ay　to　be　_There_！　　Next　to　clap　on　your　other　felt；　and；　simply　by　wishing　that　you　were　_Anywhen_；　straightway　to　be　_Then_！　　This　were　indeed　the　grander：　shooting　at　will　from　the　Fire…Creation　of　the　World　to　its　Fire…Consummation；　here　historically　present　in　the　First　Century；　conversing　face　to　face　with　Paul　and　Seneca；　there　prophetically　in　the　Thirty…first；　conversing　also　face　to　face　with　other　Pauls　and　Senecas；　who　as　yet　stand　hidden　in　the　depth　of　that　late　Time！
  〃Or　thinkest　thou　it　were　impossible；　unimaginable？　　Is　the　Past　annihilated；　then；　or　only　past；　is　the　Future　non…extant；　or　only　future？　Those　mystic　faculties　of　thine；　Memory　and　Hope；　already　answer：　　already　through　those　mystic　avenues；　thou　the　Earth…blinded　summonest　both　Past　and　Future；　and　communest　with　them；　though　as　yet　darkly；　and　with　mute　beckonings。　　The　curtains　of　Yesterday　drop　down；　the　curtains　of　To…morrow　roll　up；　but　Yesterday　and　To…morrow　both　_are_。　　Pierce　through　the　Time…element；　glance　into　the　Eternal。　　Believe　what　thou　findest　written　in　the　sanctuaries　of　Man's　Soul；　even　as　all　Thinkers；　in　all　ages；　have　devoutly　read　it　there：　　that　Time　and　Space　are　not　God；　but　creations　of　God；　that　with　God　as　it　is　a　universal　HERE；　so　is　it　an　everlasting　Now。
  〃And　seest　thou　therein　any　glimpse　of　IMMORTALITY？O　Heaven！　　Is　the　white　Tomb　of　our　Loved　One；　who　died　from　our　arms；　and　had　to　be　left　behind　us　there；　which　rises　in　the　distance；　like　a　pale；　mournfully　receding　Milestone；　to　tell　how　many　toilsome　uncheered　miles　we　have　journeyed　on　alone；but　a　pale　spectral　Illusion！　　Is　the　lost　Friend　still　mysteriously　Here；　even　as　we　are　Here　mysteriously；　with　God！know　of　a　truth　that　only　the　Time…shadows　have　perished；　or　are　perishable；　that　the　real　Being　of　whatever　was；　and　whatever　is；　and　whatever　will　be；　is　even　now　and　forever。　　This；　should　it　unhappily　seem　new；　thou　mayest　ponder　at　thy　leisure；　for　the　next　twenty　years；　or　the　next　twenty　centuries：　　believe　it　thou　must；　understand　it　thou　canst　not。
  〃That　the　Thought…forms；　Space　and　Time；　wherein；　once　for　all；　we　are　sent　into　this　Earth　to　live；　should　condition　and　determine　our　whole　Practical　reasonings；　conceptions；　and　imagings　or　imaginings；　seems　altogether　fit；　just；　and　unavoidable。　　But　that　they　should；　furthermore；　usurp　such　sway　over　pure　spiritual　Meditation；　and　blind　us　to　the　wonder　everywhere　lying　close　on　us；　seems　nowise　so。　　Admit　Space　and　Time　to　their　due　rank　as　Forms　of　Thought；　nay　even；　if　thou　wilt；　to　their　quite　undue　rank　of　Realities：　　and　consider；　then；　with　thyself　how　their　thin　disguises　hide　from　us　the　brightest　God…effulgences！　　Thus；　were　it　not　miraculous；　could　I　stretch　forth　my　hand　and　clutch　the　Sun？　　Yet　thou　seest　me　daily　stretch　forth　my　hand　and　therewith　clutch　many　a　thing；　and　swing　it　hither　and　thither。　　Art　thou　a　grown　baby；　then；　to　fancy　that　the　Miracle　lies　in　miles　of　distance；　or　in　pounds　avoirdupois　of　weight；　and　not　to　see　that　the　true　inexplicable　God…revealing　Miracle　lies　in　this；　that　I　can　stretch　forth　my　hand　at　all；　that　I　have　free　Force　to　clutch　aught　therewith？　　Innumerable　other　of　this　sort　are　the　deceptions；　and　wonder…hiding　stupefactions；　which　Space　practices　on　us。
  〃Still　worse　is　it　with　regard　to　Time。　　Your　grand　anti…magician；　and　universal　wonder…hider；　is　this　same　lying　Time。　　Had　we　but　the　Time…annihilating　Hat；　to　put　on　for　once　only；　we　should　see　ourselves　in　a　World　of　Miracles；　wherein　all　fabled　or　authentic　Thaumaturgy；　and　feats　of　Magic；　were　outdone。　　But　unhappily　we　have　not　such　a　Hat；　and　man；　poor　fool　that　he　is；　can　seldom　and　scantily　help　himself　without　one。
  〃Were　it　not　wonderful；　for　instance；　had　Orpheus；　or　Amphion；　built　the　walls　of　Thebes　by　the　mere　sound　of　his　Lyre？　　Yet　tell　me；　Who　built　these　walls　of　Weissnichtwo；　summoning　out　all　the　sandstone　rocks；　to　dance　along　from　the　_Steinbruch_　（now　a　huge　Troglodyte　Chasm；　with　frightful　green…mantled　pools）；　and　shape　themselves　into　Doric　and　Ionic　pillars；　squared　ashlar　houses　and　noble　streets？　　Was　it　not　the　still　higher　Orpheus；　or　Orpheuses；　who；　in　past　centuries；　by　the　divine　Music　of　Wisdom；　succeeded　in　civilizing　Man？　　Our　highest　Orpheus　walked　in　Judea；　eighteen　hundred　years　ago：　　his　sphere…melody；　flowing　in　wild　native　tones；　took　captive　the　ravished　souls　of　men；　and；　being　of　a　truth　sphere…melody；　still　flows　and　sounds；　though　now　with　thousand…fold　accompaniments；　and　rich　symphonies；　through　all　our　hearts；　and　modulates；　and　divinely　leads　them。　　Is　that　a　wonder；　which　happens　in　two　hours；　and　does　it　cease　to　be　wonderful　if　happening　in　two　million？　　Not　only　was　Thebes　built　by　the　music　of　an　Orpheus；　but　without　the　music　of　some　inspired　Orpheus　was　no　city　ever　built；　no　work　that　man　glories　in　ever　done。
  〃Sweep　away　the　Illusion　of　Time；　glance；　if　thou　have　eyes；　from　the　near　moving…cause　to　its　far　distant　Mover：　　The　stroke　that　came　transmitted　through　a　whole　galaxy　of　elastic　balls；　was　it　less　a　stroke　than　if　the　last　ball　only　had　been　struck；　and　sent　flying？　　Oh；　could　I　（with　the　Time…annihilating　Hat）　transport　thee　direct　from　the　Beginnings；　to　the　Endings；　how　were　thy　eyesight　unsealed；　and　thy　heart　set　flaming　in　the　Light…sea　of　celestial　wonder！　　Then　sawest　thou　that　this　fair　Universe；　were　it　in　the　meanest　province　thereof；　is　in　very　deed　the　star…domed　City　of　God；　that　through　every　star；　through　every　grass…blade；　and　most　through　every　Living　Soul；　the　glory　of　a　present　God　still　beams。　　But　Nature；　which　is　the　Time…vesture　of　God；　and　reveals　Him　to　the　wise；　hides　Him　from　the　foolish。
