Thou hast to learn that even one to whom There hath been much revealed, may yet be found Lacking perfection still in divers ways. Tangled the paths that lead to higher truth: ... And only those may hope to reach the goal Who walk in patience through their labyrinths. Thou didst but see one part of what is real In that great realm of everlasting light, When with thine inner vision thou didst gaze Upon a picture of the spirit-land. Not yet hast thou seen full reality. Johannes' soul is knit unto thine own By earthly ties of such complexity That it may be allotted unto each To find his way into the spirit-realm Through forces borrowed from the other one. But nothing hitherto hath clearly shown That thou hast conquered each and every test. To see a picture hath been granted thee Of what the future holds for thee in store When thou canst pass unscathed the full ordeal. That thou hast seen the ultimate reward Of unremitting effort is no sign That thou hast reached the end of all thy strife. Thou hast beheld a picture, which thy will Alone can turn unto reality. MARIA: Although thy words just spoken fall on me Like bitter pain that follows hours of bliss, There is at least one lesson I have learned, Which is to bow my head to wisdom's light When it doth prove itself through inward force. Already something is becoming clear Which up till now lay hidden in my heart. But when in highest bliss delusion's snare Doth wear the mask of truth to human minds, Darkness of soul is difficult to ban. I need still more than that which thou hast given To plumb the depth of meaning in thy words. Thou once didst lead myself to those soul-depths Wherein a light was then vouchsafed to me By which I could behold the lives I spent In previous incarnations long ago. Thus was it granted me to learn the way In which my soul was linked unto my friend's. My act of bringing, in those days of old, Johannes' soul unto the spirit-fount I felt and recognized to be the seed Which grew and bore such cherished friendship's fruit, As was found ripe for all eternity. BENEDICTUS: Thou wast accounted worthy to retrace Thy path on earth in days long since gone by. But thou must not forget to look and see If thou canst be assured with certainty That of thine actions none remain concealed When backward thou didst turn thy spirit's eye. MARIA (after a pause betokening deep reflection):