surely essential if -we are to arrive at an explanation of the phenomena _antecedent_ to -physical phenomena. - -Then there is the purely practical side of physical science--applied -science. The worker in this field may leave metaphysics alone perhaps; -but let him either leave it alone or not--one of the two. And above -all, let him not overstep that sphere to lay down laws for the -governance of human life; such laws being based on a knowledge that is -admittedly restricted in its scope. - -To return to the point at which we started--the corpuscles of light--we -may suggest a new way of looking at such matters. We have been -accustomed to regard the minuteness of these corpuscles as a negative -quality--to say that they are deficient in size. But why not speak of -bulk as a negative quality and say that physical objects are deficient -in smallness? The less bulk a thing has the quicker it gets about, -the more active and potent it is. There seems no limit to velocity, -except the presence of objects that impede the motion of a body. Given -the absence of matter, a corpuscle can get across any distance in a -practically negligible time. Thus what we call "space" seems rather -like an _obstacle_, and when we remove the matter we seem to remove -the distance also--for practical purposes. Logically, when two things -have nothing between them they are in contact; and the corpuscles -seem to recognize this conclusion. The condition of greatest activity, -power, and omnipresence, is that a thing shall have as little size as -possible; size is a weakness. What we call space and dimension is a -delusion correlative with our physical consciousness. It is a reality -relatively to that consciousness, but a delusion relatively to those -deeper strata of consciousness which we penetrate when we try to -analyse our ideas. - -We have arrived at the conception of light as a very refined, -omnipresent, and active form of matter. We might as well call it a -spirit; those who did so meant the same thing. At any rate it is a -reality. When we call it a vibration in the ether, we reduce it to an -abstraction; for a vibration is nothing in itself; nor does the device -help us, for we are obliged to suppose an ether. - -The universe is full of _life_ guided by _mind_. The life is on various -planes, in various grades. These forces we are studying are its -physical manifestation. - - - - -ASTRONOMICAL LORE: by a Student - - -Among the exhibits in the Science Section at the Coronation Exhibition -in London, was a Chinese planisphere from the Royal Scottish Museum, -which records observations that must have been made some thousands of -years before the Christian era and handed down to the time of the maker. - -Ancient Hindû astronomy is a standing puzzle to modern astronomers, -for its records have preserved from the remotest antiquity accurate -calculations of the revolution periods of the heavenly bodies, their -nodes, apsides, etc.; and the ordinary theories respecting the -evolution of human knowledge are flatly contradicted thereby. The -_Sûrya-Siddhânta_ gives the number of revolutions performed by each -planet in a period of 4,320,000 years; and the quotients obtained by -dividing the period by the number of revolutions give in each case -figures agreeing with our own to a nicety. How were these results -obtained? - -Moreover there are in some of these ancient treatises calculations -that go beyond anything our astronomy has yet accepted, dealing as -they do with those larger cycles concerned with apparent displacements -of the fixed stars. The celebrated French astronomer Bailly made a -careful study of these. Despite certain limitations due to a natural -reluctance to concede superiority to an ancient Oriental people, and -confessedly poor translations, he arrived at the conclusion that this -people had attained profound knowledge in astronomy, and drew the -general inference that civilization is extremely old, and that this -earth has witnessed its rise and fall many times. Some of Bailly's -conclusions are considered at length by H. P. Blavatsky in _The Secret -Doctrine_, where they are used, together with those of other later -well-known writers, to show the consensus of evidence in support of -this branch of the teachings she outlines. - -Was this knowledge obtained by observations or deductively? In both -ways, probably. We know that ancient civilizations lasted for long -ages, and we known that indelible records in stone were kept. Modern -astronomers have discovered that one object at least of Stonehenge -and similar monuments was to fix epochs depending on the precessional -movement. But there is also a strong presumption that the ancient -calculators possessed numerical keys. In this case their method -would have been partly observation and partly deduction from general -principles; a method we all apply, whether intentionally or not. - -The existence of such mathematical clues--applicable to the measurement -both of time and of space--has often been suspected; and in our own -times isolated workers have labored in this field of speculation, -discovering sundry fragments. Their efforts being usually solitary, -however, and unsupported (when not actually opposed) by the generality -of workers, have not achieved recognized success. Some of such -speculations are considered in _The Secret Doctrine_, where it is shown -that not infrequently these so-called "cranks" arrived at results -commensurate with what we learn about the ancient science from other -sources. Among these isolated workers may be mentioned Ralston Skinner -and even Piazzi Smyth in connexion with the measurements of the Great -Pyramid and certain integral approximations to the ratio π. - -Doubtless mankind in bygone times, having brains and other faculties, -as we have, but having studied for far longer periods than our -civilization has yet had time to study, reached results which for us -are still in prospect. It is conceivable too that their faculties -may have been superior to ours in some respects--less materialistic, -perhaps; and they may have been more united among themselves. Ancient -astronomy is certainly a hard nut to crack for conventionalists. - - - - -THE MYSTERY OF THE MOLARS: by Medicus - - -The hero of Artemus Ward's story languished for twenty-seven long and -weary years in jail. At last a happy thought struck him--he raised the -window and got out. - -The evolution of teeth in mammalia presents a problem which calls for -an analogous feat of inventive genius. As the problem is representative -of many others it is worth consideration. The study of these teeth is a -specialty of Professor Henry F. Osborn's, and though to the layman this -may seem a very small matter it is really big enough to concern not -only science but philosophy. - -Anyone who will look into the glass at his back teeth, the molars or -grinders, will perceive that their tops are not flat but raised into -little promontories, tubercles, or "cusps." An eye-tooth, on the other -hand, is a single sharp peg or fang. - -Were the molars, then, far back in evolution, made by fusing together -two or three original peg-shaped teeth, each component being now -represented by a cusp? Or were they always single, each growing its own -several cusps for grinding purposes? - -Professor Osborn has shown that the latter was the case. - -We used the words "for grinding purposes." That was raising the window. -It has been raised before. Once in a long while a biologist gets out. -As a rule however they will not even see it, or, seeing it, they deny -that it is a window. If these words, implying something possessed of -the purposes, conscious and capable, will not do, how came the cusps to -grow? How came the original sharp peg tooth, a _cutter_ and _piercer_, -to broaden and tuberculate its top so as to form, with its opposing -fellow in the other jaw, a pair of convenient _grinders_? - -According to the Darwinian theory all sorts of small chance variations, -useful and useless, are constantly appearing among the progeny of all -species. The useful ones, conferring an advantage in the struggle for -existence, persist. The others do not. The usefulness is the cause of -the persistence. In scarce seasons an animal that had, for example, -developed opposing grinders among its teeth would be able to utilize -food not available for the mere cutters. It would tend to live--and -therefore produce offspring--while they died. The grinders being handed -on by heredity, their usefulness would in time secure the whole field -for their owners. A new and predominant species would have arisen, to -live until ousted by a stronger. - -But this would only apply to variations useful from the moment of -their appearance. If at first--as they often are--so small as to be -useless, a mere tendency or suggestion, they would not persist. Having, -according to the theory, no special purposive force behind them, and -being the products of mere accident, they would quickly be diluted out -of existence. - -The chance theory would therefore be able to account for the -persistence of such few variations only as were useful from their -first appearance. Are there any such variations? _According to the -theory itself, no!_ For it does not admit sudden jumps; merely fine -shadings from the common type. And these fine shadings confer no -advantage. Since, moreover, they occur only by some chance confluence -of conditions, they must depend for their force of heredity upon the -continuance of this confluence. And to account for the next, and the -next, degree in the progression, the theory must require that the -conditions become more and more effective--and so on, till the degrees -sum up to a _useful_ degree. - -What a lot of wriggling to escape the conclusion that there is a -purposive force at work! Even Professor Osborn does not see it in his -studies of teeth, though he walks straight up to it. Mr. Gruenberg, -summarizing the Professor's work in _The Scientific American_ says: - - The cusps of the molar teeth do not appear "fortuitously" and then - survive in accordance with their relative fitness, as would be - required by the Darwinian theory, nor do they appear fully formed in a - discontinuous manner, in the sense of De Vries' theory; they appear at - definite points, at first too small to have any adaptive or selective - value, and become with succeeding ages larger and larger until they - are of adaptive value. In other words they are _determinate_ in - their origins; they develop _gradually_; and they are _adaptive_ - in the direction of their development from the very start.... They - arise because of some inherent tendency or potentiality to vary in a - determinate direction. What this internal determining factor is we do - not know. - -The same problem presents itself in the origin of horns, at first and -for ages too small to be of any value. - -Science has recently discovered the "subconscious," finding that it -possesses powers over the body, fashioning, healing, or deforming, -which are quite beyond the reach of the conscious mind. - -Suppose that the _sub_conscious is part of the _conscious_ of nature. -Grant to nature the purposiveness which we find in the subconscious, -and the difficulties respecting the appearance of variations vanish. -Heredity is an aspect of the persistence of the purpose, a persistence -shown likewise by the relatively wide area of a species in which a -variations occurs, and by the steady progression of the variation, -despite its primary uselessness, on to the stage where first it becomes -helpful in the struggle for life. - - - - -A DUTCH HOUSE COURT BY PIETER DE HOOCH - - -Practically nothing is known of the life of Pieter de Hooch, but the -fifty or sixty examples of his exquisite _genre_ painting are now -almost priceless. He was a native of Rotterdam, and it is supposed -he died in 1681 at Haarlem at the age of fifty. There are three -of his pictures in the London National Gallery, from one of which -the illustration herewith reproduced is taken. This is an out-door -subject--a rather unusual choice for the master, who preferred -interiors as a rule. He is noted for an extraordinary skill in -depicting the atmosphere of rooms lighted by various doors and windows, -and for his marvelous perfection in detail, which however, is never -obtrusive nor does it interfere with the broad effect. There is an -air of the greatest serenity in all his pictures, and the simple, -homely subjects he preferred are transfigured into classics by the -discrimination of his choice and the perfection of his mastery of -the most difficult problems of light and shade and tone values. No -reproduction can give the least idea of the delicate handling of tone -in his works. His drawing is absolutely true to nature; the perspective -of his buildings is more than photographically accurate, but it never -obtrudes itself or interferes with the general effect of repose. - -De Hooch painted very few large pictures; unfortunately the only one -which came down to our time perished in a fire in 1864. He was little -appreciated in his own lifetime--indeed it was not until the eighteenth -century that he was recognized in his own country. He was a disciple -of the school of Rembrandt, but his taste did not lie in the direction -of life-size portraits or of the classical or scriptural stories which -were the greater master's favorite subjects. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. A DUTCH HOUSE COURT, -BY P. DE HOOCH: B. 1630, D. 1677 (NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON)] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. POINT LOMA HILLS AT -EVENTIDE] - - - - -THE INCARNATION OF GENIUSES: by Henry Travers - - -Enthusiasts for "eugenics" imagine a time when vice and disease shall -have been eliminated from the race. Their critics reply by suggesting -that not only vice and disease, but also genius, would then have been -eliminated from the race, and humanity be reduced to a dead uniformity. -But the power which makes geniuses may be stronger than the eugenists, -thus preventing them from succeeding in their utopian plan. What is -genius? It is often defined as a "sport"--a natural phenomenon which -defies calculations and makes light of theories of heredity. We cannot -breed a race of geniuses. - -As to the cause of the appearance of geniuses, some theorists appear -to find sufficient explanation in a _fortuitous_ combination of -parental qualities. One son in one family _happens_ to extract from -his parents all their best qualities. To other thinkers, however, -this "explanation" will seem more like a restatement of the problem -to be solved than like a solution of it. For what is fortuity? If a -scientific principle, let it be explained; if a god, perhaps we may not -be willing to worship it. - -The appearance of geniuses finds easy explanation in accordance -with the teachings as to reincarnation, _karma_, and the sevenfold -constitution of man. A human being is like a seed in a soil, drawing -some of its traits from its surroundings, others from its internal -nature. A lifetime is like a day, whose deeds are determined partly -by present conditions and partly by the deeds of preceding days. In -some people the present conditions--their parentage, upbringing, and -circumstances--have the paramount influence, and their innate character -evinces but little effect. In others the innate character is strong -enough to mold and alter the other conditions considerably. In a genius -the innate character may altogether predominate over the acquired -character. - -Besides our physical heredity we have a spiritual heredity--character -built up in previous existences. The usual trend of upbringing is to -smother this, to destroy originality. - -Parenthetically one must introduce a caution here, to the effect -that there are certain well-meaning attempts to preserve the -originality of children, which, however, do not accomplish the right -object. The parent or guardian, while shielding the child from some -influences, lays it open to the assault of other influences. These -other influences are the passional nature of the child. This way of -preserving or stimulating originality is by no means that intended -above. - -To give freedom for the child's higher nature to express itself, we -must protect the child from all influences that proceed from the lower -nature. Then we would get geniuses; innate character would be enabled -to manifest itself. - -The ideas of eugenists are worthy, but, we feel sure, too narrow. -In many a satire they have been ridiculed. Owing to the prevalent -ignorance of man's nature, many disastrous mistakes would be made. What -authority is there in sight, to which we should be willing to intrust -the regulation of marriage and parentage? Great as the existing evils -are, might not the remedies be worse? Might not we indeed provide -conditions that would preclude any useful or aspiring soul from -incarnating at all? - -The remedy lies in educating the people to a better understanding of -the laws of life. Till then, there will be nobody competent to devise -or apply any methods of eugenics. In short, before we can treat the -young properly we must educate the old. The work of the Universal -Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, in its Râja Yoga Schools at Point -Loma gives illustrations of what can be done by the proper upbringing -of children; and here we escape from the weary desert of schemes and -theories to a fertile land of produce. Here we have a _result_; the -problem has been solved as an ancient sage solved the problem of -motion--_solvitur ambulando_. This is one of Theosophy's _practical_ -answers to one of the questionings of today. - - - - -THE PLIGHT OF THE VIVISECTOR: by H. Coryn, M. D., M. R. C. S. - - -It is very well worth while to work out on Theosophical principles the -plight of the vivisector himself. He is creating causes whose effects -will take him a long time to be done with, more than one lifetime, -effects connected with some very interesting and very little known -laws of nature. His plight may presently appear worse than that of his -animals. - -By way of text we will take some non-vivisectional work recently -carried out at the biological station of the Prater in Vienna, by Paul -Kammerer. He has proved, says _Cosmos_, - - that the maintenance of the lizard _Lacerta Vivipara_ in an - unaccustomedly warm temperature for several generations, transforms - it from a live-young-bearing animal to an egg layer. This acquired - property is retained even when the subsequent generations are - returned to their normal conditions. We must remember that - the live-young-bearing lizard ... may be characterized as an - arctic-alpine animal. Its status as a glacial creature explains its - live-young-bearing habit; the development of the young is evidently - better assured in the mother's body than when the eggs are exposed to - the vicissitudes of exterior cold. - -Some other lizards, and the field cricket, have been made to vary by -similar methods, the new characteristics being likewise transmitted. - -What was that intelligence which, working within the body of the -lizard, noted the warmer temperature without and knew at once that -the hatching of the eggs _within the protecting body of the mother_, -and the further development of the young there, were no longer -necessary? We do not propose to admit that we are prejudging a dispute -in using the word "intelligence." If it seem so now, it will not -in ten years. No one will suggest the intelligence of the lizard -itself. The ancients--not _very_ ancient ancients, either--believed -in the existence of certain classes of lesser "gods" constantly at -work behind the visible veil of nature. When in a few years this -belief reincarnates among the scientists as a necessary hypothesis -(a reincarnation already beginning), some new name will have to be -found for the collective intelligence of these beings. "Gods" is not -a good word, neither for them nor for their directive superiors, -the absolutely spiritual powers on the same plane of being as that -spiritual soul of man whereof he knows so little. - -The "gods" then, to use that word, have charge of the centers of life, -the living beings, in all departments of nature, mineral, vegetable, -and animal; contain and work in accordance with the principle of -evolution both of form and intelligence; and guide the appearance of -variations--not without occasional mistakes needing rectification. -Kammerer unwittingly made an indirect appeal to them, and they -responded by producing an interior physiological change corresponding -with the change of exterior temperature which he maintained. - -We come here upon specifically Theosophical criticisms of vivisection. -The man who vivisects has made himself the enemy of conscious -nature--at work in his own body as much as in that of the animal he -injures. - -To make the matter clearer, let us think of the One Supreme -Intelligence of the universe as manifesting in two ways or directions: -in the first, as the spiritual souls of _men_, and, lower down, as -their minds; in the second, as the spiritual directive intelligences of -_nature_ and, lower down, as the lesser "gods" whom these direct. In -time, when men's minds are sufficiently spiritualized and potentized, -sufficiently at one with the omnipresent spirit of evolution and intent -upon co-operating with it, they will themselves be able to direct the -lesser gods, helping and guiding them in their work upon animal, plant, -and mineral--the power of immense prolongation of their own lives then -coming within their reach. There is already--as the abnormal success -of men like Burbank shows--_some_ interplay between man's mind and -the working "gods"; whilst the relation between man's _soul_ and the -_greater_ nature-powers, the directive, is very much closer. He who -serves and studies nature in the right way, begins at once to stand -nearer to her consciousness, and is at once the better for it on one -or more planes of his being. The partnership begins. And a first way -to serve her is to make her children, the animals, feel man as friend, -a feeling which enables their minds to come into some measure of inner -contact with his and thus be suddenly and immensely stimulated in their -evolution. - -There is vivisection attended with much immediate pain connected in -the animal's mind with man as its cause; and other with little, say -a hypodermic injection, the pain following later in the form of the -disease sown by the syringe and often not connected by the animal with -man at all. - -Either way the operator is a disease-producer and has the mental -attitude of one. To say that he is recognized by nature as such may -seem absurd. But as he who really wills and pictures health, whether -his own or that of some other, finally affects the nature-mind in his -own body and--other things being co-ordinate--begins to move toward it: -so likewise the constant willing and picture-making of disease and pain -at last affects the same mind but in the contrary direction. The man -moves and is moved _away_ from health. - -There are states of ill-health unattended, at any rate for a long time, -by a single definite symptom. The activities of the bodily machine may -maintain their _relations_, their general balance, yet drop as a whole -to very low levels. If there is no radiance, no responsiveness to the -finer forces of nature, no vital spring, there may yet be no point of -actual friction, and to its human tenant the body may seem in average -working order. - -We say then that the preoccupations of the vivisector's mind have taken -his body outside the conscious life-stream of nature, have stopped -her constructive and vitalizing work. The body is not simply a living -thing; it is an organized complex of living things, conscious centers, -life-charged monads, far finer than any of the bacteria which the -microscope has shown us or can show us. Drawn in from nature, they -dwell with us a while and then return to her somewhat as the blood -cells go to the lungs for aeration. _It is the quality of our mental -states which determines the quality of the elemental coming in_ and -determines also the intervening history of those which leave. The -circulation is constant, and if we lived ideal mental lives we could, -as already said, achieve something like physical immortality. The -monads would come back to us refreshed and recharged with electric -vitality. - -Death liberates them _all_. They take their ways into the nature-stream -and are regenerated in nature's thought and life. The process continues -during all the time between death and rebirth. Whilst the man, the -soul, rests, his body (the subtler elements of it) is being refashioned -and reinvigorated for him. At his rebirth _his own_ monads, blended -with those he receives from hereditary sources, are animating the -infant form with which he connects himself and in which he will -ultimately incarnate. So far as the thought and habit of his last -life permitted--for, as said, they are absolutely sensitive to the -thought-color of their owner's mind and feeling--they have been renewed. - -But there will have been little renewal possible for them if that -mind was filled with the color and thought of death, disease, pain, -was occupied with the will to _produce_ these--a will exactly -oppositely directed to that of the worthy physician. They were untuned -with nature's keynote during life and consequently return nearly -unchanged--which, in medical language, will mean a case of congenital -disease, ill-health, or deformity; and, as part of the penalty, -the reaction of the physical defects and disease upon the mind and -disposition of child and youth and man. - -Nor does the penalty finish at that. The entire personality of such -a child and man is in greater or less degree repellant to others, to -children, _to animals_. The latter especially, feel him not as a friend -but as enemy. Their dislike is instinctual. And all this will continue -till in one or another life the man has been stung to the redress of -the evil he has done, has returned kindliness for hostility year by -year, has changed, freshened, and sweetened his thought and feeling and -so by degrees every atom of his body. - -Truly the plight of the vivisector is a thousandfold worse than that of -the animal he worst outrages. - - - - -THE EKOI; Children of Nature: by H. T. Edge, B. A. (Cantab.) - - -The ideas current about ancient or ethnic peoples are largely qualified -by the "personal equation" of those who have observed and described -them. These ideas are not facts but points of view. In too many cases -the point of view is so colored by an unsympathetic attitude on the -part of the viewer as to constitute a misrepresentation--a fancy -picture, having no counterpart in reality. Thus have been described the -classical times and the non-Christian races. But times are changing. -As our civilization grows older it grows wiser, loses some of its -supercilious ignorance, and can view other times and places than its -own with more sympathy and sense. Already the histories and geographies -of our childhood seem prejudiced in our present eyes. But we cannot -boast; for there is still much to be done in the same direction. - -As a notable instance of what may be achieved in the way of beauty, -charm, and uplifting of the mind, by viewing and treating a subject -sympathetically, we welcome an account of "The Land of the Ekoi, -Southern Nigeria," by P. A. Talbot, B. A., F. L. S., F. R. A. S., F. -Z. S., in _The Geographical Journal_ (London, Dec., 1910). By the -adoption of such an attitude, in place of the too frequent attitude of -superiority and condescension, error is avoided, truth learned, and -both writer and reader benefited. We give some extracts and comments, -and refer to _The Geographical Journal_ for the rest. - -The Ekoi live to the north and northwest of Calabar, the headquarters -of the eastern province of Southern Nigeria, partly under British rule, -partly under German. - - The river is magical, and bold indeed would be that man who should - break an oath sworn on its name. For somewhere in its depths dwells - Nimm--the terrible--who is always ready, at the call of her women - worshipers, to send up her servants, the beasts that flock down to - drink and bathe in her stream, to destroy the farms of those who have - offended. She manifests herself sometimes as a huge snake, sometimes - as a crocodile. - -This could have been described so as to make it a heathen superstition. -But we see it is possible to give it another color. The interdependence -of man's conduct and the powers of nature is indicated; and retribution -is shown as the logical consequence of violating natural law. Honor -and fidelity are qualities essential to man's well-being. Evil fortune -is the result of his putting himself out of tune with nature by his -conduct. - -We take care about the physical needs of children, but are strangely -reckless in other and more important matters concerning them. Contrast -this with the following about the Ekoi: - - The Ekoi are devoted parents, but it will take years of patient - teaching before they grasp the importance of fresh air and the - simplest sanitary measures for the health of their little ones. They - have curious beliefs as to the advent and death of their babes. One - charming superstition [!] forbids all quarreling in a house where - there are little children. The latter, so they say, love sweet words, - kind looks, and gentle voices, and if these are not to be found in the - family into which they have been reincarnated, they will close their - eyes and forsake the earth, till a chance offers to return again amid - less quarrelsome surroundings. - -Rather a healthy superstition, is it not? One that we might adopt with -benefit, so that fewer of our children should grow up with quarrel -interwoven with every thread of their bodies, mentally, psychically, -and physically too. We wish well of the efforts to teach the Ekoi the -use of soap and toothbrushes; but only on condition that it does not -mean _unteaching_ them their own "beautiful superstition." - - The children gave a particularly charming series of games, singing all - the while in the pretty lilting way usual among them. Nothing could - be more graceful than the waving arms and swaying limbs of the little - brown forms as they bent and moved, always in perfect time to their - song. The musical faculty of this people is certainly wonderful, - though developed along peculiar lines. During the whole period spent - among them I have never heard a false note nor found a dancer or - accompanist one fraction of a second out of time. - -Of this, by way of contrast with us, but one thing can be said: that if -it be true, then in time and tune they are immensely our superiors; for -how few people can whistle a tune correctly, and how difficult it is to -drill people into keeping time! - - The religious observances of the Ekoi are altogether a fascinating - study. Beneath many modern corruptions and disfigurements are yet to - be found traces of an older, purer, form of worship, traces which - carry us back to the oldest-known Minoan civilization, and link the - belief of the modern Ekoi with that of the ancient Phoenician, the - Egyptian, the Roman, and the Greek. - -Trees are sacred; birds are sacred, for - - Should the birds be injured or driven away the women would become - barren and even the cattle cease to bear. - -More recognition of the inviolability of cosmic law! Call it -self-interest, if you will, it is at least a higher and worthier form -of self-interest than the kind that rips the feathers off the birds and -turns them loose to die a lingering death, or planes off the wooded -hills in order to pile up riches on high. - - The Ekoi spend their whole lives in the twilight of the beautiful - mysterious bush, peopled, to their fancy, not by wild animals alone, - of which they have no fear, but by were-leopards, and all kinds of - terrible half-human shapes, and by the genii of rocks, trees, and - rivers. Here, more truly even than in old Greece, the terror of Pan is - everywhere! - -Verily "savage" life is not without its consolations. We have dwelt on -the bright side of the picture, and purposely so, for the other side -has been too much dwelt upon; and so far from exaggerating, we are -merely tending to restore the balance of an equable view. If we regard -life as mainly the experience of a Soul, then the outward appurtenances -of civilization count for less; and a people like the Ekoi may possibly -fulfil the purposes of Soul in quite a satisfactory way. One can even -imagine a Soul, wearied with life in modern civilization, taking a -resting incarnation in such a people, to dwell with Pan in these -beautiful glades. - -That the journal of the Royal Geographical Society should publish such -a sympathetic account is a noteworthy sign of the times. There seems -to be a reactionary movement by which the heathen in his darkness is -shedding a little light on our inveterate superstition. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. A SEMINOLE INDIAN -(Photo. by the Albertype Co., Brooklyn, N. Y.)] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. A FAMILY GROUP OF -SEMINOLE INDIANS] - - - - -AN UNKNOWN AMERICAN NATION: by H. S. Turner - - -But few people know that living within the precincts of this country, -there is a nation, independent and virtually free from dominance of the -United States Government, or of any of its States. Its history is a -singular one and is practically unknown. Even our school histories have -but little to say about it; so that the impression left on the minds of -casual readers is that this nation long ago ceased to exist, as a body -of people. - -Far down in the southern part of the peninsula of Florida, this nation -has its center; its rulers, laws, and government. It has no written -treaties with foreign governments--for such is the United States -considered by them--yet there is an unwritten treaty accepted by both, -which to their common credit has never been broken. This treaty, or -agreement as it should be called, stipulates that each nation shall go -its own way and not interfere with the other. - -The Seminole Nation is its name, and its existence, as at present -constituted, dates from the year 1842. Seven years previous to this -date, the United States Government decided that the Seminole Indians, -who belong to the family of the Muscogees, should be moved from their -fertile Florida lands and taken to those of the Creek Nation, far away -in the West. At this time the authorities concentrated our Indian wards -in a few special places. - -The Seminoles bitterly resisted the efforts made to remove them. It was -only after a seven years' war that two thousand of them surrendered and -were duly sent westward. - -Originally the Seminoles had been numerically strong. This hard-fought -war reduced their numbers to such a point that after those who -surrendered had been transported, but five hundred remained in Florida. -They represented, however, the strongest and most determined of their -tribe; those who preferred death to surrender. - -Separating themselves from those who decided to surrender, they -penetrated to the innermost recesses of the Everglades, that -death-dealing morass, covered with reeds and jungle-growth, through -which winds a veritable labyrinth of stagnant streams, in whose mud -crocodiles and alligators disport themselves, and where snakes, -mosquitos, and other poisonous life abound. What little solid earth was -to be found was nothing but a bog-like mass of sodden ground, thickly -covered with grass and vines. Yet there and under such conditions these -were determined to look up their home. They valued their freedom above -all, and were willing to make any sacrifice and undergo any hardship -rather than lose what they valued so highly. - -White men could not endure the conditions they had to meet in the -swamps, neither could they ever equal the Red man in ability to move -quickly in such a place. The little band of Indians scattered and -built their shelters on the driest spots they could find, maintaining -themselves by hunting the game that was found on every hand. - -So accustomed have they become to the conditions in which they live, -that they are almost amphibious and absolutely immune to the bites of -mosquitos or other poisonous insects. - -At times some of the Indians will come out of their retirement and -visit their white neighbors. Quite often many of them can be seen on -the streets of Miami, Florida, where they go to purchase what limited -supplies they may need, the money for the same being obtained by the -sale of alligator hides. - -At times a few white men have been invited by them to visit their -homes in the Everglades. Those who have accepted this invitation have -always been glad to hasten their departure, on account of the ravenous -hordes of mosquitos and the familiarity of the water-snakes, and this -notwithstanding the hospitality and sincere cordiality of their hosts. - -Undoubtedly it is due to the ravages of these so-called pests--to their -beneficent protection in this instance--that these Indians owe their -freedom from the usual contaminating vices of the white man. The latter -is simply unable to get close enough in touch to demoralize them. So we -find these Indians today, whose life is the same as it was before the -white man set foot upon the North American Continent. - -They are free from the vice of drink, they live according to the -highest moral code, they do not gamble, and are altogether a happy and -care-free people. Let us hope they will ever remain so; that they will -never lose their natural simplicity of character and their dignified -reserve. - -The typical costume of the Seminoles is as singularly different from -the one usually adopted by American Indians, as their customs and mode -of life are. The accompanying photographic reproductions show this -feature, as well as give one an idea of their strength of character. -The "American type" is clearly shown by the facial angles. - - - - -THE CONFINES OF SCIENCE: by Investigator - - -It is still debated whether the earth in its orbital motion drags the -adjacent part of the ether along with it, or whether the earth travels -through the ether without stirring the latter. On the one hand it is -argued that if the earth (and presumably other planets also) dragged -the ether along, complex currents would thereby be set up in the ether; -and this circumstance would upset the calculations with regard to the -aberration of light, whereas the observations of aberration do not -indicate the existence of any such currents in the ether. On the other -hand are cited certain delicate experiments of Michelsen and Morley, -connected with the measurement of vibration-rates of light, which go to -show that there is little or no relative motion between the earth and -the ether, or, in other words, that the circumjacent ether moves with -the earth. Hence we are required to make the ether stationary for some -purposes, but moveable and full of currents for other purposes; not the -first time that the ether has been required to perform inconsistent, or -apparently inconsistent, rôles. - -This quandary has led some petulantly to throw the ether overboard, -alleging that "there ain't no such a thing"; while others have sought -refuge in abstruse mathematico-metaphysical speculations as to the -nature of our conceptions of space and time and the meaning of such -conceptual words as _mass_ and _velocity_. - -It must be remembered that the ether so far is not an observed object -but a hypothetical something. The necessities of our reasoning -have demanded that we should, on various occasions and for various -purposes, postulate a fixed standard of reference. Thus the undulatory -theory of light has required the supposition of a medium to convey -the undulations; the kinetic theory of matter has required that we -postulate a substantial basis wherein the supposed vortices or centers -of energy can inhere. But the ether is, and _ex hypothesi_ must be, -beyond the reach of sense perception. Could we but weigh it or measure -it in any way--at once we should stand in need of another ether yet -more subtle. In a word, however far we go, there is always something -beyond. - -Physical science, being admittedly a limited sphere, must of course -become indeterminate near its borders. Rules which are found to apply -with sufficient exactitude within certain limits will be found to -apply no longer when we transcend those limits. So long as we study -physical phenomena in their relation to each other, we may find those -mutual relations sufficiently exact and constant; but when we begin to -study physical phenomena in relation to _what lies beyond_, then the -uncertainty supervenes. We find it necessary to inquire into the nature -of our own perceptions and conceptions. - -A phenomenon has its subjective factor as well as its objective -factor; but our physics has so far been based on the tacit assumption -that the subjective factor is fixed and constant. And it may indeed -be so regarded within certain limits. But now we propose to explore -the limits of the illimitable and the confines of eternity, regions, -whither our senses and our instruments cannot penetrate. What wonder -that we find those conceptions of time, space, and motion, which we -have derived from our sensory experience in this world, inadequate as a -means of formulating what lies beyond! - -A slight acquaintance with certain ancient sciences suffices to -show that they took into account the subjective component of our -perceptions and conceptions, studying the mind and its organs along -with nature and its qualities. Regarding phenomena as the result of -interactions or coalescences between faculties within and qualities -without, they studied both concurrently. Neglecting to do this, we have -landed ourselves in not a few difficulties. Needing a fixed standard -of reference in our study of motion, we have postulated _space_ as -objective, while at the same time our very hypothesis has divested -that space of every property which could entitle it to be regarded as -an object at all. In vain do we try to overtake our shadow, to put -things on a shelf out of our reach, to explore the land of nowhere, -or to measure the cubic contents of zero. The notion of "space" as -possessing size and three-dimensional extension, but _nothing_ else, is -an assumption that may well be regarded by Nature as groundless; yet it -is to this standard that we refer our calculations as to motion, etc. - -Practical science strides ahead in defiance of such speculations, for -it is founded on an investigation of what actually exists in Nature. -And even where the theories serve to guide our path to new discoveries, -it is as likely as not that our discoveries will outstrip the limits -of the theories. There is bound to come a time, if it has not begun to -dawn already, when we shall be uncertain whether it is external nature -or our own internal faculties that we are studying; as was brought -out in connexion with those very singular "Blondlot rays," which were -visible (apparently) to Latin races but not to Teutonic! - -Having thus suggested the possibility of a study of states of -consciousness, such as might result in placing the observer in an -entirely new relation to external nature and thereby rendering nugatory -all his previous conceptions of time, space, and the like--it remains -to add a few words on that topic. There are many people engaged in a -heedless and unguided dabbling in such fields, and both old-time wisdom -and contemporary experience indicate that the practice is fraught with -dangers to health and mental balance. Such explorations demand that -we shall step out from the safe shelter of our familiar five-sense -consciousness and brave the perils of an unknown land. We are in -precisely the position of a man who forsakes the dry land, his native -element, where he is lord of the beasts and can plant his feet and his -dwelling firmly, and plunges into a sea without bottom or stability and -teeming with sharks, and where his life depends on his constant energy -and watchfulness. Hence the study of science in its deeper aspects -becomes primarily a question of _discipline_--a fact always recognized -in the ancient Mysteries. In proof that this statement is true, we -need only point to the state of affairs in the world of psychic -investigation today; a condition which breathes more of menace than of -promise to the future welfare of society, a world where fatuity and -folly seem to dog the steps of the heedless explorer. - -We give out all our secrets to the mob because there is no one who can -successfully assert his claim to be above the mob; our only rule of -fair-play is indiscriminate distribution. One cannot presume to set up -a sacred college, and the mob rightly and justly fears the possible -domination of a clique of biological or theological theorists. Yet -knowledge is inseparably connected with duty and obligation; and if -this connexion is ignored, that which should be a blessing will prove a -curse. What has already occurred in connexion with dynamite and drugs -can occur in far worse form in connexion with hypnotism and mental -influence. This is sufficient to explain the Theosophical program of -work and the reason why Theosophical workers do not find such public -researches a profitable field for their efforts while there is so much -preliminary work yet to be done both in their own characters and in the -world. - -When we begin to explore the ether of our own inner nature, we find -that investigation comes second to management; we must _control_ our -nature--or it will control us. Knowledge is relative to Duty. - - - - -THE TOWER OF LONDON AND THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT: by Carolus - - -The Tower of London and the Houses of Parliament, Westminster, are the -most striking and important buildings that stand on the banks of the -Thames in London. Both are on the north side of the river, but are at a -considerable distance from each other. - -The Tower is one of the few early Norman castles which have come down -to us in a fairly perfect condition. Tradition says a fortress was -built by Julius Caesar on the site, but the nucleus of the present -building was begun in 1078 by William the Conqueror. This was the -White Tower, the highest building with the four turrets shown in our -illustration. It was completed by William Rufus, who also built the -famous "Traitor's Gate," through which the unfortunate victims of -Royal displeasure were rowed in from the river. Many additions were -afterwards made, and the building and courts now cover thirteen acres -surrounded by a moat. The Tower was closely identified with many of -the most tragic events in English history for at least five hundred -years after its erection, and if its walls could speak the tale of -horror could hardly be surpassed by the record of any other medieval -building. In the Chapel of St. Peter-in-Chains, lie the bodies of -Queen Anne Boleyn and her brother, Queen Catherine Howard, the Earl of -Essex, the Duke of Monmouth, Bishop Fisher, More, and many other great -personages who suffered death in the Tower. It was a short road from -the Traitor's Gate, through the Bloody Tower, to this chapel. Many -State prisoners have spent weary years of incarceration in the Tower; -Sir Walter Raleigh, one of the greatest and noblest, was confined here -for thirteen years. - -The Tower of London was occasionally the residence of the earlier -sovereigns of England, but its main purpose was the defense of the -city. In these days of powerful weapons it would be useless as a -fortress, but it is still a military post and headquarters, and -contains a large collection of armor. The Jewel Room, in which the -Royal Regalia are kept, and the rooms where distinguished prisoners -were confined, attract many visitors. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. THE TOWER OF LONDON] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. HOUSES OF -PARLIAMENT, LONDON VIEW FROM THE RIVER] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. TRAFALGAR SQUARE, -LONDON TAKEN FROM THE NATIONAL GALLERY] - -The Houses of Parliament at Westminster are--with the exception of -Westminster Hall, built by William Rufus--quite modern, and have no -gloomy associations such as those of the Tower. The building covers -about eight acres and the façade overlooking the Thames is nine -hundred feet long. The tall tower on the left in the illustration is -the Victoria Tower; it is supported upon four pointed arches sixty -feet in height, and the highest point is three hundred and forty feet -above the ground. The central tower is three hundred feet high, and -the picturesque Clock Tower, on the right, is three hundred and twenty -feet high. During the evening sittings of the Houses a lamp is kept -burning near the top of the Clock Tower, which is extinguished when the -debates are over. The building consists mainly of the House of Peers -and the House of Commons, with the connected apartments and offices, -the whole forming one structure. Just above the river, along the front -of the palace runs the Terrace, a broad paved walk where the members of -Parliament can stroll in the fresh air and yet be within sound of the -division bell. - -The towers of Westminster Abbey are visible to the left of the Victoria -Tower, and a small portion of Westminster Bridge is seen at the extreme -right. - -Not far from the Houses of Parliament is Trafalgar Square, which is -probably more familiar to the general public than any spot in London, -for it is the meeting-place of so many important thoroughfares. Our -illustration is taken from the steps of the National Gallery of -Pictures. The fluted Corinthian Column erected to Admiral Nelson -dominates the scene. The colossal bronze statue of the hero is elevated -one hundred and seventy-six feet in the air and, needless to say, the -artistic workmanship is above criticism, for no one can distinguish -any detail at that height! The bronze lions at the base are by Sir -Edwin Landseer, and possess considerable dignity. At the far end of -the street to the left of the Nelson Monument (Parliament Street) the -faint outline of the Clock Tower of the Houses of Parliament can just -be distinguished. At the top of this street, not far from the Nelson -Monument, stands the fine antique equestrian statue of Charles I, -one of the few outdoor monuments that are creditable to the British -metropolis. A few steps to the left of Trafalgar Square as shown in the -plate is the new Charing Cross; the original one was destroyed by the -Puritan Parliament. - - - - -POINT LOMA NOTES: by C. J. R. - - -Here at Lomaland the yerba santa, whose leaves never lose their -delicate gray-green, is a widely scattered bush. It is a favorite -of the Leader's. Among other plants, the sumach, the manzanita, the -grease-wood, the "mahogany," and the dwarf-oak, clothe the sides of -the romantic cañons and the tops of the hills with bright verdure -throughout the year. There are always some wild flowers too, though the -kinds that blossom during the summer are generally not as plentiful or -beautiful as those of the spring. The thousands of eucalypts and cedar -trees, etc., which have been planted mainly upon the lower portions -of the grounds during the past few years by the Lomaland Forestry -Department, have greatly improved the beauty of the landscape for -miles along the ocean front; and the Canary palms and Date palms, the -lemon and pepper trees, the acacias and pines, within the Homestead -gardens and bordering the avenues, have now grown to a size and beauty -which make them a pleasure to look at. Every visitor who comes into -the grounds expresses delight at the wealth of foliage and cultivated -flowers which surround the Râja Yoga College and Temple as well as the -students' homes and bungalows. - -In a few weeks we may expect the first rains, though sometimes they -do not arrive till nearly Christmas, and then the multitude of seeds -that have been quietly biding their time will begin to stir, and soon -after the opening of the new year the hills will assume the vivid -green which will not diminish till next summer; the five varieties of -Lomaland ferns will unfold their delicate fronds on the shady southern -side of the cañons; and then the ground will become carpeted with -spring flowers of many colors, chiefly purple and gold. When Katherine -Tingley first established the headquarters of our Society here there -was very little grass, except at the lower levels near San Diego, but -it has been gradually creeping up the hills until it has become a -characteristic feature of the Spring; it seems to have increased in -proportion to the enlargement of the human population of Point Loma. - - * * * * * - -WE have been reading with sympathy of the terrible heat that has been -such a marked feature of the present summer throughout Europe and the -larger portion of the United States. In Lomaland, and all along the -Pacific slope, nothing of the sort has been felt, for the constant -westerly breezes which blow from the ocean keep the temperature down; -no case of sunstroke has ever been recorded here, and there is never -any need to cease from outdoor work or exercise during the heat of the -day; the nights are never too hot for a blanket. - - * * * * * - -THOUGH we usually do not get our best sunsets until the so-called -"winter" months, lately there have been several of the magnificent ones -for which Lomaland is famous. In August a very remarkable mirage was -seen by a large number of persons at a sea-coast town about a hundred -miles to the northward. It represented a ship ashore on dangerous -rocks with the waves beating over it, and it was so real and vivid -that the lifeboat went out to rescue the supposed drowning crew. But -when it reached the spot (less than a mile from the beach) the boatmen -could see nothing, and there were no rocks near. From the shore it -appeared as if the lifeboat passed through the wreck. An attempt made -to photograph the mirage turned out a failure. About ten years ago a -strange mirage was seen from the Homestead in the form of an island -far out at sea. It persisted for several days and was so realistic -that some persons were on the point of chartering a boat to sail out -to it and take possession when it disappeared. The mystery of many -well-authenticated mirages has never been explained by the ordinary -laws of refraction and reflection. _The Century Path_ of October 25, -1908, which can be found in nearly all the libraries in America and -other countries, contains a special article on the subject, giving many -examples and treating it from the Theosophical standpoint. - - * * * * * - -THE Woman's International Theosophical League, with its center at -Point Loma and its world-wide membership elsewhere, is becoming, or -has become, one of the most potent instruments for the spread of our -work that the Leader possesses. First organized under the name of the -Woman's Propaganda League, it has greatly extended and enlarged its -activities under the new title. During the Spring months of this year -the women of the League in Lomaland organized a most successful series -of meetings for women only at the Isis Theater, San Diego, at which -the Leader gave addresses which are said by those who were present to -have been the most uplifting and inspiring she has ever delivered. -She spoke out in the plainest language about the causes and the only -remedies for the steady degeneration of the so-called civilized world, -and she showed what a marvelous power for redemption women have in -their own sphere, the home. The Isis Theater was crowded to its -utmost capacity on each occasion Katherine Tingley spoke, hundreds of -eager women of all classes could not find accommodation and, to judge -by the mass of correspondence received, the impression made was most -profound. According to the Leader's words, the splendid organizing -work of the women of the Woman's International Theosophical League and -the perfect harmony and unity prevailing among them in no small degree -helped in producing this admirable result; the conditions were ideally -perfect, and the audiences felt that there was an entirely different -spirit present from anything ever before experienced. From the loyal, -impersonal and womanly efforts of the League a new life has come into -the atmosphere of Lomaland, a broadening and harmonizing influence. Its -members are giving a fine expression to the principle of Co-operation -between men and women which the Leader is ever striving to build up. - - * * * * * - -SOON after the last of the women's meetings at Isis Theater the Leader -gave the signal for dramatic work, and the Woman's League began the -preparations for the Greek Symposium, _The Aroma of Athens_, several -representations of which were given with conspicuous success, first in -the Isis Theater and then in the open-air Greek Theater, Lomaland. Here -was an excellent opportunity for the co-operation spoken of, and it was -realized to the uttermost. While the artists and craftsmen prepared -the scenery and properties, or built the stately Grecian structures in -the open-air theater which remain permanently for use in the future -dramatic work, the skilful and tireless needlewomen made the hundreds -of costumes needed, all being done under the personal supervision -of the Leader and from her own designs. The same cheerful spirit of -co-operation was evinced in the musical and dramatic rehearsals for -the Symposium, and in the frictionless management of the arrangements -for the staging of the couple of hundred characters who appear in the -play--no easy task. - -In view of the greater activities of the Woman's Theosophical League -which are shortly to take place, it has secured a spacious hall within -the Homestead grounds which will afford ample accommodation for the -present as a headquarters for its business meetings and other general -activities. It is known as the Woman's League Hall. - - - - -THE WOMAN'S INTERNATIONAL THEOSOPHICAL LEAGUE, POINT LOMA, CALIFORNIA - -Woman's Work in Lomaland; a Side Light: by a Member of the League - - THAT is the true athlete, the man who exercises himself against - appearances (illusion). Pause, consider, do not be carried away. Great - is the combat, divine is the work. It is for kingship, for freedom, - for happiness.--_Epictetus_ - - I DESIRE not to disgrace the soul. The fact that I am here certainly - shows me that the soul had need of an organ here. Shall I not assume - the post? Shall I skulk and dodge and duck with my unseasonable - apologies and vain modesty and imagine my being here impertinent--less - pertinent than Epaminondas or Homer being there? and that the soul did - not know its own needs? - - LET us, if we must have great actions, make our own so. All action - is of an infinite elasticity, and the least admits of being inflated - with the celestial air until it eclipses the sun and moon. Let us seek - _one_ peace by fidelity.--_Emerson_ - - -Several years ago Katherine Tingley said to a group of Lomaland -Students, while touching in a cursory way upon the general -world-problem of woman's work and true place in life, that her great -longing was to take up this question in a public way. She added, -reflectively, and with a trace of sadness in her voice, - - But I cannot do this as yet. I should have to do it Theosophically, - and while the need is there, conditions are not yet ready; the time - for it has not come. - -As all Students know, the time came early in 1911, and the work that -had waited so long was ushered in by a series of meetings for women -only, at Isis Theater, San Diego, under the auspices of the Woman's -International Theosophical League of Lomaland, a body founded by -Katherine Tingley on July 24th, 1906. Any question as to this being -the right time--the psychological moment--had a twofold answer in the -eager and wide-reaching public response, and in the superb nature of -the service rendered in the arrangement and conduct of the meetings by -members of the Lomaland Woman's League. Everything was placed in their -hands, though under the Leader's direction, from the advertising and -distribution of tickets--the meetings of course being free although -admission was by tickets secured in advance--to the seating of the -audience and the carrying out of the beautiful and impressive program, -of which Katherine Tingley's address was at each meeting the central -feature. - -The work was begun at a time when the tourist season was at its height -and in the audiences that crowded Isis Theater to the doors were -hundreds of women from distant points--Canada, Vancouver, the far -South, the Middle States, the Atlantic Coast, Europe, and even the -Orient. Consider that these were thinking women, by their very interest -in Theosophy marked as women apart from the mass; consider as well that -the subjects taken up by Katherine Tingley in the impassioned addresses -that formed the axis, so to speak, the real fulcrum, of the meetings, -were subjects of the most vital import to the home--the higher duties -of wifehood and motherhood, the sacredness of the home as a spiritual -temple and woman's duty as guardian of that temple, the key to a -knowledge of child nature, the protection of the growing child, the -Theosophic keynote of duty--and add to that the fact that nearly every -woman in those vast audiences was an important factor in some home, -and it is evident that the influence of these meetings could not be -measured. - -Consider also that this work was launched at the present time of -transition, when all the old ideas of woman's work are being torn up, -root and branch, in some cases, by fanatics who little dream of the -reaction their frenzy and unwisdom is certain to produce, a reaction -that will make doubly difficult the path of unselfish workers for a -long time to come. - -The climax of effort in the Woman's International Theosophical League -was of course reached in the marvelous production of _The Aroma of -Athens_, given under the League's auspices, with accounts of which -both Students and the public are familiar. Social Hall was converted -into a huge costumer's shop and greenroom for the space of nine magic -days, with the Leader here, there, everywhere, directing, designing -and fitting costumes, designing properties, drilling individuals, -rehearsing, oblivious for the time of all such gentle excellencies as -food, relaxation, or rest. - -Here again shone forth in the members of this Woman's League the -qualities that were of such pre-eminent service in the conduct of -the women's meetings--intuition, fidelity, alertness, conservation -of energy, the power to work on lines of least resistance, unity, -trust. There was no friction, no personal competition, no jealousy, no -over-reaching, no gossip, no "rule or ruin" spirit, no personality, and -as a result there was a general capacity to get things done that made -the onlooker wonder if some hidden Aladdin's lamp were not in a nearby -corner, just "rubbing" results into existence. - -What _was_ it? Pre-eminently, it was the power these women had created -by learning to _work together_. It was the Christos-spirit, that -magic-working something that harmony is powerful to create, the spirit -of which Jesus spoke when he said, "For where two or three are gathered -together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." - -But _what_ did it? Theosophy as a system of thought did not, or it -would have done so in past centuries, for Theosophy has been brought to -the world before under this and other names. The inspiration that is -born when women work for women did not, for if this could do it then -we would have some royal examples of unity in women's organizations -elsewhere. What then did it in Lomaland? - -There was a Sower once who went forth to sow; and some seeds fell on -stony ground and the fowls of the air devoured them; and others fell on -thin and shallow soil, springing up only to wither in the noontide heat -because there was no depth of root. But of the seeds which fell upon -good soil we are told that they sprang up and bore fruit an hundredfold. - -There is the answer, and the answer also to the question as to why -Katherine Tingley could not and would not start this woman's work -earlier. The seeds were waiting and they are forever the same, the -Sower was waiting, the world was waiting, for whatever may be the -needs or conditions of any age the true Teacher knows how to adapt her -message to it. But--oh women of Lomaland! _we_ were not ready, for we -were the soil. The Sower was compelled to wait until _we_ would let the -hot plowshare of truth _in action_ break through, and break up, the -hard surface-crust of mental limitations and personality, and reach, -with its diamond-tipped point, the warm, rich, moist soil of integrity -and soul-life that lay underneath. - -It has taken time, and patience on the part of husbandman, and trust -on our part, though with greater trust it could all have been done -so much earlier. But we had no knowledge of our own natures, when we -first touched Theosophic truth, and it was necessary to learn that -in Katherine Tingley's curriculum lip-knowledge and wisdom are two -different things--that one _may_ have a brain-mind understanding of the -literature of Theosophy without being a Theosophist in the slightest -degree; that in short, the Theosophy that is not lived, that is, -applied to every act, every problem, every relationship of daily life, -need not hope to be recognized in Lomaland. - -And this takes time. From the precept to _the life_ there is a path -to be traveled, often a long one. It is indeed plain that the work -upon which the women of Lomaland have been permitted to enter is one -that could not be done Theosophically by any body of women who had not -gotten beyond the limitations of the lower psychology, that master of -the brain-mind, where only diversity lies; it could not be done by -any who had not found and clasped hands on the plane of soul-life, -where alone is unity. If all other proofs of brotherhood as a fact in -nature--Theosophy's shibboleth and standard--were to be swept away -and the Woman's International Theosophical League alone permitted -to remain, that would suffice to demonstrate to the world that -Theosophy is what the Teachers declare it to be, a living power, and -that universal brotherhood _is_. Small wonder that as we listened to -Katherine Tingley's heart-appeal to the women of the great world--truly -orphaned, as is all humanity--we saw barriers swept away, limitations -dissolve, mountains move, and, verily, a new world come into being. In -the discourses of Epictetus, slave of the profligate Epaphroditus, and -in chains, but the grandest Stoic in all Rome, we read: - - Never then look for the matter in one place and progress towards it in - another.... - - What then is progress? ... lo, _if_ a man, in every matter that occurs, - works out his principles, as the runner does in reference to running - and the trainer of the voice does with reference to the voice--this is - the man who truly makes progress, and who has not traveled in vain. - - If I were talking to an athlete, I should say, Show me your shoulders. - And then he might say, Here are my Halteres. You and your Halteres - look to that, I should reply, I wish to see the _effect_ of the - Halteres! - -That is the point and that is Theosophy. - -The burden of this ancient problem of woman's work lies heavy upon the -world, unspeakably heavy because so many lesser problems are enfolded -within it--the problems of the home, of the protection of childhood, -of man's true place in the grand creative scheme, of the much -misunderstood and more discussed sex-question, in short, of education -in all its phases. To borrow the old Socratic metaphor, myriad other -problems hang down from it as from a ring held in suspension by a -magnet other rings hang down, chainlike, one depending from the other. -To carry such a burden, or even part of it, requires not treatises -nor diplomas but _shoulders_, strong shoulders, strong in a threefold -sense, physically, yes, but still more mentally and spiritually. - -We women of Lomaland see now why this great public work for women could -not have been begun earlier with absolute confidence on the Teacher's -part that the heat of noontide endeavor would not cause it to wither -and fall away. It would have withered if begun earlier, as women's -efforts are withering all over the world today, partly because they are -mistaken in themselves, it is true, but mainly because _the soil is -not there_. The workers themselves cannot stand the test. The storms -of jealousy and rancor, the hot winds of ambition, the noontide heat -of heavy demands, the shallow soil of brain-mind interests and desires -which point like a weathercock to a new quarter with every gust of -illusion--ay, these are what test the nature. - -Thinking it all over, a gratitude wells up within the heart too deep -for words to touch--gratitude to the Teacher who has led us along the -path with so much patience and love; helping but not putting props -under us; heartening and encouraging, but not carrying us along on -silver platters; forcing us to put into practice these treatises we -have been studying--for Theosophy is the science of soul-strength and -it enunciates principles and possesses rules. Lomaland is verily a -great School of Philosophy, greater than those of past ages, for here -divine principles are actually demonstrated which in the golden days of -our historic past were but dreamed of, and the Woman's International -Theosophical League is one of its Halls of Learning. Plato and -Epictetus, Sappho and Hypatia, would understand. - -Gratitude--it is a feeble word, plumb the depths of its meaning though -you will. Even the most splendid examples of womanhood that graced -the audiences at the various Women's meetings which the Teacher of -Theosophy addressed, can realize what is being done and what is going -on only to a very limited degree. We in Lomaland do not realize it -fully for if we did we would rise to that height of trust and calm -that would verily make us _like_ the Teacher; not like her in wisdom, -for that is the rare fruit of ages of search and service, and we are -but beginners on the Path; but like her in a certain _quality_ of -courage and devotion that would makes us ten times in effectiveness the -instruments in her hands that we are today. - -For the acquirement of soul-strength is the object of this soul's -gymnasium, this _life_, the living out of which in all its fulness of -opportunity alone makes it possible for the Teacher to sow the seeds of -that tree the leaves of which shall be for the healing of the nations. -Here is the keynote, sounded clear amid the resolving harmonies of -Katherine Tingley's last address: - - Overcome! That is the song the gods would sing to you women and to all - the world. Overcome! Learn to overcome and learn to love! - - - - -ILLUSION AND REALITY: by Lydia Ross, M. D. - - -The Man was wearied with success. He had sought to win beauty, fame, -fortune, and personal power, and he had linked them all with his name. -Around him was a wide circle of desirable things; within him was a -restless center of discontent. - -Far into the night he sat musing over his career. He had been fortunate -beyond all expectation. He could name no ambition which had not been -gratified; but the thought brought with it no feeling of elation or of -satisfaction. Just now his keenest sense was that stinging ache in his -breast which so often came of late at quiet times like this. - -"It is all illusion and disappointment," he said, at last. "Marriage is -a failure; fame is a mockery; happiness is not had at any price, and -life is not worth living." - -That nameless hunger from which he suffered was so baffling. If it were -only possible to find the meaning of that dreary want. With all the new -inventions for lighting the world why was there no illumination for the -dimness of the inner life? If he could only find the source of that -hungry need which devoured all the pleasure in his possessions. - -Filled with intense desire for light, he drifted into the Land of -Dreams with its countless pictures. There he saw a moving figure which -was himself and yet not himself. There were no familiar lines in the -form; but the eyes were his own and through them he read the thoughts. - -He knew that this Traveler had come from afar. Along dusty highways, -in shady bypaths and green meadows, through thickets and unwholesome -swamps and across waters he had played a part in many scenes of a -changing world. Youth and strength and gaiety were his companions, and -together they sought activity and pleasure. Through places all unknown -and often full of hidden dangers they made their way with merry jest -and idle song and noise, fearing nothing save it were the Silence. - -Then came a day when the Traveler grew tired of dust and heat and -stains, of noisy mirth and empty songs and poisonous miasma. He wished -for solitude and rest. As his companions sped along he turned aside and -wandered into the deep forest. Throwing himself upon the ground long he -lay beneath the trees with closed eyes and fingers threaded through -the soft grass, finding refreshment in the touch. His chest rose with -deep draughts of clear air, and as the cool quiet stole into his blood -the throbbing pulses sank into a healing stream. - -He had found some pleasant places in the old life that seemed so far -away now, but this was beyond compare. Filled with a novel sense of -awakening, the past appeared but a feverish dream. The sweetness of the -place seemed to be taking form somewhere near and to be surrounding him -with a delicious perfume. - -As he sprang up his wondering eyes rested upon a new-blown Rose growing -near. The dainty folded petals had uncurled and opened out until its -golden heart was centered in tinted light. Its fragrance filled the air -with a subtle tenderness. It was beautiful! - -He had not failed to gather flowers, too, in his time--conventional -hot-house blooms and gorgeous tropical beauties, and some with cold, -odorless petals--how many had drifted through his hands. Never was -there one among them all like this. Standing out against the guardian -green leaves like a beloved queen, it shed a royal circle of uplifting -peacefulness over everything. - -Softly he knelt before this symbol of purity and loveliness with its -message from the source of light and sweetness. The soul of the Rose -was glowing upon him with tender beauty and glad fearlessness. His own -soul stirred into life and looked out of eyes all too sadly strange -to their indwelling guest. The littleness and folly of the past were -but faded pictures of half-forgotten dreams. He knew that this was the -awakening; this was the steady, noble, tender glow of real life. - -His heart dilated with a sense of all that life might mean: its -dignity, its love, its aspiration, its unspeakable destiny. Oh, but he -would struggle to keep alive this enlarged and transfigured sense of -things! His rapt gaze rested on the Rose until the mystery of color -and light and sweetness entered into his very heart. He felt himself a -part of the brightness that lives at the center of all things, and his -confident soul swept out to the unseen stars to claim its own. Beyond -and beyond, throughout distant space, everywhere was a flush of light -and beauty and a radiant heart of peace. - -Then came a memory--a mere shadow from his dream-life--and a selfish -doubt brought him back to earth again. The Rose still smiled upon him -in sweet faith. He would never leave it, but together they would live -the larger life. As the wind whispered in the leaves the Rose bent and -brushed his cheek and a swift wave of tenderness surged over him. - -What if someone else should find this flower and should rise upon its -power as he had risen? What if he should lose it? A hungry look stole -into his eyes and his old self in a misery of longing cried hoarsely, -"Never! It shall be mine, mine, only mine!" He leaned forward until the -petals quivered beneath his breath. What if it should turn from him? -"It is mine, mine," cried the selfish self as with eager, passionate -grasp he kissed it and crushed it close, close, until he grew faint and -sick with the spent sweetness. - -He is stung with pain. Ah, the thorns, the thorns! Impatiently he tries -to pick them out, but the sting remains. And oh! the pitiful Rose that -he holds--so crushed and weary and broken! Gone is the delicate fire -of the higher life that breathed through every curve of its free-born -petals. And the fragrance which had radiated waves of tender gladness -falls like the faltering breath of some beautiful, wounded, dying thing. - - * * * * * - -In the dim light which fills the mind in sleep, a mountain scene -took form upon the moving screen. Up the steep side a Hunter toiled, -burdened with weapons and game. In his strangely familiar eyes was a -weary, dissatisfied look. The trail he had followed grew indistinct and -was lost; but as he pushed onward he reached a place where the rough -mountain side stretched out into a broken level of fertile plateau. How -grateful it looked after the steep climb. This was the place to rest, -he thought, catching sight of a tiny, sheltered lake and turning his -steps toward it. Even now he can see its unruffled surface reflecting -the blue sky and a drowsy chorus of encircling pines. - -On the lake-shore the Hunter stood spell-bound with the beauty of the -scene. The spoils of the chase and the weapons dropped from relaxed -fingers as with uncovered head he drank deeply of rest and comfort and -inspiration. - -As the wind swayed the bordering pine-branches flecks of light came -and went through the shadowy circle of scintillating water. Around the -shallow border the glint and tint of glossy stone and delicate shell -lighted the mosaic curtain of shadows with the fire of a living iris. -Deep and dark and clear was the mystical center. A tall, slender fringe -of grasses around the edge softened and deepened the whole liquid -beauty before him like the lashes of a sentient eye. - -A feathery cloud floated by overhead. Its reflection brushed the -surface like a breath of fancy, a mere passing thought. The opalescent -gold of the sunshine sank down, down, down, until, transmuted into a -look of love in unfathomed consciousness its glow was diffused through -the limpid depths. - -Beyond the beauty of the lake was the infinite calm, the untouched -purity and the perfect peace. - -The atmosphere was filled with restfulness. From the lighted depths -came an answering look to his eager eyes. The soul of the lake speaks -to him in lingering softness and silence; and oh, how serene it is! The -iridescent picture of a flying bird falls into the clear water, a song -in color. He sees his own face bathed in a tender light. - -He will seize this mysterious beauty of a living calm and hold it -forever. It shall reflect only his face, he thought, jealous of the -very sky. "This treasure is for me, for me alone," he said, as his eyes -followed the shafts of light that illumined the shadowy depths. "For -me," plunging in and stretching out greedy hands. - -The first footstep broke the mirror of light into troubled waters. -The soil and sand rose beneath the desecrating feet in a sorrowful -cloud that hid the glory in advance and around him. "The peace lies -deeper yet," he thought, watching the center and pushing on. But ever -before him rose the obscuring cloud of his own creation. He can no -longer wade, but strikes out boldly, greedily, to plunder the lake of -its secret. He finds that no physical force or finesse can touch the -delicate beauty he desires; and after vainly striving to grasp the fine -lines of soul-sense, he returns to the shore, weary, disappointed, and -bitter. - -"It is all illusion," he railed. "No other Hunter excels me in strength -or skill; yet when this promised happiness is almost within my grasp, -it fades and disappears. There is no reality behind the dissolving -pictures of a deceitful world." - -The Dreamer looked from the fair strength of the Hunter on the bank to -the cloudy, restless water. There he saw reflected his own figure--a -dusky, broken image with the pessimistic poise. Then the light which -he had longed for shone full upon his mind. He was the Traveler -whose rude selfishness had despoiled the trusting Rose. He was the -Hunter of Happiness. Around him were the rejected trophies of his -skill--sweet-voiced birds and creatures fleet of foot and quick of -eye. Too well they vouched for his unerring aim with bloody breast and -broken limb and dull, unseeing eyes. He had wasted the life that gave -these things their joy and beauty. Only the pitiful, unlovely forms -were his possessions; from these his wearied senses turned in sick -distaste. - -The Dreamer's eyes fell before the luminous scene in which the Hunter -was the one dark stain. How worse than blind his whole career had been. -His life was but a crowded list of failures. How fair were Nature's -pictures everywhere before he marred them with greedy, sordid touch. -Now he saw that the world was alive with a wondrous reality for those -who sought it unselfishly. - -"The fault is all my own," he groaned in bitter shame. "That is mine, -indeed, all mine. Oh, for a chance to redeem this wretched past!" he -cried, pierced with so keen a heartache that he awoke. - -Through the open windows the dewy morning air came in, sweet with the -breath of flowers and alive with the subdued joy of birds. The great -elms brooded over the lesser things with stately tenderness, while with -slender, outstretched branches, like waving magnetic fingers, they -soothed and awakened the freshened earth. In the east the lavender -veil fell down before the sacred flame which daily gives new hope and -strength to light dull lamps of clay. - - - - -VENICE: by Grace Knoche - - -It is one of the world's wonders that a little community should rise -up from the midst of untillable marsh lands--literally out of the -sea--and within a few centuries, through its energy, thrift, invention, -and sheer ability, should become a world power not only in diplomacy, -arms, and commerce, but in architecture, art, philosophy, and _belles -lettres_. And all this, in spite of envy and attacks from without and -conspiracies from within. - -The power of Venice, "the wealthy republic," was so great in her palmy -days that the honor of alliance with her was covetously sought by -emperors and popes alike. At a time when, as history declares, a dictum -from the Pope, or a threat of excommunication, would have brought -almost any other nation of Europe to its knees in groveling terror, -Venice laughed at both and pursued the even tenor of her imperial way. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. FRA PAOLO SARPI] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. CARTA GATE AND -CORNER OF DUCAL PALACE, VENICE, ITALY] - -The climax of her independence of dogmatic rule was reached in those -glorious and courageous later days when Fra Paolo Sarpi lived and -guided her destinies, Sarpi, "the noblest of the Venetians," who -realized more fully than any other in that republic the dangers that -would threaten should outside influences ever gain a foothold in the -chambers of government. Had there been a successor to Fra Paolo, one -worthy of his example, one who grasped his purposes, knew the spirit -of the teacher that molded them and what beneficent power lay behind, -who possessed as well the power to continue Sarpi's work--had such -an exceptional soul appeared, Venice would not have decayed. At Fra -Paolo's death the decline of Venetian greatness set in. - -In the course of her history--and three centuries practically included -the period of her undisputed greatness--Venice attained a position of -supremacy on virtually every line of activity. In war she was dreaded. -Says Yriarte, author of _L'Histoire de Venise_: - - The arsenal of Venice, which still exists, was its palladium; the - high organization of this establishment, the technical skill of its - workmen, the specially selected body of the "arsenalotti," to whom the - republic entrusted the duty of guarding the senate and great council, - and its admirable discipline, were for centuries the envy of other - European powers.... At the most critical period in its history, when - it (Venice) was engaged in its great struggle with the Turks ... the - arsenal regularly sent forth a fully equipped galley each morning - for a hundred successive days.... At the acme of its prosperity the - arsenal employed 16,000 workmen. - -It is impossible to touch upon the political life and fortunes of -Venice in the short space of a single article. Moreover, information -on this is very accessible, for the Venetians themselves were great -chroniclers, who firmly believed that their city was building in a -strange way for the future and that its foundation stones should not -rest unmarked. And though the last thing these old recorders dreamed of -was the imminent decay of their proud city--their idol, their divinity, -the object of their passionate adoration--they were right. Venice _was_ -building for the future--to which seeming mystery Theosophy also has -the key. - -Suffice it to say that when the inner history of Katherine Tingley's -visit to Venice, upon the occasion of her first trip around the -world in the interest of Theosophy, is given out publicly, a new -interpretation will be given to some of these old records. The spirit -of Venice has never died although untoward aims and evils have for -nearly four centuries obscured the outer expression of it. But that, -like the history of Fra Paolo, is another story, too, and volumes would -be needed to contain it. - -Venice was in her days the commercial link between Europe and the -Orient and her merchants neglected no opportunity. The result was that -not only did the city become fabulously wealthy but new trades and -wonderful art-crafts sprung up. Rare damasks, glass, tapestries, silks, -enamels, metal-work of various kinds, plastic work, mosaics, brought -from the countries of the Orient by Venetian merchants, served as -models to craftsmen who not only copied but improved upon them in the -great industrial centers which sprang up. Venetian art-craftsmanship -became throughout Europe a synonym for the ultra, the perfect. - -A link between Italy and Greece, Venice afforded an asylum for Grecian -men of letters when the light in their own land failed. These men -Venice honored. They taught in her universities; they lighted up in -the city not only a knowledge of the great literary monuments of -the ancients but a love for them; they filled her libraries with -translations. Plato, Socrates, Thucydides, Strabo, Xenophon, Homer, and -Orpheus, became something more than names. Says Yriarte: - - Venice, more than any other town, has the credit of having rescued - from oblivion, by editions and translations, the master-pieces of - Greek literature. - -The art of printing was welcomed upon the very threshold of its -discovery and the services of Venice on this line are unique in the -history of letters. Her printers were not mere workmen; some of them -were scholars. "The Aldine Press" is synonymous with scholarship today -as it was in renaissance Italy. Symonds describes the enthusiasm of -the elder Aldus (or Aldo) for Greek literature, and his life-ambition, -which was "to secure the literature of Greece from further accident -by committing its chief masterpieces to type." He relates how Aldo, -already a scholar and qualified as a humanist, "according to the -custom of the country," spent a further two years in a study of Greek -literature. Not a Venetian himself and with no ties in the city, by -some "accident of fortune" he selected Venice as the place in which to -build up a work whose parallel the world has not since afforded and of -which a similar record is not to be found in the past unless possibly -in the secret records of ancient China. - - At Venice Aldo gathered an army of Greek scholars and compositors - around him. His trade was carried on by Greeks and Greek was the - language of his household. Instructions to typesetters and binders - were given in Greek. The prefaces to his editions were written in - Greek. Greeks from Crete collated MSS., read proofs, and gave models - of calligraphy for casts of Greek type. - - Not counting the craftsmen employed in merely manual labor, Aldo - entertained as many as thirty of these Greek assistants in his family. - - His own energy and industry were unremitting. In 1495 he issued the - first volume of his Aristotle. Four more volumes completed the work in - 1497-98. Nine comedies of Aristophanes appeared in 1498. Thucydides, - Sophocles, and Herodotus followed in 1502; Xenophon's _Hellenics_ and - Euripides in 1503; Demosthenes in 1504. - - The troubles of Italy, which pressed heavily on Venice, suspended - Aldo's labors for awhile. But in 1508 he resumed his work with an - edition of the minor Greek orators; and in 1509 appeared the lesser - works of Plutarch. - - Then came another stoppage. The league of Cambray had driven Venice - back to her lagoons, and all the forces of the republic were - concentrated on a struggle to the death with the allied powers of - Europe. In 1513 Aldo reappeared with Plato ... in a preface eloquently - and earnestly comparing the miseries of warfare and the woes of Italy - with the sublime and tranquil objects of a student's life. Pindar, - Hesychius, and Athenaeus followed in 1514. - -But Aldo's enthusiasm for the classics was not confined to those of -Greece. He issued superb editions of the principal Latin and Italian -classics as well, in an exquisite type especially cast for his Press -and which it is said he had copied from the very handwriting of -Petrarch. - -There is something very reminiscent of the Orient in Aldo's reverence -for beautiful calligraphy. To the Chinese scholar the ideograph is -sacred and to write it well demands art and philosophy both. There is -an ancient Chinese legend which says that once upon a time certain -ideographs "came down from their tablets and spoke unto mankind." -Curious, that one should recall it here. But not to know Aldo is to -miss a great light upon the spirit that made Venice what it became, the -spirit that animated every soul in that wonderful city--devotion to -a high ideal, absolute unselfishness and service. Where is the Press -today that combines these unpurchasable qualities with the acme of -scholarship? We know of one--but only one. - -Even in a short article, with Venice herself a subject for volumes, -libraries, it is impossible to omit the following--also from Symonds: - - Aldo ... burned with a humanist's enthusiasm for the books he printed; - and we may well pause astonished at his industry, when we remember - what a task it was in that age to prepare texts of authors so numerous - and so voluminous from MSS. Whatever the students of this century may - think of Aldo's scholarship, they must allow that only vast erudition - and thorough familiarity with the Greek language could have enabled - him to accomplish what he did. In his own days Aldo's learning won the - hearty acknowledgment of ripe scholars. - - To his fellow workers he was uniformly generous, free from jealousy - and prodigal of praise. His stores of MSS. were as open to the learned - as his printed books were liberally given to the public. While aiming - at that excellence of typography which renders his editions the - treasures of the book-collector, he strove at the same time to make - them cheap.... His great undertaking was carried on under continual - difficulties, arising from strikes among his workmen, the piracies of - rivals, and the interruptions of war. When he died, bequeathing Greek - literature as an inalienable possession to the world, he was a poor - man. - -To touch with any show of justice upon the architecture of Venice would -task the eloquence of a Ruskin. But it is possible to indicate a few of -the causes that contributed to make Venice the architectural marvel of -Europe and her palaces and churches unique in the world. - -According to tradition, there were both castles and "churches" in -Venice several centuries before the earliest examples that survive. -The first "church," it is said, was founded in 432 by one Giacomo del -Rialto, but the earliest of which we have tangible evidence--and it is -still standing--was built in the eleventh century. Of the eleventh and -twelfth century castles or palaces, a number still may be seen. - -Venetian architecture, like her literary and industrial life--indeed, -like her whole life--was a combination of Oriental and Occidental -influences. Her people were discoverers, adapters; they had a -perfect genius for appreciation of the artistic, the eloquent, the -statesmanlike, the progressive--in a word, "the Good, the Beautiful and -the True" in the work of others--and with opportunities strewn along -her path thicker than flowers in June, Venice seemed to grasp them all. - -Although Venetian architecture was complex and composite to a degree, -it is possible to trace the predominating influences as they set -their mark upon style after style. Up to the thirteenth century the -prevailing style was Byzantine, of which the leading characteristics -seem to have been in Venice the semi-circular arch and a prodigal use -of sculptured ornament. The method of construction employed by the -Venetians--the walls being of a fine hard brick which was covered with -stucco, or in the finer buildings with thin slabs of costly marbles and -porphyries--permitted no end of surface decoration. And in this the -color-loving Venetians reveled. Moldings, carvings, rolls, _cavettos_, -flutings, panels, bands and diapers of flowing scroll work, lent -their support to most varied adaptations of characteristic Persian or -Moslem design, with its semi-conventional foliage, animals, dragons, -birds, flowers, etc. Markedly beautiful, and in a way peculiar, is the -effect of the façades of many buildings, "studded with gorgeous panels -like jewels on a rich brocade." - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. VENICE] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. A "STREET" IN VENICE] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. ST. MARK'S, VENICE] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. RIO PINELLI] - -But in the thirteenth century a period of transition ushered out the -round Byzantine arch, and in the pointed Gothic arch of the countries -immediately north. Very soon, however, the Early Renaissance style, as -exemplified in Verona and other Italian cities, became a dominating -influence, this in turn to give way to the Classic, which became the -"grand style" of sixteenth-century Venice. After that, the deluge--of -mediocrity. - -The Venetians, a conquering people by virtue of their navy which was -the envy of Europe, made their city the storehouse of rich treasures -stripped from the ruined cities of the past, and from other cities made -her own by conquest. And her merchants did the rest. Quantities of -rich marbles were brought from fallen Aquileia, Ravenna, and Heraclea, -cities which in their turn had brought them from Egypt, Greece, and -Arabia, and Numidia-- - - the red porphyry of Egypt and the green porphyry of Mt. Taygetus, - red and gray Egyptian granites, the beautiful lapis Atracius (_verde - antico_), Oriental alabaster from Numidia and Arabia, the Phrygian - _pavonazzetto_ with its purple mottlings, cipollino from Carystus, - and, in great quantities, the alabaster-like Proconnesian marble with - bluish and amber-colored striations. - -Add to this magnificence a lavish use of gold and color, particularly -the warm ochres and earth reds, and the costly ultramarine, and the -modern mind, accustomed to uncolored and unstriated marbles and the -quiet gray of stone, can hardly imagine the gorgeous luxuriance of -color that marked the city in her prime. - -The architectural glory of Venice is of course the Church of St. Mark, -which, says Professor Middleton, - - stands quite alone among the buildings of the world in respect of - its unequaled richness of material and decoration, and also from the - fact that it has been constructed with the spoils of countless other - buildings, and therefore forms a museum of sculpture of the most - varied kind, nearly every century from the fourth down to the latest - Renaissance being represented in some carved panel or capital, if not - more largely.... - - During the long period from its dedication in 1085 till the overthrow - of the Venetian republic by Napoleon, every doge's reign saw some - addition to the rich decorations of the church--mosaics, sculpture, - wall linings or columns of precious marbles. By degrees the whole - walls inside and outside were completely faced either with glass - mosaics on gold grounds or with precious colored marbles and - porphyries, plain white marble being only used for sculpture, and - then thickly covered with gold.... No less than five hundred columns - of porphyry and costly marbles are used.... A whole volume might be - written on the sculptured capitals, panels, screens. - - The use of inlay is almost peculiar to St. Mark's, as is also the - method of enriching sculptured reliefs with backgrounds of brilliant - gold and colored glass mosaics, producing an effect of extraordinary - magnificence. - - One of the great glories of St. Mark's is the most magnificent gold - retable in the world, most sumptuously decorated with jewels and - enamels, usually known as the Pala d'Oro.... This marvelous retable is - made up of an immense number of microscopically minute gold cloisonné - enamel pictures, of the utmost splendor in color and detail. - -Of the architecture and art of the great council hall of the doges, the -Ducal Palace, little need be said after the description of St. Mark's, -for while not so lavishly ornamented, it is a world in itself in the -style of architectural beauty that most appealed to the Venetians. - -The original Palace of the Doges was built in the ninth century, but -the vicissitudes of war and of fire decreed its rebuilding several -times, and the Ducal Palace that we know today dates from the -fourteenth century. Says Professor Middleton: - - The two main façades, those towards the sea and the _Piazzetta_, - consist of a repetition of the same design, that which was begun in - the early years of the fourteenth century.... The design of these - façades is very striking, and unlike that of any other building in the - world.... - - The main walls are wholly of brick; but none was left visible. The - whole surface of the upper story is faced with small blocks of fine - Istrian and red Verona marbles, arranged so as to make a large diaper - pattern, with, in the center of each lozenge, a cross made of verde - antico and other costly marbles. The colonnades, string-courses, and - other decorative features are built in solid Istrian stone. - - Very beautiful sculpture, executed with an ivory-like minuteness - of finish, is used to decorate the whole building with wonderful - profusion. At each of the three free angles is a large group - immediately over the lower column. At the south-east angle is the - Drunkenness of Noah, at the south-west the Fall of Man, and at the - north-west the Judgment of Solomon. Over each at a much higher level - is a colossal figure of an archangel--Raphael, Michael, and Gabriel. - - The sculpture of all the capitals, especially of those on the - thirty-six lower columns, is very beautiful and elaborate, a great - variety of subjects being introduced among the decorative foliage, - such as the virtues, vices, months of the year, age of man, - occupations, sciences, animals, nations of the world, and the like. - On the whole, the sculpture of the fourteenth century part is finer - than that of the later part near St. Mark's. - - On the walls of the chief council chambers are a magnificent series - of oil paintings by Tintoretto and other, less able, Venetians--among - them Tintoretto's masterpiece, Bacchus and Ariadne and his enormous - picture of Paradise, the largest oil painting in the world. - -Up to and during a part of the sixteenth century the state prisons were -on the ground floor of the Ducal Palace, but they were finally removed -to a new structure on the opposite side of the narrow canal, and a -bridge, the "Ponte dei Sospiri" or "Bridge of Sighs," was thrown across -the canal, connecting the two buildings. - -In the magnificence and beauty of its homes--its _palazzi_ or -palaces--Venice is unique in the world. It is said that no other city, -then or since, is to be compared with Venice in the loveliness and -romantic interest of its domestic architecture. Up to the twelfth -century the Byzantine style of architecture prevailed, but the -thirteenth and fourteenth century palaces--whose builders were more -or less influenced by the design of the Ducal Palace, then nearing -completion--are Venetian Gothic. - -The climax of splendor was reached in the "Golden House" the wonderful -_Ca' d'Oro_, so named from the lavish use of gold leaf on its -sculptured ornamentations. It was literally a "golden house." - - No words can describe the magnificence of this palace on the Grand - Canal, its whole façade faced with the most costly variegated marbles, - once picked out with gold, vermillion and ultramarine, the walls - pierced with the elaborate traceried windows and enriched with bands - and panels of delicate carving--in combined richness of form and - wealth of color giving an effect of almost dazzling splendor. - -But following close upon this magnificence--which was reflected -in nearly all the palaces that were built toward the close of the -fourteenth century--came the inevitable reaction toward a less ornate -style, the Early Renaissance. Compared with the _Ca' d'Oro_ one -writer has described the sixteenth century palaces, which followed -Early Renaissance and Classic models, as "dull and scholastic." They -certainly must have been a restful change. - -So much for the architecture of Venice-- - - White swan of cities, slumbering in her nest - So wonderfully built among the reeds - Of the lagoon. - -But the visitor to the Venice of today finds his interest in her -buildings doubled from the fact that upon the walls of many of them are -to be found the works of some of the greatest painters the Occident -has known. When we reflect that in the sixteenth century Venice -possessed a school of art that for power, technical perfection, and -gorgeous interpretation of color, stood pre-eminent in its own day -and has not been surpassed in ours, little more need be said. Palma -Vecchio, Giorgione, the great portraitist Lorenzo Lotto, Paul Veronese, -Tintoretto, and--Titian! What a galaxy! Surely nothing more need be -said upon the art of Venice. As in everything else, the impossible -seemed not the exceptional but the mediocre. - -In short, to give one the outline of only a few of the activities of -the people of this City of Destiny is to drown oneself in superlatives. -Her history is as fraught with heroism, with simple dauntless courage, -as that of the Dutch Republic; it is as colored with romance as that -of Palmyra or Thebes. _Karma_ is the only key to an understanding of -the strange destiny which brought to flower such transcendant energy in -so seemingly sterile a soil. _Reincarnation_ is the only theory which -can hope to throw light upon the _quality_ of effort that marked her -citizens as a body of people apart, who must have worked together in -the past as they unquestionably will in the future. - -Not that Venice was perfect; her citizens made their mistakes; there -were the jealous and the covetous, and there were conspiracies within -her borders as well as without. Her doges were not all, like Caesar's -wife, "above suspicion," her counsellors were not all like Fra Paolo -nor all her scholars like Aldo. But there was no apathy and there _was_ -a nucleus of impersonal, united effort sufficiently vitalized to hold -back the agencies of disintegration during century after century of -steady upward effort. And then the Wheel of Destiny turned and the -Venice of Sarpi passed. - -But the days to dawn will again see Venice whirled upward into the -light on the rim of this mighty Wheel. This is inevitable. It is -Theosophical teaching. The old clans will gather--and _there_--and they -will work again and aspire again and build again; and in the light of -the lessons learned through the failures and successes of the past will -rise again to greater heights. - -Doge and counsellor, artist and craftsman, scientist and scholar, -statesman, philosopher, and poet--as the "whirling wheel of spiritual -will and power" brought to you great opportunities in the past, so will -it bring them to you again and yet again, in the future. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. THE DUCAL PALACE, -VENICE IN THE FOREGROUND THE LION OF ST. MARK'S] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. COURTYARD OF THE -DUCAL PALACE] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. BRIDGE OF THE RIALTO] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. PONTE DEI -SOSPIRI--THE BRIDGE OF SIGHS, VENICE] - - - - -HUMANITY AND THEOSOPHICAL EDUCATION: by Elizabeth C. Spalding - - Had our modern philosophers studied, instead of sneering at, the old - Books of Wisdom--they would have found that which would have unveiled - to them many a secret of ancient church and state. As they have not - the result is evident. The dark cycle of Kali-Yug has brought back - a Babel of modern thought, compared with which the "confusion of - tongues" itself, appears a harmony.--_H. P. Blavatsky_ - - -To the placid minds of one part of humanity the idea that there is -an imperious need for Humanity to be saved, may seem quite absurd. -To them the world appears to be moving on well enough; children are -born to them, and are trained in the same methods they were, and their -ancestors before them for centuries, possibly; life passes smoothly -along, so they ask in wonder, Why change? - -On the other hand is noticeable amongst a large class, a great unrest, -a fretting against established conditions, and a reaching out for -something new. Individuals striving with different motives, but massing -together into various societies, and associations, united in the -purpose of breaking down the old, but with no ideals upon which to form -new and better ones. It is like building an edifice on shifting sands. - -This vague but extreme restlessness is permeating every race and -country. Is it not pitiful that with such an expenditure of force, -there should be a lack of the right understanding to lead men and -women out of all their difficulties, discouragements, and adverse -conditions, to the correct solution of life's problems? Truly the -world is harvesting a chaotic mass of thought that unless checked, -will tend rapidly towards degeneracy, and the disintegration of all -things. We need a clearer and cleaner atmosphere mentally, morally, and -physically, and to secure this the minds of people must be opened to -the truth. - -Theosophy offers to humanity this knowledge, and shows the way -to restore balance and harmony. These few words convey a simple -declaration of the truth, but a world of meaning lies in them. - -Down through the ages has this touch of wisdom been kept burning in the -hearts of a few. Great Teachers passing its light to their pupils, they -in their turn to others, thus forming a noble and devoted band. They -held the knowledge as a sacred trust awaiting the time to come, when -humanity could receive these truths, without crucifying the great Souls -who revealed to them the teachings. - -H. P. Blavatsky had the key to this knowledge, the "Secret Archaic -Doctrine" in other words "Theosophy," which she brought to the western -world. In _Isis Unveiled_, written thirty-three years ago, she wrote: - - The said key must be turned seven times before the whole system is - divulged. We will give it but one turn, and thereby allow the profane - one glimpse into the mystery. Happy he who understands the whole. - -In her book, _The Secret Doctrine_, which followed later, she gave out -much more information. So little did the world then understand her -that she was considered a charlatan by some. But others did recognize -that a Teacher had come, and they gathered around her. She appointed -Wm. Q. Judge, another Teacher, as her successor, to carry on the work -she had created, the Theosophical Society. He, in his turn, appointed -Katherine Tingley, the present Leader of the Universal Brotherhood -and Theosophical Society, who is electrifying the world with her -educational work in different countries. - -Katherine Tingley is now making practical the true Theosophical -education. - -What is a Theosophical education? - -"Man Know Thyself," was one of the most valued teachings of the -ancients. To know that one is a compound being, spiritual, mental, and -physical; to know that this trinity also makes man a dual being; that -he has both the potentiality of the God, and the lower forces as well; -to learn how to conquer the evil that the God may prevail, and the soul -be liberated to become the living power in him for good. All this is -but a part of what Theosophy teaches. - -Socrates asked "Which of us is skilful or successful in the treatment -of the Soul, and which of us has had good teachers?" If that question -were asked today Katherine Tingley's students could answer, here, at -Point Loma, and her various centers throughout the world. Consider -what it means to a child, to enter upon life's path favored with an -understanding of these truths, imparted to him in such a simple, -practical, logical manner that he lives naturally from the beginning, -the proper life. "The first shoot of every living thing is by far the -greatest and fullest." Such a child has the right foundation on which -to build; he is truly educated. - -The physical has not been strengthened at a loss of the mental and -spiritual; the intellectual has not been so abnormally developed that -the intuitional and spiritual have been absolutely shut off. The -Theosophical education gives a gradual unfolding of the whole nature, -from within, outwards. Its growth may be likened to the ripening of the -Lotus seed into the pure, white perfect blossom. The soul of the child -who has developed under this training (making due allowance for Karmic -heredity) will look forth, when matured, upon the world with so clear -a vision, that confusion of ideas will be to him an unknown quantity. -He can more clearly detect right from wrong--the necessary from the -unnecessary, the practical from the unpractical--the true brotherhood -from the selfish independence. In fact he will restore equilibrium, and -always for humanity's welfare. - -Theosophy has been a revelation to the women. Women as a rule cling -to old established forms and conventionalities, some from fear of -varying kinds, others from ignorance, or a lack of desire to take -the initiative, owing to an inertia which the habits and customs of -centuries have bred in them. It is mainly because of the manifold -possibilities which have been dormant so long in woman that she feels -the impelling urge to do something now, perhaps more than ever before. -In her effort to respond, she sometimes strikes an extreme note which -results in making the whole tide of life about her, of which she should -be the harmonious center, stormy and discordant. Without the spiritual -thread of knowledge how can she act wisely? Yet woman is responsible to -a large degree for the unsettled condition that the minds of men are in -today, and she always will carry a heavy responsibility, because she is -the matrix of humanity. - -One of our best-known American cartoonists has pictured the condition -of the world, as a large globe held in a woman's hand. Consider what a -power for good woman has in her position of motherhood, which must of -course embrace wifehood. Words cannot depict all the fine possibilities -and capabilities of mother-love. It has been said that great men have -great mothers, and if we trace the life and thought of the mother prior -to the child's birth, we can invariably find a clue which explains the -strength, or weaknesses of the child. - -Are not the majority of humanity simply drifting? Men and women -growing apart, the seeds of separateness and consequent disintegration -being sown, instead of their growing together into the nobler, fuller -comradeship which Theosophy encourages. - -As Katherine Tingley has said: - - We want not only the hearts, but the divine fire, the divine life, - and the splendid royal warriorship of men and women. Theosophy is the - panacea. - - - - -[Illustration: THE SCREEN OF TIME] - -BOOK REVIEWS: "Commentary upon the Maya-Tzental Perez Codex" (William -E. Gates) by C. J. Ryan - - -The Peabody Museum of American Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard -University recently published a new _Paper_ (Vol. VI, No. 1) on the -subject of Central American hieroglyph writing. The _Paper_ is entitled -"_Commentary upon the Maya-Tzental Perez Codex_, with a concluding -_Note upon the Linguistic Problem of the Maya Glyphs_." Professor -Wm. E. Gates, International Theosophical Headquarters, Point Loma, -the author, has been a member of the Theosophical Society for about -twenty-five years, beginning the serious study of Theosophy during -H. P. Blavatsky's lifetime. Later, an ardent supporter of William Q. -Judge, he is now one of the most active workers at Point Loma under the -direction of Katherine Tingley. Professor Gates has applied himself -largely to the historical and ethnological side of H. P. Blavatsky's -teachings, and, by a careful study of her _Secret Doctrine_ and other -works, he has been able to bring to the problem of ancient American -culture a fund of information and many valuable clues not familiar -to the average student of archaeology. Professor F. W. Putnam of the -Peabody Museum, Harvard, in his prefatory note to the _Commentary_, -says: - - The Museum is fortunate in adding to its collaborators Mr. William - E. Gates, of Point Loma, California, who for more than ten years has - been an earnest student of American hieroglyphs. From his life-long - studies in linguistics in connexion with his research in "the motifs - of civilizations and cultures" he comes well-equipped to take up the - difficult and all-absorbing study of American hieroglyphic writing. - Mr. Gates has materially advanced this study by his reproduction - of the glyphs in type. These type-forms he has used first in his - reproduction of the Codex Perez, and now in this Commentary they are - used for the first time in printing. This important aid to the study - will be highly appreciated by all students of American hieroglyphs, as - it will greatly facilitate the presentation of the results of future - research. - -The Harvard _Papers_ are taken by the principal Universities and -learned societies throughout the world. The Commentary on the Perez -Codex and the reproduction of it have been printed by the Aryan Press -at Point Loma and are fine examples of the highest class of printing. - -[Illustration: A PAGE OF THE MAYA-TZENTAL PEREZ CODEX FROM CENTRAL -AMERICA] - -[Illustration: PEREZ CODEX: PAGE 17] - -The Perez Codex itself, of which Professor Gates' _Commentary_ treats, -and of which he has just issued a new, definitive edition, redrawn, -colored as in the original and slightly restored, is a Central American -manuscript on specially coated "maguey" paper, of unknown antiquity. -It was discovered about fifty years ago in a forgotten chimney corner -of the Bibliothèque Impériale, Paris, black with dust and without -record of its antecedents. It is but a fragment, but fortunately -the twenty-two remaining pages contain several chapters complete. The -artistic quality of the work is of a high order; the coloring is most -harmonious and the drawing of the hieroglyphs firm and refined. The -human figures in the accompanying illustrations are conventionalized -in certain grotesque though evidently intentional ways, but they have -character and a real dignity, and admirably fit the spaces alloted -to them. As an example of decorative art the manuscript must take -high rank. It irresistibly reminds one of the best Egyptian Papyri. -Professor Gates says: - - And when, ... one advances to an appreciation of the work in its - bearings as a whole, one has to acknowledge himself facing the - production of craftsmen who had the inheritance of not only - generations, but ages of training. Such a combination of complete - mastery in composition, perfect control of definite and fixed forms, - and hand technique, can grow up from barbarism in no few hundred - years.... Had we nothing but the Perez Codex and Stela P at Copan, the - merits of their execution alone, weighed simply in comparison with - observed history elsewhere, would prove that we have to do not with - the traces of an ephemeral, but with the remains of a wide-spread, - settled race and civilization, worthy to be ranked with or beyond even - such as the Roman, in its endurance, development and influence in the - world, and the beginnings of whose culture are still totally unknown. - As to the Codex before us, we can only imagine what the beauty, - especially of the pages we now come to discuss, must have been when - the whole was fresh and perfect. - -But, alas, no one can yet read the meaning of this and the two -other Maya Codices that have escaped the destructive hands of the -over-zealous Spanish missionaries who saw nothing in such things but -hindrances to the spreading of the "True Faith," yet at the time of the -Conquest they could be read easily by the cultured natives, and the -_language is still spoken_! Though it seems almost incredible, there is -no living person known who can decipher any of the hieroglyphs on the -manuscripts or the hundreds of stone monuments except a few calendar -signs and other signs of little consequence. We are indebted to Don -Diego Landa, second bishop of Yucatan, for the destruction of all the -manuscripts he could find, but it is to him also that we owe some -gratitude for preserving the meaning of the hieroglyphs of the days and -the months and a few other signs, which he inserted in his book. The -little he has given us is not enough to help much; we may have to await -the discovery of some "Rosetta Stone" like that which opened the lost -secret of the Egyptian sacred writings to Champollion. In Professor -Gates' words: - - Up to date our knowledge of the meanings of the glyphs is still to all - intents and purposes limited to the direct tradition we have through - Landa, and the deductions immediately involved in these. We know the - day and month signs, the numbers, including 0 and 20, four units - of the archaic calendar count (the day, tun, katun and cycle), the - cardinal point signs, the negative particle. We have not fully solved - the uinal or month sign, which seems to be chuen on the monuments and - a cauac, or chuen, in the manuscripts. We are able to identify what - must be regarded as metaphysical or esoteric applications of certain - glyphs in certain places, such as the face numerals. But every one of - these points is either deducible directly by necessary mathematical - calculation, or else from the names of certain signs given by Landa - in his day and month list, and then found in other combinations, such - as _yax_, _kin_, etc. That we have as many of the points as we have, - and still cannot form from them the key--that we cannot read the - glyphs--is a constant wonder; but a fact nevertheless. - -A large portion of the _Commentary_ is devoted to a highly technical, -detailed and closely-reasoned examination and analysis of the glyphs -and illustrations in the Codex, of interest chiefly to specialists, but -a considerable space is given to some general conclusions on language -which are highly significant to students of Theosophy. - - There is one point from which this question of American origins, at - least of American place in human society and civilization, can be - studied in its broader lines, even with what materials we have. It is - that of language in general. From one point of view language is man - himself, and it certainly is civilization. Without it man is not man, - a Self-expressing and social being.... It is the constant effort of - the conscious self to formulate thought. It is the use of the energy - of creation, of objectivation, a veritable many-colored rainbow bridge - between the inner or higher man and the outer or lower worlds. And - it is not only the expression of Man as man, but in its varied forms - it is the inevitable and living expression of each man or body of - men at any and every point of time. Itself boundless as an ocean, - it is in its infinite forms and streams and colors and sounds, the - faithful and exact exponent both of the sources and channels by which - it has come, and of the banks in which it is held, racial, national or - individual.... Every word or form comes to us with the thought-impress - of every man or nation that has used or molded it before us. We must - take it as it comes, but we give it something of ourselves as we pass - it on. If our intellectual and spiritual thought is aflame, whether as - nation or individual, we may purify it, energize it, give it power to - form and arrange the atoms around it--and we have a new literature, - a new and beneficent, creative social vehicle of intercourse, mutual - understanding, and human unification.... - - It is evident that the criterion of the perfectness of any language - is not to be found in a comparison of its forms or methods with those - of any other, but in its fitness as a vehicle for the expression of - deeper life, of the best and greatest that is in those who use it, and - above all in its ability to react and stimulate newer and yet greater - mental and spiritual activity and expression. The force behind man, - demanding expression through him, and him only, into the human life of - all, is infinite--of necessity infinite. There is no limit, nor ever - has been any limit, to what man may bring down into the dignifying, - broadening and enriching of human life and evolution, save in his own - ability to comprehend, express, and live it. And the brightness and - cleanness of the tools whereby he formulates his thought, as well as - the worthiness and fitness of the substance and the forms into which - he shapes it for others to see, are the essentials of his craft.... - - There is one great broad line that divides the nations and - civilizations of the earth, past and present, in all their arts of - expression. We may call it that of the ideographic as against the - literal. It controls the inner form of language and of languages; it - manifests in the passage of thought from man to man; it determines - whether the writing of the people shall be hieroglyphic or alphabetic; - it gives both life and form to the ideals of their art. It is a - distinction that was clearly recognized by Wilhelm von Humboldt, - when he laid down that the incorporative characteristic essential to - all the American languages is the result of the exaltation of the - imaginative over the ratiocinative elements of mind. - -Ideographic writing directs the mind of the reader by means of a -picture or a symbol directly to the idea existing in the mind of the -one who uses it; while alphabetic or literal writing is simply the -written expression of the sound, and only indirectly expresses the idea. - -Passing on from the culture of ancient America with its ideographs, the -writer draws attention to the great transition of thought, as indicated -by language, that took place in Central Asia probably, the supposed -seat of the Aryan beginnings after the destruction of Atlantis and the -general break-up of the former civilizations. He says: - - I believe ... that coincident with a new and universal world-epoch, as - wide in its cultural scope as the difference between the ideographic - and literal, there was finally formed a totally new vehicle for - the use of human thought, the inflectional, literal, alphabetic. - That this vehicle was perfected into some great speech, the direct - ancestor of Sanskrit, into the _forms_ of which were concentrated - all the old power of the ancient hieroglyphs and their underlying - concepts. For Sanskrit, while the oldest is also the mightiest of - Aryan grammars; and no one who has studied its forms, or heard - its speech from educated native mouths, can call it anything but - concentrated spiritual power. That the force which went on the one - hand into the Sanskrit forms, was on the other perpetuated on into - the special genius of Chinese, in which, as we know it, we have a - retarded survival, not of course of outer form so much as of method - and essence. And in Tibetan, in spite of all that is said to the - contrary, I suspect that we have a derivative, not from either Chinese - or Sanskrit as we know them, but by a medial line from a common point. - -Many students feel convinced that once we solve the problem of the -Maya-Tzental manuscripts and carved inscriptions, which undoubtedly -relate to enormous periods of time, we shall have conclusive evidences -of the civilization and destruction of Atlantis. Several illuminating -quotations from H. P. Blavatsky's _Secret Doctrine_ are given by -Professor Gates, and in his last paragraph he sums up the results -of his long application to the study of ancient American and other -languages, in which he has been so notably helped by the teachings of -Theosophy, in these words: - - And I am convinced that the widest door there is to be opened to - this past of the human race, is that of the Maya glyphs. The narrow - limitations of our mental horizon as to the greatness and dignity of - man, of his past, and of human evolution, were set back widely by - Egypt and what she has had to show, and again by the Sanskrit; but the - walls are still there, and advances, however rapid, are but gradual. - With the reading of America I believe the walls themselves will fall, - and a new conception of past history will come. - - - - -A NEW MAGAZINE - - Translation of an article that appeared in the Gothenburg paper - _Göteborgs Handels- och Sjöfarts Tidning_ for August 23, 1911, written - by the literary and dramatic critic of the paper, J. Atterbom. - - -THE first number of a new international magazine which seems worthy of -recognition is now out in a Swedish edition. The publication is called -_Den Teosofiska Vägen_ (_The Theosophical Path_) and the ultimate -direction is in the hands of Katherine Tingley, the Leader of the -international Theosophical Movement. The editor of the Swedish edition -is Dr. Gustaf Zander, Stockholm. - -This monthly magazine is intended to continue, on a broader scale, the -work of the former magazine _Theosophia_, which has been published -for a good many years. The interest in Theosophy has grown steadily -of late, not only in our country but in all civilized countries. And -the more attention the Theosophical Movement has attracted through -its propaganda and educational activities, the more the need has been -felt of a publication which, instead of devoting most of its space to -theoretical Theosophy and the deeper teachings of its philosophy suited -to advanced students, would serve primarily to enlighten and inform -all genuine seekers of Truth upon the essential character of this -Theosophical Movement throughout the world, and indicate _the path_ -along which its workers are trying to make Theosophy a living power in -the world's life, as well as in the daily life of each of them. - -The new international magazine, which is published in America at -the Center of the Movement, Point Loma, California, and in England, -Germany, Holland, and Sweden in the respective languages, will thus -be a valuable source of information for all who wish to know what -Theosophy, as understood in the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical -Society and as an ideal power for good, is really doing in a practical -way. The magazine seems to have an important mission to fulfil towards -the public in dispelling divers prejudices which the Movement has -encountered in its progress; prejudices of which its adversaries have -readily sought to avail themselves. And all who would like to see -better established those principles of compassion and helpfulness that -lead to practical results have in this magazine an excellent means of -reaching and helping new fellow-travelers on the path of Theosophy. - -The international character of the magazine ensures contributions from -prominent foreign writers on problems and questions of general human -and international interest. And the intimate connexion with Point Loma, -it is stated, will allow it to present some views of the life of the -Students there, and to show some of the causes that have made the Râja -Yoga College at Point Loma an educational institution of world-wide -significance. - -Not long ago Mrs. Tingley secured an estate on Visingsö, as all know, -in order to establish a school there on the same lines. As a reminder -of this the Swedish publication opens with a picture of the ruins -of Visingsborg Castle. Under the heading "The Path" are given some -quotations from William Q. Judge, who was a Student and co-worker of -H. P. Blavatsky, the Founder of the Theosophical Movement. Later he -became her successor. He passed away in 1896 and was followed by Mrs. -Tingley. General information regarding the early days and growth of the -Theosophical Movement can be found at the end of the magazine, where a -résumé is given. - -H. P. Blavatsky and the Theosophical Society is the subject of a -special article. Then follow under the heading "On Firm Basis Stands -the Doctrine of Karma" some profound thoughts of Viktor Rydberg. He -says in part: - - Our acts and their effects constitute a series as everlasting as all - other series of causes in nature. If you think that death on earth - is able to break it, do not for confirmation plead the judgment of - natural science. Science has its own ground and method, and knows that - it has to explain the quantitative series of causes; beyond these - it is unable to go. If you have not conviction with respect to the - unseen, beware of the contrary shallow idea, that everything which - cannot be seen does not really exist.... The doctrine of Karma has - sprung from the depths of righteousness, which are indeed those of - truth. No one escapes the effects of his acts. - -An article by the editor, Dr. Zander, is on "The Power of Imagination -Inherent in Man." Professor Osvald Sirén gives a profusely illustrated -description of Point Loma; and Mr. Per Fernholm, M. E., who is -living at that place, gives some thoughts on Sweden in the Stone -Age, elucidating some points in our ancient history in the light of -Theosophical chronology, which seems to differ somewhat from that still -adopted by archaeologists and geologists. - -The American publication presents perhaps a still fuller outline of -the field proposed to be covered by the magazine, as also of the -resources that the Theosophical Movement possesses for the realization -of its objects. A prominent place is evidently given to Art--music, -painting, and sculpture, literature and drama--as a means to reach a -wider circle; serving as a mediator between the supersensible and the -sensible, the immaterial spiritual life and the material physical life. - -The object of the magazine is placed in a special light by a quotation -from H. P. Blavatsky, chosen as motto in the American edition. It reads: - - The Secret Doctrine is the common property of the countless millions - of men born under various climates, in times with which History - refuses to deal, and to which esoteric teachings assign dates - incompatible with the theories of Geology and Anthropology. The - birth and evolution of the Sacred Science of the Past are lost in - the very night of Time.... It is only by bringing before the reader - an abundance of proofs all tending to show that in every age, under - every condition of civilization and knowledge, the educated classes of - every nation made themselves the more or less faithful echoes of one - identical system and its fundamental traditions--that he can be made - to see that so many streams of the same water must have had a common - source from which they started. What was this source?... There must be - truth and fact in that which every people of antiquity accepted and - made the foundation of its religions and its faith. - -A full list of general Theosophical literature is found in the magazine. - - - - -THE STRANGE LITTLE GIRL: a Story for the Children, by V.M. - -Illustrations by N. Roth. 12mo, about 70 pages, cloth 75 cents. - - -This little book, printed by the Aryan Theosophical Press, Point Loma, -California, will be ready in time to form a wholly charming Christmas -or New Year's gift. It is in large clear type on good paper, and -the fourteen illustrations are quite unique. Eline, a princess who -lived in a marvelous realm of joy and peace, divines from what some -travelers left unsaid that there is another and a different world. She -interrogates the king, who finally says the children are free to come -and go. A harper arrives whose music speaks of far off sorrow. They -pass away together; she drinks the cup of forgetfulness, and reaches -the other world where many things happen of interest so supreme that we -fancy older folk will be eagerly reading this book when the children -are asleep, for it will interest both young and old. - - - - -The Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society - -Founded at New York City in 1875 by H. P. Blavatsky, William Q. Judge -and others - -Reorganized in 1898 by Katherine Tingley - -Central Office, Point Loma, California - - - The Headquarters of the Society at Point Loma with the buildings and - grounds, are no "Community" "Settlement" or "Colony." They form no - experiment in Socialism, Communism, or anything of similar nature, - but are the Central Executive Office of an international organization - where the business of the same is carried on, and where the teachings - of Theosophy are being demonstrated. Midway 'twixt East and West, - where the rising Sun of Progress and Enlightenment shall one day - stand at full meridian, the Headquarters of the Society unite the - philosophic Orient with the practical West. - - -MEMBERSHIP - - in the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society may be - either "at large" or in a local Branch. Adhesion to the principle - of Universal Brotherhood is the only pre-requisite to membership. - The Organization represents no particular creed; it is entirely - unsectarian, and includes professors of all faiths, only exacting from - each member that large toleration of the beliefs of others which he - desires them to exhibit towards his own. - - Applications for membership in a Branch should be addressed to - the local Director; for membership "at large" to G. de Purucker, - Membership Secretary, International Theosophical Headquarters, Point - Loma, California. - - -OBJECTS - -This Brotherhood is a part of a great and universal movement which has -been active in all ages. - -This Organization declares that Brotherhood is a fact in Nature. Its -principal purpose is to teach Brotherhood, demonstrate that it is a -fact in Nature, and make it a living power in the life of humanity. - -Its subsidiary purpose is to study ancient and modern religions, -science, philosophy, and art; to investigate the laws of Nature and the -divine powers in man. - -It is a regrettable fact that many people use the name of Theosophy -and of our Organization for self-interest, as also that of H. P. -Blavatsky, the Foundress, and even the Society's motto, to attract -attention to themselves and to gain public support. This they do in -private and public speech and in publications. Without being in any way -connected with the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, in -many cases they permit it to be inferred that they are, thus misleading -the public, and honest inquirers are hence led away from the original -truths of Theosophy. - -The Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society welcomes to -membership all who truly love their fellow men and desire the -eradication of the evils caused by the barriers of race, creed, caste, -or color, which have so long impeded human progress; to all sincere -lovers of truth and to all who aspire to higher and better things than -the mere pleasures and interests of a worldly life and are prepared to -do all in their power to make Brotherhood a living energy in the life -of humanity, its various departments offer unlimited opportunities. - -The whole work of the Organization is under the direction of the Leader -and Official Head, Katherine Tingley, as outlined in the Constitution. - -Inquirers desiring further information about Theosophy or the -Theosophical Society are invited to write to - - - THE SECRETARY - - International Theosophical Headquarters - - Point Loma, California - - -[Illustration: THE PATH] - -The Theosophical Path - -An International Magazine - -Unsectarian and nonpolitical - - Monthly Illustrated - -[Illustration] - -Devoted to the Brotherhood of Humanity, the promulgation of Theosophy, -the study of ancient & modern Ethics, Philosophy, Science and Art, and -to the uplifting and purification of Home and National Life - - -Edited by Katherine Tingley - -International Theosophical Headquarters, Point Loma, California, U.S.A. - - - - -_A knowledge concerning spiritual and Divine things is surely -attainable with much greater precision than commonplace modern -philosophy dreams of: it has been attained by great Theosophists -in all ages; it is recorded in a hundred enigmatic volumes, the -comprehension of which exacts the care and effort which in due time -it will so well reward, and the pursuit of this knowledge is one of -the great aims of the Theosophical Society.... And another great aim -of the Theosophical Society has been to show how the pursuit even of -the highest philosophical knowledge must itself, to be successful, be -wedded with the wish to do good to the whole family of mankind. As a -mere intellectual luxury, sought for in a selfish spirit, spiritual -knowledge itself must necessarily be futile and unprogressive. This -is a great mystic truth, and out of the full knowledge thereof on the -part of those from whom the Theosophical Society received its creative -impulse, has arisen_ THAT PRIMARY WATCH-WORD OF OUR ASSOCIATION -"UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD."--H. P. BLAVATSKY - - (_The Theosophist_. Vol. I, No. 2, Leading Article.) - - - - - THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH - MONTHLY ILLUSTRATED - - EDITED BY KATHERINE TINGLEY - - NEW CENTURY CORPORATION, POINT LOMA, CALIFORNIA, U. S. A. - - Entered as second-class matter July 25, 1911, at the Post Office at - Point Loma, California under the Act of March 3, 1879 - Copyright, 1911, by Katherine Tingley - - - COMMUNICATIONS - - Communications for the Editor should be addressed to "KATHERINE - TINGLEY, _Editor_, THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH, Point Loma, California." - - To the BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, including subscriptions, address the "New - Century Corporation, Point Loma, California." - - - MANUSCRIPTS - - The Editor cannot undertake to return manuscripts; none will be - considered unless accompanied by the author's name and marked with the - number of words. The Editor is responsible only for views expressed in - unsigned articles. - - - SUBSCRIPTION - - By the year, postpaid, in the United States, Canada, Cuba, Mexico, - Porto Rico, Hawaii, and the Philippines, TWO DOLLARS; other countries - in the Postal Union, TWO DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS, payable in advance; - single copy, TWENTY CENTS. - - - REMITTANCES - - All remittances to the New Century Corporation must be made payable to - "CLARK THURSTON, _Manager_," Point Loma, California. - - - VOL. I NO. 6 CONTENTS DECEMBER 1911 - - - Southeastern View of the Râja Yoga College, - Point Loma, California _Frontispiece_ - Christmas Kenneth Morris 387 - Views of Rothenburg, Germany (_illustrations_) 390-391 - Peace on Earth: Good Will toward Men R. Machell 391 - Psychism: A Study in Hidden Connexions - H. T. Edge, B. A. (Cantab.) 393 - A Magic Boat D. F. 399 - Irish Scenes (_illustrated_) - Fred J. Dick, M. INST. C. E., M. INST. C. E. I. 400 - The Bluebells of Wernoleu: A Welsh Legend (_verse_) - Kenneth Morris 404 - The Soul at the British Association Henry Travers 406 - Warwick Castle (_illustrated_) C. J. Ryan 409 - Man and Nature R. Machell 410 - The Will as a Chemical Product Investigator 413 - Open-Air Drama (_illustrated_) Per Fernholm, M. E. (Stockholm) 415 - Intra-Atomic Energy H. Coryn, M. D., M. R. C. S. 417 - A Japanese Writer's Views on Modern Civilization - E. S. (Tokyo, Japan) 418 - Copán, and its Position in American History (_illustrated_) - William E. Gates 419 - Scientific Brevities The Busy Bee 427 - Views of San Diego, California; Seraejevo, Capital of Bosnia; - Klamath Reclamation Project, Oregon-California (_illustrations_) - 434-435 - Conflict of the Ages (_verse_) S. F. 435 - Women who have Influenced the World The Rev. S. J. Neill 436 - The Turkish Woman Grace Knoche 439 - An English Lady's Letter (_with illustration_) - F. D. Udall (London) 442 - A Magic Place: A Forest Idyll for Young Folks (_illustrated_) - M. Ginevra Munson 443 - Current Topics Observer 447 - Book Reviews: _Les Derniers Barbares: Chine, Tibet, Mongolia_ - (Commandant d'Ollone), _with illustrations_; - H. Alexander Fussell. _The Plough and the Cross_ - (William Patrick O'Ryan): F. J. D. 452 - Notices; Advertisements 458 - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. SOUTHEASTERN VIEW OF -THE RÂJA YOGA COLLEGE, POINT LOMA, CALIFORNIA THE ARYAN MEMORIAL TEMPLE -TO THE LEFT] - - - - -THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH - -KATHERINE TINGLEY, EDITOR - - VOL. I DECEMBER, 1911 NO. 6 - - The dayspring from on high hath visited us, ... to guide our feet into - the way of peace.--_Luke_ i. 78. 79 - -CHRISTMAS: by Kenneth Morris - - -This is the time when we decorate our habitations with holly and -mistletoe, and our hearts with unwonted good feeling, commemorating the -dawning of a great light. There are certain stations in the journey of -the year, where we may see the legend writ large on the signboards: -"Change here for a better way of life; change here for happiness." We -read, and come out on the platform; make festivity a little in the -waiting (and refreshment) rooms, and then bundle back into the old -train, having never changed at all. The Christmas-New Year time, and -the Easter-time of the flowers, are two such important junctions; and -it is worth while to note that these feasts were kept long before the -advent of Christianity. For Christmas is in the very nature of things, -and not merely historically, the birthday of the Christ. It is the end -of the winter solstice, when the sun is, as it were, born anew after -his months of decline, and begins to flow towards the high tide mark of -his power. - -That there is a certain reality in the significance of the season, -is proven by the bright good will that greets us when we rise on a -Christmas morning, and that it is so hard to escape. Marley's ghost and -the three spirits will be apt to haunt the veriest Scrooge among us, -forcing issues, compelling us to see that benevolence and kindliness -are part of the essential business of life. Though we starve our -souls on a thin diet of self-interest during the rest of the year, -now our fare shall be less meager, and the whole world demands of us -that we share in the common joy. There lies the heart and crux of it -all--_share_. It is a great thing that there should be the habit of -present-giving; it is so easy, when one is considering the giving -of a gift, to escape from self, and take thought in some degree for -the one to whom the gift is destined. Just a little such thought -is cleansing; for even the least trickle of it, Augean selfhood is -the sweeter and more habitable. And here it is flowing at Christmas -time, a full current of which all the world may partake. The force of -age-long custom has dedicated the day, and the habit has been formed -of making an effort at brotherly feeling. We think of the children, of -absentees, of many we give no thought to at other times. No doubt but -for this, many a soul still flickers on, that would else have dwindled -long since into pin-point insignificance, or waned altogether out of -minds anchored at all other times to dreary and sordid self-interest. -No doubt our civilization would be nearer to the rocks even than it -is, or quite battered and broken on them, were it not that we do put -some strain on the rudders, and turn, if falteringly and without clear -design, to the free open waters on this one day of the year. - -It is the proof of brotherhood, and that we are all filled with a -common life, this generality of Christmas good will. We share in -thought and feeling, as much as we do in the very air we breathe; -mental infection is as real, and perilous, as the physical infection -of disease. One man's thinking, though unuttered, shall pass through a -thousand minds, sowing wheat or tares, good or evil, light or darkness, -health or disease, in every one of them. What a new light this sheds -on the question of reform! New laws are only efficient as old modes -of thought are sweetened and uplifted. Will you move heaven and earth -over the mote that is in your brother's eye, forgetting the beam that -is in your own? Then do you stand accused, not merely of hypocrisy, but -of being a worthless, profitless laborer, a twister of sand-ropes, a -plower of the barren shore. - -But what might not Christmas be for us, were we to treat it really -reasonably! Happiness lies not in the region of sanctimonious -ecstatics; but then, it is also incompatible with an overloaded -stomach. We begin well enough with the wishes for a "Merry Christmas"; -excellently well with the geniality and present-giving. What a promise -there is for all sorts and conditions of men, or nearly all, on a -Christmas morning: what a general sun of Austerlitz is it that rises! -But how of its setting? What heavy physical clouds there are apt to be; -what a sinking low, a simple vanishing, of ideals--what mere brute, -material indigestion! Heigho! here's a come-down--from PEACE ON EARTH, -GOOD WILL TO MEN, to these well-known, brain-deadening results! - -It all comes of our erratic, freakish extremism. We pride ourselves on -the practical trend of our lives: Gad, there's no nonsense here; it is -a businesslike and commonsense generation, with the whole trade of the -world on its hands; and what would you have, sir? Why, some evidence of -that same so-much-bragged-of commonsense, if there be any. Our notion -of carrying on the work of the world is, on the whole and for the most -part, a fever; a wearing out of manhood, a furious, unseemly jostling -round the trough wherein providence, like a swineherd, pours the wash -of money, position, fame, power, etc.; and while we are so fighting -and swilling, the work of the world is left undone; it may take care -of itself, it may go hang, we will have none of it. Does anyone doubt -that? Let him look around and see the abuses that remain and fester, -heaven knows, till the world is rank with the corruption of them. Let -him think of the reformatories that don't reform; of the horror that -walketh by night in the cities. When he has taken note of _all_ the -work left undone within the limits of his own nation, let him consider, -but with more charity--for the conditions will be less easy for him -to understand--the work that other nations are leaving undone; the -work that humanity as a whole whistles past unheeding. And meanwhile -we sweat and drudge and strain, strain and drudge and sweat after the -things we desire, money and so forth; we give health for it, culture -for it, leisure for it, honor for it, virtue for it, manhood for it; -and call that business; call that doing the work of the world. Oh how -this aching earth must be desiring a humanity that can put in some -claim to be human! - -We cannot go on so always; we must of course have safety-valves -somewhere; and so we arrange these holidays and festivals, when we -shall react and revolt against the things of common day, and be wildly -different, for those few annual hours at least. Now we will have -pleasure, rest, recreation. So-- - -Oh, we know the sweet fair picture! We know how it is done, only too -often, this recreation business. Come now, who is it that is recreated? -Which element, which party, which guild or stratum of society in that -curious pathocratical republic, that kingless, impolitic, mob-swayed -kingdom called the human personality, rises like a giant refreshed from -the somnolent, torpid nebulosity wherewith the liver, poor drudge on -strike, has its revenge on its tyrant? How much of Christmas good will, -Christmas merriment and cheer, will be carried forward? What new light -will shine on our workaday activities? - -You pass through a treasure-house, from which you may take what you -will, and the more you take, the better. But you "take no thought -for the morrow"--with a vengeance! you pay no heed to the rich and -beautiful things; you allow yourself to be beguiled, from entrance to -exit of it, by that most wily esurient companion Appetite, that should -be slave and porter but has tricked himself into the position of master -and guide. We do go in there, indeed; we do see the treasures; it is -proven for us that they exist, and undoubtedly we are the better for -that. But we might go forth enriched for the whole year; and--we don't. -Christmas, that might be perennial, hardly lasts for a whole day. - -Why should not such a birthday be kept in a fitting manner? Is there -nothing within ourselves that corresponds to the Hero of the day--no -sunbright redeeming principle? Indeed there is; and it is the service -of that that pays (to put it vulgarly); for that is the soul, whose -mere garments are brain and body and appetites; indeed, whose mere -hopples and handcuffs they are. No joy is acceptable, or without its -sickening foul aftertaste, unless countersigned by It; that feast is -poisonous of which It does not partake. To carry through the day the -jolly atmosphere of good will and good service, of stepping outside -selfhood; to keep one's insolent servant, appetite, cowed and right -down in its place, finding pleasure in the things that belong to -ourselves, not to it--that would be to celebrate Christmas rationally. -When we do so, we do not find that the Christmas spirit wanes with the -waning of the holidays. - -I wish the whole world could have just a glimpse of the Lomaland -Christmas, which is such a rational one, permeated with sunlight "both -within and without." Then it would be more generally understood, -how that the day may be, and ought to be, the feast-day of Human -Brotherhood, the annual reconsecration of the celebrants to all things -bright and beautiful, and cheerful and excellent, and happy and -thoroughly practical and of good report. By heaven, the influence of -these Theosophical Christmases will make its mark on the world yet! - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. ROTHENBURG: A VIEW -OF THE MEDIEVAL TOWN] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. ANOTHER VIEW OF -ROTHENBURG: A ROMANTIC CORNER] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. VIEW OF ROTHENBURG -SHOWING SOME OF THE OLD TOWN HOUSES] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. ROTHENBURG: THE -"STRAFTHURM"] - - - - -PEACE ON EARTH: GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN: by R. Machell - - -Peace to all beings! is an Eastern benediction. Peace on earth: good -will toward men! is the Christian expression of the same heart-felt -emotion. But what is peace? Is it merely the suspension of war, or -the prevention of war, or its postponement? Is a long period of -peace merely _in itself_ productive of "good will toward men"? Does -prosperity necessarily produce generosity, love, nobility, dignity, -purity, or happiness? Can we possibly answer in the affirmative with -the statistics of want and crime, corruption and suicide before our -eyes constantly? Is peace the absence of war? If so we must stretch the -meaning of the word war very considerably, stretch it indeed until it -includes all unbrotherly acts; but then it will include a great part -of our commercial system as well as of our social life. What then? Is -peace a mockery? If so why is it so generally recognized as a desirable -state, a blessed state, a state of beauty and joy? The cessation of -international wars, so greatly to be desired, is peace of one kind -only. "The peace of God that passeth all understanding," is another. - -It has been found that the greatest stability can be attained by -maintaining rapid motion in a heavy body, as in the gyrostat, the -power of which has made the monorail train and other strange things a -possibility. Thus stability in mechanics is found to be increased by -rapid motion; rest is produced by action. Even in the arts of peace, -and indeed more particularly in these, prosperity depends upon intense -activity; when the works are at rest there is not usually an extra -amount of peace and good will in evidence. Prosperity is not the result -of idleness, and peace is not attained by the prevention of war; an -idle man may grow fat, and a nation that does not fight may grow rich; -but the fat man is not the healthy man, not the ideal human being, -and the rich nation is not the happy nation; neither the fat man nor -the rich nation are types of true progress in the eyes of any but the -grossest of materialists. - -I venture to think that peace is not at all a question of war or its -prevention, but entirely a matter of _self-discipline_: self-discipline -in the individual, in the family, the community, the nation, and the -entire human race. It is the result of ceaseless activity. If this -activity of self-discipline (_not_ self-torture or abuse of the body) -ceases there is an end of the state of peace as surely as the top or -gyrostat falls when its rotation ceases. The essence of this rotation -is the recognition of the center or axis of rotation by all the -particles of the revolving body, from which an important analogy may be -drawn. Self-discipline begins at home, as surely as the circle can only -be described around a center. A circle without a center is unthinkable, -and so is self-control without a self; but as the center of any visible -object is itself an abstract point (having no magnitude) but subsisting -on the plane of the immaterial, so the self is not material, but in its -spiritual reality bears a similar mysterious relation to the material -body that the abstraction called the center bears to a mass. A homeless -man may be self-disciplined, but a nation is not composed of homeless -men; national life depends upon the family and the family depends -upon the home. The home is the spiritual center of the nation. It is -everywhere and depends upon the ceaseless activity of its parts. This -is the great binding-force that holds a nation in balance, and when -this home-life weakens, the whole nation, like a top whose rotation -slows down, begins to wobble; then, like the top, it is likely to fall -over and rush off violently in any direction, and it becomes a dead -body. - -So if we would have peace in ourselves we must keep up a ceaseless -fight against the inertia of the lower nature and replace the false -peace of inertia by the stability, which, as in the gyrostat, results -from rapid motion round its own center--that is to say, constant -attention to duty. If we would have peace in the nation we must have -it in our homes, and the home must have its invisible center of -attraction, and the constant attention to duty of its parts or members. - -If this is established there will be no great need to think about the -sorrows of international wars or the means of preventing them. - - * * * * * - - UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD has no creeds or dogmas; it is built on the - basis of common sense. It teaches that man is divine, that the soul - of man is imperishable, and that Brotherhood is a fact in Nature, and - consequently takes in all humanity. - - Men must rid themselves of fear, and reach a point where they realize - that they are souls, and where they will strive to live as souls, with - a sense of their duty to their fellows.--_Katherine Tingley_ - - - - -PSYCHISM: A Study in Hidden Connexions: by H. T. Edge, B. A. -(Cantab.) - - -The wave of psychism which is sweeping over us grows more pronounced as -time goes on. If we do not master it, it will master us and bring our -civilization to an untimely end. - -Theosophy did not bring on this tide of psychism. Theosophy was -introduced (in part) for the purpose of coping with it. When H. P. -Blavatsky entered upon her work she foresaw what was approaching. An -era of materialism was about to be succeeded by a reaction towards -psychism. The first beginnings were already manifest in the rise of -phenomenalism. One of the objects of founding the Theosophical Society -was to prevent the disasters that would arise if this wave of psychism -should come in the midst of an atmosphere of selfishness and ignorance. -Some people still wrongly suppose that H. P. Blavatsky initiated the -interest in psychism; but what she really did was to prepare the way -for a successful fight against the abuse of psychism; to prepare the -way by introducing to the world a knowledge of OCCULTISM--a very -different thing. She did work among the Spiritists because that -movement was there ready to hand; among them she found many awaiting -the teachings of Theosophy. She sought to turn the prevalent craze -for phenomena into channels of true knowledge. Her writings all show -how strongly she emphasized the dangers of dabbling in phenomenalism -and the distinction between Occultism and the occult arts, between -Spiritual powers and psychic powers. - -Some may think the warnings of Theosophists against psychism are -exaggerated, but the record of facts tells a different story. Every day -brings new justification of these warnings. In a newspaper published by -the American-Examiner Company there lately appeared an article entitled -"The Soul-Destroying Poison of the East." Let it be said at the outset -that the phrase thus unqualified would constitute a libel upon the -East, and that it is not the East in general, but merely a particular -phase of orientalism, that is intended. The title goes on: "The Tragic -Flood of Broken Homes and Hearts, Disgrace and Suicide, that follows -the broadening stream of Morbidly Alluring Oriental 'Philosophies' into -Our Country." - -The article begins as follows: - - It is startling to realize that in many a commonplace flat ... occult - rites are being celebrated as shocking as the ancient worship of - Moloch and Baal. A long series of recent occurrences has proved that - Oriental occultism in various forms has many followers in the United - States.... Hindu occultism is leprous. - -This kind certainly is; but should it not be the ambition of Hindûs -to clear their name from such an aspersion? The article then recounts -several cases of the breaking up of homes, suicides, and other -calamities, of a kind with which we are daily becoming more familiar -through the columns of the newspapers; and it traces all these to -the subtle influence of the said poison. It goes on to speak of -"Tantrikism," a cult which is said to have 100,000 followers in the -United States and to have been introduced by the "Swamis," many of -whom came over ostensibly to attend the Congress of Religions in 1893. -We know of a certain class of Swâmis, sanctimonious and plausible -individuals, who reap a harvest from a credulous and admiring public. - -According to my interpretation of the following quotations, the basis -of this cult is a deification of passion and sensuality. Indeed that -seems to be the whole tenor of it. It exalts weakness and vice into an -appearance of virtue and makes a religion of depravity. The fundamental -principle is thus expressed: - - Our emotional longings are not to be crushed, but we must lend brain, - heart and muscle to secure their eternal gratification. - -To quote again: - - Some of the American Tantriks would persuade American parents that it - is an honor to have their daughters chosen as nautch-girls, _and it is - sad to say that they sometimes succeed_. - -Oh, parents! Fond and foolish, but how ignorant! - -All this fully justifies Theosophists in asserting that there is a -cancer lurking at the roots of our racial vitality. How futile and -frivolous, in face of this terrible fact, seem our puny efforts at -reform by legislation and philanthropy, a mere tinkering at the -symptoms. The sexual passion has obtained a fearful hold on us, as is -manifested in numerous ways, in secret and open depravity, in the form -of new religions and philosophies. Here we have a cult which exalts it -into a worship and which is well calculated to ensnare the morbidly -excited imaginations, debilitated nervous systems, and untrained minds -of our ill-guided youth of either sex. - -No doubt the above account will come as a revelation to many, and -it may serve to enlighten them on some matters which before were -dark, particularly as to the underground connexions between certain -things which on the surface seem unconnected. One of these is _the -connexion between psychism and crank religions on the one hand and -sexual depravity on the other_. From the beginning Theosophists have -insisted on this fact and issued warnings against the danger. It is -a commonplace of the history of religions and cults that, when the -devotees fail in following the path of light and duty, they lapse into -sensual perversions. As far as we can trace back, we find instances of -pure worship and sacred symbolism being perverted into gross license -and corrupt teachings. In our times we have witnessed many eruptions of -vice associated with crank religions. The connexion is not accidental; -it simply means that when anyone dares to try and make the higher -nature serve the lower he ends in a complete breakdown. - -How well is illustrated the truth that psychic practices merely -stimulate the animal centers, send up a foul current to the brain, and -produce an emotional and erotic intoxication, which is often mistaken -by the ignorant dabbler for divine inspiration! - -And here we call attention to the circumstance that innumerable people -today are _ignorantly and heedlessly dabbling in psychism_. Many of -them are perfectly innocent of any leanings to depravity. Yet observe -the connexion. Theosophists have never failed to warn them; and for -their pains have been laughed at; yet see the confirmation of their -warnings. We merely take this occasion to point out to the heedless and -innocent experimenters the dangers that lie ahead of them in the path -they are treading. There are only two paths in Occultism--the right and -the wrong; the right path is the path of duty, service, and righteous -living; any other path is the wrong path. - -In an age when nothing is immune against perversion, it is no slur upon -the Theosophical Society to say that even that body, pure and lofty -as its teachings and work are, has not been free from attempts made -to divert it into some wrong direction. From time to time ambitious -and misguided adherents have deserted its ranks that they might pursue -outside the courses which they were prevented from pursuing within. - -In this way a number of so-called "Theosophical" cults have originated, -which in varying degrees carry on a propaganda that misrepresents -Theosophy and thereby wrongs the public. The reason for alluding to -this here is that some members of these cults are preaching the very -psychism which, as has just been shown, is so intimately related to -these grave abuses. In books and on the lecture platform we may find -their leaders reproducing some form of the original Theosophical -teachings and even professing lofty principles of morality; but a -closer examination of the teachings prevailing among them reveals -only too often the same unsavory atmosphere of psychism. If these -"teachers" really followed the lofty teachings they profess there -could be no reason why they should not be working in harmony with real -Theosophists; but it is because they have cut themselves from the pure -teachings of H. P. Blavatsky and the original Theosophical program that -Theosophists are obliged to repudiate them. - -It behooves all people who have a reputation to preserve to search -out carefully these hidden connexions and make sure of the nature of -everything they may endorse; for a man is judged by his associations. - -Again, all kinds of "new" social doctrines are being preached, usually -in the name of liberty, honesty, and purity; and those who protest -against them are dubbed "slaves of Mrs. Grundy." But in view of the -above newspaper revelations it would seem as though the protestors -had some justification for their warnings. In much of this talk -about liberty we detect not liberty but license. We are told, on -high authority, apparently, that it is better to give vent to one's -"youthful vitality" than to let it smoulder; but what becomes of this -argument in view of the Tântrik program mentioned above, or other -similar cults? - -There is a class of popular writers who, having won the public ear -by novels, brilliant criticism, or some such way, are now using the -opportunity to vent their crude speculations and unripe imaginings, -which pass current as "daring and original views." The morbidity, -acidity, or angularity of their minds--seemingly unsuspected by -themselves--is revealed in a way that dismisses them from the -consideration of the more thoughtful readers; but they serve as -ringleaders to a host of readers who share their temperament if not -their literary gifts. They analyse in their peculiar fashion the -institutions of human life as though they were people sent from another -planet to inspect this world. Ignorant of the existence or possibility -of points of view other than their own, they discuss marriage as if it -were a physiological problem, and men as if they were but draughts on -a checkerboard. - -We have had novels based on the theory that human life is a -physiological question, whose heroines are soulless over-cerebrated -women of the most intolerable type; and a continuous torrent of smart -writing whose aim seems to be to turn everything upside down and -take the perverse view on every possible occasion. All this literary -rubbish, whatever its moving spirit may be, must be regarded as a part -of the general disintegrative force that is at work among us; its -effect is to unsettle inexperienced minds at a time when they need -guidance; and thus to pave the way for the implanting of the noxious -seeds described above. - -Time and space will not suffice for a full list of the movements and -cults and fads which are all heading, consciously or unconsciously, -in this dangerous direction--fads scientific, religious, social, what -not. Sometimes one can detect the same element at the root of them--the -morbid craving, the pruriency of thought, the subtle suggestion of -the lower nature seeking new recognition for itself by assuming an -attractive disguise. - -The difficulties of a Theosophist may be realized when we bear in mind -that he has to warn people against dangers which, though real to him, -by reason of his knowledge of human nature, are by them unsuspected. -So many of the fads seem quite harmless. Yet the Theosophist may be -aware of the direction in which they are tending, or of some ugly -facts beneath the surface. His warnings are uttered with the voice of -genuine compassion. He sees every one of his warnings justified as -time goes on and the latent seeds of evil develop and come into view. -His one aim in life is to spread a knowledge of the noble and helpful -teachings of Theosophy, for these alone can cope with such a subtle and -powerful foe. His pity is aroused for those who are innocently lending -themselves to such a propaganda, and for those earnest truth-seekers -who are deceived by the misrepresentation. - -So great is the menace of evils like the above, and so rapidly are -they spreading, that every attempted reform sinks into insignificance -beside the importance of dealing with this. We fret about the evils -of our educational system, the increase of insanity and suicide, -child-degeneracy, consumption and cancer, drug-taking, the white slave -traffic, unemployment and labor troubles, all kinds of problems; -when down in the very marrow of our twentieth century life lurks -this frightful decay. Under the most plausible and specious forms it -insinuates itself. Many "teachers" are insinuating the same poison -into us under the guise of fine high-sounding doctrines, and sometimes -_even by using Theosophical terms_. Sometimes from beneath the surface -of their public teachings some "inner doctrine" pops up as though the -teachers were experimenting with the public tolerance; and we hear -whispers of a "new morality," strange sexual doctrines, etc. Then, if -we are wise, we suspect what lies at the root. - -The consequences to our children and youth are a thing that should -surely move our hearts. Parents and teachers alike are by their own -confession unable to cope with the evils becoming so rampant among the -young. Noted headmasters have given up in despair the attempt to stop -unnatural vice among the boys entrusted by loving parents to their -care. Most mothers are sublimely ignorant of what goes on in the inner -life of their boys and girls, who in secret and in ignorance are all -the time sowing in their constitution the soil of debility in which the -poison seeds so ruthlessly sown can sprout. - -In fact there is no visible power competent to deal with this evil. It -lies beyond the reach of any criminal or judicial procedure. Religion -is powerless before it; science can find no cure. So the conclusion -remains that unless something is done, the evil will continue to grow -and spread unchecked, involving in its decay the very powers that -should check it, until the fabric of society is altogether loosened and -our civilization comes to a premature end. - -In the past whole nations probably have been swept away by this cause. -Our own race has reached a point in its development where the same -fate threatens it. Unless we are to experience a general outburst of -libertinism, a welter of disease and insanity, a universal strife, we -must find some means of restoring a knowledge of the immutable laws of -life and an adherence thereto, such as taught by Theosophy. Passion -can never be overcome by being indulged; it has to be subdued by -self-knowledge. - -Those unfortunately afflicted with unlawful desires should not seek to -make society their victim in the hope of thus saving their miserable -selves. Let them patiently and loyally bear their burden until -unremitting effort at last brings the meed of success. Such infirmities -must perish at last if they are not fed by the mind; but as they -took a long time in the acquiring, they may take a long time in the -undoing. Disease is thrown off by building surely, if slowly, a healthy -foundation. We conclude with a few quotations from H. P. Blavatsky: - - Do not believe that lust can ever be killed out if gratified or - satiated, for this is an abomination inspired by Mâra [delusion]. It - is by feeding vice that it expands and waxes strong, like to the worm - that fattens on the blossom's heart.--_The Voice of the Silence_ - - Occultism is not Magic. It is comparatively easy to learn the trick - of spells and the methods of using the subtler, but still material, - forces of physical nature; the powers of the animal soul in man are - soon awakened; the forces which his love, his hate, his passion, - can call into operation, are readily developed. But this is Black - Magic--Sorcery.... The powers and forces of animal nature can be used - by the selfish and revengeful, as much as by the unselfish and the - all-forgiving; the powers and forces of Spirit lend themselves only - to the perfectly pure in heart--and this is DIVINE MAGIC.--_Practical - Occultism_ - - There are not in the West half-a-dozen among the fervent hundreds who - call themselves "Occultists," who have even an approximately correct - idea of the nature of the Science they seek to master. With a few - exceptions, they are all on the highway to Sorcery. Let them restore - some order in the chaos that reigns in their minds, before they - protest against this statement. Let them first learn the true relation - in which the Occult Sciences stand to Occultism, and the difference - between the two, and then feel wrathful if they still think themselves - right. Meanwhile, let them learn that Occultism differs from Magic - and other secret Sciences as the glorious sun does from a rush-light, - as the immutable and immortal Spirit of Man--the reflection of the - absolute, causeless, and unknowable ALL--differs from the mortal clay, - the human body.--_Occultism versus the Occult Arts_ - - - - -A MAGIC BOAT: by D. F. - - -In the Scandinavian saga the vessel _Ellida_ one day quietly sailed -into harbor and dropped anchor, without a living creature on board. -This performance seems at first to be surpassed by that of an electric -launch on Lake Wann, Berlin, which though carrying no human freight -effected the following feats at the behest of a distant but controlling -intelligence: steering; starting, stopping, or reversing of engines; -firing of signal guns, fireworks, mines, or torpedoes; ringing of -bells; lighting or extinction of electric lamps; and other operations. -Of course the agency is an ingenious extension and adaptation of -wireless telegraphic methods, said to be applicable also to airplanes, -railroad trains, life-boats, etc. But the _Ellida_ had some excellent -qualities, too, for work in all weather on the high seas. - - - - -IRISH SCENES: by Fred J. Dick, M. Inst. C. E., M. Inst. C. E. I. - - -To the archaeologist, the geologist, the folk-lorist, and the lover of -nature in all her aspects, perhaps no area of similar extent is more -replete with interest than that of Ireland. As to fairies, the county -Sligo folk will tell you they have more of them to the square yard than -can be found in a square mile of the county Kerry. Folk-lorists will -doubtless pass upon this claim intelligently, when they wear the right -sort of spectacles. Fairies aside, however, hardly a square mile of the -country lacks some ruin of great antiquity. - -Nearly two thousand years have elapsed since Baile Atha Cliath -Duibhlinne (the town of the hurdle-ford on the black river), now -Dublin, began to share with Tara the honor of being chief city. Dublin, -therefore, has no known history that could be called really ancient; -for in the light of the Theosophical teachings and records, two -thousand years is merely modern. Tara, on the other hand, was a center -of national life and government so ancient as to be probably coeval -with Brugh na Boinne. Which means they were there "before the flood," -or in other words, long before Poseidon went down, some eleven or -twelve thousand years ago. - -The fact that the city of Tara was set on a hill, suggests the idea -that there may have been a time, once, when cities having certain high -functions to fulfil, were usually set on hills. - -In correspondence with the withdrawal of the higher influences of the -Tuatha de Danaans from visible participation in Irish life, and the -reign of the Formorians and their heirs, leading Ireland in common with -other places to descent through dark ages, it was fitting that regal -and poetic Tara should fade, and Dublin rise with its distilleries, -breweries, and vivisection halls, and with many of its folk within -hospitals, poor-houses, and insane asylums--in accentuation of the -modern spirit. That such conditions are, in point of fact, unnecessary, -can easily be deduced from the study of certain small races who have -not wholly forgotten some essential principles in the art of living. - -Nevertheless, Dublin, equally with other parts of Ireland, has its -bright side. Much of its social life is vivacious, artistic, and -literary in high degree, surpassing many cities in these respects. -This city began to assume its present appearance in the eighteenth -century, when Sackville street, as then named, was built. It is one -of the finest streets in Europe. The munificent grants of the Irish -parliament enabled many handsome public buildings to be constructed, -as well as hospitals, harbors, canals, etc. Among the finest of the -public edifices is that of the old houses of parliament, now occupied -as a bank. - -The first meeting of the Irish parliament within the part of this -structure then completed, took place in 1731; but entire legislative -independence was only reached in 1782. Eighteen years later, owing -to some rather meretricious influences, the parliament voted away -its rights; and the Union occurred in 1800. The building, which took -many years to complete, possesses majesty in design combined with -simplicity in arrangement, and has few rivals. Constructed of Portland -stone, the style is chastely classic, owing nothing to extraneous -embellishment--the mere outline producing a harmonious effect. The -principal front is formed by an Ionic colonnade, raised on a flight -of steps, and ranged round three sides of a spacious quadrangle. In -the central part a portico projects, formed of four Ionic columns, -sustaining a tympanum with the royal arms, while the apex is adorned -with a colossal statue--Hibernia--with others representing Fidelity -and Commerce on the western and eastern points. From the outer ends of -these colonnades the building sweeps eastward and westward in circular -form, the walls, unpierced by openings, standing behind rows of -Corinthian columns, and having the interspaces tastefully indented by -niches. Over the eastern portico are statues of Fortitude, Justice, and -Liberty. The original designer of this noble edifice is unknown. The -House of Lords has been left practically untouched to this day, save -that the Speaker's chair is now in the Royal Irish Academy. - -On the opposite side of College Green is the extensive Corinthian -façade of Trinity College; and passing a short way towards Sackville -(now O'Connell) street, one reaches the Carlisle Bridge, from which can -be seen another magnificent building called the Custom House (though -so immense as to accommodate many government offices), as well as the -Four Courts and other massive structures, so numerous as to give the -impression of a people possessing energy, taste, and industry. Since -the early years of the nineteenth century, however, there have been no -fine buildings added, if we except the splendid pile of the Science and -Art Museums and Library in Kildare street. - -The environs of Dublin, within a dozen miles or so, possess singular -charm and variety; and on Sundays the good folk keep the jaunting-cars -busy throughout the regions from Delgany, Powerscourt and the Dublin -mountains, to Leixlip, Howth and Malahide. Not many know that Malahide -Castle contains an altar-piece from the oratory of Mary Queen of Scots, -at Holyrood, for which Charles II gave two thousand pounds sterling. -Among the valuable paintings in this Castle is a portrait of Charles I -by Vandyke. - -There is a territory within almost equally easy reach of Dublin, whose -loveliness excels anything of the kind in Ireland except possibly the -Blackwater in county Waterford. It is the Boyne valley between Slane -and Beauparc. Everyone in Dublin admits it lovely--but no one has seen -it! - -In the north and west of Ireland the scenery is frequently wild -and stern. Of this character is Fairhead on the Antrim Coast, the -_Robogdium Promontorium_ of Ptolemy the geographer, where on one's -northward journey is obtained the first glimpse of the remarkable -columnar basalt formation met with in profusion in the Giant's Causeway -region. One of the basaltic pillars forming the stupendous natural -colonnade over six hundred feet high at Fairhead, is a rectangular -prism 33 feet by 36 on the sides, and 319 feet in height, and is the -largest basaltic pillar known. - -Further along this coast is the rope-bridge at Carrick-a-Rede, which -sways in the wind as you walk over it, while the Atlantic waves boil in -the appalling chasm beneath; and woe to you, if overcome by terror you -attempt to lean on the thin hand-line. - -The coast scenery in the vicinity of the Giant's Causeway is grandly -impressive, as seen from a boat. The promontory called the Pleaskin, -consisting of terrace upon terrace of columnar basalt, and the -succession of extraordinary rock groups such as the Sea Gulls, the -King and his Nobles, the Nursing Child, the Priest and his Flock, the -Chimney Rock, the Giant's Organ, and finally the Causeway itself, form -astonishing instances of nature's sportfulness. - -The pillars in the Causeway number about forty thousand, and are -composed mainly of irregular hexagonal prisms varying from fifteen to -twenty-six inches in diameter, but all fitting together compactly. -Among other features of the place is the Giant's Amphitheatre, which -is exactly semi-circular, with the slopes at the same angle all round; -while around the uppermost part runs a row of columns eighty feet high. -As a German writer, Kahl, continues: - - Then comes a broad rounded projection, like an immense bench, for the - accommodation of the giant guests of Finn MacCumhal; then again a row - of columns sixty feet high, and then again a gigantic bench, and so - down to the bottom, where the water is enclosed by a circle of - black boulder stones, like the limits of the arena. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. THE OLD HOUSES OF -PARLIAMENT--NOW THE BANK OF IRELAND; COLLEGE GREEN, DUBLIN] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. AN IRISH PEASANT -WOMAN] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. AN IRISH FARMER] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. PART OF THE GIANTS' -CAUSEWAY, ANTRIM, IRELAND] - -We should have to go back to the era when the Bamian statues were -carved out of the living rock (see _The Secret Doctrine_, ii, 388) to -find giants tall enough to occupy this amphitheater gracefully. - -The convulsion which lowered the Giants' Causeway, with its substratum -of ocher, below the upper tier level of the Pleaskin, produced the -landslide at the Giants' Organ, and submerged the continuous land -connexion with Staffa, must have belonged to far pre-Atlantean times -(the Atlantean continental system proper having ended nearly a million -years ago), and be referable to the Secondary Age, when there really -were giants somewhat approaching the size suggested. It must have been -far back in Lemurian times, for the sinking and transformation of the -Lemurian continental systems began in the vicinity of Norway, and ended -at Atlantean Lankâ, of which Ceylon was the northern highland. - -There are traditions of enormous giants in many parts of Ireland. Thus -the rope-bridge chasm above mentioned, is said to have been cut by a -stroke of Finn MacCumhal's sword, a feat that would have been difficult -for even a Lemurian giant. The legends in Kerry express, by similar -exaggeration, the size and strength of a former giant race. - -This reminds us that the Raphaim (phantoms), Nephilim (fallen ones), -and Gibborim (mighty ones) of the Bible refer to the First and Second -semi-ethereal Races, the Third (Lemurian), and the Fourth (Atlantean) -respectively. - -But in order to grasp this subject intelligently, the reader may be -referred to those volumes which it will be more and more the principal -business of the scholars, archaeologists, and scientific men of the -twentieth century to study, interpret and vindicate (vindication is -already in full stride), namely, _The Secret Doctrine_, written by H. -P. Blavatsky. - - * * * * * - - True glory consists in doing that which deserves to be written, in - writing what deserves to be read, and in so living as to make the - world happier for our living in it.--_Pliny_ - - - - -THE BLUEBELLS OF WERNOLEU: a Welsh Legend by Kenneth Morris - - - Out of the bluebell bloom of the night - When the east's agloom and the west's agleam. - Over the wern at Alder-Light - And the dark stile and the stream, - There's dew comes dropping of dream-delight - To the deeps where the bluebells dream. - - It's then there's brooding on wizard stories - All too secret for speech or song, - And rapture of rose and daffodil glories - Where the lone stream wandereth long; - And I think the whole of the Druids' lore is - Known to the bluebell throng. - - For they say that a sky-bee wandered of old - From her island hive in the Pleiades, - Winging o'er star-strewn realms untold, - And the brink of star-foamed seas-- - Thighs beladen with dust of gold, - As is the wont of bees. - - She left the hives of magical pearl, - Of dark-heart sapphire and pearl and dreams, - Where the flowers of the noon and the night unfurl - Their rose-rimmed blooms and beams-- - Fain of the wandering foam awhirl - On the wild Dimetian streams, - - Of the rhododendron bloom on the hills-- - (There's dear, red bloom in the pine-dark dell)-- - Of rhododendron and daffodils, - And the blue campanula bell, - And the cuckoo-pint by the tiny rills - That rise in Tybie's Well. - - (And where's the wonder, if all were known? - There's many in Michael's hosts that ride - Would lay down scepter and crown and throne, - And their aureoled pomp and pride, - So they might wander and muse alone - An hour by the Teifi side. - - And if anything lovely is under the sky, - That the eye beholds, or the proud heart dreams, - When the pomp of the world goes triumphing by, - When the sea with the sunlight gleams-- - It's show you a lovelier thing could I, - 'Twixt Tywi and Teifi streams. - - Let be! whatever of praise be sung, - Here's one could never make straight the knee, - Nor stay the soul from its paeans flung - Where the winds might flaunt them free, - For a thousand o' mountains, cloud-fleece hung, - 'Twixt Hafren Hen and the sea.) - - Musing, down through the firmament vales, - Here and there in a thousand flowers, - Even till at last she was wandering Wales, - Lured by the pure June hours, - Lured by the glamor of ancient tales, - And the glory of age-old towers. - - Peony splendor of eve and dawn. - Tulips abloom on the border of day, - West on fire with the sun withdrawn, - Night and the Milky Way-- - Ah, it was midnight's bluebell lawn - Most in her heart held sway. - - O'er Bettws Mountain she came down slowly, - Drowsy winged through the tangled wern; - Where in the sky was there hill so holy, - With so much glamor to burn, - As the hyacinth wilds beyond Wernoleu, - With their white bells 'mid the fern? - - Musing, round by the wern she wandered - From bell to bell with her wings acroon, - There where they laughed and nodded and pondered - Through the beautiful hours of June; - Bluebell-dark were the dreams she squandered - On the gold and green of noon. - - And the wild white hyacinths, wondering, heard her, - Suddenly caught by her starry song; - Gave no more ear to the woodland bird, or - Heeded the wild bee throng, - Or laughed with delight of the sunbright verdure - Of fern they had loved so long. - - Marvelous thought took hold of them wholly, - Azure of mingled darkness and light, - And they deepened to dark-heart sapphire slowly - With brooding on the splendor of night; - And the first of the bluebells of white Wernoleu - Bloomed, night-blueness dight. - - And that's why the wern at Alder-Light - Is sweet with silence and deep in dream, - In that wizard region of dream-delight - Beyond the stile and the stream, - When the dews have fallen from the bloom of night - On the glooms where the bluebells gleam. - - International Theosophical Headquarters - Point Loma, California - - - - -THE SOUL AT THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION: by Henry Travers - - -The majority of people are not very original and independent in their -thinking, and consequently prefer to await the sanction of some -recognized authority before accepting a doctrine. For this reason -it is scarcely just to lay _all_ the blame on the institutions, -ecclesiastical and otherwise, which supply this demand. For this -reason, too, it will be a matter of considerable moment that a -professor at the meeting of the British Association for the Advancement -of Science should have brought forward arguments which, according to -the report of his address, "help the belief that man has a soul." - -The arguments brought forward are as old as man himself, it is true; -but doctrines are judged largely according to their immediate source. -Thus a new color, an additional weight, is given to the idea that -the eye has been made by "some external agency cognizant of all the -properties of light," and to the idea that the brain is an instrument -played upon by some power that is not material. We have heard this from -the pulpit, perhaps; now we hear it from the lecture table; so we can -believe it a little more strongly than we did before. - -The lecturer's cautious remarks, as gathered from a brief report, seem -to indicate a belief on his part that there may be a soul after all. -The report is headed, "Eye and Brain Show a Soul Possibly Independent -of Life." His view is said to be regarded by physiologists as offering -a great stimulus to research, and "it provides for the general -public a new exposition of the theory of belief in a divinity." The -eye and the brain are such wonderful instruments that they surely -must have been made by some intelligent power. That is the argument, -and it surely must have occurred to many people before. "The brain's -workings and the will-power suggested," he said, "that the brain was -mysteriously affected by invisible and untraceable harmonies." The -following is of interest to Darwinists: - - It was natural to suppose, he declared, the existence of some external - agent over and above natural selection, which [latter] would have done - no more than assist in the process. - -Natural selection is in fact no more than a phrase descriptive of the -process itself; it can neither help nor hinder, any more than the -theory of the law of gravitation can pull down a stone or the calculus -of probabilities affect the destiny of a soul. - -One feels as if the ancient faiths of humanity, after being confirmed -and appealed against times without number, had been laid before a final -court of appeal, which, after many painstaking and protracted labors, -had at last begun to hand down opinions, slowly and carefully. The -existence of the soul has at last been established beyond all possible -cavil. It has passed all the courts, there is no further appeal, it is -law. The most irrational rationalist, the most credulous sceptic, the -most visionary materialist, may now believe in the soul. There really -is one. At least "there was some loophole for the view that mind was -not directly associated with life or living matter, but only indirectly -with certain dispositions of dynamic state that were sometimes present -within certain parts of it." (_Times_ report.) At present, then, we may -believe in a soul--cautiously. One wonders if the British Association -will ever get so far as to say that we _must_ believe in a soul. - -But why should there be only one soul? Why not separate souls for the -eye, the brain, the heart, the liver--all equally wonderful? The fact -is that such problems as this have been debated from time immemorial, -and one can but refer the curious to the world's literature. While our -learned men are cautiously speculating about "a soul," the literature -of Hindûstân (to take a single instance), thousands of years old, -summarizes the tenets of many different schools of philosophy on the -subject of the various souls in man, the faculties of these souls, -the nature of the mind, its numerous powers and functions, the inner -senses and their external organs, and so forth. And back of all lies -the inscrutable Self of man, the Master and possessor of all these -powers. Verily we have much yet to learn--the road we are going. It -looks like a snail verifying the tracks of a bird. It looks as if these -physiologists had just arrived at the edge of the sea, near enough -to get their feet wet so as to know there is a sea. And now they are -talking about a promising field of investigation. - -Of course these physiologists are souls, the same as the rest of us, -and they have minds and other faculties which they use all the time. -But what they are doing is to bring a little of this actual practical -knowledge down to the plane of formal theory. An extraordinary duality -of the mind, truly! To be a soul, to act as a soul, and yet to live -half in and half out of a mental state wherein conditions are entirely -different! One sometimes wonders what bearing these speculations have -upon actual life at all. The achievements of science lie mainly in the -region of applied mechanics and chemistry. Physiology brings us closer -into contact with vital questions that cannot be ignored and that yet -lie without the prescribed domain. - -The zoological professor also indulged in a little flight of the -imagination; for in lecturing on "The Greater Problems of Biology," he -made "Wonderment" a part of his theme. He pointed out that the problems -of consciousness and the mystery of the reasoning soul were not for the -biologist but the psychologist. - - Beyond and remote from physical causation lay the End, the Final Cause - of the philosopher, the reason why, in the which were hidden the - problems of organic harmony and autonomy and the mysteries of apparent - purpose, adaptation, fitness, and design. Here, in the region of - teleology, the plain rationalism that guided them through the physical - facts and causes began to disappoint them, and Intuition, which was of - close kin to Faith [capitals not ours], began to make herself heard. - -This is enough to make Tyndall turn in his grave, thereby causing -an earthquake in Scotland. He was so very satisfied with the plain -rationalism, and died before it began to disappoint. What would he -have said of Intuition, if not that it is a secretion of one of our -glands? It seems to have taken a long time to realize that purpose, -design, etc., are qualities of mind and not of matter. It is absolutely -essential that physiologists should study mind and soul, even though -their immediate object be the body. What geologist could adequately -study the earth if he ignored the existence of the air and the sea? - - - - -WARWICK CASTLE: by C. J. Ryan - - -Warwick Castle, one of the most magnificent and well-preserved of the -baronial palaces of the middle ages, is among the first of the historic -monuments that American travelers visit in England, for it is in the -immediate neighborhood of Stratford-on-Avon, Shakespeare's birthplace, -to which most Americans pay their respects early in their tour. -Warwickshire is a typically English county. It is not only central in -situation but, as Henry James writes, "It is the core and center of -the English world, midmost England." He rightly considers there is -no better way for a stranger who wishes to know something of typical -English life and scenery than to spend some time in Warwickshire, with -its richly-wooded and densely-grassed undulating landscape, its famous -historical relics, and its literary associations. Not only is the -county sacred to the memory of Shakespeare, but it is also the scene of -many of George Eliot's finest stories. The backgrounds of _Middlemarch_ -and _Adam Bede_ are here. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. WARWICK CASTLE, FROM -THE AVON] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. INNER COURT AND -TOWERS OF WARWICK CASTLE. GUY'S TOWER ON THE LEFT] - -The castle stands on a commanding eminence, overlooking the river -Avon, and from every point of view it presents an imposing and highly -picturesque appearance. It is little touched by time, though some of -it dates from Saxon times, and it passed through a great siege in -Cromwellian times. The oldest portion which is conspicuous is Caesar's -Tower, a solid building 150 feet high, built soon after the Norman -conquest. The greater part of the castle was built in the 14th and -15th centuries, and, with the exception of the great Keep, which has -disappeared, it has been very little injured. The roof of the great -Hall and some parts of the other buildings were destroyed by fire -in 1871, but they have been carefully restored. The dungeons below -Caesar's Tower are painfully interesting, and the view from Guy's Tower -is famous for its beauty. Guy, Earl of Warwick in the tenth century, -is a notable hero of chivalric legend, though it is probable that the -stories about him have been greatly exaggerated. Tradition relates -that he defeated in single combat a doughty champion of the Danes in -the time of Athelstan. If the Dane had won the English would have lost -their independence, says the legend. Guy, who was disguised as a simple -pilgrim when chosen--through a vision--for the defender of his country, -immediately afterwards retired for life to a hermitage in a cave near -Warwick, at Guy's Cliff, a romantic spot where the river Avon winds -through picturesque rocks, woods, and meadows. - -The interior of Warwick Castle contains many priceless relics of -antiquity, such as the mace of the great Earl of Warwick, the -"King-maker" (died 1471), relics of the legendary Guy, the helmet of -Oliver Cromwell, the well-known Warwick vase found in Hadrian's villa, -Tivoli, and many celebrated portraits by Vandyck and Rubens. - -Warwick Park is noted for its magnificent ancient cedars. Nathaniel -Hawthorne has written about Warwick Castle and the surrounding scenery -in a way that cannot be bettered. He says, in one passage: - -"We can scarcely think the scene real, so completely do those -machicolated towers, the long line of battlements, the high windowed -walls, the massive buttresses, shape out our indistinct ideas of the -antique time." - - - - -MAN AND NATURE: by R. Machell - - -No sooner is the right man in the right place than order begins to -take the place of confusion in any department of human activity; for -order is natural and disorder is the result of an interference with -the law of nature. There are some who seem to think that natural law -can operate without agents and instruments, which is absurd; and there -are some who seem to think that the agents and instruments of natural -law are gods and angels and spirits, but not men; or that they are -microbes and bacteria, and "forces," whatever that may be, and anything -invisible and intangible, but not man. And why not man? Is man outside -the field of nature, while he is still subject to her laws? That is -hardly reasonable. - -The divine, the human, and the natural, are but different aspects of -the Universal, which is called Nature. The right man was not in power -when these separations and limitations took the place of the true -teaching. The right man is Theosophy. When Theosophy comes in then -knowledge of the unity underlying all multiplicity of manifestations -takes the place of ignorance which breeds confusion and causes discord. -It is so easy to get hold of one part of the truth, and to make it -false by separating it from the other parts of the great whole. This is -what men have done and still are doing. And the Teachers, while trying -to proclaim the greater Truth, have been forced at times to limit their -teachings to that which will serve the immediate need of the hour -by correcting some evil that has sprung from making a dogma out of a -partial aspect of truth. Yet in the old mythology preserved in the -Scandinavian book of the Wisdom of Brunhilda there is the teaching of -man's duty to nature as the instrument of the Higher Law plainly stated -in the lines from William Morris' version: - - Know thou, most mighty of men, that the Norns shall order all; - And yet without thine helping shall no whit of their will befall. - -The Norns are the emblems of Natural Law; they are above mankind and -above the gods. All-Father Odin, who seems to correspond to the Greek -Zeus, was forced to pay dearly for but a glimpse of their knowledge. -They are above all the hierarchies of spiritual beings, a primordial -trinity, prototype of all lesser trinities; and yet without man's help, -their will remains unaccomplished among men. - -It seems as if the Universal Law is supreme, but that in the world -of man its action may be blocked by man, creating confusion in that -world, and in those dependent upon it, which lies within the sphere of -illusion we call Time. This great illusion "produced by the succession -of our states of consciousness as we pass through eternal duration" -(_The Secret Doctrine_), is the field of man's operation, when he -blocks the action of the supreme Law by the interposing of his personal -will; in it he dreams, and the dream becomes a nightmare, which -beneficent nature ends by periodic cataclysms of fire or flood, while -the deluded souls returning to their waking soul-state know that it was -a dream. - -It seems as if this state of illusion, in which we think of ourselves -and our world as separate from the divine or from nature, were produced -by the refusal of the personal will to carry out the will of the -Supreme; for when this opposition ceases and the personal will becomes -the direct agent of the spiritual will, order reigns and the world of -disorder disappears. This amounts to saying that the illuminated man -is no longer in darkness, when the inner light is allowed to shine -through his lower mind. But as such men are no longer subject to the -darkness, or the illusion of the world, they are lost to those who are -still blind and in the dark unless they hold themselves down to that -condition in order to help others to get free from the darkness which -obscures the true life. - -So in the old mythologies we find the Gods, doing on a higher plane -what man does in his world, interposing their personal will in -interference with the will of the Supreme, and thereby throwing a -veil of illusion over the lower worlds which is the cause of a cycle -of strife and discord; for the personal will has shut out the light -and suspended the action of the higher Law through the failure of -its agent, and produced the illusion of that series of states of -consciousness we call Time. The Eternal, being beyond time, is not -affected; but that is a mystery to man in his lower consciousness, -in which he cannot get away from the reality of time. The lower -consciousness is bound up in time, and to it time is reality; but man -is not bound up in his lower consciousness, nor is he limited to its -field of operation. The eternal is in him and at any moment he may get -a ray of that light which we call inspiration or intuition, and by -that illumination he may see the solution of the problem and feel his -divinity, while utterly unable to put that knowledge so obtained into -any satisfactory form of words; he may even be unable to put it into a -form of thought, and may find himself with a knowledge that must remain -secret. - -As natural Law is Universal, so it must operate in an appropriate -manner on all planes; "as above so below" (Hermetic maxim); "Thy will -be done on earth as it is in heaven" (a Christian prayer); but as the -action of a law is conditioned by the mind and matter on which and -through which it acts, it may not be easy to recognize the One Law in -its various manifestations. So we find the application of the highest -philosophy in the most ordinary circumstances of daily life, for the -law is universal; and when we have reached up to some high thought -and got some new light, we must find means to see its application to -some practical detail of life, or we have again blocked the course of -the higher Law, which is seeking to penetrate to the lowest depths of -matter through us. - -We are thus agents of the higher Law of Nature and it is our duty to -get into line as quickly as may be, and to let the light shine through. - - * * * * * - - COURAGE consists not in hazarding without fear but being resolutely - minded in a just cause.... The Deity is the brave man's hope and not - the coward's excuse.--_Plutarch_ - - - - -THE WILL AS A CHEMICAL PRODUCT: by Investigator - - -In a current review appears an article entitled "The Will as a Chemical -Product," accompanied by the portrait of a professor, beneath which -is written, "Who holds that what we call 'will' in the lower animals -is a mere chemical or physical phenomenon, like the sunflower's -turning toward the light." This statement might just as well be turned -around so as to run, "What we call chemical action is nothing but a -manifestation of the mere will." However, this professor appears to be -haunted with the desire to represent the whole universe as a mechanism; -for, by a daring use of the "scientific imagination," which vaults -scornfully over all gaps in the chain of reasoning, he applies his -theory to man--including presumably himself, the author of the theory, -since he does not make any mention of himself as an exception. - -To begin with the sunflower, which is where the professor begins--the -idea is that the solar rays cause chemical actions in the plant, the -chemical actions in their turn causing movements which switch the -flower around into a position where the balance of forces results -in stability. Next we go to the small fresh-water crustacean. This -animal, when experimented upon, did not show any heliotropism; but -the professor was nothing daunted. He just poured some acid into the -water, and the result was that the pollywogs all flocked to the light -and stayed there. It was the same when carbonic acid gas or alcohol was -put into the water. Our explanation is that the pollywogs were upset by -the poisoned water and crowded into that part where the light rendered -the water less poisonous or gave them greater strength to resist the -ill effects. But the professor has a theory to prop; so his conclusion -is that the chemical poured into the water "sensitized" the creature, -rendering them heliotropic. It is wonderful what a great theory a -little fact can be made to prove! - -Passing to ethics--rather a large jump--the professor suggests that -persons who exhibit the highest manifestation of ethics--that is, -persons who are willing to sacrifice their lives for an idea--are -victims of a "tropism." In other words, these unfortunate people have -become slaves to the chemical reactions produced in them by the stimuli -of ideas. - -Well, it may suit this professor to define self-sacrifice as an -obsession, but we could give other instances of the obsession of -ideas which would fit the definition better. Ethics may be a chemical -phenomenon, but in that case it does not much matter after all, since -every other thing in the universe is also a chemical process. The -professor himself is a chemical process--so, a fig for his theory! say -we; who cares for a theory made by a chemical process? Frankly, we do -not believe this theory. But, if the theory is false, it follows that -it was not made by a chemical process after all; hence it is perhaps -_not_ false. And so the logic goes round and round. - -People who weave theories of this fantastic kind are people whose -ideas have no relation to life; they live in a world of imagination. -People who can define their own mind as a chemical process--the very -mind which they are using all the time--must surely have something the -matter with their thinking machinery. And we recognize in the sneer -at ethics the shadow of a certain destructive "stimulus" which is -certainly not of the sun but which acts on people's brains a good deal -in these days. - -Under the influence of a stimulus which has acted on our chemical -cells, and which we feel powerless to resist, we state without -apology that all chemical, physical, and electrical processes are -manifestations of will. The action of the sunflower in turning to the -sun is a manifestation of will. Without will, no atom could approach -or recede from its neighbor. Physical notation cannot get any further -than corpuscles separated by empty space; and what short of a will -can bridge such a gap? Shall we define the whole universe as chemical -processes, or shall we define it as mind and will? Take your choice. In -the one case you have a chemical process defining itself as a chemical -process; for your mind, which defines, is a chemical process; in the -other case you have mind recognizing mind in other beings. Analysis -of the universe must begin with consciousness; we must define matter -in terms of mind; to attempt to define mind in terms of matter, while -at the same time using a mind to do it with, is to make a fundamental -mistake in logic that can only lead to a piling up of absurdities. - -In speculating as to the cause of motion, try to imagine any other -cause for it than volition. You have, let us say, two atoms; they -approach one another; here is motion; what causes it? You can only -answer "Attraction," which is only defining it by an equivalent word; -for attraction is nothing more than a name for the very thing we are -seeking to explain. If we study our own organism we find that volition -is the cause of motion, and we infer that it is the same in other -people. We are not conscious of any volition that moves our own vital -organs, or the muscles of other people or animals, or the sunflower, -or the chemical mixture. But if we do not put these actions under -the same category as the ones of which we are conscious, we have to -find a new and special explanation for them. It is better to accept, -provisionally at least, volition as being one of the fundamental facts -of the universe, and to use it as a basis of inference; for volition is -a thing of which we have actual experience, while the atoms and blind -forces of materialistic speculation are mere suppositions. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. THE NOBLE VIKINGS -Presentations in the Open Air in Sweden, 1911] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. ANOTHER VIEW] - -But delusions, however erroneous, do actually exist as such in the -minds of those obsessed by them; and are capable of giving rise to -mischievous actions. We have at present a regular epidemic of awful -sociological theories, threatening to develop into action, and based -on these mechanical and chemical ideas of the universe. Such proposals -as that criminals shall be vivisected, that private or co-operative -self-abuse shall be officially taught as a means of keeping down the -population, and many other such notions, are the fruit of a perverted -and materialistic philosophy. They give a faint idea of the reign of -terror that might supervene if the destructive forces now at work -should gain the upper hand. A section of the world of thought seems to -be going mad and the sooner the people find it out the better. - - - - -OPEN-AIR DRAMA: by Per Fernholm, M. E., Royal Institute of Technology -(Stockholm) - - -All know that to act with knowledge at the critical moment is like -throwing out a kindling spark that sets minds aflame and makes possible -things which long have loomed in unattainable horizons. But the -spreading of this fire proceeds on inner planes and can not be followed -by those ignorant of the source. Seldom does it leave obvious traces in -so short a time as is the case in the recent development of the drama. - -Not more than twelve years have passed since the hills of Lomaland -resounded with the soul-stirring stanzas of the _Eumenides_, the -open-air drama being directed and supervised in all its detail by -Katherine Tingley, and played by her students. She then declared that -a new awakening in this art was at hand and that the drama would be -restored once more to its true dignity as a most potent means of -expressing the life of the Soul. The seed at that moment planted -knowingly by her fell into a rich soil--today there is hardly a -country where an attempt has not been made to present ancient life by -representations in the open air. - -This year, in Lomaland, another note has been struck, a new impulse -given by the presentation of _The Aroma of Athens_ in the open-air -Greek Theater. More plays are to follow, of different lands and times, -opening up limitless opportunities for all who are in earnest and have -the welfare of the nations at heart. Ancient life is here given in -unstained purity, suffused with the inspiring splendor of soul-life. -Here all the rays come from within, from above; the false glamor from -below has no place. - -Elsewhere efforts have not always been successful, and we need not -wonder at that. Where do we find knowledge of ancient times except in -regard to scattered details of superficial life? Modern plays are few -which can withstand the silent environment of nature, for there the -conflict of human passions are out of place, as also much of the modern -way of acting, dissecting emotions and sensations. Nature demands -sincerity, and requires that a rôle should not only be _acted_, but -actually _lived_, supported by a worthy life. Then only will nature -help in many a hidden way; then only shall we have before our eyes the -drama of all ages: Man learning to use his own powers wisely and to -work in harmony with Nature. - -One of the happier attempts outside Lomaland seems to have been that -made in Sweden this summer by a band of young and enthusiastic actors. -Their success may be due to the fact that they started out with the -sincere wish to give the people out in the country who never had -seen a play, and especially the young, an opportunity to obtain a -glimpse of their ancient life. Refreshing simplicity and heart-feeling -characterized their whole work, going around, as they did, from place -to place where the young usually meet in summertime, selecting a fit -place on a mountain, at a lake, in a grove, or whatever they could -find, the audience having to resort to the flower-sprinkled grassy -slope of a hill. Over one hundred representations were given in this -way, most of them far away from cities. - -Even as a string vibrates when its note is sounded from a distance, -so the deeper heart-strings vibrate when their note is struck; and it -seems as if a new means of reaching the people has been found in such -representations. - -If only the highest and purest notes be sounded, as was the case in -Lomaland, new and helpful forces are called into play in human life. - - - - -INTRA-ATOMIC ENERGY: by H. Coryn, M. D., M. R. C. S. - - -Will the turn of Keeley (of motor fame) come for vindication? The turn -of the Keeley _principle_, the disintegration of atoms by sound, and -the consequent liberation of their stored energy, undoubtedly will. - -In his recent address to the British Association for the Advancement -of Science Sir William Ramsay dealt with the _self_-disintegration of -atoms, especially radium atoms, and then went on: - - This leads to the speculation whether, if elements are capable of - disintegration, the world may not have at its disposal a hitherto - unsuspected source of energy. If radium were to evolve its stored-up - energy at the same rate that gun-cotton does, we should have an - undreamed of explosive; could we control the rate we should have a - useful and potent source of energy.... If some form of catalyser - [promotor of atomic change] could be discovered which would usefully - increase their [such elements as radium] almost inconceivably slow - rate of change, then it is not too much to say that the whole future - of our race would be altered. - -A _Scientific American_ writer follows on naturally: - - Iodide of nitrogen, a black powder, is one of the most dangerous of - all explosives. When dry, the slightest touch will often cause it to - explode with great violence. There appears to be a certain rate of - vibration which this compound cannot resist. Some of it in the damp - state was rubbed on the strings of a bass viol. It is known that the - strings of such an instrument will vibrate when those of a similar - instrument, having an equal tension, are played upon. In the present - case, after the explosive had become thoroughly dry upon the strings, - another bass viol was brought near and its strings sounded. At a - certain note the iodide exploded. It was found that the explosion - occurred only when a rate of vibration of sixty per second was - communicated to the prepared strings. The note G caused an explosion - while E had no effect. - -The writer goes on to state that damage to stone and brick walls has -been traced to long continued violin playing. - - It follows, of course, that there must have been continuous playing - for years to cause the loosening of masonry or to make iron brittle, - but it will do so in time. - -The point of interest is _the special rate of vibration_ required -to set free the energy locked up in the iodide of nitrogen. It was -intra-_molecular_ energy. Sir William Ramsay was referring to the far -greater stores of intra-_atomic_ energy, energy _within_ the atoms, -holding each one together. The other ties them one to another within -the molecule, i. e., holds the molecule together. - -But may not the atom too respond to some special rate of vibration -producible by sound, lying far among the upper harmonics of any audible -tone? This at any rate was Keeley's statement and claim. The causes of -his equally unquestionable successes and failure may be worth looking -into once more now that a certain high temperature surrounding the -subject has died down. _Sound_ may be Sir William Ramsay's "catalyser." - - - - -A JAPANESE WRITER'S VIEWS ON MODERN CIVILIZATION: Contributed by E. S. -(Tokyo, Japan) - - -In an essay on the future of civilization in Japan, quoted in the -_Japan Chronicle_, Dr. Otsuki says: - - There can be little doubt that Western civilization and Japanese - civilization will eventually be united.... The harmonizing of the two - can be brought about only by mutual concessions; but it seems to me it - would be a calamity if we were to concede too much. There are times - when one feels as Dr. Nitobe felt when he wrote his _Soul of Japan_, - and as Lafcadio Hearn felt when he described the moral beauty of old - Japan; one fears that in their conflict with European civilization our - Japanese ideals will be gradually wiped out, that the good and the - beautiful as we have known it and loved it, will be sacrificed to the - coarser forms of modern utilitarianism.... - -The blending of the two civilizations - - leads us to inquire what is likely to be the future of Western - civilization. On this subject there is a great variety of opinion in - the West; but of one thing deep thinkers seem sure: the present system - of material civilization can only escape from ending in a terrible - cataclysm by the addition to it of spiritual and moral elements that - will guide, control, and conserve its energy.... Is it not possible - that Japan may be able to take a prominent part in this work? Can she - not save Europe and America from the dangers that now beset them? If - by blending her civilization with theirs she can supply the elements - of strength and permanence which are now lacking, then her future as - well as that of Western nations will be one of increasing prosperity. - But if, while receiving from Europe and America much that is good, - she takes also much that is distinctly bad, and in addition to this, - she allows her own fine old system of civilization to be blotted out - of existence--then her future destiny cannot be contemplated by any - patriotic Japanese with anything but grave misgiving and profound - grief. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. FACE OF STELA B: -COPAN From Maudslay's _Archaeologia_] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. FACE OF STELA P: -COPAN From Maudslay's _Archaeologia_] - - - - -COPAN, AND ITS POSITION IN AMERICAN HISTORY: by William E. Gates - - -No place among all the sites of ancient ruins on the continent of -America, arouses a livelier interest in both the observer and the -student, than does Copan. Other remains, in Peru, and even in Mexico, -are of vaster bulk; but the ensemble of Copan produces upon the mind an -effect comparable in Egypt only by that of Thebes. And this evidence -grows and is supported at every step by the evidence of such researches -and excavations as it has been so far possible to carry on. - - All would seem to indicate a gradual addition of new features - accompanied by abandonment of older parts. It can readily be seen how - a process of this kind carried on for centuries, without any well - designed plan to adhere to or any definite idea to carry out, would - result in a great complex mass of structures like that of Copan to - puzzle and perplex the explorer. - - There are other evidences that point to several successive periods of - occupation. The river front presents what looks like _at least three - great strata_, divided by floors or pavements of mortar cement. If - these floors mark the various levels corresponding to different epochs - in the history of the city, the question of the age of the ruins - becomes still more complicated; for between each successive period of - occupancy _there is the period of silence_, the length of which can - only be inferred from the thickness of the superimposed stratum.--Dr. - Geo. B. Gordon, _Exploration of Copan_, (in Peabody Museum _Memoirs_). - -The ruins of Copan lie on the level plain of a beautiful valley, a -mile and a half wide by seven or eight miles long, in Honduras, some -twelve miles east of the Guatemala boundary. The site thus marks -the eastern limit of the region covered by the ancient Maya remains -and inscriptions, as Palenque about marks its western edge, a short -distance beyond the Guatemala line, in the Mexican state of Chiapas. -The valley of Copan is watered by a swift river which enters and -leaves by a gorge, washing the eastern side of the ruins. The force of -the annual freshets each year carries away more of this river wall, -and by its washings has shown that the entire elevation of 120 feet -is of historical or artificial growth, showing the stratification of -occupancy mentioned by Dr. Gordon, and yielding fragments of pottery -and obsidian down to the water level. - -As can be seen by the plan, the ruins form a composite whole, some 2300 -by 1400 feet, and the historical development of the site is shown by -three independent pieces of evidence. Of these the most striking at -first sight is the very apparent growth of the ground plan, pointing -to successive additions and enlargements of an original nucleus, -just as we see at Thebes. The second evidence is that of excavation, -which proves beyond all question, even by the little so far done, that -new structures and temples were built upon or into the old. And this -evidence is corroborated by the dates on some of the monuments. - -The striking unity of the whole group of structures at Copan is -therefore a composite unity, the result of long-continued occupation. -Structures and temples were built and used; life flowed on around -them, and after lapses of time whose length we have no means whatever -(save in one case) of even estimating, other buildings were added, and -the earlier ones built over, or even covered up by the new. People do -not build temples and tear them down to build new ones the next year; -nor on the other hand do alien peoples and civilizations expand by a -harmonious enlargement the works of those they supersede, but rather -change, destroy, or build their own. - -The first thing then to be realized about the entire group of -structures at Copan is their composite unity; then that this is not -the result of a single construction, but of growth and successive -additions; then that these periods of enlargement are separated by -other, more or less long, periods of continued use and occupation, -during which the civilization of the people maintained itself, somewhat -modified by time, but not broken or interrupted. And finally, this -evidence, together with that of the monumental dates, to which we will -come, has so far only to do with the ground plan and the structures -we can discover by a few feet of digging on the surface of the plain -of Copan; for we have not the slightest means as yet of relating -anything we can see at Copan to the various strata of occupation, with -intervening silence, marked on the 120 feet of the disintegrating river -wall. Those periods of silence may indeed, for everything we can yet -tell, be the silence of non-occupation, of civilizations destroyed and -forgotten, only to be followed by others. One Copan after another may -have been built upon the obliterated site of its predecessor. Whatever -evidence there is, read in comparison with similar evidence elsewhere, -points to that; a few years ago we disbelieved in a historical Troy, -only to find successive Troys, and many like places elsewhere, built -one above the other. To _deny_ the like or its probability at Copan, -would be foolish. - -But to return to the Copan whose remains we can see, one great question -is forced upon us at the very outset. That is this: what must have -been the state of the _American continent_, as regards civilization, -during the ages into which we are trying to look? And that they were -long ages, even for the Copan we have before us, we shall presently -see. While all this was going on there, what was the rest of the -continent like? Our preconceived notions of savagery or nomadic tribal -communities must be thrown entirely to the winds, together with the -statement of the historian Robertson, made in 1777, that in all New -Spain there is not "any monument or vestige of any building more -ancient than the Conquest." - -As a first step towards an appreciation of the place of Copan in -American history, we must consider the actual state of New Spain (that -is, the region from the Rio Grande to Panama, approximately) at the -time of the Discovery. The Aztecs were in possession of the valley -of Mexico, with an elaborate civilization, fairly comparable if not -superior to that of Europe at the same time; but their history only -goes back a few hundred years, for they were merely a warlike nation -who had come in, probably from the north, and were about comparable -to the Manchus in China, or the Goths in Rome. They settled upon and -appropriated _some_ (a very small part) of the civilization before -them. Around them were various semi-independent peoples whom they had -neither destroyed nor entirely subdued, and among whom they had only -a primacy of force. To the southwest of Mexico the ancient Zapotec -kingdom still existed, a link with the past, towards its end, but -still owing nothing to the Aztecs. In Yucatan and Central America were -the fragments of the Mayan peoples, broken up into half a dozen main -language stocks, and a score of separate dialects. Between the Mayas -and those of Mexico there was some intercourse and a little borrowing, -with some very ancient traditions probably in common. In culture and -mythology, as to which we have limited material for comparison, and in -language, as to which we have ample material, they were about as much -alike, or as closely related, as the ancient Germans to the ancient -Romans. Both were Americans, as the others were Aryans, with a common -inheritance of tradition, mythology, and language type; no more. - -Beyond all possible dispute, the Mayas were indefinitely the older -people. The Aztecs had but a picture or rebus writing, and there is -no evidence they ever had more than this. There are slight traces of -writing akin to the Maya, among the Zapotecs. But the Mayas had a -complete system of genuine hieroglyphic writing, certainly not derived -from the Aztec picture-writing, but dissimilar from this in every way, -with monuments antedating the period of Aztec history, on which the -hieroglyphic forms are fully developed and perfect. The civilization, -monuments, and hieroglyphs of Copan, Palenque, and of Tikal in southern -Yucatan, are Mayan; but they are not the Mayan of the time of the -Discovery. - -The period immediately preceding the entry of the Spaniards is a -historical period. We have various chronicles written by native hands, -princes, priests or recorders, giving us some of the early cosmic -traditions, brought down into contemporary times. We have these in Maya -for Yucatan, and in Quiché-Cakchiquel for Guatemala. In each case the -period of definable history goes back several centuries, but throws -no light on the earlier period. In 1500 the triple Quiché kingdom -was still a powerful and civilized nation; and if we know less of it -than we do of the Aztec it is only because it was more quickly wiped -out, because Lake Tezcoco and not Lake Atitlán became the seat of -the Spanish capital, and because no efforts were made at the time to -preserve the Mayan knowledge and traditions, as was done by a few in -Mexico. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. THE HIEROGLYPHIC -STAIRWAY: COPAN (AFTER EXCAVATION, SHOWING ONE-SIXTH OF ORIGINAL -HEIGHT) From Peabody Museum _Memoirs_] - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. COPAN: GENERAL PLAN -From Maudslay's _Archaeologia_] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. STELA H: COPAN From -Maudslay's _Archaeologia_] - -In northern Yucatan the capital of the last Mayan confederacy, Mayapán, -had been destroyed in the middle of the 15th century; Chichén Itzá -lasted as a city practically up to that time; and on the island of -Tayasal in Lake Petén, southern Yucatan, there was a powerful and -flourishing Itzá nation down to 1697. Of the architecture, manner of -life, house furnishings, etc. of the different living Maya centers we -have reasonably full descriptions left by different Spanish writers -of the time. And they do not correspond in the smallest degree, to -the monuments and buildings we have left at Copan and other ancient, -abandoned sites. We are only able to trace a continuation of the type, -and to know that the same hieroglyphic writing we find on the carved -monuments of the older places, continued to be used until the Conquest. -So that after sifting the various descriptions, we find that even the -powerful cities of Tayasal and Utatlán, the Quiché capital, were but -villages in comparison. The nearest link is Chichén Itzá, which seems -to have been the last really great Maya city. Its architectural remains -are indeed in size and extent comparable with the older sites; but in -style and in the life of the people displayed by the carved and painted -scenes, it is like comparing the Egypt of the Ptolemies with that of -Ramessu and Hatshepsu. But Chichén Itzá itself was abandoned as the -capital at least a century before the coming of the Spaniards. -And to quote from the description of Mr. A. P. Maudslay, from whose -great work most of our illustrations are taken, after saying: "I fear -that this slight description of Chichén must wholly fail to convey to -my readers the sensation of a ghostly grandeur and magnificence which -becomes almost oppressive to one who wanders day after day amongst the -ruined buildings"; and then after noting various differences between -the ruins of Chichén and those of Copan and Quiriguá, he adds: - - the absence of sculptured stelae, the scarcity of hieroglyphic - inscriptions, and, most important of all, the fact that every man - is shown as a warrior with atlatl and spears in his hand; the only - representation of a woman depicts her watching a battle from the roof - of a house in a beleaguered town, whereas at Copan and Quirigua there - are no representations of weapons of war, and at Copan a woman was - deemed worthy of a fine statue in the Great Plaza [see illustration, - Stela P]. I am inclined to think that it must have been the stress of - war that drove the peaceable inhabitants of the fertile valleys of the - Motagua and Usumacinta and the highlands of the Vera Cruz [Copan], - to the less hospitable plains of Yucatan, where, having learnt the - arts of war, they re-established their power. Then again they passed - through evil times: intertribal feuds and Nahua invasions may account - for the destruction and abandonment of their great cities, such as - Chichén Itzá and Mayapán, ... - -So much for the Maya civilization in the 15th century, and its then -centers and capitals. But of Copan, Palenque, Tikal, and Quiriguá, we -have not the slightest trace as living cities. Cortes visited Tayasal -on his way to Honduras; Alvarado overran and conquered the Quiché -kingdoms; but no one even mentioned the existence of any of these older -places. Not a tradition about any of them has ever been discovered -among the living natives at any time; for all we can see they were -_then_ buried, in ruins, in the forests, and forgotten. - -In 1576 Diego García de Palacio, Judge of the Royal Audiencia, made a -report to King Philip II of his travels, by royal order, in what is now -eastern Guatemala and western Honduras. He reached Copan, and describes -"ruins and vestiges of a great civilization and of superb edifices, -of such skill and splendor that it appears that they could never have -been built by the natives of that province." He sought, but could -find no tradition of their history, save that a great lord had come -there in time past, built the monuments and gone away, leaving them -deserted. This, in the face of what we see on the site, means exactly -nothing. Palacio's original manuscript, which is still in existence, -was forgotten, only to be later discovered, and printed first in 1860. -For 259 years Copan was again forgotten, until visited in 1835 by John -L. Stephens. Palenque for its part remained entirely unknown until -about the middle of the 18th century. For what we know of real value -concerning these ruins we are indebted to the works of Stephens, to the -archaeological survey and excavations carried on by Mr. A. P. Maudslay, -by the Peabody Museum of Cambridge, and to a few less extended visits -by other explorers. In 1891, by the enlightened zeal of President -Bográn of Honduras, the Peabody Museum acquired the official care of -the Copan ruins for a period of years. - -As seen upon the plan, Copan consists of a group of pyramids, on -the summit of each of which probably once stood a small temple; of -terraces and walls; and finally of sculptured pillars or stelae, each -of which has or had before it a low, so-called altar. Nearly all -of these stelae bear on one face a human figure surrounded by most -elaborate symbolism of dress, ornament, and other figures. The faces -are dignified and for the most part not grotesque. Above the head is -usually a triple overshadowing. The main symbolism is worked out in -bird and serpent motifs, and into the dress at different parts of the -body, notably the chest, are worked medallions of faces, as if to -symbolize different human centers of consciousness in the body. The -sides and back of all are covered with hieroglyphic inscriptions, whose -general characteristic it is to begin with a date, which is followed by -the indication of intervals which reach to other dates throughout the -whole inscription. This statement holds good for practically all Mayan -monumental inscriptions, on stelae or otherwise. And these dates, or -most of them, are all we can yet read of these writings. We can, that -is, read them in their own terms, but without being definitely able to -translate them into our chronology. - -The first and greatest work done by the Peabody Museum was in the -excavation and partial restoration of the Hieroglyphic Stairway. -This stairway is on the west side of mound 26, almost in the center -of the plan. It is 26 feet wide, with a three foot carved balustrade -on each side. The risers of the steps are carved with a hieroglyphic -inscription; at the base is an altar, and the ascent is, or was, broken -by seated figures. But fifteen steps are left in place, although an -approximate restoration was made by Dr. Gordon of the position of what -were probably the upper rows. Originally they must have numbered about -ninety, to the top of a pyramid as many feet high; but a landslip at -some time, probably since Palacio's time, carried the upper rows down -and on over the lower ones, which remained buried until Maudslay's -first visit. Palacio mentioned a great flight of steps descending to -the river, which the river may have destroyed. - -In front of the Stairway stands Stelae M, of which Dr. Gordon closes -by saying: "It would seem to have stood in front of the older edifice, -that served at last as a foundation for the Hieroglyphic Stairway with -its temple, for centuries before the latter was built." And what now is -the chronological evidence on these monuments? - -Without going into what would be long details to set forth even what -is known of the very elaborate Maya methods of time reckoning, it is -enough to say that these sculptured dates regularly specify a certain -day (indicated by the combination of twenty names with thirteen -numbers), and hence recurring only once in 260 days, falling on a -certain day of a certain month, in a certain year expressed by _four -numbers in vigesimal_ (instead of decimal) _progression_, so that the -successive figures stand for 1, 20, 400, and 8000 years, instead of -as with us, 1, 10, 100, 1000. It is a moot point whether the dates -include the next stage, of 160,000 years, in the reckoning, or not. -And it may be stated by the way, that though the Mayas knew and used -the ordinary solar year, their long chronological count was kept in -terms of 360 days, the same as we find in co-ordinate use in ancient -India, and perhaps significantly identical with the perfect circle of -360 degrees. Whatever the fact, however, as to these higher periods, -it is established that nearly all the Maya inscription dates occur -within the ninth 400 of the current 8000-year cycle; that is, they are -dated between about 3200 and 3600 years after the initial date of that -particular period. It is not possible for us to consider these dates -other than as the contemporary dates of the monuments themselves; and -the great number of them, all over the Maya territory, slightly varying -for different sites, points most clearly to a special "building" period -of about that extent. - -A very few monumental dates go much back of this period. The initial -dates of the Temples of the Sun and of the Foliated Cross at Palenque -both fall in the 765th year of the same current 8000-year cycle, and -that of the Temple of the Cross about five years before that great -cycle began. But as these inscriptions then go on to cover long -successions of years, _these_ earlier dates are probably historical, -but not contemporary. On the other hand, a very few dates come on into -the tenth 400; and the only large stela bearing so late a date is at -Chichén Itzá, the last great Maya city, so far as our history goes. An -analysis of the groupings of these dates on the various monuments of -the different sites, and their mutual comparison, gives a good deal of -basis to check future historical researches, and at Copan it gives us -one definite confirmation, already referred to, of the evidence which -the structures themselves afford of successive separated "building" -periods, with continued intervening use. Of four consecutive and -deciphered dates on the fifteen lower steps of the Stairway, still in -position, at Copan, the second and third are respectively 48 and 74 -years, and the last, at the lower right hand of our illustration, is -937 years, 44 days _later than the first_. We can hardly regard this -date as a future or prophetic one; it must be, like similar final -dates of long inscriptions at Palenque, the contemporary date of the -structure. All the other dates at Copan, those as initial dates on -stelae, fall within the "building" era of the ninth 400, which we have -mentioned as common to nearly all the inscriptions--except one, Stela -C, in the middle of the north part of the Great Plaza, whose date is -apparently almost contemporary with this final date of the stairway. -And these two dates are 730 years later than any other stela date at -Copan. Of Stela C, Dr. Gordon says: - - The two monuments [the Stela and the Stairway] have certain technical - affinities in the carving, as though they might have been the work of - the same master. - -In short, while we are still far from the end, the story of the -monuments and their dates alike so far is that there was a great -building period among the most ancient known Maya cities, in what we -know as the ninth period, about date 3400 of the current cycle; that -Copan shared in this; that then such building ceased, so far as dated -monuments go, at Copan for some 730 years. That then the Stairway was -rebuilt over a former pyramid, and Stela C erected; that this latter -period was a few hundred years later than one Stela we find at Chichén -Itzá; that after that silence fell, oblivion for all the southern -sites, and internal strife, warfare, and disintegration for the last -great Itzá city; then its abandonment; and then finally, on new sites, -local dynastic histories, _each silent as to these earlier places_, -yet embracing several hundred years of history, and carrying on even -into Spanish times what were still then powerful and, as things went, -civilized kingdoms. But they were not Copan. - - - - -SCIENTIFIC BREVITIES: by the Busy Bee - - -Egyptian mummies have been put to a use for which they were probably -never intended--the manufacture of a particular fine brown pigment. The -body, being preserved in the finest bitumen, has assumed an appearance -like leather; and it has been found that this mixture of bitumen and -leather, when ground down, makes a brown pigment prized by portrait -painters for the representation of brown hair. - - * * * * * - -THE SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN is responsible for the statement that the power -which drives the mechanism of a watch is equivalent to only four times -that used in a flea's jump; or, in mathematical language, a watch -is a four-flea-power motor. One horse-power would suffice to drive -270,000,000 watches, whence we infer that one horse is equivalent to -more than a billion fleas! We suggest the dividing of the horse-power -unit into convenient sub-multiples, such as the dog-power or the -mouse-power, instead of using the names of people, like Watt and Joule. - - * * * * * - -MEDIEVAL churches took whole reigns to build, and some of the monuments -left to us from antiquity may have taken centuries. Structures designed -for more immediate and less enduring purposes can be rushed up in a -very business-like way. In fact the stately pile can be reared by -gasoline jacks. Reference is had to the description and pictures of a -church which was built in this way. It is of concrete; the molds are -laid horizontally upon the jacks, and the walls cast each in one solid -piece. Then the motors are started and the structure rears itself into -place. - - * * * * * - -EVIDENCE as to the persistency of life is afforded by some experiments -in which fish were frozen up in their water, and the block of ice then -cooled down to 20° C. below the freezing point; after thawing, the fish -came to life and swam about as usual. Yet, if the frozen block were -broken, the fish would break up into little pieces along with the ice. -Frogs can be frozen down to 28° C. below the freezing point and still -revive; while snails will resist 120° C. From this it may be inferred -that life can be preserved throughout long periods of glaciation. - - * * * * * - -IT is reported that the farmers in the province of Skåne, Sweden, -have organized to build a central station to furnish their farms with -electric current, which will be used both for mechanical power and for -lighting; and that in another part of the country the farmers have -formed a company to purchase power from a power station and distribute -it to the farms. - - * * * * * - -AT a meeting of the Selborne Society (for Natural History) England, it -was suggested that a sanctuary for wild birds should be provided and a -tract of wild country acquired and set aside for the preservation of -birds likely to become exterminated, such as the chough, the raven, the -buzzard, the peregrine, and the kite. If the Government did not see its -way to undertake the work, it might give a grant as the nucleus for an -appeal for subscriptions. The United States, Switzerland, and Austria -already provide such sanctuaries. - - * * * * * - -BY looking at one object too hard we may so bedazzle ourselves that -we can see nothing else. This remark is suggested by the views of a -botanist who appears to regard the colors and scents of flowers as -being designed entirely and solely for the benefit of insects, in order -that the insects may pollenize the flowers. We dare say that object -forms part of the plan; but we surmise it does not form the whole -plan. Birds carry seeds, but that is not the sole object and purpose -of a bird's existence. Besides, the idea that insects and flowers were -created for each other reminds one of the old story of the posts that -held up the wires and the wires that held up the posts. - - * * * * * - -THE Swiss correspondent of the London _Morning Post_ said recently -that the glaciers in the Rhône district of Switzerland are in retreat, -some of them to an extent "which may almost be described as alarming." -The Arolla glacier has receded 85ft. in the past twelve months; the -Aletsch, the longest in the Alps, 65ft.; the Gorner, 58; the Zinal, -51; while the Turtmann, in the Zermatt range, and the Zanfleuren or -Sanetsch have retreated nearly 46ft. each. Within the last ten years -the Zigiornuovo glacier has shrunk by 904ft., the Zanfleuren by 718, -the Aletsch by 459, the Zinal by 378, and the Gorner by nearly 190. -Other glaciers were observed, and all showed more or less shrinkage; -but, as for the small Mont Bouvin glacier, in the space of four years -it has entirely "disappeared from sight"--a cautious expression. These -changes may of course be part of a periodic variation. - - * * * * * - -THE encroachment of the sea on the east coast of England is such that -at Pakefield, near Lowestoft, a row of cottages has been brought to the -edge of the cliff. In one of these cottages live an old couple, who -own the house, but are now forced to move, as the cliff edge is only a -few feet from the front door. The woman was born in the cottage and -remembers when it was a good walk to reach the cliff. Old fishermen -in Pakefield are now catching fish where as boys they gathered -blackberries. - -Such rapid encroachments of the sea on some shores, accompanied by -recession of the sea on others, alone suffice to account for great -changes in the course of ages. These changes include tilting of the -strata and change of the configuration of the shores. Judging by -general analogy, one would infer that geological changes are of various -speeds, some very gradual, others more rapid, just like the work of -running water, which goes on all the time and yet may accomplish more -during a single flood than during several ordinary years. There is room -for both the "catastrophists" and the advocates of slow and gradual -movement. - - * * * * * - -THAT the presence of comets causes or indicates hot weather is an -item of ancient belief, and theorists may choose between rejecting -or explaining it. There is a well-known story of a philosopher, who, -desirous of proving that his philosophy could, if need be, be turned -to material profit, bought up some vineyards in view of a prospective -comet, thus reaping the harvest of a good season. The phrase "comet -vintage", as applying to wine, is also well known. A recent theory, -as announced in the papers, attributes the great heat of the summer -of 1911 to the presence of a comet in the solar system, the head of -the comet being supposed to act like a lens and to concentrate the -solar power. Whether or not this lens plays any tricks with optics, -we are not told. As science progresses, more attention is paid to the -influence of electric and magnetic conditions upon the weather; while -recent discoveries provide us with an ample machinery of rays and -emanations to act as go-betweens from celestial bodies to the earth. - - This is the Dog that worried the Cat - That killed the Rat - That ate the Malt - That lay in the House that Jack built. - -So says an ancient poem, and it reminds us of the "balance of nature" -which people are always upsetting. If we kill the Dog there will be too -many cats and they will have to supplement their rat-diet with birds. -If we kill the Cat, the Rat will eat all the Malt; and if we kill the -Rat, we starve the Cat. So with agriculture; one scarcely knows what to -kill or what to spare. We are told now that we must avoid deep plowing, -or we shall kill the Spider which worries the Grub which eats the -Crop that Jack sowed. This spider is the aerial spider, a small but -very numerous creature who--doesn't fly, but uses a filament of web as -an aeroplane. A writer in _The Technical World Magazine_ has studied -their habits. Their webs are seen during the warm autumn days floating -in countless numbers through the air; but even these are but a small -fraction of the real number; for what we see are merely the ones who -have made failures and got their aeroplanes caught on something. It is -estimated that on cultivated grass-land there are enormous numbers of -these spiders per square foot. - - * * * * * - -AS to the "old style" and "new style" calendars, people are often in -doubt as to the number of days by which these differ from each other, -and whether to add or subtract the days. If we remember that when the -new style is adopted anywhere, days are omitted from the calendar, -and the date thereby set forward, we shall see that the old style -dates are always behind those of the new style, and we must add or -subtract as required. The astronomer Clavius, whose work has lent -immortality to the name of Pope Gregory XIII, put the calendar date -ten days forward, to make up for the error which had been accumulating -for centuries. This was in the 16th century. To prevent the calendar -from getting wrong again, he suppressed the intercalary days (Feb. 29) -three times in every 400 years, namely, in 1700, 1800, 1900, but not -in 1600 or 2000, the intercalary days being thus allowed to remain -in every century year whose first two digits are divisible by 4. By -the time England made the change it was necessary to put the date -forward 11 days, as this was in the 18th century, and the year 1700 had -intervened. Those countries which have not yet adopted the change were -12 days behind in the 19th century, and are now 13 days behind. The -correct way to write a date so as to represent it in both styles is, -for instance, July 31 / Aug. 13, 1911; or July 31 / Aug. 12, 1831. The -calendars, unless the old style is given up, will continue to differ by -13 days until March 1st, 2100. - - * * * * * - -A WRITER on heredity says that if a person has not inherited the music -disposition, he will never become a musician, although he may acquire -a knowledge of music; and that a person not born with the potentiality -of the poetical disposition will never be a poet, although he may gain -a knowledge of prosody. This is a dogmatic statement, but it does not -amount to much after all; for it can be turned around by saying that if -a person does not become a musician or a poet, the inference is that -he has not inherited the faculties. Thus it is mainly a question of -words and phrases. - -At all events let the aspirant to the Muses put the matter to a -practical test. Let him strive to become a poet or a musician; and if -he succeeds, he can say: "See, I must have inherited the power." If he -fails, why then he can foist the blame upon heredity. - -But surely it would be difficult, in many cases of musical genius, to -trace the effect to heredity. Still harder would it be, reversing the -process, to predict such hereditament. So the above-quoted theory is -only tantamount to an acknowledgment of the facts and the provision of -a plausible formulation of them. - -Characteristics come partly from the parental and ancestral soil -wherein the human seed grows; partly from the mental atmosphere of -the race and community; partly from one's education; and partly from -qualities which the Individual himself has brought over from his own -past. All of these concomitants have to be taken into account in -considering the question of heredity. Needless to say, nobody should -permit his efforts and aspirations to be relaxed in consequence of any -dogma or theory which may tend to cast discouragement thereon. - - * * * * * - -TO BE conscious of one's ignorance is to have taken the first step from -folly towards wisdom; and doubtless the tremendous overhauling that -is now taking place in the stock of our ideas should be taken as a -hopeful sign rather than an omen of woe. Hence the fact that chaos, as -it seems, reigns in our ideas about the science of agriculture may be -regarded as the sign that something is about to hatch out. - -According to quotations made by _The Literary Digest_, a university -professor of agricultural science takes to task the Bureau of Soils -of the United States Department of Agriculture. These opponents take -diametrically opposite views with regard to the care of the soil. The -Bureau is credited, on the strength of quotations from its circulars, -with maintaining that the soil contains an inexhaustible fund of plant -food which is continually replaced by natural processes. Its opponents -declare that this teaching is wrong and disastrous. The professor in -question claims to have taken the opinions of most of the land-grant -experiment stations, and maintains that the opinions of the Bureau are -derided by these and by most other authorities in this country and in -Europe. The soil needs to be taken care of, or else it will become -barren. History is quoted in support. - -This controversy indicates that our theories are in a state of chaos. -The more we learn about agriculture, the more there is to learn; for -each new discovery opens up a new field. Plants need mineral food; -they need nitrogen; they need bacteria to help them get the nitrogen. -The chemist, the physicist, and the biologist all have a say in -agriculture. Some of the great nations of the past seem to have known a -good deal about agriculture; and probably there is a good deal of their -knowledge that has not yet been transmitted or revived. - - * * * * * - -THE statement that the emu is almost extinct is misleading, says an -Australian correspondent to a scientific paper. The birds exist in -large numbers in north and northwest New South Wales and practically -all over Queensland, and South and Western Australia. And he adds -that he does not think they will become extinct yet, "because they -are practically valueless." Can this be an instance of the survival -of the fittest? The naïve assumption that man destroys that which he -values can but lead to the scientific inference that the world will -become stocked with things which man does not value. Hence, whatever -may be supposed to be the case in nature, the influence of man is to -promote the survival of the unfit. True, this works out all right for -nature, but man becomes reduced to a mere destructive agency whose -influence nature eliminates. Eventually, on this theory, man will -find himself the denizen of a world stocked with things which are to -him "practically valueless"; and then, presumably, he will leave off -destroying, for want of anything to destroy. - -Still it must not be forgotten that man, even in such a destructive -civilization as the present, is a creator. He is potent on the -invisible planes where thoughts are things; and according to hints -given in the ancient teachings, mankind is concerned in the processes -by which the animated forms of nature are evolved. - - * * * * * - -WITH regard to instinct in animals, people are sometimes prone to -take too extreme views. Experience teaches us that instinct which is -so reliable in beaten tracks of habit proves a failure in unfamiliar -circumstances. A bird in a room cannot find the way out, even when door -and windows are open, but flies back and forth just above the level -of the openings. But even here we must be cautious; for animals can -adapt themselves to new circumstances. The timid wild-bird learns to -feed from the hand. In this respect we notice degrees among different -animals, some having more plastic minds than others; this marks -different upward stages in the perfection of the animal monad. - -Because instinct, the accumulation of age-long experience, is so -infallible in ordinary cases, we must not assume that it cannot err. -On the contrary we often meet with cases of dunderhead stupidity and -of a blind addiction to custom that savors almost of automatism. Thus -a correspondent of an English paper writes about a blackbird which had -been brought up as a nestling in the house. When grown up and given her -liberty, she insisted on coming back to build, and made her nest in a -bookshelf. But the family was a failure, because the hen had no mate -and nature failed to depart from her rule; there were no young; fertile -eggs had to be procured for her to hatch. - -Another story in the same paper tells of a mare which lost her foal and -was given a calf dressed in the skin of the departed. The giving of -stuffed calves to cows, while being milked, is a familiar practice. In -animals we see minds in course of development, capable of considerable -growth, but within limits. The self-conscious ego, characteristic of -man, is not there. We must bear in mind that the animal is an animal -soul (or monad) within a form; that it is the monad which undergoes the -evolution; and that though an animal does not become a man, that which -ensouls the animal will in some future cycle of evolution enter into -the making of man. It is by the gift of the self-conscious Mind, which -links the Spiritual to the terrestrial, that the animal consciousness -was made to subserve the purposes of the human kingdom. - - * * * * * - -WHILE the acknowledged scientific method of inquiry consists in logical -inferences from observations, it is well known that a very limited -amount of observation is frequently made to support an unlimited amount -of inference. The "scientific use of the imagination" (Tyndall) is -highly recommended, but may o'erleap itself and "give to airy nothings -a local habitation and a name," unless checked by some sedater quality. - -We see that a biologist has gone back in imaginative speculation beyond -"protoplasm" as the origin of life; for, just as the physicists have -subdivided their atom into electrons, so this theorist has subdivided -his protoplasm into something still more elementary and primordial, -which he calls "mycoplasm." The first part of the word means "fungus," -so now we can speak of our ancestor as the primordial fungus; and -indeed fungoid traits do seem to survive in some people. Science, we -are told, knows a whole world of minute corpuscles which do not need -oxygen for their existence and cannot be killed by boiling water. They -do not make the amoeboid movements characteristic of protoplasm and -are immune to the strongest poisons. This kind of creature, therefore, -could exist on earth long before protoplasm could, as it is so very -hardy; and from it, as soon as the crust had cooled and oxygen been -formed, the protoplasm sprang. Such is the theory, but it may be wrong. -What we want to know, however, is what the mycoplasms sprang from; -because either they must have sprung from something else, or else they -are the great "I Am," eternal and uncreate. - -It is a curious method, this, which traces the great back to the small, -thus making the small greater than the great. The man in a silk hat -proceeded from the man without a silk hat, and he from the ape, and -the ape from the duck-billed platypus, and so on back to Haeckel's -"moneron," and back again to this primordial mushroom. - -So we may trace the scale of numbers back to prime factors and to -unity; but between the unit and the zero, infinitude stretches. Is not -unity, though in one sense the smallest of numbers, in all other senses -the greatest? From whatever source we derive life, that source must be -greater than life itself. So let us set up an image of the Mycoplasm -and worship it. Jehovah himself could not have done more than it has -done. - -Is it not clear that material evolution is but one aspect, and that -a small one, of the process? Growth and evolution mean nothing if -not a coming into visibility from invisibility, into actuality from -potentiality. A seed grows; and, seen from the material point of -view, it seems to grow from nothing. But all the time the material -plant is unfolding, something unseen is expanding into it. Evolution -is a twofold process. A mycoplasm would lie forever wrapped in its -complacent hardihood in the primordial fiery atmosphere, unless some -Impulse gave it the word to unfold and turn itself into protoplasm. -The view of the world as a great machine without any motive power, and -running by the power of its own motion, may be interesting, but it is -not convincing. - -If ever our globe were in such a primitive condition as that imagined, -it is equally certain that the life-impulse which it received came -from somewhere; and all analogy would lead us to surmise that that -life-impulse came from another globe. But obviously the matter is too -vast for little theories. The important point is that some theorists, -in spite of good intentions, appear to have got things wrong way up. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. THE SURF AT -CORONADO, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA THIS VIEW SHOWS THE SOUTHERN END OF -POINT LOMA Photograph by Slocum, San Diego] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. THE MAMMOTH CAVE, LA -JOLLA, SAN DIEGO] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. SERAEJEVO, CAPITAL -OF BOSNIA The minarets of the city's mosques are especially elegant] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. KLAMATH RECLAMATION -PROJECT, OREGON-CALIFORNIA PART OF TULE LAKE, OREGON, LOOKING TOWARD -BLOODY POINT - -Nature frequently puts too much water in some places, and too little -in others, to suit the purposes of man. Draining a piece of wet land -is just the opposite of irrigating a piece of dry land. Both processes -are called reclamation. This picture shows Tule Lake, in Oregon, which -required to be drained that its fertile bed might be turned into -farms.] - - - - -CONFLICT OF THE AGES: by S. F. - - - The bugle calls! while far and near - The gathering hosts are marching by; - Their clanging arms, their tread I hear, - The sounds which tell the strife is nigh. - - To arms! to arms! each loyal heart - Responsive trembles at the call! - Each valorous soul will do his part - To win the victory for all. - - 'Tis not for selfish worldly gain, - For cross or crescent, king or crown, - They marshal on the battle plain - To strike the bold usurper down. - - It is no mortal foe they seek-- - No Brother's blood they wish to spill, - Nor strong that triumph o'er the weak-- - Their good to gain through other's ill. - - Ah no! the world has never yet - Been called to arm for such a fray, - Nor e'er such countless hosts have met - As those that bear the sword today. - - 'Tis hidden Forces they oppose-- - A subtle Power that rules the earth-- - While Nature shudders in her throes - To bring the Savior, Truth, to birth. - - And 'tis not only men's weak hands - Which bear aloft the spear and lance-- - Lo! o'er the plains the Master's bands - With swift and noiseless feet advance. - - The Helpers of mankind are They-- - Great Elder Brothers of the Race! - At dawning of the grand New Day - Each Warrior stands within his place. - - The Order of the Ages New - Has come at last in dawning Light-- - Its soldiers neither weak nor few-- - And they are armed with God's own might. - - In vain the hosts of Darkness rise - And shriek aloud their battle cry! - The dawn of Truth lights all the skies - And crime and wrong and fraud shall die. - - - - -WOMEN WHO HAVE INFLUENCED THE WORLD: - -by the Rev. S. J. Neill - - -As gravitation existed before Newton made his discovery, so, also, has -the influence of woman exerted a powerful sway among many nations long -before the modern movement towards woman's emancipation. - -That the modern movement is a powerful one cannot be denied by anyone -who knows what is going on in the world. The wise study the action of -the winds and waves and use them for beneficent purposes. We smile -at the picture of the English ruler ordering back the tide; and at -the Persian ruler who commanded the waters of the Bosphorus to be -castigated. The woman's emancipation of the present day calls for -careful study and wise direction on the part of all lovers of human -welfare. Everything which gives a clearer understanding of woman in her -own nature, and in her relation to man must be of service. What women -have done in the past may throw some light on what woman may achieve in -the future. As "lives of great men all remind us, we can make our lives -sublime," even so the lives of great and noble women are a beacon light -and a prophecy. - -Though a truism, it must never be forgotten that woman's nature and -her function in the world differ from man's. Many mistakes have been -made, and are still made, through forgetting that woman and man are -two aspects of the One Life in manifestation; therefore they are not -opposed to each other, but are complementary of each other--"like -perfect music unto noble words." Milton has tried to express this in -the well-known lines: - - For contemplation he and valor formed; - For softness she, and sweet attractive grace. - -Harmony in nature consists in each part of the whole working according -to its proper use or function. While this general law may seem to -preclude the possibility of women being in their proper sphere and yet -acting as great generals, great statesmen, or great rulers, we find -that women have again and again become illustrious in these respects. -In doing so it is possible that the woman parts with some of that -"softness and sweet attractive grace," of which Milton speaks. It is -possible that she may "lose the childlike in the larger mind," which -Tennyson says the perfect woman should not lose; yet she remains a -woman essentially while doing work supposed to be appropriate to man. -Joan of Arc retained her girlish heart to the last, and after she had -led the armies of France to victory, wished for nothing better than to -return to her native village and live in peace. Even Queen Elizabeth -of England, generally regarded as one of the most masculine of her -sex, retained to the end some of those qualities which distinctly -belong to woman. Queen Isabella of Spain, though weighted down with -domestic sorrows and engrossed with cares of state, was moved with deep -compassion for the condition of the Indians, and in her last moments -exacted from her husband a promise for their protection. A biographer -says that she was possessed of all the "personal grace, gentleness, and -feminine accomplishments of Mary Stuart, without her weakness." Great -queen as she was, the name bestowed on her by her people, and ratified -by history, was: "Isabella of peace and good will." - -From the dawn of history we find great women in many countries of the -world. Passing by Biblical women, as too well known to need mention, we -find in Egypt, according to Meyer in his _Oldest Books of the World_, -that "the position of woman both in religion and government was very -elevated." He says: - - Woman appears to have met with more consideration among the old - Egyptians than with any other people of Oriental antiquity. It is to - the glory of ancient Egyptian wisdom, that it has been the first to - express the dignity and high position of the wife and woman. - -Near the Great Pyramid a tomb has been opened which gives us a -few facts concerning the first Queen of Egypt of whom we have any -knowledge. Her name was Mer-ti-tef-s, which means "the beloved of her -father." She was also described as "the wife of the king whom she -loved." Another great ruler of Egypt, about 1516 B. C., was Hatshepsut. -Dr. Wallis Budge of the British Museum tells us that this queen -dressed herself as a man. Some of the other great queens of Egypt -are: Nitocris; Aah-hotep; Mutemva, mother of Amen-hotep III; Ti, wife -of Amen-hotep, whose tomb was found not long ago, and whose remains -were found wrapped in sheets of gold, with the exquisitely worked -crown of gold at her head. These two with Nefert-i-tain, are said to -have "worked harmoniously together for the establishment of ancient -truth in Egypt." Besides these we have Batria, wife of Rameses III; -the well-known Cleopatra; and last but not least, Dido of Carthage, -whom, had Aeneas married, the whole course of history would have been -different. - -Crossing over to Greece, we may mention Sappho, the sweet singer, who -has suffered much misrepresentation, and of whom Professor Palgrave -says: - - There is no need for me to panegyrise the poetess whom the whole world - has been long since contented to hold without a parallel. - -There is also Aspasia, the wife of Pericles. From Greek statuary we see -how noble woman must have been in Greece. - -In Italy we have Cornelia, who has been called "the ideal mother," and -Volumnia, mother of Coriolanus; and Portia, wife of Brutus; nor must we -forget Beatrice, the heroine of _The Divina Commedia_. - -In Japan, in China, and in India, we find many names of great women -whose influence has endured through the ages. The Taj Mahal is -sufficient to remind us of what a woman has been in the Moslem world. -J. S. Mill says that - - if a Hindû principality is strong, vigilantly and energetically - governed; if order is preserved without oppression, in three cases out - of four that principality is under the regency of a woman. - -Coming to Western lands we find the valiant British queen Boadicea. -In ancient Germany there was Queen Radigünde, who founded a school -for women. In Sweden Birgitta was famous as a patron of learning; her -schools numbered eighty, and there still exist six schools of her order -on the Continent and one in England, the only one that can boast of an -unbroken existence from pre-Reformation times. Ireland too had a Saint -Brigit, some of whose wonderful works were evidently transferred to her -from the Celtic goddess Ceridwen. - -Who has not seen the beautiful picture of Queen Louise of Prussia, of -whom such a great historian as Mommsen speaks so enthusiastically? She -is said to have been by no means a genius, nor in any way abnormal, -but she was so beautiful, so winning, so optimistic, and combined such -dignity and charm, such cheerfulness, faith and fortitude, that she -gained Silesia for her husband from Napoleon. Then we have such great -women as Madam Guyon, the mystic; Caroline Herschel; Frances Power -Cobbe; Florence Nightingale; Queen Olga of Greece; Queen Victoria; -Madame Curie, and many others whom time does not permit to mention. -There is no need here to speak of H. P. Blavatsky and Katherine -Tingley, the heralds of a new age, except to say that the world in that -new age will render them that justice which is so tardily given now. - -While the greatness to which women have attained proves to us what -woman is capable of doing, yet, in a sense, it may be a little -depressing, for all cannot be queens or rulers. But true greatness -consists in doing well what has to be done. Besides, who can say what -is great and what is small in the Divine Economy? "The hand that rocks -the cradle rules the world," is an old saying. And for the great -majority of women the making of the home to be a _real home_ is the -highest service that can be done to help the world; for the home is the -foundation of the nation. And as Ruskin says: - - Wherever a true wife comes, this home is always round her. The stars - only may be over her head, the glow-worm in the night-cold grass may - be the only fire at her foot, but home is yet wherever she is; and for - a noble woman it stretches far around her, better than ceiled with - cedar or painted with vermilion, shedding its quiet light far, for - those who else were homeless. - - - - -THE TURKISH WOMAN: by Grace Knoche - - -The Sultan of Turkey recently received a deputation of representative -Ottoman women and in the course of his conference with them pledged -them his support in their efforts to bring about a reform of certain -conditions. Press dispatches state that the members of this deputation -were heavily veiled. - -The veil has always been, to the European mind, the point of departure -for Turkish feministic reform, and the wearing of it by those who -stand for such reform, when many Turkish women have discarded the -impenetrable _yashmak_ entirely and a still larger number wear only -veils of gauze, seems an anomaly. To realize that it is not, one must -get below current misunderstandings and baseless reports and know -the high-caste Turkish woman as she really is--for with her Turkish -feministic reform begins and by her it is being safeguarded. - -Many who are familiar with the diplomatic and social life of our -European capitals have stated that the high-caste Turkish woman of -today is _as a class_ more highly educated, and also more feminine, -in the tenderest and most refined meaning of the term, than any other -woman in the world. She not only knows the history, geography, and -literature of her own and foreign nations, but in addition knows two, -three, and often four languages besides her own--always French and -German, usually English, and often Italian or Russian--languages which -she does not speak haltingly but with fluency and perfection, for in -the wealthier Turkish families of today French, German, and English -governesses are a recognized institution. She is very beautiful, always -refined, unobtrusively thoughtful of others, and supremely loyal to her -ideals of character and duty--and her ideals always center about the -home. - -Yet her life is virtually an imprisoned one, bounded as it is, day and -night, year in and year out, by the four walls of the women's apartment -or _harem_. She cannot go out unattended in the daytime, nor in the -evening at all; she may not attend theaters nor even a concert; she may -not attend social or other gatherings where men are present. - -This state of things was not so unendurable to the women of the -preceding generation, for they had not been permitted to embrace -European ideas through an education on European lines, but to the -high-caste woman of today, who has been given a glimpse into a larger -world than her own, and a world very wonderful and alluring, the old -_harem_ existence is almost intolerable. Yet she must continue in it -for a time, and here is the wonderful thing--she does this, in the -deeper sense, willingly. - -Those who know her best tell us that out of the silence and seclusion -of her life, the Turkish woman has evolved a philosophy of her own, and -one that is not limited to the orthodox Muslim view of woman; those who -know life and humanity best know also that this could never have come -to her past the impenetrable barriers of caste and orthodox religious -doctrine, had she not attuned her life to some, at least, of the higher -notes of Life Universal. And it is the teaching of Theosophy that this -can only be done by those with whom duty is the highest ideal--duty, -for ever and ever, _duty_. In a heroic determination to do her whole -duty to husband and family, to nation and to home, the Turkish woman -may well be commended to that ultra-modern type who leaves husband -and children to their own devices while she is away, chasing some -will-o'-the-wisp or fad. Of this type Turkey is yet as destitute as -certain strata of European and American life are prolific. - -The Turkish woman is wise enough to wait in trust the day of her -complete emancipation, and she feels it is approaching--but she also -knows that to push or hurry it forward would invoke a reaction that -might ruin her country and defeat her hopes. She knows that methods -even approaching those of the modern "suffragette" would only blot -the golden dawn and put back until a later cycle the glorious day. We -see now why the members of this deputation wore the orthodox veil, or -partly why, for no Turkish woman of the educated class is unaware that -to needlessly offend the conservative element is to fetter the Young -Turk movement, that evolving drama of national life in which woman -played so heroic a part. Says a current writer: - - Everybody agrees that the most remarkable change in social conditions - caused by the revolution in Turkey has occurred among the feminine - portion of the population, and it is conceded that the wives and - mothers of the Young Turk party had a powerful influence in bringing - it about. During the anxious months of conspiracy and preparation - many high-born Turkish ladies worked with courage, enthusiasm - and intelligence for the cause of liberty. Some of them acted as - messengers, carrying concealed about their persons papers which, - if discovered, would have been their death; others afforded the - revolutionary committees opportunities for holding their meetings, and - furnished those who were in danger means of escape. Twelve thousand - spies in the employ of Abdul Hamid were unable to outwit the women of - Turkey in this work, and the leaders of the Young Turk party concede - that they owe their success largely to the assistance of their wives - and sisters and mothers. - -In that intimate blending of heroic self-abnegation and of wisdom -which characterizes the efforts and the daily life of the typical -high-caste Turkish woman, the world has offered for its reading a great -lesson. The Ottoman woman possibly has found her intuition, which is -the soul's own voice, and her will, which is "the soul at work." Pain, -misunderstanding, oppression, and heartache, have opened many doors in -the chambers of her being, and in wrestling with the angel of untoward -circumstance she has found the inner power that enables one to turn -the leaden fetters about one's feet into the golden sandals of Hermes -himself. If this has come about, and those who know the Ottoman woman -best declare that it has, then we know that it is because she has -striven to attune her life to that which must be the keynote of all -lasting feministic reform--womanliness--true womanliness, with its -overtones of tenderness, compassion and aspiration, and its deepening -undertones of solid attainment, of patriotism, of courage, of loyalty -to one's ideal, and of faithfulness to duty. - - - - -AN ENGLISH LADY'S LETTER: by F. D. Udall (London) - - -Pevensey Castle is one of the most interesting of all the ancient and -historic castles of old England. It was seized by William the Conqueror -immediately he landed in the bay close by, and he left a garrison to -hold it while he pushed on to Hastings and subsequently to the country -round about the "hoar apple tree" mentioned in the Saxon Chronicle, -where the decisive engagement with Harold and his army took place. This -spot, ever since commemorated in the name of the village--Battle--is -some seven miles inland. Harold had taken care to leave a garrison, -too, at Pevensey, while he went north, but according to Freeman, -William found the place wholly undefended or else with a force totally -inadequate to resist the Normans. At all events there appears to have -been no resistance offered to the invaders, on that fateful Michael's -Eve. The castle and land for miles around eventually became the -property of the Conqueror's half-brother. - -How old the castle is nobody knows. British coins have been discovered -at Pevensey, and it is thought that the place was an ancient British -settlement. As to the castle itself, the general opinion is that it was -built by the Romans, and the many Roman coins found in its precincts, -chiefly of the Constantine family, give support to the theory. In the -days of the venerable Bede there was a great forest in these parts, -the forest of Anderida, roamed by herds of deer and swine. Pevensey -is first mentioned in historical documents in the year 792, when its -owner--generous man!--gave it away, together with Hastings, to the -Abbey of St. Denis at Paris. Sir John Pelham was appointed Constable -of the Castle in the reign of Edward III, and his courageous wife held -it during a siege in her husband's absence, in the following reign, -in 1399. This lady gives the old ruins an interest of quite another -character from their warlike associations by reason of a letter she -dispatched to her husband during that siege. He was up in Yorkshire -at the time. The letter has come down through the centuries--a brave, -sweet, womanly, wifely relic of those early days in "our rough island -story." It enjoys the honor of being enshrined in Hallam's _Literature -of Europe_, and well it deserves the distinction. Here is what the lady -wrote while the enemy was at the gate. - - MY DEAR LORD: - - I recommend me to your high lordship with heart and body and all my - poor might, and with all this I thank you as my dear lord, dearest - and best beloved of all earthly lords, I say for me, and thank you, - my dear lord, with all this that I say before of your comfortable - letter that ye sent me from Pontefract, that come to me on Mary - Magdalene day (July 22); for by my troth I was never so glad as when I - heard by your letter that ye were strong enough with the grace of God - for to keep you from the malice of your enemies. And, dear lord, if it - like to your high lordship that as soon as ye might that I might hear - of your gracious speed; which God Almighty continue and increase. And, - my dear lord, if it like you for to know of my fare, I am here by laid - in manner of a siege with the county of Sussex, Surrey, and a great - parcel of Kent, so that I may nought out, nor none victuals get me but - with much hard. Wherefore, my dear, if it like you by the advice of - your wise counsel for to set remedy of the salvation of your castle, - and withstand the malice of the shires aforesaid. And also that ye be - fully informed of their great malice workers in these shires, which - that haves so despitefully wrought to you, and to your castle, to your - men, and to your tenants for this country, have yai (sic) wasted for - a great while. Farewell, my dear lord; the Holy Trinity you keep from - your enemies, and soon send me good tidings of you. - - Written at Pevensey in the Castle on St. Jacob day (St. James, July - 25) last past, - - By your own poor, - J. Pelham. - - To my true lord. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. RUINS OF PEVENSEY -CASTLE] - -[Illustration: IN THE FOREST] - - - - -A MAGIC PLACE: A Forest Idyll for Young Folks: by M. Ginevra Munson - - -Who has not felt the inspiring and soothing influence of certain quiet -spots? as though the jarring and restless forces of nature were there -rendered impotent and the soul could commune freely with the great -heart-life of all. The conflicting vibrations of human thought are -annulled and nature speaks in whatever language you choose: in song or -verse, art or science. How it draws one up to the heights of infinitude -to sit in solitude, with eye on the expanse of ocean in which is -mirrored all the gorgeous tints and cloud-forms in the sky at sunset; -or on mountain heights where no sounds or sights except the blue dome -overhead and the distant landscape beneath, can distract the mind from -the sense of the invisible Presence that fills all space; or in the -depths of a noble forest where the foot of man seldom comes. - -It was in such a place as this, surrounded by the elves and fairies of -the wood, that Helena, in the company of her father and a few other -artist spirits, pitched their tents for summer work in the stillness -of the forest; sculptors, painters, poets, musical composers, and -writers on various themes, each lived in the quiet and privacy of his -own domicile, out of sight or hearing of any other. - -Helena was the daughter of a poet and inherited that keen sense of -communion with and understanding of nature's moods and voices, but had -never before been in such a place as this, having been born near a -thriving city. She was devoted to her father, and though only yet in -her early teens, showed such appreciation of her father's work that -he brought her along with him as a sort of mentor when reading his -poems over. Then too, her mother was dead, and he felt it his duty to -keep Helena under his own care as much as possible, as she was an only -child. Nothing could have made her happier or have been better for -her than this forest air and odor of fragrant wood, and her spirits -and health responded to it gratefully. While her father was busy she -wandered about, making companions of the birds, trees, and other -forest-life. The inspiration and magic of the place was so great that -she was seized with the desire to express the joy and budding knowledge -that stirred within her soul; so without saying anything to her father, -she would take out tablet and pencil and sit on a fallen log near the -singing brook that ran close by, and write down the daily dialog she -heard going on around her. Overhead the trees said to the birds: "Are -you happy my pretty ones, fluttering and hopping from twig to branch, -pluming your feathers as I sway and swing you about?" "Oh yes, dear -trees," twittered the birds, "and we will be diligent in destroying -the worms that prey on your beautiful leaves, while we sing to you our -thanks for the lacy bowers and secret hiding-places for our nests of -young birdlings, who take their first lessons in song from the music of -the breeze through your branches"; and then they poured forth a chorus -in greater glee than ever. - -Up in a high fork of the great spreading top of an oak was a huge nest -of dead leaves, from one edge of which peered a pair of bright eyes in -a furry gray head, over which curled a bushy gray and white tail. A -chattering voice chimed in with the birds: "Dear trees, I too love you, -for with your leaves for my nest you provide me a home out of reach of -all harm, and you feed me with lovely acorns in such abundance that -I can store up enough for the whole round year; but I'm sorry I can -return so little back to you, save a grateful heart." - -"Oh, thanks, I am safe home," said a bounding cotton-tail rabbit, as he -shot into the protecting walls of a hollow log. "What would I do if -it were not for the deserted trunk of a tree; and even the live ones -sometimes give me a home in a hole in their bodies, quite low enough -down for me to jump into, yet too small and deep for intruders to poke -their noses in very far." - -"Yes, yes, I too," chirped a striped ground squirrel, "owe all my -comforts to the trees, and no one can find my cosy nest of pine -needles, so fragrant and clean." - -An old sly fox ran swiftly by, saying: "O shelter me in your depths, -dark forest, for I hear the bay of a hound on the scent of my track," -then he jumped the purling stream to cut off the lead of the dog, and -sped away. - -As Helena glanced down the stream she saw a beaver working away on a -pile of logs and heard him murmur: "What would I do if the trees did -not furnish me logs for my dam? Nothing else would serve me so well, I -am sure, and I only cut down young saplings where they are too crowded -to thrive. In turn for the favor I will make the stream deeper so the -water will not dry away in hot weather, but will give drink to the tree -roots all the year through." - -Away in the distance Helena spied the red-brown coat of a deer and -heard its call to the fawn. Out from a tangled mass of vines and low -swaying branches bounded the spotted young beauty, and answered back: -"Here mother-deer, the forest has safely sheltered me, and fed me too -on sweet young sassafras shoots. May I now take a run with you?" - -Then Helena gazed in the stream at the fishes, who answered her -thought: "Yes, we too would perish were it not for the shady pools that -reflect the lacy network of the trees that draw down the rain from -heaven to fill the stream and keep the water fresh." - -Filled with wonder at these voices of the woods, Helena realized that -though it seemed so silent it was full of song and happy life, but that -the love and harmony of these beings made the magic of the place and -filled it with peace and soul-inspiring influences. While she meditated -and watched the bees gathering sweets from the fragrant wood-violets -and wild-plum blossoms, she heard a voice so startlingly loud that -she jumped with surprise. It said "Who? Who? Who----o?" and seemed to -come from the very tree tops. While looking up in wonder, Helena saw -a great, fluffy cream-colored bird with brownish bars on its wings -and a big round head with two enormous yellow eyes, float noiselessly -away through the forest. Could that voice have come from the bird? -"What did he say 'Who? Who? Who----?' It seemed to question me, asking -to whom were all these creatures, as well as myself, beholden? Why, -yes, every voice spoke of love for and indebtedness to the trees. They -stand here so silently and majestically through ages, affording food, -shelter, shade, and protection, for all these other beings whose very -lives depend upon them. The dear trees are monarchs over all, yet -serve all, standing here with their roots fast in the soil and their -heads touching the sun-bright heavens. To us people too, though we may -live in cities and never know or think of the forest trees, we could -scarcely live without them. Our houses, our furniture, and almost -everything that is of use or convenience to us have some wood about -them; and then we enjoy the nuts, the fruit, and other kinds of food -produced by the trees as much as the squirrels and birds, no doubt. -Perhaps these trees bring down from higher regions other forces that -feed our souls also--Who? Who Who----o knows?" - -"Yes, now I understand," thought Helena, "why the great Initiates, -Masters and Saviors of the world, were called '_Trees_.' Jesus was -called 'the Tree of Life,' and the Initiates spoken of in the Bible, -'the Cedars of Lebanon.' They stand and serve and protect." - -Then Helena remembered that she had read in her Scandinavian Mythology -that trees were formed from the hair of the giant Ymir, in the creation -of the world. "His blood formed the oceans and rivers; his bones the -mountains; his teeth the rocks and cliffs; and his hair, the trees." -Also that "the universe springs from beneath the branches of the -world-tree Yggdrasil, the tree with three roots." - -Helena must certainly have been sitting on a branch or root of the tree -of wisdom when getting into such a deep strain of thought. The spirit -of the forest had awakened her soul to the realization of the fact of -Brotherhood in Nature too, the give and take, the unity and inseparable -life of the denizens of the wood that made it such a magic place. She -also saw why the tree was made a symbol of universal life, for all -other life in the world is really somewhat dependable upon the trees. - -"No wonder," Helena thought, as she walked back to her father's -bungalow, "no wonder there is such magic in the depth of the forest, -and that father comes here to get in touch with the _soul of things_. -That is why 'tis said that 'Poetry is the true language of the soul.'" - - - - -[Illustration: THE SCREEN OF TIME] - -CURRENT TOPICS: by Observer - - -The recent theft of the famous _Mona Lisa_ of Leonardo da Vinci from -the Louvre, which is such a loss to the artistic world, has brought to -light the fact that many other valuable works of art have been stolen -from the Louvre and other public museums without any arrests following. -One thief is reported as having admitted that he lately stole many -small pieces of sculpture from the Phoenician gallery in the Louvre -and sold them for trifling sums. He lately returned a statuette to -the museum in return for a payment, and the authorities admitted that -it was actually one from their collection. Three years ago there were -forty sculptured heads in one of the cases; now there are about twenty! -There seems to be no hope of regaining the _Mona Lisa_ at present, but, -just as the famous _Duchess of Devonshire_ of Gainsborough was restored -after many years upon the payment of heavy blackmail, it is possible -that the robbers will take some favorable opportunity of realizing a -large sum by the return of Leonardo's masterpiece. - - * * * * * - -FOR the first time since the creation of the French Academy at Rome, -a woman has been admitted as a student at the Villa Medici. Mlle. -Lucienne Heuvelmans, the successful winner of the famous "Prix de Rome" -for sculpture, had to compete against nine other contestants, but her -remarkable ability compelled the judges to decide in her favor and to -establish an entirely new precedent. Her subject was _The Sister of -Orestes Guarding her Brother's Sleep_. - - * * * * * - -THE Norwegian Academy of Sciences has just recognized the claim of -woman to admission to that body for the first time, by admitting Miss -Kristine Bonnevin of Christiania, a doctor of philosophy and an eminent -zoologist. She is Conservator of the Zoological laboratory of the -Christiania University, and has produced several interesting scientific -works in Norway, Germany, and the United States. - - * * * * * - -A COMPLETE revision of the rules of the road is being made in France. -Instead of vehicles keeping to the right, as has hitherto been the -custom, they will now have to travel on the left side of the road. This -will bring France into line with Great Britain and most other European -countries, and will be a great advantage for many automobilists and -cyclists touring in France, for the difficulty of breaking through the -automatic habit of turning to the left when another vehicle approaches -is very great to those who have been accustomed to keeping on that -side. Americans, who obey the rule of keeping to the right, will -however find the new French regulation irksome. It is claimed that the -rule of the left is more sensible for many reasons. - - * * * * * - -THE French people seem very quick to modify old-established customs -when something they consider better is offered. They lately adopted -Greenwich Observatory (England) as the place of first meridian for -time and nautical calculations, as it was shown to be practically -advantageous; they did not let an exaggerated patriotism stand in the -way, though it may be questioned whether the change would have been -made a few years ago, before the _entente cordiale_ between France and -England had been established, to which the indefatigable efforts of -King Edward VII so largely contributed. - - * * * * * - -EVERYONE who has read Irving's _Alhambra_ and has felt the charm of -that delightfully romantic account of the celebrated Moorish palace in -Granada, will be glad to hear that the Spanish Government is taking -active measures to remove the débris which has collected during the -last several centuries and to clear out the watercourses, and otherwise -prevent the famous masterpiece of Moorish architecture from falling to -ruin. Many interesting antiquities have been discovered and the finds -have been removed to the old palace of the Emperor Charles V, which is -being turned into a museum. Beautiful arabesque decorations have been -discovered in unexpected places, and a hitherto unknown staircase has -been laid bare, leading to a large system of underground vaults. - - * * * * * - -IT is difficult to realize that it is only six years ago since the -Wrights made their first flight of eleven miles in a power-driven -aeroplane, and now we are reading of attempts to fly across the United -States from ocean to ocean, and speeds of over a hundred miles an hour -for long distances are continually being made. The days of racing and -sensational exhibitions are apparently nearing an end, for a demand is -arising for less flimsy aeroplanes which can be used for practical -purposes. It will certainly be many years before the art of aviation -arrives at perfection, and before it becomes as safe and practicable to -travel by air-line as by train or automobile. Nothing but careful and -scientific experimenting, free from the sensational element, can bring -this about. The days of the big gas-bag type of flying machine, the -dirigible, seem to be numbered, for the numerous accidents which have -happened to these machines, even when directed with the greatest skill -and caution, have greatly disappointed their supporters. A mere puff -of wind, which would have presented no terrors to a heavier-than-air -machine, destroyed the British naval dirigible lately. Its cost--about -$400,000--would have paid for eighty of the best aeroplanes of the -heavier-than-air-type. - -The lifting power of the air is being utilized in man-carrying kites -for war-scouting purposes, and they have proved quite practicable. -They have been adopted by the British navy and are now being tried in -that of the United States. Large six-sided box-kites are used; the -total pull of fifteen of these, carrying a man in a boatswain's chair, -is more than two thousand pounds. At the height of four hundred feet -observations covering a range of some forty miles can be made. - - * * * * * - -THE celebrated Boston Symphony Orchestra completed its thirtieth -year of existence and uninterrupted success on Oct. 22. At the last -Symphony Concert of the Harvard Musical Association in Boston, in -March, 1881, a Concert Overture was conducted by the composer, Georg -Henschel, whose brilliant performance attracted the attention of Major -H. L. Higginson, a music-lover who had for several years been maturing -a new scheme of symphony concerts, and who was willing and able to -subsidize it out of his own pocket. He was only waiting to find the -orchestral conductor in whom he could have sufficient confidence. The -Harvard Musical Association, then more than twenty years old, had been -gradually declining in popularity, and he saw that there was an opening -for a really first-class orchestra in Boston. Large audiences were -attracted from the very first, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra has -advanced from success to success. Its twenty-four annual performances -now fill a very large place in the musical life of Boston, and the -orchestra has now a double fame and a double audience, for it gives -ten concerts yearly in New York, where it is equally popular. Of the -original seventy members four are still playing in the orchestra, which -at present numbers one hundred and one. - - * * * * * - -IT is surprising that there is so much misapprehension in Western -lands about the real character of the Turkish people. During the -present difficulty with Italy many most exaggerated charges have been -made against the Turks, which those who know them best deny with -indignation. A writer in _The Boston Transcript_ has just published -an article which is unusually fair and which is marked with a due -appreciation of the weakness of our frenzied manner of life which we -call civilization. A few quotations will be of interest to all who are -not prejudiced against the "heathen." Mr. Cobb, the writer, says: - - No people in the world are more likeable than the Turks. They are - kindly, honest, and generous-hearted.... The English and Americans who - live among the Turks like them--come to feel a real affection for them. - -To the charge that they are cruel, he assents, but he says that -the reason is that they possess to a marked degree the Oriental -indifference to physical pain, and that, above all, they are still in -the condition we were during the later middle ages. - - It is only a few centuries ago that we too held life and suffering - in little value.... We burnt men at the stake in order to save their - souls.... Even within two or three centuries we could have found - in England the prototype of the modern Turk--the cultured English - gentleman, the kindly, dignified merchant, who could witness with - calmness, torture, execution, burning at the stake. - - Already there has been a great refining process in the Near East - during the last half century; and within the lifetime of this - generation we shall see the East purged of its cruelty and physical - roughness. - -Speaking of the new movement in Turkey towards a better interpretation -of the Korân, Mr. Cobb says: - - A protestant wave is sweeping over Islâm; quietly and cautiously a - translation of the Korân into modern Turkish is being prepared. The - grip of the clergy is waning in proportion as the people are becoming - educated. - - It must be said in justice to Islâm, that it has never been as - fanatical and intolerant of heresy as the Christian Church. There has - never been any Inquisition in Islâm, and persecutions for religious - differences have been far rarer than in Christianity. The Turks are - the broadest and most tolerant of all Mohammedans. - -While both Turkey and Persia are yet mostly in the middle ages as -regards education, - - In both countries there are a number of leaders who have received a - European education and are thoroughly in sympathy with its ideas. - Their influence is radiating throughout the country and in the end it - must pervade the masses. - -Mr. Cobb speaks in a most significant and welcome manner about -industrial conditions in Turkey: - - In methods of industry and business the medieval form holds sway.... - Their hours are long, but their labor dignifies instead of degrading - them. Now and then they stop work, light a cigarette and dream. There - is a chance for a bit of meditation, a broadening of the vision of - life.... Compare all that with the feverish activity of our modern - industrial system with its soul-racking machines and unhumanizing - servitude to work.... Poor East! Little does it dream, in its silent, - meditative happiness, that it will one day have to face the industrial - system--the age of machinery and iron. Already this is creeping upon - them--already factories are being established, and labor is being - chained to the loom.... - -Let us hope it will profit by the bitter experience of the West, and -keep the good things it has. The Turkish craftsman - - makes a living--he is happy, he lives near to God.... Will you - undertake to show him the possibilities of combination, of fierce - competition, of ostentatious wealth? Will you take away his soul - and give him a few millions in return? Pray do not! Leave us some - distant corner of the earth where we can flee when the shadows of - industrialism oppress us; when the soullessness of human faces arouses - our despair.... The East is yet a land where one can seek the eternal - solitudes of the spirit.... The despotism of the East is over. No more - can its rulers consign to death at their whim.... Will the East be - able to keep its characteristic of peace? - - * * * * * - -THE Irish-language demonstration held in Dublin on September 17 was -impressive and successful; indeed the citizens appear to celebrate -this annual event as a festival day. A considerable number of those -taking part wore the ancient national costume. The first part of the -procession, consisting of branches of the Gaelic League, occupied half -an hour in passing a given point. Then came various schools. Next the -National Foresters formed a picturesque element, an innovation being -the attire of two branches of the lady Foresters, who appeared in green -velvet cloaks and hoods which imparted a very realistic Celtic touch. -Numerous labor organizations brought up the rear. - -At the subsequent mass meeting Dr. Douglas Hyde, the energetic -President of the Gaelic League, presented resolutions dealing with the -education question in connexion with the preservation of the Irish -language and industrial development. He said the National Board of -Education had informed him that the managers of the schools and the -parents of the children were colder towards the Irish language than -the Board itself. "The priests of Ireland are the managers of the -schools," he went on to say, "and if it was true that the priests are -colder than the Board it is a sad state of affairs. I do not believe -it, but I will leave this question because it does not touch us." He -concluded by asking the Gaelic League members to have a welcome for -every person who was an Irishman, and to apply no tests except that -when members came in they should leave religion and politics outside -the door. - -One cannot but admire the optimism of Dr. Douglas Hyde, and if the -course he outlined be followed many will soon realize that the words -unsectarian and non-political, sound a keynote of progress. And -the Gaelic League is surely for progress! There is an eastern book -called _The Arabian Night's Entertainments_. It contains the Story -of Es-Sindibâd, who had the ill-luck to encounter trying adventures, -among which was the task of carrying an Old-Man-of-the-Sea on his back. -Perhaps the parents, the National Board, and Dr. Douglas Hyde might -think of an Irish version. Meanwhile the children suffer most. - -Talking of translations, we wonder whether some Gaelic League member -will think of putting _Atlantis_, by Ignatius Donnelly, into Irish. To -be sure, it would give young folk a wider outlook on life, but this -might not be an insuperable objection. - - - - -BOOK REVIEWS: "Les Derniers Barbares: Chine, Tibet, Mongolie," par le -Commandant d'Ollone. Pierre Lafitte et Cie., Paris. By H. Alexander -Fussell - - -In the preface to this most interesting and readable book of -exploration Commandant d'Ollone reminds us that within or about the -confines of the Chinese Empire there still exist "those races which -conquered Cyrus, stopped Alexander, ravaged the Roman Empire, conquered -Asia and half of Europe," that they are still the same, "unconquered -and untamable." And he asks the question: "Will they succumb under -the pressure of civilization; or shall we see them, armed with our -own weapons, with modern artillery, utilizing the railways we have -constructed, to begin again their terrible incursions?" - -The names of these barbarians are familiar enough: Scythians, Huns, -Turks, Mongols; to these must be added the Lolos, a race, according to -some theorists, more nearly allied to our own, the Indo-European, than -to the so-called Mongolian or Yellow race. To study the Lolos and their -characteristics was one of the principal objects of the expedition -d'Ollone. - -Inhabiting the high mountainous plateau, about 11,000 square miles -in extent, on the left bank of the Blue River, to the north of the -province of Yunnan, they have maintained their independence at the -price of continual war with the Chinese. Theirs is "the forbidden -land," "the country where the Chinese never go"; for the latter, if -found in the country of the Lolos, are either massacred or reduced to -slavery. Nevertheless, they are admitted at certain seasons to gather -the much coveted "insect-wax," a source of riches to the neighboring -province of Sseu-Tch'ouan, which is found only in "the Great Cold -Mountains" of the Lolo country. To do this they must get the protection -of some Lolo chief and pay an indemnity to each of the frontier clans. -The Lolos, on the other hand, go freely in times of peace into Chinese -territory to buy weapons and firearms. - -The expedition had some difficulty in finding Lolo chiefs to be their -introducers or "sponsors"; not only was it impossible to proceed -without them, but with them they would be treated more as guests than -travelers. However, three Lolo chiefs were induced to undertake this -office. D'Ollone describes them as - - tall, magnificent men, with nothing of the Asiatic. One of them, - Ma-Yola, having one of the finest heads that could be imagined, not - yellow in complexion, but tanned like the inhabitants of Southern - Europe, straight large eyes, arched eyebrows, aquiline nose, - well-formed mouth, and an open, frank, martial expression. Truly, a - European head, with a touch of the Red Indian. - -The Lolo woman, too, is _quasi_-European in appearance and attire--a -high bodice, a long pleated skirt with flounces, a cloak of fine -wool, and turban. Describing the wife of Ma-Djédjé, another of their -"sponsors" from a different clan, d'Ollone says, "of stately and noble -beauty, she at once compels attention, and all her movements are -graceful and dignified." - -Among many customs which testify to the high moral development of the -Lolos is that of dividing property equally among the heirs of both -sexes; as an unmarried woman, however, cannot inherit, her share is -held over till her marriage, when it forms her dowry--and until her -marriage her brothers must provide for her maintenance. If there is any -inequality in the division of property, the youngest is favored. The -Lolos appear to be Theists, but have no temples or religious ceremonies. - -Who are the Lolos, and to what race do they belong? Hardy mountaineers, -good horsemen, fond of war and violent exercise, of proud bearing, -noble and often beautiful in countenance, they show all the signs of -an energetic race well fitted to develop. What statues, monuments, or -architecture have they to tell of their past? None, much to d'Ollone's -disappointment. Though their system of government reminded him strongly -of the feudal system, yet noble and serf would sleep together on the -ground wrapped in their long cloaks, or in cabins without a scrap of -furniture. What is the explanation of this anomaly? The real home of -the Lolos is not the mountainous country where they have maintained -their independence, but on the other bank of the Blue River, where the -semi-independent Lolos (and the Miao-Tseu) live under their hereditary -chiefs, who, however, acknowledge Chinese authority. But even here -no traces of their ancient civilization are to be found, for the -Chinese conquerors destroyed everything that reminded them of the Lolo -supremacy. - -The ethnological problem is thus succinctly stated by Commandant -d'Ollone: - - Are there in the midst of China populations which do not belong to the - Yellow Race? If there are and they have come from elsewhere, we ought - to find traces of their passage, colonies which they have left on the - way, discover whence they came and to what original family to assign - them. If, however, they are indigenous, or at least if they arrived - before the beginning of history, then the Far East is not the cradle - of the Yellow Race; it is this last which has come from far and has - dispossessed the indigenous races, incorporating many of them without - doubt, and its homogeneity is a fiction. - -Here may be quoted a note by Madame Blavatsky in _The Secret Doctrine_, -Vol. II, page 280; - - "What would you say to our affirmation that the Chinese--I speak of - the inland, the true Chinaman, not of the hybrid mixture between - the Fourth and Fifth Races now occupying the throne, the aborigines - who belong in their unallied nationality wholly to the highest and - last branch of the Fourth Race--reached their highest civilization - when the Fifth had hardly appeared in Asia" (_Esoteric Buddhism_, p. - 67). And this handful of the inland Chinese are all of a very high - stature. Could the most ancient MSS. in the Lolo language (that of - the aborigines of China) be got at and translated correctly, many - a priceless piece of evidence would be found. But they are as rare - as their language is unintelligible. So far one or two European - archaeologists only have been able to procure such priceless works. - -This was written in 1888. It may be added that the Lolo nobles preserve -very carefully their genealogies. To return to the Miao-Tseu. They, -says d'Ollone, - - are usually considered as having no writing of their own. Taking - advantage of the fact that one of them, who had a law-suit, asked my - help, I begged him to put his case in writing. This he did without any - difficulty, and assured me that since their subjection by the Chinese, - the latter having destroyed all the books they could discover, the - Miao-Tseu had hidden those that remained, and had feigned ever since - to be ignorant of the art of writing; they possessed, however, - numerous books containing the annals of their race. - -We must refer our readers to d'Ollone's book for an interesting account -of his "hunt for documents." - -After studying the Miao-Tseu and the semi-independent Lolos the -expedition returned to Ma-Tao-Tseu, whence they had set out, where -d'Ollone met some pimos or learned Lolos who while they can read the -sacred books, have no priestly functions and must by no means be -considered as priests. With one of them, who was especially intelligent -and well-informed, "my Lolo professor," as he calls him, d'Ollone -worked hard for a fortnight, learning the Lolo writing and laying the -foundations of a Lolo-French dictionary. At the end of that time, - - as a recompense for my zeal, my professor presented me with five - volumes, treating, he said, of religion, geography, history, - mathematics, and various sciences. - -Our sympathy is secured in advance for all brave people who are -striving to retain their nationality and their own language. The last -twenty-five years or so has witnessed a great Celtic revival; the Welsh -and Irish are both studying their ancient literature, speaking their -original languages, and publishing books about their traditions -which go back to a time when England was joined to the Continent and -our forefathers could walk dryshod from Wales to Ireland. It is at -least curious that far away in Central Asia, a Lolo prince, one of the -most powerful and learned of them all, the nzemo Len, fired by the -same national enthusiasm and patriotism should have founded a school -where eighteen pupils are educated at his own expense in Lolo, not in -Chinese. He has moreover established a rude printing-press, so as to -publish books in his own language, to disseminate not only the old Lolo -learning, but to popularize European science and discoveries, notably -railroads, telegraphy, and ballooning, about which he has heard. - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. COMMANDANT D'OLLONE -Chief of the recent Mission d'Ollone to the Far East and author of _Les -Derniers Barbares_] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. ARCHAIC COLOSSAL -STATUES OF KIANG-K'EU] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. A LOLO WARRIOR] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. LOLO MEN AND THEIR -INSEPARABLE CLOAK] - -[Illustration: Lomaland Photo. and Engraving Dept. MIAO-TSEU DANCING. -BOTH MEN AND WOMEN ARE REPRESENTED The musical instruments are of -curious form] - -We have indicated but a small part of the work undertaken by the -expedition d'Ollone. Many other interesting and hitherto unknown -regions in Tibet and Mongolia were explored and are described with -a wealth of anecdote and adventure which makes the book delightful -reading even for those who are not attracted by the important data -it has gathered for the solution of ethnographic and archaeological -problems. For the sake of the latter we would observe that among the -results of the expedition are - - forty-six vocabularies of non-Chinese dialects; four dictionaries of - native writings hitherto unknown or undecipherable; thirty-two Lolo - manuscripts; two hundred and twenty-five historical inscriptions in - Chinese, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Mongol, Manchu, Arabic and Lolo; the local - histories of forty-two towns, about which hardly anything was known - before, etc., etc. - -These documents, illustrated by nearly 2000 photographs, are now being -published in seven volumes with the collaboration of eminent savants, -aided by a grant from the French Government. - -The success of the expedition was due to the high qualities of the -French nation, always the pioneers alike in science and in exploration. -The difficulties to be surmounted only made their task the more -attractive. Commandant d'Ollone and his confrères, Captains Lepage -and de Fleurelle and Sous-lieutenant Boyve, have done honor to their -country and made scientists the world over their debtors. - -In conclusion one may refer in justification of the warning with which -this review opens, to an earlier work by d'Ollone, published in 1906, -_La Chine novatrice et guerrière_ (Armand Colin, Paris). It does away, -once for all, with the old idea of the homogeneity and inertia of the -Chinese Empire--as large, we must remember, as Europe, and more densely -populated by a hundred different races. This Empire, which Europe not -so long ago spoke of dividing into "spheres of influence," so as better -to pursue a policy of commercial and military aggression, is wide awake -now and intends to be "master in its own household." The patriotism -that was flouted a few years ago is breaking out today in cries for war. - - In the province of the lower Yang-Tse, where, Marco Polo declared - disdainfully, there was scarcely to be seen a man-at-arms, there are - now young men training, by gymnastic exercises and drill for the - coming struggle. - - "Soon," so runs one of their military marching songs, "soon, chiefs - will lead millions of young men whose battalions will crush Europe and - America." - -"O stupid white-faced Barbarians," is the refrain of the Gymnastic -Society of Hang-tche'ou, "do not think that the wrongs of the Yellow -Race will last many years longer!" And d'Ollone avers that all over -China the same songs are sung. - -It seems indeed as if we were approaching one of those great crises of -the world's history. East and West are getting to know each other, and -are measuring their strength. May a peaceful solution be found in the -higher ideals which each proclaims, and the Federation of Nations and -the Brotherhood of Man at last become a reality! - -The work is beautifully printed on calendered paper, and illustrated -very handsomely with views photographed during the expedition. A few -of them are reproduced on these pages; they give one an idea of the -different peoples. - - - - -"The Plough and the Cross: a Story of New Ireland," by William Patrick -O'Ryan. The Aryan Theosophical Press, Point Loma, California. By F. J. -D. - - -This story is surely one of the most arresting and charming which has -appeared for many years. Reviewers of the first edition were almost -unanimous in saying that it has to be read and re-read, because of its -absorbing interest. Filled with beauties of ideation born of Celtic -inspiration, are many memory-haunting passages. Seldom has there been -a book portraying with such skill and grace the contemporary mental -states of a naturally buoyant and imaginative people. - -The first chapter is an adumbration, almost an epitome both of the -story and of the general situation in Ireland along certain lines, -mainly in the thought-world. For in spite of occasional brief personal -or scenic sketches, one lives, in these pages, pre-eminently within -the very thought-life of a people--a bold departure, and few have been -the writers competent to make the attempt. Withal, the story is so -genial and humorous, that one lives in that world unconscious of the -magic woven around him. Most stories and dramas depend largely for -their interest upon plot, incident, and stirring situations. Yet here -the keenest interest is sustained within realms of mind, aspiration, -and the higher planes of emotion; with little or no aid from plot or -dramatic situation; although there are in reality deeply dramatic -touches, those which belong to soul-drama. - -One feels that the writer, while taking life seriously, looks ever to -the brighter side--a wonderful achievement for any Thinker living in -the Ireland of today. Because of this inherent attitude, he succeeds -in throwing a strong search-light on existing conditions; and again -because of it, that light illumines conditions prevalent in some other -countries equally. The story has thus an almost universal character, -and is in fact a kind of prose-poem. Some, entire strangers to Ireland, -declare the characters in the story to be to them much more familiar -than their most intimate friends. For being typical, they are real. - -In one aspect it is the oft-told tale of struggle against -conventionality and dogmatism; but the remarkable thing is that here -these are presented in a sympathetic, rather than in an antagonistic -light. It is a masterly touch; for conventionality, dogmatism, and even -intolerance, are ways in which our imperfect natures cling fearfully to -some halting-place, ere a new step is taken on the upward journey. - -And so there must always be pioneers, leaders who encourage us to -take the next step onward. Books such as this are like refreshing -waters pouring new streams of life on jaded souls, weary of the -squirrel-in-cage business of the accepted order. The book is full of -good-humored raillery, and abounds in richly imaginative and poetic -flashes. Although practically a recital of actual occurrences in -Ireland, and therefore occasionally weighted with sad and unavoidably -stern vicissitudes (less stern than the reality), one discerns plainly -those undercurrents of aspiration and effort which are pressing -upward in many places today--forces which, indeed, attain embodied -expression before the world, in the Theosophical movement led by -Katherine Tingley. And it was Katherine Tingley who, recognizing the -high merit of this little work, acquired the copyright and caused the -first edition to appear from the workshops of the Aryan Theosophical -Press. The author himself, who is unconnected with the Universal -Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, replying to his critics, and -after disclaiming the idea that there was any propagandist design in -his mind, went on to say: - - The truth is that life and character in the Ireland that is waking up - are extraordinarily rich and interesting if we look a little below - the surface.... To take such ideas and characters and try to press - them into the service of some personal theory or propaganda would - be a crude and senseless proceeding. The point is to illustrate and - interpret them, as well as one can, to let them speak for themselves. - -The following extracts, much to the point, are taken from a review -which appeared in _The Gaelic-American_, New York. - - Here we see the mysticism of the medieval poet done into prose. Into - his love romance the author has woven his own peculiar ideas about - religion, society, theosophy, altruism, and every-day politics. His - characters talk these things without, however, losing their human and - personal traits. That is why the story is so interesting. - - In some respects _The Plough and the Cross_ is a psychological study. - Katherine Tingley, the famous Theosophist of Point Loma, condenses the - features of the novel in the following brief introduction: - - "A story of real life in Ireland--in the deepest sense as well as in - the usual one--it elucidates certain heart problems in social and - religious life with a candor, charm, and fearlessness, and with so - tender a restraint and sympathy that it can hardly fail to be regarded - as a wholly unique contribution to modern thought. - - "More than one actual initiation into the real meaning and purpose of - human life is subtly and exquisitely depicted here--the outcome of - those stern yet joyful experiences which must come sooner or later - to all true hearts that toil nobly and unselfishly for the uplift of - social and national life...." - - - - -The Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society - -Founded at New York City in 1875 by H. P. Blavatsky, William Q. Judge -and others - -Reorganized in 1898 by Katherine Tingley - -Central Office, Point Loma, California - - The Headquarters of the Society at Point Loma with the buildings - and grounds, are no "Community" "Settlement" or "Colony," but are - the Central Executive Office of an international organization where - the business of the same is carried on, and where the teachings of - Theosophy are being demonstrated. Midway 'twixt East and West, where - the rising Sun of Progress and Enlightenment shall one day stand at - full meridian, the Headquarters of the Society unite the philosophic - Orient with the practical West. - - - MEMBERSHIP - - in the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society may be - either "at large" or in a local Branch. Adhesion to the principle - of Universal Brotherhood is the only pre-requisite to membership. - The Organization represents no particular creed; it is entirely - unsectarian, and includes professors of all faiths, only exacting from - each member that large toleration of the beliefs of others which he - desires them to exhibit towards his own. - - Applications for membership in a Branch should be addressed to - the local Director; for membership "at large" to G. de Purucker, - Membership Secretary, International Theosophical Headquarters, Point - Loma, California. - - -OBJECTS - -This Brotherhood is a part of a great and universal movement which has -been active in all ages. - -This Organization declares that Brotherhood is a fact in Nature. Its -principal purpose is to teach Brotherhood, demonstrate that it is a -fact in Nature, and make it a living power in the life of humanity. - -Its subsidiary purpose is to study ancient and modern religions, -science, philosophy, and art; to investigate the laws of Nature and the -divine powers in man. - -It is a regrettable fact that many people use the name of Theosophy -and of our Organization for self-interest, as also that of H. P. -Blavatsky, the Foundress, and even the Society's motto, to attract -attention to themselves and to gain public support. This they do in -private and public speech and in publications. Without being in any way -connected with the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society, in -many cases they permit it to be inferred that they are, thus misleading -the public, and honest inquirers are hence led away from the original -truths of Theosophy. - -The Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society welcomes to -membership all who truly love their fellow men and desire the -eradication of the evils caused by the barriers of race, creed, caste, -or color, which have so long impeded human progress; to all sincere -lovers of truth and to all who aspire to higher and better things than -the mere pleasures and interests of a worldly life and are prepared to -do all in their power to make Brotherhood a living energy in the life -of humanity, its various departments offer unlimited opportunities. - -The whole work of the Organization is under the direction of the Leader -and Official Head, Katherine Tingley, as outlined in the Constitution. - -Inquirers desiring further information about Theosophy or the -Theosophical Society are invited to write to - - THE SECRETARY - International Theosophical Headquarters - Point Loma, California - - - - - Transcriber's Notes: - - Bold type is shown as =strong=. - - Italics are shown thus: _sloping_. - - Small capitals have been capitalised. - - Illustrations have been moved out of mid-paragraph. - - Variations in spelling and hyphenation are retained. - - Punctuation has been retained as published. - - Typographical errors that were noticed during transcription - have been changed. - - In the List of Illustrations, Temple in the Greek Theater, Point Loma, - California, P10, has been removed, it does not exist. - - In the book list, the unclear superscript in the dutch entry for - Pit en Merg, uit sommige Heilige Geschriften has been given the - value 'e'. - - In the Index, 'Egyptian Art, 26th Dynasty', has been corrected to - page 200 from page 20. - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE THEOSOPHICAL PATH ILLUSTRATED -MONTHLY VOLUME 1, JULY-DECEMBER, 1911 *** - -***** This file should be named 64121-0.txt or 64121-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - https://www.gutenberg.org/6/4/1/2/64121/ - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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