ttom　of　our　own　English　〃ink…sea；〃　that　this　remarkable　Volume　first　took　being；　and　shot　forth　its　salient　point　in　his　soul；as　in　Chaos　did　the　Egg　of　Eros；　one　day　to　be　hatched　into　a　Universe！
  CHAPTER　VII。　ORGANIC　FILAMENTS。
  For　us；　who　happen　to　live　while　the　World…Phoenix　is　burning　herself；　and　burning　so　slowly　that；　as　Teufelsdrockh　calculates；　it　were　a　handsome　bargain　would　she　engage　to　have　done　〃within　two　centuries；〃　there　seems　to　lie　but　an　ashy　prospect。　　Not　altogether　so；　however；　does　the　Professor　figure　it。　　〃In　the　living　subject；〃　says　he；　〃change　is　wont　to　be　gradual：　　thus；　while　the　serpent　sheds　its　old　skin；　the　new　is　already　formed　beneath。　　Little　knowest　thou　of　the　burning　of　a　World…Phoenix；　who　fanciest　that　she　must　first　burn　out；　and　lie　as　a　dead　cinereous　heap；　and　therefrom　the　young　one　start　up　by　miracle；　and　fly　heavenward。　　Far　otherwise！　　In　that　Fire…whirlwind；　Creation　and　Destruction　proceed　together；　ever　as　the　ashes　of　the　Old　are　blown　about；　do　organic　filaments　of　the　New　mysteriously　spin　themselves：　　and　amid　the　rushing　and　the　waving　of　the　Whirlwind　element　come　tones　of　a　melodious　Death…song；　which　end　not　but　in　tones　of　a　more　melodious　Birth…song。　Nay；　look　into　the　Fire…whirlwind　with　thy　own　eyes；　and　thou　wilt　see。〃　Let　us　actually　look；　then：　　to　poor　individuals；　who　cannot　expect　to　live　two　centuries；　those　same　organic　filaments；　mysteriously　spinning　themselves；　will　be　the　best　part　of　the　spectacle。　　First；　therefore；　this　of　Mankind　in　general：
  〃In　vain　thou　deniest　it；〃　says　the　Professor；　〃thou　art　my　Brother。　　Thy　very　Hatred；　thy　very　Envy；　those　foolish　Lies　thou　tellest　of　me　in　thy　splenetic　humor：　　what　is　all　this　but　an　inverted　Sympathy？　　Were　I　a　Steam…engine；　wouldst　thou　take　the　trouble　to　tell　lies　of　me？　　Not　thou！　I　should　grind　all　unheeded；　whether　badly　or　well。
  〃Wondrous　truly　are　the　bonds　that　unite　us　one　and　all；　whether　by　the　soft　binding　of　Love；　or　the　iron　chaining　of　Necessity；　as　we　like　to　choose　it。　　More　than　once　have　I　said　to　myself；　of　some　perhaps　whimsically　strutting　Figure；　such　as　provokes　whimsical　thoughts：　　'Wert　thou；　my　little　Brotherkin；　suddenly　covered　up　within　the　largest　imaginable　Glass　bell；what　a　thing　it　were；　not　for　thyself　only；　but　for　the　world！　　Post　Letters；　more　or　fewer；　from　all　the　four　winds；　impinge　against　thy　Glass　walls；　but　have　to　drop　unread：　　neither　from　within　comes　there　question　or　response　into　any　Post…bag；　thy　Thoughts　fall　into　no　friendly　ear　or　heart；　thy　Manufacture　into　no　purchasing　hand：　　thou　art　no　longer　a　circulating　venous…arterial　Heart；　that；　taking　and　giving；　circulatest　through　all　Space　and　all　Time：　　there　has　a　Hole　fallen　out　in　the　immeasurable；　universal　World…tissue；　which　must　be　darned　up　again！'
