“Do you remember the _Erd Geist_ in ‘Faust’ Dr. Richards? That was a product of the single vision, I fancy. “‘=Im Lebensfluthen, im Thatensturm, Wall’ ich auf und ab, Webe hin und her! Geburt und Grab, Ein ewiges Meer, Ein wechselnd Weben, Ein glühend Leben, So schaff’ ich am sausenden Webstuhl der Zeit, Und wirke der Gottheit lebendiges Kleid.=”[1] Footnote 1: A rather free translation is subjoined. As indicated in the text, the last line is a quotation:— “In the restless stream of living, ’Mid the storm of deeds, Move I hither, thither, Weave I to and fro! Birth and the Grave —One limitless ocean!— A changeful Creation Glowing with Life, Thus my task at Time’s tremulous loom I ply, And weave for God the Garment thou seest Him by.” I forget who paraphrased that last line,— “‘And weave for God the garment thou seest Him by.’” said Mr. Clare. “It isn’t bad, but ‘living garment’ is even better, perhaps. The two together make up Goethe’s meaning.” “Oh! so you give Goethe credit for using his spiritual optics?” “In right of his poet or prophet-hood. A false prophet—not that Goethe was _that_, except partially like the rest, and much less so than many who are called the truest of the true,—but a false prophet is a prophet still, you know, and woe is unto him according to the falseness of his prophecy.” “Because?” “Because his falsehood is a moral fault. He could have seen truly had he purified his heart and life, and used his spiritual eyes.” “Thank fortune! I really feared you were going to say ‘and used the grace of God.’ I do detest that expression! It is such a mean, cowardly state of mind for a man to be always asking for grace to do this, and rejoicing that he had grace given him to do that. Grace indeed! Has he no backbone of his own?” “Why, you wouldn’t expect a man to breathe without air,” said the clergyman, “and why should he see without sunshine? And you’ll find _that_ etymology quite correct,” he added, as he rose to say good-night. “Etymology? I don’t understand.” “Grace—the graces—the Charites—charity—love, as the Revised Version has it. And don’t you remember Max Müller’s identification of the Charites with the bright Harits, the far-reaching sun-rays? Love and life, the life and love of God; not so very detestable after all, eh? Good-night.” CHAPTER X. PREACHING AND PRACTICE.