284 THE EULOGY OF RICHARD JEFFERIES. 



my hand, it is not there. Therefore the heart 

 looks into space to be away from earth. With 

 all the cycles, and the sunlight streaming 

 through them, with all that is meant by the 

 present, I thought in the deep vale and prayed." 



Presently, the vague yearning this passion- 

 ate prayer for the realization of a splendid 

 Vision takes a more definite shape : 



"First, I desired that I might do or find 

 something to exalt the soul, something to 

 enable it to live its own life, a more powerful 

 existence now. Secondly, I desired to be able 

 to do something for the flesh, to make a dis- 

 covery or perfect a method by which the fleshly 

 body might enjoy more pleasure, longer life, 

 and suffer less pain. Thirdly, to construct a 

 more flexible engine with which to carry into 

 execution the design of the will." 



As for the soul, his prayer was for the life 

 beyond this. 



" Eecognising my own inner consciousness, 

 the psyche, so clearly, death did not seem to 

 me to affect the personality. In dissolution 



