g　of　Soul　with　Soul；　both　looking　heavenward：　　here　properly　Soul　first　speaks　with　Soul；　for　only　in　looking　heavenward；　take　it　in　what　sense　you　may；　not　in　looking　earthward；　does　what　we　can　call　Union；　mutual　Love；　Society；　begin　to　be　possible。　　How　true　is　that　of　Novalis：　'It　is　certain；　my　Belief　gains　quite　_infinitely_　the　moment　I　can　convince　another　mind　thereof'！　　Gaze　thou　in　the　face　of　thy　Brother；　in　those　eyes　where　plays　the　lambent　fire　of　Kindness；　or　in　those　where　rages　the　lurid　conflagration　of　Anger；　feel　how　thy　own　so　quiet　Soul　is　straightway　involuntarily　kindled　with　the　like；　and　ye　blaze　and　reverberate　on　each　other；　till　it　is　all　one　limitless　confluent　flame　（of　embracing　Love；　or　of　deadly…grappling　Hate）；　and　then　say　what　miraculous　virtue　goes　out　of　man　into　man。　　But　if　so；　through　all　the　thick…plied　hulls　of　our　Earthly　Life；　how　much　more　when　it　is　of　the　Divine　Life　we　speak；　and　inmost　ME　is；　as　it　were；　brought　into　contact　with　inmost　ME！
  〃Thus　was　it　that　I　said；　the　Church　Clothes　are　first　spun　and　woven　by　Society；　outward　Religion　originates　by　Society；　Society　becomes　possible　by　Religion。　　Nay；　perhaps；　every　conceivable　Society；　past　and　present；　may　well　be　figured　as　properly　and　wholly　a　Church；　in　one　or　other　of　these　three　predicaments：　　an　audibly　preaching　and　prophesying　Church；　which　is　the　best；　second；　a　Church　that　struggles　to　preach　and　prophesy；　but　cannot　as　yet；　till　its　Pentecost　come；　and　third　and　worst；　a　Church　gone　dumb　with　old　age；　or　which　only　mumbles　delirium　prior　to　dissolution。　　Whoso　fancies　that　by　Church　is　here　meant　Chapter…houses　and　Cathedrals；　or　by　preaching　and　prophesying；　mere　speech　and　chanting；　let　him；〃　says　the　oracular　Professor；　〃read　on；　light　of　heart　（_getrosten　Muthes_）。
  〃But　with　regard　to　your　Church　proper；　and　the　Church…Clothes　specially　recognized　as　Church…Clothes；　I　remark；　fearlessly　enough；　that　without　such　Vestures　and　sacred　Tissues　Society　has　not　existed；　and　will　not　exist。　　For　if　Government　is；　so　to　speak；　the　outward　SKIN　of　the　Body　Politic；　holding　the　whole　together　and　protecting　it；　and　all　your　Craft…Guilds；　and　Associations　for　Industry；　of　hand　or　of　head；　are　the　Fleshly　Clothes；　the　muscular　and　osseous　Tissues　（lying　_under_　such　SKIN）；　whereby　Society　stands　and　works；then　is　Religion　the　inmost　Pericardial　and　Nervous　Tissue；　which　ministers　Life　and　warm　Circulation　to　the　whole。　　Without　which　Pericardial　Tissue　the　Bones　and　Muscles　（of　Industry）　were　inert；　or　animated　only　by　a　Galvanic　vitality；　the　SKIN　would　become　a　shrivelled　pelt；　or　fast…rotting　rawhide；　and　Society　itself　a　dead　carcass；deserving　to　be　buried。　　Men　were　no　longer　Social；　but　Gregarious；　which　latter　state　also　could　not　continue；　but　must　gradually　issue　in　universal　selfish　discord；　hatred；　savage　isolation；　and　dispersion；whereby；　as　we　might　continue　to　say；　the　very　dust　and　dead　body　of　Society　would　have　evaporated　and　become　abolished。　　Such；　and　so　all…important；　all…sustaining；　are　the　Church…Clothes　to　civilized　or　even　to　rational　men。
