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The other side of his character was dreamy, mystical, and full of strange longings; in these moods a past tradition lived in him again, when he would question his father on the deeper issues of life. It was to this side of his character that his father paid most attention, though without appearing to have done more than answer the boy’s questions. As he grew up, the deeper side of his nature became more in evidence, and seems to have been intensified by a love-affair which terminated in the early death of his beloved. At this own request he was placed in a monastery, which was a stone building of one story and of a rather straggling character. He was already acquainted with several of the brothers, to some of whom he was much attached. The atmosphere of the monastery was very breezy and healthy, the life communal and by no means too austere, considerable freedom being allowed to lay brothers. There was an inner group, however, consisting of the disciples of the Head, who lived the ascetic life, possessed great occult knowledge, and rarely left the monastery. This monastery was a centre where the Ancient Wisdom was known, practised, and taught, and its brethren were graded in orders according to the degree of their spiritual development. An ordinary visitor would have seen only the happy, healthy freedom of the lay brothers, who did the work of the community, particularly the gardening. There appeared to be no animals, and it looked as though the community were vegetarian; the inner group was certainly so. The lay brothers visited the sick and attended to the hospitality for which the monastery was famous, as it was situated near a trade route. Even the lay brothers knew very little of the life of the inner group The monastery was visited from time to time by august members of the Great White Lodge, to whom great honour was always shown. Simon became a lay brother, and definitely abjured the world when he was about twenty-five years of age. His mother wept, but her heart was glad, and the father saw in his son’s decision the fulfilment of his hopes. For the first year or so Simon was allowed to do much as he liked. He studied old manuscripts, copying many with diligence. From the first he felt the attraction of the inner group, and it was not long before he began to be admitted to certain of their gatherings. They possessed considerable astrological and magical knowledge, and performed certain ceremonies of an occult character. After being present at one of these, Simon became a changed man, and shortly afterwards was admitted as a member of the inner group. His demeanour then changed, and, gradually, his