PART THIRD
AFTER THE FLIGHT OF TWENTY YEARS
CHAPTER XXXV
THE BAY OF PUTEOLI
“The massive gates of Circumstance,
Are turned upon the smallest hinge,
And thus some seeming petty chance
Oft gives our life an after tinge.”
One beautiful spring morning, A.D. 61, an Alexandrian ship, flying the sign of Castor and Pollux, entered the Bay of Puteoli laden with corn for the granaries of Rome. The mirror-like surface of the water brilliantly reflected the rays of the early sun, and duplicated the palaces, gardens, and palm-trees which lined the banks. The dark-green, vine-clad slopes of Vesuvius, yet a slumbering giant, towered up from the eastward above the peaceful towns of Herculaneum and Pompeii, distinguished for their brilliant color, Greek-like gayety, and beautiful situation. It was one of the loveliest of earthly scenes.
The luxurious villas and magnificent palaces of Roman nobles which dotted the shores, and the romantic islets that lifted themselves out of the blue sea to the west and southwestward, with the flowering shrubs which pushed their color and fragrance to the water’s edge, all contributed features to form an unequalled earthly paradise. Near by were Baiæ, Pandataria, Cumæ, Pausilypus, and Capreæ, each richly endowed with thrilling classical events and romantic associations of great interest in the world’s history. The end of the voyage was at hand, and the passengers gathered upon deck to enjoy the complex panorama which many of them viewed for the first time. They represented many different races, tribes and tongues, and appeared in a picturesque variety of costumes.
Prominent among them was a Roman officer, having in charge a prisoner who was on his way to Rome for a trial in the imperial court.
The officer, Julius, who wore the insignia of a centurion, had an intelligent and kindly face, and showed much respect unto his prisoner, who was a man well along in years, and of marked individuality.
It was Saulus on his journey to the Eternal City upon an appeal for justice. He was accompanied by Luke and Aristarchus, though they were not prisoners. He stood upon the forward deck, engaged in converse with the centurion.
“If official duty will enable thee to use thy discretion, O Julius, I would make an earnest request for thy favor!”
“Make it known unto me, and if expedient I will be pleased to grant thy petition.”
“Behold yonder house where the gardens reach the water’s edge! It is but little more than a stadium from the landing, and is the home of Marcius, a Roman, and his wife, who is my sister. I fain would tarry there for a few days before setting out for Rome.”
“How knowest thou that it is the house of Marcius, never having sojourned here aforetime?”
“I am fully persuaded of it through letters which came to me giving a full description.”
“I have power to grant thy request, and it shall be as thou dost desire.”
When all had landed, Julius found upon inquiry that the house which had been pointed out was as had been represented, and with a soldier for a guard, Saulus and his friends were permitted to make the desired visit.
The home of Marcius occupied one of the most beautiful sites upon the shores of the heavenly bay. The water, transparent in its blueness, embraced by a lovely sky and an emerald shore, was so serene that it seemed to be reposing in a dream of bliss. The air was heavy with the odors of flowering plants and shrubs, and a subtle and fascinating spell was wont to steal over the senses of the observer. Nature was the Charmer.
The dark, tangled crags to the southwest seemed like lazy yet faithful sentinels who were watching lest the prodigal enchantment might escape, or that its voluptuousness might tempt the sea to swallow it up. What a fairy-land to stir the fancies of the heart, and light a smile of rapture upon the face of him whose soul is attuned to a beauty that is not only upon the surface, but within!
The three friends, who were entirely unlooked for, received a most cordial welcome from Marcius and Rebecca, and their home was a veritable haven of rest after a long and troublesome voyage. Many years had passed since Saulus and Rebecca last met, but the ardor of their early affection, if possible, seemed yet increased. Saulus for the first time saw his niece Helena, the daughter of Marcius and Rebecca, who was now in the bloom of her youthful beauty.
After a day of hospitable entertainment and intercourse in the unity and spirit of the New Faith, the little group, as the sun declined, was seated upon the front porch which overlooked the lovely expanse of the waters of Puteoli. The air was delicious, and a purple haze enveloped the surrounding slopes and heights, softening their outlines, and forming a mystical and idealistic setting for the splendid summer-houses which dotted the shore and highlands far and near. Upon the bay, which reflected upon its bosom the splendor of the closing day, here and there might be seen the sail of some belated fisherman or pleasure boat, almost becalmed, or perchance lazily rowing toward the port.
