From cosmic distances And from the sun's glad light, From utmost realms of stars And magic might of worlds, From heaven's ethereal blue And spirit's lofty power, Win mightiness of soul; And send its radiant beams Deep down within thine heart; That knowledge glowing warm May thus be born in thee. THE OTHER PHILIA: They are deceiving thee This evil sisterhood; They seek but to ensnare By trickery and guile. The gifts so seeming fair Which they have offered thee Will vanish into air When thou wouldst hold them fast With all thy human strength. They lead thee on to worlds Inhabited by gods, Where thou wilt be destroyed If, once within their realm, Thou strivest to o'ercome By human strength alone. CAPESIUS: It was quite plain that here some beings spake-- And yet it is most sure that no one else-- Beside myself--is present in this place. So have I but held converse with myself And yet that too seems quite impossible-- For ne'er could I imagine such discourse As here I listened to.... Am I still he I was before? (From his gestures it is plain he feels unable to reply 'yes.') Oh! I am--I am not. THE SPIRIT-VOICE OF CONSCIENCE: Thy thoughts do now descend To depths of human life And what as soul doth compass thee around And what as spirit is enchained in thee, Is lost in cosmic depth, From whose fulness quaffing Mankind doth live in thought; From whose fulness living Mankind illusion weaves. CAPESIUS: Enough.... Enough.... Where is Capesius? You I implore ... ye forces all unknown.... Where is Capesius? Where is ... myself? (Once more he relapses into a reverie.) (Enter Benedictus. Capesius does not notice him at first. Benedictus touches him on the shoulder.) BENEDICTUS: I learned that thou didst wish to speak with me, And so I came to seek thee in thy home. CAPESIUS: Right good it is of thee to grant my wish. Yet it had scarce been possible that thou Shouldst find me in worse case than now I am. That I am not this moment on the ground Prostrate before thy feet, after such pain As even now hath racked my soul, I owe To thy kind glance alone which sought mine own, So soon as thou didst with thy gentle touch Arouse me from the horrors of my dream. BENEDICTUS: I am aware that I have found thee now Fighting a battle for thy very life. Since I have known full well this long time past That thus it was appointed us to meet. Prepare to change the sense of many words If thou wouldst understand my speech aright And do not marvel that thy present pain Bears in my language quite another name-- I call thy state good fortune. CAPESIUS: