\"Youaretalkingforeffect,Dick——whichisuselesshere,forI
seehowutterlyyouareinlove。\"
\"IAMinlove,Violet;andthough,asIsaid,IhavenoreasontodoubtSylvia\'ssteadfastnessandconstancy,Iamveryunhappy。I
havealwaysheardthattimeisabalsamthatcuresallills,yetIbecomemorewretchedeveryday。\"
\"Doallyoucantopreservethatlove,anditwillbringyoujoyallyourlife。Yourhappinessismyhappiness。Whatdistressesyou,distressesme。\"
Thetonesheregrewfainterandseemedabouttocease。
\"Beforeyouleaveme,\"criedAyrault,\"tellmehowandwhenImayseeorhearyouagain。\"
\"Whileyouremainonthisplanet,Ishallbenear;butbeyondSaturnIcannotgo。\"
\"Yettellme,Violet,howImayseeyou？Myloveunattained,youperceive,makesmewretched,whileyoualwaysgavemecalmandpeace。IfImaynotkissthehandIalmostaskedmightbemine,letmehavebutaglancefromyoursweeteyes,whichwillcomfortmesomuchnow。\"
\"Ifyoubreaktheiceinthepoolbehindyou,youshallseemetilltheframemelts。\"
Afterthisthesilencewasbrokenonlybythesighingofthewindinthetrees。Thepoolhadsuddenlybecomecoveredwithiceseveralinchesthick。Takinganaxe,Ayraulthewedoutaparallelogramaboutthreefeetbyfourandsetitonendagainstthebank。Thecoldgreyofmorningwasalreadycolouringtheeast,andinthegrowinglightAyraultbeheldavisionofVioletwithintheice。Thefacewasataboutthreefourths,andhadacontemplativeair。Thehairwasarrangedashehadformerlyseenit,andthethoughtfullookwasstrongestinthebeautifulgreyeyes,whichweremoreseriousthanofyore。Ayraultstoodrivetedtothespotandgazed。\"Icouldhavebeenhappywithher,\"hemused,andtothinksheisnomore！\"
Asdropsfellfromtheice,tearsrosetohiseyes……
\"Whataprettygirl！\"saidBearwardentoCortlandt,astheycameuponitlaterintheday。\"Thefaceseemsetchedorimprintedbysomepeculiarformoffreezingfarwithintheice。\"
Thenextmorningtheyagainsetout,andsotramped,hunted,andinvestigatedwithvaryingsuccessfortenSaturniandays。TheyfoundthatintheanimalandplantformsoflifeNaturehadoften,bysomeseemingaccident,struckoutinacourseverydifferentfromanyontheearth。Manyoftheanimalswerebipedsandtripeds,thelatterarrangedintandem,thelastlegbeingevidentlyanenormouslydevelopedtail,bywhichthecreaturepropelleditselfaswithaspring。Thequadrupedshadalsosometimeswings,andtheirboneswerehollow,likethoseofbirds。Whetherthisgreatmotiveandliftingpowerwastheresultoftheplanet\'ssizeandthepowerofgravitation,orwhethersomecreatureshadinadditionthepowerofdevelopingadegreeofapergeticrepulsiontooffsetit,astheysuspectedinthecaseoftheboa—constrictorthatfelluponCortlandtonJupiter,theycouldnotabsolutelyascertain。LifewasfarlessprolificonSaturnthanonJupiter,doubtlessasaresultofitsgreaterdistancefromthesun,andofitsextremesofclimate,almostallorganiclifebeingdriventothelatitudesneartheequator。Therewere,asonJupiter,manyvariationsfromtheformsoflifetowhichtheywereaccustomed,andadaptationstotheconditionsinwhichtheyfoundthemselves;but,withtheexceptionofthestrangemanifestationsofspiritlife,theyfoundtheworkingsofthefundamentallawsthesame。Oftenwhentheywokeatnighttheairwasluminous,andtheywereconvincedthatiftheyremainedtherelongenoughitwouldbeeasytodevisesometelegraphiccodeoflight—flashesbywhichtheycouldcommunicatewiththespiritworld,andsogetideasfromthehostofspiritsthathadalreadysolvedtheproblemoflifeanddeath,butwhowerenotasyetsufficientlydevelopedtobeabletoreturntotheearth。Onedaytheystoppedtoinvestigatewhattheyhadsupposedtobeanopticalillusion。Theyobservedthatleavesandotherlightsubstancesfloatedseveralinchesabovethesurfaceofthewaterinthepools。Oncomingtotheedgeandmakingtests,theyfoundalightliquid,asinvisibleasair,superimposeduponthewater,withsufficientbuoyancytosustaindrywoodandalsosomeformsoflife。