  〃Meanwhile；　in　our　era　of　the　World；　those　same　Church…Clothes　have　gone　sorrowfully　out…at…elbows；　nay；　far　worse；　many　of　them　have　become　mere　hollow　Shapes；　or　Masks；　under　which　no　living　Figure　or　Spirit　any　longer　dwells；　but　only　spiders　and　unclean　beetles；　in　horrid　accumulation；　drive　their　trade；　and　the　mask　still　glares　on　you　with　its　glass　eyes；　in　ghastly　affectation　of　Life；some　generation…and…half　after　Religion　has　quite　withdrawn　from　it；　and　in　unnoticed　nooks　is　weaving　for　herself　new　Vestures；　wherewith　to　reappear；　and　bless　us；　or　our　sons　or　grandsons。　As　a　Priest；　or　Interpreter　of　the　Holy；　is　the　noblest　and　highest　of　all　men；　so　is　a　Sham…priest　（_Schein…priester_）　the　falsest　and　basest；　neither　is　it　doubtful　that　his　Canonicals；　were　they　Popes'　Tiaras；　will　one　day　be　torn　from　him；　to　make　bandages　for　the　wounds　of　mankind；　or　even　to　burn　into　tinder；　for　general　scientific　or　culinary　purposes。
  〃All　which；　as　out　of　place　here；　falls　to　be　handled　in　my　Second　Volume；　_On　the　Palingenesia；　or　Newbirth　of　Society_；　which　volume；　as　treating　practically　of　the　Wear；　Destruction；　and　Retexture　of　Spiritual　Tissues；　or　Garments；　forms；　properly　speaking；　the　Transcendental　or　ultimate　Portion　of　this　my　work　on　_Clothes_；　and　is　already　in　a　state　of　forwardness。〃
  And　herewith；　no　farther　exposition；　note；　or　commentary　being　added；　does　Teufelsdrockh；　and　must　his　Editor　now；　terminate　the　singular　chapter　on　Church…Clothes！
  CHAPTER　III。　SYMBOLS。
  Probably　it　will　elucidate　the　drift　of　these　foregoing　obscure　utterances；　if　we　here　insert　somewhat　of　our　Professor's　speculations　on　_Symbols_。　To　state　his　whole　doctrine；　indeed；　were　beyond　our　compass：　　nowhere　is　he　more　mysterious；　impalpable；　than　in　this　of　〃Fantasy　being　the　organ　of　the　Godlike；〃　and　how　〃Man　thereby；　though　based；　to　all　seeming；　on　the　small　Visible；　does　nevertheless　extend　down　into　the　infinite　deeps　of　the　Invisible；　of　which　Invisible；　indeed；　his　Life　is　properly　the　bodying　forth。〃　　Let　us；　omitting　these　high　transcendental　aspects　of　the　matter；　study　to　glean　（whether　from　the　Paper…bags　or　the　Printed　Volume）　what　little　seems　logical　and　practical；　and　cunningly　arrange　it　into　such　degree　of　coherence　as　it　will　assume。　　By　way　of　proem；　take　the　following　not　injudicious　remarks：
  〃The　benignant　efficacies　of　Concealment；〃　cries　our　Professor；　〃who　shall　speak　or　sing？　　SILENCE　and　SECRECY！　Altars　might　still　be　raised　to　them　（were　this　an　altar…building　time）　for　universal　worship。　　Silence　is　the　element　in　which　great　things　fashion　themselves　together；　that　at　length　they　may　emerge；　full…formed　and　majestic；　into　the　daylight　of　Life；　which　they　are　thenceforth　to　rule。　　Not　William　the　Silent　only；　but　all　the　considerable　men　I　have　known；　and　the　most　undiplomatic　and　unstrategic　of　these；　forbore　to　babble　of　what　they　were　creating　and　projecting。　　