Ill 

 A FREE MAN'S WORSHIP 1 



TO Dr. Faustus in his study Mephistopheles told the 

 history of the Creation, saying : 



" The endless praises of the choirs of angels had begun 

 to grow wearisome ; for, after all, did he not deserve 

 their praise ? Had he not given them endless joy ? 

 Would it not be more amusing to obtain undeserved 

 praise, to be worshipped by beings whom he tortured ? 

 He smiled inwardly, and resolved that the great drama 

 should be performed. 



" For countless ages the hot nebula whirled aimlessly 

 through space. At length it began to take shape, the 

 central mass threw off planets, the planets cooled, boil- 

 ing seas and burning mountains heaved and tossed, 

 from black masses of cloud hot sheets of rain deluged 

 the barely solid crust. And now the first germ of life 

 grew in the depths of the ocean, and developed rapidly 

 in the fructifying warmth into vast forest trees, huge 

 ferns springing from the damp mould, sea monsters 

 breeding, fighting, devouring, and passing away. And 

 from the monsters, as the play unfolded itself, Man was 

 born, with the power of thought, the knowledge of good 

 and evil, and the cruel thirst for worship. And Man 

 saw that all is passing in this mad, monstrous world, 

 that all is struggling to snatch, at any cost, a few brief 

 moments of life before Death's inexorable decree. And 



1 Reprinted from the Independent Review, December, 1903. 

 46 



