EAGLES AND ART. 247 



nobly than the last, until his own man the consummation, 

 had been reached ! 



Then he sees how too this consummate shape, by reason 

 of its perfection, became the habitation of an angel blos- 

 somed into the spiritual, as the bud blossoms into splendor 

 and perfume! for the life which came from God having 

 passed through all the sensuous grades below, returned now 

 on the eternal circle towards its source, to meet perfection 

 in himself 



" Just on the borders of the Spirit-land !" 



Then the full flower was blown, and the divine aroma which 

 had been developed within the secret foldings of the bud 

 filled all the world ! 



This Divine aroma is that Love of which we spoke, and 

 which is all-embracing in its mild and fostering sympathies ; 

 for with the angel thus born within him, the exalted man 

 becomes ruler over all in right of this spiritual birth. And 

 not alone is he thus lord over all creatures, but by right of a 

 sensuous birth in common with him they are his lowlier 

 brothers. 



In the mild beneficence of this fraternal Faith, all living 

 things are sacred to the Artist. In each creature he sees not 

 alone a fixed memento left behind him of one grade more in 

 the ascent of his progression, but as well an antitype of some 

 one attribute of his own nature living in its original form. 

 Thus, be blind and wilful as he may, he cannot escape from 

 himself go utterly away from the truth of the simple 

 virtues ! 



He is a lonely wayfarer, and going forth on an unending 

 pilgrimage into the wild, and silent homes of the wild bird 

 and beast, he can hear his mother speak with him, for the 

 voices of her creatures make her silence. Here, in the holy 

 calm of stillest contemplation, she teaches him to study his 

 own life in each of these as in gigantic extension of himself 

 to see his passions, emotions and thoughts creep, walk, run 



