(PLATE 15) I was in a printing house in hell
& saw the method in which knowledge is transmitted
from generation to generation.
In the first chamber was a dragon-man,
clearing away the rubbish from a cave's mouth;
within, a number of dragons were hollowing the cave.
In the second chamber was a viper folding round the rock
& the cave, and others were adorning it with gold, silver and precious stones.
In the third chamber was an eagle with wings and feathers of air:
he caused the inside of the cave to be infinite;
around were numbers of eagle-like men,
who built palaces in the immense cliffs.
In the fourth chamber were lions of flaming fire,
raging around & melting the metals into living fluids.
In the fifth chamber were unnam'd forms,
which cast the metals into the expanse.
There they receiv'd by men who occupied the sixth chamber,
and took the forms of book & were arranged in libraries.
(PLATES 16-17)
The giants who formed this world into its sensual existence
and now seem to live in it in chains,
are in truth the causes of its life & the sources of all activity;
but the chains are the cunning of weak and tame minds
which have power to resist energy,
according to the proverb, the weak in courage is strong in cunning.
Thus one portion of beings is the prolific,
the other the devouring:
to the devourer it seems as if the producer was in his chains:
but it is no so, he only takes portions of existence
and fancies that the whole.
But the prolific would cease to be prolific unless the devourer,
as a sea received the excess of his delights.
Some will say: 'Is not God alone the prolific?'
I answer: 'God only acts & is, in existing beings or men'.
These two classes of men are always upon earth,
& they should be enemies:
whoever tries to reconcile them seeks to destroy existence.
Religion is an endeavour to reconcile the two.
Note: Jesus Christ did not wish to unite, but to seperate them,
as in the parable of sheep and goats!
& He says:
'I came not to send peace, but a sword.'
Messiah or Satan or tempter was formerly thought
to be one of the antediluvians who are our energies.