Saulus, after gazing meditatively upon the scene for a little time, broke the silence.
“In all my journeyings I have beheld no scene so glorious!”
“Yea,” said Marcius, “we count it as heavenly as any place on earth well can be. Nearly a score of years have taken their flight since we came here from the banks of the Cydnus, and yet whenever I return from my journeys in other climes it always gives me fresh delight.”
“Tell me somewhat of thy journeys, and of thy success in spreading the New Faith,” said Saulus.
“Behold I have little to make mention of in comparison with the great work which thou hast accomplished! Not being a public teacher and preacher, my efforts have had little observation, yet after my own manner I feel that my work hath not been in vain.”
“I am minded that thou hast devoted most of thy wealth to the spread of the new gospel,” said Saulus, “and assuredly in that direction thou hast done most effectual service. I would that thou briefly recount to my brethren, Luke and Aristarchus, somewhat of thy sacrifices and labors for their encouragement.”
“My sacrifices have been light compared with those which each of you has made, yet I have tried to be faithful. To this day no persecution hath been meted out to me, but I yet may feel the displeasure of Nero. No one can tell. Claudius was content with my simple deposition from office in Tarsus, and since that day I have lived undisturbed as a Roman private citizen.”
But Saulus desired to hear further.
“I have learned through letters from the hand of Rebecca that thou hast sent trusted disciples to the ends of the earth, and that thine own journeyings have reached to Britain, Spain, and Africa.”
“It hath been my privilege to send a few laborers into the vineyard, and furnish them with the means of support. In my visits to these lands I have seen somewhat of the fruits of their labors, and letters lately received give me hope of their growing success.”
“Behold there is a diversity of gifts and members in the new kingdom!” said Luke; “and I perceive that thou, O Marcius! hast done a great work that hath not been chronicled by the churches or known to the saints at Jerusalem. The world is a great field, and there are divers ways of scattering the good seed of the Word.”
“While thou art with us, O brother Saulus! I would that thou interpret more fully the life and doctrine of the great Prophet of Nazareth!” said Marcius. “The disciples with whom I have had converse appear to think differently, in some degree, concerning the best way of salvation and the true ideal of the New Faith.”
“Wherein lieth the difference?”
“Some seem to teach that the new life is likeness in mind and spirit to Jesus, or an incarnation of the inner Christly quality, while others hold that it is a purchase which was made by his sufferings and death. They say that his blood, though greater than other Jewish sacrifices, in the same manner cleanseth from transgression and bestoweth pardon.”
“I have observed that some such differences are beginning to appear among believers, but am fully persuaded that the Spirit will not be swallowed up by the letter. A knowledge of Jesus, the Christ, after the flesh, profiteth nothing. If I have known him after the flesh, I would know him no more.”
“What is the significance of the shedding of blood?”
“Blood signifieth the inner quality or life, and not the suffering and death. Behold the literal blood availeth naught! Jesus was only the outward manifestation of the Christ, because the Saviour of men is not flesh, but spirit.”
“What doth belief in the name of Christ signify?”
“It is that Christ, or the mind of Christ, liveth in us as it lived in Jesus, though not so fully manifested. Faith in Christ is not mere belief in the death and resurrection of the Prophet of Nazareth, but it is the substance of spiritual life in man. Jesus belonged to a particular time and place, while the Christ is the divine son in all men, even though not yet born into activity. It is God in the soul of man!”
“A saving truth! and how near, for it is an experience of the heart,” said Rebecca.
“Yea; the Christ is in every man, and not far away in time or distance. He is the name of divine oneness in the children of men, whether in the seed, the blade, or the full corn in the ear. Ordinances and sacraments are without, but Christ, the Truth, is within. A fleshly and sacrificial belief manifesteth itself in form and ceremony, and bringeth forth a harvest of dead works which killeth the spirit.”
“I feel the truth of what thou sayest, for it is easy of comprehension!” said Marcius with earnestness.
“Yea; no man need err therein. Christ is not a dead Christ, but the living, ever-present son or image waiting for birth and articulation in every human soul. Behold the whole creation groaneth together in bringing forth the sons of God!”
“Didst thou not in thine early teaching dwell much upon the seen Jesus and his sacrificial death?”
“Yea, thou judgest rightly; but now I see more plainly that that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. I have learned that the worship of the Father pertaineth not to time, place, nor race, but must be in spirit and in truth. Behold all men, whether Jews or Gentiles, bond or free, are blindly feeling after God, but through ignorance they make many vain searches! But full contentment can never come to any soul until it knoweth the Father and his kingdom within.”
“Of the reputed sayings of the Nazarene, some appear to come from a son of man, and others from a son of God. Canst thou make that plain to us?”
“Man hath within him both the human and divine nature, and Jesus being fully manifested in the God-consciousness, and recognizing his oneness with the Father, at divers times spoke as God in the flesh, and also upon other occasions as a son of man. Behold God, though not flesh, dwelleth in all flesh, but man knoweth it not, and thinketh of him as far away.”
Early the next morning Serenus and Amabel also arrived at the house of Marcius. They came for a brief sojourn before taking ship for Alexandria, now their home, being on their return from a short visit to Rome.
CHAPTER XXXVI
NOCTURNAL INTERVIEW WITH A SEER
“I sent my soul through the invisible,
Some lessons of the after life to spell,
By and by it came and answered,
I myself am heaven and hell.”
Joy reigned in the house of Marcius. The unlooked-for arrival of Serenus and Amabel brought about a general and happy reunion of friends who long had been widely separated.
The abode of Serenus was now in Alexandria. As the worthy successor of Philo, he was the eminent head of a school of liberal Christian philosophy, where teachers and missionaries were trained and educated. The academy was not devoted to mere philosophical speculation and theorizing, but to the promulgation of the New Faith in its pristine purity. Both by precept and example Serenus inculcated a practical spiritual life which transformed those who came within its moulding influence. The school became a living fountain, from which went out the waves of a Christly Christianity. Set free, even in greater measure than the Primitive Church, from Jewish dogmatism, the truth was purged from all traditional rubbish, and given out in all its intrinsic value and beauty. It was the simple New Faith, without any admixture of asceticism, touched and gilded by the light of the highest and best Greek philosophy and idealism. The influence upon the world at large of the Alexandrian liberal school of Christianity, not being recorded in canonized history, has been mostly unrecognized in ecclesiastical annals.
The day after the arrival of Serenus and Amabel passed swiftly in mutual converse and encouragement. Every one of the reunited circle had much to recount. What a wealth of experiences gained, obstacles overcome, and inspirations kindled!
Late in the evening Marcius felt a strange and unwonted spirit of restlessness. All the rest of the household had retired for the night, when some intangible but powerful influence almost impelled him to go into the open air for a season of meditation and communion with the spirit of Nature. Telling Rebecca of his intention, he went out upon the porch and took his favorite seat overlooking the beautiful bay. The harmony and sublimity of the scene were borne in upon his soul, and gave him a sense of profound serenity. The air was soft and balmy, and the full-orbed moon was lifting herself above the horizon in queenly majesty, lighting up the expanse of waters with a sheen of wavy silver.
The arrival of Saulus, and yet more that of Serenus and Amabel, brought before the mind of Marcius a flood of former associations and emotions interwoven with his life upon the banks of the Cydnus. His inner experiences of the earlier time passed before him in a procession like the unrolling of a scenic panorama. His Christianity was also free from a too-prevalent asceticism, and the charm of everything about him found a response and revelation in his own soul. As he pondered, while drinking in the beauty of the night, he measurably divested himself of the gross sense of the Physical, and wandered back amid bygone soul-experiences. He realized that to penetrate the unseen realm of Reality there must be earnest desire, unclouded by the opaque objects of sense, usually so all controlling.
He journeyed psychically backward, and analyzed his early life,—its selfishness, grossness, and superficiality. He thought of those who shared it. Where are they now? What occupies them? Have they yet discerned the hollowness of the mad pursuit of sensuous gratification?
What of Leander?
At that moment he was somewhat startled by the dignified approach of a man wrapped in a long mantle who came near and called him by name. In a reposeful and deliberate manner the stranger leaned against a pillar and waited for a response. His voice was musical, his face had a pleasant and impressive aspect, indicating refined character and a passionless depth of thought, heightened by a noble forehead and deep-set eyes.
