It demands the strength of a lion to subdue the weakness of love.
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THE VICTIM OF MAGICAL DELUSION;
_OR, INTERESTING MEMOIRS OF MIGUEL, DUKE DE CA*I*A._
Unfolding Many Curious Unknown Historical Facts.
_Translated from the German of Tschink._
(Continued from page 119.)
“The human soul, of course, is already, in this life, connected with the
members of the invisible world, and this connection is lasting and
essential, while that with the body is accidental and transient. However
a union of substances, that is, of active natures, cannot be supposed to
exist without a reciprocal influence; consequently the human soul must
have an effective influence upon the spirits to whom she is linked, and
the members of the spiritual world must act reciprocally on our soul.
But why are we not equally sensible of these reciprocal influences and
communications, as of those which subsist between our soul and body? The
cause of this is very obvious. The human spirit can have a clear idea
only of the objects of the material world, because of its corporeal
organ; it is, therefore, not even capable of a clear immediate
contemplation of its own self, much less of its immaterial relations to
other spirits: the difference which exists between those ideas which
arise in our soul by means of its immateriality, and its communion with
spiritual beings, and the ideas which it receives by the medium of the
body, or abstracted from material objects, is so essential, that the
ideas of the former kind cannot come in connection with those of the
latter; for which reason we have either no notion at all of them, or, at
most, a very obscure one; however, we become plainly conscious of them
as soon as the union of the soul and its corporeal organ ceases.”
“This, Hiermanfor, seems, in some measure to be the case when we are
sleeping, and the sensitive organs are resting from their occupations.
Should therefore those philosophers of antiquity, who have believed that
in our dreams we are capable of being influenced by superior beings, and
of receiving supernatural inspirations, be mistaken?”
“There is, certainly, some truth in this remark. I must, however,
observe, that we do not possess that capacity when dreaming, but when we
are fast asleep. It is commonly thought that we have only obscure
notions in the latter state, and this opinion arises from our not
recollecting them when we awake; however, on what ground can we conclude
therefrom that they have not been clear while we were sleeping? Such
ideas, perhaps, may be clearer and more extensive, than even the most
perspicuous when we are awake, because the activity of our soul is
neither modified nor confined by any thing whatever, the sensitive
organs being intirely at rest. However this very rest of our sensitive
organs, is the cause which prevents the re-production of these ideas
when we are awake, our sleeping body having no share in them, and,
consequently, being destitute of its concomitant notion of them; they,
of course, remain insulated in our soul, having no connection at all
with those ideas which arise within ourselves before and after we are
fast asleep, and in which our body takes a greater or a smaller share.
This is not the case with our dreams; for when we are dreaming, the
faculties of the soul do not act so pure and uncontrouled as when we are
fast asleep. Dreaming is an intermediate state between waking and
sleeping. We have then already, in some measure, clear ideas, and
interweave the actions of our soul with the impressions of our exterior
senses, whereby a strange, and sometimes ridiculous mixture is
engendered, which we partly recollect when we awake.”
“You have, as yet, proved only the probability of clear notions during
our being fast asleep; could you not also prove their reality?”
“Certainly! however these arguments do not belong to the theoretical
part of our philosophy. Yet I must beg of you to recollect, en passant,
the actions of some noctambulos, who sometimes, during the profoundest
sleep, shew more understanding than at any other time, but cannot
recollect those actions when awake?”
“This is true!” I exclaimed, “this throws an astonishing light upon this
matter.”
“Yet not only while asleep,” the Irishman continued, “but also when
awake, many people can be capable of having a clear notion of their
connection with the spiritual world, and the influence of spirits upon
them. Yet the essential difference which exists between the notions of
_spirits_ and those of _men_ is a great impediment, which, however, is
not at all insurmountable. It is true than man cannot have an
_immediate_ notion of those spiritual ideas, because of the co-operation
of his corporeal organs; however they can, in virtue of the law of the
association of ideas, produce in the human mind those images which are
related to them and consequently procreate analogical representations of
our senses, which, although they be not the spiritual actions
themselves, yet are their symbols.”
“I perceive what you are aiming at.”