Theyalsoobservedthatinsectscomingclosetothesurfaceandapparentlyinhalingit,rapidlyincreasedinsizeandweight,fromwhichtheyconcludeditmustthrowoffnitrogen,carbon,orsomeothernourishmentintheformofgas。Thedepthuponthewaterwasunaffectedbyrain,whichpassedthroughit,butdependedratherontheconditionoftheatmosphere,fromwhichitwasevidentlycondensed。Thereseemedalsotobearelationbetweentheamountofthisliquidandtheactivityofthespirits。Finally,whentheirammunitionshowedsignsofrunninglow,theydecidedtoreturntotheCallisto,goinittotheothersideoftheplanet,andresumetheirinvestigationsthere。Accordingly,theysetouttoretracetheirsteps,returningbyacourseafewmilestoonesideofthewaytheyhadcome,andmakingthecavetheirobjectivepoint。Arrivingthereoneeveningaboutsunset,theypitchedtheircamp。Thecavewasshelteredandcomfortable,andtheymadepreparationforpassingthenight。
\"Ishallbesorry,\"saidAyrault,astheysatneartheirfire,\"toleavethisplacewithoutagainseeingthebishop。Hesaidwecouldimpresshimanywhere,butitmaybemoredifficulttodothatattheantipodesthanhere。\"
\"Itdoesseem,\"saidBearwarden,\"asthoughweshouldbemissingitinnotseeinghimagain,ifthatispossible。Nothingbutapoison—stormbroughthimthefirsttime,anditisnotcertainthateveninsuchanemergencywouldhecomeagainuncalled。\"
\"Ithink,\"saidAyrault,\"asnoneofthespiritsherearemalevolent,theywouldwarnusofdangeriftheycould。Thebishop\'sspiritseemstohavebeentheonlyonewithsufficientlydevelopedpowertoreappearasaman。Ithereforesuggestthatto—morrowwetrytomakehimfeelourthoughtandbringhimtous。\"
CHAPTERVII。
THESPIRIT\'SSECONDVISIT。
Accordingly,thenextmorningtheyconcentratedtheirmindssimultaneouslyonthespirit,wishingwithalltheirstrengththatheshouldreappear。
\"Whetherhebefarornear,\"saidAyrault,\"hemustfeelthat,forweareusingtheentireforceofourminds。\"
Shadowsbegantoform,anddancingprismaticcoloursappeared,butasyettherewasnosignofthedeceasedbishop,whensuddenlyhetookshapeamongthem,hisappearanceanddisappearancebeingmuchlikethatofstereopticonviewsonthesheetbeforealantern。Heheldhimselferect,andhisthoughtful,dignifiedfacehadthesamecalmexpressionithadwornbefore。
\"Weattractedyourattention,\"saidAyrault,\"inthewayyousaidwemight,becausewelongedsotoseeyou。\"
\"Yes,\"addedBearwardenandCortlandt,\"wefeltweMUSTseeyouagain。\"
\"Iamalwaysatyourservice,\"repliedthespirit,\"andwillansweryourquestions。Withregardtomyvisibilityandinvisibility\"——hecontinued,withasmile,\"forIwillnotwaitforyoutoasktheexplanationofwhatisinyourminds——itisverysimple。Aman\'ssoulcanneverdie;amanifestationofthesoulisthespirit;thishasentity,consciousness,andwill,andthesealsoliveforever。Asinthenaturalormateriallife,asIshallcallit,willaffectsthematerialfirst。Thus,achildhaspowertomoveitshandoramaterialobject,asatoy,beforeitcanbecomethemediuminapsychologicalseance。Soitishere。Beforebecomingvisibletoyoureyes,I,bymywill,drawcertainmaterialsubstancesintheformofgasesfromtheground,water,orairaroundme。ThesetakeanyshapeIwish——notnecessarilythatofman,thoughitismorenaturaltoappearaswedidonearth——andmayabsorbaportionoflight,andsobeabletocastashadoworbreakupthewhiteraysintoprismaticcolours,ortheymaybewhollyinvisible。Byaneffortofthewill,then,Icombineandcondensethesegases——whichconsistprincipallyofoxygen,hydrogen,nitrogen,andcarbon——intoflesh,blood,water,oranythingelse。Youhavealreadylearnedonearththat,bytheapplicationofheat,everysolidandeveryliquidsubstance,whichissolidorliquidsimplybecauseofthetemperatureatwhichyoufindit,canbeexpandedintogasorgases;andthatbycoldandpressureeverygascanbereducedtoaliquidorasolid。Onearththestateofasubstance,whethersolid,liquid,orgaseous,dependssimplyuponthosetwoconditions。Hereneitherthermalnorbarometricchangesarerequired,for,bymasteringthenewnaturallawsthatatdeathbecomepatenttooursenses,wehaveallthenecessarycontrol。