“I am Marcius! Be seated, and explain thine errand!”
“I come as a messenger, rather than for myself,” replied the strange visitor in a cordial and friendly manner. “Thy musing upon the secrets of the soul and the mysteries of the Universe, but more especially thy delving among the living relics of the past, hath awakened a yearning in other souls,—or a soul,—and thou only hast the power to satisfy it!”
“Thou speakest in riddles! how did it come to thee, or to those for whom thou hast come, that my thought was occupied with the past? Behold the scene of my earlier experiences is far distant.”
“In mind and spirit there is no time nor distance! The echoes of thought go out, and are interpreted by those whose inner hearing is attuned. Not only the music of a fountain, but even the hoarse roar of a tempest, is heard within, and can be stilled only from the centre! There is a disquieted soul that earnestly craves thine aid. Even a word from thee would help to relieve its distresses.”
“Again thou speakest beyond my comprehension. What dost thou desire me to do?”
“Go with me to a place not very far distant where all mystery shall be made plain to thee!”
“Thou hast much assurance to ask me to go with thee, a stranger, to a place unknown! Common prudence might forbid.”
“Do I seem like one born to deceive? Only good can or will come from thy compliance.”
“Whom do we seek, if I go with thee?”
“My Superior! A wise and noble magician. One who hath profound and prophetic gifts of soul, and hath penetrated deeply into the mysteries of Knowledge, as found in the life of man.”
“I will go with thee!”
The moon had hidden herself behind dense masses of floating clouds so that the darkness had perceptibly increased, but Marcius was thoroughly persuaded of the sincerity of his guide, and did not hesitate.
They started. After traversing several narrow streets and turning many corners, they took a road which wound steadily upward. On, on, on!—would they never arrive at the journey’s end? The deep obscurity and many turns caused Marcius to lose his bearings, and he had little or no idea even of the general direction which they had taken. In the gradual ascent they crossed two streams upon whose classical banks in bygone ages had encamped the invading hosts of Etruscan, Sybarite, and Roman. The whole vicinity was rich with ancient lore. Still on, until, with a sharp turn to the right, they passed through a deep and narrow fissure which parted a hill of rock, and was shrouded by abundant foliage.
Emerging from the narrow walled passage, immediately before them, upon a level plateau, stood a venerable castle. The light which streamed through a few of the windows gave evidence of life within.
“Behold our journey’s end!” said the stranger.
They entered, and after mounting a broad, winding staircase, Marcius was ushered into the presence of a tall, dignified and venerable man, with long hair and flowing beard of snowy whiteness, who received him with becoming and polite cordiality. He was wrapped in a long white mantle, heavily embroidered in gold with mystical and occult designs. After the first greetings, he motioned Marcius to a convenient seat. The room was commodious, and possessed many remains of ancient splendor fairly well preserved. It contained large tables of costly marble elaborately carved, upon which were piles of parchment sheets and rolls, and also many astrological, chemical, and philosophical instruments and appliances.
“I am here in obedience to thy request?” said Marcius inquiringly.
The kindly face of the Seer lighted up with a beneficent smile, as he replied,—
“I give thee cordial welcome, and am persuaded that thy visit will not be in vain. I have knowledge of thy good works, and that thou hast delight in the upliftment and release of entangled souls.”
“I am in no wise minded how my strange visit hath any virtue in such an accomplishment!”
“Peradventure there be unseen prisoners struggling for freedom that thou knowest not of.”
“I shall rejoice in any opportunity for spiritual ministry,” said Marcius; “but if thou art pleased to communicate, may I first inquire concerning thyself and thy profession?”
“I am descended from the Magi of the far East. My father was one of the wise men who brought offerings to the Babe of Bethlehem, an observer of the stars, and skilled in magic. I have dwelt in many lands, sojourning for some time in Athens before coming here.”
“Of what avail is the mystery and seclusion which are wrapped about thy seership?”
“Behold the minds of this generation are descended from the spiritual altitude of the sages of the earlier world, therefore the mysteries of the Universe, and of mind and spirit, must be veiled and guarded from the sensuous vulgarity of the present age. How long, thinkest thou, should we be permitted to cultivate acquaintance with mysticism and spiritual science if our Art were made known to Nero? Behold if water is to mirror the heavens it must be still and deep, and wholly unruffled by the winds of Circumstance! Our wisdom would shrink to naught unless lifted beyond the murky atmosphere of the sense and selfishness of every-day life.”
