the alkahest-第15部分

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reach　the　product　of　the　germination。　The　seed　germinates；　and　sprouts

from　a　known　environment；　and　feeds　only　on　elements　known　by

analysis。　Cut　off　the　stalks　from　time　to　time；　till　you　get　a

sufficient　quantity　to　produce　after　burning　them　enough　ashes　for　the

experiment。　Well；　by　analyzing　those　ashes；　you　will　obtain　silicic

acid；　aluminium；　phosphate　and　carbonate　of　lime；　carbonate　of

magnesia；　the　sulphate　and　carbonate　of　potassium；　and　oxide　of　iron；

precisely　as　if　the　cress　had　grown　in　ordinary　earth；　beside　a　brook。

Now；　those　elements　did　not　exist　in　the　brimstone；　a　simple　substance

which　served　for　soil　to　the　cress；　nor　in　the　distilled　water　with

which　the　plant　was　nourished；　whose　composition　was　known。　But　since

they　are　no　more　to　be　found　in　the　seed　itself；　we　can　explain　their

presence　in　the　plant　only　by　assuming　the　existence　of　a　primary

element　common　to　all　the　substances　contained　in　the　cress；　and　also

to　all　those　by　which　we　environed　it。　Thus　the　air；　the　distilled

water；　the　brimstone；　and　the　various　elements　which　analysis　finds　in

the　cress；　namely；　potash；　lime；　magnesia；　aluminium；　etc。；　should

have　one　common　principle　floating　in　the　atmosphere　like　light　of　the

sun。



〃'From　this　unimpeachable　experiment；'　he　cried；　'I　deduce　the

existence　of　the　Alkahest；　the　Absolute；a　substance　common　to　all

created　things；　differentiated　by　one　primary　force。　Such　is　the　net

meaning　and　position　of　the　problem　of　the　Absolute；　which　appears　to

me　to　be　solvable。　In　it　we　find　the　mysterious　Ternary；　before　whose

shrine　humanity　has　knelt　from　the　dawn　of　ages；the　primary　matter；

the　medium；　the　product。　We　find　that　terrible　number　THREE　in　all

things　human。　It　governs　religions；　sciences；　and　laws。



〃'It　was　at　this　point；'　he　went　on；　'that　poverty　put　an　end　to　my

researches。　You　were　the　pupil　of　Lavoisier；　you　are　rich；　and　master

of　your　own　time；　I　will　therefore　tell　you　my　conjectures。　Listen　to

the　conclusions　my　personal　experiments　have　led　me　to　foresee。　The

PRIME　MATTER　must　be　the　common　principle　in　the　three　gases　and　in

carbon。　The　MEDIUM　must　be　the　principle　common　to　negative　and

positive　electricity。　Proceed　to　the　discovery　of　the　proofs　that　will

establish　those　two　truths；　you　will　then　find　the　explanation　of　all

phenomenal　existence。



〃'Oh；　monsieur！'　he　cried；　striking　his　brow；　'when　I　know　that　I

carry　here　the　last　word　of　Creation；　when　intuitively　I　perceive　the

Unconditioned；　is　it　LIVING　to　be　dragged　hither　and　thither　in　the

ruck　of　men　who　fly　at　each　other's　throats　at　the　word　of　command

without　knowing　what　they　are　doing？　My　actual　life　is　an　inverted

dream。　My　body　comes　and　goes　and　acts；　it　moves　amid　bullets；　and

cannon；　and　men；　it　crosses　Europe　at　the　will　of　a　power　I　obey　and

yet　despise。　My　soul　has　no　consciousness　of　these　acts；　it　is　fixed；

immovable；　plunged　in　one　idea；　rapt　in　that　idea；　the　Search　for　the

Alkahest；for　that　principle　by　which　seeds　that　are　absolutely

alike；　growing　in　the　same　environments；　produce；　some　a　white；　others

a　yellow　flower。　The　same　phenomenon　is　seen　in　silkworms　fed　from　the

same　leaves；　and　apparently　constituted　exactly　alike；one　produces

yellow　silk；　another　white；　and　if　we　come　to　man　himself；　we　find

that　children　often　resemble　neither　father　nor　mother。　The　logical

deduction　from　this　fact　surely　involves　the　explanation　of　all　the

phenomena　of　nature。



〃'Ah；　what　can　be　more　in　harmony　with　our　ideas　of　God　than　to

believe　that　he　created　all　things　by　the　simplest　method？　The

Pythagorean　worship　of　ONE；　from　which　come　all　other　numbers；　and

which　represented　Primal　Matter；　that　of　the　number　TWO；　the　first

aggregation　and　the　type　of　all　the　rest；　that　of　the　number　THREE；

which　throughout　all　time　has　symbolized　God；that　is　to　say；　Matter；

Force；　and　Product；are　they　not　an　echo；　lingering　along　the　ages；

of　some　confused　knowledge　of　the　Absolute？　Stahl；　Becker；　Paracelsus；

Agrippa；　all　the　great　Searchers　into　occult　causes　took　the　Great

Triad　for　their　watchword；in　other　words；　the　Ternary。　Ignorant　men

who　despise　alchemy；　that　transcendent　chemistry；　are　not　aware　that

our　work　is　only　carrying　onward　the　passionate　researches　of　those

great　men。　Had　I　found　the　Absolute；　the　Unconditioned；　I　meant　to

have　grappled　with　Motion。　Ah！　while　I　am　swallowing　gunpowder　and

leading　men　uselessly　to　their　death；　my　former　master　is　piling

discovery　upon　discovery！　he　is　soaring　towards　the　Absolute；　while　I

I　shall　die　like　a　dog　in　the　trenches！'



〃When　this　poor　grand　man　recovered　his　composure；　he　said；　in　a

touching　tone　of　brotherhood；　'If　I　see　cause　for　a　great　experiment　I

will　bequeath　it　to　you　before　I　die。'My　Pepita；〃　cried　Balthazar；

taking　his　wife's　hands；　〃tears　of　anguish　rolled　down　his　hollow

cheeks；　as　he　cast　into　my　soul　the　fiery　arguments　that　Lavoisier　had

timidly　recognized　without　daring　to　follow　them　out〃



〃Oh！〃　cried　Madame　Claes；　unable　to　refrain　from　interrupting　her

husband；　〃that　man；　passing　one　night　under　our　roof；　was　able　to

deprive　us　of　your　love；　to　destroy　with　a　phrase；　a　word；　the

happiness　of　a　family！　Oh；　my　dear　Balthazar；　did　he　make　the　sign　of

the　cross？　did　you　examine　him？　The　Tempter　alone　could　have　had　that

flaming　eye　which　sent　forth　the　fire　of　Prometheus。　Yes；　none　but　the

devil　could　have　torn　you　from　me。　From　that　day　you　have　been　neither

husband；　nor　father；　nor　master　of　your　family。〃



〃What！〃　exclaimed　Balthazar；　springing　to　his　feet　and　casting　a

piercing　glance　at　his　wife；　〃do　you　blame　your　husband　for　rising

above　the　level　of　other　men　that　he　may　lay　at　your　feet　the　divine

purple　of　his　glory；　as　a　paltry　offering　in　exchange　for　the

treasures　of　your　heart！　Ah；　my　Pepita；〃　he　cried；　〃you　do　not　know

what　I　have　done。　In　these　three　years　I　have　made　giant　strides〃



His　face　seemed　to　his　wife　at　this　moment　more　transfigured　under　the

fires　of　genius　than　she　had　ever　seen　it　under　the　fires　of　love；　and

she　wept　as　she　listened　to　him。



〃I　have　combined　chlorine　and　nitrogen；　I　have　decomposed　many

substances　hitherto　considered　simple；　I　have　discovered　new　metals。

Why！〃　he　continued；　noticing　that　his　wife　wept；　〃I　have　even

decomposed　tears。　Tears　contain　a　little　phosphate　of　lime；　chloride

of　sodium；　mucin；　and　water。〃



He　went　on　speaking；　without　observing　the　spasm　of　pain　that

contracted　Josephine's　features；　he　was　again　astride　of　Science；

which　bore　him　with　outspread　wings　far　away　from　material　existence。



〃This　analysis；　my　dear；〃　he　went　on；　〃is　one　of　the　most　convincing

proofs　of　the　theory　of　the　Absolute。　All　life　involves　combustion。

According　to　the　greater　or　the　lesser　activity　of　the　fire　on　its

hearth　is　life　more　or　less　enduring。　In　like　manner；　the　destruction

of　mineral　bodies　is　indefinitely　retarded；　because　in　their　case

combustion　is　nominal；　latent；　or　imperceptible。　In　like　manner；

again；　vegetables；　which　are　constantly　revived　by　combinations

producing　dampness；　live　indefinitely；　in　fact；　we　still　possess

certain　vegetables　which　existed　before　the　period　of　the　last

cataclysm。　But　each　time　that　nature　has　perfected　an　organism　and

then；　for　some　unknown　reason；　has　introduced　into　it　sensation；

instinct；　or　intelligence　（three　marked　stages　of　the　organic　system）；

these　three　agencies　necessitate　a　combustion　whose　activity　is　in

direct　proportion　to　the　result　obtained。　Man；　who　represents　the

highest　point　of　intelligence；　and　who　offers　us　the　only　organism　by

which　we　arrive　at　a　power　that　is　semi…creativenamely；　THOUGHTis；

among　all　zoological　creations；　the　one　in　which　combustion　is　found

in　its　most　intense　degree；　whose　powerful　effects　may　in　fact　be　seen

to　some　extent　in　the　phosphates；　sulphates；　and　carbonates　which　a

man's　body　reveals　to　our　analysis。　May　not　these　substances　be　traces

left　within　him　of　the　passage　of　the　electric　fluid　which　is　the

principle　of　all　fertilization？　Would　not　electricity　manifest　itself

by　a　greater　variety　of　compounds　in　him　than　in　any　other　animal？

Should　not　he　have　faculties　above　those　of　all　other　created　beings

for　the　purpose　of　absorbing　fuller　portions　of　the　Absolute

principle？　and　may　he　not　assimilate　that　principle　so　as　to　produce；

in　some　more　perfect　mechanism；　his　force　and　his　ideas？　I　think　so。

Man　is　a　retort。　In　my　judgment；　the　brain　of　an　idiot　contains　too

little　phosphorous　or　other　product　of　electro…magnetism；　that　of　a

madman　too　much；　the　brain　of　an　ordinary　man　has　but　little；　while

that　of　a　man　of　genius　is　saturated　to　its　due　degree。　The　man

constantly　in　love；　the　street…porter；　the　dancer；　the　large　eater；

are　the　ones　who　disperse　the　force　resulting　from　their　electrical

apparatus。　Consequently；　our　feelings〃



〃Enough；　Balthazar！　you　terrify　me；　you　commit　sacrilege。　What；　is　my

love〃



〃An　ethereal　matter　disengaged；　an　emanation；　the　key　of　the　Absolute。

Conceive　if　II；　the　first；　should　find　it；　find　it；　find　it！〃



As　he　uttered　the　words　in　three　rising　tones；　the　expression　of　his

face　rose　by　degrees　to　inspiration。　〃I　shall　make　metals；〃　he　cried；

〃I　shall　make　diamonds；　I　shall　be　a　co…worker　with　Nature！〃



〃Will　you　be　the　happier？〃　she　asked　in　despair。　〃Accursed　science！

accursed　demon！　You　forget；　Claes；　that　you　commit　the　sin　of　pride；

the　sin　of　which　Satan　was　guilty；　you　assume　the　attributes　of　God。〃



〃Oh！　oh！　God！〃



〃He　denies　Him！〃　she　cried；　wringing　her　hands。　〃Claes；　God　wields　a

power　that　you　can　never　gain。〃



At　this　argument；　which　seemed　to　discredit　his　beloved　Science；　he

looked　at　his　wife　and　trembled。



〃What　power？〃　he　asked。



〃Primal　forcemotion；〃　she　replied。　〃This　is　what　I　learn　from　the

books　your　mania　has　constrained　me　to　read。　Analyze　fruits；　flowers；