“The spectacles you want can be bought in London.  But you will not be able to use them at once, for they have not been worn for many years, and they sadly want cleaning.  This you will not be able to do yourself in London, because it is too dark there to see well, and because your fingers are not small enough to clean them properly.  Bring them here to me, and I will do it for you.”

I gave this letter back to the postman.  He smiled and nodded at me; and I then perceived to my astonishment that he wore a camel’s-hair tunic round his waist.  I had been on the point of addressing him—­ I know not why—­as Hermes.  But I now saw that he must be John the Baptist; and in my fright at having spoken with so great a saint, I awoke!

—­London, Jan. 31, 1877

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* The dreamer knew nothing of Spinoza at this time, and was quite 
unaware that he was an optician.   Subsequent experience made it clear 
that the spectacles in question were intended to represent her own 
remarkable faculty of intuitional and interpretative perception. (Ed.)
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III.  The Counsel of Perfection

I dreamed that I was in a large room, and there were in it seven persons, all men, sitting at one long table; and each of them had before him a scroll, some having books also; and all were greyheaded and bent with age save one, and this was a youth of about twenty without hair on his face.  One of the aged men, who had his finger on a place in a book open before him, said: 

“This spirit, who is of our order, writes in this book,—­’Be ye perfect, therefore, as your Father in heaven is perfect.’  How shall we understand this word `perfection’?” And another, of the old men, looking up, answered, “It must mean wisdom, for wisdom is the sum of perfection.”  And another old man said, “That cannot be; for no creature can be wise as God is wise.  Where is he among us who could attain to such a state?  That which is part only, cannot comprehend the whole.  To bid a creature to be wise as God is wise would be mockery.”

Then a fourth old man said:—­“It must be Truth that is intended.  For truth only is perfection.”  But he who sat next the last speaker answered, “Truth also is partial; for where is he among us who shall be able to see as God sees?”

And the sixth said, “It must surely be justice; for this is the whole of righteousness.”  And the old man who had spoken first, answered him:  “Not so; for justice comprehends vengeance, and it is written that vengeance is the Lord’s alone.”

Then the young man stood up with an open book in his hand and said:  —­“I have here another record of one who likewise heard these words.  Let us see whether his rendering of them can help us to the knowledge we seek.”  And he found a place in the book and read aloud:—­