uments　are　partly　a　mystification！　　What　if　many　a　so…called　Fact　were　little　better　than　a　Fiction；　if　here　we　had　no　direct　Camera…obscura　Picture　of　the　Professor's　History；　but　only　some　more　or　less　fantastic　Adumbration；　symbolically；　perhaps　significantly　enough；　shadowing　forth　the　same！　　Our　theory　begins　to　be　that；　in　receiving　as　literally　authentic　what　was　but　hieroglyphically　so；　Hofrath　Heuschrecke；　whom　in　that　case　we　scruple　not　to　name　Hofrath　Nose…of…Wax；　was　made　a　fool　of；　and　set　adrift　to　make　fools　of　others。　　Could　it　be　expected；　indeed；　that　a　man　so　known　for　impenetrable　reticence　as　Teufelsdrockh　would　all　at　once　frankly　unlock　his　private　citadel　to　an　English　Editor　and　a　German　Hofrath；　and　not　rather　deceptively　_in_lock　both　Editor　and　Hofrath　in　the　labyrinthic　tortuosities　and　covered…ways　of　said　citadel　（having　enticed　them　thither）；　to　see；　in　his　half…devilish　way；　how　the　fools　would　look？
  Of　one　fool；　however；　the　Herr　Professor　will　perhaps　find　himself　short。　On　a　small　slip；　formerly　thrown　aside　as　blank；　the　ink　being　all　but　invisible；　we　lately　noticed；　and　with　effort　decipher；　the　following：　〃What　are　your　historical　Facts；　still　more　your　biographical？　　Wilt　thou　know　a　Man；　above　all　a　Mankind；　by　stringing　together　bead…rolls　of　what　thou　namest　Facts？　　The　Man　is　the　spirit　he　worked　in；　not　what　he　did；　but　what　he　became。　　Facts　are　engraved　Hierograms；　for　which　the　fewest　have　the　key。　　And　then　how　your　Blockhead　（_Dummkopf_）　studies　not　their　Meaning；　but　simply　whether　they　are　well　or　ill　cut；　what　he　calls　Moral　or　Immoral！　　Still　worse　is　it　with　your　Bungler　（_Pfuscher_）：　　such　I　have　seen　reading　some　Rousseau；　with　pretences　of　interpretation；　and　mistaking　the　ill…cut　Serpent…of…Eternity　for　a　common　poisonous　reptile。〃　　Was　the　Professor　apprehensive　lest　an　Editor；　selected　as　the　present　boasts　himself；　might　mistake　the　Teufelsdrockh　Serpent…of…Eternity　in　like　manner？　　For　which　reason　it　was　to　be　altered；　not　without　underhand　satire；　into　a　plainer　Symbol？　　Or　is　this　merely　one　of　his　half…sophisms；　half…truisms；　which　if　he　can　but　set　on　the　back　of　a　Figure；　he　cares　not　whither　it　gallop？　　We　say　not　with　certainty；　and　indeed；　so　strange　is　the　Professor；　can　never　say。　　If　our　suspicion　be　wholly　unfounded；　let　his　own　questionable　ways；　not　our　necessary　circumspectness　bear　the　blame。
  But　be　this　as　it　will；　the　somewhat　exasperated　and　indeed　exhausted　Editor　determines　here　to　shut　these　Paper…bags　for　the　present。　　Let　it　suffice　that　we　know　of　Teufelsdrockh；　so　far；　if　〃not　what　he　did；　yet　what　he　became：〃　　the　rather；　as　his　character　has　now　taken　its　ultimate　bent；　and　no　new　revolution；　of　importance；　is　to　be　looked　for。　　The　imprisoned　Chrysalis　is　now　a　winged　Psyche：　　and　such；　wheresoever　be　its　flight；　it　will　continue。　　To　trace　by　what　complex　gyrations　（flights　or　involuntary　waftings）　through　the　mere　external　Life…element；　Teufelsdrockh；　reaches　his　University　Professorship；　and　the　Psyche　clothes　herself　in　civic　Titles；　without　altering　her　now　fixed　nature；would　be　comparatively　an　unproductive　task；　were　we　even　unsuspicious　of　its　being；　for　us　at　least；　a　false　and　impossible　one。　　His　outward　Biography；　therefore；　which；　at　the　Blumine　Lover's…Leap；　we　saw　churned　utterly　into　spray…vapor；　may　hover　in　that　condition；　for　aught　that　concerns　us　here。　Enough　that　by　survey　of　certain　〃pools　and　plashes；〃　we　have　ascertained　its　general　direction；　do　we　not　already　know　that；　by　one　way　and　other；　it　_has_　long　since　rained　down　again　into　a　stream；　and　even　now；　at　Weissnichtwo；　flows　deep　and　still；　fraught　with　the　_Philosophy　of　Clothes_；　and　visible　to　whoso　will　cast　eye　thereon？　　Over　much　invaluable　matter；　that　lies　scattered；　like　jewels　among　quarry…rubbish；　in　those　Paper…catacombs；　we　may　have　occasion　to　glance　back；　and　somewhat　will　demand　insertion　at　the　right　place：　　meanwhile　be　our　tiresome　diggings　therein　suspended。
  If　now；　before　reopening　the　great　_Clothes…Volume_；　we　ask　what　our　degree　of　progress；　during　these　Ten　Chapters；　has　been；　towards　right　understanding　of　the　_Clothes…Philosophy_；　let　not　our　discouragement　become　total。　　To　speak　in　that　old　figure　of　the　Hell…gate　Bridge　over　Chaos；　a　few　flying　pontoons　have　perhaps　been　added；　though　as　yet　they　drift　straggling　on　the　Flood；　how　far　they　will　reach；　when　once　the　chains　are　straightened　and　fastened；　can；　at　present；　only　be　matter　of　conjecture。
  So　much　we　already　calculate：　　Through　many　a　little　loophole；　we　have　had　glimpses　into　the　internal　world　of　Teufelsdrockh；　his　strange　mystic；　almost　magic　Diagram　of　the　Universe；　and　how　it　was　gradually　drawn；　is　not　henceforth　altogether　dark　to　us。　　Those　mysterious　ideas　on　TIME；　which　merit　consideration；　and　are　not　wholly　unintelligible　with　such；　may　by　and　by　prove　significant。　　Still　more　may　his　somewhat　peculiar　view　of　Nature；　the　decisive　Oneness　he　ascribes　to　Nature。　　How　all　Nature　and　Life　are　but　one　_Garment_；　a　〃Living　Garment；〃　woven　and　ever　a…weaving　in　the　〃Loom　of　Time；　〃　is　not　here；　indeed；　the　outline　of　a　whole　_Clothes…Philosophy_；　at　least　the　arena　it　is　to　work　in？　　Remark；　too；　that　the　Character　of　the　Man；　nowise　without　meaning　in　such　a　matter；　becomes　less　enigmatic：　　amid　so　much　tumultuous　obscurity；　almost　like　diluted　madness；　do　not　a　certain　indomitable　Defiance　and　yet　a　boundless　Reverence　seem　to　loom　forth；　as　the　two　mountain…summits；　on　whose　rock…strata　all　the　rest　were　based　and　built？
  Nay　further；　may　we　not　say　that　Teufelsdrockh's　Biography；　allowing　it　even；　as　suspected；　only　a　hieroglyphical　truth；　exhibits　a　man；　as　it　were　preappointed　for　Clothes…Philosophy？　　To　look　through　the　Shows　of　things　into　Things　themselves　he　is　led　and　compelled。　　The　〃Passivity〃　given　him　by　birth　is　fostered　by　all　turns　of　his　fortune。　　Everywhere　cast　out；　like　oil　out　of　water；　from　mingling　in　any　Employment；　in　any　public　Communion；　he　has　no　portion　but　Solitude；　and　a　life　of　Meditation。　　The　whole　energy　of　his　existence　is　directed；　through　long　years；　on　one　task：　that　of　enduring　pain；　if　he　cannot　cure　it。　　Thus　everywhere　do　the　Shows　of　things　oppress　him；　withstand　him；　threaten　him　with　fearfullest　destruction：　　only　by　victoriously　penetrating　into　Things　themselves　can　he　find　peace　and　a　stronghold。　But　is　not　this　same　looking　through　the　Shows；　or　Vestures；　into　the　Things；　even　the　first　preliminary　to　a　_Philosophy　of　Clothes_？　　Do　we　not；　in　all　this；　discern　some　beckonings　towards　the　true　higher　purport　of　such　a　Philosophy；　and　what　shape　it　must　assume　with　such　a　man；　in　such　an　era？
  Perhaps　in　entering　on　Book　Third；　the　courteous　Reader　is　not　utterly　without　guess　whither　he　is　bound：　　nor；　let　us　hope；　for　all　the　fantastic　Dream…Grottos　through　which；　as　is　our　lot　with　Teufelsdrockh；　he　must　wander；　will　there　be　wanting　between　whiles　some　twinkling　of　a　steady　Polar　Star。
  BOOK　III。
  CHAPTER　I。　INCIDENT　IN　MODERN　HISTORY。
  As　a　wonder…loving　and　wonder…seeking　man；　Teufelsdrockh；　from　an　early　part　of　this　Clothes…Volume；　has　more　and　more　exhibited　himself。　　Striking　it　was；　amid　all　his　perverse　cloudiness；　with　what　force　of　vision　and　of　heart　he　pierced　into　the　mystery　of　the　World；　recognizing　in　the　highest　sensible　phenomena；　so　far　as　Sense　went；　only　fresh　or　faded　Raiment；　yet　ever；　under　this；　a　celestial　Essence　thereby　rendered　visible：　　and　while；　on　the　one　hand；　he　trod　the　old　rags　of　Matter；　with　their　tinsels；　into　the　mire；　he　on　the　other　everywhere　exalted　Spirit　above　all　earthly　principalities　and　powers；　and　worshipped　it；　though　under　the　meanest　shapes；　with　a　true　Platonic　mysticism。　　What　the　man　ultimately　purposed　by　thus　casting　his　Greek…fire　into　the　general　Wardrobe　of　the　Universe；　what　such；　more　or　less　complete；　rending　and　burning　of　Garments　throughout　the　whole　compass　of　Civilized　Life　and　Speculation；　should　lead　to；　the　rather　as　he　was　no　Adamite；　in　any　sense；　and　could　not；　like　Rousseau；　recommend　either　bodily　or　intellectual　Nudity；　and　a　return　to　the　savage　state：　　all　this　our　readers　are　now　bent　to　discover；　this　is；　in　fact；　properly　the　gist　and　purport　of　Professor　Teufelsdrockh's　Philosophy　of　Clothes。
  Be　it　remembered；　however；　that　such　purport　is　here　not　so　much　evolved；　as　detected　to　lie　ready　for　evolving。　　We　are　to　guide　our　British　Friends　into　the　new　Gold…country；　and　show　them　the　mines；　nowise　to　dig　out　and　exhaust　its　wealth；　which　indeed　remains　for　all　time　inexhaustible。　　Once　there；　let　each　dig　for　his　own　behoof；　and　enrich　himself。
  Neither；　in　so　capricious　inexpressible　a　Work　as　this　of　the　Professor's；　can　our　course　now　more　than　formerly　be　straightforward；　step　by　step；　but　at　best　leap　by　leap。　　Significant　Indications　stand　out　here　and　there；　which　for　the　critical　eye；　that　looks　both　widely　and　narrowly；　shape　themselves　into　some　ground…scheme　of　a　Whole：　　to　select　these　with　judgment；　so　that　a　leap　from　one　to　the　other　be　possible；　and　（in　our　old　figure）　by　chaining　them　together；　a　passable　Bridge　be　effected：　　this；　as　heretofore；　continues　our　only　method。　　Among　such