Itrequiresbutaneffortofmywilltobealmostinstantlyclothedinhumanform,andbutanotherefforttorearrangethemoleculesinsuchawayastomaketheenvelopevisible。Somewhohavebeendeadlonger,orhadagreaternaturalaptitudethanI,haveadvancedfurther,andallarelearning;butthedifferenceintherateatwhichspiritsacquirecontrolofpreviouslyunknownnaturallawsvariesfarmorethanamongindividualsonearth。
\"Theseformsoforganiclifedonotdisintegratetillafterdeath;hereinthenaturalstatetheybreakdownanddissolveintotheirstructuralelementsinfullbloom,aswasdonebythefungi。Thepoisonouselementinthedeadlygust,againstwhichI
warnedyou,camefromthegaseousingredientsoftoadstools,whichbutseldom,andthenonlywhentheatmospherehasthegreatestaffinityforthem,dissolveautomatically,producingadeath—spreadingwave,againstwhichyourmeteorologicalinstrumentsinfuturecanwarnyou。Theslightfallyounoticedintemperaturewasbecausethespecificheatofthesegasesishigh,andtobecomegaswhileinthesolidstatetheyhadtowithdrawsomewarmthfromtheair。Thefatalbreathofthewingedlizards——ordragons,asyoucallthem——resultsfromthesamecause,theactionoftheirdigestionbreakingupthefungus,whichdoesnotkillthem,becausetheyexhalethepoisonouspartingaseousformwiththeirbreath。Themushroomsdissolvemoreeasily;thenaturalseparationthattakesplaceastheyreachacertainstageintheirdevelopmentbeingprecipitatedbyconcussionorshock。
\"Havingseenthat,asonearth,wegaincontrolofthematerialfirst,ouracquisitivenessthenextendstoabetterunderstandingandappreciationofournewsenses,andwearecontinuallyfindingnewobjectsofbeauty,andnewbeautiesinthingswesupposedwealreadyunderstood。WewereaccustomedonearthtothemarvellousvarietythatNatureproducedfromapparentlysimplemeansandpresentedtoourverylimitedsenses;herethereisanindescribablygreatervarietytobeexaminedbyvastlykeenersenses。Thesoulsinhellhaveanequallykeenbutdistortedcounterpartofoursenses,sothattheyseeinamagnifiedformeverythingvileinthemselvesandineachother。
Totheirsensesonlytheuglyandhatefulsideisvisible,sothatthebeautyandperfumeofafloweraretothemasloathsomeastheappearanceandfumesofatoadstool。Asevolutionandthetendencyofeverythingtoperpetuateitselfandintensifyitspeculiaritiesareinvariablethroughouttheuniverse,theseunhappysoulsandourselvesseemdestinedtodivergemoreandmoreastimegoeson;andwhileweconstantlybecomehappierasourcapacityforhappinessincreases,theirsharpeningsenseswillgivethemaworseandworseideaofeachother,tilltheirmutualrepugnancewillknownobounds,andofeverythingconcerningwhichtheyobtainknowledgethroughtheirsenses。
Thusthesepoorcreaturesseemtobethevictimsofcircumstancesandtheunalterablelawsoffate,andweretheresuchathingasdeath,theirmiserywouldunquestionablyfinallybreaktheirhearts。Thattherewillbefinalforgivenessforthecondemned,haslongbeenahumanhope;butasyettheyhaveexperiencednone,andthereisnoanalogyforitinNature。
\"ButwhileyouhavestillyourearthlybodiesandtheopportunitiestheygiveyouofservingGod,youneednotbeconcernedabouthell;nooneonearth,knowinghowthingsreallyare,wouldeveragainforsakeHisways。Theearthlystateisthemostpreciousopportunityofsecuringthatforwhichamanwouldgivehisall。Evenfromthemostworldlypointofview,amanisanunspeakablefoolnottoimprovehistalentsanddogood。Whatwouldthoseinsheolnotgivenowforbutonedayinthefleshonearth,ofwhichyouunappreciativesmaystillhavesomany？Thewell—usedopportunitiesofevenonehourmightbringjoytothoseinparadiseforever,andgreatlyeasethelotofthoseinhell。
