Six Theosophic Points, and Other Writings
to itself evil and good promiscuously, and continually fills pride full. And when it has filled it, it takes its son envy and torments pride therewith, so that it has no rest in its splendour. Envy stings incessantly in the desiring covetousness, as if it were mad and frantic; and tortures pride day and night, so that it never rests. Covetousness is the right coarse swinish beast; it desires more than it can eat. Its jaws are wide open day and night. It suffers not man to rest, and torments him continually in its sordid filthiness, so that he has an eager longing earthward, and toward the things the earth yields without any one's covetousness; only labour belongs thereto, and no covetousness.
14. Covetousness plagues itself and is its own enemy; for it fills itself with pain and disquietude, and clouds man's understanding, so that he cannot recognize that all comes from the divine hand. It makes dark for man his life's light, consumes the body, and robs him of the divine senses and glory. It casts him into the pit of death, and brings him temporal and eternal death. It attracts dark matter into man's noble image, and makes of an angel a fierce wrathful devil. It creates the turba in body and soul, and is the homble beast in the abyss of hell, for it is the cause of suffering and pain ; without it no pain could arise. It causes ' war and strife, for it is never satisfied. If it had all the world, it would want to have also the abyss ; for there is no place made for its rest. It builds up countries and kingdoms, and destroys them alsop. 118 again. It drives man into mere trouble and turmoil ; it is simply the devil's heart and w^ill.
15. For pride is the brave spirit which grows from covetousness. It is the fair child that was to possess heaven; but covetousness has transformed it into a bastard-child, and has introduced it into Babel, into the mother of the great whoredom on earth. There pride continually prostitutes itself to covetousness, and is but a bastardchild in the sight of God. It cannot possess heaven; it has its kingdom of heaven on earth. It makes court to King Falsehood, who takes all its labour, and gives it to the four elements of the devil in the dark world; and thither must pride follow also with covetousness, when the bag of anxious avarice breaks. The same is indeed so very just, and yet takes its covetousness with it into the abyss, that pride may have its dehght therein. As a fool in his fool's dress, who toils and vexes himself that he may bring forth folly and please his spectators, that he may be an extravagant fool; so in like manner pride and covetousness is God's fool and the devil's juggler, who hath his delight in this, that he can make of God's image a fool's image.
16. The third virtue is envy, in the four elements of the devil, in the kingdom of falsehood. The same is a sting, a rager and raver, like an evil poison. It can abide nowhere, and has no restingplace Its mother covetousness allows it no rest; it must always rage and rave. It must enter into that in which it is not generated. It is the mouth
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to itself evil and good promiscuously, and continually fills pride full. And when it has filled it, it takes its son envy and torments pride therewith, so that it has no rest in its splendour. Envy stings incessantly in the desiring covetousness, as if it were mad and frantic; and tortures pride day and night, so that it never rests. Covetousness is the right coarse swinish beast; it desires more than it can eat. Its jaws are wide open day and night. It suffers not man to rest, and torments him continually in its sordid filthiness, so that he has an eager longing earthward, and toward the things the earth yields without any one's covetousness; only labour belongs thereto, and no covetousness.
14. Covetousness plagues itself and is its own enemy; for it fills itself with pain and disquietude, and clouds man's understanding, so that he cannot recognize that all comes from the divine hand. It makes dark for man his life's light, consumes the body, and robs him of the divine senses and glory. It casts him into the pit of death, and brings him temporal and eternal death. It attracts dark matter into man's noble image, and makes of an angel a fierce wrathful devil. It creates the turba in body and soul, and is the homble beast in the abyss of hell, for it is the cause of suffering and pain ; without it no pain could arise. It causes ' war and strife, for it is never satisfied. If it had all the world, it would want to have also the abyss ; for there is no place made for its rest. It builds up countries and kingdoms, and destroys them alsop. 118 again. It drives man into mere trouble and turmoil ; it is simply the devil's heart and w^ill.
15. For pride is the brave spirit which grows from covetousness. It is the fair child that was to possess heaven; but covetousness has transformed it into a bastard-child, and has introduced it into Babel, into the mother of the great whoredom on earth. There pride continually prostitutes itself to covetousness, and is but a bastardchild in the sight of God. It cannot possess heaven; it has its kingdom of heaven on earth. It makes court to King Falsehood, who takes all its labour, and gives it to the four elements of the devil in the dark world; and thither must pride follow also with covetousness, when the bag of anxious avarice breaks. The same is indeed so very just, and yet takes its covetousness with it into the abyss, that pride may have its dehght therein. As a fool in his fool's dress, who toils and vexes himself that he may bring forth folly and please his spectators, that he may be an extravagant fool; so in like manner pride and covetousness is God's fool and the devil's juggler, who has his delight in this, that he can make of God's image a fool's image.
16. The third virtue is envy, in the four elements of the devil, in the kingdom of falsehood. The same is a sting, a rager and raver, like an evil poison. It can abide nowhere, and has no restingplace Its mother covetousness allows it no rest; it must always rage and rave. It must enter into that in which it is not generated. It is the mouth
p. 119
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