EAGLES AND ART. 
247 
nobly than tlie 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 aAvay 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 
