Message #221837

[unknown]

LES MISERABLES
Victor Hugo
Translation by Lascelles Wraxall

 Is there an infinite without us? Is this infinite one, immannet and permanent, neccessarily substantial because it is infinite, and because if it were devoid of matter it would on that side be limited; neccessarily intelligent because it is infinite, and because devoid of intelligence it would be limited on that side? Does the infinite awake in us the idea of being, while we can only attribute to ourselves the idea of existence? In other terms, is it not absolute and we the relaitive?

 At the same time there is an infinite without us, is there not an infinite within us? These two infinities (terrible plural), are they superimposed one on the other? Is not the second infinity, so to speak, subjacent to the first? Is it not the mirror, the reflection, the echo thereof, an abyss concentric to another abyss? Is the second infinite also intelligent? Does it think? Does it love? Does it will? and there is an I to infinite on high as there is an I to the infinite below. The I below is the soul, the I above is God.

PS. I am just now reading this, so I thought I would share this quote