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156 THE GREAT SECRET
is won at the expense of a hidden battle — tiring and difficult, but unfortunately essential if open conflict is to be avoided.
Humanity has two great powers: the genius which fascinates and the enthusiasm which comes of fascination. Do you see this pale little man marching at the head of an immense army of soldiers? Ask where he is taking them. An onlooker with no illusions would say ‘To death!’; they themselves, with moustaches bristling and shouldered arms, would cry ‘To glory!’ All these veterans are believers of Polycuctus’ stamp; they submit to the fascination of a grey frock-coat and a little hat. Kings salute them and take off their crowns as they pass and, when they are being crushed at Waterloo, these men grumble at the showers of grape-shot as they would at the weather and fall where they stand, defying death with a coarse oath from the mouth of Caznbronne.
Animal magnetism does exist, but beyond that, which is purely a physical thing, we have to reckon with human magnetism which is the true moral magnetism. Souls are polarized just as bodies are, and spiritual or human magnetism is what we call the power of fascination.
The radiation of a great thought or of a powerful piece of imagination in man sets up an attractive vortex which soon draws planets to the intellectual sun, and satellites to the planets. A great man in the starry regions of thought is like a hub of the universe.
Emperfect beings who are not fortunate enough to be captivated by an intelligent fascination, fall into bondage to fatal fascinations. This is how giddy passions and delusions of grandeur are produced in imbeciles and fools.
There are enlightening fascinations and there are dark fascinations. The Thugs of India were enamoured of death. Marat and Lacenaire had blind supporters. We have already said that the Devil is the caricature of God.
Coming now to the definition of fascination: it is the magnetism of imagination and thought. It is the domination exercised by a strong will over a weak one to heighten imaginary concepts and to influence the judgement of beings whose reason has not yet reached a state of equilibrium.
The well-balanced man is the one who can say, ‘I know what is, I believe in what must be and 1 do not deny what can be.’ The
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