Curtain: Johannes, Philia, Astrid, Luna, and the Other Philia still standing
The same room as in Scene 1. Capesius and Strader.
A hearty welcome to the friend whose tongue With many a disputatious argument Stoutly withstood me! 'Tis long time since Thou crossed this threshold. Yet in earlier days Thou wast my constant welcome visitor.
Alas I have not had the time to spare; My life hath undergone a curious change. No longer do I plague my weary brain With hopeless problems. Now I dedicate The knowledge I have won to honest work, Such as may serve some useful end in life.
Thou meanest that thou hast given up thy quest?
And what may be thy present labours' goal?
There are no goals in life ordained for man Which he may see and clearly understand. It is a mighty engine by whose wheels We are caught up and wearied, and cast out Into the darkness when our strength is spent.
I knew thee in the days when eagerly And undismayed thou didst set out to solve The riddle of existence. I have learned How thou didst see thy treasured knowledge sink Into the bottomless abyss, and how Thy soul, profoundly shaken, had to drain The bitter cup of disappointed dreams. But never for one moment did I think That thou couldst drive the impulse from thy heart Which had become so fully master there.
Thou hast but to recall a certain day On which a seeress by her truthful speech Made clear to me the error of my ways. I had no choice but to acknowledge then That thought, however hard it toil and strive, Can never reach the fountain-head of life. For thought cannot do otherwise than err If it be so that highest wisdom's light Can be revealed to that dark power of soul Of which that woman showed herself possessed. The rules of science cannot ever lead To such a revelation; that is plain.
Had this been all, and had I only met This one defeat whilst following my quest, I do believe I could have brought myself To start afresh by striving to unite My methods with those other different ones. But when it further was made evident That some peculiar spirit-faculty, A mere hallucination as I deemed, Could transform trance into creative power, Hope disappeared, and left me in despair.
Dost thou recall the painter, that young man We both encountered whilst he was engrossed Following the dubious course of spirit-ways? After such buffetings from fate I lived For many weeks benumbed, to madness nigh. And when by nature's aid I was at last Restored to sense, I made a firm resolve To meddle with such seeking never more. Long, long it was before I had regained My body's health; and 'twas a joyless time. I made myself proficient in those things That lead to business and to normal life. So now I am a factory manager, Where screws are made. This is the work I thank For many hours in which I can forget My bitter sufferings in a futile quest.