  〃Such　venous…arterial　circulation；　of　Letters；　verbal　Messages；　paper　and　other　Packages；　going　out　from　him　and　coming　in；　are　a　blood…circulation；　visible　to　the　eye：　　but　the　finer　nervous　circulation；　by　which　all　things；　the　minutest　that　he　does；　minutely　influence　all　men；　and　the　very　look　of　his　face　blesses　or　curses　whomso　it　lights　on；　and　so　generates　ever　new　blessing　or　new　cursing：　　all　this　you　cannot　see；　but　only　imagine。　　I　say；　there　is　not　a　red　Indian；　hunting　by　Lake　Winnipeg；　can　quarrel　with　his　squaw；　but　the　whole　world　must　smart　for　it：　　will　not　the　price　of　beaver　rise？　　It　is　a　mathematical　fact　that　the　casting　of　this　pebble　from　my　hand　alters　the　centre　of　gravity　of　the　Universe。
  〃If　now　an　existing　generation　of　men　stand　so　woven　together；　not　less　indissolubly　does　generation　with　generation。　　Hast　thou　ever　meditated　on　that　word；　Tradition：　　how　we　inherit　not　Life　only；　but　all　the　garniture　and　form　of　Life；　and　work；　and　speak；　and　even　think　and　feel；　as　our　Fathers；　and　primeval　grandfathers；　from　the　beginning；　have　given　it　us？Who　printed　thee；　for　example；　this　unpretending　Volume　on　the　Philosophy　of　Clothes？　　Not　the　Herren　Stillschweigen　and　Company；　but　Cadmus　of　Thebes；　Faust　of　Mentz；　and　innumerable　others　whom　thou　knowest　not。　　Had　there　been　no　Moesogothic　Ulfila；　there　had　been　no　English　Shakspeare；　or　a　different　one。　　Simpleton！　　It　was　Tubal…cain　that　made　thy　very　Tailor's　needle；　and　sewed　that　court…suit　of　thine。
  〃Yes；　truly；　if　Nature　is　one；　and　a　living　indivisible　whole；　much　more　is　Mankind；　the　Image　that　reflects　and　creates　Nature；　without　which　Nature　were　not。　　As　palpable　lifestreams　in　that　wondrous　Individual　Mankind；　among　so　many　life…streams　that　are　not　palpable；　flow　on　those　main　currents　of　what　we　call　Opinion；　as　preserved　in　Institutions；　Polities；　Churches；　above　all　in　Books。　　Beautiful　it　is　to　understand　and　know　that　a　Thought　did　never　yet　die；　that　as　thou；　the　originator　thereof；　hast　gathered　it　and　created　it　from　the　whole　Past；　so　thou　wilt　transmit　it　to　the　whole　Future。　　It　is　thus　that　the　heroic　heart；　the　seeing　eye　of　the　first　times；　still　feels　and　sees　in　us　of　the　latest；　that　the　Wise　Man　stands　ever　encompassed；　and　spiritually　embraced；　by　a　cloud　of　witnesses　and　brothers；　and　there　is　a　living；　literal　_Communion　of　Saints_；　wide　as　the　World　itself；　and　as　the　History　of　the　World。
  〃Noteworthy　also；　and　serviceable　for　the　progress　of　this　same　Individual；　wilt　thou　find　his　subdivision　into　Generations。　　Generations　are　as　the　Days　of　toilsome　Mankind：　　Death　and　Birth　are　the　vesper　and　the　matin　bells；　that　summon　Mankind　to　sleep；　and　to　rise　refreshed　for　new　advancement。　　What　the　Father　has　made；　the　Son　can　make　and　enjoy；　but　has　also　work　of　his　own　appointed　him。　　Thus　all　things　wax；　and　roll　onwards；　Arts；　Establishments；　Opinions；　nothing　is　completed；　but　ever　completing。　Newton　has　learned　to　see　what　Kepler　saw；　but　there　is　also　a　fresh　heaven…derived　force　in　Newton；　he　must　mount　to　still　higher　points　of　vision。　　So　too　the　Hebrew　Lawgiver　is；　in　due　time；　followed　by　an　Apostle　of　the　Gentiles。　　