Works, in an English Translation (Volume 17)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: and follow me. I will guide thee to the feet of a little child who is about to be born in a stable between an ass and an ox. And this little child is the King of Kings. He will comfort all those who need comforting. He calls thee to Him, O Balthasar, thou whose soul is as dark as thy face, but whose heart is as guileless as the heart of a child. He has chosen thee because thou hast suffered, and He will give thee riches, happiness and love. He will say to thee: ' Be poor joyfully, for that is true riches.' He will also say to thee: ' True happiness is in the renunciation of happiness. Love Me and love none other but Me, because I alone am love.' At these words a divine peace fell like a flood of light over the dark face of the king. Balthasar listened with rapture to the star. He felt himself becoming a new man. Prostrate beside him, Sembobitis and Menkera worshipped, their faces touching the stone. Queen Balkis watched Balthasar. She realised that never again would there be love for her in that heart filled with a love divine. She turned white with rage and gave orders for the caravan to return at once to the land of Sheba. As soon as the star had ceased to speak, Balthasar and his companions descended from the tower.Then, having prepared a measure of myrrh, they formed a caravan and departed in the direction towards which they were guided by the star. They journeyed a long time through unknown countries, the star always journeying in front of them. One day, finding themselves in a place where three roads met, they saw two kings advance accompanied by a numerous retinue; one was young and fair of face. He greeted Balthasar and said: My name is Caspar. I am a king, and I bear gold as a gift to the child that is about to be born in Be...