life which unity with the all-pervading soul has nourished up in yourself. Accept this trifling token of my esteem, and let it remind you that the illumination which is the essence of the soul is not united to any one phase of its manifestation, or any one degree of its essential potency. The universal reason of which we are emanations, and to which we must return,is immanent in all alike, and constitutes our eternal and necessary brotherhood,and merges all our natures into one. Though we may never meet we shall mingle, and again and again partake in the diffusion of living intellect through the universe.”
While he yet spoke he drew forth from what seemed to be the skin of his arm, but was in reality a leather armlet dyed to perfection, four fine rings of gold, each apparently notched in two places. Stringing them together through a fine diagonal slit, and adjusting the notches, he formed of the four one gold ring handsomely chased and forming a three-stranded coil of gold. Then loosing them again a little and bringing them close to each other, he showed to the old man the Arabic inscription:—“Ibn Roschd”—formed in distinct characters by the different chasings. Closing the rings into one again, with grave obeisance he presented it to his host. “My name,”—he added, “I need not fear to give, and if your progress towards the universal essence should require or permit your presence at Cordova, be assured that Solomon Ben Gerson will welcome his brother in the spirit as his own soul. We are not as we once