Indoingactsofphilanthropy,however,youmustrememberthetextofthesermonthedoctorofdivinitypreachedtoCraninerandRidleyjustbeforetheyperishedatthestake:\'ThoughI
givemybodytobeburned,andhavenotcharity,itprofitethmenothing\'——whichshowsthatevengooddeedsmustbeperformedintheproperspirit。
\"Aneweraissoontodawnonearth。Notwithstandingyourgreatmaterialprogress,thefuturewillexceedallthepast。Manwillfindeverysubstance\'smaximumuse,therebyvastlyincreasinghiscomfort。Then,whenadvancedinscienceandreason,withthepowerofhissensesincreasedbythedelicateinstrumentsthatyou,astheforerunnersofthecomingman,arealreadylearningtomake,mayheceasetobeagroveller,likeourprogenitorsthequadrupeds,andmayhisthoughtsrisetohisCreator,whohasbroughthimtosuchheightsthroughalltheintricaciesoftheway。Yourpreparationforthelifetocomecanalsobegreatlyaidedbyintercoursewiththosewhohavealreadydied。Whenyoureallywanttoassociatespirituallywithus,youcandoso;for,thoughperhapsonlyoneinahundredmillioncan,likeme,soclothehimselfastobeagainvisibletomortaleyes,manyofuscouldaffectgelatineorextremelysensitiveplatesthatwouldshowinterruptionsintheultra—violetchemicalraysthat,likethethermalredbeyondthevisiblespectroscope,youknowexistthoughyoucanneitherseenorfeelthem。Spiritscouldnotaffectthemagneticeye,becausemagnetism,thoughimmaterialitself,isinducedandaffectedonlybyamaterialsubstance。
Theimpressionontheplate,however,liketheprismaticcoloursyouhavealreadynoticed,canbeproducedbyaslightrarefactionofthehydrogenintheair,sothat,thoughnospiritcouldbephotographedassuch,acodeandlanguagemightbeestablishedbymeansoftheeffectproducedontheairbythespirit\'smind。I
amsointerestedinthesubjectofmydisquisitionthatIhadalmostforgottenthatyourspiritsarestillsubjecttotherequirementsofthebody。LasttimeIdinedwithyou;letmenowplaythehost。\"
\"Weshallbecharmedtodinewithyou,\"saidAyrault,\"andshallbeonlytoogladofanythingthatwillkeepyouwithus。\"
\"Then,\"saidthespirit,\"asthetableclothislaid,weneedonlytohavesomethingonit。Leteachpleaseholdacorner,\"hecontinued,takingonehimselfwithhislefthand,whilehepassedhisrighttohisbrow。Soonflakesasofsnowbegantoformintheairabove,andslowlydescendeduponthecloth;and,glancingup,thethreemensawthatforaconsiderableheightthisprocesswasgoingon,theflakesincreasinginsizeastheyfelltilltheyattainedalengthofseveralinches。Whentherewasenoughforthemallonthetable—cloththeshowerceased。Sittingdownontheground,theybegantoeatthismanna,whichhadadeliciousflavourandmarvellouspurityandfreshness。
\"Asyoudoubtlesshavealreadysuspected,\"saidthespirit,\"thebasisofthisineverycaseiscarbon,combinedwithnitrogeninitssolidform,andwiththeothergasestheatmosphereherecontains。Youmaynoticethattheflakesvaryincolouraswellasintaste,bothofwhichareofcoursegovernedbythegaswithwhichthecarbon,alsoinitsvisibleform,iscombined。Itisalmostthesameprocessasthatperformedbyeveryplantinwithdrawingcarbonfromtheairandstoringitinitstrunkintheformofwood,which,ascharcoal,isagainalmostpurecarbon,onlyinthiscasethemetamorphosisisfarmorerapid。
ThisisperhapsthenaturallawthatElijah,byGod\'said,invokedinthemiracleofthewidow\'scruse,andthatproducedthemannathatfedtheIsraelitesinthedesert;whileapergycameinplayinthecaseofthestreamthatMosescalledfromtherockinthewilderness,whichfollowedthedescendantsofAbrahamovertheroughcountrythroughwhichtheypassed。Inexaminingmiracleswiththeutmostdeference,aswehavearightto,weseeonelawrunningthroughall。EveninChrist\'smiracleofchangingthewatertowine,therewasanaturallaw,thoughonlyonehasdweltonearthwhocouldmakethatchange,which,fromachemist\'sstandpoint,waspeculiarlydifficultonaccountoftherequiredfermentation,whichistheresultofadevelopedandmaturedgerm。ManyofHismiracles,however,areasfarbeyondmysmallpowerasheavenisabovetheearth。MuchofthesubstanceoftheloavesandfisheswithwhichHefedthemultitude——thecarbonandnitrogenousproducts——alsocamefromtheair,thoughHecouldhavetakenthemfrommanyothersources。
