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Hedged with Divinities

Prologue

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Prologue.

Out under the dark shadow of the palm trees rolled from the darker temple the wave of worshipping voices. These sang the praises of the Creator, Tanè, adoring him in his triune aspect as Light, Sound, and Steadfastness. For on the lonely and lovely Polynesian island men and women recognized their one deity under three forms: as Light he had conquered the unbearable darkness of the Void, as Sound he had broken down the awful silence of the Abyss, as Steadfastness he had wrought stability from the loose floating atoms of Chaos. A Chaos which they, the semi-savages, could picture in their intelligence as well as we; for indeed from such as they did our first vision of Chaos come—long before Science was born to repeat and confirm the story.

Within, the eyes of the priests were turned in awe on the face of their chief. Young and beautiful was the countenance of Maru, the high-priest of Tanè; his lips moved in the chanted hymns, his hands wove around the body of the god the sacred garments, but his face was rapt as that of one in an ecstasy of prayer. As he moved he asked of the Lord of Light that he might be given a token of grace — that he might with the eye of mortal man look upon the Ineffable Splendour and yet live. Even while he sought was the prayer granted; the form of the high-priest stiffened and fell into the arms of his watching comrades.

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"The god in-dwelleth!" they cried. "Place him before the altar." And they laid the senseless clay awhile to rest.

Up from the altar, borne on the sound-waves of the holy songs, rose the spirit of Maru, until it floated to the ninth heaven, wherein dwelleth the Lord of Light. As the body of the high-priest lay before the altar so lay his soul at the divine footstool. Blinded was he, but strength was given him to bear the intense radiance, and he saw.

Who shall speak in words of earth concerning that vision? Around the throne were grouped the lesser gods, and yet not they but only One, for all seemed but emanations or reflections of the Glory not to be endured. Ever swelling and falling pulsed the song of praise in many tongues, adoring Him as Ra and Baal, Zeus and Phœbus, Odin and Balder, Brahma, Indra, and Ormuzd.

Then arose one of the lesser gods and said: "The wailings of men and the louder wailings of women rise for ever from the earth, and make discords in the celestial song. Wilt Thou longer endure? See how slowly men rise in the path of progress: ever the lower is breeding and growing, ever the coarser nature endures, ever the finer and higher is trampled into dust, ever the viler form of the fittest survives. Wilt Thou not arise and make anew?"

Then the gods bowed and covered their faces, for the voice which was at once Light and Sound vibrated its waves of flame and thunder around them and said,

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"Yea, I will arise, and ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗"

Then they of the gods who loved mankind moaned in despair for that which was to fall upon the goodly and pleasant children of men.

The priest awoke. There was darkness about and around him. But in the darkness a voice spake:

"Maru! Set thy face toward the land wherein the crowned and giant images of ancient kings look out across the sea; southward and eastward doth that island lie. There shall a priest of thine own race and faith give into thy hands a tablet graven with many signs. The signs shall be strange to thee, for no man now can read them. But, bearing the tablet, thou shalt returning go towards the west; week after week shall the prow of thy vessel look toward the sleeping-place of the Sun. There, in a land, whose people have named it 'the White World' shalt thou dwell and make thy home, alone, in a place of peace. The signs of the tablet shall become clear to thee as the years go on, and as the white weeds of Tura grow upon thy head. Thither will one day come a youth bearing the sign of ∗ ∗ ∗, and then shalt thou depart from earth, for the New Day of Tanè is at hand. Fear thou not, the brave abide for ever. Farewell!"

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