In　the　business　of　Destruction；　as　this　also　is　from　time　to　time　a　necessary　work；　thou　findest　a　like　sequence　and　perseverance：　for　Luther　it　was　as　yet　hot　enough　to　stand　by　that　burning　of　the　Pope's　Bull；　Voltaire　could　not　warm　himself　at　the　glimmering　ashes；　but　required　quite　other　fuel。　　Thus　likewise；　I　note；　the　English　Whig　has；　in　the　second　generation；　become　an　English　Radical；　who；　in　the　third　again；　it　is　to　be　hoped；　will　become　an　English　Rebuilder。　　Find　Mankind　where　thou　wilt；　thou　findest　it　in　living　movement；　in　progress　faster　or　slower：　the　Phoenix　soars　aloft；　hovers　with　outstretched　wings；　filling　Earth　with　her　music；　or；　as　now；　she　sinks；　and　with　spheral　swan…song　immolates　herself　in　flame；　that　she　may　soar　the　higher　and　sing　the　clearer。〃
  Let　the　friends　of　social　order；　in　such　a　disastrous　period；　lay　this　to　heart；　and　derive　from　it　any　little　comfort　they　can。　　We　subjoin　another　passage；　concerning　Titles：
  〃Remark；　not　without　surprise；〃　says　Teufelsdrockh；　〃how　all　high　Titles　of　Honor　come　hitherto　from　Fighting。　　Your　_Herzog_　（Duke；　_Dux_）　is　Leader　of　Armies；　your　Earl　（_Jarl_）　is　Strong　Man；　your　Marshal　cavalry　Horse…shoer。　　A　Millennium；　or　reign　of　Peace　and　Wisdom；　having　from　of　old　been　prophesied；　and　becoming　now　daily　more　and　more　indubitable；　may　it　not　be　apprehended　that　such　Fighting　titles　will　cease　to　be　palatable；　and　new　and　higher　need　to　be　devised？
  〃The　only　Title　wherein　I；　with　confidence；　trace　eternity　is　that　of　King。　_Konig_　（King）；　anciently　_Konning_；　means　Ken…ning　（Cunning）；　or　which　is　the　same　thing；　Can…ning。　　Ever　must　the　Sovereign　of　Mankind　be　fitly　entitled　King。〃
  〃Well；　also；〃　says　he　elsewhere；　〃was　it　written　by　Theologians：　　a　King　rules　by　divine　right。　　He　carries　in　him　an　authority　from　God；　or　man　will　never　give　it　him。　　Can　I　choose　my　own　King？　　I　can　choose　my　own　King　Popinjay；　and　play　what　farce　or　tragedy　I　may　with　him：　　but　he　who　is　to　be　my　Ruler；　whose　will　is　to　be　higher　than　my　will；　was　chosen　for　me　in　Heaven。　　Neither　except　in　such　Obedience　to　the　Heaven…chosen　is　Freedom　so　much　as　conceivable。〃
  The　Editor　will　here　admit　that；　among　all　the　wondrous　provinces　of　Teufelsdrockh's　spiritual　world；　there　is　none　he　walks　in　with　such　astonishment；　hesitation；　and　even　pain；　as　in　the　Political。　　How；　with　our　English　love　of　Ministry　and　Opposition；　and　that　generous　conflict　of　Parties；　mind　warming　itself　against　mind　in　their　mutual　wrestle　for　the　Public　Good；　by　which　wrestle；　indeed；　is　our　invaluable　Constitution　kept　warm　and　alive；　how　shall　we　domesticate　ourselves　in　this　spectral　Necropolis；　or　rather　City　both　of　the　Dead　and　of　the　Unborn；　where　the　Present　seems　little　other　than　an　inconsiderable　Film　dividing　the　Past　and　the　Future？　　In　those　dim　long…drawn　expanses；　all　is　so　immeasurable；　much　so　disastrous；　ghastly；　your　very　radiances　and　straggling　light…beams　have　a　supernatural　character。　　And　then　with　such　an　indifference；　such　a　prophetic　peacefulness　（accounting　the　inevitably　coming　as　already　here；　to　him　all　one　whether　it　be　distant　by　centuries　or　only　by　days）；　does　he　sit；and　live；　you　would　say；　rather　in　any　other　age　tha