“Examples will render the matter more intelligible to you. Experience
teaches that our superior intellectual notions, which are near a-kin to
the spiritual ideas, commonly assume a bodily garb, in order to render
themselves perspicuous. Thence the poet transforms wisdom into the
Goddess Minerva, the stings of conscience into furies, and personifies
virtues and vices; the mathematician describes time by a line, and is
there any philosopher who always forms an idea even of the Godhead,
without intermixing human qualities? In that manner ideas, which have
been imparted to us by spiritual influence, may dress themselves in the
symbols of that _language_ which is common to us, and the presence of a
spirit which we perceive, assume the image of a _human shape_--witness
the late apparition of your tutor.----Thus the theory of all
supernatural inspirations and visions is ascertained; consequently the
apparitions of spirits have that in common with our dreams, that they
represent to us effects which are produced within ourselves, as if
happening _without ourselves_; however, at the same time, they differ
from them with respect to their being really founded upon an effect from
_without_, a spiritual influence. However this influence cannot reveal
itself to our consciousness immediately, but only by means of associated
images of our fancy, which attain the vivacity of objects really
perceived. You see, therefore, what an essential difference there is
between the phantoms of our dreams, and the apparitions of spirits. But
here is the boundary of theory. The criterion whereby apparitions of
spirits, in every particular case, can be distinguished with certainty,
from vain phantoms, and supernatural inspirations from natural ideas,
and the means of effecting apparitions, and of obtaining assistance and
instructions from spiritual beings; these and several more things belong
to the practical part of the occult philosophy.
“Here, my Lord, I must conclude for the present, and drop the curtain.
Stress of time obliges me to abbreviate my discourse on a subject which
would not be exhausted in many days; however I may safely leave to your
own understanding the finishing and enlargement of this sketch. Suffice
it that I have enabled you to comprehend the apparition of your friend,
and to see that reason does not pronounce judgment against subjects of
this nature, but rather is the only mean which affords us light and
certainty with respect to them. The theory which I have given you may,
at the same time, serve you to judge whether it will be worth your
trouble to be initiated in the mysteries of the practical part of this
philosophy. However, I must tell you, that no mortal who has not
sanctified himself by bridling his sensitive nature, and purifying his
spiritual faculties, can be admitted to that sanctuary. Are you resolved
to do this?”
“I am, put me to the test!”
“Then depart with the first dawn of day for Ma**id, without taking leave
of the Countess.”
The Irishman could not have chosen a severer trial, nor demanded a
greater sacrifice. The combat which I had to fight with my heart, before
I could come to a resolution, was short but dreadful.---I promised the
Irishman to execute his will.
“Well!” said he, “then hear what measures you are to take. As soon as
you shall be arrived at Ma**id, you must, without delay, wait upon the
Prime Minister, Oliv**ez, and the Secretary of State Suma*ez, but take
care not to discover your political views to either of them; pretend
that you intend to stay some time at Ma**id merely for the sake of
amusement. Repeat your visits till you have gained their confidence.
Your winning demeanor, my Lord, and your intimate connection with
Vascon*ellos will render this conquest easy.---Farewell, at Ma**id we
shall meet again!”
We parted. The Irishman returned once more. “Your manner of life while
at Ma**id,” said he, “will require great expences, and you must be well
provided with money. I have taken care that you shall be well supplied
with that needful article. You will find in your apartment a sum which
you may dispose of at pleasure.” So saying, he left me suddenly.
On coming home, I found on my table two bags with money, each of them
containing a thousand ducats. Pietro told me they had been brought by a
servant of the Irish Captain.
No one will doubt that I was now entirely devoted to the Irishman. By
his discourse at the burying place he had _persuaded_, and by his
liberality _convinced_ me, that I could not do better than to let myself
be guided entirely by him; and as I at first had been determined to this
by the conquering superiority of his soul, so I was now confirmed in it
by the applause of my reason. Nay, if the Irishman should now have
offered to break off all connection with me, I should have courted his
friendship, so much had I been charmed by the profound wisdom of his
discourse. Not the least vestige of mistrust against his secret power
was left in my soul, and the very regard for philosophy which but lately
had prejudiced me against him, was now one of the strongest bonds that
chained me to him. How agreeably was I surprised to find in _Reason_
herself, whom I formerly had thought to be the principal adversary of
the belief in miracles, the most convincing arguments for the same, and
to have been conquered with the same weapons which I had been fighting
with against the Irishman, without having the least reason to reproach
him with having had recourse to any stratagem whatever. The frankness
and strength of argument which distinguished every step of his
philosophical instruction, were to me the most unexceptionable security
for the justness of the result. If he had delivered his arguments in a
flowery and mysterious language, supported by the charms of declamation,
then I should certainly have suspected them; however he had made use of
the cool, simple and clear language of reason, divested of all
sophistical artifices; started from principles which are generally
received, drew no conclusions to which he was not entitled by his
premises, combatted errors and prejudices upon which he could have
founded surreptious conclusions; nay, it appeared as if he, unmindful of
what he was to prove, had left it entirely to the course of his
impartial inquiry whither it would lead him, and I beheld myself, with
astonishment, on the conclusion of it, at the mark from which the road
we had taken threatened to lead us astray.
I cannot describe the wonderful bold ideas which the instructions I had
received produced in my mind, nor the awfully agreeable sensations which
those ideas were accompanied with. The rising sun surprised me in that
indescribable state of mind, and reminded me by his rays, that it was
time to set off.
(_To be continued._)
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