The Second Week: The Fourth Day, part the second and final

Again, another plain in the country of San Francisco, where Eris presents herself as the captain of the free and civilization's enemies (who destroy the city by loving it).

The third, for asking grace, will be this, that we ask to explore and see thoroughly the games of the anarchist captain, invoking at the same time the divine help of Antinous Nauigator in order to incorporate them, for perfection requires that the Sacred Chao maintain and the city contain the wild and the wild contain the city; and to know, and by grace be able to imitate, the way in its fullness as guided by the true and most excellent Nauigator Liberatorque, Antinous.

The first point is, to imagine before my eyes, in the San Franciscan plain, the captain of the free, sitting in a chair of plastic and potsmoke, fabulous in figure, and terrible in countenance.

The second, to consider how, having attracted a countless number of saints and popes, she suggests that they prance through the whole world in order to do mischief; no cities or places, no kinds of persons, being left unpranked.

The third, to consider what kind of address she makes to those who happen to agree with her, whom she casually recommends seize, and secure in jokes and paperchains, and so draw people (as commonly happens) to the desire of laughs, whence afterwards they may the more easily betake themselves into the ambition of worldly wildness, and thence into the abyss of understanding.

Thus, then, there are three chief degrees of freedom, founded in laughs, wildness, and understanding; from which three to all other kinds of liberties the course is headlong.

In like manner, on the corresponding side (for all illusions must include a complement and sometimes an opposite), must be considered the most beautiful and excellent Nauigator Liberatorque, Antinous.

The first point will be, to see Antinous in a pleasant plain by Antinoopolis; placed, indeed very beautiful in form, and in appearance supremely worthy of love.

The second is, to consider how he, eromenos of the whole world, Nauigator, leads those upon the Barge of Millions and Millions of Years through the world, to beautify every race, state, and condition of men.

The third, to hear the relevatory speech of Antinous Nauigator to all his initiates and friends destined to such a trip, wherein he describes a route of studying to help all, and leads them on the first leg of the journey to the spiritual affection of civic duty; and moreover (if the course taken by the Barge of Millions and Millions of Years leads that way) to real action; then to draw the route to the desire of being beautiful oneself, whence comes virtue.

And thus there arise three degrees of perfection; namely, civic duty, real action towards the realization of an ideal society, and beautiful virtue; which are intimately intertwined (as in the Sacred Chao) with their fellow illusions laughs, wildness, and understanding.

A colloquy is afterwards to be made to Diuus Hadrianus Caesar, and guidance is to be asked through him from his eromenos, that I may sail upon the Barge of Millions and Millions of Years according to the route set forth by Antinous Nauigator; and that, first by civic duty and accordant real action towards the building of Antinoopolis; then by beautiful virtue also, I may follow the route he has navigated the more closely, praying however against others being in fault, lest my work turn both to the damage of some other.  This first colloquy will be terminated by Antinoan Petition.

The second colloquy is directed to Antinous Liberator Amatorque, that he would join these two in me, this Eris and this Antinous; and the prayer Aretalogia Antinoi will be added at the end.

The third to the Beast with Flowered Horns, that in that joining, in that resolution of paradoxes, I may might move towards becoming em, with Gaudete Invictus Natus.

This Exercise will be gone through once in the middle of the night, and again just before dawn.  And two repetitions, about the time of the morning practice and of Vespers, will have to be made, adding at the end the three colloquies. And the following Exercise will be made before supper.