whatcandeathbe?thebodydecays,andthesoul.yes;whatisthesoul,andwhitherdoesitgo?"

"toeternallife,"saysthecomfortingvoiceofreligion.

"butwhatisthischange?whereandhowshallweexist?"

"above;inheaven,"answersthepiousman;"itistherewehopetogo."

"above!"repeatedthewiseman,fixinghiseyesuponthemoonandstarsabovehim.hesawthattothisearthlysphereaboveandbelowwereconstantlychangingplaces,andthatthepositionvariedaccordingtothespotonwhichamanfoundhimself.heknew,also,thatevenifheascendedtothetopofthehighestmountainwhichrearsitsloftysummitonthisearth,theair,whichtousseemsclearandtransparent,wouldtherebedarkandcloudy;thesunwouldhaveacopperyglowandsendforthnorays,andourearthwouldliebeneathhimwrappedinanorange-coloredmist.hownarrowarethelimitswhichconfinethebodilysight,andhowlittlecanbeseenbytheeyeofthesoul.howlittledothewisestamongusknowofthatwhichissoimportanttousall.

inthemostsecretchamberofthecastlelaythegreatesttreasureonearth-thebookoftruth.thewisemanhadreaditthroughpageafterpage.everymanmayreadinthisbook,butonlyinfragments.tomanyeyesthecharactersseemsomixedinconfusionthatthewordscannotbedistinguished.oncertainpagesthewritingoftenappearssopaleorsoblurredthatthepagebecomesablank.thewiseramanbecomes,themorehewillread,andthosewhoarewisestreadmost.

thewisemanknewhowtounitethesunlightandthemoonlightwiththelightofreasonandthehiddenpowersofnature;andthroughthisstrongerlight,manythingsinthepagesweremadecleartohim.butintheportionofthebookentitled"lifeafterdeath"notasinglepointcouldheseedistinctly.thispainedhim.shouldheneverbeablehereonearthtoobtainalightbywhicheverythingwritteninthebookoftruthshouldbecomecleartohim?likethewisekingsolomon,heunderstoodthelanguageofanimals,andcouldinterprettheirtalkintosong;butthatmadehimnonethewiser.hefoundoutthenatureofplantsandmetals,andtheirpowerincuringdiseasesandarrestingdeath,butnonetodestroydeathitself.inallcreatedthingswithinhisreachhesoughtthelightthatshouldshineuponthecertaintyofaneternallife,buthefounditbookoftruthlayopenbeforehim,but,itspagesweretohimasblankpaper.christianityplacedbeforehiminthebibleapromiseofeternallife,buthewantedtoreaditinhisbook,inwhichnothingonthesubjectappearedtobewritten.

hehadfivechildren;foursons,educatedasthechildrenofsuchawisefathershouldbe,andadaughter,fair,gentle,andintelligent,butshewasblind;yetthisdeprivationappearedasnothingtoher;herfatherandbrotherswereoutwardeyestoher,andavividimaginationmadeeverythingcleartohermentalsight.thesonshadnevergonefartherfromthecastlethanthebranchesofthetreesextended,andthesisterhadscarcelyeverlefthome.theywerehappychildreninthathomeoftheirchildhood,thebeautifulandfragranttreeofthesun.likeallchildren,theylovedtohearstoriesrelatedtothem,andtheirfathertoldthemmanythingswhichotherchildrenwouldnothaveunderstood;butthesewereascleverasmostgrownuppeopleareamongus.heexplainedtothemwhattheysawinthepicturesoflifeonthecastlewalls-thedoingsofman,andtheprogressofeventsinallthelandsoftheearth;andthesonsoftenexpressedawishthattheycouldbepresent,andtakeapartinthesegreatdeeds.thentheirfathertoldthemthatintheworldtherewasnothingbuttoilanddifficulty:thatitwasnotquitewhatitappearedtothem,astheylookeduponitintheirbeautifulhome.hespoketothemofthetrue,thebeautiful,andthegood,andtoldthemthatthesethreeheldtogetherintheworld,andbythatuniontheybecamecrystallizedintoapreciousjewel,clearerthanadiamondofthefirstwater-ajewel,whosesplendorhadavalueeveninthesightofgod,inwhosebrightnessallthingsaredim.thisjewelwascalledthephilosopher'sstone.hetoldthemthat,bysearching,mancouldattaintoaknowledgeoftheexistenceofgod,andthatitwasinthepowerofeverymantodiscoverthecertaintythatsuchajewelasthephilosopher'sstonereallyexisted.thisinformationwouldhavebeenbeyondtheperceptionofotherchildren;butthesechildrenunderstood,andotherswilllearntocomprehenditsmeaningafteratime.theyquestionedtheirfatheraboutthetrue,thebeautiful,andthegood,andheexplainedittotheminmanytoldthemthatgod,whenhemademanoutofthedustoftheearth,touchedhisworkfivetimes,leavingfiveintensefeelings,whichwecallthefivesenses.throughthese,thetrue,thebeautiful,andthegoodareseen,understood,andperceived,andthroughthesetheyarevalued,protected,andencouraged.fivesenseshavebeengivenmentallyandcorporeally,inwardlyandoutwardly,tobodyandsoul.

thechildrenthoughtdeeplyonallthesethings,andmeditateduponthemdayandnight.thentheeldestofthebrothersdreamtasplendiddream.strangetosay,notonlythesecondbrotherbutalsothethirdandfourthbrothersalldreamtexactlythesamething;namely,thateachwentoutintotheworldtofindthephilosopher'sstone.eachdreamtthathefoundit,andthat,asherodebackonhisswifthorse,inthemorningdawn,overthevelvetygreenmeadows,tohishomeinthecastleofhisfather,thatthestonegleamedfromhisforeheadlikeabeaminglight;andthrewsuchabrightradianceuponthepagesofthebookoftruththateverywordwasilluminatedwhichspokeofthelifebeyondthegrave.butthesisterhadnodreamofgoingoutintothewideworld;itneverenteredhermind.herworldwasherfather'shouse.

"ishallrideforthintothewideworld,"saidtheeldestbrother."imusttrywhatlifeislikethere,asimixwithmen.iwillpractiseonlythegoodandtrue;withtheseiwillprotectthebeautiful.muchshallbechangedforthebetterwhileiamthere."

nowthesethoughtsweregreatanddaring,asourthoughtsgenerallyareathome,beforewehavegoneoutintotheworld,andencountereditsstormsandtempests,itsthornsanditsthistles.inhim,andinallhisbrothers,thefivesenseswerehighlycultivated,inwardlyandoutwardly;buteachofthemhadonesensewhichinkeennessanddevelopmentsurpassedtheotherfour.inthecaseoftheeldest,thispre-eminentsensewassight,whichhehopedwouldbeofspecialservice.hehadeyesforalltimesandallpeople;eyesthatcoulddiscoverinthedepthsoftheearthhiddentreasures,andlookintotheheartsofmen,asthroughapaneofglass;hecouldreadmorethanisoftenseenonthecheekthatblushesorgrowspale,intheeyethatdroopsorsmiles.stagsandantelopesaccompaniedhimtothewesternboundaryofhishome,andtherehefoundthewildswans.thesehefollowed,andfoundhimselffarawayinthenorth,farfromthelandofhisfather,whichextendedeastwardtotheendsoftheearth.howheopenedhiseyeswithastonishment!