Johannes, knowledge hath thy soul acquired From truth's cold realms. No longer wilt thou now Weave only in thy pictures that which souls, Still pent within the body, live in dreams, For far from cosmic progress are those thoughts Which but as self-begotten show themselves. THOMASIUS: 'Tis love of self--although they may pretend 'Tis thirst for knowledge maketh them do this. MARIA: Whoe'er desires to dedicate himself To human progress and perform such work As shall in course of time prove living force Must first entrust himself unto those powers Who work in deep realities and bring, Where order with confusion aye doth fight, The rhythmic law of number and its power. For knowledge only hath true active life, That can reveal itself within the soul When it can bring to men, still clothed in flesh, The memory of life in spirit-realms. THOMASIUS: My course of life is thus made clear to me. I had to feel myself a twofold man. Through Benedictus' help and through thine own I am a being standing by myself; And all the forces that within me stir Do not belong at all to mine own self. Ye now have given me a manhood new Who must be willing to give other men What he hath gained by spirit-pupilship. He must devote himself unto the world As best he can: naught from that other man Must mingle and disturb what now at last He hath as true self-knowledge recognized. Contained in his own world he will go on, If his own strength and help from both his friends Shall in the future serve to form his fate. MARIA: Whether thou walk'st in error or in truth Thou canst keep ever clear the view ahead; Which lets thy soul press farther on its path, If thou dost bravely bear necessities Imposed upon thee by the spirit-realm. Curtain SCENE 10 The Temple of the mystic League mentioned in the first and second pictures. Here Benedictus, Torquatus, and Trustworthy have the robes and insignia of their office of Hierophant as described in the 'Portal of Initiation.' The Eastern altar supports a golden sphere; a blue sphere rests upon the Southern altar; whilst the sphere upon the altar of the West is red. As the scene opens Benedictus and Hilary are standing at the altar in the East; Bellicosus and Torquatus at the altar in the South; Trustworthy at the altar in the West; then enter Thomasius, Capesius, Strader; then Maria, Felix Balde, and Dame Balde; and later on the Soul of Theodora; and last of all the four Soul-Forces. BENEDICTUS: