légende du Purgatoire de saint Patrice, il n'a plus, à beaucoup près, ces mâles accents de la chanson du Romancero, où étaient si énergiquement dépeints les châtiments que Dieu inflige en enfer aux mauvais rois. La transformation s'annonce: on touche aux railleries de Quevedo, à cette bouffonne composition des Étables de Pluton, par laquelle l'Espagne vint la dernière rejoindre les cyniques tableaux du Baldus et du Pant gruel.

Tels sont les successeurs de Dante, qui l'ont un instant fait descendre de ce trône de l'art chrétien, où notre équitable admiration l'a si légitimement et à jamais replacé. Comment, demeurant au degré où nous l'avons vu, l'homme de son en époque, l'Alighieri a-t-il empreint à un si haut point son œuvre d'un sceau personnel et original? comment la création et l'imitation se sont-elles si bien fondues dans la spontanéité de l'art? Inexplicables mystères du talent! C'est dans ce développement simultané du génie individuel, d'une part, et du génie contemporain, de l'autre, qu'est la marque des esprits souverains. Voilà l'idéal que Dante a atteint; il ne faut lui disputer aucune des portions, même les moindres, de son œuvre: tout lui appartient par la double légitimité de la naissance et de la conquête. Il était créateur, et il s'est fait en même temps l'homme de la tradition, parce que la poésie ressemble à ces lumières qu'on se passait de main en main dans les jeux du stade, à ces torches des coureurs auxquelles Lucrèce compare si admirablement la vie. Le flambeau poétique ne s'éteint jamais; Dante l'a pris des mains de Virgile pour en éclairer le monde moderne.

Chaque époque a sa poésie qui lui est propre, et qui ne saurait être pourtant qu'une manière diverse d'envisager, sous ses formes variées, le problème de la destinée humaine; car nous sommes de ceux qui croient, avec Théodore Jouffroy, que toute poésie véritable, que toute grande poésie est là, que ce qui ne s'y rapporte point n'en est que la vague apparence et le reflet. Cette blessure au flanc que l'humanité porte après elle, ce besoin toujours inassouvi qui est en nous et que la lyre doit célébrer; en un mot, tout ce qu'Eschyle pressentait dans le Prométhée, tout ce que Shakespeare a peint dans Hamlet, ce pourquoi dont Manfred demande la solution à l'univers, ce

doute que Faust cherche à combler par la science, Werther par l'amour, don Juan par le mal, ce contraste de notre néant et de notre immortalité, toutes ces sources de l'éternelle poésie étaient ouvertes dans le cœur d'Alighieri. Lassé de la vie, dégoûté des hommes, Dante s'est mis au delà du tombeau pour les juger, pour châtier le vice, pour chanter l'hymne du bien, du vrai et du beau. C'est un de ces maîtres aimés qui sont sûrs de ne jamais mourir, car l'humanité, qui a coopéré à leur œuvre, reconnaîtra toujours en eux sa grandeur et sa misère.

CABALA

Stehelin, Rabbinical Literature, vol. 1. p. 156.

We shall now lay before the Reader some Account of the Radix, or First Elements, of the Cabala. The Radix of this mysterious Science is the Hebrew Alphabet; which the Cabalists divide into Three Portions; annexing to each Portion a peculiar Province of the Cabala. These Three Provinces of their Mysteries are referr'd, One to the Angelic World, or the several Orders of Angels or pure intellectual Beings in Heaven; Another to the Starry World; and the Third to the Elementary World; for after this Manner the Cabalists divide the Universe. The Letters from Aleph to Jod, inclusive, are Symbols, say they, of the Orders of Angels, stil'd, by their Sages, Incorporal Beings, and pure Intellects, free from all Matter, and flowing immediately from, or being the purest and most sublime Effect of, the Power of God. The Letters from Caph to Tzade, likewise inclusive, represent the Orders of the Heavens, or the Starry World; which the Cabalists place under the Influence or Government of the Angels; and sometimes call the World of Rounds or Circles. The remaining Letters, up to the Letter Thau, are referr'd to the Four Elements, or Prime Species of Matter, and to all their various Forms and Combinations; which Elements, say the Cabalists, have Influence or Dominion over Sense and Life; and are themselves under the Influence or Direction of the Angels and

the Coelestial Circles, or Starry World. The Radical Cabalistical References of each Letter in the Hebrew Alphabet the Cabalists set forth in the following Manner.

I. The Letter Aleph (Doctrine) denotes, among the Cabalists, the Holy Name Hu, assign'd to the Inaccessible Light of the Divine Being, who is signified by the Word Ensuph, i. e. Infinite. It is referr'd to the First Sephiroth or Number; call'd Kether, i. e. Crown, as being the Symbol of the most sublime and perfect Beings; that is to say, those Angels which are upheld through the Prime Influence, or the Prime Favour, or Goodness of God, and are call'd Hajoth hakodesch, i. e. Holy Animals. By these the Cabalists mean the Seraphims.

II. The Letter Beth (House) denotes the Holy Name Ebie, assign'd to the Wisdom of God; and signifying likewise a Being, from which all other Beings are deriv'd. It is referr'd to the Second Sephira, call'd Chochma, i. e. Wisdom; which is annex'd to the Order of Angels, call'd Ophanim, i. e. Wheels, which is the Order of Cherubims; who were deriv'd from the Power of God, through and next after, the Intelligences above-mention'd; that is to say, the Seraphims; and, from them, descend (influentially) into the Terrestrial Beings.

III. Gimel (Restoring, or Rewarding) denotes the Holy Name Asch, signifying the Fire of Love, or the Holy Spirit, and is referr'd to the Third Sephira or Number, call'd Binah, i. e. Prudence; representing an Order of Angels, call'd Aralim, i. e. Great, Valiant, Angels of Might; who make up the Third Class of Intelligences, or intellectual Beings, flowing from the Divine Goodness; and who are illumin'd by the Power of God, through the Second Class, or Order (i. e. the Cherubims) and descend therewith (influentially) to the lowermost Beings. The Angels of this Order are taken to be the same with the Angels which are call'd Thrones.

IV. Daleth (a Gate) denotes the Holy Name Ell; and is referr'd to the Fourth Sephira, or Number, call'd Chesed, i. e. Grace, or Mercy; which is appropriated to the Maschemalim, an Order of Angels which is taken to be the same with That call'd Dominions; and which flows, from the Power of God, through the Third Order of Intelligences

(i. e. the Aralim), and, with it, descends influentially on the Beings below.

V. He (Behold) denotes the Holy Name Elohim, and the Fifth Sephira, call'd Pashad; which denotes Severity, Judgement, Awe, the Left Side, or the Sword of God. This Sephira is assign'd, by some Hebrews, to the Seraphims; but by others, more reasonably, to the Order of Angels call'd Gnaz (Strength) which flows from the Power of God, through the Fourth Class of Intelligences, and, with it, sends down its Influence to Inferiour Beings.

VI. Vau (a Hook) denotes the Mysteries of the Holy Name Eloah; and is referr'd to the Fifth Sephira, which is call'd Tiphereth, denoting Beauty, Ornament, and the Upper Coelestial Sun, and representing the Melachim, or Order of Angels call'd Powers; which are derived from the Power of God, through the Fifth Order of Intelligences, and send, with that Order, their Influence down to Inferiour Crea

tures.

VII. Sajin (Armeur) denotes the Name Zebaoth, i. e. the God of Hosts; and the Seventh Sephira, call'd Netsach, i. e. Conquering, answering to the Order of Angels call'd Elohim, or Principalities, which flow from the Power of God, through the Angels of the Sixth Order, and, with them, send their Influences down upon the Inferiour Creation.

VIII. Heth denotes the Name of God, Elohe Zebaoth, and the Eighth Sephira, call'd Tehilim, i. e. Praise, and appropriated to the Angels Benelohim, or the Sons of God; the same with the Arch-Angels. And these flow from the Power of God, through the Angels of the Seventh Order; and descend, with them, influentially on Inferiour Beings.

IX. Teth (Departing, or Escaping) denotes the Name of God, Sadai, and the Ninth Sephira, call'd Musad, i. e. Ground, or Foundation; and answering to the Cherubims; which flow from the Power of God, through the Angels of the Eighth Order; and send, in Conjunction with them, their Influence down on the Creation beneath them.

X. Jod (Beginning) denotes the Name of God, Adonai Melech, i. e. The Lord is King; and is referr'd to the Tenth Sephira, call'd Malcut, i. e. Kingdom; and likewise Ischim,

i. e. Strong Men; and is appropriated to the lowest of the Holy Orders (the Orders of Angels); which Order is illumin'd by the Power of God, through the Ninth Order, and, with the Power of that Order, descends influentially on the Sense and Knowledge of Men, referr'd to Things uncommon. Such are the References of this Part of the Hebrew Alphabet to the several Orders in the Angelic World. We now proceed to the Alphabetical References to the World of Rounds or Circles, or the Starry World.

XI. Caph, Initial (the Palm or Hollow of the Hand) denotes the Escadai, i. e. the Primum Mobile, or First Mover; which is put in Motion immediately by the First Cause. The Intelligence of this First Mover is stiled Metraton Seraphanim, or the Prince of Countenance. 'Tis the Prime, Regular Mover, or Influencer of the Sensible World; flowing through the Power of God, into all Things that have Motion, and endowing all the Lower Creation, by penetrating deep into the Forms thereof, with Life.

XII. Caph, Final, denotes the Circle of the Fixed Stars; that is to say, Those which make up the Signs of the Zodiac, call'd, by the Hebrews, Galgal Hammaziloth, i. e. The Circle of Signs. This Circle hath for its Intelligence the Angel Raziel, Adam's Instructor or Familiar Spirit; and its Influence is, through the Power of God, by Means of the abovemention'd Intelligence, the Angel Metraton, diffus'd through the Lower Creation.

XIII. Lamed denotes the Heaven or Circle of Saturn, the First and Principal Circle of the Planets, or Erratic Stars. Saturn the Hebrews call Schebtai, and his Intelligence, Schebtaiel; infus'd by the Power of God, and descending, by Means of the Intelligence Raziel, influentially upon Lower Beings.

XIV. Mem, Initial, denotes the Heaven or Circle of Jupiter, call'd, by the Hebrews, Tsedeck; the Intelligence of which is Tsadkiel, the Protecting Angel, or Familiar Spirit, of Abraham; diffus'd through the Power of God, by Means of the Intelligence Schebtaiel, throughout the Lower Creation.

XV. Mem, Final, denotes the Heaven of Mars, call'd, by the Cabalists, Maadaim. His Intelligence is Camaël;