en he fell into captivity and degrading want. His
feelings had never been so excited. His life was an unending tissue, of
the brightest colors. Then came death, a return again to life; he
loved, loved intensely, and was separated from the object of his
passion. At length towards the break of day his soul became calmer, and
the images his fancy formed grew clearer, and more lasting. He dreamed
that he was walking alone in a dark forest, where the light broke only
at intervals through the green net-work of the trees. He soon came to a
passage through some rocks, which led to the top of a neighboring hill,
and, to ascend which he was obliged to scramble over the mossy stones,
which some stream in former times had torn down. The higher he climbed,
the more was the forest lit up, until at last he came to a small meadow
situated on the declivity of the mountain. Behind the meadow rose a
lofty cliff, at whose foot an opening was visible, which seemed to be
the beginning of a path hewn in the rock. The path guided him gently
along, and ended in a wide expanse, from which at a distance a clear
light shone towards him. On entering this expanse, he beheld a mighty
beam of light, which, like the stream from a fountain, rose to the
overhanging clouds, and spread out into innumerable sparks, which
gathered themselves below into a great basin. The beam shone like
burnished gold; not the least noise was audible; a holy silence reigned
around the splendid spectacle. He approached the basin, which trembled
and undulated with ever-varying colors. The sides of the cave were
coated with the golden liquid, which was cool to the touch, and which
cast from the walls a weak, blue light. He dipped his hand in the
basin, and bedewed his lips. He felt as if a spiritual breath had
pierced through him, and he was sensibly strengthened and refreshed. A
resistless desire to bathe himself made him undress and step into the
basin. Then a cloud tinged with the glow of evening appeared to
surround him; feelings as from Heaven flowed into his soul; thoughts
innumerable and full of rapture strove to mingle together within him;
new imaginings, such as never before had struck his fancy, arose before
him, which, flowing into each other, became visible beings about him.
Each wave of the lovely element pressed to him like a soft bosom. The
flood seemed like a solution of the elements of beauty, which
constantly became embodied in the forms of charming maidens arou