The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-01-31
E,tclyaer's Dream.

Professor r. a. Proctor recently. in CLOSING
his lecture on The Wonders OF the star
Dcp.hs,' said:
| do not know that / can conclilde m!
lecture better than By quoting Richtcrs
dream. in which lie shows the fecbeness OIL
mans Imagination in the presence OF tue
infinite wonders of The universe. Its Trans
lated ty De Qlincy: .no
Gcd called up from dreams man mo ~,
vestibulc of Heaven, saying Come my
hithcr and see the g'orieS OF MY h.nS 'd lie
and TO the angels that STOOD III G o.n,'' hin,
throne Hc said: "1ukc him STRIP i' ond r,,t
his robes of flesh, cleanse MS ll.ion ',, toncb
nnt with any change his human neaIt, tue
hoar. th,t wccr,s and uembieS. IL was
dono and win Il mighty angel for his Suide,
uvD, ,,,, Stood ready for his infinite voyage;
o.t tr"n, ,hc terrace of Heaven, without sound
a o. ,araIcJI. ON a sudden they swept into in
,;,;ta sn,ce. Sometimes, with the solemn
tl'"ht of angcl-wngs, they pass through the
| horrors of darkness, through wildernesses of
death that divide the worlds of life; some
ri,nes they pass over thresholds that were
uuickcning under prophetic motions from
God: then, from beyond distances that are
counted only in Heaven, light dawncd as
through a shapeess finn; by unutteraDle
pace !hey passed light; light by unutter-
able pace passed them. In moment the
blaze Of suns was upon them, i'll moment
the rush Of planets was around them.
Then came ctcrnitics Of twilight that re-
vcalrd but were not revealed; on the right
hand and on the left lowered gigantic con-
stelk:tions that by self-repetitlons and an
swers from ;aur, that by counter positions
built UP triumphal gatewdys, whose arca-
ways, whose arcliiLraVes, horlzontal, up
ri.nt, raised and rose at altitude OF spans
that seemed ghostly from intiultude; with,
out measure were the archltrNes, peyoHu
memory the gates, past numper We alcii-
WAYS. Within were stars that scaled eternl-
ti,.s around: above was below and below
was above 10 man stripped Of gravitating
hodv. Depth was swallowed up lin light in
surmountab!e height in depth un!athoal-
allie. On sudden, as that they rode from
intinitv to infinity, on sudden, as thus they
tilted over abysnlal worlds, Il mighty cry
arose that systems more mysterious, that
worlds more bil!owy. other lights, other
depths, were coming, were nearing, were at
hand.
Tbe man then sighed and stopped, shud-
dered and wcpt. His overladen heart utter
ed itself in tears, and he said: Angel, will
20 no farther, for the spirit OF man acheth
With this intinity. Insutftrable is the glory
of God. Let me lie down and hide me from
the persecution Of the Infinite, for end / see
there is nonc.'' And from all tue listening
stars that shone around there issued choral
voice " The man speaks truly. End is there
none that we ever yet heard Of" END is
| there none?' the angel solemnly demanded ;
sis there indeed no end, and is this the sor-
row that kills you?" But no voice answer.
ed, that he might answer himself. Then the
angel threw up his glorious hands to the
| heaven of heavens, say ing. END is there
none to the universe Of God! Lo! also, is
there no beginning"