Philotheos' Journey. An Allegory.

PHILOTHEOS' JOURNEY .

AN ALLEGORY . A CERTAIN ecclesiarch , whose name of consecration was Philotheos , had long dwelt on tho mountains of Intolerance , and he being a very learned and zealous person , had acquired great repute among all his country - men , and was esteemed no less than a saint . As he bad long suffered great anxiety because of the

perversenoss and viciousness of the world , he prepared and promulgated a system of dogmas and rules of discipline and proscription , which ho was persuaded were of Divine origin—that is , being conformable to the proscriptions of his sect—consequently he doubted not that their

observance would reduce all mankind to order , and completely magnify tho glory of the Most High , in subduing all to his righteous laws . But to his astonishment and great mortification , he found that little or no effect was produced by his offort , and hence he resolved to make a pilgrimage

to all portions of the e « "th , and ascertain the cause of the failure , and if possible set all things right . So ho provided himself with things suitable and necessary for his journeya staff of iron , and shoes with iron soles ; a robo and girdle of linen , and a scrip containing some salted fishes for bis sustenance .

He took also with him the precious manuscript of his system of dogmas and rules , in order to bo prepared against objeotors and cavillers , but he took neither gold nor silver nor precious stones , he not knowing what any of these things signify .

But before starting be determined , in order to procure additional authority and sanction , to ascend into heaven , whioh , in view of his exceeding sanctity and zeal , would , as he believed , readily open to receive him . So , looking up to the sky , whero as he was informed heaven is situated

he set out to approach the same as nearly as possible by ascending one of the highest and most rugged of those mountains , namely , Bigot ' s Peak , the chief summit and most icy and slippery of tho Dogmatic range—which was

the snowy range of that country—from tho top of which ho trusted he could be seen and heard by the warden angel , who would quickly descend to assist him to the celestial gate , or at least to illuminate bis spirit with heavenly revelations .

In like manner as in all other elevated regions the atmosphere of that country was very thin or rarified , and consequently cold , and because of the mists there the

heavenly bodies , when visible , appear to be very near the tops of the mountains , and the mists create mirages which cause the mountains to appear rising to the utmost heaven .

Philotheos was accustomed to those mountains , and had never been beyond them in any of his journeys in exercising the functions of his holy office , and he supposed that there was no other land so good and fruitful of faith and reverence : and that of all countries it must be the nearest

to heaven , as it was clearly much nearer tbe sky than the valleys of humility , or the plains of sympathy , or the meadow-lands of contentment , or any other neighbouring region ; and he had no doubt that when he should draw near the summit he might discern some glimpses of Paradise , of which he had with him an exact description .

But as he climbed the mountain side with much assiduity and exertion , he saw at a great distance a shining one , who approached him , and coming closer hailed bim with the sign given by Jacob when he blessed the two sons of Joseph , saying , " Is it peace ? " and Philotheos answered ,

" It is peace . " And the shining one said , " Who art thou , and what are thy intentions ? " And Philotheos said , " Hail thou art well come in this bright morning light ! Who art thou ? " But the shining one said , " What a mournful spectacle art thou in darkness and anxiety ! But I saw

thee from a distance , and have come to help thee , for I know thee to be of a good heart , ' but void of wisdom , though thou knowest it not . ' If thou persist in staying in this land , thou must surely perish . " Philotheos was astonished , but as he saw that the other

wore the signet of Zernbbabel , and bore in his right hand a silver spear , he thought from what he had learned of juch things , that he was a messenger of Ithuriel—that is ,

of the Angel of Truth . So he stood , and said , " What shall I do ? " And the shining one said , " Give me thy shoes and thy staff of iron , and I will give thee these , and thou canst go on the right way , and learn from time to

Philotheos' Journey. An Allegory.

time what follies thou must overcome . " And he gave to Philotheos divers curious and anoient implements , chief among whioh were three , and five , and seven rings , marvellously wrought , and inwrought with each other ; and the first set , of three rings , were of silver ; and those of tho

second sot , of five , were of silver and gold mingled ; and those of tho third set , of seven , were pure gold . And the rings were flexible and elastic , and the shining one showed him how to wear them as a girdle ; and he said , " Go on thy way , and the God of oar fathers go with and bless

thee . " Then Philotheos knew that the stranger was a prophet . And when he had put on the girdle he was as one aroused from a stupor or trance , and be became aware of a wonderful change in the atmosphere of that country ; and he looked about him and saw that the land was all

strange , and the clouds were all dark and surrounded the mountains ; and the wind blew with ioy breatbj and tbe snow was deep ; and his linen robes fluttered and snapped in the wind ; and his bare feet slipped on tbe steep faces of

the rocks ; aud he was without a staff to balance himself ; and he grew weary and faint from hunger—but he could not eat of tho salted fishes which he had brought , for tliero was no water to be found , and bis throat was parobed with thirst .

And Philotheos was weeping , and he sat down upon a corner of a rock to die . Then he saw afar off a parting of the clouds , and the sunlight playing between them ; and through the rifts in the clouds he saw distant trees in blossom , which appeared as almond and algum trees , and

a temple , and also a tent and three shining ones at the door , sitting with a patriarch , eating and drinking . Seeing this , he arose and made haste to change his course and go thither by some other way ; and , descending the mountain , ho found himself after a time in a valley , and not long

thereafter in a plain , where the air was warm and the sun shone on fresh grass and flowers . And he walked on into a grove to seek something to refresh himself , and he met one bearing a pitcher of water and a cup , who said , " A cup full of water to a righteous man—take this with thee , and

drink , and give , to the good and to the bad ; for this wator is from the fountain which Mosos opened in the rock of the desert , when it was touched by the rod of Aaron . So he drank and was greatly refreshed , and he poured some on the ground .

And seeing that the water-bearer looked intently ? at the rings of his girdle , he could not forbear to offer him one of them , although he set the highest value upon them ; and thereupon they exchanged each a silver ring with tbe other . And as they did so Philotheos discovered that the rings

were not simple as he had sapposed , but multiplex , each bearing a complex of numberless rings interwrought in a marvellous manner , so that no one could discern how they connected themselves , and so that they could be extended into interminable chains , and distributed without end , and

still leavo the same number perfect as before . And when he inspected them further he found them to be combined in series by degrees : for the ringlets of silver were conjoined in couplets and quadruplets , and those of gold and

silver mingled in triplets and quintuplets , and the golden ringlets were in septuplets , and so interchained that if one were drawn out from one ring , they came forth also the complimental ringlets from the other rings , and whoevef received one of them received all according to his degree .

Also , there was a continual series of motions among them which flowed in perpetual gyres , according to their order , severally and collectively ; so that Philotheos and tbe water-bearer , however far they separated , felt something of each other ' s presence and life . So eaoh went on his

way , and shortly Philotheos met another , who brought wine and bread , and he said , " Take these , and eat and drink , and give to him that hath need , ' even at the point of tbe sword , ' for this is of the bread and wine which Melohizedek , king of Schalaam ( which is peace ) , brought

forth to Abraham when ho was returning from the overthrow of five kings . " And Philotheos took , and ate and drank and poured some on the ground , and scattered there

of the bread . And he saw that he was in a delig htsome land , with fountains and vineyards and flocks ; and they each gave to the other a ring as before , and went each on his way .

And shortly Philotheos met another , who bore oil of olives which he offered to him , saying , " Take this and anoint thy forehead , and eat , and give , for this is of the oil which Jacob poured upon the stone of Beth El , and he

took it and anointed himself ^ and ate , and poured some on