SCENE: _The cloudy realms of space. At a point, halls of illimitable and indescribable splendor, the colorings of the dawn. Beyond, a swirling belt of suns and satellites glittering thinly against the dark. Beyond this, in measureless nothingness, the suggestion of other clouds of suns and planets, spinning. At the center, the Presence, couched upon gold and porphyry, high-piled, cloud on cloud. Poles of outpouring thought, great flames, radiate from his brows; about him a nimbus of fire. He is now fully self-materialized and concentrated, but sits quiescent, weary, lonely, a compendium of vagrom, changeful, insane emotions and ideas. Immediately before him_, BEAUTY, LOVE, PITY, HOPE, REASON--_colorful shadows all--as well as beasts, birds, fishes, reptiles, flowers, trees; men and women in cloudy, wraith-like masses. Above him, immense legions of_ CHERUBIM _and_ SERAPHIM, _figures of translucent light, radiant, choral. In the background_, AMBITION; _about him swirl, darkling_, HATE, FEAR, GREED, DESPAIR, _and behind them, cloud upon cloud, sinister figures, emissaries, dreams, the darker products of the Lord’s fancy_. SERAPHIM AND CHERUBIM (_Fanning with glittering wings._) Hail, our Creator! Hail, Lord! Do thou remain forever in thought our Creator, our Thinker! Blessed be thy reality! Hail! Hail! BEAUTY (_Surveying from a glistering footstool, nearest of all the swarming universe._) Am I not beautiful, Lord? Am I not thy thought of Beauty? Art thou not content to think on me, thy first thought? And shall I not be thy last? Thou hast but commanded, and they worship me! Thou but thinkest, and I am supernal in beauty! (_She smiles._) They worship me! They worship me! THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE (_Broodingly._) Sweet thought--my dearest thought! AMBITION (_Clanking ponderous armor, a cloudy giant in moody meditation._) We wait! We wait! He thinks not on us! He thinks not on us. Now are his thoughts of drooling pleasure--of Beauty, of Hope, Peace--pale nothings all--Seraphim and Cherubim, mere fluttering figures of light! Beauty reigns! Hope and Reason and Pity are at her feet! See how the universe peoples itself with these, his fancies! He dreams but fair dreams! THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE (_To_ BEAUTY, _turning slowly and viewing complacently the immensity and beauty of his fancy_.) Art thou pleased, then, with what I have made for thee? See, see--dreams, dreams, sweet dreams all--mad fancies all--mad! Mad! That which I make is madness all--disordered dreams! I am mad, mad! BEAUTY Wondrous, Lord, of whom I am the first! Great Creator! Thou art wonder and beauty all. Sweet are thy dreams! Sweet thy madness! Sweet am I! But sleep no more, Lord! Dream on. It is sweet to be worshiped so! I would be worshiped! I would be worshiped! THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE