Comte de Gabalis: Discourse I

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AY the soul of the Comte de GABALIS I be now in the presence of God, for they have just written me that he has died of apoplexy. The Amateurs will not fail to say that this manner of death usually befalls those who deal incautiously with the secrets of the Sages, and that since the Blessed Raymond Lully II so decreed in his testament, an avenging angel has never failed promptly to wring the necks of all who have indiscreetly revealed the Philosophic Mysteries.

But let them not condemn this learned man thus hastily, without having received an explanation of his conduct. He revealed all to me, it is true, tut he did so only with the utmost cabalistic circumspection. It is necessary to pay his memory the tribute of stating that he was a great zealot for the

III, had like you Jupiter in the Ascendant, nevertheless so powerful was the influence of his Saturn, though far weaker than yours, that one cannot find proof of his having laughed a single time in all his life.

The Amateurs must, therefore, find fault with my Saturn and not with the Comte de GABALIS, if I prefer to divulge their secrets rather than to practise them. If the stars do not do their duty the Comte is

IV. Perhaps he merely pretended to die, as is the way of Philosophers, who feign death V in one place, only to transplant themselves to another. Be that as it may, I cannot believe that the manner in which he entrusted his treasures to me merits punishment. This is what took place.

As common sense has always made me suspect the existence of much claptrap in all the so-called Occult Sciences, I have never been tempted to waste time in perusing books which treat of them nevertheless it does not seem quite rational to condemn, without

VI

VII should aspire to the Supreme Wisdom. Fortunately my map and letter caused him to do me the honour of replying that I should be one of the first persons whom he would see in Paris, and that Heaven willing, it would not be his fault if I did not enter the Society of the Sages.

To my joy, I kept up a regular correspondence with the illustrious German. From time to time, I propounded to him weighty, and so far as in me lay, well reasoned problems concerning the Harmony of the World VIII, the Numbers of Pythagoras IX, the Visions of St. John X and the first Chapter of Genesis XI. The profundity of these subjects enraptured him, he wrote me unheard of wonders, and I soon recognised that I was dealing

XII, and to make you a sharer in the wonders of His Omnipotence."

The novelty of the salutation startled me, and for the first time in my life, I began to question whether people may not sometimes see apparitions; nevertheless, collecting myself as best I could, and looking at him as politely as my slight fear permitted, I said, "Who ever you may be whose greeting is not of this world, your visit does me great honour; but, before I adore the God of the Sages, may it please you to let me know to what Sages and to what God you refer, and if agreeable to you pray take this armchair and have the kindness to enlighten me as to this God, these Sages, this Order, and, before or after all this, as to the manner of being to whom I have the honour of speaking."

"You receive me very sagely sir," he replied with a smile, taking the profferred armchair; "You ask me to

"Ah Sir," I exclaimed, recollecting that I had a great rôle to play, "How shall I render myself worthy of such kindness? Is it possible that the greatest of all men is in my study, and that the renowned GABALIS honours me with a visit?"

"I am the least of the Sages, "he answered gravely, "and God, who dispenses the Light of his Wisdom together with its responsibilities in that measure which His Sovereignty deems best, has bestowed upon me but a very small portion of the Light, in comparison to that at which I marvel in my fellow Initiates XIV. I expect you to equal them some day, if I dare judge from the map of your horoscope with which you have honoured me. But why Sir," he added mirthfully, "Are you doing your utmost to get into my bad graces by mistaking me at first sight for a phantom?"

"Ah, not for a phantom," I said, "But I confess, Sir,

XV made rather strange statements to him as to their nature and occupation--"

"I am familiar with the incident to which you refer," interrupted the Comte, "They were Sylphs; I will tell you about them some day. They are a kind of etherial being, and now and then they come to consult the Sages about the books of Averroes XVI which they do not understand very well. Cardan is a rattlepate to have published that in his 'Subtilties.' He found the reminiscence among his father's papers. His father was one of Us. Realising that his son was a born babbler, he did not wish to teach him anything of moment, and let him amuse himself with ordinary astrology whereof he knew only enough to forecast that his son would be hanged. So that rascal is to blame for your having insulted me by taking me for a Sylph?"

"Insulted you!" I exclaimed, "What have I done that I should be so unfortunate--?"

"I am not angry with you," he interposed, "You are under no obligation to know that all these Elementary Spirits are our disciples; that they are only too happy when we condescend to instruI them; and that the least of our Sages is more learned and more powerful than all those little fellows. We will speak of these matters, however, at another time; it is

Then he arose, kissed me solemnly, and without giving me a chance to reply said, "Adieu, my Son, I must see the members of our Order who are in Paris, afterward I shall give you my news. Meanwhile, WATCH, PRAY, HOPE AND BE SILENT." XVII

With these words he left my study. On the way oi to the door I expressed my regret at the shortness of his visit, and at his cruelty in forsaking me so soon after he had shown me a Spark of his Light XVIII. But assuring me, with very great kindness, that I would lose nothing by waiting, he entered his coach and left me in a state of amazement which beggars description.

I coûld believe neither my eyes nor my ears. "I am sure," I kept saying to myself "that this is a man of exalted rank, that he has inherited a yearly income of fifty thousand pounds; moreover he appears to be a person of great accomplishment; can it be that he has lost his head over these occult follies? He talked to me about those Sylphs in an exceedingly cavalier

I could not solve this riddle, nevertheless, I determined
to see the matter through to the
end, although I fully realised that I
should have to put up with not
a few sermons, and that the
demon tormenting him
was of a highly
moral and pious
character.

Footnotes

1:I

1:II 1235, A.D.--RAYMOND LULLY--1315, A.D.--Spanish Initiate and alchemist, known during his life time as the "Illuminated One." His greatest work, "Ars Magna," was written to prove that the doctrines of Christianity are truths which have been demonstrated and are capable of scientific, though supersensible, demonstration. He was the first to place the chemistry of his day upon a sound basis, and introduced into Western Europe the use of chemical symbols, which he had learned from an arabian Adept subsequent to his Initiation into the Mysteries in Arabia. His system, consisting of an arrangement of hieroglyphs, is in use to-day. Raymond Lully is said to have been the first christian student of the Cabala.

HIS TESTAMENT.--"Nevertheless, declaring these truths to you, as I do, upon behalf of the Supreme Architect of the Universe, I warn you to guard them, when imparted, with all possible secrecy; lest you squander this treasure upon the unworthy and God require an accounting from you."--TRANSLATED FROM. RAYMOND LULLY'S "TESTAMENTUM NOVISSIMUM." BOOK I.

3:III 5:IV

5:V PRETENDED DEATH.--When a Philosopher has passed a certain number of years in service for the uplift-ment of humanity, having fulfilled the purpose of his soul upon incarnation, he earns the right to retire from the world and to enjoy the freedom demanded for his own spiritual evolution. In the Order of the Philosophers are enrolled the names of many Brothers who have feigned death in one place or who have mysteriously disappeared, only to transplant themselves to another. The burial place of Francis St. Alban has never been divulged by those who know. Lord Bacon's death at the age of 65 is said to have occurred in the year 1626. It is significant that a rare print of John Valentine Andrea, author of certain mystical tracts of of profound influence in Germany, appears to be a portrait of Lord Bacon at 80 years of age and bears a helmet, four roses, and the St. Andrew's cross, the arms of St. Alban's town. * Within the past hundred years a notable feigned death has been that of Marshall Ney, a † who lived for many years after his supposed execution in France as a respected citizen of Rowan County, North Carolina. Another Brother, 'the friend of humanity,' Count Cagliostro, supposedly died in prison only to pass the remainder of his life in the East.

In the higher degrees of the Order, a Philosopher has power to abandon one physical body no longer suited to his purpose, and to occupy another previously prepared for his use. This transition is called an Avesa, and accounts for the fact that many Masters known to history seemingly never die. The Comte de Gabalis is himself a noteworthy example of this temporal immortality. "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted." Eccle. III., v., 1, 2. These times and seasons are known to the true Philosopher.

5:* See Frontispiece Volume 1. 'A Catalog ue Raisonné,' F. L. Gardner.

5:† HISTORIC DOUBTS AS TO THE EXECUTION OF MARSHALL NEY. By J. A. WESTON. Published New York, Thomas Whittaker, 1895.

7:VI THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE IS a term used by Cabalists to denote the Supreme Wisdom, the union of the divine consciousness or omniscient Solar Principle in man with the lower consciousness or personality, which union has been the goal of .Initiates in all ages. Exoterically the Philosopher's Stone is the secret of the transmutation of the baser metals into gold.

9:VII Note A Commentary Continued. Many notes relevant to the Discourses but non-essential to an understanding of their meaning have been placed at the end of the book.

9:VIII HARMONY OF THE WORLD. Note B Commentary Continued.

9:IX NUMBERS OF PYTHAGORAS. Note C Commentary Continued.

9:X VISIONS OF ST. JOHN.--"Now, in plain words, what does this very occult book, the Apocalypse, contain? It gives the esoteric interpretation of the Christosmyth; it tells what 'Iêsous the Christos' really is; it explains the nature of 'the old serpent, who is the Devil and Satan; ' it repudiates the profane conception of an anthropomorphic God; and with sublime imagery it points out the true and only path to Life Eternal. It gives the key to that divine Gnôsis which is the same in all ages, and superior to all faiths and philosophies--that secret science which is in reality secret only because it is hidden and locked in the inner nature of every man, however ignorant and humble, and none but himself can turn the key."--JAMES M. PRYSE. "THE APOCALYPSE UNSEALED."

9:XI FIRST CHAPTER OF GENESIS.--"When I find learned men believing Genesis literally, which the ancients with all their failings had too much sense to receive except allegorically, I am tempted to doubt the reality of the improvement of the human mind."-GODFREY HIGGINS.

11:XII 13:XIV INITIATION, OR SPIRITUAL REBIRTH, results from the quickening in man of that Divine Spark which evolves, through upward direction of the Solar Force, * into the deathless Solar Body. † The degrees of Initiation are but the degrees of the evolution of the God in man; Illumination being that degree in which the Divine Self masters and enkindles its manifestation, the personality, which is henceforward subservient to its evolution. At the moment of Illumination man becomes, in truth, a "Son of God," having claimed and made his own his divine and natural birthright. Initiation and Illumination are the destiny of the race. " For all creation, gazing eagerly as if with outstretched neck, is waiting and longing to see the manifestation of the Sons of God. For those whom He has known beforehand He has also predestined to bear the likeness of His Son, that He might be the Eldest in a vast family of brothers."--ROMANS viii., 19, 29; "NEW TESTAMENT IN MODERN SPEECH." R. F. WEYMOUTH, D.LIT.

13:* Solar Force defined. Page 48.

13:† The Solar Body is the Spiritual Body.

15:XV CARDAN AND THE SYLPHS OF CARDAN. SEE NOTE D, COMMENTARY CONTINUED.

15:XVI AVERROES. SEE NOTE E, COMMENTARY CONTINUED.

17:XVII

WATCH	The lower nature and mind.
PRAY	Demand and realise power to govern them.
HOPE	Aspire to the highest.
BE SILENT	Let the personality listen that it may hear the voice of the Divine Self.