〃So　had　it　lasted；〃　concludes　the　Wanderer；　〃so　had　it　lasted；　as　in　bitter　protracted　Death…agony；　through　long　years。　　The　heart　within　me；　unvisited　by　any　heavenly　dew…drop；　was　smouldering　in　sulphurous；　slow…consuming　fire。　　Almost　since　earliest　memory　I　had　shed　no　tear；　or　once　only　when　I；　murmuring　half…audibly；　recited　Faust's　Death…song；　that　wild　_Selig　der　den　er　im　Siegesglanze　findet_　（Happy　whom　_he_　finds　in　Battle's　splendor）；　and　thought　that　of　this　last　Friend　even　I　was　not　forsaken；　that　Destiny　itself　could　not　doom　me　not　to　die。　　Having　no　hope；　neither　had　I　any　definite　fear；　were　it　of　Man　or　of　Devil：　　nay；　I　often　felt　as　if　it　might　be　solacing；　could　the　Arch…Devil　himself；　though　in　Tartarean　terrors；　but　rise　to　me；　that　I　might　tell　him　a　little　of　my　mind。　　And　yet；　strangely　enough；　I　lived　in　a　continual；　indefinite；　pining　fear；　tremulous；　pusillanimous；　apprehensive　of　I　knew　not　what：　　it　seemed　as　if　all　things　in　the　Heavens　above　and　the　Earth　beneath　would　hurt　me；　as　if　the　Heavens　and　the　Earth　were　but　boundless　jaws　of　a　devouring　monster；　wherein　I；　palpitating；　waited　to　be　devoured。
  〃Full　of　such　humor；　and　perhaps　the　miserablest　man　in　the　whole　French　Capital　or　Suburbs；　was　I；　one　sultry　Dog…　day；　after　much　perambulation；　toiling　along　the　dirty　little　_Rue　Saint…Thomas　de　l'Enfer_；　among　civic　rubbish　enough；　in　a　close　atmosphere；　and　over　pavements　hot　as　Nebuchadnezzar's　Furnace；　whereby　doubtless　my　spirits　were　little　cheered；　when；　all　at　once；　there　rose　a　Thought　in　me；　and　I　asked　myself：　　'What　_art_　thou　afraid　of？　　Wherefore；　like　a　coward；　dost　thou　forever　pip　and　whimper；　and　go　cowering　and　trembling？　　Despicable　biped！　what　is　the　sum…total　of　the　worst　that　lies　before　thee？　　Death？　　Well；　Death；　and　say　the　pangs　of　Tophet　too；　and　all　that　the　Devil　and　Man　may；　will　or　can　do　against　thee！　　Hast　thou　not　a　heart；　canst　thou　not　suffer　whatsoever　it　be；　and；　as　a　Child　of　Freedom；　though　outcast；　trample　Tophet　itself　under　thy　feet；　while　it　consumes　thee？　　Let　it　come；　then；　I　will　meet　it　and　defy　it！'　　And　as　I　so　thought；　there　rushed　like　a　stream　of　fire　over　my　whole　soul；　and　I　shook　base　Fear　away　from　me　forever。　　I　was　strong；　of　unknown　strength；　a　spirit；　almost　a　god。　　Ever　from　that　time；　the　temper　of　my　misery　was　changed：　　not　Fear　or　whining　Sorrow　was　it；　but　Indignation　and　grim　fire…eyed　Defiance。
  〃Thus　had　the　EVERLASTING　NO　（_das　ewige　Nein_）　pealed　authoritatively　through　all　the　recesses　of　my　Being；　of　my　ME；　and　then　was　it　that　my　whole　ME　stood　up；　in　native　God…created　majesty；　and　with　emphasis　recorded　its　Protest。　　Such　a　Protest；　the　most　important　transaction　in　Life；　may　that　same　Indignation　and　Defiance；　in　a　psychological　point　of　view；　be　fitly　called。　　The　Everlasting　No　had　said：　　'Behold；　thou　art　fatherless；　outcast；　and　the　Universe　is　mine　（the　Devil's）；'　to　which　my　whole　Me　now　made　answer：　　'_I_　am　not　thine；　but　Free；　and　forever　hate　thee！'
  〃It　is　from　this　hour　that　I　incline　to　date　my　Spiritual　New…birth；　or　Baphometic　Fire…baptism；　perhaps　I　directly　thereupon　began　to　be　a　Man。〃
  CHAPTER　VIII。　CENTRE　OF　INDIFFERENCE。
  Though；　after　this　〃Baphometic　Fire…baptism〃　of　his；　our　Wanderer　signifies　that　his　Unrest　was　but　increased；　as；　indeed；　〃Indignation　and　Defiance；〃　especially　against　things　in　general；　are　not　the　most　peaceable　inmates；　yet　can　the　Psychologist　surmise　that　it　was　no　longer　a　quite　hopeless　Unrest；　that　henceforth　it　had　at　least　a　fixed　centre　to　revolve　round。　For　the　fire…baptized　soul；　long　so　scathed　and　thunder…riven；　here　feels　its　own　Freedom；　which　feeling　is　its　Baphometic　Baptism：　　the　citadel　of　its　whole　kingdom　it　has　thus　gained　by　assault；　and　will　keep　inexpugnable；　outwards　from　which　the　remaining　dominions；　not　indeed　without　hard　battling；　will　doubtless　by　degrees　be　conquered　and　pacificated。　　Under　another　figure；　we　might　say；　if　in　that　great　moment；　in　the　_Rue　Saint…Thomas　de　l'Enfer_；　the　old　inward　Satanic　School　was　not　yet　thrown　out　of　doors；　it　received　peremptory　judicial　notice　to　quit；whereby；　for　the　rest；　its　howl…chantings；　Ernulphus…cursings；　and　rebellious　gnashings　of　teeth；　might；　in　the　mean　while；　become　only　the　more　tumultuous；　and　difficult　to　keep　secret。
  Accordingly；　if　we　scrutinize　these　Pilgrimings　well；　there　is　perhaps　discernible　henceforth　a　certain　incipient　method　in　their　madness。　　Not　wholly　as　a　Spectre　does　Teufelsdrockh　now　storm　through　the　world；　at　worst　as　a　spectra…fighting　Man；　nay　who　will　one　day　be　a　Spectre…queller。　If　pilgriming　restlessly　to　so　many　〃Saints'　Wells；〃　and　ever　without　quenching　of　his　thirst；　he　nevertheless　finds　little　secular　wells；　whereby　from　time　to　time　some　alleviation　is　ministered。　　In　a　word；　he　is　now；　if　not　ceasing；　yet　intermitting　to　〃eat　his　own　heart；〃　and　clutches　round　him　outwardly　on　the　NOT…ME　for　wholesomer　food。　　Does　not　the　following　glimpse　exhibit　him　in　a　much　more　natural　state？
  〃Towns　also　and　Cities；　especially　the　ancient；　I　failed　not　to　look　upon　with　interest。　　How　beautiful　to　see　thereby；　as　through　a　long　vista；　into　the　remote　Time；　to　have；　as　it　were；　an　actual　section　of　almost　the　earliest　Past　brought　safe　into　the　Present；　and　set　before　your　eyes！　There；　in　that　old　City；　was　a　live　ember　of　Culinary　Fire　put　down；　say　only　two　thousand　years　ago；　and　there；　burning　more　or　less　triumphantly；　with　such　fuel　as　the　region　yielded；　it　has　burnt；　and　still　burns；　and　thou　thyself　seest　the　very　smoke　thereof。　　Ah！　and　the　far　more　mysterious　live　ember　of　Vital　Fire　was　then　also　put　down　there；　and　still　miraculously　burns　and　spreads；　and　the　smoke　and　ashes　thereof　（in　these　Judgment…Halls　and　Churchyards）；　and　its　bellows…engines　（in　these　Churches）；　thou　still　seest；　and　its　flame；　looking　out　from　every　kind　countenance；　and　every　hateful　one；　still　warms　thee　or　scorches　thee。
  〃Of　Man's　Activity　and　Attainment　the　chief　results　are　aeriform；　mystic；　and　preserved　in　Tradition　only：　　such　are　his　Forms　of　Government；　with　the　Authority　they　rest　on；　his　Customs；　or　Fashions　both　of　Cloth…habits　and　of　Soul…habits；　much　more　his　collective　stock　of　Handicrafts；　the　whole　Faculty　he　has　acquired　of　manipulating　Nature：　　all　these　things；　as　indispensable　and　priceless　as　they　are；　cannot　in　any　way　be　fixed　under　lock　and　key；　but　must　flit；　spirit…like；　on　impalpable　vehicles；　from　Father　to　Son；　if　you　demand　sight　of　them；　they　are　nowhere　to　be　met　with。　　Visible　Ploughmen　and　Hammermen　there　have　been；　ever　from　Cain　and　Tubal…cain　downwards：　　but　where　does　your　accumulated　Agricultural；　Metallurgic；　and　other　Manufacturing　SKILL　lie　warehoused？　　It　transmits　itself　on　the　atmospheric　air；　on　the　sun's　rays　（by　Hearing　and　by　Vision）；　it　is　a　thing　aeriform；　impalpable；　of　quite　spiritual　sort。　　In　like　manner；　ask　me　not；　Where　are　the　LAWS；　where　is　the　GOVERNMENT？　　In　vain　wilt　thou　go　to　Schonbrunn；　to　Downing　Street；　to　the　Palais　Bourbon；　thou　findest　nothing　there　but　brick　or　stone　houses；　and　some　bundles　of　Papers　tied　with　tape。　　Where；　then；　is　that　same　cunningly　devised　almighty　GOVERNMENT　of　theirs　to　be　laid　hands　on？　　Everywhere；　yet　nowhere：　　seen　only　in　its　works；　this　too　is　a　thing　aeriform；　invisible；　or　if　you　will；　mystic　and　miraculous。　　So　spiritual　（_geistig_）　is　our　whole　daily　Life：　　all　that　we　do　springs　out　of　Mystery；　Spirit；　invisible　Force；　only　like　a　little　Cloud…image；　or　Armida's　Palace；　air…built；　does　the　Actual　body　itself　forth　from　the　great　mystic　Deep。
  〃Visible　and　tangible　products　of　the　Past；　again；　I　reckon　up　to　the　extent　of　three：　　Cities；　with　their　Cabinets　and　Arsenals；　then　tilled　Fields；　to　either　or　to　both　of　which　divisions　Roads　with　their　Bridges　may　belong；　and　thirdlyBooks。　　In　which　third　truly；　the　last　invented；　lies　a　worth　far　surpassing　that　of　the　two　others。　　Wondrous　indeed　is　the　virtue　of　a　true　Book。　　Not　like　a　dead　city　of　stones；　yearly　crumbling；　yearly　needing　repair；　more　like　a　tilled　field；　but　then　a　spiritual　field：　　like　a　spiritual　tree；　let　me　rather　say；　it　stands　from　year　to　year；　and　from　age　to　age　（we　have　Books　that　already　number　some　hundred　and　fifty　human　ages）；　and　yearly　comes　its　new　produce　of　leaves　（Commentaries；　Deductions；　Philosophical；　Political　Systems；　or　were　it　only　Sermons；　Pamphlets；　Journalistic　Essays）；　every　one　of　which　is　talismanic　and　thaumaturgic；　for　it　can　persuade　men。　　O　thou　who　art　able　to　write　a　Book；　which　once　in　the　two　centuries　or　oftener　there　is　a　man　gifted　to　do；　envy　not　him　whom　they　name　City…builder；　and　inexpressibly　pity　him　whom　they　name　Conqueror　or　City…burner！　　Thou　too　art　a　Conqueror　and　Victor；　but　of　the　true　sort；　namely　over　the　Devil：　　thou　too　hast　built　what　will　outlast　all　marble　and　metal；　and　be　a　wonder…bringing　City　of　the　Mind；　a　Temple　and　Seminary　and　Prophetic　Mount；　whereto　all　kindreds　of　the　Earth　will　pilgrim。　Fool！　why　journeyest　thou　wearisomely；　in　thy　antiquarian　fervor；　to　gaze　on　the　stone　pyramids　of　Geeza；　or　the　clay　ones　of　Sacchara？　　These　stand　there；　as　I　can　tell　thee；　idle　and　inert；　looking　over　the　Desert；　foolishly　eno