Long hast thou from the temple held thyself. Thou only wouldst admit enlightenment, When light from thine own soul revealed itself. Men of thy nature rob me of the power To give my light unto men's souls on earth. They wish to draw from darksome depths alone, What they should freely offer unto life. FELIX BALDE: Yet 'twas man's own illusion in itself, That brought me light from out the darkest depths: And let me to the temple find my way. ROMANUS: The fact that thou hast hither found thy way Gives me the power to give light to the will Of both Johannes and Maria here. That it no more may follow forces blind, But from world-aims henceforth direct itself. MARIA: Johannes, thou hast seen thine own self now In spirit in myself. Thou shalt live out Thine own existence as a spirit, when The world's light can behold itself in thee. JOHANNES (to Felix Balde): In thee, good brother Felix, do I see That soul-power which did hold my will fast bound In its own spirit. Thou wouldst find the way Unto the temple: with the strength of will Within my spirit I would fain point out The path unto the temple of the soul. RETARDUS: Johannes' and Maria's souls e'en now Escape from my domain: how then shall they Discover all that springs forth from my might? So long as they did lack within their souls The fundaments of learning, they did still Find joy and pleasure in my gifts, but now I see myself compelled to let them go. FELICIA: That man without thine aid, may fire himself To rational thought, that have I shown to thee From me a learning streams that dare bear fruit. JOHANNES: This learning shall be wedded to the light, Which from this temple's source can fill men's souls. RETARDUS: Capesius, my son, thou art now lost. Thou hast withdrawn thyself from my domain Before the temple's light can shine for thee. BENEDICTUS: He hath begun the path. He feels the light. And he will win the strength to search and know In his own soul all that, which up till now Good Dame Felicia hath produced for him. STRADER: Then I alone seem lost, for of myself I cannot cast all doubts from out my heart; And surely I shall never find again The way that doth unto the temple lead. THEODORA: From out thine heart a glow of light spreads forth; A human image now is born therefrom; And I can hear the words, which do proceed From this same human form. E'en thus they sound: 'I have achieved the power to reach the light.' My friend, trust thou thyself! These very words, When thy time is fulfilled, thyself shalt speak. Curtain THE SOUL'S PROBATION SUMMARY OF THE SCENES Scene 1: Capesius. His occult exercises and his despair.