Nay；　in　thy　own　mean　perplexities；　do　thou　thyself　but　_hold　thy　tongue　for　one　day_：　　on　the　morrow；　how　much　clearer　are　thy　purposes　and　duties；　what　wreck　and　rubbish　have　those　mute　workmen　within　thee　swept　away；　when　intrusive　noises　were　shut　out！　　Speech　is　too　often　not；　as　the　Frenchman　defined　it；　the　art　of　concealing　Thought；　but　of　quite　stifling　and　suspending　Thought；　so　that　there　is　none　to　conceal。　　Speech　too　is　great；　but　not　the　greatest。　As　the　Swiss　Inscription　says：　　_Sprechen　ist　silbern；　Schweigen　ist　golden_　（Speech　is　silvern；　Silence　is　golden）；　or　as　I　might　rather　express　it：　　Speech　is　of　Time；　Silence　is　of　Eternity。
  〃Bees　will　not　work　except　in　darkness；　Thought　will　not　work　except　in　Silence：　　neither　will　Virtue　work　except　in　Secrecy。　　Let　not　thy　left　hand　know　what　thy　right　hand　doeth！　　Neither　shalt　thou　prate　even　to　thy　own　heart　of　'those　secrets　known　to　all。'　Is　not　Shame　（_Schaam_）　the　soil　of　all　Virtue；　of　all　good　manners　and　good　morals？　　Like　other　plants；　Virtue　will　not　grow　unless　its　root　be　hidden；　buried　from　the　eye　of　the　sun。　　Let　the　sun　shine　on　it；　nay　do　but　look　at　it　privily　thyself；　the　root　withers；　and　no　flower　will　glad　thee。　　O　my　Friends；　when　we　view　the　fair　clustering　flowers　that　overwreathe；　for　example；　the　Marriage…bower；　and　encircle　man's　life　with　the　fragrance　and　hues　of　Heaven；　what　hand　will　not　smite　the　foul　plunderer　that　grubs　them　up　by　the　roots；　and；　with　grinning；　grunting　satisfaction；　shows　us　the　dung　they　flourish　in！　Men　speak　much　of　the　Printing　Press　with　its　Newspapers：　　_du　Himmel_！　what　are　these　to　Clothes　and　the　Tailor's　Goose？
  〃Of　kin　to　the　so　incalculable　influences　of　Concealment；　and　connected　with　still　greater　things；　is　the　wondrous　agency　of　_Symbols_。　　In　a　Symbol　there　is　concealment　and　yet　revelation；　here　therefore；　by　Silence　and　by　Speech　acting　together；　comes　a　double　significance。　　And　if　both　the　Speech　be　itself　high；　and　the　Silence　fit　and　noble；　how　expressive　will　their　union　be！　　Thus　in　many　a　painted　Device；　or　simple　Seal…emblem；　the　commonest　Truth　stands　out　to　us　proclaimed　with　quite　new　emphasis。
  〃For　it　is　here　that　Fantasy　with　her　mystic　wonderland　plays　into　the　small　prose　domain　of　Sense；　and　becomes　incorporated　therewith。　　In　the　Symbol　proper；　what　we　can　call　a　Symbol；　there　is　ever；　more　or　less　distinctly　and　directly；　some　embodiment　and　revelation　of　the　Infinite；　the　Infinite　is　made　to　blend　itself　with　the　Finite；　to　stand　visible；　and　as　it　were；　attainable　there。　　By　Symbols；　accordingly；　is　man　guided　and　commanded；　made　happy；　made　wretched：　　He　everywhere　finds　himself　encompassed　with　Symbols；　recognized　as　such　or　not　recognized：　　the　Universe　is　but　one　vast　Symbol　of　God；　nay　if　thou　wilt　have　it；　what　is　man　himself　but　a　Symbol　of　God；　is　not　all　that　he　does　symbolical；　a　revelation　to　Sense　of　the　mystic　god…given　force　that　is　in　him；　a　'Gospel　of　Freedom；'　which　he；　the　'Messias　of　Nature；'　preaches；　as　he　can；　by　act　and　word？　　Not　a　Hut　he　builds　but　is　the　visible　embodiment　of　a　Thought；　but　bears　visible　record　of　invisible　things；　but　is；　in　the　transcendental　sense；　symbo