“I perceive the truth of what thou speakest, and would know further of thy philosophy and aspiration.”
“Behold the Divine One is unveiled in many ways to the inner vision of men. Our distinctive reading of Him is through the pages of Nature. We find living oracular voices in the poetry and harmony of the Universe, and also in the underlying laws of the mind of man. To interpret Nature and Law is to interpret God. We must study the adumbration, locution, and the architecture of the whole creation. All is life, and life is LOVE. In the world of sense love is personal and narrow. In the higher spheres it reduces all things to itself, and becomes impersonal and all-inclusive. To penetrate the secrets of the Universal Mind and discover the invisible revolving wheels of Nature, one must ascend an unseen mount—ALONE. Only through such solitude can the soul uncover itself and come into full contact with the Eternal, and at length gain a complete mastery over the base idolatry of the common life.”
“I fain would know more particularly concerning thine own chosen field of research?”
“I may make known to thee that the Magi of the East are of three Orders, different, though related, for they are One. The triangle hath three sides. The first Order is given mainly to the study of and communion with Nature, or rather her motives and internal forces. The second is concerned with the assuagement and healing of the ills and disorders of the race, and the third seeks near acquaintance with the mysteries and manifestations of Spirit while abiding in incarnate forms, and also the invoking of those that have become excarnate. It includes a study of the laws, communications, and unfoldment of human minds and souls. My own researches and experiments are more specifically those of the third Order, to which I have the honor to belong.”
The thought of Marcius went back to Alethea.
“My own small experience hath convinced me, not only that spirits survive earthly dissolution, but that they sometimes appear in the seen form.”
The sage nodded assent, and observed,—
“It is true that those who are in the Beyond, under certain favorable circumstances not commonly understood, may briefly draw to themselves some of the finer elements of neighboring bodies, and even clothe themselves with them. This is no marvel! It is in accord with the spiritual laws of man’s constitution. When embodied, Mind commands its own organism. In lesser degree, after the seen hath been dropped, its inherent forces may lay hold of the subtle elements that are less closely related, and mould them for a temporary purpose.”
“Do those who cross the Styx find upon landing upon the farther side that they are much wiser, and at once rid of the errors of the fleshly experience?”
“Nay; the higher states come only by growth into harmony with the Universal Good, which is through patient and persistent aspiration. Most souls are inert until pushed forward by the pains of discordant environment. The same faults must be overcome, the same phantoms vanquished and selfishness put away, as in the seen. The wonted passions rage, even though without material expression. But thanks to friendly thought-ministration from intelligences more highly developed, both in the visible and invisible, progress soon begins, and will continue. The cords that hold spirits in prison must be weakened in every strand through retributive and purifying discipline until they finally give way, and then released souls can mount aloft into a larger freedom. To put on a heavenly consciousness at once would be a violation of all the laws of normal growth and universal method. Thought must wear new channels, whether with or without the cruder embodiment.”
“Is there a spiritual body?”
“There is a finer form, which is gently released when the grosser embodiment drops away, being no longer fit for occupancy. To the clear vision of a Hierophant there are even soul tints and colors which emanate from living forms, and index the quality of their thought. The delicate goodly hues of thine own inner nature have been plainly visible to me since thou entered yonder door.”
“Do the spiritual atmospheres of those upon the plane of the seen touch each other, and make themselves felt beyond the boundaries of the body?”
“Yea, like auras, meet and mingle harmoniously, while those which are discordant in color and vibration are mutually repellant. There is an all-pervading ethereal Substance which fills all space, and is also penetrative of all matter. It is the medium which connects individualized thought with the Universal Mind. As the trembling strings of a harp launch its music upon the undulations of the atmosphere, so the waves of thought are wafted through that Infinite Ocean in which we dwell to their desired Destination, or perchance forth into ever-increasing outward circles.”
“What is matter?”
“Matter is spirit in its crudest manifestation. It is the primary educational plane of soul, or, in other words, the moulding material for its elementary practice. Individuated soul builds it up into organic forms. We must not forget also that there are innumerable grades of individuated souls below the plane of the Human.”
