As true and mystic as our spirit-quest. I learned to live with light, and recognize In colour's power the action of that light, As faithful students of true mystic lore See in realms reft of colour and of form The spirit's deeds and soul's reality. Relying on this spirit-light, I won This power to feel in flowing sea of light, And live within the stream of glowing tints; And sense those spirit-forces which maintain Their might in non-material webs of light, And radiant colours filled with spirit-life. (Enter Maria, unobserved by Johannes.) And when my courage faileth me, once more Of thee, my friend most noble, do I think. At thy soul's fire my love of work is warmed; Thy spirit-light awakes my faith anew. (He sees Maria.) Oh, thou art here.... Impatiently I craved Thy coming, yet I marked not thine approach! MARIA: I must rejoice to find my friend so wrapt In work as to forget his friend herself. JOHANNES: Nay, speak not thus, since thou dost know full well That I cannot create one single thought Which hath not first been hallowed by thine aid. No work of mine owes not its life to thee. Through thy love's fire have I been purified; Through thee my art hath learned to represent The beauty of the truths revealed to thee, Which warm my heart, illuminate my sense, And clothe in radiant light the spirit-world. The current of my work must take its rise From thy soul's spring and flow thence into mine, Ere I can feel the wings that lift me up To lofty heights of spirit, far from earth. I love the life that quickens in thy soul, And, loving it, can give it form and hue. Love only can beget artistic power And make an artist's work bear fruit and live. If I, as artist, am to carry back Pictures of spirit to the world of sense, Then cosmic spirit must speak forth through me, My personality be but its tool. I must first burst the bonds of selfishness Ere I can know that I shall not mistake For spirit-worlds my own vain fantasies. MARIA: And if thou hadst to seek through thine own sight And not through mine the true source of thy work, It might well be that, coming from one soul Thy dream of beauty might be unified. JOHANNES: I should be spinning webs of idle thought In speculating which I should prefer: Whether to incarnate thy spirit-sight, Or in myself to seek my vision's source.-- I am convinced I could not find it thus.