726 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



■was done, and with a mighty angel for his guide, the man stood 

 ready for his infinite voj^age; and from the terraces of heaven, 

 without sound or farewell, at once they wheeled away into endless 

 space. Sometimes, with solemn flight of angel wing, they fled 

 through Saharas of darkness, through wildernesses of death that 

 divided the worlds of life; sometimes they swept along frontiers 

 that were quickening under prophetic motion. Then from a dis- 

 tance that is counted only in heaven, light dawned for a time 

 through a sleepy film; by unutterable pace the light swept to 

 iliem^ they, by unutterable pace, to the light. In a moment the 

 rushing of planets was upon them; in a moment the blazing of 

 suns was around them. 



"Then came eternities of twilight that revealed, but were not 

 revealed. On the right hand and on the left towered mighty con- 

 stellations, that by self-repetitions and answers from afar; that by 

 counter-positions built up triumphal gates, whose architraves, 

 whose archways — horizontal, upright — rested, rose — at altitude, 

 by spans — that seemed ghostly from infinitude. Without measure 

 were the architraves, past number were the archways, beyond 

 memory the gates. Within were stairs that scaled the eternities 

 below; above was below — below was above, to the man stripped 

 of gravitating body — depth was swallowed up in heighth insur- 

 mountable, height was swallowed up in depth unfathomable. 

 Suddenly, as they thus rode from infinite to infinite — suddenly, as 

 they thus tilted over abysmal worlds, a mighty cry arose — that 

 systems more mysterious — that constellations more glorious — that 

 worlds more billowy — other heights and other depths — were 

 coming; were nearing; were at hand! 



" Then the man sighed and stopped, shuddered and wept. His 

 overburdened heart uttered itself in tears, and he said, '■Angela I 

 will go no further. For the s])irit of man acheth with this infinity. 

 Insufferable is the glory of the Universe. Let me lie doicn in the 

 grave and hide myself from the jpersecution of the Infinite; for 

 end there, is none.' And from all the listening stars that shone 

 around issued a choral voice, ' The man sjjeaks truly; end there is 

 none, that even yet we have heard of. End there is none/' The angel 

 solemnly demanded, '/s the^'e indeed no end, and is this the sorrow 

 that Idlls you?' But no voice answered, that he may answer him- 

 self. Then the angel throws up his glorious hands towards the 

 heaven of heavens, saying, 'End there is none, in the Universe of 

 God. Lo! also there was no beginning.' " 