“What wouldst thou interpret as the basic principle of all life?”
“Love, which when manifested in the lower forms of matter, we call attraction or gravitation, pervades the Universe, and is the mainspring of all life. As it rises in the scale of unfolding Being it becomes refined and spiritualized. All individuated consciousness must finally come into harmonic vibration with the Universal Spirit. Behold the Divine One hath made everything from HIMSELF! But the moments flee. Peradventure thou wouldst know more fully the definite purpose for which thy visit was desired?”
“I await thy convenience.”
“A disquieted Intelligence, for some time beyond the confines of visibility, craveth converse with thee. Peradventure thou mayest be able to accomplish much in giving release and bringing reconciliation.”
“I cannot divine who or what It may be!” replied Marcius with an expression of deep curiosity.
The Seer then arose, and inviting Marcius to follow, led the way into an adjoining room. There was no light save the rays of the full moon which came in brightly through two casements, the clouds having dispersed. The door was closed, and Marcius shown to a seat.
The room was octagonal in shape, and of moderate size, except in height, which was great in proportion to the other dimensions. Upon the vaulted ceiling far above there were dim points of light, which like stars seemed to have a luminosity of their own. High above their heads small Æolian harps hung in valves which were open to the gentle zephyrs without, and they were discoursing soft, sweet melody which seemed more like heavenly whisperings than earthly music.
Soon the Seer gave a signal, upon which a man clad in loose white robes entered and seated himself upon a dais between the two casements. There was sufficient light to show Marcius that the face was that of the messenger who had guided him to the castle. The harmony, beauty, and softness of the whole scene was so impressive that he awaited some demonstration with anxious expectancy. His thoughts turned once more back to Alethea, and his heart beat quickly at the memory of the vision long ago in the Tarsian adytum.
But see! A tremor passes over the frame of the figure upon the dais. His breast heaves, his muscles relax, his eyelids droop, and he seems like one entranced.
Anon a mist, at first so rare as to be barely discernible, formed in a gathering cloud just before the dais!
It gains in density, gradually solidifies, and finally assumes definite form!
“Leander!”
* * * * * * * * * *
Marcius marvelled!
The same wavy brown hair!—dark blue eyes!—fair complexion, with skin white, as if polished with baths and oil! His costume was that of an actor in dramatic representation.
Marcius was still more surprised when Leander assumed an oratorical attitude, and in his old-time impassioned manner began the recitation of Greek poetry. Then followed a scene from one of the tragedies of Sophocles. After closing, he waited a moment, as if expecting applause.
Marcius almost forgot the present in such a realistic dream of the past.
“Behold,” said the Master in a whisper, “the persistence of mental habit! Pressing though his business be with thee, this dramatic fragment must needs be projected from his surcharged soul before he can give his message!”
Leander now came forward and laid his hand upon the shoulder of Marcius. An intensely woeful expression was manifest.
“O Marcius! I have sent for thee! Behold I am disquieted! I fain would quench the hatred toward thee that was long ago kindled in my soul, but am not able! In spite of every effort it reasserts itself through habit! It is like a fire which when smothered in one place breaketh out anew of itself! I crave thy forgiveness, which, if thou dost grant it, may peradventure help to release me from this terrible thraldom!”
“Take courage, for it is freely granted! I give thee my love, and pronounce thy release!”
“I bless thy goodness, and thank thee that thou wast minded to follow the messenger to this place! But I have yet a great work to do! Behold the old thoughts rise up before me and will not be laid!”
Marcius gave him a kindly look, and replied,—
“Think of love, love, LOVE! for behold its presence in thy soul will at length displace all its opposites! That is the method by which thou mayest dissolve them into nothingness.”
“But, O Marcius! I have not yet told thee the worst! I tried to murder thee! With base gold I bought a potion that was to dull thy reason, destroy thy wisdom, and hasten thy mind and body to decay before the wonted time! Listen to my iniquity! With more gold, by my direction, Colurus was hired to administer the potion to thee! But, thanks to all the gods—none of which I have beheld since I left the body—thou art here and well! The potion took no effect, but, oh, the guilt is not the less! I am tormented beyond measure for having so rewarded the best friend I ever had! A fire rageth within my thought, and I have no rest! Horror and destruction, in living forms, follow and point at me!”