280 A Chapier on Dreams* [MARq> 



and of equal thickness, round which it coiled several times; but it soon 

 reached its extremity, and then, in solitary strength and magnificence, 

 depended to an amazing depth. Its golden bucket hung incalculably lower 

 than any of the thousand-and-one glittering around, like so many planets. 



" Whiat is indicated by the deviation from the perpendicular towards 

 another rope, to which it seems to cling for support, in Sir Isaac Newton's 

 rope ?" said I, anxiously. 



" That a considerable share of his discoveries was stolon from another. 

 You observe, it leaves its own track, and goes to another, round which it 

 twines for support." 



" And whose rope may that be ?" I inquired, with somewhat scornful 

 incredulity. 



" Good old JACOB BEHMEN. Do you know any thing of my friend 

 Jacob's Three Properties of Eternal Nature, most learned disciple ?" 

 inquired the stranger, with a bitter and subtle smile. 



This question rather staggered me. I certainly was familiar enough 

 with the name of Behmen but entirely innocent of any acquaintance with 

 the writings of that mysterious philosopher. So I answered sheepishly 

 striving to appear as though I did not choose the extent of my acquirements 

 to be known at once in the negative. 



" Go, then, and read them and understand, if you can," said the old 

 man. " But, you see, Sir Isaac soon leaves the leading-string of Behmen, 

 and plunges alone to a depth that is bewildering 'to you, at least." 



My attention was now directed to a huge cable of four-fold thickness., 

 to whose extremity was attached a broad and comprehensive golden 

 bucket; it reached the nearest to Sir Isaac's depth ; its chief distinction- 

 was, that innumerable little ropes clung round it for a few feet down. 



" And what means this?" I inquired. 



" That rope signifies the wisdom of Lord Chancellor Bacon :"" and the 

 old man's eye kindled, and his shrunk frame seemed to swell, at the 

 mention of that lofty name. "Here you may behold the subratum of all 

 the philosophy of yonder earth."' [" Yonder earth!" thought I, and 

 trembled.] " His is the oak, and your modern philosophers are the ten- 

 drils of the ivy clasped round it. He possessed the key of creation; he 

 unlocked its deepest mysteries ; and thousands have followed him but 

 forgotten their great guide." 



I observed many curious things connected with this rope of Bacon's 

 particularly that, round it, were closely wreathed and twisted the ropes of 

 many great personages, who have hitherto passed as men of profound and 

 original research, but whose names it would not be decorous to mention. 

 At a little distance was ray Lord Bolingbroke's rope, which, after dangling 

 a little way down in a zig-zag fashion, ended in a confused and unseemly 

 knot, with that of Lord Shaftesbury. . Lord Monboddos hung down 

 with a lanky, unmeaning curve, very like (parvis componere magna) 

 the rigid tail of a dead ape** On looking above, there seemed to be an 

 absolute forest of little ropes (pardon the comparison !). reaching only one 

 or two feet from the ceiling : these belonged to the mere tirones, or duck- 

 lings of science. 



I was gazing thoughtfully on this whimsical spectacle, when the old man 

 abruptly called me away to behold his CABINET OP SECRETS, as he called 

 it. After passing through many a dim avenue, we entered a sort of 

 laboratory, where were all sorts of philosophical instruments as dials., 



* See Monboddq's Origin of Languages, &c. passim. 



