It seems as though some ghost were haunting me, A ghost I cannot see, nor have I power Which doth enable me to focus it. Thou dost paint ghostly things, Thomasius, Ensnaring them by magic in your work. They do allure us on to seek for them, And yet they never let themselves be found. Oh--how I find your pictures horrible! CAPESIUS: My friend, in this same moment hast thou lost The thinker's peace of mind. Consider now, If from this picture some ghost speaks to thee Then I myself must surely ghostly be. STRADER: Forgive me, friend, 'twas weakness on my part. CAPESIUS: Ah, speak but good, not evil, of this hour! For though thou seemed'st to have lost thyself, Yet in reality thou wast upraised Far, far above thyself; and thou didst feel, Even as I myself full oft have felt. At such times, howsoe'er one feels oneself Strong-armoured at all points with logic's might, One can but be convinced that one is seized By some strange power that can have origin Not in sense-knowledge or sense-reasoning. Who hath endowed this picture with such power? To me it seems the symbol in sense-life Of soul-experiences gained thereby. It hath taught me to recognize my soul, As never heretofore seemed possible; And most convincing this self-knowledge proved. Thomasius did search me through and through: For unto him was given power to pierce Through sense-appearance unto spirit-self. With his developed sight he penetrates To spirit verity; and thus for me Those ancient words of wisdom: 'Know thyself,' In new light do appear. To know ourselves E'en as we are, we must first find that power Within ourselves, which, as true spirit, doth Conceal itself from us in our own selves. MARIA: We must, to find ourselves, that power unfold Which can pierce through into our very souls: And truly do these words of wisdom speak-- Unfold thyself and thou shalt find thyself. STRADER: If we admit now, that Thomasius Hath through th' unfolding of his spirit power, Attained to knowledge of that entity, That dwells, invisible, in each of us, Then must we say that on each plane of life Knowledge doth differ. CAPESIUS: So would I maintain. STRADER: If matters thus do stand, then is all thought Nothing: all learning but illusory; And every moment I must lose myself.... Oh, do leave me alone.... (Exit.) CAPESIUS: I'll go with him. (Exit.) MARIA: Capesius is nearer far today To spirit lore, than he himself doth think; And Strader suffers deeply. What his soul So hotly craves, his spirit cannot find. JOHANNES: