24

THE HAWK AND THE BLINDWORM

This book would translate Beyond-Reason into the words of Reason.

Explain thou snow to them of Andaman.

The slaves of reason call this book Abuse-of-Language: they are right.

Language was made for men to eat and drink, make love, do barter, die. The wealth of a language consists in its Abstracts; the poorest tongues have wealth of Concretes.

Therefore have Adepts praised silence; at least it does not mislead as speech does.

Also, Speech is a symptom of Thought.

Yet, silence is but the negative side of Truth; the positive side is beyond even silence.

Nevertheless, One True God crieth hriliu!

And the laughter of the Death-rattle is akin.

COMMENTARY (ΚΔ)

The Hawk is the symbol of sight; the Blindworm, of blindness. Those who are under the dominion of reason are called blind.

In the last paragraph is reasserted the doctrine of Chapters 1, 8, 16, and 18.

For the meaning of the word hriliu consult Liber 418.