Thecombinationandbuildingupoftheseintheordinarywaywouldhavetakenweeksormonths,butwasperformedinstantaneouslybyHismightypower。\"
\"Whatnaturallawsareknowntoyou,\"askedBearwarden,\"thatwedonotunderstand,orconcerningtheexistenceofwhichweareignorant？\"
\"Mostofthelawsintheinvisibleworld,\"saidthespirit,\"arethecounterpartorextensionoflawsthatappearonearth,thoughyouasyetunderstandbutasmallpartofthose,manynothavingcometoyournotice。You,forinstance,knowthatlight,heat,andmotionareanalogous,andeitherofthelasttwocanbeconvertedintotheother;butinpracticeyouproducemotionofthewatermoleculesbytheapplicationofheat,andseldomreverseit。Oneofthefirstthingswemasterhereisthepowertofreezeorboilwater,bycheckingthemotionofthemoleculesinonecase,andbyincreasingit,andtheirmutualrepulsion,intheother。Thisisbyvirtueofasimplelaw,thoughinthiscasethereisnonaturalmanifestationofitonearthwithwhichtocompareit。Whileknowledgemustbeacquiredherethroughstudy,asonearth,thenewsenseswereceivewiththeawakeningfromdeathrenderthedoingsoeasy,thoughwithonlythesenseswehadbeforeitwouldhavebeennexttoimpossible。
\"AtthismomentsnowisfallingontheCallisto;butthisyoucouldnotknowbyseeing,andscarcelyanydegreeofevolutioncoulddevelopyoursightsufficiently,unassistedbydeath。Withyourinstruments,however,youcouldalreadyperceiveit,notwithstandingtheinterveningrocks。
\"Yourresearchonearthisthebestandmostthoroughinthehistoryoftherace;andcouldwebutgiveyousuggestionsastothedirectioninwhichtopushit,thedifferencebetweenyourselvesandangelsmightbebutlittlemorethanthatbetweenthenumberandintensityofthesensesandthecompositionofthebody。Bythecombinationofnaturallawsyouhaveridyourselvesoftheimpedimentofmaterialweight,andcanroamthroughspacelikespirits,orasColumbus,byvirtueoftheconfidencethatcamewiththediscoveryofthemariner\'scompass,roameduponandexploredthesea。Youhavemadeagoodbeginning,andwerenotyourlivessoshort,andtheirrequirementssoperemptory,youmightvisitthedistantstars。
\"Iwillshowyoutheworkingofevolution。Lifesleepsinminerals,dreamsinplants,andwakesinyou。Therockwornbyfrostandagecrumblestoearthandsoil。Thisentersthesubstanceoftheprimordialplant,which,slowlyrising;producestheanimalgerm。Afterthatthewayisclear,andmanisevolvedfromprotoplasmthroughthevertebrateandtheape。Herewehavetheepitomeofthestruggleforlifeintheagespast,andtheanalogueofthejourneyintheyearstocome。DoesnottheAlmightyHimselfmakethisclearwhereHesaysthroughhisservantIsaiah,\'BeholdofthesestoneswillIraiseupchildren\'？——andthenameAdammeansredearth。God,havingbroughtmansofar,willnotletevolutioncease,andthenextstageoflifemustbethespiritual。\"
\"Canyoutellusanything,\"askedAyrault,\"concerningthebodiesthatthosesurvivingthefinaljudgmentwillreceive？\"
\"Notwithstandingtheunfoldingofknowledgethathascometoushere,\"repliedthespirit,\"therearestillsomesubjectsconcerningwhichwemustlookforinformationtotheinspiredwritersintheBible,andeverygainordiscoverygoestoprovetheirveracity。Weknowthattherearecelestialbodiesandbodiesterrestrial,andthatthespiritualbodiesweshallreceiveintheresurrectionwillhavepowerandwillbeincorruptibleandimmortal。Wealsoknowbyanalogyandreasonthattheywillbeunaffectedbythecoldandvoidofspace,sothattheirpossessorscanrangethroughtheuniversefornon—nillionsanddecillionsofmiles,thattheywillhavemarvellouscapacitiesforenjoyingwhattheyfind,andthatnoundertakingorjourneywillbetoodifficult,thoughitbetothecentreofthesun。Thoughmanyofuscanalreadyvisittheremoteregionsofspaceasspirits,nonecanasyetseeGod;butweknowthatasthesightwearetoreceivewithournewbodiessharpens,thepureinheartwillseeHim,thoughHeisstillasinvisibletotheeyesofthemostdevelopedhereastheetherofspaceistoyours。\"
CHAPTERVIII。
CASSANDRAANDCOSMOLOGY。
Thewater—jugbeingempty,Ayraulttookitup,and,crossingtheridgeofasmallhill,descendedtoarunning—brook。Hehadfilledit,andwasstraighteninghimself,whenthestoneonwhichhestoodturned,andhemighthavefallen,hadnotthebishop,ofwhosepresencehehadbeenunaware,stretchedouthishandandupheldhim。
\"Ithoughtyoumightneedalittlehelp,\"hesaidwithasmile,\"andsowalkedbesideyou,thoughyouknewitnot。Waterisheavy,andyoumaynotyethavebecomeaccustomedtoitsSaturnianweight。\"
\"Manythanks,mymaster,\"repliedAyrault,retaininghishand。
\"WereitnotthatIamengagedtothegirlIlove,andamsometimeshauntedbythethoughtthatinmyabsenceshemaybeforgettingme,Ishouldwishtospendtherestofmynaturallifehere,unlessIcouldpersuadeyoutogowithmetotheearth。\"
\"Byremaininghere,\"repliedthespirit,withasadlook,\"youwouldbelosingthemostpricelessopportunitiesofdoinggood。
NeitherwillIgowithyou;but,asyourdistressisreal,Iwilltellyouofanythinghappeningonearththatyouwishtoknow。\"
\"Tellme,then,whatthepersonnowinmythoughtsisdoing。\"
\"Sheisstandinginawindowfacingwest,wateringsomeforget—me—notswithasmallsilversprinklerwhichhasarubyinthehandle。\"
\"Canyouseeanythingelse？\"
\"Beneaththejewelisaninscriptionthatruns:
\'BythosewhoinwarmJulyarebornAsinglerubyshouldbeworn;
ThenwilltheybeexemptandfreeFromlove\'sdoubtsandanxiety。\'\"
\"Marvellous！HadIanydoubtsastoyourprescienceandpower,theywouldbedispellednow。Onethingmoreletmeask,however:
Doesshestillloveme？\"
\"Inhermindisbutonethought,andinherheartisanimage——thatofthemanbeforeme。Shelovesyouwithallhersoul。\"
\"Mymosteagerwishissatisfied,andforthemomentmyheartisatrest,\"repliedAyrault,astheyturnedtheirstepstowardscamp。\"Yet,suchismyweaknessbynature,that,eretwenty—fourhourshavepassedIshalllongtohaveyoutellmeagain。\"
\"Ihavebeeninlovemyself,\"repliedthespirit,\"andknowthefeeling;yettobeofthesmallestservicetoyougivesmefarmorehappinessthanitcangiveyou。Themutualloveinparadiseexceedseventhelover\'sloveonearth,foritisonlythosethatlovedandcanlovethatareblessed。
\"Youcanhardlyrealize,\"thebishopcontinued,astheyrejoinedBearwardenandCortlandt,\"thejoythataspiritinparadiseexperienceswhen,onreopeninghiseyesafterpassingdeath,whichisbuttheportal,hefindshimselfendowedwithsightthatenableshimtoseesuchdistancesandwithsuchdistinctness。
Thesolarsystem,withthisringedplanet,itsswarmofasteroids,anditsintra—Mercurialplanets——oneofwhich,Vulcan,youhavealreadydiscovered——isabeautifulsight。Theplanetsnearestthesunreceivesuchburningraysthattheirsurfacesarered—hot,andattheequatoratperihelionaremolten。Thesearenotseenfromtheearth,because,risingorsettingalmostsimultaneouslywiththesun,theyarelostinitsrays。ThegreatplanetbeyondNeptune\'sorbitisperhapsthemostinteresting。ThiswecallCassandra,becauseitwouldbeaprophetofeviltoanyvisitorfromthestarswhoshouldjudgethesolarsystembyit。ThisplanetisnearlyaslargeasJupiter,being80,000milesindiameter,buthasaspecificgravitylighterthanSaturn。Bode\'slaw,youknow,says,Writedown0,3,6,12,24,48,96。Add4toeach,andget4,7,10,16,28,52,100;andthisseriesofnumbersrepresentsverynearlytherelativedistancesoftheplanetsfromthesun。
Accordingtothislaw,youwouldexpecttheplanetnextbeyondNeptunetobeabout5,000,000,000milesfromthesun。Butitisabout9,500,000,000,sothatthereisagapbetweenNeptuneandCassandra,asbetweenMarsandJupiter,exceptthatinCassandra\'scasetherearenoasteroidstoshowwhereanyplanetwas;wemust,then,supposeitisanexceptiontoBode\'slaw,orthattherewasaplanetthathascompletelydisappeared。AsCassandrawouldbewithinthelawiftherehadbeenanintermediaryplanet,wehavegoodprimafaciereasonforbelievingthatitexisted。Cassandratakes,inroundnumbers,athousandyearstocompleteitsorbit,andfromitthesun,thoughbrighter,appearsnolargerthantheearth\'seveningormorningstar。Cassandrahasalsothreelargemoons;butthese,whenfull,shinewithapale—greylight,liketheoldmooninthenewmoon\'sarms,inthatterrestrialphenomenonwhentheearth,byreflectingthecrescent\'slight,andthatofthesun,makesthedarkpartvisible。ThetemperatureatCassandra\'ssurfaceisbutlittleabovethecoldofspace,andnowaterexistsintheliquidstate,itbeingasmuchasolidasaluminumorglass。Thereareriversandlakes,buttheseconsistofliquefiedhydrogenandothergases,theheavierliquidcollectedindeepPlaces,andthelighter,withlessthanhalfthespecificgravityofether,floatinguponitwithoutmixing,asoilonwater。Whentheheavierpenetratestoasufficientdepth,theinteriorbeingstillwarm,itisconvertedintogasanddrivenbacktothesurface,onlytoberecondensedonreachingtheupperair。Thusitmayhappenthattworainscomposedofseparateliquidsmayfalltogether。Therebeingbutlittleofanyotheratmosphere,muchofitconsistsofwhatyoumightcallthevapourofhydrogen,andmanyofthewell—knowngasesandliquidsonearthexistonlyasliquidsandsolids;sothat,weretheremortalinhabitantsonCassandra,theymightbuildtheirhousesofblocksofoxygenorchlorine,asyoudooflimestoneormarble,anduseicethatnevermelts,inplaceofglass,fortransparence。Theywouldalsousemercuryforbulletsintheirrifles,justasinhabitantsoftheintra—Vulcanplanetsattheotherextrememight,iftheirbodiesconsistedofasbestos,orwereinanyotherwaynon—combustiblyconstituted,batheintin,lead,orevenzinc,whichordinarilyexistintheliquidstate,aswaterandmercurydoontheearth。
\"ThoughCassandra\'satmosphere,suchasitis,ismostlyclear,fortheevaporationfromtheriversandicymediterraneansisslight,thebrightnessofeventhehighestnoonislessthananearthlytwilight,andthestarsneverceasetoshine。Thedarkbaseoftherockycliffsiswashedbythefrigidtide,butthereisscarcelyasound,forthepebblescannotbemovedbytheweightlesswaves,andanoccasionalmurmurisallthatisheard。
Greatrocksoficereflectthelightofthegreymoons,andneveraleaffallsorabirdsings。Withtheexceptionofthemournfulripples,theplanetissilentasthegrave。Theanimalandplantkingdomsdonotexist;onlythemineralandspiritualworlds。I
sayspiritual,becausetherearesoulsuponit;butitisthehomeofthecondemnedinhell。Heredwellthetransgressorswhodiedunrepentant,andthosewhowerenotsavedbyfaith。ThisistheoneinstanceinwhichIdonotenjoymydevelopedsight,forIsometimesglanceintheirdirection,andthevisionthatmeetsme,asmyeyesfocus,distressesmysoul。Theirsensesarelikeanimperfectmirror,magnifyingallthatisbadinoneanother,anddistortinganythingstillpartiallygoodwhenthatexists。
Allthosethingsthatmightatleastdistractthemarehollow,theirmiserybeingtheinevitableresultoftheconditionofmindtowhichtheybecameaccustomedonearthandwhichbroughtthemtoCassandra。Butletusturntosomethingbrighter。
\"Thoughthesolarsystemmayseemcomplex,thesunisbutastaramongthemillionsintheMilkyWay,and,comparedwiththeplanetarysystemsofSirius,thestarsoftheSouthernCross,andthemotionsofthenebula,itissimplicityitself。ComparedwiththesplendourofSirius,withitsdiameteroftwelvemillionmiles,thesun,measuringbuteighthundredandfortythousand,becomesinsignificant;andthisgiant\'ssystemincludesgroupsandclustersofplanets,manywiththreetimesthemassofJupiter,fiveandsixtogether,eachadifferentcolour,revolvingaboutacommoncentre,whiletheyswingabouttheirprimary。