  〃Again；　could　anything　be　more　miraculous　than　an　actual　authentic　Ghost？　The　English　Johnson　longed；　all　his　life；　to　see　one；　but　could　not；　though　he　went　to　Cock　Lane；　and　thence　to　the　church…vaults；　and　tapped　on　coffins。　　Foolish　Doctor！　　Did　he　never；　with　the　mind's　eye　as　well　as　with　the　body's；　look　round　him　into　that　full　tide　of　human　Life　he　so　loved；　did　he　never　so　much　as　look　into　Himself？　　The　good　Doctor　was　a　Ghost；　as　actual　and　authentic　as　heart　could　wish；　well…nigh　a　million　of　Ghosts　were　travelling　the　streets　by　his　side。　　Once　more　I　say；　sweep　away　the　illusion　of　Time；　compress　the　threescore　years　into　three　minutes：　　what　else　was　he；　what　else　are　we？　　Are　we　not　Spirits；　that　are　shaped　into　a　body；　into　an　Appearance；　and　that　fade　away　again　into　air　and　Invisibility？　　This　is　no　metaphor；　it　is　a　simple　scientific　_fact_：　we　start　out　of　Nothingness；　take　figure；　and　are　Apparitions；　round　us；　as　round　the　veriest　spectre；　is　Eternity；　and　to　Eternity　minutes　are　as　years　and　aeons。　　Come　there　not　tones　of　Love　and　Faith；　as　from　celestial　harp…strings；　like　the　Song　of　beatified　Souls？　　And　again；　do　not　we　squeak　and　gibber　（in　our　discordant；　screech…owlish　debatings　and　recriminatings）；　and　glide　bodeful；　and　feeble；　and　fearful；　or　uproar　（_poltern_）；　and　revel　in　our　mad　Dance　of　the　Dead；till　the　scent　of　the　morning　air　summons　us　to　our　still　Home；　and　dreamy　Night　becomes　awake　and　Day？　　Where　now　is　Alexander　of　Macedon：　　does　the　steel　Host；　that　yelled　in　fierce　battle…shouts　at　Issus　and　Arbela；　remain　behind　him；　or　have　they　all　vanished　utterly；　even　as　perturbed　Goblins　must？　　Napoleon　too；　and　his　Moscow　Retreats　and　Austerlitz　Campaigns！　　Was　it　all　other　than　the　veriest　Spectre…hunt；　which　has　now；　with　its　howling　tumult　that　made　Night　hideous；　flitted　away？　Ghosts！　　There　are　nigh　a　thousand　million　walking　the　Earth　openly　at　noontide；　some　half…hundred　have　vanished　from　it；　some　half…hundred　have　arisen　in　it；　ere　thy　watch　ticks　once。
  〃O　Heaven；　it　is　mysterious；　it　is　awful　to　consider　that　we　not　only　carry　each　a　future　Ghost　within　him；　but　are；　in　very　deed；　Ghosts！　　These　Limbs；　whence　had　we　them；　this　stormy　Force；　this　life…blood　with　its　burning　Passion？　　They　are　dust　and　shadow；　a　Shadow…system　gathered　round　our　ME：　　wherein；　through　some　moments　or　years；　the　Divine　Essence　is　to　be　revealed　in　the　Flesh。　　That　warrior　on　his　strong　war…horse；　fire　flashes　through　his　eyes；　force　dwells　in　his　arm　and　heart：　　but　warrior　and　war…horse　are　a　vision；　a　revealed　Force；　nothing　more。　　Stately　they　tread　the　Earth；　as　if　it　were　a　firm　substance：　　fool！　the　Earth　is　but　a　film；　it　cracks　in　twain；　and　warrior　and　war…horse　sink　beyond　plummet's　sounding。　　Plummet's？　　Fantasy　herself　will　not　follow　them。　　A　little　while　ago；　they　were　not；　a　little　while；　and　they　are　not；　their　very　ashes　are　not。
  〃So　has　it　been　from　the　beginning；　so　will　it　be　to　the　end。　　Generation　after　generation　takes　to　itself　the　Form　of　a　Body；　and　forth　issuing　from　Cimmerian　Night；　on　Heaven's　mission　APPEARS。　　What　Force　and　Fire　is　in　each　he　expends：　　one　grinding　in　the　mill　of　Industry；　one　hunter…like　climbing　the　giddy　Alpine　heights　of　Science；　one　madly　dashed　in　pieces　on　the　rocks　of　Strife；　in　war　with　his　fellow：and　then　the　Heaven…sent　is　recalled；　his　earthly　Vesture　falls　away；　and　soon　even　to　Sense　becomes　a　vanished　Shadow。　　Thus；　like　some　wild…flaming；　wild…thundering　train　of　Heaven's　Artillery；　does　this　myster