THE KEY OF THE MYSTERIES
that one must interpret its characters. But there should be
an exact correspondence of one obelisk with the other, and
each sign should receive its complete sense from the analogy
of contraries. M. Champollion found Coptic in the hiero-
glyphics, another savant would perhaps find more easily, and
more fortunately, Hebrew; but what would one say if it were
neither Hebrew nor Coptic? If it were, for example, the
universal primitive language? Now, this language, which
was that of the transcendental Qabalah, did certainly exist;
more, it still exists at the base of Hebrew itself, and of all the
oriental languages which derive from it; this language is
that of the sanctuary, and the columns at the entrance of the
temples ordinarily contained all its symbols. The intuition
of the ecstatics comes nearer to the truth with regard to these
primitive signs than even the science of the learned, because,
as we have said, the universal vital fluid, the astral light,
being the mediating principle between the ideas and the
forms, is obedient to the extraordinary leaps of the soul
which seeks the unknown, and furnishes it naturally with the
signs already found, but forgotten, of the great revelations
of occultism. Thus are formed the pretended signatures
of spirits, thus were produced the mysterious writings of
Gablidone, who appeared to Dr. Lavater, the phantoms
of Schroepfer, of St. Michel-Vintras, and the spirits of
Mr. Home.
If electricity can move a light, or even a heavy body,
without one touching it, is it impossible to give by magnet-
ism a direction to electricity, and to produce, thus naturally,
signs and writings? One can do it, doubtless; because one
does it.
197