Theirnumerousmoonshavesatellitesencirclingthem,withorbitsinsomecasesatrightanglestotheplaneoftheecliptic,sothattheyshineperpendicularlyonwhatcorrespondtothearcticandantarcticregions,whiletheiraxesaresoinclinedthatthesatellitesturnacompletesomersaultateachrevolution,producingglisteningeffectsoficeandsnowatthepoles。Someofthemoonsareataredorwhiteheat,andsopreventthechillofnightontheplanets,whiletheyshinewithmorethanreflectedlight。Inadditiontothefiveorsixlargeplanetsineachgroup,which,however,aremanymillionsofmilesapart,thereisinsomeclustersasmallplanetthatswingsbackwardandforwardacrossthecommoncentre,likeapendulum,butinnearlyastraightline;andwhilethismultiplicityofmotiongoeson,thewholeaggregationsweepsmajesticallyaroundSirius,itsmightysun。Ourlittlesolarsystemcontains,asweknow,aboutonethousandplanets,satellites,andasteroidslargeenoughtobedignifiedbythenameofheavenlybodies。Vastnumbersofthestarshaveahundredandevenathousandtimesthemassofoursun,andtheirsystemsbeingrelativelyascomplexasours——insomecasesevenmoreso——theycontainahundredthousandoramillionindividualbodies。
\"Oversixtymillionbrightorincandescentstarswerevisibletotheterrestrialtelescopesahundredyearsago,theaveragesizeofwhichfarexceedsoursun。Tothemagnificenttelescopesofto—daytheyareliterallycountless,andthenumbercanbeindefinitelyextendedasyouropticalresourcesgrow。Yetthenumberofstarsyouseeisutterlyinsignificantcomparedwiththecoldanddarkonesyoucannotsee,butconcerningwhichyouareconstantlylearningmore,byobservingtheireffectonthebrightones,bothbyperturbingthemandbyobscuringtheirrays。
Occasionally,asyouknow,astarofthetwelfthorfifteenthmagnitude,oronethathasbeeninvisible,flaresupforseveralmonthstothefourthorfifth,throughacollisionwithsomedarkgiant,andthenreturnstowhatitwasinthebeginning,agaseous,filmynebula。Theseinnumerablehostsofdarkmonsters,thoughdead,arecentresofsystems,likemostofthestarsyoucansee。
\"Aslightconsiderationofthesefigureswillshowthat,notwithstandingthenumberofsoulstheCreatorhasgivenlifeonearth,eachonemightinfacthaveasystemtohimself;andthat,howeverlongthelittleglobemayremain,asitwere,amint,inwhichsoulsaretriedbyfireandmoulded,andreceivetheirfinalstamp,theywillalwayshaveroomtocirculate,andwillbeprizedaccordingtotheimpresstheirfacesorheartsmustshow。
ButSiriusitselfismovingmanytimesfasterthantheswiftestcannonball,carryingitssystemwithit;andIseeyouasking,\'Towhatdoesallthismotiontend？\'Iwillshowyou。Manyquadrillionsofmilesaway,sofarthatyourmostpowerfultelescopeshavenotyetcaughtaglimmer,restsinitsserenegrandeurastarthatwecallCosmos,becauseitisthecentreofthisuniverse。ItsdiameterisasgreatasthediameterofCassandra\'sorbit,andnotwithstandingitsterrificheat,itsspecificgravity,onaccountoftheirresistiblepressureatandnearthecentre,isasgreatasthatoftheplanetMercury。Thisholdsallthatyoureyesorminecansee;andtheso—calledmotionsofthestars——forweknowthatSirius,amongothers,isreceding——isbutthedifferenceintherateatwhichthedifferentsystemsandconstellationsswingaroundCosmos,thoughindoingsotheyoftenrevolveaboutothersystemsorswingroundcommoncentres,sothatmanyaresatellitesofsatellitesmanytimesrepeated。Theorbitsofsomearecircular,andofotherselliptical,asthoseofcomets,andsomerevolveabouteachother,or,aswehaveseen,aboutacommonpointwhiletheyperformtheircelestialjourney。Astar,therefore,recedesoradvances,asJupiterandVenuswithrelationtotheearth。Theplanetinthesmallerorbitmovesfasterthanthatinthelarger,sothattheinterveningdistanceswaxandwane,thoughallaregoinginthesamegeneraldirection。Inthecaseofthemembersofthesolarsystem,astronomicalrecordcantellwhenevenamostdistantknownplanethasbeeninoppositionorconjunction;